What's good people? Just wanted to share with you the newest link off of Kil Ripkin's much awaited solo full-length The Balancing Act via Soulspazm Records. Kil Ripkin was nice enough to e-mail me with this newest leak so I could share it with you all. This track was produced by Eric G who has also been doing some nice production for Skyzoo recently. Kil's e-mail also leads me to believe the new record has some beats by the up and coming producer The Exceptionalist from the Chi-Boogie. I can't believe dude is only 18! But being that Kil Ripkin is a noted producer in his own right, this find of his doesn't surprise me.
I'm not gonna lie, Kil Ripkin never crossed my radar during his producing days. It wasn't until he joined forces with Torae to create the duo The Coalescence that I became aware of him. Particularly the single Promises which you can buy on itunes after you peep it on their MySpace. I remember the first thing that really made my ears perk up was the line, "It's Hip-Hop/The Low End Theory mixed with 36 Chambers/It's just a collective of sick bangers." Instantly I was transfixed. Someone combining the grittiness of Wu-Tang with the consciousness of A Tribe Called Quest?! Yes Yes Y'all! He then went on to allude to Nas and Public Enemy and I was sold that this MC was someone coming from somewhere close to my heart. Intelligent and conscious without being corny or preachy. Street-wise and gritty without succumbing to unnecessary levels of materialistic pomposity.
So, anyway, keep your head up for the new record when it drops. I'll be keeping you all updated as that transpires. In the meantime, check out the leak...
Last night I didn't see any shows in Portland. Instead, I played a show in Seattle in TragosAmargos with Loch Lomond and Hey Marseilles sharing the bill. The show was sold out, which is crazy. We played first. I think it went all right. Then Loch Lomond played a great set. I had never seen Hey Marseilles they were pretty cool. Epic folk music. I was impressed. I wanted to see, them when they played at The Woods last week but I couldn't. Now I kinda regret it. Oh well. Anyways Here are the shows that look good tonight. There are a lot of them. See:
Doug Fir is having a show NOMO and BRAINSTORM. Both of these bands spell their names in all caps. Both are cool and interesting in their own ways of combing various genres and styles of music. NOMO is from Michagian originally but now some of it smembers are in Chicago. BRAINSTORM is form here. I have been meaning to check them out for a while. I would try to describe them, but I only got two hours of sleep and cannot form sentences. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Aaron Godwater, Davis Hooker, Dash!, Ozarks, and Cole Miller. I played a show with Aaron Godwater on Wednesday. I thought he was very good. He is a singer-songwriter type with a very strong voice. I have heard that tonight he will get friends from Shelby Sifers band to back him up. That should be cool. Plus the spaced out and beautiful looping of Jordan Dyksta's violin compositions are something to behold. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". It is probably me
-Ben
If you want to see more of Typhoon head over to Rontoms this evening
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I love the Penny Jam. Right before I moved here I spent a solid day just listening to all the artists they've worked with and their selections are almost entirely inside my tastes in music. I decided to drop in today whilst perusing the intertubes and came across these guys.
Loch Lomond has got a great sound, mixing folk and acoustic instrumentation with a definable modern sense of rhythm and composition. There are some very tight vocal arrangements here and I'm very impressed with their live sound. I can't wait to hear what they sound like inside a studio with time to overdub and noodle about with levels.
Side Note: Right around minute three I swear I can hear a DC hardcore breakdown coming and I have to admit, I kind of want to remix the tune to include it.
I would like to say that I am not too great at emails. It seems like I am getting them all the time. I suppose I am expected to read them especially when they are from my "friends". But as I implied that does not always happen. Last night a bunch of the CIMTBbloggers got together to do karaoke. I did not go. I wish I could be like, "Karaoke? No thank you, I like to keep it real." But in reality it was like, "Oh, that was today? Whoops, I am already at a show all the way in Milwaukee. I am not really into this band, but the next band is awesome and I already here." Does that make me a bad friend? Probably not. But me not really paying attention to emails probably does. Sorry guys. Next time. Any way Oh Captain My Captain were great. They have their new EP available at shows starting last night. It is exciting because it is the first recording with the new lineup. The guys are going on a little baby tour this week end and I wish them luck. TragosAmargos an Y La Bamba related band is also going out of town this weekend too. That means I will be unable to go to any shows tonight, but here are the shows that look good to me anyway:
Saturday, January 30th
Mississippi Studios is having a show with All Girl Summer Fun Band, ioa, and Eternal Tapestry. All Girl Summer Fun Band is probably one of most appropriately named bands in Portland. They are all girls and make music that is indie pop punk that will surely give you that "summer" feeling even when it is cold and rainy as it currently is. The band ioa is the project of Amanda Spring from Point Juncture. The group has a very unique sound that combines indie pop and Latin flavors. I saw them at their first show as a full band. I was very impressed. Eternal Tapestry is sort of the odd man out on this bill. They make pretty cool psychedelic rock music. It is not at all poppy like the other two bands. But I think that Portland audiences have pretty diverse tastes in music and will appreciate what the Tapestry has to offer. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Blue Horns, Morning Teleportation, and AAN. Man I wish I could see this show. All of these bands are great to see live. Blue Horns plays kinda janglely up beat post punk music. Everytime I see them I think I leave the show liking them more. Morning Teleportation makes some of the craziest music in town. Every song is like a journey that has many unexpected twists in turns. In the in end though you can't imagine the songs taking an easier route. AAN is Bud Wilson's baby. I love this baby so much. His voice is very powerful and his music just seams about to burst with under the pressure of so much feeling. Even in his slower songs there is an under current that you can feel as if you are taking a stroll next to a dam that is about to break. I cannot get enough. He supposedly has an EP coming out soon. You should buy it when you get a chance. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Backspace is having a show with DoublePlusGood, Jeffery Jerusalem, and Quiet Countries. Dance part! I don't list every dance show. Because honestly I am not a huge dance music person. But there are a handful of dance bands here in Portland that I just cannot deny my love for. DoublePlusGood is well on their way to making that list. I like the almost video game like music that they marry with pop songwriting. Their jam "Rivers May Rise" get stuck in my head all the time. It is so good. Jeffrey Jerusalem knows how to groove and more importantly, how to get other people to groove. His mix of laptop-tronics and live percussion and singing is great. Try not to be moved by his music, and you will surely fail. He is on that list of dance groups I mentioned. Quiet Countries I have not seen in years. Supposedly he is making some hip hop these days. His myspace backs up that statement. But what I am wondering is what he is doing live these days. If anyone knows please enlighten us in the comments section. The ALL AGES show is $ and starts at 9 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". Even though it won't be me, because I will be in Seattle.
