Meine Damen und Herren, are you on the prowl for a little krautrock because you've warn out your copy of Amon Düül II's Yeti?
You're in luck—Møtrik ist hier!
Møtrik made their world debut Saturday night, November 10th, at Langano Lounge on Hawthorne. An instrumental ensemble made up of Dave Fulton, Cord Amato, Lee Ritter, and Eric Golts, the band packed the tiny basement space, leaving many just standing anywhere they could find some floor.
Typically, I'm a little wary of new local bands. It usually feels like I have to "squint my ears" to hear what they're going for. If asked, I struggle a little for positive comment, skipping over the "squinting my ears" preface. It's important for people to have the experience of being in a band, but not all bands are masters of their craft.
Møtrik, however, is comprised of four musicians that are clearly masters of their instruments and have taken the time to build a tight group rapport. Their set flew by, one song morphing into the next, for perhaps 40 minutes to an hour. Who was clock-watching? Not me, I was just enjoying the music, which I could see myself easily enjoying at home. You know, if they ever released an album. Although if I was listening to an album, I'd miss the strobe lights they periodically used to accentuate their music.
Another interesting experience was changing where I stood in the room about halfway through the set. After enjoying a more distant sound at the back of the room, absorbed by all the bodies in front of me, I worked my way up to the front where I could watch the band in more detail. It was a much different balance and sound, reminding me of one of the joys of live music.
What's up? I have not been to any shows in a while. I also haven't blogged in awhile. My life is way different than it was than when I started blogging. It also seems like my life has been pretty scattered in the last year or so. But I am going to try to make time to write about the shows that look good to me. Here are the shows that look good to me today:
Valentine's is having a show with John Heart Jackie and Duover. This is a special show for two reasons. 1) This is the last show of the John Heart Jackie fall tour. 2) It is Jennie Wayne's birthday. Heart Jackie are a lovely band. Peter Murray and Jennie Wayne have been playing music together for a while. I have seen them playing shows with others lately. I believe the tour they just returned from included some of these people. I believe. If you listen to their full length you will find yourself reminded of why male female duos are so great. Or if you want another example you can check out the other band on the bill, Duover. They are great. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
The White Eagle is having a show with Norman and Owner/Operator. Norman is a band from around the Willamette Valley that make music in the vein of classic Americana. If you have not seen them, there have been plenty of opportunities to see them this month. They have been having a residency at the White Eagle. Owner/Operator is a band that I read about from LewiLongmire's website. He plays pedal steel guitar of this band. It also features Mike Midlo (Pancake breakfast) and Jeff Munger, Tyler Tornfelt and Ford Tennis (guitar, bass, and drums- Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside). The band apparently plays song about trucks and trucking. Exclusively. There is also a chance that Kelly Blair Bauman will play. The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be really sweet.
What's up? I have not been to any shows in a while. I should probably change that. Maybe I will. Here are the shows that look good to me today:
Valentine's is having a show with Hello Mtn, Like a Villain, and St. Frankie Lee. Hello Mtn is the group led by Catherine Odell and Matthew Morgan. Catherine Odell used to front the group Black Heart Moon. It was her first foray into guitar song writing. She was and is the cello player for Horse Feathers. In the new group she makes use of a second guitar player, some pre-programed beats and even suitcase percussion. Like a Villain is the moniker of the very talented Holland Andrews. Her set is based around her looping pedal and the wonderful arrangements she can create when it is used with her voice clarinet, and glockenspiel. St. Frankie Lee is a band that I have not seen in a long time. They are fronted by Derrick and Chelsea who write the songs together. They have a great chemistry. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Al's Den is having a show with Mike Coykendall, Marty Marquis, and Rebecca Rasmussen. Mike Coykendall has been doing a good job doing balancing his recording music with his playing music. If you have not seen him you are missing out. He has also spent time playing in M. Ward's band and his other band She & Him. He is good. Marty Marqui also plays in another band that you may have heard of, Bitzen Trapper. But I have seen him on his own and he holds his own. Rebbecca Rasmussen also performs as half of the group Douver. I have not seen her by herself but I know that she has a great voice and can play guitar. The show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
Edgefield is having a show with Nate Lacy. Nate Lacy is better known as the frontman of Mimicking Birds. Mimicking Birds album was produced by Issac Brock of Modest Mouse. It is even put out on his label Glacial Pace. Most of the album is Nate Lacy's circular guitar parts and gentle voice. It is really nice to have all the cool atmospheric touches, but it is definitely the Nate Lacy show. This thing is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be really sweet.
