Pocketknife/Adventures With Might Split 7" - Release at Holocene, February 29th

I was excited to discover that Pocketknife has a new release coming out - a split 7" with fellow Portland synth pop makers Adventures With Might on Vinyl Richie. The concept of the record is simple but clever - each band's side contains one original song and one cover of the other band. All songs contain sexy, danceable, synth-heavy pop. Pocketknife's original track, "Bats in the Belfry," skillfully combines creepy, ominous lyrics with frantic, catchy pop hooks. Adventures With Might's "Teen Machine" sounds like what would happen if 70's funk and 80's goth had the most awesome music baby possible. The bands are having a release show at Holocene on February 29th. Dancing will not be optional.

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Ron's Picks: Recession Proof Music

Being broke.  We all know how it feels.  Cable news and our lavish iPhones keep telling us how horrible the housing market is, or how the unemployment rate is higher than ever.  Money, or the lacking of having any, controls are lives no matter how badly we want to believe it doesn't.  But there is one thing it really can't touch.  Music!  Yes, there is always music.  And believe it or not, some of our favorite artists are broke as hell too (shocker, I know).  And with said brokeness, it seems as though an abundance of EP's, 7" singles, digital "albums", etc. seem to coming out these days.  This is not a new discovery of course (I started Recession Proof Music last year at MusicGeek.org), but I think it is still worthy notarizing.  

So good CIMB readers, I present to you just a few of my favorite short tracked releases of 2011.  There is no order.  And to make it all even more enlightening, you can purchase all of these albums for less than the cost of that Japanese imported Radiohead 78 you've had your eye on.  Enjoy!

The Old Lace - The Old Lace EP

One of my favorite musicians, Arman Augusto, spent 2011 trying some very cool new things.  He created a strange, dark, and absolutely fascinating grind core project known as Curse Of The Black Widow.  And there was always his famed experimental folk moniker that I have been following for years known as The Walking.  But, what impressed me the most this year was without a doubt his three piece experimental project The Old Lace.  Here we find Arman in an entirely new state of experimental bliss.  The man shows all new colors on this one.  And who couldn't love that, right?

The Dustbowl Revival - Holy Ghost Station

When I was introduced to this amazing bluegrass/folk/rockabilly/all sorts of things group from lovely Venice, California, I was instantly hooked on their amazing modern take on classic tunes.  Although this format of rejuvenating aged products has become a pretty common occurance, "Holy Ghost Station" is an example of said format that strikes out all on it's own with pure and indigent originality.

Thunder Power & The 1959 Hat Company - Hearts Intersect

It's simple.  Thunder Power rocks.  They are by far my favorite group coming out of the midwest Mecca known as Omaha.  They're sometimes light hearted blend of indie pop and lo-fi pyschodelic mantras are always a joy to have blast through your Chevy Nova at 3 in the morning.  And yes, there might be a bit of bias opinion based on the fact that front man Will Silvey Simons was a major part in my book Children of Mercy: Tales and Teachings From The World of Independent Music.  (Yes, a shameless plug.  Sue me).

The Rest - Always On My Mind/The Last Day

I fell in love with the beautiful indie noise The Rest creates since I first heard 2009's Everything All At Once.  And although we have only heard from this Canadain in moderation since, it does not mean they haven't been working.  In fact, their 2011 was spent recording their highly anticipated follow up album SEESAW.  Unfortunately, an almost fatal technological mishap occurred, and things were put on hold.  But, it's pretty much a definite that we will see this album finally come to life in 2012.  And with this split single, we get a small taste of what is to come.  And folks, it tastes amazing!

Jacqui & Anthony - Weekend EP

I've developed a great addiction to the releases from the Exeter England based indie label Pastime Records.  They had more releases in 2011 than Hermain Cain had mistress in his lifetime (we can only assume).  And without a doubt, the indie folk duo Jacqui & Anthony was one of the best of the bunch.  Jacqueline Cooper exposed herself as having one of the finest set of vocal chords in indie folk today.  And proving once again, that everything sounds better with a British accent.

