Last night I carved a pumpkin. It ended up taking a long time. It turned out well, but I didn't go out to any shows. I like shows. I do. Sometimes though it just doesn't happen. Also sometimes when you're blogging you get called into work. Then you don't have time to actually write. Ummm… that happened to me today. So that is why there are no descriptions. Also, I will be out of town for several days. I would check out pc-pdx.com they have a pretty good show listing. These are the shows that look good:
Last night I remembered why I didn't go to see anything. It got cold and my body went into automatic hibernation mode. It is something that I try to fight every year. But every year it seems to get harder and harder to win. Tonight I sure that the warmth of my bed will tempt me. Here are the shows that make me not want to go to bed (or if I go to Azure Ray at Mississippi Studios, make me wish I was in my warm bed):
Lola's Room is having a show with And And And, Archers, and The Woolen Men. This is a really good and solid line up. The other week Lola's Room also had a really solid local line up with Ghost to Falco and Dragging an Ox Through Water. I just checked out the Lola's Calendar and it looks like these are two fluke shows. And And And write really good pop songs. Their energy is high. Their feel is positive. Their songs will get in your head. Archers have a different kind of energy, but it there is still a lot of it. I feel like they are more rock than pop. Their music is really really good. I really want to see them. The Woolen Men make perfect post-punk pop. I think that like And And And, they have more than one songwriter and lead singer. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Henry Clay People (California), The Dig (NYC), and Swim Swam Swum. Henry Clay People are a rock band from The LA area of California. I really think that if you heard them you'd know what I mean. They have embarked on their first headlining tour of our country. They have take on the NYC band The Dig to open a few West Coast dates for them. To me, The Dig sound somewhere between The Strokes and The Walkmen. I like it. What Caught my eye was Portland's Swim Swam Swum who are just really good. They are classic Indie guitar rock with enormous pop hooks and nasally vocals. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM. If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I am not asking much.
-Ben
And And And will play Lola's Room tonight. It is colder now, I cannot promise that shirts will come off.
Last night I went to a dinner gathering. Basically I ate too much and then didn't want to do anything. So I didn't. Also there were so many shows. When that happens I get a little overwhelmed. Anyway here are some shows that look goo tonight:
Valentine's is having a show with Quiet Life, Alina Hardin, and Raquel Nasser. So I know that this is being billed as a Quiet Life show, but I also read somewhere that is Sean of Quiet life solo. I looked it up and he has a solo music page here. Quiet Life generally play a mixture of country rock or folk rock to what sounds like straight up country. I bet solo there will be some minimal version of his band's songs. I did notice that one particular song, "Big Green", was on both Quiet Life and Sean's solo page. The song has a female vocal harmony on it. I am betting that it is Raquel Nasser who is listed as a sometimes member of Quiet Life. Her solo output seems to be slower blues folk music that is recorded in various levels of fidelity (mostly on the lower end of the spectrum). I feel like her recordings do not do her justice. Alina Hardin makes very pretty folk music in the same vein as her good friend Alena Diane. They even put out a split 10". I bought that along with her cdr the first time I saw her because I was so impressed. I love the feel of her music. Gentle and sad. I am such a sucker for that combo. I am pretty sure that Eric Early of Blitzen Trapper recorded her album. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Beauty Bar is having the last of Archeology's October residency. This is a band that is based around a core duo of songwriters. They have crafted several home made eps before releasing their debut album, Memorial. Their music can generally be categorized as indie pop music. They tend to use acoustic guitar as the central skeleton of the song. They then flesh the songs out by adding layers of keyboards , guitars, vocals, and other things. The songs are pretty catchy. I have seen them a couple times. It is fun. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Kenton Club is having Lana Rebel & The Love Lasers play as they do every second and fourth Monday of every month. I have yet to make it out to one of these shows. I know that one day I will though. I really enjoy what I have heard of her music. I would I would enjoy it even more in a live setting. I mean I not a huge country, but I do really like it when it is done well. Lana Rebel does it really well. It is sad music about drinking and such. I love it. The show is FREE and starts at 9:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I am the one with the beard and shoes on.
-Ben
Lana Rebel will help you indulge in your urges to drown your sorrows tonight at Kenton Club!
Last night I thought I was going to a house meeting at 6:30 PM. The house meeting ended up being at 8 PM. This totally bummed me out, because had I known that I would have caught Like a Villain at Bar Bar. Sigh. Oh well. Here are the shows that looked good tonight:
The Know has a show with Carcrashlander, Silian Rail, and Sun Noble. Carcrashlander is the vehicle for Cory Gray to put out all of his songs. He also plays on almost everyone's records in town. On their latest ep, Born in a Hospital, they add something that they have been toying with live for a while. That something is reggae. Have you ever heard of it? Ever since Built to Spill gave the go ahead, indie rock has been dubbing out. I really like the ep. Silian Rail is an amazing instrumental post-rock outfit from The Bay. Their music is so good, both the drums and the guitar (and whatever else they manage to play as well). I have been listening to them for a few years now. Sun Noble are in the same ball park. They have a few live demos on the web. It has members or Team Evil, Paper/Upper/Cuts, Pluvial and more. They sound awesome. The show is $ and starts at 8 PM. Doug Fir is having a show with Brothers Young, Cabinessence, and Ezza Rose. Brothers young are good. They remind me of a mix of Beta Band and Midlake. I don't remember knowing about Cabinessence. It seems like feel good 70's country rock. Think of what Beachwood Sparks were doing. It is along those lines. Ezza Rose has one of the prettiest voices in Portland. She also has lined up a great band. Her new album of folk pop should be done soon. Keep an eye out. You really should check it out. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM. If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I am the one with the beard and shoes on.
-Ben
Carcrashlander will play at The Know Tonight. Sweet.
