Album Review - The Typing Pool : Let This Be Your Lesson

I was intrigued to listen to East Tennessee’s “The Typing Pool”, a three piece composed of members Melissa Bright, Don Wilson, and Watson, mainly because I think their band name is adorable. However, I wasn’t at all disappointed – their music is lovely, too.
“Let This Be Your Lesson” is gentle, liquid and atmospheric. Musically, the beats are laid back, slightly shuffly; quiet, reverb drenched guitars interwoven with piano, strings, organ, and synth, always topped off by Bright’s smooth clear voice.
The whole album has a very unified sound, with just enough variety. “Carnival Ride” is one of the most upbeat ; “The Noise” and “Alter Altar” feature a deep, almost-bluesy piano riffs; “Wire” reminds me of a hip-hop track gone gentle, with melodic vocals on top. “Mandolin”, the only instrumental track, features a playful exchange of melody between the guitar and piano.
“Let This Be Your Lesson” is a great antidote to a bad day at work or being stuck in rush hour traffic. Every time I put this on, the world seems just a little bit nicer.

(photo of Wilson and Bright stolen from the band's Facebook page. Hopefully they don't mind.)

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MS Paint Live Review: Cascade Community Radio Launch Party

Hey y'all!

Goldie, Karllos and I attended the Cascade Community Radio launch party last weekend at the Portland East Eagles Lodge, and because I wouldn't be doing my journalistic duty if I didn't report back to all you lovely readers about the event, here is an MS Paint review.

I had to leave a bit early to catch the transit home, so I missed seeing "Portland's Premier Robert Palmer Tribute" and the giant jazz jam that was advertised, but here's what I did see:

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Music for social change: Tim Minchin’s Pope Song

Tim Minchin is an Australian musician, actor, comedian and writer who has something to say about the A-1 top dawg of the Catholic Church:



Follow Tim Michin's on twitter: http://twitter.com/TimMinchin

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Thursday, April 29th

Hello Dear Readers,

I am going out of town for a few days. So the shows I list tonight, I will be unable to attend. Please please please go to them for me. They look pretty darned good. See:

The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel are putting on what is obviously the biggest local show tonight (I think that the Jandek and Thurston Moore thing might be bigger?). They are having the annual Make it Pop! which is the musical fund raiser for PDX Pop Now!. This year they have Colin Meloy (that dude from The Decemberists), The Alialujah Choir, Ah Holly Fam'ly, and Musee Mecanique. DJ Jeremy Peterson of OPB Music will also be spinning. All of these acts are really good. Colin Meloy can handle his own. I have seen him solo and it was great. Plus because most of the newer Decemberists is very big and band oriented. Which means that he will be forced to be play the old hits. The Alialujah Choir is a super group with Adam Shearer of Weinland, Adam Selzer of Norfolk & Western, and Alia Farah (studio musician extrodinaire). They sound like very choral versions of those bands that the collective Adam's are in. Mussee Mecanique is great. They kinda have the feel of a folky Blonde Redhead. Or something like that. So great. The ticket on this thing is pricey but considering how free the PDX Pop Now! festival is, I am thinking is it is not so bad. Plus I heard there will be cupcakes. Cupcakes! The ALL AGES show is $35 and starts at 6:30 PM.

Holocene is having a show with Eluvium, Grouper , and DJ Yeti. Eluvium is one of my favorite things to listening to when I want to just totally chill out. The music is just beautiful. I know that he has a new album out and in all honesty, I have not listened to it, but apparently he sings on it. Crazy. He normally makes piano and pretty post rock guitar soundscapes. This should be an interesting change. It is the tour kick off show and has brought along another Portland nontraditional spacey singer in Grouper. Grouper is folk music buried underneath several layers of heavily effected looped guitar lines. DJ Yeti is Mike McGonigal the publisher of the awesome Yeti magazine or quarterly or whatever the hell it is. He has really good taste. The show is $10 and starts at 8:30 PM.

Hawthorne Theater is having a show with Liars, Fol Chen (Highland Park, CA), and Tu Fawning. Liars are one of those bands that is constantly changing and challenging themselves. On their latest offering they have some very strong grooves and spaced out sounds combined in a really nice juxtaposition. Hard to imagine they came out of the disco punk thing. Fol Chen is a very fresh sounding pop band that makes really good music that also has a strong sense of groove that is missing in a lot pop music. I have not seen Tu Fawning recently, but I have heard that they are something to behold. I really am a big fan of 31 Knots and liked what I heard of Corrina Repp's solo stuff. This band sounds like neither. But it is good. The ALL AGES show is $14 and starts at 9 PM.

You will not see me at these shows, DO NOT say "Hi",

-Ben


Musee Mecanique play Make it Pop! tonight at The Cleaners at Ace Hotel.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Tuesday, April 27th

Hello Dear Readers,

Instead of going to any shows last night, I waited while my band mates watched The Blazers lose and then practiced until like 1:30 am. Honestly I kinda enjoyed both. Not that I dislike the Blazers, but it is sometimes funny to see people get all riled up over sports. Plus AristeiA is nearly done with a new song. Anyway, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Housefire and Asphalt Thieves. I don't know the order of this line up. But on a two band bill it shouldn't really matter. I am writing about this show because I want to see Housefire. I have written about a few of their shows now, but have not seen them yet. Yeah, Radiohead is probably mentioned anytime anyone mentions them but, hey...everyone love that band. I love that band too. Housefire has kinda dark music and a a similar vibe to Kid A. The comparsion is gonna be made. Asphalt Thieves is a duo that dabbles in electronic beats and indie pop tunes. I read one review that called it indie-tronic. Ha. Have you guys hear of emo-tronic. Double ha. Anyway, those are dumb genre name. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Burgerville (SE 12th and Hawthorne) is having a show with Macrocosm, Billions and Billions, Kotten-Dik. Okay I will admit it. I don't know these bands at all. Well I know of Billions and Billions, but not really. The reason I am listing this show, is because I think it is so cool that Burgerville has shows. I had to do a little research. Macrocosm refreshingly described themselves perfectly when they list their genres as psychedelic, metal, and jam band. Essentialy they are a psychedelic metal jam band. Billions and Billions are not too far off from Macrocosm. I guess they are less metal. Perhaps even more Jammy. I could not find any music of Kotten-Dik. I did find this video that might give you an idea of what they are all about. Basically this is the perfect venue for this show, because odds are the audience is gonna have the munchies. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.

If you see me at either of these shows please say "Hi". I am wearing a beard and green pants.