-Ben
DoublePlusGood plays tonight at Backspace. No word if Richard Simmons will make it.
Yesterday I had another pretty full day. It started at 6:30 in the morning getting the AristeiA band van fixed. Then I hung around downtown until it was fixed; about 2:30 in the afternoon. Then I did chores around the house, and then an AristeiA practice from 4 to 8:30. By this time, I was kind starting to feel spent. I was going to Ducketts to see Bodhi but then I found out that Erin, the drummer from Bodhi was sick and had to cancel their show. By that time is was 9 so, I gave up. No shows for me last night. Too much information probably. Oh Well. Here are the shows that look interesting to me today:
Friday, January 29th
The Woods is having a show with Oh Captain My Captain, Tango Alpha Tango, and The Very Foundation. Oh Captain My Captain is one of my favorite bands. I always said they remind me of Dr. Dog meets Pedro The Lion. I stand behind the statement. I think they are great. You probably will too. Tango Alpha Tango is a band that I have seen a few times but still don't have a good feel for. Um...they are a rock band? The Very Foundation is a pop rock band. Their album features members of The Decemberists and Blind Pilot, but they do not sound like either. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
The Waypost is having a show with The Magic Worm, Larry Yes, and Cuspidor. The Magic Worm is comprised of Ivy Ross and Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown who play a pocket trumpet and guitar. I found this description of them on the Portland Sentinel Don't Miss List, "Ivy Ross and Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown spin a musical yarn that is presented to the audience from the perspective of a rainworm who lives and works dutifully at the bottom of the compost heap. These two tell a hopeful tale of the holy worm — a symbol of humility, lowliness, and evidence that the highest is sometimes found in the most mundane. Larry Yes is a guy whose name I have seen around for a while. His music is peculiar variation of folk. Cuspidor is The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Ladies and Gentlemen...Larry Yes. Tonight at The Waypost.
Yesterday was crazy busy for me. I had to take the AristeiA band van in to get looked at(the day prior we had a unfortunate parking incident with a wall), I had two practices (Sean Flinn & The Royal We and Meyercord), and then I played a house show. I had all my shows picked in yesterday but I didn't get a chance to post. It seems most of the time I have a show I run out of time and don't get to post about it. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were a good amount of people who came anyway. I can't blame them. The line up was super good. I started of the night with a short set of songs that went well. The last song I was able to get everyone to sing with me. Very cool. Then The Sarcastic Dharma Society played a very good set. It included a hilarious and sweet snippet of a musical that Mat Vuksinich and Padriac FinbarHaggerty-Hammond are currently writing. I really hope they finish it because I would love to see it. Mat, the songwriter of the group, is one of my favorite songwriters in Portland. I always that and I forget to mention, that the actual musical compositions are also really good and obviously thought out. Next up was Aaron Godwater on tour from the Bay Area. He borrowed Fin's guitar. It sounded so good. I can't imagine what his songs would have sounded like on the nylon string that he brought with him. He had a very cool voice that I can't really describe. But I liked the songs enough to get a CD (which I was pleasantly surprised features many layers of his voice and an array of other backing instruments). Then Purrbot played. I had only seen him once two years ago but I have listened to the album I got at that show on and off for since then. It is really refreshing to see a singer-songwriter who doesn't use a guitar (he used banjo, piano, and Ukulele). Plus he also has a cool voice. The night ended on a very high note (not literally) with The Ocean Floor (Lane Barrington of Hosannas (used to be Church)). I had only seen this band once before a while back at Rontoms. I thought it was cool then, but last night it was amazing. Lane and his musical partner Shannon Steele killed it. He plays really cool and crazy guitar parts balancing fragile vocals on top of them. She plays a couple instruments that weave in and out of the songs in a way makes most bands look very lazy in their arrangements. She mostly played what I think is a violin (is it a viola?) but also played a harmonica, bowed glockenspiel, and backing vocals. She has one of the sweetest voices I have heard in a long time. And when those two harmonize...whew. It is good. Anyway, here are the shows that look good to me today: Thursday, January 28th
Ducketts Public House is having a a show with Hornet Leg, Droni Mitchell, Go Go Simba (Olympia), and Bodhi. The first time I heard the music of Hornet Leg I thought to myself that this sounds like K Records. Sure enough they are on K. The reason I thought it sounded that way is because they are the kind of punk rock that is very poppy and a little grooving. It reminds me of the music of K main man Calvin Johnson with a much higher voice. Droni Mitchell is a new project of Travis Wiggins. Their myspace headline reads, "Cinematic Psychedelia". I will not argue that it doesn't sound like drugs. Because it kinda does. It also sounds like punk rock. Drugged out punk rock at times just blissed out in others, I would imagine it would be "a trip" to see them play live. Go Go Simba sound like modern grunge. Neo-grunge? Just last night I was talking about how I didn't know how to describe Bodhi very well. I like them and I think they sound like rock and roll with a higher than average groove factor and some very nice new wave touches. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with The Upsidedown, Starry Saints, XDS, and French Miami (San Francisco). I was drawn to this show because XDS the awesome Deerhoof-esque band was scheduled to play it. But they had to cancel. But after investigating it looks like it will be pretty cool anyway. The Upsidedowns are related to the Dandy Wharhols and subsequently play psychedelic pop rock music. After I heard the first song on their myspace I was ready to talk about how boring this music makes me, but then I heard another song which I thought was actually very good called "Umbrella (Laura Palmer)" which changed my mind. Based on that song alone I think this band is worth checking out (the female vocal hook is great). Hey, do you guys remember that band The High Violets? I vaguely remember seeing them at a PDX Pop years ago and liking it. This is a band that features members of that band and is like their former group a shoegazing pop band. French Miami are a very cool band from the Bay where XDS used to call home. I found a quote from RCRDLBL that I thought summed them better than I ever could, "Their electric kool-aid post-punk is stilted by Telecasters winding up the same kind of prickly riffs that bands like Battles and Fiasco usually turn into proggy freak outs, but instead of going all aggro, French Miami end up sounding like a Guy Picciotto band that wouldn't need SPF1000 at the beach." The show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.