Last night I had a busy night. I started at Alberta Rose as part of the Royal We at Live Wire! It was cool. Plus Willy V. of Richmond Fontaine read a bit from his novel. He is pretty good. I am gonna get that book. After that I stopped by Together Gallery and found out I missed Neal Morgan and John Niekrasz of Why I Must Be Careful playing a special solo set. Both of those guys only use drums. I heard that John's set was really intense and included a part where he dropped marbles and balls into a steel drum that he was handling. I am sorry I missed it. Then I caught my room mate in his first show as the drummer of Diestro. They were pretty awesome. It was loud and riff centric. It was a blast. Anyways, here are the many many shows that look good to me:
Satyricon is havingQuasi, Pond, and M99 play a show. I guess they will be shutting its doors for good. Again. So why not party like it is 1993? Two of these bands, Pond and M99 are reforming especially for tonight. I never listened to either, but I have seen Pond 7"s around town. They were a grunge band on Sub Pop. I read that M99 were a punk blues band. Quasi is a rock band. They are an amazing rock band. Back in the day you they were a duo. They mix some blues, pop, and rock all together with the lyrical genius of Sam Coomes. Quasi is still putting out great records. The ALL AGES show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
The Waterheater Benefit show continues at Waterheater. Tonight they lined up Ezza Rose, Boy & Bean, John Vecchiarelli, Michael the Blind, On The Stairs, Leonard Mynx, A Gentleman's Picnic, and Vanimal. From their website, "We are a non-profit communal arts space, dedicated to the communities that bore us, that helped and fed us, that watered us and watched us grow." But mostly I am saying that you should check out all theses artists. You have probably seen me write about the majority of them. The show starts at 5 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Born Ruffians (Canada), Meligrove Band, and Aan. Born Ruffians are a Canadian Indie Rock band that have a sound that is full of energy. They are touring with fellow Canadians Meligrove Band that have perhaps even more tightly packed energy. I'll go ahead and say it. I like Meligrove Band better than Born Ruffians. The reason I am writing about the show though, is the amazing Aan. They are constantly getting better. I saw them recently at the Hosannas CD release show and they just killed it. They have a way of arranging and using dynamics to make you "feel" the songs. The lyrics are so good. The music is so good. You need to see this band. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Breathe Owl Breathe (East Jordan, Michigan), Little Wings, and Graves. I saw Breathe Owl Breathe a few times now. They make very cute, fun, and good music that often incorporates the crowd. It is a fun experience. Little Wings is actually a guy named Kyle. He used to live in Portland. I don't know that he does anymore. His records kind of have the same feel of early Microphones. His voice isn't the best, but he has a way with words. I have heard that lots of people are into him. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
The Knife Shop is having a show with Ohioan, Weaver & The Birds, and The Lords Own Choir. Experimental Country. That is what Ohioan claims to make. He tends to occupy the space between Neil Young and Will Oldham's more eccentric endeavors. Weaver is the name that Andrew Joseph Weaver makes. The songs I have heard have been minimal and sound melancholy. The Birds is probably a backing band. The Lords Own Choir is a country band that sounds like an indie band. Lo-fi Country, perhaps? The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
Tonic Lounge is having a show with Furniture Girls (Seattle), Secret Codes, and The North Wind. I cannot explain Furniture Girls. The North Wind sounds like a band in its infancy trying to figure out it's instrumental rock sound. I am writing about this show because of the great band Secret Codes. Think along the lines of something along the lines of Tortoise of Efterklang. They are awesome. Everyone in the band is really good at their instruments. I love the music. The show is at 9 PM?
The Art Department is having a show with Annie Bethancourt and Thuggage. "Join My Voice Music (MVM) for its 2nd Annual Anniversary Party on October 23, 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The annual celebration will be held at the Art Department in Southeast Portland and supports MVM in its mission to empower Portland’s youth though music. Come and listen to live performances by Portland’s Annie Bethencourt and hip-hop duo Thuggage, participate in a silent auction and raffle, and more". This is an odd pairing, but I honestly like both. Annie's songs are great and deal with heart felt emotions and grand melodies. Thuggage's songs are hilarious and not too deep but not too shallow. The show is $10-$20 and starts at 7 PM.
Bar Bar is having a show with Want aka David Bow, Fabi Reyna, and Like A Villain. Like a Villain is Holland Andrews of Meyercord, The Ocean Floor etc… She is an amazing musician. Like a Villain is her project that is very clarinet and vocal heavy. She uses looping to create very lush and dark tunes. It honestly gave me chills the last time I saw her play. The show is $5 and starts at 7 PM.
Backspace is having an event called Room Full of Speakers Poetry Slam. This is what the Backspace website said about the event. "6 teams of the best slam poets and spoken word artists from Seattle, Oakland, Vancouver B.C., Boise, Spokane, and Portland converge on downtown pdx to battle it out for superiority and the right to claim the title of Queen poetry city of the northwest. This is going to be badass." Oddly enough they will also have musical guests. This is why I am listing it. They are having Wax Fingers and Hollywood Tans. Wax Fingers is on my short list of bands I need to see. Their new album is excellent. If you are a fan of progressive pop music, you will want to check them out. The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 8 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Seabear (Reykjavik, Iceland), Grandchildren, and John Heart Jackie. Seabear make some of that fleshed out an pretty folk music that is played by a large band. I will admit there are a lot of bands like that right now. I will also say that I still like their music. They are on tour with the super good band Grandchildren who are very impressive with their spin on music. John Heart Jackie is one of my favorite local folk duos. They are definitely something special and should be looked into. I do not have their ep or full length regrettably. I want them very badly. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
Fringe Vintage is having a show with Westfold and Fathers & Sons. This same exact show Occurred on August 28th of this year. I guess it was such a success that they did it again. I could not find any information on Fathers and Sons. I am writing about this because I am a fan of Westfold. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM. If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I am the one with the beard and shoes on.