-Ben


Billions and Billions play loud and proud at Burerville this evening.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Monday, April 26th

Hello Dear Readers,

I feel I have done you a disservice. Last night there were two shows that I did not know about until last minute. Or at least until after I posted my entry for yesterday. I played a last minute tiny house show with Y La Bamba before jetting down to Rontoms as fast as I could in order to catch Billygoat. I missed Sea Caves who played right before Billygoat. I did not realize (or remember) that Johnny from New Century Schoolbook also plays keys in that band. Billygoat were great. They played outside and projected their animations onto the side of the building. It sounded pretty good, but there was a relatively full moon that was kind frustratingly bright on their projections. I love that band. They have a CD that I need to get (I did not have my wallet). Plus they sell amazing looking prints for hella cheap ($7 for the small and $10 for the large). Awesome. Anyway, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:

Valentine's is having a show with Brian Park, The Blank Tapes (SF), Pony Village, and Hi Ho Silver Oh (LA). I could not find any information on our boy Brian Park. But I do like my boys Pony Village. I recently got their 12" ep and it is solid. They have great melodies sung by the breathy vocals of Pony Village mastermind Ryan Barber. Indie Pop Rock forever! Anyway, they will playing with The Blank Tapes who play the kind of throw back to the 60s garage bands or whatever. It sounds good and jangly. The Hi Ho silver Oh play music that resides somewhere between folk and indie pop. I believe that they call it indie folk pop? Anyway, after looking at their myspace page I realized that I have their CD. I don't really remember how, but it found its way into the Y La Bamaba merch box sometime last month. I am almost positive that we did not play with them though. Life is so mysterious! The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Rotture is having a show with The Trouble At Home, Lee Corey Oswald, and Grey Anne. I know all of these bands. Kinda. Well I have heard about The Trouble at Home through their band member Tim Martin. You may better know him through one of his other musical outlets, His Name Shall Breathe. Or at least your should, because it is one of the many musical acts that I find to be fantastic. You guys know how I always like to remind of how I feel about the bands I love. So rumour has it that The Trouble at Home kinda has a roots rock, perhaps CCR, feel to it. I have yet to find any music to confirm or deny the rumour. I did find out that Grey Anne, another one of my absolute favorites, did a few shows around the state with the troublesome band. She is the queen of writing clever and sometime achingly honest songs that are song atop equally clever looped arrangements. Lee Corey Oswald is a duo that find the overlap between folk music and punk rock spirit. Mostly harmonies. I learned a lot about harmonies listening to punk music. Take you Bad Religion etc... and you find many a tight harmony. Not that they sound like Bad Religion. Man... what was I talking about? Whatever. Just check out this show, it will be good times. It is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

The Half and Half is having a show with Black Neon Crystal Wizard and Messy Jacksons. Half an Half is a tiny coffee shop in downtown right next to Reading Frendy. I have never heard of it having shows. In fact it will very soon be closing it's doors forever. Black Neon Crystal Wissard is a band that I have never heard of. They have no recordings. What they do have is a last.fm page that says this, "To date, BNCW have not released any recordings and they prefer to treat the live venue as their only official medium." For some reason, that fascinates me. They sight experimental electronic, rock noise and ambient music as influences. So they might sound like experimental electronic ambient noise rock. I could find zero info on Messy Jacksons. Who knows what they sound like? A total mystery show. The only way to find out what these mysterious bands might sound like is to go to the show. It is FREE and starts around 8 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". It is a shortened version of hello.

-Ben


Grey Anne will be performing at Rotture tonight. Pretty cool, no?

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Sunday, April 25th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last night, I played the Eat Mobile food cart fest. It was awesome. The Dirty Mittens played and I danced my ass off. Then Y La Bamba played. It was cool because of all the free food and people and that it was outside under a bridge. It reminded me of when AristeiA played PDX Pop a few years back. I got waffle samples from Flavour Spot. My favorite was the veggie sausage kind. Today and tonight there are some shows that look good:

Kennedy School is having You Who with Portland Cello Project, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, The Cardboard Songsters, Vursatyl (of Lifesavas) and DJ Anjali. Just in case you forgot what You Who is, "You Who: A monthly children's rock variety show created by Seann McKeel and Chris Funk in cooperation with McMenamins. It's a half hour-ish of variety entertainment featuring DJs and interactive dance parties with giant barn owls, musical guests, stories, skits, sing a longs, cartoons, artists, puppets, parades and performers.
The second half hour features a live rock, hip-hop, or dance band!" PCP will have special guest Charlie (you know that guy who was in Panther. Fun for ALL AGES. I bet kids would love all of these groups. I do, and I often feel like a kid, though I can no longer pass as one. The ALL AGES show is $10 and starts at noon (music at 1pm).

The Wail is having a show with Hexlove, Paraduex, and The Slaves. The is a show of music that does is not very conventional sounding. Hexlove makes very free and loose sounding jams. I don't really know how to describe it but it sounds cool. Paraduex is a band comprised of Sean Ongley and Josh Hanson. The music is a very chill and cool sounding mix of clarinet (?) and keyboard band. Seriously put these tunes on and slip into a nice bath and free your mind. Oh the places you will go. The Slaves are duo that make very beautiful music that is washed out by a ridiculous amount of reverb and delay on every thing. If you like the sound of delayed vocals as much as I do, you are in for a treat. The ALL AGES show is at 7 PM (donation?).

Valentine's is having a show with Yeah Great Fine, Deau Bird, All Mad, and Weak Steel. Yes, there appear to be million bands on this bill. Look again though, there are only five. Whoah, That's a lot of bands for one bill. Worry not. Only one seems to be a band in the traditional since of the word where there are several instrument players with gear. That would be the amazing Yeah Great Fine. A fine band indeed, they seem to push the limits of what a indie pop band can do. They incorporate loads of influences while maintaining a very fresh sound. Deau Bird makes really choppy and cool sounding electro and hip hop flavored tracks. All Mad is what happens when Phil Nelson records. He is all over the place. Sometimes he makes pretty guitar and piano instrumentals, other times he is covering R Kelly in a very generous autotune heavy rendition. Weak Steel is going to have its debut performance. It seems to range from Double Plus Good type electro jams, but he also mixes other things like a pretty acoustic guitar on the song "Claw Machine" which reminds me of that Kings of Convenience remix album that came out a long time ago. I can jam on it. The show is 9 PM.

