Kissing Party, from Denver, offer pure pop pleasure in 2 minute increments. Tight rhythm section, catchy pop hooks, a spattering of glockenspiel, and lovely boy-girl harmonized vocals. They're on tour this July in anticipation of their third release, Waster's Wall, coming out this fall.
They're playing Portland's Knife Shop July 12. For those of us outside the area, they're playing the Visual Arts Collective in Boise on July 6, New Frontier in Tacoma on July 8, and two Seattle dates, Funhouse on the 11th and the Comet on the 13th (Where I plan to be, celebrating my birthday.) If you happen to be in SLC, they're playing a house show there on the 14th. My recommendation: check them out. After all, I emerged from grad-school enforced blogging hiatus to tell you about it.
Olympia, WA-born band Lake's forthcoming album, Giving & Receiving, to be released on K Records this coming Tuesday, is an experience in pure pop pleasure. Gorgeous male and female vocals, catchy rhythms, and an ample dose of keys, horns and synthesizers. Modern pop with a vintage cocktail/lounge sensibility, listening will transport you to a land where everything is groovy, but classy.
They're playing a release show April 12 at The Woods, with Portland bands Ages & Ages and the thoroughly adorable The Golden Hours. Definitely worth checking out. If, like me, you're outside the Portland area, they're on tour for the next month or so.
When a press release refers to a band as "the most powerful duo since thunder and lightning" and a "indie rock juggernaut" I am immediately struck by this vision:
Astride their golden chariots pulled by ten thousand dragons, the Tartufi rode down from the clouds where they make their home. As the creaking of a ship in the storm did one of their sandles alight upon the mortal ground and shake the birds from the trees atop the mountain ridges for miles around. The people of the nearby village fell to their knees and offered up the lambs, burned on the altars of their ancestors and sang their greeting songs high and proud.
The village elders approached the juggernauts feet with humility and offerings of wine and flowers.
"Why have you come, o Tartufi? Our humble valley quakes at the mere presence of your feet!"
Booming out of the heavens the Tartufi reply.
"We have come bringing beautiful explosions of song and sound to your temples."
The cheering of the villagers filled the empty spaces left by the fleeing birds. Tears filled the valley and as one they cried out:
"Tartufi, Tartufi lords of thunder and lightning! Bring us the power of the Indie Rock!"
Or maybe I just spend too much time reading.
It's not too far off the mark, I think Tartufi has tamed a sentient explosion of beautiful sounds and rides it as their primary conveyance. It must make some waves, a band just floating down the street on a cloud of beautiful and powerful music. They should come live in Portland, we're used to weird shit being perpetrated. Oh hell, they're San Francisco based. Never mind.
Their latest album entitled "The Goodwill of the Scar" is one 27 minute long track entitled "The Butterless Man". What balls! What giant, clanking brass balls I said. I will be reviewing this later and will post a link here when I'm done. I cannot fit this much radness into one post. Physical laws must be obeyed and all. You know...
This post is to inform you that we are the people in the valley. Tartufi will be playing in Portland on May 26th at Backspace supporting their mad vision of a record. I will be there, most likely engaging in some form of mouth breathing fandom. I'd like you to come along and dive into this pool of interdimensional sonic fuckery with me.
Growing up as I did in the East End of Henrico County, Virginia I have had a complex relationship with country music. For most of my life it represented everything I stood against. Racism, ignorance and the leering macho horseshit of my fellow residents. The twang of the slide guitar was a surefire sign that I was about to be fucked with by a bunch of hormone addled teenagers in a pickup truck that were drunk on Budweiser and vicious pack mentality. There was copper in my mouth every time I heard a Southern accent in a song.
You see, my parents are The Gay. I don't know if you're familiar with America or not but there's a large chunk of our population that has a problem dealing with the fact that gay people exist. It's one of those things I've just never been able to understand. Something about some old book or something. More than that, I was kind of a weird kid with too much book smarts and no sense of how to blend in or when to shut my trap. I was a teenage gladiator stuck in a suburban arena with country music as the backdrop to my own grapple with puberty. So I was left with this association of country music as being a harbinger of terrible things to come. Mind you, what I considered country at the time was just Pop With A Twang and the same mindless drivel that vapid morons use to fill in the spaces between mouth breathing and pummeling anything different than them. Alright, I can admit to some remaining prejudices. The illusions of memory and the bitterness of adolescence take a very long time to work past. It helps to have some contrast.
Flash forward 5 years to the Tower Records at Willow Lawn. Here now is a young clerk stocking Jazz CDs late at night, all alone in the room. The shuffling playlist has been going on for about an hour, he hardly notices the time or the music as it floats around him. His hands reach into the understock and it happens. The rolling waves of spectral, haunting, tear inducing beauty roll over him. It's powerful enough to knock over a few CDs and he leans on the bin to steady himself. He looks around, wondering where this sound has come from, what confluence of powers led to something so gorgeous? Staggering under the weight of a thousand emotions he makes his way to the CD player and reads the name; Emmylou Harris: Wrecking Ball.
I had my contrast.
I had never heard anything remotely like Emmylou. No one ever spoke of her to me, no mention whatsoever from fans of country music. Nothing. Was it some deep mystery, reserved for this moment of transcendent beauty? I still don't know how I managed to avoid her works for so long. It was the beginning of a new perspective on country music. From that album I came to know what I had been missing. The giants like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn all the way to newer artists like Sleepercar, Mary Gauthier, Jim White and Tift Merrit. It was nothing less than a revolution in tastes. I felt like an ass for missing out on so much incredible music. But hey, you can't grow if there's nothing left to learn.