-Ben
Aan is at Doug Fir tonight! Also you can see the back of my head bobbing in this video. Plus I love the dialogue.
I think that my late Tuesday Night had a larger effect on me than I had initially anticipated it having. I ended up having to take a nap yesterday evening that resulted in me being unable to leave the house because I was too cozy. I needed the rest. But now that I am rested, I am ready to see some music. Oh dang, there are a lot of them tonight. Here are the shows that peak my interest:
The Alberta Rose is having Live Wire! They will have two shows I believe for the price of one. Actually, maybe more. Live Wire! is a variety show. This means that there are many aspects show it is actually a uh... variety of acts. Musical guests are Curtis Salgado with musical partner Alan Hagar, Sean Flinn & The Royal We, and Grievous Angel. There will also be the guys from Wieden + Kenndey ad firm that created the really funny Old Spice spots. They will also have RichmondFontainefrontman/novelist Willy Vlautin talking about what he does. I am told that Curtis Salgado and Alan Hagar are Bluesmen. I am told that I am in Sean Flinn & The Royal We. We are a pop band that touches on many of pop's sub genre's. Plus we have many of Portland's best players. Grievous Angel is actually something like a musical based on a Graham Parsons interview. The show is $15-$30 and starts at 7:30 PM.
The Know is having a show with Diesto, Vultures 2012 (Seattle), and The Black Budget. Did you know that there was a loud rock music scene in Portland? Surely you did. I mean we have Red Fang and Rabbits and many others. My roommate Devon recently joined one of them. He is the new drummer of Diesto. Good on him and good on them. They are both pretty good. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is having s a show with She & Him and Mike Coykendall & The Golden Shag. The she is ZooeyDeschanel, the him is M Ward. M Ward reps Portland and is awesome. Also from Porland is Mike Coykendall the guy who has recorded most of the M Ward records out there and M Wards (and Meyercord's) drummer Scott McPhearson. Zooey writes the songs and Mr Ward produces and arranges them. They make pop music that is bubbly and bright. Mr. Coykendall's other band plays music that is considerable less bright. It is pretty awesome though. I have only seen him play at The Woods. This space is about a million times bigger. The ALL AGES show is $35 and starts at 8 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Scout Niblett, Holocombe Waller & The Healers, and ArringtondeDionyso. I must be honest. I think that this is a line up of some musical weirdos. Scout's music is usually kind of dark and is based in the rock genre but is free to go where ever it wants to go. That being said the music is interesting and sometimes very cool. Okay maybe Holocombe Waller is not that weird, but he used to have elaborate shows that were kinda like theater. Or so I was told. ArringtondeDionyso does his own thing. Check description out, "ArringtondeDionyso uses performance as a vehicle for driving through the nameless territories held between surrealist automatism, shamanic seance, and the folk imagery of rock and roll. Arrington performs on the bass clarinet, jaw harps, and his voice with a distinctly multiphonic ability inspired by Tuvanthroatsinging and the ecclesiastics of Albert Ayler and Don Van Vliet. Pushing the envelope between musicality and pure energy, between shamanic ecstasy and lunacy, he enwraps rooms with resonant sound. He tours constantly, and has performed or/and recorded with notable improvisers throughout the U.S.A., Canada, Italy, France, Israel and Japan. He presents workshops on improvising with the voice in conjunction with his travels around the world." Intriguing, no? The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
There is a Waterheater Benefit Show tonight at Waterheater. For those of you who do not know of this venue, it is the latest effort to have a ALL AGES venue. Tonight K-Tel '79, Blood Beach, Cat Stalks Bird, Heavy Sweaters, My Autumn's Done Come, Sallo, Quiet Life, and DJ Xcaliber will all be performing in hopes that the venue actually can take off. Actually the space aims to be more than a venue. From their website, "We are a non-profit communal arts space, dedicated to the communities that bore us, that helped and fed us, that watered us and watched us grow." That is if they stay open long enough to grow. Many of these bands I have written about before. You should click on some links to check them out. Especially Quiet Life. Or Blood Beach. The ALL AGES show is at 7 PM.
Mudai Lounge is having a show with Pluvial, Silian Rail, and Team Evil Pluvial is a drums and bass duo. They can rock your balls off. Silian Rail is a duo from the Bay. They can rock your socks off. Team Evil is more than two people. They may not rock anything off, but you will be pleased with the sounds that they make. I am especially a fan of Silian Rail they are instrumental post rock that pushes what two people can do. It is impressive. I have not seen either Portland bands, but I have written about them before and want to see them play. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Mississippi Pizza is having The Grapefruit League and Wishyunu play a show. I am not familiar with The Grapefruit League, but them seem pretty 'aight. I am writing about the show because I like Wishyunu. I wish you knew their music too. You should check it out if you are at all into pop music. Or electro-pop music. Or looped jam outs. Or kraut rock. Or good music in general. The show is at 9 PM.
Laurelthirst is having a show with LewiLongmire & The Left Coast Roasters and The Robinsons. LewiLongmire is the guy who actually books the Laurelthirst. His band is country rock. Or along those lines at least. The Robinsons is a vehicle for Kevin and Anita Robinson to play music as a duo again. The sets are comprised a mix of songs from their two bands Viva Voce and Blue Giant. I like them the best in this configuration. The show is $6 and starts at 9:30 PM.
If you see me at the Alberta Rose do not hesitate to say, "Hi". I am the back singer with a beard.
-Ben
Sean Flinn will be doing Live Wire! tonight at The Alberta Rose.