If you see me at any of the shows please say "Hi". All the cool kids are doing it.
-Ben

Sallie Ford is playing today's You Who at Kennedy School.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Saturday, April 24th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last night I played at Elevated Coffee. It was awesome. I did not use any amplification just me and my band. It felt awesome. I can't seem to gather my thoughts today. But I still think have opinions on what shows are good. Anyway, tonight I am playing with Y La Bamba at the SOLD OUT Food Cart Fest. But look at all these other shows that are not sold out:

Aladdin Theater is having a LEP Rocks Benefit with Jackie Greene (Sacramento), Point Juncture, WA, Dirty Mittens, BEDM. These are great bands. Oh and if you miss them here you can see them at the Food Cart Fest (if you already have a ticket). The ALL AGES show is $10-$20 and started at 1130 AM.

Satyricon is having a show with Japnather, Wampire, Diamon Liars, and Thuggage. Wampire is great. HTey write pretty catchy tunes that are real easy to dance to. Thuggage manages to be really good and really funny. This is a feat that is extremely difficult to pull off. The show is $8 and starts at 8 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Blue Horns, St. Frankie Lee, and Oh Captain My Captain. All of these bands are great. The Blue Horns are a kinda Jangley indie rock band who is great. St. Frankie Lee is the product of a couple in love who write countryish music. Oh Captain My Captain is so good. They write perfect pop music. They mix Beach Boys, Queen, and Pedro the Lion together great tunes. The show is $5 is 9 PM.

Backspace is having a show with Red Fang, SubArachnoid Space, and Nether Regions. Metal for all! These are all heavy bands that are not too elitist to have fans that listen to music that is not exclusively metal. Plus it is ALL AGES. The ALL AGES show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.

The Knife Shop is having a show with Sons if Huns, Mist and Mast (Berkley), and Guantanamo Baywatch. Guantanamo Baywatch is why I am listing this show. Check them out. The show is $ and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at any of the shows please say "Hi". I cannot promise to be there, but I will try.
-Ben

Red Fang! Red Fang! Red Fang! They play at Backspace tonight.

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Ben Meyrcord's Live Music Picks for Friday, April 23rd

Hello Dear Readers,
Oh my god. I am so tired. I played a super secret Y La Bamba show last night. Tahoe Jackson also played. It did not end until 3 am. I had to be at work today at 8 am. I feel funny. And sleepy. It was tons of funs though, and I regret nothing. In my tiredness this took a whole to get started. So these will be brief but, here are some shows that are happening tonight:

Elevated Coffee is having a show with Meyercord, Bybee Bard, and River Banks. Like I am not gonna list my show first. I think my band is pretty cool. We got some pretty sweet harmonies, some sick stand up bass, clarinet, and glock sprinkled trough out. Bybee Bard is another outlet for Justin Ready of Pigeons. River Banks is the guy who used to run The Blood Bank. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.

Eagles Lodge is having the Cascade Community Radio Launch with Heavy Nova (all-star Robert Palmer (r.i.p.) cover band), Sun Ship (megajam with members of Akron/Family, AU & Evolutionary Jass Band), Ylang Ylang (Panther + Joggers + Spooky Dance Band), Dragging an Ox Through Water, Billygoat, Slim Moon, DJ Magic Beans, DJ Deena Bee, Colin Jones, and Tiny vinyl. You can read all about it this previous post. The show is $7 ($5 if you are unemployed). It all starts at 7 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with Dirty Mittens, DJ Beyonda, and DJ Hannukkah Miracle. Let me just say this, "Demo Release - 100 CDs FREE to the first folks through the door!." Also check this out. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.

Red and Black Cafe is having a Books to Prisoners Benefit show with Lee Corey Oswald and The Taxpayers. Folk punk bands doing something good. The show is at 7 PM.
The Artistery is having a show with Ah Holly Fam'ly, Blake Mackey, James Yeary and The Saxophones. Ah Holly Fam'ly has gone through some changes. I think it downsized? Go to the show to find out. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 7:30 PM.

Jade Lounge is having a show with On The Stairs. On the Stairs has a CD that I sing on. It is Americana. And free. Like America. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

If you see me at Elevated Coffee please say "Hi". Or give me a "High-five".
-Ben


If you get to Mississippi Studios at 10 you stand a chance to get a free ep. Just sayin'

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Thursday, April 22nd

Hello Dear Readers,

Did you guys go out last night? Cause I did not. Sham on me. At around 10 after a back to back practice, I was done. But there is always a chance that tonight things could change and I might put my money where my mouth is (ie see a show). Here is what is happening tonight:

The Artistery is having a show with New Century Schoolbook, Wow & Flutter, and Paper Brain. New Century Schoolbook is a indie-pop band. A good one at that. And what does any self respecting indie-pop band do? Put out a 7". Duh. Well they have arrived. Tonight is a celebration of their entry into the world of vinyl as they are releasing their first 7" called "The Happy Detective". Congrats to CIMTB contributor Amber Dawn (also in NCS). Go see her tonight. Wow & Flutter have been around forever and make dependable indie rock. Also Paper Brain is also pretty catchy. Just Sayin'. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 7:30 PM.

Holocene is having a show with XDS, Brainstorm, and Total Bros. "Hooray for interesting and progressive pop music!" If that is something that you think might enjoy saying, then I suggest you head out to Holocene tonight. You will finds loads of it there tonight. XDS (Experimental Dental School) push the boundaries of what a duo is capable of. Or at least what one guitar can do when run through several amps and cabs and even more effects. The dude has not one, but two huge pedal boards. It is nuts. Brainstorm is also a duo. I not seen them yet but I am really into what I have heard. You should hear how cool their song "Battling Giants" is. Tuba! Total Bros is another band I find myself writing about a lot. They are other-punk. Or something. Something I like. There will also be a VJ or at least some video art created by Deep Leap Microcinema. The show is $3 and starts at 8:30 PM.

Egyptian Room is having a show with 18 Individual Eyes (Seattle), Orca Team, and Best Supporting Actress. 18 Individual Eyes are a band that I have not heard before. It kind of reminded me of Denali. Kind of. I am mostly writing about this show because of Orca Team, the amazing pop band that I have not seen yet. I am so dumb for not seeing them yet. I really want to get a recording of theirs. I hear that they have a tape available at shows. God, I really need to get to one of those shows. Best Supporting Actress is a band I have not heard from in a while I remember that they used to play Valentine's all the time. They are noisy and have some crazy sounding vocals heavy with effects and some keyboards and guitars and umm...it sounds awesome. But then sometimes sounds super poppy. Crazy and awesome. Crawesome? The show might have a and Starts at 8 PM.

