Meine Damen und Herren, are you on the prowl for a little krautrock because you've warn out your copy of Amon Düül II's Yeti?
You're in luck—Møtrik ist hier!
Møtrik made their world debut Saturday night, November 10th, at Langano Lounge on Hawthorne. An instrumental ensemble made up of Dave Fulton, Cord Amato, Lee Ritter, and Eric Golts, the band packed the tiny basement space, leaving many just standing anywhere they could find some floor.
Typically, I'm a little wary of new local bands. It usually feels like I have to "squint my ears" to hear what they're going for. If asked, I struggle a little for positive comment, skipping over the "squinting my ears" preface. It's important for people to have the experience of being in a band, but not all bands are masters of their craft.
Møtrik, however, is comprised of four musicians that are clearly masters of their instruments and have taken the time to build a tight group rapport. Their set flew by, one song morphing into the next, for perhaps 40 minutes to an hour. Who was clock-watching? Not me, I was just enjoying the music, which I could see myself easily enjoying at home. You know, if they ever released an album. Although if I was listening to an album, I'd miss the strobe lights they periodically used to accentuate their music.
Another interesting experience was changing where I stood in the room about halfway through the set. After enjoying a more distant sound at the back of the room, absorbed by all the bodies in front of me, I worked my way up to the front where I could watch the band in more detail. It was a much different balance and sound, reminding me of one of the joys of live music.
After years passing by the intriguing building, three years ago I went inside the Billy Webb Elks Lodge on a historical tour of North Portland. (Did you know? Portland's most happening jazz club of the 1940s-1950s was just across the street!) Inside, the recently restored Elks Lodge looked gorgeous, and I vowed to one day check out the bar that was open to the public.
A few weeks ago, I discovered Shirley on the intertubes and navigated to her website, where I saw that "Shirley Nanette and Friends" plays regularly at the Billy Webb Elks Lodge.
When I needed to organize a happy hour celebration, a cunning plan was conceived!
Shirley and her friends perform in the ballroom, across the foyer from the lodge bar (where a great time can be had if you're a little early for the show). The ballroom is spacious and sports a hardwood dance floor, a modest stage and satellite bar. Onstage, an elk head serves as benevolent overlord.
Sunday, Shirley introduced the evening by noting "this is where friends meet and greet each other." On this night, Shirley's "friends" included Dan Gaynor on piano, Bill Athens on double bass, and Tim Rap on drums. Rich Arnold joined Shirley onstage for a quick-tempoed duet about halfway through the second set. But Shirley's friends also pack the audience—the ballroom held 50 people, most of whom were specifically there to see Shirley perform.
And what a nice woman! After the first set, she made her way around the room talking to every single person in the audience. Whether they were there for the first time (like me) or were old friends, they were personally greeted and conversed with.
As a performer, Shirley is a crowd-pleaser as well. Her voice is glassy smooth, she's a pleasure to listen to and watch, her warmth emanates from the stage, and she highly encourages audience participation. In addition to an audience sing-along, she sang a few song requests, including a dynamite "How Glad I Am," followed in short order by Etta James' signature piece, "At Last." She closed out her second set with "Ain't Misbehavin'," jovially trying on a variety of character voices including jazz icons Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday.
Perhaps best of all, there is no cover charge to see Shirley and the band! If you go though, make sure to buy a drink or two. Check the schedule on Shirley Nanette's website and plan on a great evening when you head out to see her.
“Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you’ll be a mile away and have his shoes. “
An unknown wise man said that, and since 2007 the good people at Crappy Indie Music: The Blog have been… um… stealing your shoes. Now is the time for them to show off, and three musical projects from our bloggers will be rocking The Old Church on September 23rd.
followed by a very special Crappy Indie Music Bloggers supergroup!
A few words on the venue:
The Old Church is a cute church — not overly ornate or fancy. The stained glass is simple. The first time I walked in I felt a sense of reverence, which was tempered quickly enough with the overwhelming and exciting feeling of the historic value and importance of this Portland landmark. I love to walk around and whistle. The reverb in the empty rooms is intoxicating, so full-sounding. I blow the air into a giant set of lungs, filling it up with little breaths that turn into mighty ‘ooooos.’ I am excited to take an old church and turn it into a place to worship new music. A classical setting for contemporary stuff. Irreverent, modern and fun music and performances against the back drop of a pipe organ. The idea of sitting down at an early show, in a building whose design supports good sound (it’s a giant amp), is appealing not just to me but everyone I’ve talked to about this project. I can’t imagine a better place to book shows. Goldie Presents is thrilled to open the doors to new artists and a new generation of worshippers of Portland’s creative output. -Goldie Presents
Show info: Goldie Presents The Old Church 1422 SW 11th Ave Portland, OR 97201 Doors at 7pm Show starts promptly at 8pm All-ages Free! beer with ID
You guys know what I write about. I write about Portland shows that happen in Portland, Or. I was at work all day, so this a bit later in the day than usual but Here are the shows that look good to me today:
Valentine's is having as how with Evan Way, Zach Tillman (Seattle), and Alina Hardin. Evan Way seems to be doing a good job of playing in his other band The Parson Red Heads and going it alone. It is a tough thing to do. Of course since The Red Heads will be heading out on the road very soon with Viva Voce. In the mean time catch a glimpse of his slightly less country music. While you're at it you can check out the lovely Alina Harding. She makes folk music in a more traditional sense than a lot of people who get bunched up in that genre. She has recorded her second album which had her "creating and experimenting with new sounds and melodies." I really enjoyed the sounds and melodies of her fist album I bet I will enjoy her second offering as well. Zach Tillman usually plays under the name Pearly Gate Music. But then again he usually plays with a band. That band sounds like maybe the little brother of Fleet Foxes which is kinda funny considering that Zach Tillman is the little brother of J Tillman of Fleet Foxes. This will be a great show. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Beauty Bar is having a show with Pocketknife and Charts. Indie pop is a curious thing. I think there will always be kids making it. This show is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Pocket Knife plays pop music with lots of electric organs that for what ever reason reminds me of 90's twee. Not to mention they have a song called Cotten Candy. Charts on the other hand reminds me of all the bands from the 80s that made pop music with loads a bit reverb and a bit of noise (I am thinking of Black Tambourine or something). Regardless they both would fall into indie pop and are going over well worn territory, yet I still enjoy both. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be the decent thing to do.