So we've grown closer now, country music and I (I've had some damn good nights with Johnny Walker and Johnny Cash ya'll). Recently though, things had been a bit stale. I'd gone through the 30's forward, gotten familiar with Lost Highway, fell in love with Calexico and worn through my Neko Case records. It was almost time to move on, not forever but I could tell things were getting a little stale. Then the indomitable Ian Graham dropped Suburban Home Records in my lap. I discovered the G-Spot of country music. Suddenly things were hot again. I was excited every time she got near my ears. Thoughts of moving on vanished.
The name Tim Barry rings clearly in every ear in Richmond. Avail was a big part of putting RVA on a map that didn't just say: Civil War Battlegrounds Hereabouts. "Dixie", shitty weed and PBR tallboys at the river made up a good chunk of high school for a lot of RVA kids my age. This isn't about Avail though. This is about Tim. He writes in a way that is so raw and personal that it's sometimes uncomfortable to hear. "Church Of Level Track" will drop you to the floor, pick you back up, slap a beer in your hand and send you home. The first time I heard him play it live I welled up with tears. It's serious shit and it has a physical impact on the listener. Is it country? Does that even matter? There's some recursive post-post-hardcore-post-folk-post-punk-retro-blah blah tag out there for what he's up to but it really doesn't matter. I call it country. He pours his blood into his songs, doesn't worry about complex arrangements and uses fiddles, dobros and slide guitars so I call it country. Tim isn't trying to impress you and I find that leaves a very large impression.
If this wasn't enough then Suburban Home has another massive dose of reality for you; Austin Lucas. Austin pulls his entire life out of the murky depths of memory and filters it through a poetic asceticism that leaves nothing superfluous at the edges. "Go West" is an amazing song and is a good example of this ability. He reminds me that well written music can be intelligent without succumbing to the dangers of needless verbosity and overly complex schemes. Look at the arrangements and later work of Leonard Cohen. There is nothing inaccessible about his poetry; it's not glossed over with too many classical references, not so tied into his inner mythology that it's not available to the reader. This is the same way I see Austin Lucas. I'm interested to see how he evolves as a songwriter. If my instincts are correct then this man has a long and extremely influential future ahead of him.
There's this perpetual struggle between artifice and authenticity in culture. I invariably find myself on the side of authenticity. How the hell do you know if something is authentic? Well, does it seem right? Do you look at the guy and say, "Yeah, I think he's being honest."? That's the best criteria there is. Why choose authenticity? Because it is the harder path, but much more rewarding. I see these guys, I listen to their music and I can feel their soul coming through the speakers. That's the personal connection I love about music like this. It's not relegated to one form, to one person, to one style or era. It's out there in every kind of music and it brings me no end of joy to find it in a style I have so frequently maligned and misinterpreted throughout my years. I love to be proven wrong.
If country music is going to survive the endless barrage of clone stamped Nashville pop stars, orchestrated over produced $10,000 boot wearing assholes, fucking retarded music and every other plight that can befall a genre; it is going to need more people like Austin, Tim and the folks at Suburban Home. The best part about it is that they don't have to do anything out of the ordinary. As long as they continue to write, record and play their music they help us all fight the endless tide of committee approved culture. This is the true strength of indie music; it isn't here to change the world, but it does anyway.
Last night I played in Seattle with a bunch of post rock bands. It was awesome. It was so nice to play in AristeiA for an audience again (it had been months). Plus I met a bunch of cool people. but it also meant that I got home at 6:30 this morning. I am really sore and tired at the moment. But there are some shows I would like to mention that are happening tonight:
Saturday, February 13th
The Know is having a show with Blue Cranes and Elders. Blue Cranes is one of the only Jazz bands I know in Portland ( I also know EvolutionaryJass Band). I am not well versed in that genre, but I know that their music effects me. I "feel" it. They have dynamics and shifts that keep things interesting and I love the tones from their keyboards. I highly suggest you see them. Also Elders is one of the bands I played with last night in Seattle. I can vouch for their awesomeness. They are a mostly instrumental band that can be grouped with the post rock crowd. But they also have some vocals by their female keyboardist Jessica. I thought they sounded fantastic. I often tried and failed to bob my head along to their music (in a good way). Plus they are all super nice people. The show is $8 and starts at 8 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Quail Lungs, His Name Shall Breathe, and The Ro Sham Bos. Quail Lungs is the lo-fi pop project of Travis Bonilla. I really his song Dumb Dadadum. I included the video at the bottom of the page. His Name Shall Breathe is one of my favorites. Tim Martin plays his guitar in very impressive arpeggios and writes very earnest songs and delivers them in sets where the songs all flow together to create a wonderful experience. I cannot recommend his band enough. The Ro Sham Bos play piano driven music that seems to come from another time period. Specifically one that has past. It is The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Jade Lounge is having a show with Ezza Rose. Ezza Rose plays folk pop music in the Portland tradition. Her voice is sweet her songs are enjoyable. She trades off between banjo, uke, and guitar (acoustic). If you are in the SE this evening you should check it out. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
Alberta Street Pub is having a show with Dr. Something & The Poppin' Fresh Love Engines and Activity Universal Associates. Dr. Something is a fellow w CIMTB blogger. I presume that tonight she is playing with a full band. The last couple of times she has played it has been solo (I think, I was unable to see them, sorry). But I have a copy of her ep and like her songs about frozen boogers, love, and other oddities. I couldn't find much information on Activity Universal Associates except for the video that I linked to. I guess it is electronic? The show is $5 and starts at 7 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". And then slap your palm against my palm. Its called a high five. I am sure that you will be into it.