The Knife Shop is having a show with , Wax Edison, Hearts & Minutes, and Papper Upper Cuts. Mr. Fredrick's music peculiar. It is sometimes nice and poppy and then sometimes crazy and heavy. It reminds me a bit of Mr. Bungle in that way. Anyway it is pretty rad. Hearts and Minutes is a band that spans from Here to LA. The sound like a post rock band with vocals. Is that what a shoegaze band is? Papper Upper Cuts is the one and only David "Pappi" Fimbres. He sometimes has folks helping him out but can handle things on his own with the use of all his gear which includes some looping technology and keyboards and such along which his drum set. I think of him more as a drummer despite his apparent ability to hold down other instruments. The music is really cool instrumental grooves with some insane sounding synths atop the sick beats. The show is $4 and starts at 9 PM.

Ash Street Saloon is having a show with , Hello Constable, and Ed Thanhouser. Woah. It is pretty ballsy to have the first song on your myspace player be a Radiohead cover. Luckily it is not god awful. It is weird that it is the only song of theirs that is not recorded live. After giving them a listen I have ascertained that it is "not my cup o' tea. I dislike the acoustic guitar tone and...well it is just not my cup o' tea. Hello Constable is another band that only has live tracks (or I guess only one live track). The reason I am writing about this show is Ed Thanhouser. The reason I am writing about him is the band I saw him in before called Winterhaven. Plus his songs are pretty feakin' good. That is, if you like countryish songs (and I do). If I am to believe everything I read on the Internet he has a band called The Red Reds. The show is $6 and starts at 9:30 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". It is the decent thing to do.

-Ben


XDS play at Holocene tonight!

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Blackbird Farm seedling sale @ Cascade Community Radio Launch party

RADIO23.ORG AND BLACKBIRD FARM ARE COMPLETELY STOKED TO PRESENT:

A mega-celebration of Radio23's first birthday, and the launch of Radio23's newest channel, Cascade Community Radio.



The evening kicks off with a Blackbird Farm seedling sale @ 6pm in the parking lot. Among the selection available:

Tomatoes: Green Zebra, Ropreco Paste, Yellow Pear, Martian Giant, Peacevine Cherry & Garden Peach
Chiles: Ancho, Serrano, Habañero, Paprika, Bulgarian Carrot, Ring-O-Fire Cayenne
Eggplant: Black, Rosa Bianca, Turkish Orange
Herbs: Sweet Genovese Basil, Bodegold Chamomile, Echinacea (Purple Coneflower), Spanish Lavender, Lavender Hidcote, Italian Aromatic Sage, Rosemary, Italian Flatleaf Parsley, Sweet Marjoram
Flowers: Black-Eyed Susan Vine, Leadplant, Cypress Vine
Veggies: Bok Choi, Rhubarb Chard, Vates Collards, Rapini (Broccoli Raab), Copra Onions, Purple di Milpa Tomatillos

* * * * *

Stick around for the whole night's festivities, including performances by:

HEAVY NOVA (Portland's #1 Robert Palmer tribute supergroup)
SUN SHIP (megajam with members of Akron/Family, AU & Evolutionary Jass Band)
YLANG YLANG (Panther + Patterns + Joggers + Spooky Dance Band)
DRAGGING AN OX THRU WATER
BILLYGOAT
DJs SlimmoonSolo, DJ Magic Beans, Deena Bee Colin Jones & DJ Tiny Vinyl
plus Karaoke with members of the Eagles Lodge and a Radio Roundtable discussion

Friday April 23rd, 2010 6pm
East Portland Eagles Aerie #3256
4904 SE Hawthorne Blvd.

* * * *

Hold on to your jetpacks!

On Friday April 23rd, Radio23 celebrates its first birthday with the launch of its third channel, Cascade Community Radio.

Cascade Community Radio is a new, totally radical radio station built on a totally new model.
Until now, most of our favorite radio stations have been broadcast from one studio location. With Cascade Community Radio, anyone with high-speed internet can witness underground music and culture curated LIVE by dozens of broadcasters across the Pacific Northwest - a model mimicking Radio23's pioneering one on its flagship Channel A, where every 2 hours features a new broadcaster from a different corner of the globe.

To celebrate, we've put together a completely mind-blowing night for anyone who's ever heard of "local music" or "vegetables."

Schedule of the night's festivities:

7-8pm:
We kick the night off with the Radio Roundtable Throwdown (or, a fun and exciting panel discussion on the state of local radio) featuring guests representing WILD 107.5, KNRK, KBOO, KMHD/OPB, PDX.FM, KZME, KPSU, Live Wire! and PRA

8-9pm:
We join members of the Eagles Lodge, not few of whom are octogenarians, for their weekly Karaoke Hour. http://3256.foe.com/

9:15pm:
Fresh off of tour with Jackie-O Motherfucker, Brian Mumford gifts us with a very special Dragging an Ox Through Water performance. http://dragginganox.blogspot.com/

10pm:
Ylang Ylang is the newest brainchild of Panther's Charlie-Salas Humara. Though it is a distinct departure from Panther, Charlie's unmistakable guitar stylings and unmatched stage presence still reside in this energetic and ecclectic new package. Textured harmonies, melodic basslines, jangly guitar, warm strings, and layered beats. Joined by Ricci Swift (Patterns) on Bass/supporting vocals, Jake Morris (Joggers) on Drums, and Caroline Buchalter, (formerly of Spooky Dance Band) on Viola and keyboard. (Rachel Blumberg of Norfolk & Western just told us they kind of reminded her of The Minutemen. )

11pm:
SUN SHIP is Seth Olinsky and Dana Gene Janssen (of Akron/Family, and recent additions to Portland!) join Dana Valatka of AU and Jef Brown of Evolutionary Jass Band for what we can only imagine will be the MEGAJAM of the season (just between us, Coltrane's been mentioned).

Midnight:
We witness the debut performance of Portland's #1 Robert Palmer tribute supergroup, Heavy Nova (Jake Morris of The Joggers/Shaky Hands, Kevin O'Connor of Talkdemonic, Ben Whitesides of The Joggers, Jay Winebrenner of 31 Knots and Mitchell Dries)

Between sets, the gents of Billygoat will fill the lounge with the awesome music and videos they make together. http://billygoatplanet.com/

AND! Throughout the night, we're treated to totally sweet vinyl-only sets by DJs SlimmoonSolo, DJ Magic Beans, DJ Tiny Vinyl, Colin Jones, FreakyOutty + Deena Bee

AND! projections by Matt Genz and http://intothewoods.tv/

* * * * *

The entire event will broadcast to the delight of international listeners who can tune in live at http://radio23.org/ccr.m3u

And if that's not enough to totally blow a mind, Blackbird Farm is throwing its very first seeding sale at the beginning of the night, from 6-7pm in the parking lot (free and open to the public!) (tomatoes! eggplant! chiles! herbs! flowers! exotic vines!), the proceeds from which will go to help build Blackbird Farm's first high tunnel (it's sort of like a greenhouse). Blackbird Farm (6 acres in Woodland, Washington) is the latest project of Chantelle Hylton Simmons, of Blackbird Presents, and her husband Jeff Hylton Simmons, who just happens to be the guy behind Radio23. Awwwwww.