So I am babysitting tonight. Apparently being a rock star is not as glamorous as I thought it would be. But hey, I get my meals for free. Anyway here are the shows I will be missing tonight. Check it out:
Elizabeth Caruthers Park is having a show with Blue Cranes. This sounds really cool. First of Blue Cranes is one of my favorite live bands. They play music that is hard to not describe as jazz. That being said they all listen to a lot of indie rock. You can tell because they aways covering it. They even put out an EP of covers called CantusFirmus which features covers of Blonde Redhead, David Bazan, and Mark Kozelek. The show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Langano Lounge is having a show with Purple & Green, Dirty Mittens, Pocketknife, The Golden Hours, The Definite Articles (San Francisco/Sacramento), and Leroy Jerome. That is a lot of music. Explanation: It is a Mini Festival. Purple & Green is Adam Forkner and Justin Leon Johnson. Adam makes all the music and Justin is the one doing all the singing. apparently they "experiments in r&b soul-hop psychedelic digital funk party music". Dirty Mittens is a great soul pop act. I have seen them a number if times. They are great. Pocketknife is one of the better electro pop acts. I have not seen them yet. The Golden Hours is a good indie pop outfit. The Definite Articles is a indie pop group from California that I am not familiar with. Leroy Jerome is a guy who has made a bunch of music on his computer. I am not sure how he will do it live. The show is only $3 and starts at 6 PM.
Edgefield is having a show with The Decemberists, Okkervil River, and AgesandAges. The Decemberists are pretty popular. You know about them right? You also probably know about AgesandAges. I mean you should. They have made a near perfect album. Actually maybe it is a perfect album. Regardless it would be cool to see them in such a nice venue. Their vocal arrangements are great. The hooks will not leave your brain for days. The show is $38 and starts at 6 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Au, Operative, and Archers. Au is the duo of Luke Wyland and Dana Valaltka. Together they make a cacophony of artful music. There is a new album that has been finished and I am sure they would love to play your songs from it. Operative is band that I don't know. Archers is a band that I do know. They are great. It sounds 90's indie rock. you can get all of their music, and should, here. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Brianstorm, Religious Girls, KottenDik, and Moon Pearl. Brainstorm is a great band in the tradition of great duo's. They have very pop oriented music that is offset by interesting structures and subtle pro tendencies. Religious Girls is a band that keeps popping up on shows I right about. The album that they have for download is very good and can be had for the cost of being on a email list (it is worth it). It is post-indie rock pop. There are a lot of cool almost choral to animal collective type vocals. and nice cool keys and synths through out. KottenDik seems very noisy. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Alberta Rose Theater is having a show with Celilo, Sean Flinn & The Royal We, and Carcrashlander. This is the CD release show for Celilo. They are one of the better Americana bands in town. Sean Flinn is one of the better song writers in town. He always has a great band and always puts on a good show. Carcrashlander is a great band. They do not play out enough. You should see them if you can. I find myself listening to the reggae influenced Born in a Hospital often. Like a lot. It is great. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
Place Gallery at Pioneer Place Mall is having something called Harmonic Series. The site said this is "An exhibition of sound artists and modern electro-acoustic music. Curated by Adam Bailey, Palma Corral, and Will Justice" Tonight White Rainbow and Zac Nelson are going to be highlighted tonight. Both of these guys make pretty and somewhat droney music. It is good if you are in the mood. It is soothing and not at all what you would expect from a mall concert. I am not sure is Adam Forkner aka White Rainbow is pulling double duty tonight. I know that Purple & Green (another one of his projects) is playing tonight too. Regardless it will be good. The show
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". But seeing as to how I won't be attending any that would be difficult.
Ben
Dirty Mittens will play tonight at Langano Lounge with many many other bands
So I am scheduled to work tonight until 1:30 am. That means that I can't see any shows tonight. The thing is that I will be working at Wieden & Kennedy. Tonight Daniel Johnston is doing a performance there for his Space Ducks art show in their lobby. Anyway here are the shows going on tonight. Check it out:
Hotel deLuxe is having the Top Down: Rooftop Cinema. Basically this is a series bands playing on top of Hotel deLuxe followed by the screening of a movie. It is a great idea. I have only been to one, but it was a lot of fun. Tonight they have Hosannas play a set followed by a screening of Goldfinger. If you have not seen Hosannas before, you are missing out. They are really cool. They are always tweaking old songs and playing new ones. They are currently a duo of brothers Brandon and Richard Laws. They make use of a few keyboards, sampler, guitar and great use of vocals. They have amazing sense of dynamics and a aesthetic that seems very honed. They have a hint of chillwave with their programmed beats and cool guitar tones. And you can't much cooler that James Bond. The show is $9 and starts at $9 and starts at 8 PM.
WTF Bikes is having a show with The Ocean Floor, James Rabbit (Santa, Cruz), Zach Jammin', and Shelby Sifers. The Ocean Floor is one of my favorite bands. Lane Barrington has made some great music over the years. In the past year he has also assembled a great band. It includes Shannon Rose Steele (violin and vocals), Holland Andrews (clarinet and vocals), and William Wienert (stand up bass). James Rabbit is a very fun sounding guy from Santa Cruz. I think I met him along time ago when he was living with Rachel Williams (Birds Fled From Me and Sleepy Suns). Shelby Sifers is someone who writes very good songs and who I have not seen in a very long time. I know that she has been making music of a more electronic variety as part of Peacock Dreams. But I first fell in love with her songs as just her and an acoustic guitar. The show is by donation and starts at 7:30 PM.