The Knife Shop is having a show with Future Historians, Eggplant, and Peter Murray. Future Historians is band that surprised me. I have up until recently heard a couple of their tracks on a couple of comps. They seemed like a good enough pop band. Then I go to their myspace recently and see that they list themselves as folk. I didn't remember them being folk at all. But these recordings do have elements of the genre. Brushed drums, acoustic guitars, and banjo are included in the recordings which are much better than the ones I had heard previously. Some of the songs also kinda have a feel of throw back pop. It is good and you maybe should check out this group. Eggplant seems like like a easy going Americana pop band. At least that is what the music I heard suggests. Bands know this, one of the quickest ways to win my favor is to have a pedal steel player (note: the Pedal Steel playing in this band, Tucker Jackson, also plays in Celilo and in a band with me in it called Sean Flinn & The Royal We and many others). The show is $4 and starts at 10 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". This greeting gets a response from me 99% of the time.
Last night I didn't get out of AristeiA practice until 10:30 in the PM. That is crazy late for me. By that time I had dashed all hopes of going to a show. Oh well. Tonight there is only one local show that I want to mention. If that is what you want to read about, I suggest you skip this next part. I never do this, but I would like to mention a non-local show that features one of my favorites, Julie Doiron. She is playing at Mississippi Studios tonight opening for Bowerbirds. This follows the tradition of the far superior opener for a tour act. Not that I have anything against Bowerbirds. Infact I like what I have heard of their music. But Julie Doiron is just so great. That show is $12 and starts at 9 PM. Back to the Portland music.
Tuesday, January 26th
Doug Fir is having a show with Nick Delffs (The Shaky Hands, Justin Power, and Cannons & Clouds (San Francisco). I know that Nick Delffs played stripped down as Death Songs. But I guess this is different because as I understand it, Death Songs is a duo. This must be even more stripped down. Or not. The only videos I could find of Nick have members of The Shaky Hands backing him. Regardless, his songs are catchy as hell. He has a definite sense of how pop songs should go. Even in an "solo" context (solo doesn't always mean folk). Justin Power is one of the better songwriters who mostly plays solo. While I have seen him also collaborate with others (most notably on Portland Cello Projects last album), he works just as well on his own. He plays what I think is a bass with some guitar strings on it. I have also seen him play one of those bigger ukuleles. Beaches & Cannons is a band that lists itself as a indie rock band. I think it is official. Indie rock is wimpy. That being said I have long been a fan of wimpy music. In fact, a lot of the music I make is wimpy. I like what I heard of Cannons & Clouds though, I would not have classified them as indie rock. They are not quite either though. They do use a lot of acoustic instruments and have some sweet three part harmonies. Whatevs. Check their link that I provided. The Show is $6 at 9 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". It might turn out to be me. Or you just might make a new friend.
-Ben
This maybe what Nick Delff's set up might look like tonight at Doug Fir
Hello Dear Readers, Last night I was supposed to have a practice. But it got canceled. I was like, "Great! I can go see a show." But then I couldn't decide what show to go to. Then I got a text from my friend Eric and he was like, "come over and get some free dinner and dessert, while we read from dead poet Robert Burns". And I was like, "Free dinner and dessert? I am all over that. Who is Robert Burns?". It turns out he is the most famous Scottish poet ever. I also used it as an excuse to not have make a decision about what show to see. Oh and if you are reading this to see what shows I think you should checkout read on:
Monday, January 25th
The Woods is having a "All Souls Rising Haiti Benefit" is having a show with The Builders & The Butchers, Tu Fawning, and Nick Jaina There are a lot of Haiti Benefit shows happening and you know what? Not a bad thing. They probably need the help. Musicians are in an interesting position. They care a lot and want to help, but are also very poor. Now I realize that is a generalization, but it is true. SO what can a musician do? Donate their time and music playing in order to get you to donate money for them. And if if is a good show like this, everyone wins. I played twice last week with The Builders and The Butchers. They drive crowds wild. I have grown very close to the Tu FawningEP that was released a while back. Apparently they have a new album out that is even better. I have not heard it yet, but I look forward to it. I think this is day three in a row for Nick Jaina to be playing in Portland. For God's sake, he obviously wants you to see him. This time he will most likely have a full band which is where I like him the best.He songs are good enough to stand on their own, but really delivery with the help of his friends. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with The Threads of Grass, Jennie Wayne, and What Hearts. What folktastic show. I have never seen any of these bands. I have written about The Threads of grass and Jennie Wayne before but not What Hearts. The Threads of grass is a folk rock band that seems to have a million people in the band. I only recognize Dan Galucki's name from the long list of band members. As far as I can remember, Dan Galuki drums exclusively for good bands. They have a large folk rock sound. It is always fun to see how many band members you can fit into the space stage space the Valentine's provides. Jennie Wayne plays either solo or with a cello (oh, how I hope she is playing with a cello). Her songs and voice are very pretty. If you don't believe me check out the video I included at the bottom of the post. What hearts plays very pleasant upon first listening (which is all I had time for) folk pop. It is fronted by two sisters and backed by a female drummer, who looks like she sings as well (that is if their myspace pictures are not too misleading). The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM. If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". Seriously. It would make my night.