AND!
Phat Boy's Bakery will be servin' up the yummiest deserts you've never heard of
AND! The Creative Advocacy Network and Portland's High School for the Recording Arts will be there to spread the word about the good things they do.

Man. Writing this release has us even more excited than we were before. Holy transmitters!

JOIN US!
RSVP ON FACEBOOK: Check out who's all going!


///////more\\\\\\\\
http://radio23.org
http://ccr.radio23.org/
http://facebook.com/radiotwentythree
http://twitter.com/radio23
http://dragginganox.blogspot.com/
http://billygoatplanet.com/
http://blackbirdfarm.org/
http://www.theartscan.org/
http://www.hsrap.org/
http://intothewoods.tv/
http://youtube.com/phatboysbakery

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The Happy Detective: New 7" From Portland's Favorite Font

Attention CIMTB readers: the chamber pop ensemble New Century Schoolbook, in which our own Amber Dawn Loranger holds the position of first flute, will be releasing their new 7" entitled The Happy Detective tonight at the Artistery. I have already had the privilege of hearing this new release with mine own ears, and its 3 molodic and slightly moody tracks will definitely appeal to fans of 60s-influenced indie pop.

The songs' blithe melodies and carefully charted arrangements draw obvious comparisons to Spector-produced tunes of yore, but often songwriter Jonny Askew eschew's straightforward 60s phrasing in favor of a more urgent, modern lyrical aesthetic. There's also an intriguingly complex dimension to these sunny-on-the-surface pieces.

The title track transplants a sense of frustration into a happy-go-lucky pop shell, repeatedly building from a peppy but gentle electric piano riff into an impassioned accusatory rant: "They can call you a savior/well I'll call you a crook!" while still leaving room for a soothing flute interlude.

The second track, "Icebergs," is a brief track featuring baroque intertwining of flute, guitar and keyboard beneath a tale comprised of equal parts romance and tongue-in-cheek doomsday imagery.

The abrupt staccato ending of "Icebergs" foreshadows the driving beat of "The Vetting Process," featured on the disc's B-side. This song grafts a prosaic verbosity onto a catchy tune, creating a musical middle ground between the Ronettes and a Gilbert & Sullivan patter song, and driving straight into a cathartic keyboard-heavy instrumental breakdown.

This release is a brief but impressive sample of infectious, skillfully arranged and thoughtful tunes, and should leave listeners anxious for a future full-length release.



New Century Schoolbook plays tonight with Wow and Flutter and Paper Brain at the Artistery.
4315 SE Division St.
8 PM
$6
All Ages

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Wednesday, March 21st

Hello Dear Readers,

As I thought, I did not get out to any shows last night. I practiced until like 1:30 am. I Then I could sleep until late. Oh well. I am actually still pretty tired. But it is so nice out so I might actually leave the house. But in a unrelated note, here are the shows that look good tonight:

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Jared Miles, Mike Midlo (Pancake Breakfast), and Ezza Rose. I have not seen Jaread Miles play before, but I met him once. There is a certain circle of Americana kind of bands and peole that seem to run in the same circle. I listened to his songs and they sound good. Mike Midlo has done well for himself with his pancake Breakfast band. It has a line up that includes several singers and other instrumentation, but it is Mike that is the heart of the band. So I guess tonight you will just see the heart. Do you really need anything else? Ezza Rose has a lovely voice and people often have her sing with her. I know that she sometimes sings with Jared. But her songs are good themselves. She only has one on her myspace, but trust me. I have seen here before and they are good. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

Berbati's is having a show with Wishyunu and Dropa. The is another show in Wishyunu's residency at Berbati's. I still have not seen them but I like what I heard. Their music falls into the dream pop camp. In their recordings the duo layers Bei's vocals and a mess of keyboards and drums with the occasional guitar here and there to create a warm and inviting sound. They only have a couple of these free residency shows left. catch them for free while you can. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Laurelthirst is having a show with Blue Giant. You may know Blue Giant as Viva Voce and friends. Because essentially that is what it is. They have a new record and will probably be busting out some of that new material tonight. Kevin and Anita are very talented in whatever they do. I mean in Viva Voce, Blue Giant, The Robinsons they do it all (with a little help from their friends). Plus in addition to recording themselves, Kevin has recorded other bands as well. Like Red Fang. Sweet. Any way, I guess they have a residency thing this month at Laurelthirst. They remind me of Beachwood Sparks. If you are familiar with that band, you will know what I mean. The show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". Or just stare me down and I might be the first one to say it.
-Ben


Blue Giant Plays for FREE at Laurelthirst this evening. Don't miss it.

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Tripped out music video alert: 'You Win' by Brent DeBoer

Here is a video for 'You Win' directed by Mike Bruce. Read more about it...:

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Tuesday, March 20th

Hello Dear Readers,

I am sorry I had to step out for a bit. Y La Bamba went on a little baby tour. And while I got back on Sunday night, my brain was left a little umm...not working. I tried to make a post yesterday but it just did not pan out. If you went to the Total Bros and Don Hellions show I applaud you. I wanted to go but ended up practicing until 1 am. I will probably do the same tonight. All I am saying is that my drummer needs to get a new work schedule. Here are the shows that I will be missing tonight:

Crystal Ballroom is having Deer Tick, Dolorean, and Holy Sons play a show. Deer Tick is apparently a very popular band. I remember listening to them and thinking, "meh". But I like both of the opening bands. Dolorean is a great Americana band. Very Solid. I have not seen them in a long while, so I bet they have some new stuff that I haven't heard. The band I am most excited about though, is Holy Sons. This is the vehicle for Emil of Grails to make weird folk-ish music. I have a bunch of Holy Sons CDs and I think they are great. I first heard him by finding one of his CDs in the dollar bin at the Music Millennium in NW. I really liked it and then started finding other CDs in the cheap sections. I think I picked up a couple when Ozone Records went out of business on the east side of the river. The thing is that a live Holy Sons show is very rare. So you if you are going to go out to this show. Please do yourself the favor of seeing Holy Sons.