Holocene is having a show called Intuitive Navigation. The bands are Midday Veil (Seattle), Swahili, Golden Retriever, Billions & Billions, and Black Science (Seattle). I have written about most of these more experimental bands before. But this is more than just a music performance. Here is what the website said about the event, "INTUITIVE NAVIGATION invites like-minded performers from Portland and Seattle to transform the atmosphere of Holocene into a hypnotic, self-reflective zone. Five bands will showcase the spectrum of possibility found in psychedelic music while focusing on one central goal: to unite concertgoers in a similar consciousness of meditative bliss. Bands will pair up with at least one dancer and one visual artist for costumed performances which celebrate the act of ritual -- a mode of expression as symbolically cathartic as it is aesthetically pleasant. Drawing inspiration from philosophers of mythology such as Joseph Campbell, C.G. Jung, and Alan Watts, performers will explore the ways in which decisive physical actions, when imbued with the intentions of their authors, can become healing and transcendent acts." Neat. The show is $5 and 8 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Grass Widow, Blood Beach, XDS, and Nature. Grass Widow is a band that I have kept hearing a bout for awhile now. I just listened to them. It sounds really cool. There are female vocals and it is rock music. It touches on early 90's indie-pop but still manages to seem fresh. Blood Beach is a bout as psychedelic as a band can get. XDS is a cool art rock duo that packs quite a punch. Think lots of amps and one guitar. Nature seems to make proto-rock with vocals buried underneath several waves of reverb. Cave person rock? The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
Edgefield is having a show with The Decemberists, Okkervil River, and Point Junture, WA. Say what you will about The Deceberists, but they do have some good songs. I know I would love to see them play some of the old stuff. I have not really gotten into most of their recent output, but I am glad to see a Portland band do as well as they have. Plus they always seem to support good local bands by having said band support them. Case in point. Point Juncture WA. This is a great band. I love them and they deserve any break they can get. They have a new album out, Handsome Orders out now. They have a very sweet sounding indie rock sound. It keeps getting refined with every album. I have heard of Okkervil River. They are supposed to be good. The show is $38 and starts at 6 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be super.
Ben
The Ocean Floor play tonight at WTF Bikes. Be amazed.
I haven't seen any shows recently. But the good thing is that they happen everyday. There is an abundance of them. Especially here in Portland. Anyway here are the shows going on tonight. Check it out:
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Nick Jaina, Dovekins (Denver), and Run On Sentence. This is the CD Release show for Nick's new album, The Beanstalks That Have Brought Us Here Are Gone. I remember hearing about this album a long time ago. It sounded like a great concept. Take a great songwriter, Nick Jaina, then get a group of lovely female voices to sing his new album. There is a lot of great local talent including Luzelena Mendoza (Y La Bamba), AnnalisaTornfelt (Black Prairie), Johanna Kunin (Bright Archer), Amanda Spring (Point Junture, WA), Corrina Repp ( Tu Fawning), Audie Darling, and Laura Gibson. There is also some other women from other places as well. Take Jolie Holland and Kaylee Cole. I am not sure if he is having any of these ladies to sing the songs tonight, but regardless it should be a great show. I mean someone who has toured as much as Mr. Jaina knows how to perform. Plus Dovekins will be playing. I have written about them before. They make really good music folk based music. But they do more than just that. I mean they backed AU before. Run On Sentence is Nick's Hush Records label mate and has in the past shared members. But they also sound very different. I feel like Dustin Hammond of Run On Sentence is something to be experienced. The music flows though him. Unlike Nick Jaina's carefully crated songs. I really like both but feel they come from opposite sides of the songwriting spectrum. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having a show with Mattress, Religious Girls, The Crow, and JizzWisard. Mattress is one of the musical outlets of Rex Marshall. He also does time in The Reservations. But Mattress is where I first became aware if him. He made very minimal techno with Nick Cave-esque soulful vocals. He used to back himself with a tape cassette. He has a new tape out today called Lonely Souls. And his first release is being put out vinyl. Religious Girls is a crazy experimental group. The Crow makes electro influenced pop music. JizzWisard is a mix of a few different kinds of more aggressive electronic genres. The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.
Plan B is having a show with Wax Edison, Grrlfriend, Vises, and Winter Ox. Wax Edison is an awesome band that makes very riff heavy music. It is really cool. Grrlfriend is messy and noisy shoegaze rock music. Vises is punk rock music. Winter Ox is heavy music with some schreeked vocals. The show is at 8 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Mystery Siblings, On the Stairs, Jon Gary Williams, Denim Wedding, and Jonah Luke. Mystery Siblings are a folk rock band that I am not too familiar with. It sounds pretty promising. You can get their album for FREE here by clicking the reel to reel icon. The reason this show caught my eye was because of On The Stairs. This group lead by Nate Clark is pretty good. His last album, At Muted Dawn, is sided with some soulful and sometime latin sounding brass and contains my favorite track of his "Stand" which seems to be a nod to 60's soul. Denim Wedding Wedding sounds like a bad idea, but it also sounds like what happens when Jennifer Faust and Brian Kunkel get together to make slower country tinged music. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Lola's Room is having a show with The Protomen and Airwar. Okay I have beaver heard of The Protomen but I am impressed with what I have learned today. They are a band that makes concept albums based on Mega Man. Crazy, I know. They have recently released their album called Act II and will be playing it along with Act I at Lola's Room tonight and tomorrow night. Apparently their performances are very theatrical. Cool. I a lsting the show because of Air War a band that is kinda sot rock kinda porgy and kinda underrated. The show is $15 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be the nice thing to do.
Ben
Nick Jaina is gonna tear it up tonight at Mississippi Studios.