Last Night I was pooped. I realized much too late that I failed myself. I let there be a 20 hour gap between meals. That mixed with my three and a half hours of sleep left me very sleepy. I did not see any shows last night. but here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Fruit Bats, Wye Oak, and Norman. I really Like Fruit Bats. I first heard of Eric Johnson because he did some stuff with Califone in Chicago. He released the First Fruit Bats release on Califone's Perishable Records. It was great. Last I checked Eric lives here in Portland (he also plays guitar in that Portland band, The Shins) which makes this a local show. Fruit Bats has always had pop sensibilities, but it is now a full on pop band with a tiny tinge of country. I saw Baltimore's Wye Oak open for Blitzen Trapper a while back. I remember them being pretty great. They are a duo and are on Merge records. That means they are good. Merge puts out all the great bands nowadays: Arcade Fire, Spoon, M Ward and more. I guess you could say that Merge is like a seal of quality. The show is $13 and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Kele Goodwin, Denver, and Jennie Wayne. Kele Goodwin is releasing his debut album "Hymns". I have not heard it, but I have heard Kele. His voice is Nick Drak-ish. His songs are gently finger picked and he got Sean from MusseeMecanique to arrange it. If you have not heard them, they are the best arranged band in Portland (if not the world). I am dying to hear it. Denver is a somewhat of a super group. Bands represented: Blitzen Trapper and Death Songs. Both of those bands are great. Therefore, Denver is probably pretty great. Jennie Wayne is also someone you should check out. I have seen her play a few times and am always taken aback by how pretty the music is. It is also minimal folk.The show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.
Camellia Lounge at the Tea Zone is having a show with John Michael, Annie Bethancourt, and Hannah Glavor. I am writing about this show because I think Annie Bethancourt is great. Her songs are great. Her voice is great. If anyone has a copy of my out of print MeyercordChildisEP you can hear her sing a song with me. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". It wouldn't kill you. Nor will I.
-Ben
Jennie Wayne is playing Kele Goodwin's CD release show at The Woods tonight.
Last night, I went to see Typhoon open for Belle & Sebastian at The Schnitz. Unfortuneately, I thought that the Doors were at 8 PM. I was wrong. The music started at 8 PM. I caught about two minutes of Typoon's set. I was pretty upset. I wanted to see them play. It was crazy to see them on a stage that size. Especially since the last time I saw them was on a stage that was so tiny (Amnesia in San Francisco). This was my first time to The Shnitz. It was also my first time to see Typhoon at a relatively quiet volume. Then after a bit of a intermission, it really felt like an intermission (probably because I was in the lobby of a theater), Belle & Sebastian took the stage. They started with "Stars of Track and Field", which was awesome, and followed it with an entire set and encore of B&S greats from their catalogue (including some highlights from the new record). At one point they had a bunch of people go on stage to dance for a few numbers. They were awarded with medals. I loved just about every minute of the show. Then I rushed over to Someday Lounge where DJ Cookie started spinning his soul 45's. Y La Bamba played a short set a little after midnight. I thought it went pretty well. Then Cooky Parker played even more 45's he had the whole of the club dancing. I later found out that another soul DJ totally "stepped" to him. Crazy. He called him a see you next Tuesday. Totally unprovoked. Crazy. All and all it was a good night though. I would also like to note how exhauseted I am right now. It was very difficult to form sentences today. Anyway, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Laurelthirst is having a show with Michael Hurley. You have probably seen me write about this fellow before. I have only seen him once but have heard recordings of him and his guest spot on Alela Diane's last album. He crafts folk music that doesn't mess around. It is the real deal. It would appear that he has the coveted Laurelthirst Wednesday happy hour residency for October. I could not be more pleased. The show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Phosphorescent, Quiet Life, and Celilo. Do you like music that is often tagged Americana? Do you like acoustic guitars backed by full bands? Do you like questions regarding your musical preferences? If so, you might like this show. I make no promises, but I do link to all of the bands to check out. I have been meaning to catch Quiet Life for quite some time now. The show is $4. and starts at 9 PM.
Roseland is having a show with Starfucker, Octopus Project, Strength, and Super XX Man. Starfucker has not, to my limited knowledge, played a Portland show in some time. Welcome back guys. I am glad you have returned to you senses in regards to your name. I am also glad that you signed to a kick ass music label. Polyvinyl is awesome. They are one of the only record labels that I order from on a relatively frequent basis. Oh and I think their music is pretty good. Josh Hodges is a pop mastermind. He creates synth hooks like no one's business. Octopus Project is a band of kinda weirdos from Austin. They used to have electrical outlet masks. I have an ep of theirs. I like it. I also have the collaboration they did with Black Moth Super Rainbow. That album is really good. As you might expect from anyone that collaborates with Black Moth Super Rainbow, they are kinda experimental Strength is a dance rock band. Therefore they are obviously a little cheesy. But you know what? I like cheese. They have disco guitars and beats and loads of synth bass. Check it out. Super XX Man is basically Scott Garred and those that he has assembled around him. I have only seen him play solo, but I bet that at a venue this size he will gather a full band. His songs usually come off as warm and honest. I have liked him since I was in college. The ALL AGES show is at 9 PM.
The White Eagle is having a show with Secret Codes, Heartbreak Beat, and Retake Trio. Secret Codes is that brainchild of one David Kyle. He grew up on math rock and post rock. He makes music that sounds kinda Jazzy. In the way that Tortoise is kinda jazzy. I like it tons. Heartbreak Beat is the new band of Martyn Leaper. You may know his old band The Minders. They were a part of The motherlovin' Elephant Six Crew. Indie Pop lives! Retake Trio sound interesting. This was on their myspace page, "The Retake Trio is an offshoot of Retake Productions, a music production company that was founded in 2007 by Kyle Williams and Adam Fuderer. Their goal is to create music that enhances great films and exposes them to a broad variety of people. They strive to develop a symbiotic relationship between film and music that puts traditional, classical elements in juxtaposition with a post-modern, jazz-based palate." The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". If you tell me your name I can make you Internet famous by mentioning in this very blog.