Wyatt - Wyatt EP

Oh sweet Maddy Wyatt.  Brooklyn's gem in the folklore sand.  Easily one of the finest song writers playing today.  Just a doll to the indie world.  And with a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2011, we got to hear Maddy and some friends in full band format with Wyatt's debut EP.  Maddy kicks up her sassy folk tunes up a dozen notches on this one.

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling - Questions Are a Burden to Others

I fucking love Michael J. Epstein and Sophia Cacciola.  Simply put.  They have so many damn projects spinning around these days their almost too hard to keep up with.  It seems as though I can't go a single day without an fresh Facebook update on a new project formulating.  But, my favorite project will probably always been their work as Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.  And we were blessed in 2011 with a follow up EP by this enigmatic duo of geniuses.

Hosannas - Thug Life Nicole

The PDX legends did it once again.  Although Hosannas claimed this is a collection of songs that weren't good enough for their 2010 release, Then & Now, they are definitely spectacular.  I honestly can not describe this EP any better than the band does themselves:

"These songs all share a common thread embodied by the ttle of this e.p.  "Thug Life Nicole" is an albino reindeer we found on the side of the road while on tour in Santa Barbara.  She lived in Vanworld Africa USA for a couple years and became our mascot."

Couldn't have explained it any better.

Flying Spiders - The Doppleganger EP (Villaging Trio Pt. 1)

As some of you know, I live in Spokane, yet hail from the "other" side of WA.  A strange personal duality to say the least.  And as most of all of you know, our music scene seems to be just one small step above non existent.  Many great groups have formed here, and flocked west with the best of intentions.  So imagine how strange it is to know that one of the finest organic hip hop groups is in Spokane.  Front man Isamu Jordan and his 7 merry musicians have created an amazing jazz infused styling that lives and breathes the fresh dry air of Eastern Washington.  The crown jewel of the east if you will.  

**Disclaimer:  Although I absolutely love all of these albums, if you are looking for a better formatted, more educated, downright more mature listing of some amazing EP's from the year past, I recommend you check out our friend Andy Fenstermaker's list at Fensepost.  He's a smart guy.  A mentor if you will.  And, of course, my favorite EP of the year was not listed here.  Shameless plug #2:  Check out my Top 37 1/2 Albums of 2011 at Trainwreck'd Society**

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Help me record a HAUNTED ALBUM!!!

photo by Anthony Georgis

Hello everyone, long time no see!  I've been busy with vacations, writing, working, parenting... all the good stuff.  So of course there is a backlog of music submissions and such.  I'll get right on it.  No, really.  And I do have some great things to bring up, but first...

Help me record a HAUNTED ALBUM!!!


From my indiegogo page, here's a little background on the project:

When was the last time music moved you?  It probably happens all the time.  But when was the last time music scared the hell out of you and made you afraid to go to the bathroom at night?  IN YOUR OWN HOUSE?  I would like to spread fear and confusion to a jaded populace, and give them something to play at their Halloween parties that isn't "Monster Mash" or "Ghoul, You'll Be A Woman Soon".  Instead, we'll have songs about and manifesting the spirit of some of the creepiest locations in the world... Aokigahara, Pripyat, The Lalaurie House, and more...

What We Need & What You Get

To be perfectly honest, my recording facilities suck.  I prefer to run lean, like a thief in the night, but that won't be enough for this project.  I mean, I could just sneak into an abandoned warehouse with a length of rebar and a dictaphone- actually, that sounds like a really good idea.  Maybe I'll do that.  BUT IT WON'T BE ENOUGH FOR MY GRAND VISION!!!  To really evoke the dark presence of haunted locations, I'm going to be getting some electronic percussion (to use as a midi controller to "play" my locations), some better microphones and audio equipment to do field recording, and whatever is left will be used to buy random crap that I will hit with a hammer. Come to think of it, I may need to buy a coupla hammers as well.

Now, I really want to do something unique and original.  So, apart from cool, normal stuff like downloads, physical copies, thank-you notes, etc., I have put in the very top support bracket a slightly weird opportunity- I come to your house, set up my stuff, and record the ambient life (or unlife) of your living space.  I will then take what I find and plug it into reverbs and sampling and PLAY YOUR HOUSE on a song.  Okay- and if that wasn't creepy enough, I will then either haunt your house or unhaunt it using a special ritual.  How's that for supporting the arts!?!?!