I didn't see the show last night. Oh Well. I instead had a Meyercord practice and then hung out at Zilla Sake eating rice and cake (but not rice cakes) getting interviewed over the phone about TragosAmargos. It was fun. Anyways, here are the shows that appeal to me today:
Tuesday, February 2nd
Music Mellennium is having an in-store performance by Pierced Arrows. You may or may not have heard of Pierced Arrows, but you probably have heard of their previous band Dead Moon. Dead Moon was the premiere NW punk band (or was it The Wipers?). Anyway in 2006 they retired. So what does one do in retirement? Start another band. Duh. I saw them play at PDX Pop this summer. It was good stuff which will be even better close range as these in-stores always are. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
Holocene is having a show called The Rumble. The Rumble is a series of shows put together by Furture Sounds, Cravedog, Pamplemoose, Music Millennium, XO Publicity, WOXY, and Spin Earth. They also do shows in Seattle, San Francisco, LA, San Diego, and New York. This one will feature Jaguar Love, Logan Lynn, and DJ A Train. Jaguar Love is one of the bands that rose from the ashes of The Blood Brothers (the other being Past Lives). My guess is that if you liked that Blood Brothers band, then you will like this band. Logan Lynn may look familiar to you because our own Amber Dawn wrote a review of Logan Lynn a while back. Kinda electro-pop? Maybe? This sucker is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
Posies Cafe is having a show with Black Heart Moon. I love me some Black Heart Moon. Their music is built around the electric guitar and acoustic bass work of Catherine O'Dell (Horse Feathers) and Perry Pfister (Meyercord). Cat's voice is warm and wins you over instantly with her kinda sad songs that issue a sense of longing. Lord knows I love longing music. But since their inception they have added some members most notably David Dyas who adds lapsteel and various other instruments to the mix. The lapsteel sounds so good with the music. I cannot get enough. They also sometimes play with Emily Moeller on viola. I have not seen this happen, but I have been assured that is is quite beautiful sounding. The show is FREE? and starts at 8 PM.
If you see a guy who looks like me, say "Hi". Guys that look like me appreciate it when people who look like you say "Hi".
-Ben
Black Heart Moon make purdy music. You can see them at Poises Cafe tonight.
Last night I didn't get out of AristeiA practice until 10:30 in the PM. That is crazy late for me. By that time I had dashed all hopes of going to a show. Oh well. Tonight there is only one local show that I want to mention. If that is what you want to read about, I suggest you skip this next part. I never do this, but I would like to mention a non-local show that features one of my favorites, Julie Doiron. She is playing at Mississippi Studios tonight opening for Bowerbirds. This follows the tradition of the far superior opener for a tour act. Not that I have anything against Bowerbirds. Infact I like what I have heard of their music. But Julie Doiron is just so great. That show is $12 and starts at 9 PM. Back to the Portland music.
Tuesday, January 26th
Doug Fir is having a show with Nick Delffs (The Shaky Hands, Justin Power, and Cannons & Clouds (San Francisco). I know that Nick Delffs played stripped down as Death Songs. But I guess this is different because as I understand it, Death Songs is a duo. This must be even more stripped down. Or not. The only videos I could find of Nick have members of The Shaky Hands backing him. Regardless, his songs are catchy as hell. He has a definite sense of how pop songs should go. Even in an "solo" context (solo doesn't always mean folk). Justin Power is one of the better songwriters who mostly plays solo. While I have seen him also collaborate with others (most notably on Portland Cello Projects last album), he works just as well on his own. He plays what I think is a bass with some guitar strings on it. I have also seen him play one of those bigger ukuleles. Beaches & Cannons is a band that lists itself as a indie rock band. I think it is official. Indie rock is wimpy. That being said I have long been a fan of wimpy music. In fact, a lot of the music I make is wimpy. I like what I heard of Cannons & Clouds though, I would not have classified them as indie rock. They are not quite either though. They do use a lot of acoustic instruments and have some sweet three part harmonies. Whatevs. Check their link that I provided. The Show is $6 at 9 PM.
If you see someone who looks like me at one of these shows please say, "Hi". It might turn out to be me. Or you just might make a new friend.
-Ben
This maybe what Nick Delff's set up might look like tonight at Doug Fir
Last Night I went to the Satyricon to see a show. What an experience. I felt like I was back in high school. Not only because there was an inescapable feeling that I was in an all ages club, but because the majority of the bands, three out of four (yeah, there were four bands. Didn't I tell you it was an ALL AGES club?) bands played some form of punk rock. I listened to punk rock when I was in high school. I would have loved this show back then. But now it made me feel weird. I still enjoyed it, but I could not fully embrace the punk rock. The first band, Scum Grief, had potential they had catchy melodies and perfect punk rock arrangements but could not seem to all stay in the same tempo, which night have been because was so bad. So I do not fully fault them. Then there was Foot Ox who seemed to be kinda folk punk but mostly a mess of kids making noise on stage. There was a group of eleven kids who all looked like they cam straight from their shift at the co-op to come play the show. Again I am not sure if they played badly because of the bad sound or if that just were a mess. I think they would work better in a different room. Then came The Max Levine Ensemble who played really well and were obviously tight a stark contrast to the previous band. They had some interesting parts but did not do a whole lot to further the punk music cannon. Finally came the band that I had wanted to see, Nana Grizol. They were really good. The songwriting is really clever and thoughtful almost to the point that I wish the music were not so catchy so that I could focus on the words. But when you have a band that features two drummers (one of which also plays trumpet) and two guitars and a low brass instrument and a bass player and they all sing. It is hard to catch every word. They sound they made was uplifting and made me want to go home call all my friends and say lets make some music. Instead I went home fell asleep.