I found some shows that look good today. I saw that the Builders & The Butchers played Noon Tunes today at Pioneer Court House Square, but I was not able to blog before noon due to a recording obligation. I am sure it was fun and at the very least free. Anyway there are plenty of good shows that haven't happened yet today. Check it out:
The Woods is having a show with Laura Gibson, Bright Archer, and Rauelsson. This is a Birthday BBQ for Ms. Gibson. She will be one year older and we get to help her celebrate…BBQ style. There will also be a cake walk hosted by Brian Perez. You know that dude from Musee Mecanique. Or maybe you know him as that dude that hosts Bingo Monday nights at The Woods? The important thing is that there is a chance to win a cake! That being said, the real reason I write about the show is because I really like Laura's music. It has always been a calming force for me, but I have noticed that she has been leaning towards more upbeat tunes. I have have not heard the recording that will comprise her fort coming album. I have talked to others who have and have been assured that it is amazing. I am sure that she will play some of that material tonight. I have not seen Bright Archer, but I remember hearing a really liking Johanna Kunin's music when she lived in Seattle. She moved to Portland A while back and did some time in Loch Lomond. Now she is focusing on her time on new moniker and AgesAndAges. Rauelsson is also quite good. He splits his time between Portland and somewhere in Spain. Making some beautiful and tastefully arranged folk sung in Spanish. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Like a Villain, Moniker, and Lynnae Gryffin. Like A Villain is Holland Andrews's vocal/carinet/glockenspiel looping project. Her songs are beautiful and very dramatic. Often on the verge of being uncomfortable. In a good way. She has an amazingly strong voice with an impressive range. It often gives me chills. Lynnae Gryfinn is a woman who has applies very unique song structures to make herself stand out in the ever crowding portland "folk" scene. I find that it takes a few listens to fully appreciate her music, but very rewarding in the end. Moniker is the um…moniker for Monica Metzier. She is a mullet instrumentalists whose incorporates her guitar, drums, strings, keys, singing and looping abilities to create a live show that I have yet to see. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with The Fatty Acids (Milwaukee), Yeah Great Fine, and Your Canvas. I have never heard of The Fatty Acids before. I just previewed their latest, Leftover Monsterface. It seems like they bring a heavy psyh-pop punch to listeners ears. The kind that doesn't hurt and is actually pretty fun. Yeah Great Fine is tons of fun too. And more than that, they are impressive. I mean they are doing some crazy time signatures and complicated music while maintaining a very strong pop sweetness. A hard thing to accomplish, but they seem to do it with out breaking a sweat. I know that they have been working on new material for a while. I bet they will play some of it tonight. Your Canvas is a band that I played a show with several months ago and was seemed really promising. I made a mental note to keep my eyes on them and here they are again n my radar. It is lead by the bouncy keyboard and soulful voice of Jessica Bourdeaux and the tasteful guitar and backing vocals of Marc Swart. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Bunk Bar is having a show with Run On Sentence, Wooden Indian Burial Ground. Run On Sentence is a band that is best appreciated in a live setting. I do not want to dissuade from their recorded material. But to see Dustin Hammond's voice fill a room is have his band take control of an audience is a magical thing. Speaking of his band the guitar player of the band, Justin Fowler, has his band Wooden Indian Burial ground releasing a new CD tonight. He used to play under this name a few years back. Then he started the band Hello Loneliness. Now he he is back to Wooden Indian Burial Ground with some help of the Run On Sentence/Loch Lomond rhythm section of Perry Pfister and Dan Galucki and some other friends. I could not be more pleased. It is rock and roll with some very Justin Fowler aesthetics. It sounds jammy and old and it is just really good. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be very pleasant.
Ben
Wooden Indian Burial Ground promise to be as bad ass this clip which actually has a few scenes from Holy Mountain the movie (NSFW but only for a little bit)
I missed blogging a bit. It seems that lately I just have not had the opportunity. But I often look at the shows. There have been a lot good ones in the last couple weeks. There are even some good ones tonight. Check it out:
Valentine's is having a show with Fred Thomas, Cafeteria Dance Fever, Orca Team, and DJ Chris Gunn. Fred Thomas is best known as the man behind the amazing pop that was Saturday Looks Good to Me. He has always had several bands including City Center and yes, solo stuff. You can check out Fred's blog here. A few years ago, for like a second, he lived here in Portland. I remember seeing him work at the downtown Jackpot Records. Anyways he is back tonight playing in some capacity. Cafeteria Dance Team play kinda crazy/noisy yet very catchy pop music. Orca Team play slightly surfy pop gems that I find quite appealing in these summer days. They are about to tour the entire GD country. I think that is awesome. I wish them well. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Ash Street Saloon shaving a show with Adrian Orange, Hornet Leg, Babyguns (Seattle), and Memory Boys. Adrian Orange is one to follow his whims. From his Microphones-esque past to the reggae influenced days to whatever he is doing now, it is hard to predict what your are going to see. But for the most part I would say that it will be worth seeing. Hornet plays groovy punk influenced rock. Memory Boys is a band comprised of two of the main folks from LAKE, Eli and Ashley. They make tunes that are distantly not very lake sounding. It is good. Given that Eli and Ashley have a musical history with Adrain (they used to be in his backing band), I would not be surprised to see them collaborate with him tonight. The show is $5 and starts at 9:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be very nice.
Ben
Orca Team play Valentine's tonight. The rest of the country tomorrow.
