WE'RE FROM JAPAN at JACKPOT RECORDS 10 YEAR PARTY

Here is a video of We're From Japan! at the Jackpot Records 10 year anniversary party. I know if you are at work you probably can't hear the QUALITY of the sound but you better just plug your ear buds into that little hole.



This awesome video is by Paper Cameras. I would like to offer up the idea: if you subscribe to this guys videos you will be delighted by the sights and sounds of awesome Portland music. Be sure to check out the Morgan Grace video. It's short, sweet and beatuiful! -- Ste. Goldie

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 31st to April 6th

Dear Readers Sunday Night was awesome. I had such a good time and was so amped that I didn't sleep until 3 AM. Which was fine except that I had to wake up at 6:30 AM. This amount of sleep made it very difficult to concentrate my thoughts most of Monday. Do much so that I did not the post out on time. Sorry. Below is the post including shows on Monday that you may or may not have seen:


Monday, March 31st

This is what is going down:

• The show I would like to see the most is going down at Someday Lounge. We're From Japan! is playing with fellow Zankyo Label-mates You May Die in the Desert (Seattle) and Colt Vista. We're From Japan! has a new album recorded and will be playing songs from it. No word on whether it will be for sale at shows, but I know one way you can find out. The show is $5. The show starts at 9 PM.
• The show that I would consider going to though I generally would never go to the venue is Starfucker and Atole at the Tube. DJ Nate C will also be DJ-ing as well. The Tube is small and crowded, but Star Fucker and Atole are both pretty great. There is a $3 cover. The music starts at 9:30.
• As per usual, Valentine's has a good show lined up. Tonight they will be host to Hornet Leg, Las Artificiales (members of New Bloods and Magic Johnson), and I Copy Your Copy. I know that I have seen the name Hornet Leg before. I know I have seen I Copy Your Copy before. They made cute boy/girl vocals music if I remember correctly. This is a FREE show. The show starts at 9 PM.
  
• There is also a free Bluegrass show at The World Famous Kenton Club featuring Podunk. This show is at 8 PM.

Tuesday, April 1st

I know that most of you will be at 311 at the Roseland but...

• There is the Tuesday open mic at Zilla Sake. This is hosted by the very talented Y La Bamba. The music starts at 8 PM.
• Someday Lounge is also having an open stage event on Tuesday as well. There biweekly event, The Incubator, hosted by CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling.
• A lot of people seem to like Little Wings. You can decide if you like them by going to Mississippi Studios. They are sharing the stage with Lee Baggett and some mysterious "special guests". There is a $8-$10 cover. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Just down the street and a few hours earlier, you can see Gregory Miles Harris , Matthew Gilligan, and Tony Suitcase play at Mississippi Pizza. They all play quirky pop songs. Gregory will have the distinguished honor of opening for Daniel Johnston when he plays in town next month. The show is ALL AGES and FREE. The music starts at 6 PM.
  
• If you are inSE, you could stop by the Chaos Cafe for what will probably a night of blues and bluegrass influenced song. Ali Ippolito, Jay Cobb, Mimi Naja, and Fruition are all playing. It is FREE and ALL ages. Plus Chaos has a delicious menu. Show starts at 8 PM.

Wednesday, April 2nd

I am going to list four shows. They are all very good. Which ever you choose, you can't go wrong.