Monday, January 18th
Valentine's is having a show with Galveston, Lindsay Clarke, and Rey Villalobos. I have not seen Galveston. Though I have written about the band and also heard very good things from trust worthy friends, I have yet to get my situated in front of them while they play music. From what I can tell it is very minimalist folk with some drumming and acoustic guitar. The recordings have a touch of trumpet and a slide guitar. They have three members listed so I am not sure what the third person does. Lindsay Clarke is pretty great. I think I played the first show she played as a Portland resident. She spent sometime in the Boston area and Nevada City before that. Her folk sound definitely reminds me of some other Nevada City "folks" (Alela Diane in particular). She splits her instrument playing between guitar and banjo. I have seen Rey Villalobos a couple of times. he is relatively new to Portland but has been doing music for a while in California. He is a good songwriter and has an amazing voice. It kinda reminds me of the late Jeff Hansen who reminded me kinda of a late Elliott Smith. What I am trying say that it is that his voice breathy and light and very pretty. Last time I saw him he was backed by Brian Wright and Cory Gray of Carcrashlander on drums and keys/trumpet respectively. A very nice set up. His song "Kiss Me Like It's the 50's" stands out in my memory. I am hoping to buy his EP that he recorded here in Portland, because it sounds great. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at this show please say, "Hi". I like greeting people. What is your hobby?
Sometimes I just don't want to go out. Yesterday at about 8 PM, I was done for the day. I knew that there were a number of really good shows, but I was just finished. I ended up doing somethings that I have been meaning to get done and I felt accomplished and everything which was good. I heard that the Fin de Cinema was packed. I couldn't have handled packed last night so I am glad I stayed in.
Friday, January 15th
Tea Chai Te is having a show with Padriac Findbar Haggerty-Hammond and Maggie Morris (San Francisco). Padriac Finbar Haggerty-Hammond has quite a name. He also has quite an ability to pen that can be silly sweet and kinda sad at the same time. His voice fits his songs perfectly they hit all the notes but is a little quirky. I really like it. He will have his friend (friends?) of Sarcastic Dharma Society back him tonight. I like Maggie Morris too. Apparently she knows Fin ( aka PFHH) from when he lived in the Bay. In fact the show I saw her play, he was there. At that show she managed to get Typhoon to act as her backing band. Sweet. I bought her CD that Boy Gorilla put out and enjoyed it as well. It is indie pop that sometimes has a bit of twang thrown in. I think you should check it out because a) it will be good and and b) the ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 7 PM (plenty o' time to check out other shows).
The Knife Shop is having a show with Andy Combs and The Moth (Talent, OR) and Team Evil. Andy Comb and Co. used to be a Portland band. Then Andy went to New York then he went to Southern Oregon where I believe he still resides. Either way it is nice to see him play Portland again. Most of the last incarnation of his lively bunch of cohorts were of the PDX band Point Juncture, WA. His music ranges from carnival-esque to to above average indie-pop to a song that sounds like Tom Waits. One of the members of Point Juncture that sometimes played in The Moth also fronts the band Team Evil. Team Evil reminds me of Chicago bands from the mid to late 90's that had really cool guitar lines but the quieter moments. The drums seemed to be brushed most of the time. There also some vibes and trumpet action (which is also used in Point Juncture) that, maybe unjustly, remind me of Chicago bands. I haven't seen them, but would really like to. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
Berbati's is having a Willamette Week Give!Guide sponsored show with Deelay Ceelay, Weinland, and Matt Sheehy. The Give!Guide helped raise a lot of money for a lot of non-profit organizations and programs. This show is a celebration of that and, as you might have guessed another chance to donate. And why not? This is a FREE show. Deelay Ceelay is the double drumming duo that lays down some beats to prerecorded bleeps and spacey guitars that in coordination with trippy films provided by the band themselves create a danceable psychedelic experience even with out the drugs. Weinland does the Americana folk rock thing like they invented it. Which is to say they know what they are doing. Matt Sheehy sounds vaguely like Sufjan and not at all in a bad way. Just in that he has a very sweet voice and an ear for arrangements that involve many people. Except I feel that Matt has a larger tendency to create tension in his songs often with the use of effective backing vocals and interesting percussion. Last time I saw him he had a french horn player whose playing just melted me. Again the show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Guidance Counselor, Vella Vella (Seattle), and The Old Church is hosting an Oregon Food Bank benefit with Dolorean and Derby. Another good benefit. They also have a very good Americana band, Dolorean. It seems that American and canned goods go hand and hand. Dolorean are a bit slower than Weinland usually, but they too have very good arrangements. Al James can write the pants off of a song. Derby on the other hand is not so slow. They make lite indie rock with very sweet vocals and melodies (or some might saw power pop). Also it should be noted that upon clicking on their myspace page you will hear the rap stylings of Lo Kee Money (apparently Derby does not check it's comments otherwise they might remove Mr Money's music player) which is a little confusing at first. But their songs are really catchy and would be a blast to see performed live. The show is $10 (or $5 with a can of food or pair of socks).
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". I current sport a beard a chubby for Portland music.