Holocene is having the album release show for Guidance Counselor. It will feature the likes of Guidance Counselor themselves as well as Fake Drugs (also releasing an album tonight) and Astrology. Guidance Counselor is a band that started playing house shows around town but now can fill up the regular sized venues. Good on them. It is pretty crazy to see bands start to do that. I feel like Holocene takes a lot of chances on these type of transitioning bands. I remember seeing Wampire play there and thinking how crazy it was to see them not in a crowded basement or whatever. Also I feel like it should be noted that in the photo that I usually see for their press is a pic with them in front of a dumpster displaying the number 420. It is obviously because today, March 20th (4.20) is the day that their album drops. Fake Drugs is a band that I keep hearing about that I believe has members of Guidance Counselor and Starfucker and is along the same lines as both. i have not heard much about Astrology the band. I did learn recently that despite my years of thinking I was on the cusp, that I am a Aquarius. Oh, and that Astrology is Marius from Copy and Charlie from Panther (R.I.P.). The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with The Joggers, TV Torso, and Eternal Tapestry. Do you know that band, The Joggers or Joggers or whatever they call themselves. Regardless of whether they have article in front of the name, they pretty much rule it. They are all that is good in rock and roll. Am I a fan? Hell yes. They write catchy yet dense and musically complex pop songs. Rumour has it that they have a new albums worth of material just waiting to be recorded. Someone get this band a studio, NOW! I know nothing of TV Torso. Just did some research. You ever wonder what happened to the Austin band Sound Team that was gonna be huge? Well...they broke up and then some members reformed as as TV Torso. Eternal Tapestry plays music of the psychedelic persuasion. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Total Noise, Karen, and Rob Walmart. Total Noise sounds like it would be a pretty self explanatory band. "I guess they sound like...total noise". Of course you'd be wrong. But bands like to name themselves. Take for instance Garbage. I used to think ha ha this music doesn't sound like garbage. Though I might not laugh if I heard their music now. Anyway Total Noise is total pop. Slightly skewed and mostly crooned pop music. One of the guys in that band is also in Parenthetical Girls. I am pretty sure if you are down with those "girls", then you'd be down for this. Karen is a band that I used to not be able to find very well. They were kind enough to send me an email about themselves. They love "MTV's the State, as well as the food item Pizza." I love MTV's The State and the food item Pizza. Maybe I should join the band? They also mentioned a desire to explore weird rhythms in short songs. One time a girl at one of their shows said, "Oh my god, I love Julian Casablancas,". Julian Casablancas is not in the band. Rob Walmart make seriously messed up beats in the back of a milk truck or something while making up weird spoken word type things (stories?). It must be seen to be believed. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at one of these shows, it is probably not me. Say, "Hi" anyways.

-Ben


Joggers played the Kenton Club earlier this year. I was out of town. Tonight they play Mississippi Studios. Just Sayin'

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Band Vs Promoter

I have a semi-secret purveyor of the most awesome youtube shit. This is her most recent gift to me. Enjoy!

Love,

Goldie

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Linkage: Commencement of Ladypalooza

Hey all! I'd like to share a link.

The consistently fantastic Tiger Beatdown has initiated a series of posts about women's experiences in the world of music called Ladypalooza. While even editor Sady Doyle admits it has a stupid title, it's a great platform for woman musicians to voice their experiences. And I also think the awesomeness of the blog's name cancels it the silly series title.


Tiger Beatdown: Awesome Blog Name (& much better than Tiger Beat)

Today, contributer Silvana started off the series with her post I Went To Your Concert and There Was Nothing Going On, or, A Meditation on Dude Music. A lot of her story rings true for me, and my own early experiences attempting to play in bands, and enter music-related discourse with male friends -especially the "I just don't like women's voices" part.

It's a great example of a thoughtful and justified rant, and I'm excited to follow this series and read more blog entries from different perspectives.

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I wrote a book

No, really. I did. It's out now from Australian publisher LegumeMan Books, who are so awesome they are actually running a contest in honor of it. Why did I write it? For the 3-Day Novel Contest, which I did not win. However, it was fun and life-changing and the great people who are now my publishers liked it ever so much.

What's this got to do with indie music, you ask? Well, the book is all up in your face with musical rhythms and musical references. In fact, that's what the contest hinges on. Matthew Revert, one of my publishers (designer of the cover and a kickass author in his own right) said to me that "your book is great for a music geek such as myself. When I was proofing it in the last week it really hit me. It should be read by anyone who really digs music."

So, I'm sorry for this general level of ridiculous self-promotion, but I'm flipping out! I hope that you will get a chance to check out my thrilling novel of autism, rock n' roll necromancy, and Lovecraftean horror. I am proud to present:

10 A BOOT STOMPING
20 A HUMAN FACE
30 GOTO 10

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Ben Meyercord's Live Musics for Tuesday April 13th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last Night I practiced and then was not in the mood to see any music. Tonight I practice and then practice again. I will see if I am able to bring myself to see any of the awesome looking shows:


Holocene is having it's annual Minigolf Art Invitational. This year, the music will be provided by Rafter and May Ling. Holocene is really good at describing their special events and this sounds like a very special event: "Willkommen zu Zukünftspielplatz, crazy golfers! For those of you who don't sprechen sie Deutsch, "Zukünftspielplatz" is German for "future playground", and it's the inspiring and resplendent theme of this year's Minigolf Art Invitational! That's right Portland, Holocene's beloved annual event is back for a fifth year of synthetic microcosms, boundless artistic imagination, and putt-putt mayhem. Though it may seem hard to imagine what could top last year's Minigolf festivities, where holes encompassed Heaven, Hell, the Willamette River, and just about everything in between (cf: Pancakes!), just wait til you see what we have in store for you this time around!
Some of Portland's most talented visual artists have set their minds and hands to work on the subject of next-dimensional, intergalactic, avant-recreation, and the results range from defying convention to challenging the laws of physics! You and your besties will have to navigate your way through hungry robots, a forest towering at 15 feet, and even a black hole! You might sink an ace in the hole alongside live dancers, or go all MJ (R.I.P.) and moonwalk around some celestial bodies.
On this playground of the future, anything and everything is possible -- time, space, perception, gravity, light, and movement all become objects of fancy, malleable instruments in a universe bent to the weird and wonderful will of the artist. Yet just as in any other kind of play, there's nothing like some healthy competition: so you--yes, YOU, the putt-putters--will be voting on the best holes, and the winning artists will go home with cash prizes! Speaking of prizes: look sharp, folks, as the best-dressed future-golfers among you will be showered with gifts! Also, for the snacky golfers, we'll have munchies galore! Spudnik, Potato Champion's new mobile french fry cart, will be rolling up streetside for your poutine fix. Inside the club, Lisa of Lulu's Confections will be walking around the course peddling some absolutely divine homemade cookies.
And if all this isn't tantalizing enough, we at Holocene also did a lil' bit of what we do best -- we booked some bands. April 13 will feature the clamoring mosaic-pop of Rafter, the Asthmatic Kitty signees and San Diego natives whose utter joviality and onstage antics put them right at home on the playground. The local love will be provided by May Ling, the sexy side project of Reporter's Alberta Poon and Dan Grazzini, whose breathy, pulsing synth pop gems are sure to have you tearin' up the astroturf. Both nights will also be graced with the dj stylings of many of Portland's finest, providing you the ultimate soundtrack for your golfing whimsy. All told, you've got no excuse for missing the aesthetic euphoria which will abound on this course!" The show is $5 before 7 PM and $8 after. The whole thing starts at 5 PM.