Other Ways You Can Help

Now, I'd love it if you could help financially, but if you can't, I'd appreciate you getting the word out there.  Indiegogo has some great sharing options, please avail yourself of them. And of course, if you happen to live somewhere haunted and want to send me creepy audio clips, I will most certainly not turn them down.  If I use your audio you will of course receive credit and I will probably give you a download.  Because I am super nice.

I am really stoked about this.  You have no idea.  The inspiration for this hit me the other day, and I'm excited all the time. It's going to be awesome, and I hope you can help.  Portland peeps- do not miss out on the affordable top tier of support.  It's a really unique opportunity.

Thanks for reading, everyone, and I'll be back soon with more reviews and snarky criticism.  Here's a little taste of the project, a little live-ish piece I did with my daughter.  Pretty rough, obviously, but thus the funding campaign.  Bye!

Dyatlov Pass Incident by DJFalsifier

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Intro to PDX Hip Hop for the Indie Rockers Volume 1

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TURN MY HEADPHONES UP! Friendly Neighborhood Edition

Hi everybody, it's time to clear out the ol' inbox again?  HAhAHAHAHA, just kidding, the inbox will never get clear.  That's just the nature of the beast.  But what isn't beastly is that I do get to listen to a lot of awesome new music, and make fun of a lot of really bad music.  It's all in the spirit of the thing, so put on your anti-douche belt and come along with me.


NICOLE LEXI DAVIS- "no title given"

Now, one of the best ways to get featured on this blog is to ask nicely, and not make some really uninspired joke about how your music is Crappy enough.  We've heard that one, seriously.  We really have.  So it is fortunate that SoCal singer-songwriter Nicole Lexi Davis is polite.  Or, at least her PR people are.  On Davis's website, her bio suggests that she is a "throwback" to good ol' 70s female balladeering.  I like the intellectual honesty of describing yourself as a throwback.  Much like the way Peter Gabriel unashamedly describes his own sampling as "stealing".  As far as music goes, Davis does indeed show much of the wide-open lush sounds that I personally have come to associate with "Blue"/"Hissing"-era Joni, and also with being 5, reading "Just So Stories" on a cold morning with some hot Cream o' Rice.  A strong showing- only lacking in tracks like "Popsicle" that sound- honestly- like someone trying to nail down their tempo with a drum machine for the first time.  But so it goes.  Keep up the good work Nicole!


BRITCHES- "Demonstration"

Hi, Britches!  I didn't realize CopShootCop had gotten back together!  As much I was initially pleased to hear a resurrection of that sound, somehow it just didn't gel for me.  I don't think it's so much that I'm old, as I will still cheerfully crank up "Ask Questions Later", but to hear this from a new release just doesn't seem to fit into the weltanschaung, if you'll pardon my french.  Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Britches' music, and I'm sure there is an indie circus troupe out there just waiting for their soundtrack, but for the moment I just don't see it rotating on my personal playlist any time soon.  Note: their upcoming album project is entitled "The Reptal Centiguiner", and I'm not sure how much more awesome that could be, so keep an eye on Britches.

BORON OXYKITTEN- "The Streets Were Paved With Circuit Boards"

Well, the Field Hymns label has been sending me some stuff about their artist Boron for a while now, and there has been such a self-indulgent air of cleverness about the whole thing that I have really been struggling to give half a rusty tinker's fuck.  Portland doesn't need any bad musical mystery figures- we have a good one.  The world doesn't need a musique concrete versions of Jandek- the real thing is poking around somewhere ruining someone's day.  The funny thing is, when I went to the Field Hymns site (I had to, there were no music samples, and I definitely don't give a shit about his guest players or the release date of his on-again-off-again titled-not-titled new album) I suddenly found myself interested in their releases, because that, children, is the power of description.

Normally I cringe when artists or artists' reps go from beige to purple in their descriptive mode, but who can resist the description of Oxykitten's new album:  the sound of John Carpenter making hip-hop instrumentals for long, sweaty nights - a sound from the era when a man had a better chance of getting knifed in Times Square than finding Gelato....drum machines and old synths barrel down alleys thick with grime and groove, where police and disco lights beat in tandem and the dirty beats sluggishly refuse to die..