Yesterday instead of going to any shows, I went and saw X-men First Class. Man did I have mixed feelings on that movie. Anyway there are some shows going on tonight. Check it out:
Music Millennium is having an instore performance with The Parson Red Heads. They released their new album, Yearling, today. Yearling is usually a reference to a horse that has not quite reached maturity. This is a band that has been together for eight years. It is hard to imagine them getting their sound more mature than what I have heard of this album. They folk rock in the vein of when the Byrds were county influenced. It is also hard to imagine that the "Parson" in there name is not a s reference to Gram Parsons (the person who took The Byrds in their country direction). Anyway if you are a fan of really nice vocal harmonies and classic sounding songs, you should swing by this inshore. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Bunk Bar is having a show with Run On Sentence, Wooden Indian Burial Ground. I was so excited about this show that I accidentally wrote about it one week too early last Tuesday. This is what I said, "Run On Sentence is a band that is best appreciated in a live setting. I do not want to dissuade from their recorded material. But to see Dustin Hammond's voice fill a room is have his band take control of an audience is a magical thing. Speaking of his band the guitar player of the band, Justin Fowler, has his band Wooden Indian Burial ground releasing a new CD tonight. He used to play under this name a few years back. Then he started the band Hello Loneliness. Now he he is back to Wooden Indian Burial Ground with some help of the Run On Sentence/Loch Lomond rhythm section of Perry Pfister and Dan Galucki and some other friends. I could not be more pleased. It is rock and roll with some very Justin Fowler aesthetics. It sounds jammy and old and it is just really good." I stand by every word. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Denver and Hookers. I know what you are thinking. How can they fit the entire of state of Denver into that small of a space and still have room for call girls? Well sorry to disappoint but Denver is the name of a band of country rockers based right here out of Portland. They have many what I refer to as whiskey sorry songs. So as you may have guessed they lean heavy towards the country side of things. They often have four part harmonies. They have a sweet mandolin player and Eric Early (Blitzen Trapper) letting hot licks fly from his guitar. I honestly don't know anything about Hookers. I assume it is a band, but when I googled "Hookers Portland" nothing musical was found. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be awfully kind of you to do.
Ben
I was at this show. Denver are pretty fun to see live. You can do so tonight at Valentine's.
Yesterday afternoon I played McMenamin's Americana Festival as part of Y La Bamba. It was fun especially since we got to see AgesAndAges afterwards. They were great. Plus I got a free lunch. I guess it wasn't free. I mean we did play. Anyway there are a bunch of shows going on tonight. Check it out:
The Old Church is having a show with Ezza Rose, Shenandoah Davis, Harlowe and The Great North Woods, and Meyercord. I used to write about Ezza Rose's voice when she seemed to be singing backing vocals for everyone in town. She recently released her second full length, Jacob. It is a nice collection that showcases her honey sweet vocals and an impressive group of musicians. I am unsure of how many will be playing tonight but it will be good. Shenandoah Davis is a person that I have been wanting to see for a long time. Her music is beyond good. It is great. Her voice is amazing and she plays piano like a mad woman. She has a new album, The Company We Keep. Harlowe & The Great North Woods is a band full of accomplished and pro musicians. They orchestrate their folk based music to a level of classiness that most bands never even attempt. For example, Meyercord. This is the band that I front. I am unsure what to call it, but it is basic. I usually have Holland Andrews (Like a Villain) filling the music out with her beautiful voice and clarinet, but she could make this show. Luckily I have the good fortune of having Dan Galucki to sit in tonight on a simple drum kit. Guitar, bass, drums and one vocal. Very Basic. I will do my best to sing my heart out, though. The ALL AGES show is $7 and starts at 7 PM.
Bar Bar is having a show with Death Songs and Nathan Baumgartner. Y La Bamba recently played with Death Songs at Doug Fir. I was honestly impressed by the fullness that the three piece displayed. The band consisted of a guitar, Rhodes, and drums and vocals. The Shaky Hands' NicDelffs leads the group on the rhodes occasionally playing Guitar. There are some harmonies and a whole lot of rocking. Nathan Baumgartner is better know as the lead guy from And And And that didn't quit the band. He has a voice that only an indie rocker could love. Which is to say that you may not be into it. But if you are into it, you will find plenty to enjoy of his high energy yelped songs. The show is FREE and lasts from 4 PM to 7 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Grouper, Golden Retriever, Ilyas Ahmed, Steve Gunn, and En. This is a showcase for San Francisco label Root Strata. Many of the artists on the bill have something or will soon has something put out on the label. Grouper has perfected atmospheric folk. Golden Retriever do a fine job of creating very chill modern compositions. Ilyas Ahmed also makes pretty atmospheric folk which makes sense as to why he often collaborates with Liz Harris of Grouper. Steve Gunn is a finger picking folkster whose songs meander along in and entrancingly slow pace. It should be noted that this is a pretty experimental show and will not have your standard rock band or types of instrumentation. But trust me the experiments being conducted tonight warrant a good listen. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at The Old Church show please say, "hi". That would be stupendous.