-Ben
This is a taste of what to expect tonight. Starfucker Forever.
Last night I stayed home. Basically what I need to do is save up enough to get a bike. I think that would help. I want to be able to afford to get to show and be able to pay to get in. I realize that some of my show absences have been financial decisions. I think a bike is way more economical. Anyway, enough of my bitching. Here are the Portland centric shows happening tonight :
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, better known as The Schnitz is having an incredible show with Belle & Sebastian and Typhoon. That is right it. The legendary, in my mind, Belle & Sebastian are in town today. I love that band so much and realized that I have been listening to them for abut ten years. That is kinda nuts. They introduced me to genre tags such as indie pop, Twee, and baroque pop. They have been consistently been putting out good records. The classics (If Your Feeling Sinister or Boy With The Arab Strap) are classic, the newer records are great too (Dear Catastrophe Waitress and The Life Pursuit are totally underrated in my opinion). There is a new album out called Write About Love. I think it is pretty darned good. I will see this show. If nothing to see my homies in Typhoon. They are sooooo good. I am happy to see them playing a show this size. They play music that is so epic pulls tight the heart strings and also at times channels pure joy. I cannot recommend them enough. The show is a hefty $45 and starts at 8 PM.
Someday Lounge is having the after party of the Belle & Sebastian show. They are going to have Y La Bamba play a set. They will also have DJ Cooky Parker spin records which the possibility of members of Belle & Sebastian cutting in so to speak to spin as well. As a member of Y La Bamba, I am so stoked about this show. As I said before, I love that band. Plus we will be debuting a new arrangement of an old song (but newer than anything on our new album). It will be a high energy set, as that is what has been requested of us. DJ Cooky Parker is actually Scott McGee of Y La Bamba, Loch Lomond, Nick Jaina, etc… He has been spinning soul 45's since April and has gotten pretty good at what he does. He has a monthly gig at The Woods and is in talks of getting a radio program on KBOO. It is quality unheard stuff mostly. He digs and finds treasures. The show is $5 and starts at 11 PM (I think it is discounted if you have a Belle & Sebastian ticket stub).
If you see me at either of these shows please say, "Hi". I am the one with the beard and shoes on.
-Ben
Image this with electric guitars on a huge stage and you get an idea of what Typhoon will sound like tonight at the Schnitz.
After a long day, I was unable to go out at all. I did a full day of work followed by back to back band practices and a band meeting. I just wanted to go home. Which I did. I hope that you guys went out to some shows. What did I miss? Should I be living in regret? Let me know either way. Oh, and here are some shows that look pretty good:
Valentine's is having a show with Pegasus Dream, Brass Clouds, and Stepkid. Do you like synth based pop music that use lived drummers and guitars? I do! which is why I think that Pegasus Dream is pretty cool. They have a lot going on for them including vocal harmonies that a lot of electro pop groups that lack the huge pop sensibilities lack. Think Of Montreal mixed with Ratatat. I have not seen them but I want to. Hey, do you guys remember that band Bark Hide and Horn? They had this drummer you see. And like many drummers in this town, he has the ability to play many other instruments. Well, anyway apparently almost every day this drummer lets call him Dusty plays music with his buddy Henry. They not only play everyday, but I think they record most of it. They even decided to call it a band and play out sometimes. Whenever you see the band name Brass Clouds, you should think of these guys because they are one and the same. Stepkid is the new solo/side project of Ben from XDS. I actually have not seen XDS in a long time, so I have not seen him drum. But I bet that is pretty cool. This project appears to have a lot of drums that are not live. This makes sense because although it can be done, it is hard to play many instruments while holding down a drum beat. Some of the Stepkid music is chill electronic beats. But some of it reminds me of the digital hardcore music I used to listen to in high school. That is to say it has high energy distorted break beats and vocals and whatever. You can download his e for free right here. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Beauty Bar is having a show with Archeology. Just in case you did not catch Archeology play Mississippi Studios last night (like I did), you can see them tonight. They are playing every Monday as past a residency at Beauty Bar. I hear that while the space is small that the shows are fun. And this band is only going to get better. I don't have their latest album, but I have one of the three EPs they released over the last couple of years. It is poppy as hell. It focuses around double lead vocals and lead acoustic guitar filled out with the full indie pop garnishes. The show is FREE at 9 PM.
Proper Eats is having a show with Uke of Spaces Corners County and Michael Hurley. This is a bio of Uke of Spaces Corners County from his label's website, "Dan Beckman, a man known for his years spent touring solo under the name UKE OF PHILIPS,not to mention the many years touring with weird beard noise punk band IMPRACTICAL COCKPIT as well as taking part in the new incarnation of the SIX DUDE TOURING BAND. On SO FAR ON THE WAY, Dan officially changes his solo plunderings from UKE OF PHILIPS to UKE OF SPACE CORNERS COUNTY. And with a little help from Amy Moon O.S. and a bunch of other friends, he has produced an awesome mix of weird-in-between-world anthems, dylan-esque folk songs, an epic soundtrack to have tea to and not to mention a SUN RA cover." I could not find a myspace or anything so I could not listen to a lot of music. It seems folk with some interesting elements that don't always make current folk music. Like whistling or kazoo. I am writing about this show because I like the music of Michael Hurley. He is an older dude that makes folk music really well. Seriously. I think it is just good. The show is at 6 PM.
If you see me at either of these shows please say, "Hi". Or hello or Salutations, if you must.
-Ben
Pegasus Dream, local Music Video Stars, will be playing at Valentine's tonight!