-Ben
Padriac Finbar Haggery-Hammond heckles his audience, not the other way around. He plays Tea Chia Te for FREE
I picked up my friend from the airport and as a payment, he bought me a Papa Johns Pizza. Since I had not eaten besides several handfuls of goldfish (not really a meal), I destroyed the pizza and then got "pizza drunk". That meant that shows were out of the question. I must be more careful in the future. Anyways, here are the shows that look good"
Wednesday, January 13th
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Jesse Skyes and Kele Goodwin. Jesse Sykes and The Sweet Hereafter, her band, make folk rock that is distinct mostly due to her soft and raspy voice. The weird thing about her is that she often collaborates with heavy bands like SUNNO))) and BORIS. Weird. Kele Goodwin makes very pretty folk music. The obvious touching stone for getting an idea of what he Kele sounds like is Nick Drake. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM
Ella Street Social Club is having The Woolen Men, Pill Wonder (Seattle), and White Fang play a show. Woolen Men are a good new band you should know about. They play rock and roll like the Velvet Underground would play rock and roll if they grew up listening to 90's lo-fi rock. If that makes sense. Young Prisms is a band that sounds like some kids taking drugs and playing guitars in attempts to play pop music. A lot of these bands kinda play chilled out reverby drenched pop music. I mean not Woolen Men, and especially not White Fang. White Fang plays party art punk. It is fun and catchy and I highly suggest you see them at least once in your life. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Rotture is having a show with Kidcrash, Girlfriends, Carrion Spring, and Total Bros. Di you know about how all the kids are playing mathy pop music? If you did not you should check out all of these bands. You will not regret it. Unless of course you can't handle progressive music. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Last night I had a pretty late Y La Bamba practice. I am super excited about a new song that we have fleshed out. Anyway I got out at 11 and decided it best to stay in since I had to get to work this morning early. Any who, I only found one show I am inters ted in for tonight. Here it is:
Monday, January 11th
Mississippi Studios is having Mississippi Man (LA), The Silent Comedy (CA), St. Frankie Lee, and The Head and The Heart (Seattle) play a show. Mississippi Man at Mississippi Studios, eh? I am not sure how the booking works at the studios, but this seems a little too convenient. Regardless, Mississippi Man sounds like sunny pop music with a lead singer that reminds me of the lead singer of Dr.Dog (I want to be clear that I don't think this band sounds like Dr. Dog, because they don't). Then there is The Silent Comedy who appear to be playing every show that Mississippi Man is playing (my sources tell me they are on tour together). They are a folk rock band in the truest form possible. Yes they have mandolin, banjo, violin and harmonica, but hey still know how to rock. St. Frankie Lee, to whom this show listing is for, are a live favorite of mine. The group, currently consisting of seven members, sprawls across the stage and just seem to break the dam that holds their music from the audience. They are based around the songwriting of, possibly the cutest couple in Portland, Derrick and Chelsea. He plays banjo, she plays guitar. He sings sweetly, his voice is on par with Calvin Johnson. The combination with the lively band's energy works really well. Plus they often try to educate their patrons with different themes and facts at every show. The show is $7 and music starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at this show please say, "Hi". I will buy you a glass of water.
Lat Night I went to the Hosannas show at Slabtown. Archeology opened the show. I saw a lot of potential. Apparently their drummer had gotten a cold which spread to the the other singers who claimed they usually have better voices. I will take that into consideration. Also the bass seemed to low in the mix and it appeared that they were doing some sort of midi control with their feet which did not translate into an audible sound (I couldn't hear it at least). SO I would like to see them again in a place with a little bit better sound. They did a lot of group (all three singing) and harmonies. The two members that were not the drummer switched between guitar and bass quite liberally. Also they took turns on lead vocals. One of the guys played saxophone on a song. I would also like to take the opportunity to say I was mistaken in that there were three members instead of a duo. Then Rainy States took stage. They were very tight. The bassist was having a lot of fun and dancing around while they played which contrasted with the rest of the band which was...tight. They seemed very well rehearsed but ended up having to cut their set short due to a malfunctioning bass. Wampire surprised me tonight by playing with a drummer; something I have never them do before. The drummer, Cyrus Lampton plays in a ton of bands and is ridiculously skilled. He takes Wampire to the next level. All of the bands kept trying to get name of the headliners correct. Was it Church? No it was Ape Cave. Wait didn't they change their name again? Yes they did. When they took the stage, they announced that were called Hosannas. They played a great set that included one that I had never heard before. I think they are going to be recording later year and I can't wait. Anyway, there are a lot of good shows tonight. See:
Sunday, January 10th
Valentine's is having a show with Heather Woods Broderick and Dragging an Ox Through Water. Heather is very good. I love the tone of her voice. She plays many instruments very well. I think she focuses on guitar and piano in this gentle folk-ish project. But she plays many bowed instruments as well. She is about to move off the Denmark to be with Efterklang, just like her big brother Peter Broderick. Dragging An Ox Through Water is experimental folk in the truest sense. He explores the process of inserting noise burst created by homemade oscillators and other pedals. I really think it sounds cool. One of the most original sounds I have heard. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Karl Blau (Anacortes), David Hooker, Cole Miller, and David Jaberi (Eureka). David Hooker plays folk music as A John Henry Memorial. Karl Blau plays Anacortes indie pop which is really good. I am mostly writing about this show because I have been told by a good friend of mine that David Hooker is not to be missed. He rarely plays under this moniker ( he also fronts the noisy rock band ...Worms)if he ever plays at all. Which is to say that this show will be special. The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Leigh Marble and Mbilly. This is a double bill of Portland Americana. Something that this town is quite good at. I have often listed Leigh Marble before. I have never seen him play. I have however seen Mbilly play. It was good he split his set between a more rocking or at least a full band section and a quieter more acoustic section. I think he is equally good at both. Both of these guys generally are good at rounding up a band of some of the quality players here in Portland. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". I am the bearded dude hogging the water jug.