Oh my goodness. It has been a hot second since I have blogged. I have been in a bit of a transitional period in my life. I was gone for a long time on practically back to back tours with Y La Bamba and then recorded most of an album with that band. Then I went to my hometown and helped move a certain special person from Sacramento to Portland. Anyway, I am back am. I haven't seen too many shows. I caught most of the show at Bar Bar's Saturday outside deal, though. Mike Midlo of Pancake Breakfast was great. He pulled out a lot of "cowboy covers". This included a few by Willie Nelson. I always forget that I really like some of Willie's songs. But I am getting side tracked. Today is the first day I have made any attempt to get back to a regular schedule. I started late (naturally), but it is Monday so there aren't that many shows. Here are the ones that look good:
The White Eagle is having a show with Chris Robley & The Fear of Heights, The Dimes, and Sarah Jackson Holman. Apparently while I was away Chris Robley and company have been doing a residency at the White Eagle. If you are a fan of pop music that is well crafted and polished to perfection, you will be very pleased with all of the bands playing tonight. Chris Robley is someone that has been on my radar. He is hard to describe and tends to follow the muse wherever it leads. That leaves an output that is eclectic and hard to describe. Sometimes it is acoustic sounding. Other times it is straight ahead pop. Sometimes is grandiose. Sometimes it is very intimate. Most of the time it is at a place in-between. The Dimes make tunes that are really sweet sounding. I have never seen them, but their recordings are filled with pretty sounding doubled vocals. The guitars are acoustic, but this is no acoustic songwriter music. This is feel good pop. Sarah Jackson Holman plays a piano and sings. And she does an exceptionally good job doing so. She has apparently been playing since seven which makes her young age a little more bearable. I mean she has been at it for a while. She put out her debut album on Expunged records (they discovered Blind Pilot, remember?). I think that she usually has some people to help her flesh out the songs when she plays live. Y La Bamba played a show with her once. It was good. The best part of the show is the price. FREE. It all starts at 8:30 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Drew Grow & The Pastors' Wives, Them Hills, and Duover. Drew Grow is a hard worker. Last year he put out no less than three releases. It wasn't so long ago that he broke his body real bad. But he was back on the road before what seemed humanly possibly. I have had a soft spot for his music since I first saw him perform with his Pastors' Wives a few years back. It is great and must be seen live to fully appreciate how well these people play together. Them Hills are a indie pop band from Nevada City that I swear I have heard of before but can't place how or when. They must have played here before. I really enjoy what I have heard. I think it will appeal to fans of the Wrens. If you like that band you will know why. If not then I will just say that the band uses noisy guitars in a very pretty way. I have not seen the duo of Duover in a long time. I have seen them several times before and enjoy their acoustic pop goodness. It is an impressive example of what two people are capable of doing when they put their efforts together. They are also pretty cute together (sorry, but it had to be said). The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be nice.
Ben
Is it just me or does this remind you of Iron & Wine? Anyways, The Dimes play at The White Eagle Tonight.
Christmas music can be a terrible experience. I can clearly recall being horrified and permanently scarred by the repeated playing of the 'N Sync Christmas album at Tower Records. Eventually my mind snapped and I came to associate Christmas with mindless hordes of consumption hungry Holiday Zombies and prancing ninnies in tight pants butchering classic tunes. So join me for an evening of reclaiming holiday music as something other than replaying whatever fucked up memories you may have of Christmas' past. There is nothing better than well played music and beer. Especially at The Woods. Which is Very Fancy.
You'll spot me there, drinking beer with a smile on my face.
:: A night of holiday standards and favorites ::
*** DOORS 7pm, SHOW 8pm ***
A night of holiday standards and favorites from Laura Gibson, Musee Mecanique, Alela Diane, Michael Hurley, Lewi Longmire, Denver, Duover, Johanna Kunin, Dave Depper, Mike Midlo (of Pancake Breakfast), Quiet Life, Great Wilderness, Ezza Rose, Greylag, and, of course, other special, not-to-be-named guests! Only $5!
Last night I had some things to do around the house. Don't mean to sound so domestic but those things needed to get done. I am having a very special visitor in town and I wanted to give the appearance that I can actually do things like clean the sheets on my bed or vacuum my room or not have unneeded items covering the floor of my room. As it turns out, if I miss a show here and there, I can actually do these things. It even makes me feel better to have them done. That being said apparently I missed out on a hush hush Nick Jaina send off show at Roadside Attraction. They are leaving for tour today (I beleive this is Nick's third tour this year). In other Nick Jaina news he is trying to raise some cash to put out an album where a lot of women sing songs that he wrote. Check out the kickstarter page for more information on the all star cast of singing ladies. Ahhh! I got distracted. Here are the shows that look good today:
Tender Loving Empire is having a First Thursday event at their store front. They will have four visual artists displayed in the store and one of their music label's musical artist Y La Bamba (Hey, I'm in that band!) playing a set. The art is curated by the Portland Art Blog Hungery Eyeball. It features art work from Wesley Younie, Amy RuppelKinoko, Chelsea Fletcher, and RebeccaArtmisa. I am now art critigue, but I think it is "all good". Also in a somewhat related matter to this show, Y La Bamba released our first music video yesterday via Fader. I have included the video at the bottom of the page. We are going to be playing a relatively stripped down set. If you are a fan of vocal harmonies or of latin percussion or hushed lullabyes, Y La Bamba has you covered. It is ALL AGES and FREE. The music starts at 8 PM.