You know what? I found that it is difficult to do the blog as regularly as I used to. That being said, I will do it as often as I can. I am still trying to keep on top of what is happening. I am still listening to new bands. I am still keeping my ears open for new Portland bands. Anyway, here are the shows that are happening tonight. Check it out:
Doug Fir is having a show with Y La Bamba, Wild Ones, and Death Songs. Many of you know that I play bass and sing in Y La Bamba. That is why I am listing the show first. Duh. Anyway if you have not heard us, Y La Bamba is a very vocal heavy indie rock band that incorporate aspects of folk and Latin percussion to create a bed for our lead singer Luzelena's amazing voice. Tonight we are finally releasing last year's album, Lupon, on vinyl. I am so stoked. We are playing with Wild Ones, a great pop band with a rapidly increasing reputation. They are formed from the ashes of Congratulations! which was formed from the ashes of Eskimo & Sons. If you are looking for the soundtrack to your summer, I think that you should check out there website where they offer all of their music at a name your price rate. You should download them and prepare for tonight's show. They just released a new single two days ago. I had seen them play it live, but their recordings are great because singer Danielle Sullivan adds harmonies that are sadly not part of the live show. Death Songs is a band that is a direct off shoot of the more well known Shaky Hands band. Originally I thought this was just a side project, but now they are playing more and more shows. Plus I think The Shaky Hands are on hiatus as far as I know. The songs are just as good. There is a slightly different feel, but it is still a really fun project. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
The International Rose Test Garden is having a show with Blue Cranes. This is a collaboration between The Cranes, one of my favorite live bands, and NW Dance Project. The performance is comprised of dancers that have choreography tailored specifically to the jazz that The Blue Cranes create. I love the expressiveness of their music. I can only imagine what expressiveness a person who's job it is to express himself/herself by means of their body will offer. Plus it is in the Rose Garden. I have been there a few times this summer already and can attest to it's beauty. The show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Proper Eats is having a show with Michael Hurley. Michael Hurley is really enjoyable to watch perform. It is kind of crazy, but I had not seen him until Y La Bamba played a festival with him in Nelson, Ohio. He plays weird back porch count folk. He peppers his performances with little stories and funny little asides. The show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
Disjecta is having Quiet Music Fest of Portland. Artist Chris Johanson curated the show which will the festival features "special performances by a spectrum of bands from across the country, highlighting this unique genre of "emotional, vibrant and low volume" music." Today will feature the music of Sun Foot, Kyp Malone (TV on The Radio), Tom Greenwood (of Jackie O Motherfucker), The Golden Bears, Larry Yes, and Franklin's Mint. The ALL AGES show is $7-12 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at The Doug Fir show please say, "hi". That would be ideal.
Ben
Come get your copy of Y La Bamba's Lupon on Vinyl tonight on Vinyl at Doug Fir!
I’ve been absent for a while. It’s true. It’s not that I don’t love you any more, I’ve just been cheating on music. I’ve been seeing comics lately and I have to say, I think we’re made for each other. I’m going to put a ring on it. That’s right. I’m marrying cartoons.
That’s not to say that music and I are done, I think we’ve got a lot more than drunk one night stands left. If you want to see what I’ve been up to you can come find me all over the Internets. This isn’t really about me though. It’s about the fusion of my favorite things, comics and music.
So if you didn’t know, Easel Ain’t Easy by Breena Wiederhoeft is the greatest thing in the world. It’s true. I’ve got facts and figures to back that up. FACT. (Don’t you dare dispute me). Autobio comics come in many shapes and sizes but this one nails me right in the heart. It’s honest, funny and strange just like a life should be. So she’s been up to a larger project too! Just when you thought there wasn’t anything greater in life.
Picket Line is an upcoming Xeric Award Winning graphic novel that tracks life, ecology, being strange, community, feeling out of place and being very human by following Beatrice and Rex as they navigate threats to the local redwood forests. I think the way of this is to not try. If you write a story and it falls that way that’s great. It’s forcing the themes into a story that make everything fall apart. These themes seem to have evolved very naturally out of the characters. I’m reaching here, I don’t have a Secret Advance Copy or anything. The first chapter is up to look through and I can see a lot of what’s in store in her process post.
I was already stoked about this book.
Today I learned that there’s a soundtrack to the book. It’s good. Not just “Oh that’s nice” good. I mean so intimately tied into the atmosphere that they cannot be separated. The essence of film score is to not only underpin the scene, but to entwine the music so deeply with the story that every time a listener hears a song they are immediately transported back into the film. This soundtrack has my head locked into the aesthetic of the book so completely that I can’t imagine the music without a pair of tiny arms. Even better, this has given me a great list of artists to follow up on. Especially The Recreation Station, because this song is so delightful it has made me dance around my job like it’s a parade every time I hear it. This is what I want to listen to every time the sun shines in Portland. Beardy biking music, you’re my favoritist.
The whole tone of the record starts here and continues on through the rest of the tracks. Every single track is bursting with sunlight filtered through the evergreens. It is a swirling dance through the inspiration that imagination brings. It’s a great feedback loop, comics sending love to music, inspiring more comics and more music and we’re all in the middle as the luckiest people. Listen to this. Read this book while you’re listening to it. GO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
I liked blogging so much yesterday that I decided to try it out again. I didn't make it out last night, but I figured maybe some of you did? Did you? Anyway the important thing is that you people know about the shows if you want to go out and support the local music scene. Blah blah blah so on and so forth. There are a lot of shows tonight. A lot of them look good. Sigh. I kinda hate it when that happens. I want to write about all of them. I will probably just do the bare minimum, though. I will list why you should want to go to these shows. Here they are:
The Know is having a show with NucularAminals, The Hooded Hags, and The Shivas. NucularAmninals are a great band. They just put out their record on the legendary K Records. Plus it is a band members birthday. Plus this is their tour kick off to support their new self titled album (they have an old self titled album out there). The Hooded Hags has members of Cat Fancy!, Hornet Leg, and Big Black Cloud. If you are hip to these bands you probably know more about this band than I do. I know that I have written about all of those bands but haven't seen any of them. The Shivas play music that sounds like pop on some drugs that slow everything down a bit (perhaps with a few tracers). The show is at 8 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Hunx & His Punx (San Francisco), Shannon & The Clams (Oakland), and Guantanamo Baywatch. Hunx & His Pun are a band that are on Hardly Art, a label that I am generally very pleased with. They are also a band that I have read a lot of hype about. To be truthful the majority of the hype that I have read has been from The Mercury. Look at this. I think that the Hardly Art website has a much better description than I could come up with regarding Hunx and Co., "Hunx and His Punx might be the first ever "girl group" fronted by a flamboyant gay male whose dream in life is to sound like a girl. They have created a unique new sound they refer to as "Young Oldies," a mixture of 50s teenage rock ‘n’ roll, 60s girl groups and bubblegum pop." It is very fitting that Shannon & The Clams are opening since their frontwoman Shannon Shaw is one of the Punx. She makes equally as good very poppy garage music. I love them both. Guantanamo Baywatch do an excellent take on surf pop. I have read about them a lot. Check them out! The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Bunk Bar is having a show with Kelly Blair Bauman and Old Light. I like Kelly's music. It is shimmery. It jangles. It is Americana. It deserves an audience. You could be that audience! He is playing with Old Light, a band that could show you a thing or two on how to rock out with your autoharp out. They also have some solid harmonies. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.