• One show I have been very excited about since I first saw it listed about a month ago. Loch Lomond is headling a show featuring some of my favorite newer musical discoveries The Ruby Suns and Le Loup at Holocene. The Ruby Suns (New Zealand) just put out a record on Subpop. Le Loup (D.C.) put out a record last year on Subpop sub label Hardly Art. I really love both of these records. And it is really great to see Loch Lomond headline such a good lineup as I really like them as well. I am really excited. Can you tell? The show is $7. The doors are at 9 PM.
• One of the other good show with good people is happening at Chaos Cafe. Alix Sun, Like Deities, and Y La Bamba will be playing music (probably with each other and separately). I am sure that it will be good. I am also sure that it is FREE. The show gets under ay at 8 PM.
• Someday Lounge looks like it has a very interesting show in Wednesday as well. It is the CD release for Colin Jones. Check out the description form the Someday Lounge webstite: This is the release show for Colin Jones' Dancebook Vol.2 (CD & book). Colin Jones is best known as the rapper for Portland based hip hop duo Brokaw, but he broke out of the hip hop realm last spring with his debut solo release Dancebook Vol. 1 on Diss Company Records. More electro / dance / pop than hip hop, the Dancebook series continuesnow with 9 new songs, 2 new videos and a full color storybook created by Colin and a few close friends. Like volume 1, Colin Jones' Dancebook Vol 2 is a limited run of 100 copies. The live set currently features Armatronix on effects,backing vocals and hype duties. Expect a loud and energetic multimedia and multi-genre show. Sounds cool, right? Plus Paperbacks (Ryan of Starfucker), Guidance Counselor, Sixteen Switches, and Staley play. All of this for $6. The doors are at 9 PM.
  
• The Artistery is having a cool show too. This one involves Evangelista, on tour, and Ghost to Falco. I think Ghost to Flaco makes very interesting and cool music. Evangeslista , does the same. There for this should be an interesting and cool show, right? The lead singer for Evangelista is Carla Bozulich (of Thee Geraldine Fibbers), who I saw put on quite a show with A Silver Mount Zion a while back. The cover for this show is $6. The doors are at 7 PM.

Thursday, April 3rd

Some interesting things are happening of Thursday:

• The Doug Fir is putting on a show featuring Holcombe Waller & The Healers and The Golden Bears. Holcombe Waller and co. are known to be very dramatic. Like he is working on on putting on a touring theater show sort of dramatic. It is also the CD release show for the Golden Bears. Plus out of town folkster Tom Brosseau will be playing some songs. The show has a $10 cover. The music starts at 9 PM.
• The Towne Lounge has a line up full of local fun. Check out Tenslon Fort, Timecat, Laz-D, and New Finesse. I basically don't know much about any of these bands but I enjoyed the ad that New Finesse put here. The show is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• E*Rock will be DJing at Tiga as part of an art reception for Charlie Salas-Humara of Panther fame. This event is FREE.
• Backspace is having a show on Thursday too. They are having the indie-pop of Swallows, Kusikia (Tacoma), and Chores. It should be fun. It cost $5. It is ALL AGES and starts at 9PM.
• There is also a show happening at Dekum Manor. Love Menu will be playing with June Madrona (Olympia), and Purrbot. The show probably is on a donation basis for the Touring band. The show starts at 8 PM.

Friday, April 4th

There are several very good shows tonight:

• First thing you can do is tune into KPSU at 1450 AM on you radio or online here. You see, The Morals are playing on the radio for your listening pleasure. Do this between the hours of 6 PM and 7 PM. It is good, and FREE, times.
• Why stop the free times there? You shouldn't. You can go to Chaos Cafe and see one of the best live bands in Portland, Westfold, play. They are sharing the bill with Hughdowner, and Ah Holly Fam'ly. This FREE show starts at 9 PM.
• One of my favorite new non-Portland area bands, Pattern is Movement, is coming and playing Friday night at The Know. Local William Holley, also very good, is opening. Pattern is Movement make catchy kinda mathy pop songs, while William Holley does a Will Oldham-esque thing. There is no indication of whether there is a cover. I think the show starts at 8 PM.
• Mississippi Studios is having a show with The Old Believers, and Shane Tutmarc & The Traveling Mercies. This should be a good and folky night of music. The cover is $8-$10. The show starts at 7 PM.
• Kelly's Olympian has started getting decent shows lately. Friday night they have The Brilliant Channel, Eux Autres, and The Village Green. It would be well worth your cover (though it is not listed anywhere). The show is scheduled to last from 6 PM to 10 PM. We shall see about that.
• At the Doug Fir, that show that happened at The Artistery on Wednesday, Evangelista and Ghost to Falco, is playing at a bigger venue. Also American Music Club is playing. The cover is $12. The show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, April 5th