Last night I did not go to a show. But I did hang out with a lot of musicians (note: I don't have any real friends, just people who play music with or shared bills with). There was a birthday party at Bunk Bar. Then I went to Eric's house (he is my "friend" and also plays accordion in Y La Bamba) and he had two baby ducks. They were playing with a baby kitten. It is really really hard to leave a place where there is that amount of cuteness occurring. So I did not end up seeing any music, but no regrets Here are the shows that look good tonight:
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Crayon Fields (Melbourne, AU), Archeology, and Karl Blau (Anacortes, WA). Crayon Fields are a self proclaimed pop band. A name like Crayon Fields gives off an air of twee. And sure enough when I listened to some tracks the singer has a very lite/breathy voice. The music is 60's influenced and reminds me of the feel of early Belle & Sebastian (in a good way). Archeology are playing a lot this month because of their residency at Beauty Bar. They will probably be really tight. They have pop music with huge hooks that will get stuck in your head immediately upon listening. Karl Blau is a staple in Pacific NW indie music. I first heard of him from a Microphones song of his name sake. I later learned that he was a real person and actually had something to do with the making of the record. His name keeps coming up in all sorts of places. From working with everyone from indie-pop bands like Lake to Doom bands like Earth. He is around and keeping busy. I think his solo stuff is mostly anything goes indie-pop. Th show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.
Rontoms is having a show with Gavin Castleton and Lex Land. Gavin Castleton is a guy who is hard to peg. I will not try to, but I do want to let you know that I think the guy makes great music. He crafts it. He can play many instruments, really well and can loop and be a one man band, or play with others. He can sing. He can rap. He can conceive interesting concepts and make them available to people. I guess what I am saying is that he is the real deal. Oooo, I just saw that he might consider himself progressive soul. I like that. He has an album about to come out called Won Over Frequency. I don't know much about Lex Land, but my guess is that there might be some collaboration going on tonight. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Kelley Stolz (San Francisco), Old Light, and Evan Way. Kelly Stoltz is a pop guy. If you listen to his music, the obvious influences are there. It still manages to sound fresh though. It still sounds really good. He is touring a new album that just came out on Sub Pop. It is always fun to see a person play songs they are stoked on. I played a show with Old Light very recently (their CD release show). I thought they were pretty good. I really enjoyed their use of three part harmonies and ability to find the groove in a song and ride it out. Plus I have never seen an auto harp played though a pedal board. It sounded really cool. Not to be confused as That Other Dude from Parson Red Heads (Charlie who will be playing in Old Light). Evan Way is probably better know as that dude from Parson Red Heads. He recorded a solo ep a while back. I bet he will play some songs off of it. I have only heard three songs that he has up on myspace. They are all different. One sounds very sparse like a Mark Kozelek song (he's listed as an influence). One songs sounds sounds a little like a Cat Stevens song. Then there is a crazy freak out piece. So I guess I don't really know what to expect. The show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.
Mudai Lounge is having a show with Matt Rafferty, Million Brazilians, Davis Hooker, and Gang Radio. Million Braziians play peculiar psychedelic punk music that sounds like it came from a strange place. Which is very well may have. I am mostly listing this show because of Davis Hooker, who one of my good friends said is really good. He doesn't play out much. He only has one song on myspace. He is a bit of a mystery. I think he plays an acoustic guitar and writes very sad songs. Or at least that is the impression that I get. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at either of these shows please say, "Hi". Or some sort of greeting
-Ben
This Parson Red Head, Evan Way, will be playing in The Woods tonight.
I went to a show last night! After what seems forever (in actuality about a week) It felt good. I went to Doug Fir and caught The Angry Orts, Jared Mees and The Grown Children, and The Ascetic Junkies. The Angry Orts started the night, but saved their best stuff for the end of their set. Their guitar player can really play. He reminds me kinda of the Les SavyFav or something. Their Singer can really wail and she works the crowd. It was good. But then Jared Mees totally killed it. They were so good. They have gotten even more epic sounding. Their trumpet player Javier now also plays guitar. There are more vocals. And there is more percussion by multi-instrumentalist Megan. I loved it. The Ascetic Junkies came on next and started strong with a cover of LCD Sound System, an interesting choice for a band that incorporates banjo. They played their whole record really well. They also had surprise dancers to knew how to umm… shake it. By the end of the set, all of the dudes in the band (it is mostly dudes) were shirtless. The lady was in a risque outfit as well. Everyone had fun. It was a blast to watch. Good times. Anyway, here are some shows that look good to me:
Record Room is a new record store in North Portland at 8 NE Killingsworth right next to In Other Words (Killingsworth and Williams). They are having Hey Lover play there tonight celebrating the release of their new 7" and The Grand Opening of the shop. They will also have DJ'ed sets by DJ Permanent Wave (Jenny from Erase Errata/Silver Interior) and DJ Nightschool (Nathan from The Gossip). This makes me a little sad. I used to up until a few months ago live blocks away from there. I want a record store right next to my house. Hey Lover is a high energy indie rock band. The music to me comes off as innocent and fun. The event is FREE and is ALL AGES until 7 PM. It will then become FREE and 21 and up until 10 PM (maybe this is when the music is?).