-Ben
Heather Woods Broderick will be playing wothout her brother tonight at Valentine's. Don't miss it.
Last night I had an AristeiA practice and then went out to eat with most of them thus opting out of seeing any shows. It seemed like a normal person thing to do, I thought I would give it a go. It was pretty good. But man I wish I had seen a show instead. Speaking of which, there are a lot of good shows tonight. See:
Saturday, January 9th
Slabtown is having a show with Hosannas, Wampire, The Rainy States, and Archeology. This looks like a grand show. Hosannas is the latest name (at least that I have heard as of writing this post) for the band formerly known as Church. Those guys are one of my favorite bands in Portland. They play very dynamic and moody art pop. Check them out. Seriously. Wampire is also quite good. They play guitars along to prerecorded jamz but manage to make it quite entertaining due in large to their outgoing personalities and enthusiasm. The aforementioned Jamz that I made reference to are often very chill yet very danceable at the same time. The Rainy States make female led indie rock music (mostly female led anyway). They have a good sense of melody and for some reason that I cannot quite pinpoint sound like they come from a place where it rains a lot (way to name yourselves guys). Archeology is a band that I remember hearing about and liking a while back and then I kinda forgot about them (sorry guys). They are a two piece that have managed to put out a couple self released eps. They make really good music the thing that stands out the most about them is their heavy use of harmonized voices. They sound really good together. The best part thought is that they said that they would be giving away copies of their eps and promo copies of their new album that will be out in March all for FREE.. How cool is that ? The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.
Berbati's is having a show with Dengue Fever (LA), Tu Fawning, and Pink Widower. The main thing about Dengue Fever that people harp on is the Cambodian influence. But mostly you should know that they are a pop band that have some psychedelic touches and a sweet sax player. The music sounds a bit throw back. It is good. I am mostly writing about this show because of Tu Fawning. I really liked their debut ep that came out a while back. Since then I have missed several shows that featured, according to third party accounts, new songs. They normally play moody rock music. You should check out their song "Out Like Bats". Pink Widower features members of the the defunct band Ape Shape and play psychedelic reggae pop. They are a good pairing with Dengue Fever considering the shared use of similar brass (though I think Pink Widower has more of it). The show is $13-$15 and starts at 9 PM.
Portland Playhouse is having a show with Fruition, Leonard Mynx, Daniel Stern, and Never Strangers. Fruition is a modern blue grass group. I actually played with them once at Portland Playhouse. They are really solid and have gorgeous three part harmonies they throw atop their blue grass. The instrumentation consists of acoustic guitars, banjo, stand up bass, and mandolin. There are three songwriters in the band so there are no shortage of songs. Leonard Mynx also has no shortage of songs. I have been listening to his latest Le Petite Mort and really liking it. I have not seen him play acoustic in a long time. I think I might prefer him that way sometimes. Daniel Stern is the robber from Home Alone and Home Alone two that is not Joe Pesci. I am sorry but that is what he will always be best known as. But did you know he also directs plays? That is why he is in Portland. Also he plays guitar and sings. Who knew? No one. Because this is his first time to do so in front of an audience. The show is $6-$8 and starts at 7:30 PM.
The Artistery is having a show with Laura Veirs, Led to Sea, and Justin Power. Laura Veirs keeps getting better and better. I often get the song July Flame, from which her new alum is titled, stuck in my head even though I have no possession of the song. I probably have heard it only a handful of times but it has drilled its way into my brain. In a good way. "Led to Sea is the solo project of violist/violinist/composer L. Alex Guy. She is sometimes joined by incredible percussionist Paul Kikuch." This is from her myspace page. She has been a part of experimental pop bands XiuXiu and Dead Science. It is a cool sound. Lots of stings obviously. I am wondering if she does lopping live. I bet she does. And then there is Justin Power, as songwriter poised for greatness. He will be big. I can feel it. I liked his music immediately. Kind of like when I first heard Blind Pilot and I was like. People are going to like this. The ALL AGES show is $8 and starts at 8 PM.
The Press Club is having a show with Rauelsson, May May, and Kele Goodwin. Awww the lesser known folk scene in Portland, how I love you. I guess these are not really all that lesser know but they are small enough to play the Press Club (a very small space). All of these groups are very good and make very soothing folk tunes. Rauelsson makes his in Spanish (hey I playing a band that sometimes makes Spanish language folk music too, Rauelsson hit up Y La Bamba or TragosAmargos for a show). May May is fronted by Laurel who also plays in Rauelsson. Kele Goodwin makes Nick Drake-ish tunes i.e. very breathy folk. He has been recording with the dudes from MuseeMecanique over the past year. Hopefully those get released this year. The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with LewiLongmire Band, The Physical Hearts, and Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside. LewiLongmire is a guy who has been around the block a few times. He leads a country rock band that is really. Check out the song he duets with Victoria Williams. I love it. The Physical Hearts are a band that I have heard of but not heard. It is an interesting mix of folk rock and and some other elements. Check out "Downstream" when the full drum beat drops in I am like, "Is this The Sea and Cake?" A neat trick for a folk band, Then there is the excellent retro-pop of Sallie Ford and her amazing backing band The Sound Outside. These guys having been getting bigger and bigger and really deserve it. Imagine if Billie Holiday sang upbeat pop songs. The show is $8 and starts at 8 PM.