Saturday is the night of a thousand shows (several of them kick ass):

• The Towne Lounge is having The Morals play on Saturday, just in case you missed them on KPSU the day before (or if you caught them and wanted to see what you were hearing). They are playing with The Rainy States and At The Spine. But there special thing about this show is the super secret guest. I am told that the guest is "big" and very "relevant". I am going to try to make this show. The cover is but $5. The music starts at 9 :30 PM.
• Exit Only, the newest all ages venue, is having a show featuring Southern Belle, Pegasus, Bodhi, and Transformers Kick Your Kids. I have heard many good things about Southern Belle, and I really enjoy the name Transformers Kick Your Kids, so this should be a pretty solid show. This ALL AGES show is FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Wait, I made a mistake. The Coop (3535 N Lombard: formerly Brainstains) is the newest ALL AGES venue. As Saturday marks the first show under the new management. The Taxpayers, Atomic Butter Babies, The Hand That Bleeds, Tibetan Beef Garden, and Monster Sized Monsters are providing the music for the evening. This is also the kick off show for The Taxpayers/Atomic Butter Babies tour. There is a $2-$5 cover for this ALL AGES show. If starts at 7 PM.
• The Artistery has a show with out of towners (who seem to have been in town quite a few times) Lake. Their friends P.E.T.S. (no idea what it stands for) are opening along with the local outfit Upsidedown cat. I really like the sounds of Lake. The show costs $6. The ALL AGES show doors are at 7 PM.
• Castle Grayskull (11 SE 19th), I believe is a house/venue. They are putting on a show featuring Almost Nearly, Craig Salt Peters, Shelby Sifers, Blanket Truth, and a special acoustic performance by Ghosties. The cover of the show is $. The ALL AGES show gets started at 5 PM.
  
• The Doug Fir is having a super fun local line up on Saturday with the likes of Starfucker, Dat'r, and Dykeritz. The show is only $7. The music starts at 9 PM.
• Kelly's Olympian is having Newspapers, Leonard Mynx, Old Money, and Jared Mees & The Grown Children play. The shows at Kelly's are usually $5. The music starts at 10 PM.
• Produce Row is having Barons in Trees playing a show on Saturday too. I have not seen them, but I have a feeling that they are good. This is a FREE show. It all begins at 9 PM.

Sunday, April 6th

I only have one show listed for today:

• It is at Valentine's and it has Fruitface, Gulls, Strategy, American Haircut, and DJ Pete Swanson (half of Yellow Swans). It will be so awesome if your into that sort of thing (good music).

So Sorry for te delay. Have a good week. And if you see me at any of these shows, say hi.

-Ben


Loch Lomond plays Holocene on Wednesday wit Le Loup and The Ruby Sons
Photo from their myspace page

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks Feb.25th to March. 2nd

Hello dear Readers,

How are you? I would like again to beg of your help for a better name that Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks. Maybe I can raise the stakes a little. If you come up with the new name of my weekly post, then I will make it worth your while (I am unsure of what this entails at this point, but it will be good). In the meantime, you might garner some inspiration by attending some of the many shows that are going down this week:

Monday, Feb. 25th

Usually Valentine's is the only place with something happening on Monday, but I'll be darned if there aren't three shows happening this evening.

• I have never been to McMenamins Edgefield as it seems like it is really far away, but guess what. I am going to go on Monday. Because Fall of Snow is playing a special acoustic set with the aid of two cellist courtesy of The Portland Cello Project. Edgefield looks like it has a lot to offer. Plus it has been a while since I have hung out in a stately Manor. Best part of the whole thing is that it is FREE. There will be two sets between 7 PM and 9 PM.
  