Ella Street is having a show with Amos Val, Man Your Horse (Vancouver, Canada), and The Harvey Girls. I really enjoy Amos Val. If you were ever a fan of instrumental post-rock. Then you are familiar with some of the sounds that this band creates. It is well made in a genre that is easy to make sound real crappy. It is slow building and epic. It will tug at your heart strings. Man Your Horse is a fun math rock band. I think that they are part of the party math rock band genre. Is that a genre? It should be. The Harvey Girls make off kilter pop music. It is hard to describe. But CIMTB founder, Goldie loves them. She does not love a lot of bands. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Tunnels, The Crow, and Grouper. Tunnels make experimental minimal neo-electro music. Or is it dark wave? I may be getting my genres mixed. Someone help me out here. Also I don't know anything about The Crow. But Grouper I do know. I really like the folk-ishreverb drenched waves of music that Liz Harris creates. It is always a treat to see her play. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be very nice.
Oh my goodness. It has been a hot second since I have blogged. I have been in a bit of a transitional period in my life. I was gone for a long time on practically back to back tours with Y La Bamba and then recorded most of an album with that band. Then I went to my hometown and helped move a certain special person from Sacramento to Portland. Anyway, I am back am. I haven't seen too many shows. I caught most of the show at Bar Bar's Saturday outside deal, though. Mike Midlo of Pancake Breakfast was great. He pulled out a lot of "cowboy covers". This included a few by Willie Nelson. I always forget that I really like some of Willie's songs. But I am getting side tracked. Today is the first day I have made any attempt to get back to a regular schedule. I started late (naturally), but it is Monday so there aren't that many shows. Here are the ones that look good:
The White Eagle is having a show with Chris Robley & The Fear of Heights, The Dimes, and Sarah Jackson Holman. Apparently while I was away Chris Robley and company have been doing a residency at the White Eagle. If you are a fan of pop music that is well crafted and polished to perfection, you will be very pleased with all of the bands playing tonight. Chris Robley is someone that has been on my radar. He is hard to describe and tends to follow the muse wherever it leads. That leaves an output that is eclectic and hard to describe. Sometimes it is acoustic sounding. Other times it is straight ahead pop. Sometimes is grandiose. Sometimes it is very intimate. Most of the time it is at a place in-between. The Dimes make tunes that are really sweet sounding. I have never seen them, but their recordings are filled with pretty sounding doubled vocals. The guitars are acoustic, but this is no acoustic songwriter music. This is feel good pop. Sarah Jackson Holman plays a piano and sings. And she does an exceptionally good job doing so. She has apparently been playing since seven which makes her young age a little more bearable. I mean she has been at it for a while. She put out her debut album on Expunged records (they discovered Blind Pilot, remember?). I think that she usually has some people to help her flesh out the songs when she plays live. Y La Bamba played a show with her once. It was good. The best part of the show is the price. FREE. It all starts at 8:30 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Drew Grow & The Pastors' Wives, Them Hills, and Duover. Drew Grow is a hard worker. Last year he put out no less than three releases. It wasn't so long ago that he broke his body real bad. But he was back on the road before what seemed humanly possibly. I have had a soft spot for his music since I first saw him perform with his Pastors' Wives a few years back. It is great and must be seen live to fully appreciate how well these people play together. Them Hills are a indie pop band from Nevada City that I swear I have heard of before but can't place how or when. They must have played here before. I really enjoy what I have heard. I think it will appeal to fans of the Wrens. If you like that band you will know why. If not then I will just say that the band uses noisy guitars in a very pretty way. I have not seen the duo of Duover in a long time. I have seen them several times before and enjoy their acoustic pop goodness. It is an impressive example of what two people are capable of doing when they put their efforts together. They are also pretty cute together (sorry, but it had to be said). The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be nice.
Ben
Is it just me or does this remind you of Iron & Wine? Anyways, The Dimes play at The White Eagle Tonight.
Last night I stayed in South Bend, Indiana. We in Y La Bamba are on our way across the country to play a tour with Neko Case. I am beyond stoked. Also, we picked up a mobile hotspot for the van, so looks like I can maybe blog from the road. I men today is the first day it appears to be working. Thanks to Eric for meeting up with us last night we now have three drivers. Anyways, here are the Portland shows that look good to me tonight:
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Crystal Stilts (Brooklyn, NY), Case Studies (Seattle), and Archers. I will admit it that it is hard to wite the blog in the van. Many places have spotty Internet signals. There is also the instruction of other people in the van. Crystal Stilts are a band that I know I have heard of of at least seen their name around the Internet. I just listened to them. On the first listen they had the same reverie vibe as other NY bands like the Walkmen. It is a good sound. Seattle's Case Studies lists 13 members on it's Facebook. It also describes the band as a "revolving door singalong/playalong art project". I can see that if there are in fact 13 members, that most of them are a choir. The music seems to revolve around a deep voiced man and an acoustic guitar. I really like it. The reason I was drawn to the show however was Archers and their hyperactive rock and roll. Admittedly it is kinda crazy to be hit with all of their energy at once, but you should see them anyway. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM. Valentine's is having a show with Pelican Ossman, Pool of Winds, and Love Menu. Pelican Ossman is a band that I think mostly does some acoustic songs and then to throw me completely have also recorded a noisy keyboard freak out. I am not sure what to expect. Pool of Winds has something to do Sex Life. I am not sure if it will deviate from the sexy electro of that band or not. Pool of Winds sounds less sexy, or does it? Love Menu is one Emily Katz. The last I checked in with her musically she performed most of her songs on the folkiest of instruments, the autoharp. I have not seen her play in a long time. She has been busy with her many artistic outlets. I ran into her the other night and she told me that she has written many new songs and would be playing mostly a new bunch of songs. I bet it is good. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Tonic Lounge is having a show with Besties, Charts and Shapes. I normally never have to write about The Tonic Lounge. But it looks like there is a new booker there that actually has some good bands playing there now. Besties is a band that I have not seen that is fronted by the guy from Orca Team (another band I have been meaning to see). Much like his other band, this one has amazing pop sensibilities and cool melodies. But where as Orca team lifts lightly from surf, Besties lifts very lightly from a different kind of beach. A Caribbean beach. Their myspace lists The Little Mermaid and The Smiths as influences. Charts are a good pop band that I have yet to see. I have listened to a couple of their unmastereed demos and some of their live tracks and I think they contain a lot of potential. It is nice to know that pop music will never die. I am pretty sure that Shapes is side project of one the guys from BOOM!. You can get some live demos that feature a double drum set, guitar and omnichordright here. The show is $3 and starts at 9:30 PM.