-Ben
This is Jennie Wayne she is playing for FREE at Valentine's
Last Night I played the Press Club in Sean Flinn and The Royal We and Y La Bamba. The shows at the Press Club are very fun. The place is tiny so any amount of people make it feel packed. Granted I can't hear anything that I am singing or my bass when I am playing. I just like the vibe of the place. Very chill. There were a lot of great show last night so I was pleased that people came out at all. Anyways, there are some choice shows tonight as well:
Sunday, January 24th
Kennedy School is having a show with Classical Revolution PDX, Matt Sheehy, and The Dimes. This is a Haita Benefit show. Classical Revolution PDX plays classical music on classical instruments. The "revolution" is getting the masses to listen to classical music (Classical music is often pretty rad, by the way). Matt Sheehy is great, I think I likened him to Sufjan last time I wrote about him. I don't think I am am too far off with that statement. The Dimes are a indie pop band that have very sweet vocals, melodies, and arrangements not too dissimilar to Blind Pilot. The show is by donations and starts at 7 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Nick Jaina, Kaylee Cole (Spokane), and Shenandoah Davis (Seattle). This may look very similar to a show that happened last night. Because this is the same line up that played The Waypost last night. My guess is that they are all friends. The ladies of this line up mostly perform using the piano. I have seen Nick Jaina do an all piano set before and he pulls it off quite nicely considering it is not his main instrument. I had a friend who caught a bit of Shenandoah before coming over to the press club tell me that she was pretty good. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Rontoms is havingWorld's Greatest Ghosts, Tempo No Tempo, and The Angry Orts. World's Greatest Ghosts are hands down one of the most fun bands to see from Portland. Their music pulls energy out of you that you had no idea was there. They have have insanely catchy songs that get stuck in your head for months. But in a good way. Their album was one of my favorite local releases last year. Tempo No Tempo is a band from San Francisco who have a very energetic vibe as well they are many cool guitar parts and have a very driving rhythm section. I really like what I heard. They seem to be a really good fit with WGG. The Angry Orts is a female led band that also has upbeat rock music. They Angry Orts are named after some Lord of The Rings reference. Which is kinda nerdy. But I know that WGG are also kinda nerdy. I mean they do a gnome themed show every year. They seem to be in good company with each other. A fun fun fun show for sure. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Valentine's is having a Prism Index Release Party with ArringtondeDionyso, Alps and Ohioan. This is a similar show to that of what Artistery had last night in celebration of the new label Infinite Font. They have a cool 4-way split 7" in mono. You actually have to hard pan your speakers to to get the mono songs individually, otherwise you will get the madness of two songs at once. Cool idea. Ohioan is cool his band ranges from one to however many he can pull together. He always pulls together cool people. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Blackbird Wine Shop is having a show with Blue Cranes. I don't listen to a lot of jazz, but I really like what the Blue Cranes do. It is jazz that builds upon itself like post-rock does. Super cool stuff. Check them out for sure. The show is having a show with $15-20 and starts at 7 PM.
Holocene is having L'UnionFait La Force aka a Haiti benefit. This one features Pyramiddd, DeelayCeelay, Gulls, and DJ New Moon Poncho. "100% of the bar profits and door proceeds tonight will go to Mercy Corps for their relief efforts in the aftermath of Haiti's devastating earthquake. Tonight, Portland is united with Haiti under their national motto: "l'unionfait la force: with unity comes strength"." All of these bands are really fun to see. I have not seen Pyramiddd since the the name change, but I imagine that they still work a crowd like no ones business. I saw DeelayCeelay the other week. I know they still bring it. I only saw Gulls once, but it was awesome. The show is $10 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". It pleases me when you do.
-Ben
Pyramiddd will get sexy on stage for Haiti at Holocene.
Hey all, I've been considering getting a Twitter account, but I'm afraid it'll just be one more annoying thing to update all the time (one of the many reasons I deleted my facebook account a while ago).
For those of you that use it, what are the pros and cons? Do you find it's good for promoting your music? Other things?
Last Night I had to have a late night AristeiA meeting, which is a lot more innocent than it sounds. That meant that I was unable to see any shows. I instead went to Fire On The Mountain and had some "Portland Wings" (veggie wings) and tried my first deep fried Oreo and my first deep fried Twinkie. Needless to say after this I was in no state to do anything. Tonight there are a ridiculous amount of good shows. I am kinda in a time crunch right now so let me just assure you that all of these shows are exceptional. There are other shows that I am interested in but for lack of time, I just listed the very best in hopes you check the links and go see a show tonight.ay,
Saturday, January 23rd
Holocene is having a show with Akron/Family, Au, and Wow & Flutter. I loved Akron/ Family's Love album. Au is a duo that sounds way bigger than a duo and make artful pop music. Wow & Flutter make art-rock? The show is ALL AGES and FREE. It starts at 6:30 PM.