• Valentine's has what looks to be a very promising show featuring Dragging an Ox Through Water, Anni Rossi(LA/Chicago) , Bird Costumes, and Mad Gregs(LA). If you have read this column at all, you know that I highly recommend Dragging An Ox. But I also find that Bird Costumes looks and sounds really interesting (from the looks of it, he sometimes actually wears a bird costume). The show is FREE. The thing starts at 9 PM.
• Or the Someday Lounge seems to have a cool show that night too. Calabi Yau (North Carolina), Alexis Gideon, and Night Wounds will all be playing I am unfamiliar with two of them, but Alexis Gideon has been on my radar. He makes cool music that draws from a variety of influences. Plus he told me that he had made claymation videos for all of his new songs (and I know Someday has a good screen. I'm just saying). This will cost you $5. The show starts at 9 PM.

Tuesday, Feb. 26th

Traditionally show goers options are limited on Tueday nights. Not this Tuesday look at all of these shows:

• I first want to mention the open mic at Zilla Sake. I know open mics are supposed to be wretched. Y La Bamaba apparently didn't get the memo because she runs on of the most talent drenched open mics I have ever seen or heard (she is also is one of my favorite people making music right now). Check out Open Mic Scout for a preview. The sign up starts at 7:30 PM. The music starts at 8 PM.
• The other Open Mic that actually has talent is of course CIMTB contribuer Gabriel Darling's own Incubator hosted at the Someday Lounge. Not really fair to call it an open mic though. It is really more of an open stage (most anything goes). There is no price of admission for this event. Things will get going at 9 PM.
• Valentine's is having a pretty awesome show tonight as well. Castanets, who recently taped a Blogotheque show (if you have not seen the Take Away Show series you are in for a treat), and Death Songs will be playing. The price is FREE. The doors are at 9PM.
• Over at the Towne Lounge, Pop Tomorrow! (not to be confused with PDX Pop Now!) is presenting a show featuring Natural Bridges, Raise the Roof Beams, and Sunshine. The price is right (FREE). The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• Do you like the place where blues and gospel and bluegrass meet? Don't laugh, some people do. If you are in that crowd, you might want to check out the Chaos Cafe on Tuesday. Mimi Naja (you may recognize them name as I played a show with her last week) will be playing a free set starting at 8 PM.

Wednesday, Feb. 27th

There are only a couple show I find interesting for Wednesday.

• So there is a great show at the Chaos Cafe (I am playing it but honest to goodness it is a great show). It will feature myself as Meyercord, Y La Bamba, and David Evan. If you have read this blog at all you know that I think that Y La Bamba is the Bomb (say that aloud, its fun). Also I believe I have spoken about how great David Evan is (he is great). He is great and also he is now playing with a full band which he debuted on Saturday. Check out what Local Cut said about him here. The show is FREE; though you should bring some money for CDs as both Y La Bamba and David Evan will have some available (I have both and think they would make a fine addition to anyone's music library). It is also ALL AGES. The show starts at 8 PM.
• The other show going on Wednesday is at the Holocene where Ethan Rose, Yellow Swans (quite possibly the loudest band in Portland), Unrecognizable Now, Very Stereo, Linger and Quiet will be playing as part of the "Landmarks" event. "Landmarks" is a multimedia portrait of Portland's landmarks and is presented by Vision+Hearing project. The show will be $6 at the door. The show will start at 9 PM.

Thursday, Feb. 28th

Quite a few shows are going down on Thursday though:

• The elusive Dunes is hosting, the newly signed to Kill Rock Stars, New Bloods with Agent Ribbons(CA), The Vaginals(CA), Magic Johnson, and Alas Alak Alaska(CA). I believe that the shows at Dunes are FREE (but bring some dough for the touring bands). The show starts at 8 PM.
• Laurelthirst Public House is having a three band bill featuring Audie Darling, Shoeshine Blue, and Autopilot is for Lovers. The show should be good as it appears that all of the bands are friends. The cost is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• The East End is holding a benefit show for Team Awesome who are basically two dudes from Portland who are riding bikes across our nation by bike spreading the gospel of cycling. The bands playing are Oh Captain My Captain, Highway, DJ Zach Brooks, and DJ A Train. The benefit costs $6. The show starts at 9 PM.
• There also appears to be a pretty cool show at Rotture. They will have Fist Fite, Starfucker, DJ Tobias, DJ Metronome, and The Paperbacks as part of the Risk Vs. Reward series of shows (it takes place every 4th Saturday or the last Saturday of the every month). The show is $6 at the door. The doors are at 9 PM.