Rotture is having the Bike Commute Challange AwardsAfterparty with music provided by Hurtbird and Brothers Young and DJ Lifepartner. I am pretty sure there is some overlap of band members between these two bands. I just double checked. There is at least one shared member. If you like bikes, you will fit in with this crowd. If you dig music you will fit in this crowd. If you like Beta Band you will most likely fit in this crowd (a comparable band to Brothers Young) The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
Aladdin Theater is having a show with Corin Tucker Band and The Golden Bears. Have your ever heard of Sleater-Kenny? This is almost that band. But not quite. Corin Tucker was part of that band. You probably would recognize her voice if you heard it. There is actually a sizable article on her at the Aladdin website. You can read it here. The ALL AGES show is $18 at 8:30 PM
If you see me at any of these shows (especially the Tender Loving Empire one) please say, "Hi". I would gladly engage in a conversation with you.
I left town for the week. I am going to be back on Saturday. Just in time to play the Sean Flinn & The Royal We CD release show at Doug Fir. But I thought as a nice gesture, that I would do a few picks for the week like I used to do. Except I did not have time to write much about any of the bands. I suggest you click on all of the many many links I created. Here are the good local shows this week:
The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel is having Rock Out to Walk Out. It is to "Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Powell's Books union with a song and dance. Powell's employee bands perform old union songs at this fundraiser to put a little dough into the bookslingers' strike fund.". There will be music from The Shaky Hands, DJ Anjali, The Incredible Kid, Kate Ashley, The Bop Out to Walk Out Jazz Quartet, Michael Ford, Ay Claudia, General Strike, and The Middle Ages. The show is only $5 and lasts from 5 Pm to 2 AM.
Yesterday I ended up working a 12 hour day. After my super long day yesterday it kinda just did me in. I did not see any shows. I hope you guys did though. Anyway, today is the last day of the Portland Folk Fest and quite honestly it is by far the best day (in my opinion). On the website they have descriptions of every single act playing the festival and they are all written by people who can actually write about music articulately. See.
The Woods is having a show with Michael Hurley, Tara Jane O'Neil, Raymond Byron & The White Freighter (formerly Castanets, Rebecca Gates, and Amy Annelle. part of the Portland Folk Fest. This is the only part of the festival that I have seen has food built into the ticket price. Yes, this is a BBQ setting. It is sponsored by Kill Rock Stars & hosted by Stooping Bear, and will have produce from Groundwork Organics and other local organic growers. But what is really cool here is the music. Michael Hurley is an older guy that has been doing folk for a long time. I know him from singing on the last Alela Diane record. TJO is awesome she kinda blurs lines between folk and more experimental forms of music. Rebecca Gates was in that band The Spinanes. I saw her open up for Stereolab when I lived in Texas. Pretty good stuff. I am not familiar with Amy Annelle, but people have written positive things about her. The show is $10 and starts at 2:30 PM.
Bar Bar (the new part of Mississippi Studios) is having a show with Marty Marquis and Chris Robley. Marty Marquis, aside from having a pretty cool alliterate name, is probably best known for being in Blitzen Trapper. He is also a pretty good songwriter and his voice is really cool in that kind of gravely way. Chris Robely is usually backed by his band The Fear of Heights. It think today he might scale it back a bit. Or not. I don't know for sure. The show is FREE and starts at 3 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Sallie Ford & The Sounds Outside and Adam Shearer (of Weinland). This is part of Portland Folk Fest. I think that Doug Fir has been doing regular porch shows under the name Pickin' on Sundays for awhile now. I think that this just happens to be the folk fest one. I don't think that Sallie Ford and her band are particularly folk. They are good though. The upright bass makes it look folky. Adam Shearer on the other hand sounds pretty folk at times. I think it was Jeff Tweedy of Wilco who said that a lot of rocks songs were just folk if you took away most of the instruments. The show is FREE and starts at 3 PM.
Lola's Room is having a show with The Builders & The Butchers and Pancake Breakfast. Both of these bands "kill it" live. They both have an energy that is hard to fake. I believe that The Builders & The Butchers are making the rounds on the McMenamin's tour circuit. Which means that there will be several opportunities to see them play for FREE. The show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
Doug Fir is having a later show (not on the porch) show with Loch Lomond, Myshkin's Ruby Warblers, and Mbilly. Loch Lomond is a band that I used to think of as kind of chamber pop. In recent times they have been changing into more of a traditional rock band. Though with the very distinct voice of Richey Young and his tendency to write lyrics that sound insane, I doubt they will ever be a traditional rock band. I have never heard of Myshkin or the Ruby Warlblers that are in Myshkin'spossession. I have heard and seen Mbilly, he is kinda folky kinda country. I like his myspace headline, "appealing stage presence and glib onstage patter". Quite the boaster. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having a show with Thao, Mirah, Laura Gibson, and Amy Annelle. This is part of the Portland Folk Fest. Man this show looks good. I was lucky enough to see the last time Mirah and Thao collaborated in Portland. It was pretty awesome. Both of them brought band members and learned each other's music. It was really cool. And really good. They are doing something similar tonight, except they are trying to make it minimal. Or "mostly acoustic". Given how big these two usually sound (especially Mirah), I am curious as to how minimal it will actually be. Then there is the lovely Laura Gibson. She has a gentleness the just seems to warm listeners over. She sometimes has cool arrangements but often doesn't need them. Her songs are pretty folky. I very good fit for the festival. And then there is Amy Annelle just in case you did not make it out to the BBQ at The Woods earlier. The show is $14 and starts at 9 PM.