The Waypost is having a show with Nick Jaina, Kaylee Cole (Spokane), and Shenandoah Davis (Seattle). Three singer songwriters. My guess is that the house piano will be played a lot tonight. I know that these particular ladies mostly perform with the piano. Nick is no stranger to the instrument either. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
The Press Club is having a show with Y La Bamba. Lately when we perform as the the only act on the bill, the other two acts contained in Y La Bamba, Sean Flinn and the Royal We and TragosAmargos, make appearances as well. Just warning you. The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with AgesandAges. Jared Mees and Co. are the most positive and fun bands to see live. AgesandAges I have only seen once, but I enjoyed. Many Vocals to be heard in that group. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Laurelthirst is having a show with The Sarcastic Dharma Society, Super XX Man, and Alameda. The Sarcastic Dharma Society probably write my favorite songs in Portland. I love that band. Super XX Man is an old favorite of mine. He beat me to Portland by a year or so (though I did not know him there, we are both used to live in Texas). Alameda is the new group formed from the ashes of Strangers Die Everyday. Rejoice. The show is $5 and starts at 9:30 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". Hopefully it is me (you did go to the Press Club, right?).
Sorry I missed yesterday. I was mostly out of town. Thursday and Friday Y La Bamba opened for The Builders and The Butchers in Salem and in Seattle. It was cool. I got to see my brother in Seattle. Other cool things seen in Seattle. I man run his motorcycle straight into a brick wall outside the Crocodile, Blue Giant, the members of Portugal The Man, Members of Hey Marsielles, and a old man singing doo wop with us outside of the Crocodile at almost two in the morning. I drove us back last night and got here are 5 am. I was pretty pooped and slept in I hope you forgive this late posting. Here are some shows that look good:
Friday, January 22nd
Elevated Coffee is having a show with Dr. Something and We Are Unreal (Oakland). My fellow blogger Dr. Something sans her band, The Pipin' Hot Love Engines. She plays guitar, accordion, clarinet, and contralto. But since she is playing solo tonight she will probably stick to the instruments that she can play while singing. So if you like song s about robots and such then you should check it out. Also I am not sure but the only We Are The Unreal that could find is a really cool MC (Vaguely like DOOM) from California. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
The Knife Shop is having a show with We're From Japan!, Jatun, and Boomsnake (San Diego). Okay I just want to say that I really like We're From Japan! I think those guys are great. But I also want to say that I miss the hell out of former drummer Martin. The new guy is 'aight and a nice fellow, but lacks the persiscion that Martin had. Still their instrumental songs are beautiful and epic and will leave you satisfied. There are not too many "post-rock" bands in this town, you should celebrate the one we have. Jatun makes electo-shoegaze. I am not sure if that is a genre or not but it should be. I first came across it with M83. A whole lot of synths and programmed drums are mixed with some shoegaze guitar to create a feel that is usually dark and cinematic. Boomsnake is a band that lived in Portland for like two seconds. I bought their album and liked it a lot, but I never got to see them before they moved back to San Diego. They have a good sound they employs a singer that has a very pretty voice and wandering melodies that I really enjoy and often drums that are all tribal a la Animal Collective circa Sung Tungs. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
Laughing Horse Books is having a show with Whale Warrior, Grandparents, Mama Sunshine, and Grey Anne. This is a show to try to earn money to buy sleeping bags for the homeless. All proceeds are guaranteed to go toward that cause. There are many ways you can help out, you can read all about the goals here. As for the music, it is a mixed bag. Whale Warrior is the new band of my friend Tex Winters. His voice and music are quirky to say the least. But there is something about his songs that I really like (a child like quality maybe?). He textures a lot of his songs with a lot of samples and such. Mama Sunshine is the band of my friend Eliot King. I have not seen them play but I used to see Eliot play solo and he was always pretty good with his compositions. Grey Anne is really good her songs are very deliberate and good and she actually performs as opposed to just playing her music. I is always a good thing to check into Anne's world. The ALL AGES show is a sliding scale of $2-$5 and starts at 8 PM.
WonderBallroom is having a special repeat performance of The Oregon Ballet and Horse Feathers. A couple months ago these two teamed up to perform at Mississippi Studios. The band kind of hid and let the dancers interpret the songs in modern ballet. It was quite incredible. I never would have seen these dancers perform other wise. It is a neat concept to bring these two worlds together. But honestly it makes perfect sense. Beautiful music with beautiful dancers. If you missed out before this is your second chance. The show is $15 and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Hey Marsielles and Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside. Hey Marseilles is a Seattle band that I keep hearing about. I have met a few of the members and they seem like really nice dudes. I have listened to their myspace and was really impressed in what they have to offer. They are orchestrated. I mean they have stings, trumpet and piano and accordion in addition to the regular rock line up of guitar, bass and drums. It actually kind of reminds me of the late Some by Sea. I like it a lot. Their sound is big and seems positive. I guess it is feel good music. Sallie Ford is amazing. I don't know how many times I need to tell you, but you need to see her if you have not already. Her Billie Holiday like voice mixed with her throw back pop music is truly special and is just great. This is an excellent show. There is an $8 cover and the show starts at 9 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". Hopefully it is me.
-Ben
This is what I saw before when Horse Feathers played for ballerinas. Pretty cool, right?
