Black Seed. Luck-One & Dekk ft. Dizz

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SUSURRUS STATION- Antinomie, out April 17th

It's satisfying to know that there are serious artists in your town.  There are plenty of people who just throw crap against the wall and occasionally some of it sticks, becoming art.  I count myself in that musical category.  Now, for this review I must admit that there is some history.  I reviewed Aio Records' artist Pikara on the very first installment of Turn My Headphones Up! and while intrigued, was not convinced.  Their next was perhaps an even bigger disappointment, at least from what their debut promised for a followup.  It's worth mentioning that Pikara and Susurrus Station are fundamentally the same band, and indeed all of Aio Records exists as some permutation of Pikara frontwoman Sara Johanne and her music partner Jason Breeden.

So what's in a name?  Plenty.  We know from philosophy the dark hold that the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis has over modern understanding, kicking everyone's ass- positivist and deconstructionist alike.  Calling the band "Susurrus Station" instead of "Pikara" affects more than just jaundiced critics.  I would posit that having the project be a "band" instead of "solo effort" has resulted in an altogether different starting place for the artists involved, a certain freedom from expectations both internal and external.  It's this freedom that makes me think the albums's title is inappropriate- perhaps Anomie would better serve.

Drunken philosophical rambling aside, I'm sure my faithful readers are wondering one thing- how's the music?

It's here that I'm proud to say that it's great.  Antinomie is infinitely more focused than Constellations, and seems to be the mature followup I was hoping for after Pikara.  It's hard to know what to compare it to other than itself, but I might put forward that Susurrus Station are a decidedly non-twee indie folk version of their fellow Swedes, The Knife.  The production is airy, wide open in the right places, with a few lush left field excursions that keep it interesting.  It's maintained a strong presence on my listening rotation since I got the review copy.

Verdict- buy it.  Antinomie is out April 17th.  Qualification- buy it, and go the release show at Valentines, also April 17th.


Susurrus Station ~ Antinomie from ÅIÖ Records on Vimeo.

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Turn My Headphones Up!!!!! Tumbling Tumbleweed Edition

Did you know there's a ghost town right here in Portland? Well, technically Oregon City, but close enough for a haunting. Almost feels like a ghost town in this blog. Let's fix that!

  ANTON SWORD- "Here Comes The Hurricane" Between his frickin' sweet name and evil-mirror-universe-goatee, I am entirely convinced that Anton Sword is some sort of old-school supervillain. His music even reflects that. Very slick and accessible. Not like that hack Dr. Steel, who is essentially a douche in a labcoat yelling about dolls and shit. My one qualm is that Sword's bio (which should be read in its glorious entirety) is almost like a how-to on how-not-to describe what genre you are. Or aren't. Here Comes The Hurricane comes out May 1st. Recommended.


  RURAL GHOSTS- eponymous EP

While not exactly reinventing the wheel, the literally-minded "other Portland" group Rural Ghosts put out great sparse spooky folk. And they're selling their EP on Etsy! How cute! You know my pet peeves, though, loyal readers. TAKE THIRTY SECONDS AND NAME YOUR DAMN EP.

  TRACERS- "Alphajerk"

Per the TRACERS bio: "attempts to soundtrack a Portland city stroll while on LSD at midnight, or a drive thru the redwoods at dawn. Heavily influenced by psychedelia, rainy days, the St. Vista Bridge, cross-country drives, and the passage of time. Artistic influences include: Kenneth Noland, Mark Rothko, Ravel, Kurt Vonnegut, War on Drugs, Panda Bear, and Hoxie, Kansas." What? As much as this made me want to not like them, the Alphajerk EP is a trippy swirly mess is probably the best Sonic Youth release we're going to get now that SY is just a Fender ad.


  THESE CURIOUS THOUGHTS- "Let's See What 2moro Brings" Now, you probably know that I have a weakness for long-distance musical affairs. Finneyerkes, Charlotte & Magon, Coeur Machant... it's just a great idea. These Curious Thoughts certainly fulfill the promise of that idea. They have a good sound which is compared to REM, but I feel veers in a darker, more psychedelic direction. Great execution, and I hope their new status as an actual factual live band doesn't cut short the mystery. Oh, and PS: Spell out "tomorrow" in the title, assholes.


  GHOST TOY CASTLE- "String the Clouds"

Now, intolerant jackass that I am, I was going to pitch this submission because the title of the email made a pune or play on words with "crap." Which I specifically warned everyone not to do, yes? Then GTC won me back over with their proclamation that they were "probably one of the top 20, or even 30, ghost-related bands in Portland." They almost lost me again with their mention of Flaming Lips and Smashing Pumpkins in their influences, but GTC's general positive attitude led me to actually listen to their music, and that turned out to be a good thing.


  ONSLAUGHT SIX- "Termina"

Why not. Hearkening back to a good ol' Fear Factory industrial metal sound, Onslaught Six proclaims that their new album contains “Twelve punches to the face—for real this time.” Oh shit! Apparently they're giant nerds, too, as the album drew inspiration from the Ben Drowned meme and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Heh, alright.













  AKONABABONA- "my friends it gets dark"

These are the facts as we know them: Jake is 18. He lives in Salem. He named his band as a joke. He records music in his bedroom on shit equipment. Now for some speculation: Jake feels that he is alone in the world, and that his ideas come from some dark unique place of originality. Well, you're not alone, and you're not unique. What you are, Okanabanana, is pretty damn good at what you do, and there is absotutely nothing wrong with that. Best of luck, sir.

 That's it for today. I'll be cutting a swath through ye olde slushe pile and putting up some more reviews soon. Don't forget to support the Patron Haint indiegogo campaign, in its last day of funding! With all this talk of ghosts, you know you want to help me make a haunted album!!!

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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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