Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 24th to July 26th

Hello Dear Readers,

Holy Crap Guys! My favorite weekend of the year has arrived. Glorious glorious PDX Pop NOW! 2009 will begin by the end of tonight. There are other shows happening this weekend, but I wouldn't bank on my being at them. However, in the spirit of this blog's usually decent coverage, I will list them.

Friday, July 24rd

Jack Pot Records (Downtown) i shaving an in-store with The Thermals! I do love me some Thermals. Yes they are three chord pop punk, but they some how manage to get me hooked every time. It is FREE and starts at 6 PM.

Rotture is having Day one of three of the PDX Pop Now! 2009 Festival. So I cannot write about every one of these bands for the festival, so I will just leave it up to you to click on the links I have provided. Today will feature performances by:

INSIDE
6:00-6:30 Dirty Mittens
6:40-7:10 The Estranged
OUTSIDE
7:25-7:55 Chamber of Commerce (Blue Cranes + Paxselin Quartet)
8:05-8:35 Don Hellions
INSIDE
8:50-9:20 Fear No Music
9:30-10:00 Peter Broderick
10:10-10:40 The Mint Chicks
OUTSIDE
10:55-11:25 Animal Farm
11:35-12:05 Explode Into Colors
12:15-12:45 The Minus 5

Though, I won't write about every band. I do want to say that Dirty Mittens and Peter Broderick are not to be missed. The show is ALL AGES and FREE. It starts at 6 PM.

Laurelthirst is having a show with The Physical Hearts, Run On Sentence, Black Heart Moon. I have not heard of the The Physical Hearts which surprises me because they sound pretty good. I have not seen Run On Sentence. But I have seen Black Heart Moon and I love them. They make warm and sad music.

The Woods is having it's first official show tonight. They will have Ages, Golden Holy, and Garrett Pierce (Davis, CA). Pretty good. I mean I personally might have waited a week and not gone up against PDX Pop. But Whatevs. I saw Ages play last Sunday at Rontom's and it was good. It is kind of Pseudosix, the band that preceded Ages, but less rock and with more vocal parts (it should be noted that Pseudosix already had a lot of vocal parts). I had not heart of Golden Holy before, but it seems pretty good. The recordings I heard sounded a bit like it was epic music on a lo-fi scale. I want to hear them live to see what their music sounds like in real life. Garret Pierce sounds like a indie crooner. I like crooning. I guess they are doing their best to compete, because the show is FREE and the doors open at 8 PM.

Doug Fir is having a show with Themselves (Oakland, CA), Cars & Trains and Hostile Tapeover. Themselves is two of the three guys responsible for the seminal anticon group Cloudead The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.

East Burn is having Good Will River. They kind of make music that is like slowly going down a stream. But I kind of get that feeling from any music that features a full time harmonica player (Blues Traveler excluded). The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.

Saturday, July 25th

Rotture is having day two of three of the PDX Pop Now! 2009 Festival. here is the line up:

INSIDE
12:00-12:30 Teeath
12:40-1:10 White Hinterland
1:20-1:50 Morning Teleportation
OUTSIDE
2:05-2:35 Magic Johnson
2:45-3:15 Rob Walmart
3:25-3:55 Fist Fite
INSIDE
4:10-4:40 Benoit Pioulard
4:50-5:20 Breakfast Mountain
5:30-6:00 Nucular Aminals
OUTSIDE
6:15-6:45 Luck-One
6:55-7:25 Inside Voices
7:35-8:05 Red Fang
INSIDE
8:20-8:50 Church
9:00-9:30 Tara Jane O'Neil
9:40-10:10 Deelay Ceelay
OUTSIDE
10:25-10:55 Laura Gibson
11:05-11:35 Nice Nice
11:45-12:15 Pierced Arrows
12:25-12:55 Strength

I am looking forward to this day of the festival. I think that Inside Voices, Church, and Laura Gibson are not to be missed, but there ate loads of bands that I want to see Saturday. I am bummed because I am missing a large chunk of the day due to stupid stupid work. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at noon.

Slabtown is having a Patti Smith tribute night with: Swallows, Reina Collins, Grey Anne, Karamy M, The I's, Heather Perkins, Silk & Olive, Teri Untalan, Marie Black. The whole thing is a benefit for Siren Nation. I think what Siren Nation is doing is important. Though most of these artists are not my cup of tea, I am very happy to see that Grey Anne is a part of it. She has consistently supported the nation. The show is $7 and starts sometime after 9 PM.