Bunk Bar is having a show with The Golden Hours. The Golden Hours is a band that I have been meaning to check out for a while but have not yet. I have been writing about them based on the three songs they have on their myspace. It promises a great girl/boy indie pop band. A really good one. They also have and entirely sold out back catalogue to attest to how good they are as well. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.
Al's Den is having a show with Nate Lacy (Mimicking Birds). Nate Lacy has been booked to play every day this week at the happy hour time of 7 PM. I am pretty sure that it is a marketing ploy to get you to check out the newly opened Al's Den. I can guarantee you that if I were in Portland I would fall for this ploy. Because ultimately everyone wins. You get to see Mimicking Bird in a super stripped down setting for FREE. Cool. They get you into their new place. Cool. Honestly it is hard to imagine the songs of Mimicking Birds in a none intimate way. Over the last year I have grown quite fond of the Issac Brock produced self titled album. It reminds me a of his side project Ugly Cassanova. The show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi".
Last night I played a specials Cincode Mayo show at Mississippi Studios. It was super fun. Los Estupidos started things out strong. Everyone, myself included, was dancing. The Grand Hallway came on stage. I mentioned in my post yesterday that Cory Gray had produced their new album. Last night he sat i for their usual pianist Shenandoah Davis. Shenandoah has a solo thing that, no offense to Grand Hallway, I like even better. We played after they did. I was nervous because I had not used my voice for singing in days. The last show I played, my voice cracked because I was sick. My voice did not let me down last night Anyways, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Mississippi Studios is having the Best New Band show. The show is And And And, Brainstorm, and Wild Ones. Did you guys pick up the latest Willamette Week? Yeah, they released the Best New Bands. Very much like last year, I thought that the 1 band (then Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside) was good, but the 2 band was amazing (then Typhoon). This year, I think And And And are good, but I think that 2 band, Ages and Ages, are amazing. Whatevs. I couldn't believed Archers just missed the list. Anyway it is a nice thing they do over at WWeek to put on a free show. It is even better when I like all the bands. And And And are full of energy and write some good songs. The vocals are love or hate. Brainstorm are a great band whose efforts to push pop music boundaries have some pretty awesome results. Wild Ones are a pop band that I have been meaning to see since I devoured their ep (several times). The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM. Branx is having Ladies Night with Reporter, Wampire, Arohan, and Linger & Quiet. Reporter is a cool electro sound. I am not huge electro guy, but I could see myself getting this in a live setting. It seems to be the sort of music that I would get caught dancing to at a red light. Wampire is a band that I have been into for a while. Now. I have not seen them since that achieved full band status. I think they still play to some prerecorded tracks. I have seen a video and it seems to liven up the set quite a bit. I am not sure that I know my electronic music genres well enough, but I think that it is micro house? The show is $3 for ladies and $7 for the fellas. and starts at 9 PM.
The White Eagle is having the show with Early Hours, On The Stairs, and Lewis Childs. I could't find out any information on Early Hours. That's okay. I am listing the show because of On The Stairs. I really like Nate Clark's songs. His last album is chock full of great horns which add a flavor of soul music to his work. It is a very nice thing. Lewis Childs is a guy who I have not previously heard. I am glad that I have now. It is kinda roots/country/jazz influenced. I think he is a good match with On The Stairs. The show is $6 and starts at 9:30 PM.
Twilight Cafe and Bar is having a show with The Harvey Girls, Terwilliger Curves, and Marlena. The Harvey Girls is a great duo of well executed experimental pop music. They have a lot free music available online. Check the link I provided as a starting point. Terwilliger Curves is a psychedelic rock band that tend to lean towards the lo-fi side of things. They add parts of talk-sing and crazy sounds. Marlena also sometimes has talk-sing parts. But they also have some heavy parts. But not always. This is a bill with tons of bands that are hard to describe. The show is $5 and starts at 9:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi".
Last night I didn't go to any shows. I was making sure that I got better (I have been sick the last several days) I feel all better now. Also, happy Cincode Mayo. Anyways, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Mississippi Studios is having a Cincode Mayo celebration with Y La Bamba and Grand Hallway (Seattle). This show is gonna be fun. There will be a mariachi band. A DJ group called Los Estupidos. I play in Y La Bamba and am stoked to say that we are about to go on tour with Neko Case on the East Coast. We have some newer songs that we have worked out on our tour that we just got back from. Once we get back we will go straight into the studio. It is all very exciting. Grand Hallway is a band from Seattle that we have played with before. They make well orchestrated folk pop music. That, no offense to Seattle, sounds like it's from Portland. Upon researching them a bit more I see that their soon to be released album Winter Creatures was produced here in Portland by Gary Gray (Carcrashlander). It sounds great. Also, last I checked Brian Wright (also of Carcrashlander) was drummer for the group. The show is $12 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Crystal Ballroom is having the last of several days of celebrating the grand opening of The Crystal Hotel. There will be several days of M. Ward. Tonight he will be joined by Doug Martsch, and The Lord's Own Choir. I have been writing about M. Ward for days. I don't know if I have any new spin of something to say. I feel like you guys know who he is and what his music is like. If not, click the link I provided and be prepared to have a new favorite artist. Doug Martsch is also a huge name. Have you ever heard of BUILT TO SPILL? Yeah that is the Dough Martsch show. He has a very unique though much imitated vocal presence. His songs are brilliant. They are instantly lovable and often have thought provoking (if on a stoner level at times) lyrics. I have a couple CD-rs of him doing solo shows and they are great. In addition to the BTSoup put, he has his awesome blues inspired solo album Now You Know. And he often pulls out great covers. The show is $25 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi".