The Waypost is having a show with Orange Jam, Support Force, Ghosties. From what I can tell of the lo-fi recordings on their myspace, Orange Jam sound like a promising noisy, but not necessarily loud, psychedelic rock band. Support Force sound like a reverby pop band. Ghosties is sounds like a guy recording in his home who probably listened to all the music I did growing up. I am not good at describing these bands because they are hard to describe. But check them out. They are, as I said, promising. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". I am the bearded dude having a good time.
-Ben
Laura Veirs plays with her awesome band tonight at The Artistery.
Last night I had a pretty long AristeiA practice which caused it to be kinda late when I got out. Then I had an Y La Bamba band meeting (we're going to SXSW!). But then When that was done, it was officially late and I had missed most of most of the shows. It was also hecka cold. So I went home. Such is the exciting life of Ben Meyercord. Anyways there are a lot of good shows tonight. See:
Thursday, January 7th
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with John Heart Jackie and Steve Hefter. I believe that I hear of both of these projects through THWBRO. I saw Jack Heart Jackie at Berbati's restaurant side. I want to hear them in a better setting. Ella Street should be perfect for the boy/girl folk duo. I have recently received Steve Hefter's album "Selena". It is really good. There are a lot of what I think could be considered "hits". If you like Indie folk of folk pop or whatever, this is the show for you. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Lymbyc System (Brooklyn), Helios. and Cars & Trains. I have heard of LymbicSystym because they put out a split release with This Will Destroy You. They also make instrumental post-rock that incorporates some electronics (namely some beats). The music is big and pretty. Helios I have heard of because he went a tour with Peter Broderick. His music is also instrumental and has elements of post-rock with beats. Think of Explosions in the Sky's pretty moments and then take out the marching drums and replace with some programmed beats. Very pretty. I know that I have used that word a lot in this post but whatever, it is appropriate. Cars & Trains is the one here that sometimes sings. I love his music. He uses folk elements in puts them into the context of kinda glitchy hip-hop and makes it work. Live he does a lot of looping which is pretty impressive and very fun to watch. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having a thing called Nightclubbing with Reporter, Miracles, Linger & Quiet, and Breakfast Sandwich. I am writing about this because I think Reporters dance rock music is not to be ignored. They are so fun. Anyway, Holocene wrote about it better than I could, "For the first NIGHTCLUBBING of the new decade, Holocene brings you a barrage of local talent that is going to BLOW YOUR MIND. Reporter is Portland's new genre bending dance party of 3. A rare club appearance, you're more likely to see them half naked in the basement of a teenage house party. We've heard their new album and yes it's already THAT GOOD. Reporter will own 2010. BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!!! Miracles Club are in line to also pack the dance floor with an explosive set of LIVE ACID HOUSE. These guys really snuck up on us in 2009, and we're just such big fans they could easily be live NIGHTCLUBBING residents (is that a thing? we should make it one.) They have a new 12" in the works that will have all the Scandinavian bloggers crawling all over themselves to first ring in this NEW PORTLAND PSYCHEDELIC HOUSE MUSIC PHENOMENON!!! AND THEN... Breakfast Sandwich is going to start the night off with deep, deep crates (literally) of weird psych rock/disco/world music blended smoothly and setting the mood right. RIGHT!? Of course Linger & Quiet will be hosting and DJing until the HOUSE lights come on. They're so cute and good at DJing it's like DANCING AND GETTING HUGGED AT THE SAME TIME! Bright white clubbing 4-ever." The show $3 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with The Moondoggies (Seattle), SeraCahoone (Seattle), and Celilo. The Moondoggies is a folk rock band that actually has some rock to back itself up in regards to the genre tag. It is the kinda rock that has a honky-tonk piano and 70's-esque guitars. SeraCahoone is an excellent artist who makes country music in the way that Neko Case does. Which is to say not really, but it is hard to not mention country music when describing her music. I really like her alum a lot. I highly recommend her. Celilo is one of Portland's most solid Americana outfits, they had a real rough year last year with the death of their drummer Kipp Crawford. But they are soldiering on and have started playing shows again. The show is $10 and starts 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Autopilot Is For Lovers, Porches, and Mr. Frederick. Autopilot for lovers is a cool band. It is a large band with a large sound. There are strings and usually a choir of sorts in addition to drums, bass, accordion and sometimes piano. Porches features members of Autopilot but it is different. It is very breezy folk music that one might make on a umm...porch. But Porches also has it moments where it becomes very big and uses group vocals. I have not seen them but I want to. The show with $5 and starts 9 PM.
The Waypost is having a show with Barry Brusseau, John Vecchiarelli, and Mike Midlo. I am writing about this show because I like the music of John Vecchiarelli. It is I bit on the more melancholoy side of things. But I like sad songs, especially when they fall in the indie folk camp. Mike Midlo is best known for his band Pancake Breakfast which features a whole mess of people. It will be cool to see his songs stand on their own without the really cool arrangements that usually house them. The show is FREE and starts at 7:30 PM.
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". I am the bearded dude trying to get down.
Last night was so much fun. I was all set to play at Romtoms in Sean Flinn and the Royal we and when we were setting up, we realized that all members of Y La Bamba were present. On the fly we decided to do a short Y La Bamba set before Mia Riddle played. It was super fun and we were all warmed up having played the previous night. Then the lovely Mia Riddle from Brooklyn played. She usually has a full band but tonight was accompanied only by her guitar and cohort Amy on vocals and piano. It sounded really good she has a very pretty voice and sense of song craft. I think I will have to catch her tomorrow at the Woods. And then we played as Sean Flinn. I was pretty impressed with myself given the circumstances of not practicing in several weeks and learning a new song via a voice note on my phone. Anyway I stayed out too late last night and I am having the hardest time concentrating on anything. Anyway, here are some events happening tonight.