The Knife Shopis having a show with People Under the Sun, Blue Horns, and The Nightgowns. The reason I am listing this show is two fold. First off, I think Blue Horns are great. I love what they do which is jangle the crap out of some rock and roll. The second reason I write about this show is because my buddy Sean Flinn has mentioned on a couple of occasions The Nightgowns. It usually goes like this: Sean - "Hey have you ever heard of the The Nightgowns? Their from Tacoma. I played a show with them once. They were pretty great." Ben - "No, I have not heard them." Sean - "We really should set up a show with them." Well, it turns out that I have seen them. Actually Sean Flinn & The Royal We (myself included) played a show with them at Doug Fir with Blue Horns last November. I can't remember things! It kinda reminded me of brit pop a little. There was some synth action too. People Under The Sun is a band that makes chill pop music. The band features Alison who fronts her own band, the excellent Strange Holiday, and is in the same ball park as that band. That is to say there is a fair amount of reverb going on, but this band is fronted by a guy and has a lot more arppegiated keyboards. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
Backspace is having a benefit show for a cat. How could I not list this show? Apparently Mike Harper's cat was victim of a hit and run. I have know idea who Mike Harper is, but I think it would be a good deed to go to this show and help out his feline companion. The bands playing are Spesus Christ, Your Canvas, Keep The Kids Quiet, Adventures With Might, and Bootz Orchestra. Spesus Christ make bedroom pop…electro style. Your Canvas play spacey female led dream rock. Adventures With Might play electro-pop as well. They along with Your Canvas and Spesus Christ are part of the Apes Tapes crew. Also, Bootz Orchestra is a band that I have written about before and liked which is another reason I am writing a bout the show. They seem to make epic folk. They have trumpets and clarinets, accordion, pianos, violin, uke, and much much more. I have never seen them live, but I bet it's cool. The ALL AGES show is FREE but I think that there will be some way to make donations for the poor hurt kitty. It all starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at either of these shows please say, "Hi". Or some sort of greeting
-Ben Blue Horns play at The Knife Shop tonight. For real.
Every year when it starts to get a little colder at night I have a mini freak out. It is during this temperature change that I find myself going to less and less shows. Then I have a conversation with myself that goes like this, "Why don't you want to go to the show? I bet is because you are getting old...Gramps!". Then I reassure myself that it is just because I am just a wuss when it comes to any weather that is not between 65 and 85 degrees. Anyway there is a lot happening today (including a FREE acoustic Superchunk in-store at the Downtown Jackpot Records at 3 PM). These are the Portland centric shows that caught my eye:
Doug Fir is having a show with The Ascetic Junkies, Jared Mees & The Grown Children, and The Angry Orts. The Ascetic Junkies are releasing an album tonight. They call it...Blank. I have not heard much of it, but what I have heard I like. This pop band is cool because they grew organically (that is how we grow things here in Portland) into their own sound. They are quick to point out that they are not a folk/bluegrass band. I believe that maybe at one point they were? They have some of the same instrumentation, but the sound is different. The music are centered around songwriters Kali Giaritta and Matt Harmon lyrics which they have actually linked to from their myspace. Jared Mees and company just got back from a West coast tour with buddies Monarques. It has been my experience that when you see a band that has just come back from tour, they are always amazing. This is a band that I always thought had a great live show already. They always exude positive energy. The Angry Orts also bring the energy that is required to have a fun show. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM
The Knife Shop is having a show with Wax Fingers, No Kind Of Rider, and Empty Space Orchestra. Wax Fingers have been on my radar for a while. I received their album a little over a month ago and I was very impressed. There is no getting around it, their music is just cool. There are some obvious influences in there, but nothing sounds too derivative. It sounds fresh and vibrant. No Kind of Rider are a band that I have been meaning to catch live for some time. They have an new album out called Danger. The album title is very close the the song on the album called Daaanger. The three a's let you know it is serious. The music itself has always seemed a bit dark. It is indie rock along the lines of something big like Muse or something. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
The Portland Art Museum is having something called Shine a Light where PSU's Art & Social Practicecurrate a non tradition museum experience. You know how people are always sticklers about not touching the art. These are not those people. There will be several exhibits and performance pieces (I have heard that two naked guys are going to wrestle just like in the olden days). In addition to all this, there will be musical performances by Guidance Counselor, Wampire, and Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside. There is a pdf will all kinds of information right here. The event is $12 (FREE to members of the Museum) and lasts from 6 PM to Midnight.
TaborSpace is having a show with Wayne Horvitz & Sweeter Than The Day (Seattle) and Blue Cranes. You guys know I am a fool for Blue Cranes. Well it turns out that they are collectively a fool for Wayne Horvitz. So much so that they covered a version of Wayne's Love Love Love and put it on their recently released stellar album, Observatories. Wayne is a piano man. Sweeter Than The Day is a group is fairly new. He apparently hasn't fronted a band in a while. Looks to be very interesting. The show is $12 and starts at 7:30 PM.
Mudai Lounge is having a show with Pony Village, The Horde & The Harem (Seattle), and Future Historians. I really like Pony Village. I am pretty sure that if you are a fan of indie type musics, that you will like Pony Village too. I have not seen Future Historians but they have graced my posts before. They find themselves on good bills. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". It is a sure fire way for me to think you are cool.
-Ben
Blue Cranes covering Wayne Horvitz's Love Love Love. I bet they get to Wayne to join in tonight at TaborSpace.