The Laurelthirst is having a show with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Audie Darling, Leviethan and Brian Bixler. The show starts at 9:30 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a DEMOCRACYLAB BENEFIT featuring musical performances by Dolorean, Celilo, and Dave McCraw and Crow Wing (Flagstaff, AZ). "DemocracyLab is an experiment in direct democracy, powered by open source software, and built on the idea that technology can empower us to harness freedom of speech and the power of the vote to solve today’s most challenging problems." Does this sound interesting to you? It does me. Plus, Dolorean and Celilo are both excellent Americana bands. I have not heard of Dave McGraw before but it seems to be in the same vein. The show is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The music starts at 8 PM.

Sunday, July 26th

Rotture is having say three of three of the PDX Pop Now! 2009 Festival. Sunday the line up is this:

INSIDE
12:00-12:30 Ah Holly Famíly
12:40-1:10 DASH!
1:20-1:50 Guidance Counselor
OUTSIDE
2:05-2:35 The Andrew Oliver Sextet
2:45-3:15 The Quick & Easy Boys
3:25-3:55 Purple Rhinestone Eagle
INSIDE
4:10-4:40 Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
4:50-5:20 Daniel Menche
5:30-6:00 Jeffrey Jerusalem
OUTSIDE
6:15-6:45 The Old Believers
6:55-7:25 MY-G
7:35-8:05 Cull
INSIDE
8:20-8:50 Grouper
9:00-9:30 Nurses
9:40-10:10 Thrones
OUTSIDE
10:25-10:55 The Shaky Hands
11:05-11:35 Lightheaded
11:45-12:15 Au
12:25-12:55 Menomena

In my opinion the must see acts for Sunday include, Sallie Ford and the Outside Sound, Nurses, Thrones, The Shaky Hands and...well actually you should just show up before 9 and then stay because it is all amazing. Also Menomena is playing and good lord do I love that band. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at noon.

Valentine's is having show with Brave Priest, Dark Lingo (Pittsburgh) and Bird Costumes. This is all kind on the weirder side of things. I mostly write about the show because I want to see Bird Costumes. He incorporates two things that I very much enjoy. Experimental music and costumes (check out his pictures and see how rad his bird head thing is). The show is by donation and starts at 9 PM.

Ducketts Public House is having a show with Wah Wah Exit Wound (Seattle), Bury My Teeth (Chicago), and Air War. These bands are rock. Not light rock or indie rock or anything like that. They are for real. I have been meaning to catch Air War for a while. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.


Please say "Hi" to me if you see me at The PDX Pop Now! 2009 fest. I am going to be there a whole lot. You will have ample opportunity. I am just saying.

-Ben


Nurses will be one of the many must see's at PDX Pop Now! 2009. See you there?

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 16th

Hello Dear Readers,

It is so nice out today. Nothing goes better with nice weather is live music. And living in the area of Portland, there is no shortage of that. Take for example this seeming ordinary Thursday we have the following shows:

Thursday, July 16

PDX Pop Now! 2009 is hosting a show at City Hall with YACHT, Point Juncture, WA and Y la Bamba. This is a pre-festival teaser of sorts. It is very similar to the festival but much much smaller. In full disclosure I play in Y La Bamba. I also think we are pretty good. We have a lot of three part harmonies and accordion and such. If you think this might interest you check it out. Point Juncture, WA are a very cool band that make very well arranges indie rock. They have vibes and switch instruments and who sings leads (they also have cool harmonies) several times during a set. YACHT is Jona Bechtolt who makes fun electronic based music with his cohort The show is of course ALL AGES and FREE. It will last from 5:30 to 8:30.

Music Millennium is having an in store performance by Hide & Go Hustle. Hide & Go Hustle features beats and guitar by Mike Moore and the Cello looping stylings of Catherine Odell (Black Heart Moon, Horse Feathers). Together they create music that is kind of classical, kinda post-rock, kinda beat driven. It is good. They also sometimes have Paper/Upper/Cuts aka David "Papi" Fimbres on drums. They have a new album out, which is why they are playing the instore. It sounds good, what I have heard of it. From What I understand it was actually recorded by Mike Moore as well. Talented fellow. The Show is FREE and ALL AGES.