I know, right?  Holy shit.  Who wouldn't want to listen to that?  Well, after going to Oxykitten's site, I found that their music (as played on an emulated old school tape peripheral) didn't have much going for it: vintage computer game samples, meandering uninspired synths, and a lot of garagey noise.  And speaking of cassettes- Field Hymns mostly puts out their new releases on cassettes.  Why?  Fucking why?  And another thing- if your website is going to have a mock TRS-80 as the primary interface, then the motherfucking BREAK button had better do something.  Like stop the music

You see, zeerust is only effective as a prominent part of the image until a hipster shits on it.  We've seen lounge come and go, letting people listen to it now unironically.  Which is for the best.  I'd really like to see the late-70s/early-80s big glasses and too-short-shirt thing go away now.  You motherfuckers had best step back from my Venture Bros.  And stop tempting me with your websites that promise creative, spacey goodness, and supply only half-hearted pastiche!  That's all I want.  My birthday is coming up.  Surprise me.

THE I.D- "Age Anti Age"

Oh, thank goodness.  After that last one, if it had to be intense, I wouldn't have made it.  The I.D didn't have much to say about their music, and that was just fine.  "Age Anti Age" reminds me of a certain band back when they were good and when their singer could keep the damn sunglasses off his face.  Here is a retro sound that is completely without pretense, and I can get behind that.  There's also a pleasant thickness to the sound, a rolling off of the top end that fits quite well.  Good job, kids!

Ra Far- "FFN"

Um.  So, I should have seen the writing on the wall with this one.  Or, rather, the writing in the email.  Look- maybe it sounds harsh, but we don't really have many specific requirements on the submissions we get.  It shouldn't have to be spelled out that if you're going to communicate to someone in a professional capacity, you should actually, I don't know... communicate.  Crappy Indie Music may not be Rolling Stone, but we're also not your stoned texting buddy.  So if you want to know anything about Ra Far, here is what he/it has to say:

bio- Ra Far is a revolutionary artist he makes all his own artwork and music. Ra Far grew up in Woodstock, GA with a lot of music influences from acoustic rock to hip hop, through the years he has found a new type sound that has been said to be like a combination of Christofer Drew and Tyler, the Creator. A weird combination, but its refreshing. His mixtape (FFN) is coming out on 11/11/11 for free at OtherOr.org

genre- Experimental

Once again, you might feel that I'm being too harsh, so perhaps I'll let the music- the watered down, flat, boring rap- speak for itself.  Seriously, I thought I had problems with flow.


Strange Mangers- "Strange Mangers"

Well, I always like to end things with a digestif.  What better way to clear out the taste of objectionable rap with some brilliant postpunk?  UK-based Strange Mangers may not reinvent the wheel, following very closely on the heels of their own cited influences like Tortoise, Don Caballero, etc., but going with that, they shine.  It's always nice to see bands just going with it, and doing well.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go rock.  Good night everyone!

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TURN MY HEADPHONES UP... "Run and tell that" edition

Crikeys, I've been so busy interviewing fancy people that I've forgotten all about my portion of submissions that are slipped under the crack in the door in the wee hours of the morning.  So as is my wont, I'm going to start working backwards and letting you know what's up. Unfortunately, since I'm in a really bad mood I'm going to be super critical of everyone.  You know, I only pick on you because I love you.

RAW MOJO- "Submission"

From left: Herp, Derp, Hurr

First dip in, already Raw Mojo have pissed me off.  They submitted music and didn't give it any sort of title.  I mean, seriously... everything I do ends up with an epic title even if it's just a bass groove I lay down for future musical cannibalism.  It takes like two seconds to click on a random wikipedia article and name your goddamned ep.  They also gave me a "sounds like" description that truly boggles the mind:

Sounds like: The band is still new but has drawn comparisons with the likes of The Breeders, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, EARLY Motley Crue, Joan Jett, Nirvana, The White Stripes, Rush, Metallica, Hole, Ozzy, The Donnas, Robert Johnson, Diamond Head, and Girlschool 

See what I mean?  Bonus points for throwing Diamond Head in there, but Robert Johnson?  News flash, kids.  YOU DON'T SOUND LIKE ROBERT JOHNSON.  You sound like, oh, I don't know... Dead Moon.  Or something.  What is my honest take on their music?  It's so okay.  Good enough, but I have the feeling their heart is really not into it.  Look at the guy in the blue shirt's face.  He really would rather be anywhere else.  Word to the wise: if you're going for oldschool RAWK, then you had better fucking mean it.