Okay, I need to be honest. Lately I have not been motivated to see shows. I think the change of weather has gotten to me. I need to buck up. I need to see live music. Yesterday I was going to go out to something but then ended up not. Also I heard that I did not notice that there was some sort of music that the Hawthorne Food Carts (the rumor was that World's Greatest Ghost played). Instead I did something that I have not done in a long time. I listened to records and read a book. It felt great. But seeing shows is great too. Here are some that look good to me:
Music Millennium is having an in-store with Ascetic Junkies. I have been meaning to see them for quite a long time. I remember Sam Cooper telling me to check them out way back when he was part of Jared Mees & The Grown Children. They have very blank songs. They used to have the genre bluegrass attached to them. But their myspace currently states that they are "not a folk/bluegrass band". And honestly I just listened to them again and they are right. They are more interesting than that. Their songs are really catchy and filled with cool parts. If anything they are a pop band. If you can't make it to this show, you can them tomorrow at Doug Fir Lounge with the previously mention Jared Mees and company. This ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Tonic Lounge is having a show with Kelli Schaefer, The Orchestrion, and Johanna. Basically I think that Kelli Schaefer is amazing. Her songs are great. Her voice is great. The people she records with sound great. She should be huge. The show is at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Lovers, Third Sex, and Kusikia. Lovers are great. I have not seen them yet, but I can get down with their electro-pop stylings. This is the album release for their latest Dark Light. Their album was great and I loved it. I have not listened to this one all the way through, but I look forward to doing so. Also Kusikia is one of the best bands in Portland. If you have not seen them, you should rectify that tonight. The two piece is drums a guitar and an amazing voice. I really can't describe it but it gives me chills to see it live. You can download Kusikia's album for free here. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". Or some sort of greeting
Nothing to make you want to not want to see a show like practicing music for hours. Or at least sometimes that happens to me. I am not saying that it happened to me last night, but that happened to me last night. Did you guys make it out to any shows? Which ones? Did you see what is happening tonight? This is what is happening:
Holocene is having Floating World Animation Fest. It will be pretty bomb. There will be "an epileptic amount of crazy-ass psychedelic animation". They are not subtle with their intentions. The show will also feature Nice Nice and Atole. I imagine that both bands can provide the perfect soundtrack to some trippy visuals. I have seen Nice Nice three times and I have had a blast every time. They play music that is straight up trance inducing. Like you just need to dance or bounce or make some sort of movement. The cool part is that is made by only two people. They have a lot of gear and do a lot of layered looping. But have a live drummer. That is hard to make work. But they pull it off. I have only seen Atole once but it was pretty fun. They definitely have a very high groove factor. They mix a lot of live instrumentation and electronic devices. It is sweet. The show is $7 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at this show please say, "Hi". I am hoping that you will.
Last night, I will admit, I was just exhausted. I have been kept with my current trend of staying in. Which in retrospect I regret a bit. My room mates went to go see We're From Japan! at Tube. I didn't go because of my case of the sleepies, but the guys were home before they had completely taken me over. I should have gone. Oh well. Here are the shows that look good to me:
Valentine's is having a Tom Tom Magazine Benefit. They will have musical acts Lavender Mirror, Tara Jane O'Neil with Elizabeth Venable, Secret Century, and DJ Labrys. Tom Tom Magazine is dedicated to female drummers, something this town has a lot of. But the magazine is world wide. Here is what their website said, "Tom Tom’s purpose is to raise awareness about girl and women percussionists from all over the world and to inspire females of all ages to drum. Tom Tom’s goal is to strengthen and build the community of otherwise fragmented female musicians and to create a network of musicians around the world. Tom Tom serves a unique purpose by catering exclusively to female drummers and providing them with important information and resources. We are dedicated to bringing you interviews and information about female percussionists from around the world. We are online and in print." They already are on issue four. Lavender Mirror is a duo that make electronic music. TJO is amazing. She straddles the folk and experimental world she is doing a performance with Elizabeth Venable (drummer for Sad Horse). In related Elizabeth Venable news, I found that you can download an album of her's for free right here. Secret Century's is supposedly something to do with Mama Fleshtone. I am guessing that had something to do with Fleshtone. I am unsure if I got the correct link. The show is a sliding scale of $5-$10 and will start at 9 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having Bryan Free, Matt Hopper, and Half-Handed Cloud play a show Bryan makes the pop music. He is usually on the piano of on some synths. He sometimes has a backing band called The Doxyhaunts. I am not sure if the Matt Hopper that I linked to is the one playing tonight. Half-Handed Cloud is what really caught my attention here. He is a really optimistic part time janitor who writes often tiny indie pop gems on Sufjan Steven's label. The show is FREE as Brayan's last name and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Anna McCue (Nashville) and Kelly Blair Bauman. I don't know anything about Anna McCue of Nashville. Apparently she is a big deal in certain circles. I am writing about this show because of Kelly Blair Bauman. I have written about him several times and he even included a quote from my blog on his myspace. Nice one. This is what I said, "I could see Kelly gracing the cover of No Depression Magazine (RIP). His songs are really good and the record is really well recorded and arranged with all the nice fixing's of a good alternative album, pedal steel, harmonica, banjo, and whatever." That seems about right. The show is $10 and starts at 8 PM.
Lola's Room is having a show with Dragging an Ox Through Water and Ghost to Falco. This is an amazing show. Dragging an Ox Through Water is really good. He is very unique in what he does and given that I have not seen him play in a bout a year, there is a chance that it may be something different all together. Last time I saw him he had an electric guitar and a mess of noise makers including hand oscillators and a hint of folk music. Ghost To Falco is someone who I haven't seen in even longer. I remember being very impressed the last time I saw him at Artistery. So much so that I bought his last full length on Vinyl. I recall the music being very dark and moody. I loved it. In fact I think I am going to listen to that record when I get home. He has a newer record out too, Exotic Believers one out that I have yet to hear. But I understand that Brian Mumford aka Dragging an Ox Through Water makes an appearance on the record I just mentioned. You should check out Infinite Front records. In addition to putting out Ghost to Falco's latest full length, the collective/label released a split 7" between Castanets, Ohioan, Ghost to Falco, and Dragging an Ox Through Water. I am sure that they will be selling it tonight at the show. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Bunk Bar is having a show with Winterhaven. Bunk Bar is a newer venue. I first went there for NFMW where they had some shows. It was a nice little space made nicer by the fact that you can order the famous Bunk Sandwiches. Tonight they will be hosting a Winterhaven the Portland band with a tendency to want to take you back to the time when country rock was king. Think lots of harmonies, a lot of rock, and a little bit of twang. The show is FREE at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". Think of it as helping out the community. The Indie Rock community.