Monday, January 4th
Music Millennium is having Community Day with Helen Chaya, Gregory Stockert, and Ezza Rose. I could not find out much info on this deal, but I remember being very impressed by Ezza Rose and her guitar and sometimes banjo attack on folk music the one time I saw her. She is playing some other "folks" this evening as well. Which is to say that this might be considered a folky event. It is also a FREE and ALL AGES event This is an event sponsored by KZME The show is ALL AGES and FREE at 7 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Albuquerque Boys Choir (Albuquerque), Leonard Mynx, and Trevor Giuliani. The Albuquerque Boys Choir is actual a trio of females, though they are from Albuquerque I find this a little off putting. False advertising? Whatevs. They have a video where that are all playing instruments and singing in three part harmonies and doing a choreographed dance routine. They are pro. Leonard Mynx is also playing the thing. He is not from Albuquerque, or a boys choir. But he does write a mess of songs. Come check out his latest offerings. Trevor is a myspace friend o mine. I remember accepting his friend request based on how good his voice was. Check it out. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Leonard will probably have some sort of band, but if he doesn't, it will sound like this.
Last night I had a super good time at Backspace. They place was packed and eventually reached capacity. The first band was called Zoo Girl. I have listed them for shows but only because they played with other bands I liked. They don't have a myspace you see and so I could not find an alternative site to listen to their music. Perhaps they don't have anything recorded. Regardless I was very impressed. They had a midwest 90's band sound. Think early Cursive of maybe Desaparecidos or Cap n' Jazz or something. I really liked it. Then was Eat Skull played. I will admit I was in the back during their set so I cannot make a very good judgement of how their set went. It seemed to be the kind of music that if you were up front would be easy to get into, but sounds unimpressive from the back. During most of Tango Alpha Tango, I was outside in line trying to get my roommates into the at capacity show. I ended up just hanging out with them in line. But Then Y La Bamba played. I thought we played pretty well. And Luz Elena kinda debuted some songs for her new even folkier project called TragosAmargos. I did not play on these songs so I can assure you as an objective viewing party they sounded beautiful. Then the mighty Typhoon took stage. They sounded great even with some occasional guitar troubles it was for sure the highlight of the show. I think what they are doing is so good. They are releasing an album in May. It cannot come soon enough. Here are the shows that look good to me tonight.
Sunday, January 3rd
Rontoms is having a show with Mia Riddle (Brooklyn) and Sean Flinn and The Royal We. Mia Riddle is someone I have never heard of but who sounds really good. I would say she is in the same ballpark as Neko Case, but she is leans more towards rock arrangements than Neko. But she still has her folkier moments. She and her band have apparently gone on several tours here in the US and overseas which means that her band will be tight. Sean Flinn is the guitarist for Jolie Holland, Nick Jaina, and Y La Bamba. But his songs are really good and need to be heard. You might have heard of his old band Invisible Rockets, but if not don't even sweat it. I hadn't heard of the band and Sean still let me join this band. Yep, this is another band that I play in. Luz Elena from Y La Bamba started singing in his band and then eventually convinced me to join her. There are a lot of cool things going on in his music and a lot of cool vocal stuff going on. I was a fan before I was in the band. I fell in love with his song Patient Heart and I never looked back. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having a show with Michael Hurley, Dragging an Ox Through Water, Operative, Thor and DJ Hermanito. This is a birthday Party for Holocene's own Gina Altamura. It's her party and she picked some of her favorite Portland people to play. Looking at the bill it is clear that she has pretty good taste. Also a good thing in a booker. Michael Hurley is somewhat of a legend in certain folk circles. I have only seen hi play once, but the old man can play. Then there is the most experimental folk person I know, Dragging an Ox Through Water. He makes it seem natural to have a noise freak out in between bouts of pretty finger picking. Plus his voice is a gorgeous croon that I cannot seem to get over. Operative is totally different and seems to be a more dance oriented group. I saw a video of them and it was a live drummer, a fake drummer (electronic drums), and a guy with a laptop and and loads of effects. Probably, as I might have implied, good for dancing to. The show is is $6 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Rotture is having Night 2 of SuperFresh! Strength, Dat'r, DeelayCeelay, Jeffrey Jerusalem, Hooliganship, DJ Copy, Fake Drugs, and Maxx Bass. But if you don't want any folk mixed in with your dance music, I would suggest you head over to Rotture. This is the last night of Superfresh. I cannot stress how good all of these groups are. Strength is probably one of the finest dance rock bands there is. Dat'r is just awesome and seeing Paul Alcott perform is always a pleasure. DeelayCeelay is a great spectacle to behold. The videos that those guys make to drum along to are brilliant. Jeffrey Jerusalem is my favorite drummer in Portland (he plays in Inside Voices). The guy has rhythm. Which is why it makes perfect sense that he has an incredible and super fun dance project. DJ Copy know how to work a crowd and while I am not familiar with Fake Drugs or Maxx Bass, it doesn't really matter considering the rest of the lineup. Either you want to get down, or you don't. The show is $10 and starts at 6 PM.
If you see me at the rontoms show please say, "Hi". I am the cute one playing bass.
-Ben
Dragging an Ox Through Water is kinda where its at.