FUEL BOX- "I"

Christ, why is everybody on the right always smoking?

Fuel Box are, as I am told by their very professional press kit, a Dutch soul act.  Now, despite their shiny exterior, they also committed the cardinal sin of presenting some interesting hypothetical sounds like:

Our music style? Kind of a dark blend of dub(Lee Perry), hip-hop(Madlib), soul(Bill Withers/Prince) and pop(eeeh...Maroon5)

They are right on with that last comparison.  I know Maroon 5 is the last thing most people would admit to liking, but I've always thought that some of their stuff was good for what it was.  And those songs of Fuel Box's that sound similar are decent.  It's when they cut loose a bit with the crazy delays that Fuel Box starts to shine.  Deeper in the depths of their press kit is revealed that "they generate a sound that is best described as if a 60s soul singer and a latter day hip-hop producer cut an album together in 70s Jamaica."  Well, no, not really.  It sounds as if a 2000s soul singer and a former indie rocker cut an album together in a modern studio.  Which turns out to not be half bad.  I enjoyed Fuel Box, and I think as they get out on the road and shake off some of their pop sheen they will be a band to watch.

BARRY ADAMSON- "Destination" single

Oh hell yeah.  Looks like my boy Barry is coming out with a new live album soon.  Our dear friends at Central Control dropped this tantalizing taste with us, and it finds Adamson in more of a rock mode than some of his most recent efforts, which is just fine.  Remember, this is the guy who kept (for a few albums at least) Nick Cave's music from completely sucking.  Shit, that's like pushing on a wall and slowing the rotation of the earth.  Yay Barry!

ODDEPOXY- "forthcoming album"

We've got rust ass jeans, son, don't you know?

Well, I have to say that I hate this band's name but love their music.  And they are fucking geniuses.  They're about to write their next album, and starting November 3rd we are going to get to watch the process live on justin.tv. Now that shit is creative.  Having written and recorded an album in the month of November, I will say that it's hard enough to just do, but to let every troll out there watch you do it is brave.  Bravo, sirs.  Oddepoxy's kickstarter can be found here, go help 'em out!

TENDER FOREVER- "Where Are We From" EP

TENDER FOREVER LOVES THE SHIT OUT OF YOU. YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET.

From our friends at K Records comes French artist Tender Forever, who also has a kickstarter that I think is paying for her to stay in the USA.  Why, back in my day, if you wanted to come from Brittany to the US to rock, you had to pay your own way!  Now get off my lawn.

Anyway, I really like Tender Forever, very sweet and personal seeming.  In the spirit of me being critical, the youtube videos of Tender Forever at the TBA festival are really fucking annoying.  STOP TALKING AND PLAY MUSIC.  And you, down in the front row, stop giggling.  Fuck.

Have a listen to Tender Forever and help her out!
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Okay, that's it for now.  I've got plenty more music to review in the next couple of days, and I wouldn't dream of leaving you out, dear reader.  So until then, hide your kids, hide your wife.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Picks for Monday October 24th

Hello Dear Readers,

What's up? I have not been to any shows in a while. I also haven't blogged in awhile. My life is way different than it was than when I started blogging. It also seems like my life has been pretty scattered in the last year or so. But I am going to try to make time to write about the shows that look good to me. Here are the shows that look good to me today:

Valentine's is having a show with John Heart Jackie and Duover. This is a special show for two reasons. 1) This is the last show of the John Heart Jackie fall tour. 2) It is Jennie Wayne's birthday. Heart Jackie are a lovely band. Peter Murray and Jennie Wayne have been playing music together for a while. I have seen them playing shows with others lately. I believe the tour they just returned from included some of these people. I believe. If you listen to their full length you will find yourself reminded of why male female duos are so great. Or if you want another example you can check out the other band on the bill, Duover. They are great. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