Rontoms is having a show with Celilo, Lee Corey Oswald, Winterhaven, Future Historians, Ezza Rose, and Leonard Mynx. This is also part of the Portland Folk Fest. There are so many people playing this thing. With the exceptions of Future Historians I know them all personally. This is some good times. As you might expect from a folk festival, there will be some folkiness going one. But it there is a spectrum of the genre, so not all of these bands will sound similar. It takes the FREE Sunday show the next level. The show is FREE, of course, and starts at 7:30 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Harlowe & The Great North Woods, BrittainAshford, and Pat Hull (Connecticut, Brooklyn, Chico). I don't know the music of Harlowe & The Great North. I see that they are friends with Pat Hull, another person whose music I am unfamiliar with. I see also that Harlowe & Co. are friends with BrittainAshford. I am friends with her. She has songs that, if my memory is correct, are filled to the brim with longing and heart ache. I guess that when you spend your time switching sides of the cost, that the other side always looks better and you develop chronic longings. Perfect for a musician. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi"
-Ben
Laura Gibson will be playing Holocene tonight as part of Portland Folk Fest. Nice.
Last night I did double duty as a member of TragosAmargos aka Y La Bamba then as a member of AristeiA. The Tragos show was at The Alberta Rose Theatre. It was my first time to go there. I liked it. It is essentially a baby Aladdin Theatre. The stage was pretty big and the audience was very respectful and for the most part, a little but older. Which is to say that it was seated and the sound was good. I have not seen many shows that I have been interested in, but I want to go there again. Then over at Dunes we played to a pretty full crowd. It was loud and fast and I had a really good time. Anyway, here are the shows that look good tonight:
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Damien Jurado, Dan Bern, Dolorean, and Duover. The show is part of the Portland Folk Festival. I have not seen Damien Jurado play in almost ten years. It is crazy. I got really into him my freshman year in college. He put out two great albums and then I felt his output started getting kinda spotty. I eventually stopped listening. So for all I know, he has gotten better. He probably has. Dan Bern writes kinda funny folk songs. Or at least I think he does. I remember when I first moved here, my first job was working for something called America Coming together or ACT. We had a strong anti-Bush agenda. We listened to the Dan Bern song "Bush Must Be Defeated" about a million times. Dolorean is a good Americana band. They are not the most exciting band live, but they are good. Duover is one of the best named duos I can think of. It is Nathan Jr. (he has played in many bands and you have probably seen him around) and RebeccaRassmussen. It is acoustic folk with boy/girl harmonies at it's best. The show is $14 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Backspace is having a show with DoublePlusGood, Wishyunu, and Pocket Knife. I have been writing about DoublePlusGood for a while. I have not seen them in a long time. I met Eric from the band the other day at a BBQ. He was a really cool dude. Anyway his band is playing tonight and they should, if they don't (I really have no idea), rule the Portland electro-pop scene. The stuff is good and will undoubtedly get stuck in your head in no time. I saw Wishyunu for the first time recently. They are great. The duo ranges from kinda dreamy electro pop numbers to almost jammy looped kraut rock-esque numbers. You should see them live. I keep seeing the name Pocket Knife. I just listened to it. They too make the electro-pop. The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 8 PM.
Failing House is having a house show with Archers, Matthew And The Minervals, Mannequinhead and Duck Little Brother Duck. I wrote about Archers very recently and I liked the fresh sounded indie rock that seemed well versed in what I am now calling classic indie rock (Pavement etc...). I want to see them. I couldn't find anything on Matthew An The Minervals. Mannequinhead seems pretty interesting as most genre blenders are. But what initially caught my eye was Duck. I have not seen them in such a long time. I bet that they are even better than I remember them being which was awesome. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". Or whatever. I am just saying be cool.
I will be honest. I am not familiar with the majority of these bands, but that is kinda the fun of it. Plus the 11th and Alberta stage is pretty kick ass 6 pm on. And while I could not find out any info on Yo Momma on the Back Porch, they might be good too!
I will post later today with some other picks. See you then,
-Ben
The Shaky Hands play Alberta and 11th at 8 PM. But a whole lot less acoustic
I really want a lot of things. I want a computer to call my own. I want a bike to call my own. These are the two things that I suppose I want the most right now. Otherwise it makes it impossible to blog constantly. Boo. Anyway there are many shows that look good tonight (two of which I am playing). Also to give everyone fair warning the Portland Folk Festival is going on this weekend. In fact, it started last night. There will be a lot of acoustic guitars being played in the next few days. Here are the shows that interest me:
The Alberta Rose Theatre is having their part of the Portland Folk Festival with CelsoMachado, Vagabond Opera, Natya Leela, and TragosAmargos. This is usually not my sort of show, but as some of you may know TragosAmargos sound and look and awful lot like this band(that I play bass and sing in). You might even say that it is "the same band". If you like folk music that has worldly flourishes, this is probably the show for you. The show is $16 and starts at 8 PM sharp.