It was one year ago that Barack Obamba took office. Whatever. More importantly to me (maybe you?), it was twenty eight years that I was born. Nice. So for my birthday I am going to go to Salem and play in Y La Bamba with Builders and Butchers. However there are a couple of really good shows in Portland tonight:
Wednesday, January 20th
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Shoeshine Blue, Rauelsson, and John Vecchiarelli. I was looking at the Shoeshine Blue myspace and listening to the songs thinking that they remind me of gospel music, even thought they clearly are not gospel songs and then I saw this quote, "the album has a honey-glow sound, reminiscent of the great folk and psychedelic albums of the 60's and 70's. Lyrically sharp, simply layered, and accidentally gospel." Perfect. Rauelsson is a guy who I have not seen playing with a full band or a full show. I saw him play a show with the guy from Sabertooth and gal from May May. I remember thinking how pretty the songs sounded. He put out an EP this month that is just amazing. It is in Spanish and I cannot comment on the lyrical content but it feels kinda like magic should sound especially on the track, "Debutantes". His folk is lush with layers or melodies from an array of well placed instruments. You have probably seen John Vecchiarelli drum before. He is in like a million bands, including Shoeshine Blue. But he also has a more or less solo project under his own name. The music is quiet moody indie folk. Something that I am always down for. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
White Eagle is having a show with Billygoat, Ocean Age, and Housefire. This looks like an amazing show. I saw Billygoat once and was blown away. Like Deelay Ceelay, they are a duo that play with animations they made themselves. Unlike Deelay Ceelay, they do not play to any prerecorded music but play it all live with the help of some looping effects. The music is cinematic instrumental that sync up perfectly with the absolutely gorgeous animations provided. They use a good mix of acoustic and midi instruments and honestly you just got to see it. Ocean Age is a band that I think are great. They make very spaced out girl/boy indie pop music. Equal parts twee and Animal Collective. I ran into Yuri and Chelsea the other day at Powell's and they said that their album comes out next month. I cannot wait. Housefire play very chill indie music with electronica flairs. I honestly cannot write about Housefire without saying it, so here it goes: "Radiohead". The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Raulesson plays at Ella Street tonight. Very nice.
Last night I had planned to go to Valentines. I was going to go right after Meyercord practice. I was super stoked to practice with those guys. Between me being gone for the holidays, then Holland being gone for the holidays, Perry being gone for the holidays and then on tour with Black Heart Moon, I hadn't gotten a chance to play with them for over a month and a half. Weak. Anyway, I was going to go right after when I got a call from Mike Kitson of Y La Bamba saying that there was going to be a last minute Y La Bamba show. So I went over to Zilla Sake and played for a Sake Convention after party that was happening. We played songs from Y La Bamba and the new project TragosAmargos. We didn't have my bass, we didn't have Sean Flinn, we didn't have enough microphones but we still made it work. It was fun. But I wish I had seen Rey Villalobos and Galveston. But it just so happens that I might get a chance to see Rey.
Tuesday, January 19th
Alberta Street Pub is having a show with Black Heart Moon, David Dyas, and Rey Villalobos. Now that Black Heart Moon is back in town, they will be playing shows for us again and not the rest of the stupid country that is not Portland. Their music is based around the undeniable chemistry of Perry Pfister (also mention above as a member of Meyercord) and Catherine O'Dell (Horse Feathers). They write the music together and then Cat writes some words and melody atop it. She has a very warm voice that is sure to win over all who hear it. Together with friend and guitar master David Dyas they create more dynamic music than is usually in the indie folk scene. Also they sometimes have friend Emily Moeller on viola. I have not heard her with the band but I would imagine that it sounds excellent. Oh did I mention that David Dyas also writes excellent songs of his own? Cause he does. He often plays shows at his house and I have a bad habit of missing them. David also plays in Carcrashlander whose members sometimes back Rey Villalobos who I said I missed play Valentine's last night. I get a second chance to see his delicate songs. The show is FREE? It starts at 8: 30 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Key Losers, Total Noise, and Karen. Key Losers is the new band formed by Katie Davidson of Dear Nora. I loved Dear Nora One of the Portland (or sometimes Portland) bands that I listened to before I moved here. She was always subtly pushing the boundaries of indie pop. With her new project is a natural progression of what she has been doing. To an outsider though, her pushing of indie pop might not be so subtle. Her band does a lot of weird and cool vocal parts and sometimes does some oddly placed noise freak outs. They played their first show opening up for Casiotone for The Painfully Alone they other week (so did TragosAmargos). I really liked it. I don't know much about Total Noise or Karen but they seem to be friends and have played together before. I like it when friends play each other's shows. It is fun for everyone. The show is FREE and starts and 9 PM.
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Black Heart Moon take over the Alberta Street Pub tonight. Yay!
Last Night I went to the Satyricon to see a show. What an experience. I felt like I was back in high school. Not only because there was an inescapable feeling that I was in an all ages club, but because the majority of the bands, three out of four (yeah, there were four bands. Didn't I tell you it was an ALL AGES club?) bands played some form of punk rock. I listened to punk rock when I was in high school. I would have loved this show back then. But now it made me feel weird. I still enjoyed it, but I could not fully embrace the punk rock. The first band, Scum Grief, had potential they had catchy melodies and perfect punk rock arrangements but could not seem to all stay in the same tempo, which night have been because was so bad. So I do not fully fault them. Then there was Foot Ox who seemed to be kinda folk punk but mostly a mess of kids making noise on stage. There was a group of eleven kids who all looked like they cam straight from their shift at the co-op to come play the show. Again I am not sure if they played badly because of the bad sound or if that just were a mess. I think they would work better in a different room. Then came The Max Levine Ensemble who played really well and were obviously tight a stark contrast to the previous band. They had some interesting parts but did not do a whole lot to further the punk music cannon. Finally came the band that I had wanted to see, Nana Grizol. They were really good. The songwriting is really clever and thoughtful almost to the point that I wish the music were not so catchy so that I could focus on the words. But when you have a band that features two drummers (one of which also plays trumpet) and two guitars and a low brass instrument and a bass player and they all sing. It is hard to catch every word. They sound they made was uplifting and made me want to go home call all my friends and say lets make some music. Instead I went home fell asleep.