The White Eagle is having a show with Norman and Owner/Operator. Norman is a band from around the Willamette Valley that make music in the vein of classic Americana. If you have not seen them, there have been plenty of opportunities to see them this month. They have been having a residency at the White Eagle. Owner/Operator is a band that I read about from Lewi Longmire's website. He plays pedal steel guitar of this band. It also features Mike Midlo (Pancake breakfast) and Jeff Munger, Tyler Tornfelt and Ford Tennis (guitar, bass, and drums- Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside). The band apparently plays song about trucks and trucking. Exclusively. There is also a chance that Kelly Blair Bauman will play. The show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say, "hi". That would be really sweet.

Ben

John Heart Jackie - Deep As Whales from Ben Moon on Vimeo.

John Heart Jackie plays tonight at Valentine's

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Back and Forth with Lucas Dix

What up Lucas? Got a few questions for you. First off, let's take it back. What was your introduction to hip hop? What inspired you growing up, or continues to inspire you?

Aside from rocking my clothes backwards while listening to Kriss Kross in second grade and having some Biggie albums get confiscated by my Mom in 4th or 5th grade, I really didn't fall in love with hip hop until my reintroduction to Wu Tang at the end of high school. Punk rock satisfied my teenage angst through middle school up until 11th grade, but once I started to question God, the universe, myself, etc., I needed something more. Wu Tang fit the bill perfectly. Every member had like 10 different aliases and they rapped with this crazy, slanged out imagery about mythology, comic books, kung fu movies, and mathematics. Plus, they had this beautiful sense of brotherhood. I have about 6 or 7 homies in my life that are my fucking brothers, my "been through some intense shit with you and will love you for the rest of my life" type brother. For the longest time I thought that all of us were going to conquer the world together through music and philosophy. We seriously would drive around for like 4 hours a night (back when gas was $2.50 and we were too young to hit the bars up), freestyle to RZA beats, listen to Ironman or Liquid Swords and formulate our Pinkie and the Brain plan.

Last year, I was tutoring a student and he was really starting to get into more underground and old school hip hop music as well as inquiring about the world around him. One day, he told me something along the lines of "I have all these questions about life and religion and how people interact with each other and sometimes it's just so overwhelming." I literally teared up and was like "Have you ever heard of the Wu Tang Clan?". Then I proceeded to jot down the 10 albums he needed to listen to. That collective meant a lot to the development of my peoples and I during a time where we made an exponential amount of personal growth, so much so, that my friend Sins has RZA and Raekwon's signatures tatted on his back. I also was heavily influenced by Aesop Rock, Slug, Black Thought, MF Doom, Mos Def and the like, but nothing like them dudes from Shaolin.


OK. So, what was the impetus behind these new Jellyfish Brigade tracks? Talking to you one on one downtown last weekend I got a basic idea, but can you expound on what we talked about?


For the longest time, I was someone who ate fast food and didn't do anything but rap and was damn sure that I was going to live off of touring and putting out music. I had this bullshit elitist ego and hated on everything from other rappers to religions, to 'sheeple" in society. Then, about a year and a half ago, I had this sudden change of heart where I was tired of being angry and thinking that I was the greatest thing on the planet (when I quite obviously wasn't). My mindstate just flipped and I started to focus on being a better teacher (I sub in 8 districts for my daytime job, plus I tutor). I wanted to be more understanding and empathetic of all people and started to develop a "whatever gets you through the day is ok and whatever gets your through the night is all right" mentality. I wanted to see the sunrise from the morning side more. I wanted to learn how to cook, eat healthier, build fires and camp, do yoga and work out, go hiking, learn to swim, and most importantly have a garden.

One day this summer, while watering my garden, I stopped in front of my giant sunflowers and stared at them for a while. I thought about my lady and I planting the seeds in little pots, then clearing out some area in my yard so I could transfer them to the dirt, then watering them and seeing them slowly grow, to them now being almost twice as big as I am with huge, golden heads. This garden was so important to me because, for the first time, I felt like I had something tangible that I could provide for myself and those around me. I had this new instrumental that Jeff had given me at the time and thought "That settles it. I'm going to write a song about my garden."

