Question of the Week: Have You Voted Yet?

So this isn't music related, and is more of a public service announcement than an open-ended question, but wevs.

Oregon ballots are due Tues. January 26th (TOMORROW) by 8 PM!

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Question of the Week: The Perils/Benefits of Social Media

Hey all, I've been considering getting a Twitter account, but I'm afraid it'll just be one more annoying thing to update all the time (one of the many reasons I deleted my facebook account a while ago).

For those of you that use it, what are the pros and cons? Do you find it's good for promoting your music? Other things?

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Question of the Week: The New Melodica

D'oh, I missed another week of questioning last week. Sorry folks.

But this week, I have something to ask!



What do you think will be the hot new wacky instrument in Portland indie music?

I think it's about time for the harpsichord to make a comeback. I'm not looking forward to it, though. I wish it could be the tubular bells instead.

Or maybe I should pre-order tickets for the big Portland Shamisen Project concert.

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Question of the Week: Best of 2009

Sorry about not posting last week. I guess I could make the excuse that I was taking a holiday vacation, but I'm not sure, as I didn't actually travel or anything. Oh well.

It's the end of the year, and I'm obligated to pose a best of 2009 type question, so what was the best live show you saw this year?

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Question of the Week: X-mas Album

Hi folks!

Another week has passed; another question must be posed.

ChristmasChristmasChristmas... OMG it's almost XXXmas!!!!!!

So I ask of you, what Portland band would you most want to make a x-mas album? I think I'm gonna choose Here Comes a Big Black Cloud. I see baby Jesus emerging from the womb amid a clatter of feedback and other worldly theramin warbling. Santa dies and returns as an undead monster.



This album would have to be performed live in its entirety on Christmas eve, a Midnight mass. Mass chaos.

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Question of the Week: Hey You!

This one is for the musicians/performers, which I'm sure encompasses much if not most of our readership. What would you say was your most successful moment as a performer?

I think mine was shortly after performing a solo acoustic set when I overheard a guy from the audience describing it as the scariest thing he'd ever seen.

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Question of the Week: Thanksgiving Edition

If you could have Thanksgiving dinner with any band, which would it be, and why?

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Question of the Week: Showdown

Which one of these videos would win in a fight?

Hooliganship: Adventure(excerpt)?


or

VonHummer's Childhood Depression PSA?

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Question of the Week: Studio & Engineer Recommendations

I've been thinking about recording a new project in a studio sometime in the near future, and have been debating whether to work with an engineer I've already recorded with or try somebody (and some place) new. And if I decide to branch out, who should I record with? Amid this internal debate, I got to thinking that it would be great for CIMTB to have a list of studios and engineers that Portland musicians recommend.

So I pose this question to you, CIMTB readers: what Portland studios and engineers do you highly recommend?

I'd like to compile a list from your comments and make a blog post(much like Goldie's Karaoke list from a while back). So, please try and include the following information in your recommendations:

*your overall recording experience

*your music genre/sound (Band name and link are a plus)

*the quality of the final product

*any info about the recording system or gear that you might know or care about.

*a general assessment of the rates using dollar signs (kind of like restaurant guides): from $ as dirt cheap to $$$$$ as top dollar.

*a link to the studio and/or engineer(s)' website (if they have one)

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Question of the Week: NaSoAlMo

An album: would you like to make one of your own?

The cold, dark month of November has begun. And that means it's time to hole up indoors and write and record some music!

So, the question is: are you doing NaSoAlMo?

(Inter)National Solo Album Month, is a contest/challenge inspired by the popular NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, contest. NaSoAlMo participants write and record a solo album within the month of November. "Winners" will have completed an album that runs at least 29:09 (the length of the first Ramones album) by the end of the month.

The challenge is designed to motivate musicians to silence their inner-critics, conquer writer's block and have fun creating a piece of work at break-neck speed. You can register an account at the NaSoAlMo website to log and discuss your album progress and offer and receive encouragement.

I know of one other Portlander currently doing this. I'd be curious to see if there are more, or any non-Portlander CIMTB readers who are doing the NaSoAlMo thing.

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Question of the Week: Island Edition

Many of you are probably familiar with the game Island, wherein one poses a hypothetical question involving being stranded with three people (often people the players know, or sometimes celebrities or fictional characters) on a desert island. Everyone must choose which of the three they would a) send off the island for help, b) talk to but never touch, c) touch but never talk to.

Some of my friends and I created a version of Island involving bands instead of individual people. Say you're stranded on a desert island with three bands, which do you a) send for help, b) get high with/talk to, and c) have a total band love fest with?

So this week's question is Island: Portland Band Edition.

Who would you pick for each of those three scenarios if you were stranded on a desert island with the following three bands:

Red Fang


Loch Lomond


...and because I get a kick out of always throwing giant ensembles into this game (my friends always roll their eyes at me as I inevitably pose something like 'The Cleveland Orchestra' or 'The Mormon Tabernacle Choir' as a choice), the final band is...

March Fourth Marching Band



Also, feel free to use the comments section to pose your own Island band scenarios.

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Question of the Week: Minor Postings VI

Remember in spring of 2008 when the infamous bureaucrats at the OLCC approved changes to their minor posting rules, making it somewhat easier for venues that serve alcohol to also host all ages shows? That was an awesome victory for Portland music, and due to a lot of effort put forth by musicians, show-goers, Carey Clarke and other folks at PDX Pop Now!, and the Musicians' Union.

So, I've been out of town for a while, and am a bit detached from new Portland music goings-on, and I haven't been able to find much from a half-assed google search, and was wondering if anyone has noticed any changes due to the more lenient minor posting rules. Are more venues taking advantage of this?

I think it's a good idea to keep looking at this issue, see if the changes are making a noticeable difference, or if perhaps there's more that could be done to promote the expansion of all ages shows in a fashion that's profitable and practical for local businesses. I have noticed that Backspace serves beer now, which should cut down on folks walking out on shows to get a drinks at a nearby bar, and probably significantly benefits their bottom line. Have any of you PDX music-savvy folks noticed any other changes since the ruling? Are there are any new all ages venues, shows, or better attendance at venues that already had all ages shows, but can now serve alcohol?

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Dr. Something's Question of the Week

Hi Everybody!

I'm starting a weekly feature here based on an extremely simple premise: each week I will pose a music-related question to you, the lovely readers (fellow bloggers too), and open up the comments to answers and discussion.

This weeks question: Who's your all-time favorite singer who "can't sing"? Whose voice do you find stragely moving or soothing despite their failure to produce dulcet tones, or sing notes on key?

I'm personally quite partial to Nico.

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