Friday, Feb. 29th

Did you see that date? That means its a leap year! Why no celebrate by going to a local show tonight? You have options. Maybe too many of them (all really good).

• The Alberta Street Pub is having Ezra Carey play with one of my favorite locals, Westfold. Westfold puts on a hell of a show. I highly recommend this show.
• And yet over at the Someday Lounge, Strangers Die Everyday (who I have been meaning to see forever), are having a CD release party form their new album Autopilot is for Lovers are playing with one of my other favorite bands to see, We're From Japan! What the hell. Thats a tough decision.
  
• And theres more at the Fine Grind Coffee House (2035 SE 39th Ave Portland, OR 97214) is having a fine show that includes the like of The Ocean Floor, Jambo Land, Down South Sallie, and Y La Bamba. If you have heard Down South Sallie it is incredible. Her speaks like a normal person, but when she sings it is very hard not to stare. She sounds like Billie Holiday I swear. The show is FREE and ALL AGES. The thing starts at 8PM.
• Or there is a show at a place I have not heard of before called Work/Sound. They are having a CD release show for Gulls. It will feature them and friend Michael Bruce of Sonic Lozenge with instillations by Erik Blad. A price is not listed. The thing starts at 10 PM.
  

Saturday, March 1st

Happy New month! Empty your bank accounts for rent and then spend the rest on either of these shows:

• The Doug Fir is having an opbmusic.org sponsered CD release show for Weinland who have a new record out, La Lamentor, on the Badman Label. Death Songs and Musee Mecanique will also be playing sets. The show costs $10. It begins at 9 PM.
• Slabtown is having Soft Tags, So Many Dynamos(MO), and Wax Fingers play a show. I have not heard of any of these bands but...the description of Wax Fingers list their "Musical Cues: Akron/Family, Animal Collective, Mogwai, Slint, Don Cab, Battles, etc..". Those are the kind of musical cues I like to see. The show is $6. The doors ar at 9 PM.

Sunday, March 2nd

There are some big shows going on tonight:

• The first big show is not big in the number of bands playing(there are only two), but rather for the size of the bands playing . I am of course talking about The March Forth Marching Band and Kazum(acrobats?) show that is happening at the Crystal Ballroom on Sunday Afternoon. It is part of the big-ass celebration of a big-ass band (3 days of celebration). Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for ages 5-12 and free if you are younger than that. The doors are at 1 PM. The show begins at 2:30 PM. ALL AGES.
• The other big show just has a shit-ton of bands. The Holocene is having, "An evening of music, dance, theater, tiny stages, regular size stages, no stages. It's a party, dudes,
  with some party dudes. Some of our favorite bands/collaborators will be in the backroom:Tara Jane O'Neil, Cex Fucx, Evolutionary Jass Band, Starfucker, Bryce Panic (Mirah's awesomelydancing/rapping drummer)--interspersed with a special
  presentation of Ten Tiny Dances (4 Tiny Dances) in thefront room. On the Tiny Stage will be Fever Theater,Rush-N-Disco, local heroes Linda Austin and KarenNelson presenting The Tuning Score (whose originator, Lisa Nelson, will be in residency in Portland at the
  time of this event!), and dear little Woolly Mammoth(that's us). We hope Fred Nemo shows up, but we can't get through at the phone number we have for him. In asilent auction you can place bids on gift certificates galore from places such as Tiga, Podnah's, Lovely Hula
  Hands, Hi iH Gallery, The Fresh Pot, and items such as delicious wine, massages, a Gyrotonic session, and yoga classes, just to start." While I am not exactly sure why Wolly needs the benefit, I think with that line up they will get my help. The show costs $10. The thing begins at 7 PM.