Dunes is having a show with AristeiA, Cinder Cone (LA), and The I's. I play bass in AristeiA. I think that we are pretty darned good. If you like rock music, or if you like post-rock, perhaps if you just enjoy well put together music at loud volumes, then I highlyrecommend that you check this show out. Our friends in Palo Verde vouch for Cinder Cone. They like Palo Verde are a two piece rock band that push the limits of what a two piece of Drums and Guitar can do. There are no tricks of sampling or looping or anything like that. Just cool twists and turns and interesting song writing. The show is $2-$5 and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with John Heart Jackie. This is the CD release for the band's new album "We are Gold Mounds". I do not see another band on the bill. Peculiar. I also do not see the show on The Woods' website. Very peculiar. What may be the most peculiar thing is why they are not playing the Portland Folk Festival. You would think they would be a shoe in for that kind of festival. Well regardless, you should check out this band. You should check out Jennie Wayne's solo stuff too, as long as you are checking stuff out. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Backspace is having a show with The Rainy States, And And And, Social Studies (SF), and DJ Scott Oseth. I write about this show because I know that there are some of you who are fans of the the almost overwhelmingly diverse genre that is indie pop. The Rainy States have kinda been m.i.a. for a bit. I hear that they were making an album. I have not heard it, but I bet they will play songs from it tonight. And And And are pretty good in my opinion. There are some who disagree with me. But I am sticking to my gut feeling about these guys. The have written an impressive amount of good material in a short amount of time. I know not of "Social Studies". The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows you should say "Hi". That would be awfully sweet of you.
Did you guys go to that bomb line up at Rontoms last night? I Didn't! I ended up working until 11:30 PM last night and then being too pooped to head out last night. I probably would have missed them anyway. The first bus I could get to wasn't until after midnight. I really hope you guys went though, it looked like such an awesome lineup. Hey guys, I was thinking; the way things are headed for me, I might not might not be able to afford a new computer for many months. Maybe even next year, assuming my things continue to get stolen from me at the rate they have been this year (my old land lords straight up robbing me of $400 did not help either). So I guess what I am getting at is this: if I did a kickstart thing to get a new computer do you think you guys would help out, or is this a stupid idea. Let me know in the comments section. Anyway, here are a couple shows that look good to me tonight:
Valentine's is having a show with Love Always, The Golden Hours, and Slang Chickens (LA). Love Always is Kathy Foster from The Thermals kicking it solo. I saw this once and she played several songs to backing tracks which makes sense. She is better know for playing bass and drums. Her guitar abilities are there though, check it out. It is like Kathy and Hutch. Except now Hutch and more electric guitar. The Golden Hours are a band that I want to see. I really like the music they have on their myspace page. Classic indie pop. Sometime led by male vocals, sometimes by female vocals. Very good. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM>
The Know is having a show with Songs for Moms (Oakland/SF), Street Eaters (East Bay), Best Supporting Actress, and Sex Hair. The show is FREE? and starts at 8 PM. I played a show with Songs for moms almost two years ago at that house venue called fuuuuuck what was it called. The Coop! It was kinda of a big deal for me. It was super hot and I played as Meyercord and in Y La Bamba. Super fun for me. Anyway, Songs for Moms were pretty fun. They have a load of influences which clearly shine through their songs. But they are a pop band overall. But in a punk way. They are from Oakland, so pop punk makes sense (not the shitty OC kinda pop punk, but the Lookout! kinda pop punk). Street Eaters are a boy girl two piece of drum and guitar. They are of the indie pop variety. Nothing like a good indie pop band from The Bay. This show is a classic two bands on tour, two bands from home show. Best Supporting Actress is a band that I remember wanting to see really badly a while back. I forgot what they sound like. Let me remind myself. Ah yes, they sound like noisy kinda crazy indie pop. Sexhair seem some where between rock and house punk. The show is probably free with donations accepted. The show starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at either of these shows please say "Hi". Also we can discuss kickstarter,
-Ben
Best Supporting Actress are playing at the Know tonight. Just Sayin'
I totally jacked my roommate's laptop and going to get you my picks today. I will be honest, I wrote the majority of this and yesterday's posts on Friday. I did end up playing that Chimp Fest thing as a part of Sean Flinn & The Royal We. It was fun. Here are the shows that look good today:
Rontoms is having a show with Ramona Falls, Monarques, Dirty Mittens, and Palmz. Ramona Falls is the band that Brent Knopf of Menomena created for all the songs he was writing between his other bands records. It is a bit different because you don't have the other guys filters on these songs. That being said Intuit their debut album last year was one of my favorites of 2009. I think the songs are very well crafted and arranged. My goodness are they arranged. You should totally see this show. Do you long for the days of sock hops and going to make out point and other things of yesteryear? Me either, yet as I listen to the music of Monarques I am oddly nostalgic for that which I have no right to be nostalgic for as a child of the 80's. It is a good feeling though. If you missed them yesterday at Chimp Fest, this is your second chance to see them. Dirty Mittens are a brilliant pop band that have a soul edge that many pop band cannot pull off. They also have a double sax thing going for them that helps with the soul feel as well. Palmz is a band that I have written about a couple time now, they also have a throw back pop sound to them. I love it. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with The Alialujah Choir, Mbilly, and John Vecchiarelli as part of the Pickin' on Sunday series. The Alialujah Choir is the project of Adam Selzer, Adam Shearer, and Alia Farah. You probably know Adam Selzer from fronting the band Norfolk and Western. You Probably know Adam Shearer from fronting the band Weinland. You probably don't know Alia Farah, but probably have some recording of her as she is all over the records of Portland. The project mostly consists of two acoustic guitars, piano, and three part harmonies. Mbilly is a guy who like many songwriters is torn between pop rock proper songs and more solo acoustic numbers. I bet that this will be more of the later. The show is FREE and starts at 3 PM.