Monday, January 18th
Valentine's is having a show with Galveston, Lindsay Clarke, and Rey Villalobos. I have not seen Galveston. Though I have written about the band and also heard very good things from trust worthy friends, I have yet to get my situated in front of them while they play music. From what I can tell it is very minimalist folk with some drumming and acoustic guitar. The recordings have a touch of trumpet and a slide guitar. They have three members listed so I am not sure what the third person does. Lindsay Clarke is pretty great. I think I played the first show she played as a Portland resident. She spent sometime in the Boston area and Nevada City before that. Her folk sound definitely reminds me of some other Nevada City "folks" (Alela Diane in particular). She splits her instrument playing between guitar and banjo. I have seen Rey Villalobos a couple of times. he is relatively new to Portland but has been doing music for a while in California. He is a good songwriter and has an amazing voice. It kinda reminds me of the late Jeff Hansen who reminded me kinda of a late Elliott Smith. What I am trying say that it is that his voice breathy and light and very pretty. Last time I saw him he was backed by Brian Wright and Cory Gray of Carcrashlander on drums and keys/trumpet respectively. A very nice set up. His song "Kiss Me Like It's the 50's" stands out in my memory. I am hoping to buy his EP that he recorded here in Portland, because it sounds great. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at this show please say, "Hi". I like greeting people. What is your hobby?
Hi everyone, this has been one of the genuine craziest times for me as far as being busy with projects. Goldie can attest to that as I periodically bombard her with portentous announcements of all my projects like a proud toddler who has just painted "Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte" on the wall with ALL 8 colors of crayon. Good boy, go to your room. In music news, though, I will share that I have begun collaborating with the immensely talented Sarah P. Randall, an old friend of mine who recently opened for Westfold at Bar Of The Gods, in hopes of resurrecting the sleeping Coeur Machant. But enough small talk, on with the wacky videos!!!
What can you say about Barry Adamson other than that he is sooooooo cool. And I may interview him soon. Keep your fingers crossed.
This song is perpetually stuck in my head, and inspired me to buy a sweet hat.
Holy fuck, Iggy Pop, do you roll out of bed as scary as this?
And to think they let this guy do the tutorials to kids' games.
You didn't know that Karin Dreier was a shaman, did you?
What fucking cave have you been living in?
Tell you what, when you begin your own postmodern mythology, you can have two videos in a row on Bat Country!!! too.
Does anyone else feel like they've just been run through a velvet meatgrinder? Intensity ain't all Drop-D and 808s, kiddies.
Picture this video with the music from the last one...
...and never sleep again.
Yes, yes.
Bathe in the at-the-time-cutting-edge cinematography.
Amelia (14 mos. old) took control of the keyboard momentarily to post this:
I think they should remake "The Parent Trap" with Morrissey and The Blue Wiggle.
"If you meet Kid Beyond on the road, kill him."
"But not before you meet him."
Here's a little taste of an upcoming interview subject:
Kil Ripkin is displaying some definite hiphop skills, and I'll be talking to him about what exactly hiphop is.
Well, that's it for another episode of BAT COUNTRY!!! In closing I'd like to leave you with a video of Crappy's own Ben Meyercord in his band Y La Bamba, who he is too gentlemanly to post a video of himself. I saw them last night for the first time and they rocked it out.
Last Night at the Woods was fun. I saw a lot of people I knew there. Even fellow blogger Jess made it out. I thought we, as Y La Bamba, played pretty well. The audience was unnrevingly quiet and respectful during the performance. It was our first real show with Scott McGee on stage. We look forward to having more of him in the mix. The the Robinsons took stage and did a really good job of putting their songs from Viva Voce and Blue Giant into a new context. They used an acoustic guitar that sometimes used a lot of effects and an electric guitar with some effects as well. They also used a tamborine, slide guitar,glockenspiel, and a harmonica. On the last song Kevin played the housed piano on a songs and just killed the number. I hope to be able to play with them again in whatever form. They have this one song called target heart from Blue Giant that I really like. Anyways, here are the shows that look good ti me tonight:
Sunday, January 17th
The Parlour is having the final night of Music to Folk To! Fest with What Can Skulls Tell Us/, Shinto, Nick Caceres, Mamma Sunshine, Ross & The Hellpets, Ocean Age, Sam Cooper, and Oh Captain My Captain. The other two days of this fest looked meh. But for the final day it looks pretty promising. What Skulls Can Tell Us is Darren of Potlatch Presents. He plays acoustic music that falls somewhere between Microphones and Love of Everything. which is to say it is kinda quirky and heartfelt and not for everyone. Nick Caceres is the folk pop project of the guy from Gatitilium he hardly ever plays in his folk incarnation any more so this is cool. Mama Sunshine is a band that Eliot King assembled. He is a guy who used to play the Zilla Open Mic back when Luz and I from Y Lamba were just getting started.He was always really good. Ocean Age is a band that I do not feel is folk but who I really like. They do used an acoustic guitar but hey also used a butt load of other instruments too. Sam Coopers has recently mostly playing instruments in Horsefeathers. His music is also very good it can be silly or sad or often times both. I like the way he talks just as much as he plays when he is performing. Oh Captain My Captain is a favorite of mine but also I do not consider folk but more of a pop band. The show is $10 and starts at 3 PM.