Doug Fir is having a show with Horse Feathers, Justin Power, and Dan Mangan (Vancouver, BC). Horse Feathers is a great band. There is no getting around it. Justin Ringle's voice is at the center of it all. It is at once rugged and raspy and beautiful. It is strong when it needs to be but also very delicate when the song requires it. You can make the same observation of the music that his band creates. He has hand picked a very good band consisting of Nathan Crockett on Violin, Catherine O'Dell on Cello, and Sam Cooper on all other instruments (banjo, glockenspiel, drums, violin, etc...). I have not heard the whole album yet, but I you can get your hands on a copy tonight at the show as it is a release show for the album "Thistle Spring". Justin Power makes pretty great indie folk pop . He has been doing so for a while now. I remember when I first heard him, I could not stop listening to his songs. Which was frustrating because at the time I did not know of anyway to listen to them other than myspace. Now you can listen to some songs that he has on a CD with The Portland Cello Project (Thao Nguyen of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down also is on that CD). Check him out for sure. I am not really familiar with Dan Mangan. But he's Canadian and they are a nice enough group of people. I know of several bands from Canada that are pretty good. Remember Sloan? He doesn't at all sound like Sloan. The show is $10-$12 and starts at 9 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Holy Tentacles, Gavin Castleton, and Arman Bohn. I could not find anything in the way of an audio recording, but they describe their sound as "catchy math rock". I love catchy math rock. But the real reason The show is Gavin Castleton. I really dig what he does. What he does is combine many elements of various forms of pop music with a mastery of several instruments. His last full length "Home" is pretty good. His track "Coffeelocks" (hands down ine of my favorite jams of last year). Arman Bohn used to live in Bellingham and play in bands with members of Death Cab For Cutie. But then he stopped and they got famous and he moved to Portland. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at a show tonight, you must be mistaken. But if you really do think it is me, then please say "Hi".

-Ben


This was off the old album. You can look forward to the new stuff tonight.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Monday April 12th

Hello Dear Readers,

Been a while, no? I got stupid busy recently. Frustratingly so. I had most of the posts for Thursday and Friday done but then got pulled away by my actual life before I got to post them. Which is kinda dumb. Especially since I played in AristeiA on Thursday and wanted to tell you guys about it. Then Saturday and Sunday I spent all day (seriously 14 hours on Saturday and 16 hours yesterday) being part of a music video shoot for Y La Bamba. It was awesome and fun, but most places did not have a wireless network to blog on. I hope you guys got out to see some shows because there were some good ones. Like Hosannas, or Secret Codes or Oh Captain My Captain or like a million other shows. I saw none of them. Poop. It looks like I will not be able to see and shows tonight or any other Monday or Tuesday for the foreseeable future, but here are some shows that look good tonight:

Wonder Ballroom is having a show with La Roux (London) and Lovers. I have a confession to make... I really like synth pop. I know I know, most of it is disposable and trite. I just can't seem to help myself. Luckily, there a few groups that make music that fall into this category that are not so trite. Some actual songwriters who happen to team up with producers of electronic music or lean how to program a beats or whatever. Both of these acts have similar backgrounds of folk beginnings that have transformed into electro pop endings with out losing the focus of writing actual songs. Except one is from another continent hence the hefty price. I still have not seen Lovers but I am a huge fan of their last release "I am the West". The ALL AGES show is $ 15 and starts at 8 PM.

Backspace is having a show with March Forth Marching Band and Hungry March Band (Brooklyn). Is marching band music cool? No. Wait, I meant maybe? I mean it isn't but it can be? March Forth has mean confused on this subject matter. On the one hand I traditionally would not want to hear marching band music. On the other, their brand of marching band music is quite a spectacle and I have not been disappointed any time I have seen them. They are about 30 members strong including all the people on stilts and dancers and fire breathers and what have you. It is like when they don't know the difference between a band and a circus. Tonight they will be joined by a like minded type of band from NY. So break out your clown make up and head on down to the show. The ALL AGES show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.

Someday Lounge is having a Passion Pit after party with Shuttle (Massachusetts) and DoublePlusGood. I will admit I am not really a fan of Passion Pit. But I am a fan of DoublePlusGood. They have played a few shows in the past couple months that I really wanted see but have missed. They also make electro pop, but instead of a female lead group like say La Roux or Lovers, this is fronted by a dude. A dude who has made some pretty memorable melodies both vocally and on his synths. Shuttle is the moniker for the drummer of Passion Pit's laptop based music. It is a pretty good fit for DoublePlusGood and was also good enough to land on one of the bigger labels in electronic music, Ninja Tune. Like DoublePlusGood he likes to make remixes of songs and he is pretty good at it. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi" and then kindly remind me that I should be getting back to band practice.

-Ben


DoublePlusGood will play the Passion Pit after party at Someday Lounge. 4 FREE

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MS Paint Live Review: On The Stairs' CD Release at The Woods

Visit On The Stairspace.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Thursday

Hello Dear Readers,

Yesterday I pulled one of those I mostly finish a post and then run out of time or wifi or both before posting it. I could have told you about the Y La Bamba show I played. Or the amazing bill of Ah Holly Fam'ly, Ghost to Falco, Grey Anne, and Billygoat show at Holocene. But alas, you heard nothing from me. Here are some shows that look good to me:

The Knife Shop is having a show with Bruxing, AristeiA, and Design.Drift.Distance. Ha ha! I listed the show I am playing first. Check out what I learned from the Bruxing myspace, "brux [bruhks]:to clench and grind the teeth; gnash". I suppose that is a pretty fitting name for the band as their guitars will often gnash out and the music often gets very tight similar to clenched teeth. The music is made by a drums and guitar duo and is progressive instrumental rock. It makes sense for them to play with AristeiA because we too are a progressive instrumental rock band. But I think we sound a bit bigger because we are technically twice as many band members. We have narrative structures to our songs. If you have not seen us in a while, we have a set with mostly new songs. We are planning on recording this year. Design.Drift.Distance. is a band that I have been meaning to check out for quite some time. I have heard some pretty good things about them from pretty reliable friends. One thing you may notice right off the bat, is that they have vocals. But underneath them, you will find some pretty cool post rock type music. The show is $4 and starts at 9 PM.