Valentine's is having show with Orca Team, Karen, and Custody Battle (Flagstaff, AZ). Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I have a thing for Orca Team. Even though I have never seen them. I love their pop music. It is cut with some surf tendencies and it goes down so well. They are about to go on tour so, by the end of the month they will surely have won California over, so you should see them before they go. That way you can be like," Orca Team? Yeah I saw them they are pretty good" Instead of being like me and saying "I really love what I have heard of them but have not seen them live yet." Karen is a band that is influenced by some of the garage band revivalists that started packing the stadiums i.e. The Strokes and The Hives. They are poppy and catchy as cuss. They also claim to have a space guitar player instead a normal one. That's cool. Custody Battle is from Arizona. Myspace was acting all janky when I tried to check them out. I not a clue what they sound like. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Revival Drum Shop is having a Drum Fair all day from 10 am to 6 PM. There will be all kinds of cool vintage drum gear and performances by some of the best drummers in Portland. Bands/Drummers involved: STLS, Rachel Blumberg (M.Ward/Sean Flinn etc), Why I Must Be Careful, Neal Morgan (Joanna Newsom), Janet Weiss and Sara Lund (Unwound), Donny Ossborne (Buddy Rich Protege). There will also be DJ sets by Joe Plumber (Modest Mouse),and John Moen (Decemberists), and Joe Sherman. This sounds like a really cool event. I am not a drummer, but my drummer is. Actually Scott McPhearson (the current drummer of Meyercord) co runs Revival Drum Shop and had a huge part in putting this event together. Seems like a really cool time. The event is FREE and again starts at 10 AM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". That would be nice,
Ben
Ramona Falls is playing at Rontoms for FREE (also at the very beginning of this video I am an extra in the background)
I totally jacked my roommate's laptop and going to get you my picks today, again. Hooray for him not being home! Anyway Here are the shows that look good to me today :
Laughing Planet on Woodstock is having a something called Chimp Fest a benefit for IDA Africa's Sanaga-Young Chimpanzee Rescue Center. The show has a lot of stuff that looks fun. Plus there are musical performances by Jared Mees & the Grown Children, Monarques, Sean Flinn & The Royal We, Alan Singley & Pants Machine, Nervous & The Kid, and Trash Can Joe. These are some darn good bands. Jared Mees and company put on one of the most fun shows in town. Monarques are a great retro-pop band. Sean Flinn is a great pop band (that I sometimes sing back ups in). His songs are all very well crafted and arranged. Alan Singley & Pants Machine are are a great orchestrated pop ensemble led by another really fun performer, um...Alan Singley. I am not familiar with Nervous & The Kid and Trash Can Joe. The ALL AGES show is $5 per family or person and starts at about noon.
Doug Fir is having a show with The Angry Orts, The Ascetic Junkies, and NucularAminals. Every so often Doug Fir puts together a local bill for cheap. Tonight The Angry Orts are putting out a new CD Staires! They put on a lively show and all will generally agree that good times aare to be had at their shows. The Ascetic Junkies are a pop update of folk sounds. I have not seen them before. NucularAminals are pop band that I have not seen, but they have a couple songs that sound pretty good. The show is $5 and and starts 9 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Your Rival, Wizard Rifle, and We Play Quiet. Your Rival only has one track on myspace and it sounds like a song that would be at the beginning of a Wes Anderson film. Wizard Rifle sound like a rock band that has a thing for metal riffs. We Play Quiet is the Vancouver band that plays pop music with a slight punk edge. The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". That would be nice,
Ben
Jared Mees & The Grown Children will be playing Chimp Fest this evening at The Woodstock Laughing Planet.