Rontoms is having a songwriters in the round with Ritchie Young, Grey Anne, Kyle Morton, Bud Wilson, Leonard Mynx, Kelly Blair Bauman, His Name Shall Breathe, Ryan Ziles, and Sean Battles. Songs in the round have kinda of been popular as of late I know at least three unrelated people who have been setting this kind of show up. But I want to say, right off the bat, this is a risky show model. Unless everyone is really good. Switching from really good performers to sub par performers is very unsettling and may cause audience members to want to leave. I know that I have wanted to leave one of these before. Lucky for you, I know that most of these songwriters are very good. Ritchie Young is of Loch Lomond. Kyle Morton is of Typhoon. Bud Wilson is ofaan. Those of you who read this blog know that some of my Portland favorites are represented here. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Satyricon is having a show with Nana Grizol, Max Levine Ensemble, Foot Ox, and Scum Grief. Nana Grizol is an Elephant 6 related band and therefore have many members and are based out of Athens. Some of those members were in bands like Neutral Milk Hotel (gasp). They are really good and I have been told that I have to see them by a friend who has impeccable taste. The Max Levine Ensemble is a punk band from D.C. Seems to be pretty good. Foot Ox is one of those folk punk bands. Though I guess folk pop punk would be more accurate. Over all this seems like a good time. Plus I have not been to Satyricon in literally years. The ALL AGES show is at 8 PM.
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". I am the guy with the beard.
-Ben
Grey Anne is in good company tonight at Rontoms for FREE.
Last night was crazy. I was going to try and be ambitious and catch Padriac FinbarHaggerty-Hammond and then go to Berbati's to Catch Matt Sheehy, Weinland, and DeelayCeelay. Alas last minute Zilla Sake and Mercy Corps decided to put together a last minute Haiti benefit show featuring Y La Bamba. This thew a wrench in my plans. But then I found out that the benefit show would start at 7. I called Padraic and found out he probably would not start until 8. I could still make this happen I thought. Alas we did not start until probably 8 and we ended up doing some Sean Flinn and TragosArmargos songs as well. At 9, assuming I had missed PadriancFinbarHaggerty-Hammond's set I went over to Berbati's and caught most of the night. Matt Sheehy played a rare solo show which included a cover of a Spoon song. Weinland is apparently a rock band now. They Covered some Elvis Costello and someone else. DeelayCeelay was the highlight of the night with their animation fog machines and double drum beats turning the place into an instant dance club. Good times. But Fin, if you are reading this, I am sorry I missed your show. I had every intention of going.
Saturday, January 16th
The Woods is having a show with The Robinsons and Y La Bamba. The Robinsons are probably better known for the two bands they front Viva Voce (rock) and Blue Giant (Country). Both are great and center around the twos songwriting. From what I understand Viva Voce kinda got tired of playing as a duo which required them to play the songs the exact same way every time (due to all of the loops and prerecorded music). That is why they formed Blue Giant initially. Also to get out some songs that were a little twangier than their previous output. Then they wrote a new Viva Voce album and got two more member so they wouldn't be a duo. Then I guess they wanted to try playing as duo again, hence The Robinsons. In this incarnation of the duo there are no drums or prerecorded music. Just two voices and two guitars. It works really well. Y La Bamba a band that I play bass in and sing. I think we are getting better and better. There are now four and sometimes five part harmonies. We will be trying some new songs. We will be joined by Scott McGee of Nick Jain, Loch Lamond, Run On Sentence, and Pancake Breakfast. It will be a lot of fun. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Full Life Coffee Shop is having a Yes on Measures 66/67 Benefit with St. Frankie Lee, bazillionaire, Swim Swam Swum, Quiet Countries, Kelli Schaefer, and Nick Jaina. I am not exactly sure what the benefits could be. Perhaps to raise awareness? I know that I have already voted yes on both measures. Anyway, I am writing because this is an opportunity to see a lot of great bands for very little money. St. Frankie Lee does girl boy ruckus folk rock. Swim Swam Swum play lean indie rock. Quiet Countries has been making Prefuse 73 inspired hip hop but is listed a playing an acoustic set so who knows. Kelli Schaefer plays guitar and sings with an epic voice. Nick Jaina plays somewhat dark indie folk rock. The show is $5 and starts at 7 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Point Juncture, WA, The Maldives (Seattle), Black Whales, and The Virgin Islands. This is a showcase for Mt Fuji Records. All of the bands are on the Seattle based label. Point Juncture is the only Portland band on the bill, but I love them. They play like a Yo La Tango or some band that plays all kinds of music but also have managed to developed a recognizable sound which in their case involves male female harmonies, vibes, and trumpet atop a very groove based indie rock band. The Maldives is a band that I have only seen once but blew me away. They are a country band for sure, but they make it sound so good. Check them out if you sometimes like that sort of thing. Black Whales is a band who I have seen their name around but not listened to. The Virgin Islands is a post rock band that rocks. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
The Knife Shop is having The Woolen Men and Cut House you play a show. The Woolen Men are a indie rock band that sometimes is kinda a spacey like a Velvet Underground song and then some times picks up the pace and sound like something that would be on Matador Records circa 1997. Cut House You sounds like an electro pop band that leans towards sounding like they were in the 80's as opposed to trying to cut their electro with something new ti The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
Jade Lounge is having a show with Winterhaven and Jennie Wayne. Winterhaven features the guys behind THWBRO . As you might expect from their blog these guys are into indie folk. The band features three members and three songwriters who have a penchant for three part harmonies. Jennie Wayne is half of the other folk-pop outfit John Heart Jackie. Her solo efforts are very pretty and she is sometimes backed by a cello. or so I am told. The show is FREE and 8 PM.
If you see me at The Woods please say, "Hi". I am the one playing bass and singing in Y La Bamba.
-Ben
Meet The Robinsons. They will sound like this sans the cellos tonight at The Woods.