Holocene is having a show with Papper/Upper/Cuts, Hide & Go Hustle, and Breakfast Mountain. Remember when I was talking about Hide and Go Hustle like just two seconds ago? Well it is because they have a new cd out. And they are playing with David on drums. David from the other band that is playing, Papper/Upper/Cuts which consists of him manning a sampler, laptop, and drum kit. It is probably what one would describe as phresh. Breakfast Mountain is pretty awesome. His beats are hard, his samples are recognizable. His energy is that of a dance party. This is a better than solid show. There is a $5 cover, and the show starts at 9 PM.

Laurelthirst is having a show with Leonard Mynx, Hello Lonliness!, and On The Stairs. These are some of the best Americana or Folk Rock or whatever you want to call this somewhat collective genre of music this city has to offer. I have seen Leonard Mynx several times and he never disappoints. He usually has a different line up every time he plays. Usually the people he plays with has a band too. Such is probably the case. I would bet that Leonard Mynx and On The Stairs is the same band but with different people writing the songs. On The Stairs is Nate Clark's vehicle (the myspace lists Leonard Mynx and main collaborator Audie Darling as being in the band). I suggest you go check it out to see if I am right. Either way it will sound good. The show is $4 and starts at 9 PM.


Rotture is having a show with Rafter (San Diego), Fleshtone and Jeffrey Jerusalem. I have never heard of rafter, but to me it sounds like the perfect mixture of post-Of Montreal pop and dance music. He releases records on Asmatic Kitty, Sujan Steven's label that is totally hit or miss. Fleshtone makes very sexually charged electro music. Jeremy Jerusalem is a one man disco show (he also plays drums in Inside Voices, crazy). The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Dunes is having a show with Sleepyhead, The Human Hand and Travis Wiggins. Do you like the place where kinda weird hip-hop meets kinda weird pop? Do you like DIY music? If yes, then check out the crazy jamz these artists are bringing. This show is 9 PM.

Mississippi Pizza is having Annie Bethancourt, Fred VanVactor and Archeology. I really like Annie's music and songs. I think she is pretty incredible. I am not familiar with Fred's music, but he seems like very sugary pop stuff. And I know that I have written about Archeology before. They make kinda of breathy twee-ish music. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows, give me a "Hi". I will then know that you have excellent taste in blogs.

-Ben


Leonard Mynx plays with a very similar band tonight at Laurelthirst Tonight.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks For July 12th

Hello Dear Readers,

It is Sunday. The last day of the weekend. The last day of the week. The day of rest? I don't think so. There are still plenty of shows. Take a look.

Sunday, July 12th

Valentine's is having a show with The Subcons,Song Sparrow Research and Matt Sheehy. Matt Sheehy is really good. This will probably be a solo show for him which usually consists of a lot of looping. The Subcons are a band I have been wanting to check for quite some time. The show is by donations. The show starts at 9 PM.

Ash Street Saloon is having a show with Asteroid M, The Oregon Donor (Ancortes, WA) and Cyrus Fell Down (Pullman, WA) I have had the pleasure of playing with both Cyrus Fell Down and The Oregon Donor. Cyrus Fell down is kinda like a mathy version of Muse. the bass player is crazy and spends his time spazzing out while still playing really awesome stuff. One really has to witness it to get it. They are both great, though. I had not heard of Asteroid M, but it sounds pretty good. The show is $5 and starts at 9:30 PM.

Backspace is having a special edition of Portland Makes Music! (put on by localcut) which features some of Portland's finest, namely: Grey Anne, The Rainy States, Congratulations, Leonard Mynx, Michael Dean Damron, Alan Singley, The Soft Tags, Gabe Hascall and Dirty Mittens, performing Michael Jackson songs. That is right yet another MJ tribute is exactly what the world needs right now. But whatevs. Michael knew how to write a pop song. You know what? These artists know how to perform a pop song. And that is exactly what they will do one MJ song each. It is ALL AGES, FREE, and starts at 9 PM.

So if you see me at one of these shows, please say "Hi". I promise to give you a shout out in this here blog.

-Ben


I generally very ani-bongo drums. But this seems okay. The Subcons play tonight at Valentines.

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My Little Sister's First Singing Recital

Ok.. so maybe this post won't teach you anything about records coming out or the current Portland music scene. But what's more crappy and indie than a kids' music recital in the Couve? Besides, I think my sister is totally awesome, and I'm really proud of her. She's only 11! I really want her to put up some videos of her original stuff though. She's been making up songs pretty much since she could talk.





she's also a certified veterinary assistant. I'm not kidding. Precocity runs in the family, I can't help it.

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