I totally jacked my roommate's laptop and going to get you my picks today. I played a Deschutes Brewery Event for the Morrison Kids benefit event. It was pretty rad. Some of my favorite Portland bands like Ages and Ages, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, and Loch Lomond played it. Y La Bamba was scaled back essentially to a three voices and one guitar (Sean Flinn joined us on the last two songs) we sang to a the crowd from the middle. We had a few people watch but, it was tough to get anyone's attention when there is essentially free food and beverages around (there was a $5 cover which essentially saying the thing was free). Ages and Ages and Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside both played great sets. I even ended up dancing for Sallie Ford inspired by an awkward old man who would not stop dancing and creeping out young ladies and children. He actually had some cool moves that I plan on incorporating in to my dance routines. Anyway, here are some shows that look good tonight:
Berbati's Pan is having a show with Nice Nice, Miracles Club, and Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. I have I have seen Nice Nice a few times and I must say they are pretty great. It is totally mathy. But not really all that pop oriented. They are more groove oriented. Once you get in the zone, it is a great time. That being said I think you also must be in the mood for this music. Miracles Club remind me of 90's dance music. That is a type of music that I have not seen many people mine. The show is $8 and starts at 8 PM
The Know is having a show with XDS, Archers, and Astrology. XDS used to be called Experimental Dental School. Quite a mouth full. They shortened it to XDS. Good Call. They also changed from a duo to... actually I am not sure what the line is tonight. But according to the website there has been experiments in various line ups. Archers are a band that I have not seen before. I really like the recordings I have heard. Some one called psych power-pop. I think that it is a fairly accurate description. Astrology is the band that has Charlie Salas Humara (Panther, YlangYlang) and Marius Libman (Copy, Atole). It actually reminds me of what I remember Explode into Colors sounding like. The show is probably FREE and starts at 8 PM.
Holocene is having a show with Reporter, Wampire, and Soft Metals. Reporter played PDX Pop Now just recently. I heard it was awesome. I was taking a break from the music during that time and I missed their set. Tonight they are celebrating the release of their latest album, Time Incredible. They are more electro than ever before. It suits them well. They are very good at it and it is infectious. You will want to dance to this music. Wampire also played the PDX Pop festival. They debuted some new material that sounded very promising. There was new song that had something to do with a train. It was kinda 50's sounding. I really liked it. Soft Metals is a live electronics band that blend a wide array of electronic influences in to one. Also very danceable. The show is amazingly cheap $3 and starts at 8:30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with No Kind Of Rider, Manouk (San Diego), By Sunlight (Seattle), and El May (California) aka Lara May. No Kind Of Rider is a band that formed in Tulsa, OK but quickly relocated to Portland. They very vaguely remind me of Oh Captain My Captain. Manouk is the project of Scott Mercado who is a hired guitar player for many bands like Album Leaf, Black Heart Procession and many others. By Sunlight is a very poppy very mathy band. There are harmonies on the recordings that remind me of the Dodos and guitars that remind me of American Football. They have a split 7" out with one of my favorite Instrumental bands from the bay, Silian Rail. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". That would be nice,
Ben
Nice Nice will groove you tonight, assuming you go to Berbati's and let them.
It has been very rough on me not having a computer. I miss listening to music on it. I have the iPhone, but due to the whole Adobe vs, mac thing, I am unable to listen to most music on the Internet. At least the easy things like myspace. Anyway, I feel like it has been a long time. I have only been to two shows recently. I went to the Runonsentence tour kick off show which was great. And then I went to a show on Sunday with Wishyunu, Secret Codes, Rooftops, and Ocean Age. That line up was amazing. I finally got to see Wishyunu, but i missed a lot of their set because the Secret Codes guys convinced me to dine with them. I always wondered exactly what What Wishyunu was doing live. There was a lot of looping and it was awesome. I need to see them again to experience the full set. Also they seemed like really nice people (what's up guys). Then Secret Codes played. They were great. They have several vibes going for them. Not actual vibes like vibraphone but they probably should it would be a nice addition. They sometimes remind me of tortoise, sometimes like Stereolab. Which is to say they have a great sound. Then Rooftops from Bellingham played. They are an awesome math pop band that use a ridiculous amount of finger tapping. In a good way. Ocean Age closed out the night. They have gotten so good. When they do three part harmonies (sometimes four part harmonies?) it is gorgeous. Plus they debuted two new songs that sounded great. I have never seen a pop band use the Congo drum as effectively as Ocean Age does. Sadly I found out that two of the members recently relocated to Seattle (darn them and their "job opportunities") which means far less Ocean Age shows. But anyway, here are some Portland shows that showed up on my radar:
The Artistery is having a show with Little Wings, Lee Baggett, and Sandy's. I will be totally honest. I have mixed feelings about Little Wings. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. he is a guy who I recall makes music that is not to far off from his old collaborator Phil Elvrum of Mt. Eeriee. He has a new collaborator now in the form of Lee Baggett. I have not heard his stuff. I could not find any information about Sandy's, but there is a good chance that this show will be good. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.
Ella Street is having a show with Singley (featuring Alan Singley), Tom Provost & the Guardians of The Future, and Shoot Guns And Fish. Singley is Alan Singley's songs stripped down to a two piece. This is actually how I first was aquainted with his songs. It was just him and a drummer. I like his songs an awful lot. They are fun and Alan is such a showman. Shoot Guns And Fish is known as Stoop Kid on myspace and sounds like lo-fi Indie music. I like most things with that tag. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows. please say "Hi",
.JPG)