The second song on the single is a remix of Portland, OR artist Natasha Kmeto's "Want You Too". She is an awesome producer/singer in the city and friends with Jeff. I was pumped about the opportunity because it gave me a chance to be a Jay-Z to her Mariah Carey, a Drake to her Rihanna.

Around this time, my love hit me with the news that she was going to be moving to Africa and then back to the east coast. This is a woman who has been a huge influence on the changes changing me and I basically just wrote about how we spent our relationship: drinking wine, making love, going to the river and bridge/cliff jumping, etc. I am a proponent of the beauty of the sacrifice. I honestly feel like one of the best ways I can show her that I love her and cherish the time we spent is by letting her go and being supportive of her decision to leave, even if it's going to hurt.

Shit's about growth and change and being uncertain of whats going to happen in the future. Then again, most of the Jellyfish Brigade stuff is. This time I just had a symbol to direct the metaphor. Sunflowers, yo!



Word. So how would you describe the difference between how you approach this project compared to your work with Gavin in Hives Inquiry Squad?

I would say most all of the Jellyfish Brigade songs that exist (first ep, Sunflowers single, and the next ep that's not out) are songs that Jeff made for The Great Mundane project, decided they didn't quite work for what he was going for and then were given to me. Jeff and I connect on very similar levels. One night we'll have a conversation about how "the grass is always greener" and how we need to recognize that we are standing in the green grass right now. The next day, I'll go to write and start writing a song "Standing in the Green Grass" and basically expound on the conversation.

Gavin and I have been working together for about 6 or 7 years now. Our process is different in that we never write a song based around a subject. We don't say "this is a song from the perspective of a crack in the concrete somewhere in the middle of a city and all the things it sees during the course of a day." Rather, we work on moods and images. Gavin will show me a wonky beat and spit me a line like "I'm the dusty albatross cloud 9 afficianado" and I go "all right, I feel you"; then we write our verses.

With Jellyfish Brigade, we're going for an Avett Brothers meets Postal Service meets Foreign Exchange sound. It's going to morph towards complex ideas expressed in simple folk song lyrics with lots of singing to compliment the rapping. We recently got a write up that said we were "part Lazerbeak and Sufjan Stevens, half Das Racist half Neon Indian." That was like "boom, people are getting it." Hives is more Camp Lo, Aesop Rock type shit where Gavin and I string weird phrases together with multi-syllabic rhymes and grandfather slang. Jellyfish Brigade is me with my shirt off in the middle of the woods using a fallen tree as a balance beam over a river. Hives is Gavin and I in a basement of a future world in the present with glowing screens surrounding us, as we plot the break out. I will say this. Jellyfish is waaaay easier to write for, solely because I feel a constant pressure in writing with Gavin. Every time he spits me a 4 bar I go, "damn, how the hell am I supposed to follow that?" I'll admit that he's a doper emcee than I am.



Are there any future plans to perform your Jellyfish material in a live setting? Or is this going to be strictly a studio project?


We are definitely going to be performing as Jellyfish Brigade. Jeff's been on the road constantly for the last year so we have never really gotten a chance to sit down and work on a live set. Now that we have about 10-12 songs and some merch, we are ready to play out. I think with 1320 Records putting out "Sunflowers" and re-releasing "Gills and a Helmet", we will get some damn good show opportunities in the near future. We've already seen a bit of the effect as we've gotten offers to play shows up and down the west coast just this past week.

Our first official show is Thursday, November 17th at the Tonic Lounge in Portland, OR with our homey and local producer Shut-Ins, who is releasing his debut project that night, Gavin Theory of Hives Inquiry Squad, and Dropping Gems artist Brownbear with a live band. $5.
I'm really excited to start playing and perfecting our live set.

Anything else you'd like to add? Any shout-outs? Or just any other info you want to get out there?

Go to www.jellyfishbrigade.com or www.1320records.com to download "Sunflowers" for free as well as our debut EP "Gills and a Helmet" (which is offered as a pay what you want, free is a welcome option).

Also, thank you good sir for asking me to do the interview. You do a lot for this city with your support of the hip hop scene. Much love and respect.

One.


Thanks for doing this man. I really do appreciate it. Soon....

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