Holocene is having Eat Yr Heart Out Culinary Music Fest. It will feature the music of St. Frankie Lee, Wampire, and DJ Brokenwindow. This is lazy, but I am going to straight up cut and paste directly from the Holocene website, "As Portland garners national and international praise for its vibrant music scene, it's also gaining an equally great reputation for its foodie sensibility. We are serious about great food. We love it. We live for it. Snacking, and snacking well, is a lifestyle in this town. We at Holocene are letting Portland's two favorite things, great food and great tunes, collide for an evening....and we expect delectable results! The tunes will be provided by synth poppers Wampire and utterly cuddly folk rockers St. Frankie Lee. DJ Brokenwindow of Community Library will be playing a set of 100% food-themed songs to set the mood for snacking. Come watch a live demo on making delicious vegan enchiladas by Guidance Counselor! Sign up with a partner for the DoubleDare-style poutine eating challenge, sponsored by that most beloved fry cart, Potato Champion! Experience cookies baked by your favorite local bands (The Angry Orts, White Fang, Breakfast Mountain, Reverse Dotty, Ocean Age, Blue Horns, DJs New Moon Poncho, Fleshtone, St. Frankie Lee and more), and see which cookie takes the prize....the epic panel of judges will be none other than your favorite orchestral pop ensemble: Typhoon! Throw in a screening of Brennan Novak/Potlach Presents' delightful song-and-a-recipe video series "Cooking with...", which will include the premiere of the Typhoon and Y La Bamba episodes (heads up, I am in the Y La Bamba one despite my inability to cook), and you've got a most enthralling evening." Pretty crazy, no? The show is $3 and starts at 8 PM.

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Gratitillium, Ocean Age, Yeah Great Fine, and Like a Villain. Gratitillium is a band that makes folk music with an attempt to make it a little more "wild". I have heard about animal costumes ala early Animal Collective. Ocean Age is a band that has made quite an impression on me. I have not heard their latest offering in the way of recordings, But I have their first ep and like it. Yeah Great Fine is a great progressive math pop band with some electronic elements (as well as several other elements). They have some great music. I believe they will be releasing an album sometime this year. I have heard really great things about it. They have a nice mix of acoustic and not acoustic instrumentation (like a lot of keyboard type things). Like a Villain is the solo project of Holland Andrews. Hollad is an awesome girl. She plays in Meyercord and has contributed to a number of bands including Svay Pak and many of the Bro Fam Collective. Her main instruments are clarinet and sax. She layers these along with her vocals to create very cool and often beautiful songs. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

The Woods is having a show with On the Stairs, Ezza Rose, and Audie Darling. This show serves as the the release show for On The Stairs debut album "Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt." I did some backing vocals on the CD. Though this is the debut for this band, Nate Clark is no stranger to the Portland music. He also fronts another band called Les Flaneurs and plays in many other groups including Leonard Mynx. Ezza Rose has a very pretty voice which in addition to helping create her own wonderful music, she has lent to many other groups around town. She only has one song on her myspace right now, but it is a very impressive one in how well it builds and how well it ties all of the diverse elements of the song together. Check it out. Then there is Audie Darling who has been splitting her time between Portland and Nashville. In fact, I can't even remember the last she played in Portland. She too also has contributed vocals to many groups in Portland. The Americana or folk scene or whatever is very incestuous. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at the Knife Shop please say "Hi". Automatic high five. No questions asked.

-Ben

Yeah Great Fine - Don't Wake Up (live @ Burgerville) from Matthew Ross on VimeoYeah Great Fine play at Ella Street tonight!

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Tuesday, April 6th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last night I did not go to the show. I did however, get my wallet back. I am back in business. Which is good becuase there are some good shows happening tonight:

The Woods is having a show with DoublePlusGood and Cars & Trains. Okay, these two acts are terrific. I know that I tend tow say things like this all the time. But I mean it. You should see the amount of shows that I am am constantly not covering. Not to mention the shows that have some good bands but also some bad bands mixed in the bill (I will admit those sometimes make my picks). But whatever. These two are the real deal. I would love to see this show. DoublePlusGood (that's Newspeak, yo) plays catchy synth driven pop music. They will apparently be dropping eps every month until their album comes out, so check the Portland record shops (y'know where are all the fliers and free stuff is) and you might find their second in this series of eps. They will probably have them tonight at the show as well. Cars & Trains has impressed me a lot over the years. I have only seen him once but I have have two albums by him that I just love. Think kinda glitchy indie folk with some cool sounding beats. I am especially into his latest release, "The Roots, The Leaves". The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Ilyas Ahmed, Benoit Pioulard, Tara Jane o"Neil, and Marisa Anderson. Certain artists always play together. Sometimes because they are a natural fit. Sometimes because they are friends. Most of the time it is a combination of the two. I feel like I have seen Ilyas Ahmed play with TJO a few times. I know that I have never seen or heard of Marissa Anderson playing a show that TJO was not playing. They all are in the realm of softly pushing the boundaries of where folk music can go. I have not seen Benoit Pioulard, but his layered sounds over songs sound like it would mix well with this company of musicians. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Holocene is having a show with Pepper Rabbit (LA), The Globes, and The Golden Hours. This show is part of The Rumble which is a series put on by Future Sounds, Pamplemoose, and Cravedog. Basically these are some hip and happening bands playing a hip and happening venue at the hip price of FREE. I am not familiar with Pepper Rabbit, but I have seen The Globes and they are awesome. I saw them play with Oh Captain My Captain at Mississippi a while back. I was blown away with how good these guys were are writing catchy songs while also displaying how good they were are playing their instruments(they are really good at it). Then there is the Golden Hours, which is a band that I have not seen. I heard a lot about them last year, but not much lately. I know that on their myspace they have a cover of "Baby It's You" that made me an instant fan. The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". I would love it.

-Ben


Cars & Trains are gonna do it right tonight at The Woods

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