So that is it. A whole mess of shows. Do yourself a favor check some of them out. And if you see me at a show, please say hi.

-Ben


Woolly Mammoth play with many many bands on Sunday.
photos: Chris Mullikan; costumes: Diana Lang

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Were From Japan! New album Title and Track Listing!

The new WFJ! album has been christened, "Now Breathe". Which I think is a great follow up name to "48 minutes 07 seconds". It is as if that whole last album was in anticipation of this album. Or something, I don' know. Here is the track listing I stole from their myspace page:

1. Black Bag Work

2. Bleed

3. Climb Mountain, O Snail

4. There Are Horses In The Streets

5. In Every Hive, A Queen

6. Run Shoot Don't Panic

7. September 13, 1848

What is your favorite song title? Mine is "There are Horses in the Streets".

Image probably created by John Dunn of WFJ!

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WFJ! New Album Finished!

Straight From Portland, Oregon's own We're From Japan!'s myspace mouth:

It's true, after a good few years the follow up to "48 minutes, 07 seconds, then the open air" is just about here. No release date has been decided yet but it should be out in May or June on Zankyo Records in Japan and around the same time in the states. We are currently looking for a home in the U.S. but will release it vigilante style if we don't find anything that makes sense. This record, like the last, will consist of 7 tracks, one under 3 minutes, one over 12 and the rest in between. It promises to be a much different album than it's predecessor as we've opted not to include the strings and piano that graced our first record but tried to keep it representative of our live core. We're all really happy with "48 minutes" and love what Andy and Kristen did with those songs but we felt that these songs needed to be heard in the same context in which they were composed. What does this mean? A darker, heavier, more aggressive WFJ!. -- Written by We're From Japan!

I don't know who took this photo of JRD from WFJ!. I look forward to hearing new WFJ! songs... it's weird to say 'i look forward to hearing'. Whatever, it's gonna be dope! -- Ste. Goldie

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Soda Jerks!

Moxie's has a lot of pop and rock! But moxie? Well no. they have stacks of soda and then a bunch of people standing around listening to music.

I guess you can't sell moxie.

Andreah and walked up to the front of the soda pop shoppe and there was a crowd gathered around a guy with really big feet who wasn't wearing any shoes and an acoustic guitar.

We both mused that this guy was probablly from the arts highschool up the street and these were all this friends. We were wrong. He's from Phoenix. His name is Kelly and he just happened to be there. So he asked for and was granted permission to play his crappy indie music for everyone!

people were clapping for him even though he was doing 1 minutes covers of songs that I believe I recognized last night but now do not remember.

here is a picture of him and his 2 friends;

The guy on the right is Kelly! When I told him the name of my blog he said "yeah I do play crappy indie music!" And that is why he gets the shout out because he is at his core crappy indie music all the way BUT he is not full of shit! Yay!

We're From Japan! did infact play but I only got sucked into actually listening to them for about 3 epic songs. Of course they were great but this isn't a reveiw of their show. But here's a picture of them that they DID NOT POSE for and yes it was taken in my signature shaky style.

And for anyone that cares I got the email address of the guy who put the show together (HINT HINT).

Love,

Ste. Goldie

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We're From Japan! to ROCK downtown Vancouver!!!

WTF? It's true! You can read about it here: The Vancouver Voice

Vancouver doesn't suck! Here are two reasons why:

1.Wednesday October 17th, 2007 WFJ! Is gonna play at a kick ass soda pop shop called Moxie's on Main Street 1919 Main St, Vancouver, WA (360) 750-1784

2. Let's take over The Couve!!! Wouldn't it be fun? Westfold can you hear me? Adam Steinfink and I just moved here!

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AristeiA to play Habitat For Humanity Fundraiser Wednesday October 17th

Somebody told me We're From Japan! is playing in beautiful downtown Vancouver at 6:30 Wednesday the 17th @ a soda shoppe called Moxie's 1919 Main StVancouver, WA 98660 -- IS THIS TRUE? Someone, anyone leave a comment (A.T.?) with a link to the details or whateve's...

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