Last night I didn't go to any shows. I am sick. Anyways, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Crystal Ballroom is having the first in several days of celebrating the grand opening of The Crystal Hotel. There will be several days of M. Ward. Tonight he will be joined by Corin Tucker Band, and The Lord's Own Choir. M. Ward is a Portlander who hasn't really played Portland or anywhere recently. Or at least under his own name. He has been out on the road with She & Him Volume and Monsters of Folk before that. Mr. Ward doesn't have a new album out to my knowledge, but he has plenty of great records to pick from to make an excellent set list. He makes retro sounding pop with several different elements that come together in a unique way to create his very distinct sound. I will be honest. I was never a huge Sleater-Kinney fan. I did really like their Dave Fridmann produced The Woods. The Corin Tucker Band is lead by former Sleater-Kinney guitarist Corin Tucker. It also features former Unwound drummer Sara Lund and current Golden Bears Seth Lorinczi on bass. As you might guess from her former output, this new band continues in her rock and roll tradition. Lord's Own Choir is a six piece group that makes traditional sounding country music. It includes a prominent banjo and many group vocals and harmonies. The show is $25 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having the second of two nights of Menomena. Tonight they are playing with Talkdemonic. I think Menomena are a great band. They have a very interesting way about creating songs uses a system of checks and balances between the original three members. Not there are only two original members. But they have two additional members to help them play live. Having helping hands is not new to the band. Last year the band hired Joe Haege (31 Knots/Tu Fawning) to help with the live show. Not having Brent Knopf will probably still take some getting used to. Talkdemonic makes great records that incorporate acoustic instruments (like Lisa Molinaro's viola and cello) with not so acoustic instruments and lay them atop some awesome beats (courtesy of the other member Kevin O'Connor). Live it is all about the drums, though. Kevin O'Connor is a very captivating drummer. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the music is very pretty. The show is $18 and starts at 9 PM.
Mission Theater is having Notes from the Underground. This time it will feature Joe Manis Trio and Why I Must Be Careful. If you did not know, Portland has some pretty cool jazz musicians in town. These two are prime examples of what Portland has to offer. It is not indie music, but Why I Must Be Careful have played many of the indie rock venues or are at least part of the circle enough to be on my radar. I think that the duo of drums and rhodes is great. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Valentine's is having a show AmirCoyle (San Francisco), Benoit Pioulard, and Birch Cooper. AmirCoyle is kind out there. He best known for his performances. I have only watched one video of one, "Projection of Heaven", and it is crazy. There are costumes and dramatic lighting and highly effected vocals and just plain weirdness. That being said. I bet it would be incredible to see in the flesh. Benoit Piolard is a musician that rides the line between acoustic pop and ambient music. A line that one wouldn't necessarily think was that close. It is really good. You should check it out. Birch Cooper is best known as half of the drone pop band The Slaves. I am not sure what he would sound like solo, but I bet it is cool. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi".
Last night I got back from an Y La Bamba West coast tour. We drove from L.A. to Portland. 15 hours is a long drive for anyone. It felt even longer thanks to my new found head cold. I am not sure that I will make it out tonight. I think I need to recover. Anyways, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Doug Fir is having the first of two night of Menomena. Tonight they are playing with EMA and Hosannas. Menomena has been of of my favorite Portland acts for a long time. It has been a balance of the three people who despite all odds kept it together and made some of the coolest music ever. Brent Knopf recently left the band to focus on his new band Ramona Falls. I have yet to see the band in its new configuration. It is a bummer that I will never get to see my favorite Menomena song "Wet & Rusting" performed live again. But there are plenty of other great songs that they can lay. Especially now that they have both members of Dat'r (Paul Alcott and Matt Daborwiak) at their disposal. I have seen some video's and they seem to pull off their material. Though it should be noted that it took two people to replace Brent. EMA is a girl from Sioux Falls who got into music via "accidental performance art/teenage bar bands". I have not heard much from her. But I trust Menomena's judgement. Especially when they pick an opener like Hosannas. Another band that lost a bit of their band recently. They have changed their direction to incorporate more electronics that touch on "chill wave" vibes. But the dynamics and great harmonies remain in tact. The show is $18 and starts at 9 PM. Valentine's is having a show with DoublePlusGood and Pocketknife. DoublePlusGood is a electro pop band that is pretty great. I have liked them since I saw them play a show with Church (now Hosannas) a long time ago at Rererato (now The Alice Coltrane Memorial Coliseum). The music is made of memorable melodies and cool keyboard lines, courtesy of Erik Carlson. There are beats on the recorded music, but live I believe there is live drummer, Andrew Nelson. Pocket Knife seem to make very danceable music. I only found one song on their myspace entitled "Cotton Candy". I could only hear 30 seconds of it but it sounded pretty promising. Erik Carlson of DoublPlusGood also runs the label SoHiTek Records which has put out DoublePlusGood and Pocket Knife and re-released Pegasus Dreams excellent album Painting Pantheons. This is a bit of a label showcase. I think you should keep an eye on these bands and this label The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM. If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi".
Ben
Menomena will play Doug Fir tonight. And then again tomorrow!
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