Ben Meyercord's Live Music picks for Friday August 13th

Hello Dear Readers,

I totally jacked my roommate's laptop and going to get you my picks today. I played a Deschutes Brewery Event for the Morrison Kids benefit event. It was pretty rad. Some of my favorite Portland bands like Ages and Ages, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, and Loch Lomond played it. Y La Bamba was scaled back essentially to a three voices and one guitar (Sean Flinn joined us on the last two songs) we sang to a the crowd from the middle. We had a few people watch but, it was tough to get anyone's attention when there is essentially free food and beverages around (there was a $5 cover which essentially saying the thing was free). Ages and Ages and Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside both played great sets. I even ended up dancing for Sallie Ford inspired by an awkward old man who would not stop dancing and creeping out young ladies and children. He actually had some cool moves that I plan on incorporating in to my dance routines. Anyway, here are some shows that look good tonight:

Berbati's Pan is having a show with Nice Nice, Miracles Club, and Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. I have I have seen Nice Nice a few times and I must say they are pretty great. It is totally mathy. But not really all that pop oriented. They are more groove oriented. Once you get in the zone, it is a great time. That being said I think you also must be in the mood for this music. Miracles Club remind me of 90's dance music. That is a type of music that I have not seen many people mine. The show is $8 and starts at 8 PM

The Know is having a show with XDS, Archers, and Astrology. XDS used to be called Experimental Dental School. Quite a mouth full. They shortened it to XDS. Good Call. They also changed from a duo to... actually I am not sure what the line is tonight. But according to the website there has been experiments in various line ups. Archers are a band that I have not seen before. I really like the recordings I have heard. Some one called psych power-pop. I think that it is a fairly accurate description. Astrology is the band that has Charlie Salas Humara (Panther, Ylang Ylang) and Marius Libman (Copy, Atole). It actually reminds me of what I remember Explode into Colors sounding like. The show is probably FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Holocene is having a show with Reporter, Wampire, and Soft Metals. Reporter played PDX Pop Now just recently. I heard it was awesome. I was taking a break from the music during that time and I missed their set. Tonight they are celebrating the release of their latest album, Time Incredible. They are more electro than ever before. It suits them well. They are very good at it and it is infectious. You will want to dance to this music. Wampire also played the PDX Pop festival. They debuted some new material that sounded very promising. There was new song that had something to do with a train. It was kinda 50's sounding. I really liked it. Soft Metals is a live electronics band that blend a wide array of electronic influences in to one. Also very danceable. The show is amazingly cheap $3 and starts at 8:30 PM.

The Woods is having a show with No Kind Of Rider, Manouk (San Diego), By Sunlight (Seattle), and El May (California) aka Lara May. No Kind Of Rider is a band that formed in Tulsa, OK but quickly relocated to Portland. They very vaguely remind me of Oh Captain My Captain. Manouk is the project of Scott Mercado who is a hired guitar player for many bands like Album Leaf, Black Heart Procession and many others. By Sunlight is a very poppy very mathy band. There are harmonies on the recordings that remind me of the Dodos and guitars that remind me of American Football. They have a split 7" out with one of my favorite Instrumental bands from the bay, Silian Rail. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". That would be nice,

Ben


Nice Nice will groove you tonight, assuming you go to Berbati's and let them.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Tuesday, August 10th

Hello Dear Readers,

It has been very rough on me not having a computer. I miss listening to music on it. I have the iPhone, but due to the whole Adobe vs, mac thing, I am unable to listen to most music on the Internet. At least the easy things like myspace. Anyway, I feel like it has been a long time. I have only been to two shows recently. I went to the Runonsentence tour kick off show which was great. And then I went to a show on Sunday with Wishyunu, Secret Codes, Rooftops, and Ocean Age. That line up was amazing. I finally got to see Wishyunu, but i missed a lot of their set because the Secret Codes guys convinced me to dine with them. I always wondered exactly what What Wishyunu was doing live. There was a lot of looping and it was awesome. I need to see them again to experience the full set. Also they seemed like really nice people (what's up guys). Then Secret Codes played. They were great. They have several vibes going for them. Not actual vibes like vibraphone but they probably should it would be a nice addition. They sometimes remind me of tortoise, sometimes like Stereolab. Which is to say they have a great sound. Then Rooftops from Bellingham played. They are an awesome math pop band that use a ridiculous amount of finger tapping. In a good way. Ocean Age closed out the night. They have gotten so good. When they do three part harmonies (sometimes four part harmonies?) it is gorgeous. Plus they debuted two new songs that sounded great. I have never seen a pop band use the Congo drum as effectively as Ocean Age does. Sadly I found out that two of the members recently relocated to Seattle (darn them and their "job opportunities") which means far less Ocean Age shows. But anyway, here are some Portland shows that showed up on my radar:

Pssst. I heard about this show here at this place. It has this band and this band for FREE. Just Sayin'.

The Artistery is having a show with Little Wings, Lee Baggett, and Sandy's. I will be totally honest. I have mixed feelings about Little Wings. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I don't. he is a guy who I recall makes music that is not to far off from his old collaborator Phil Elvrum of Mt. Eeriee. He has a new collaborator now in the form of Lee Baggett. I have not heard his stuff. I could not find any information about Sandy's, but there is a good chance that this show will be good. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.

Ella Street is having a show with Singley (featuring Alan Singley), Tom Provost & the Guardians of The Future, and Shoot Guns And Fish. Singley is Alan Singley's songs stripped down to a two piece. This is actually how I first was aquainted with his songs. It was just him and a drummer. I like his songs an awful lot. They are fun and Alan is such a showman. Shoot Guns And Fish is known as Stoop Kid on myspace and sounds like lo-fi Indie music. I like most things with that tag. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows. please say "Hi",

Ben


Why am I posting this video? Mississippi Studios?

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IAME - LIGHTFIGHTER

Anyone looking for a last minute show suggestion for tonight, should definitely look into this FREE showcase of local hip-hop at Slabtown. IAME is having a release show for his latest solo full-length, entitled Lightfighter. The show features openers from both his Sandpeople Crew (Al-One) and Oldominion (Destro) as well as one of my personal favorites, Tope, of TxE and Living Proof.
They'll also be hosting a listening party for Taco Neck's latest Tutorial.
Whether you're already a die-hard hip-hop head or just feel like checking out a free show, tonight is definitely your night.
For further, more in-depth analysis of both Lightfighter and Tutorial check out this excellent piece at Local Cut by Casey Jarman.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 3rd

Hello Dear Readers,

Oh my god. I am so tired. PDX Pop was great. I mean what I saw was good. I missed most of it because of stupid work. But I saw most of Friday and most of the night parts of Saturday and Sunday. My favorite was, as with last year, The Blue Cranes. That band really makes me feel stuff on my inside. I can't explain it. Other sets I thought were totally rad: Hosannas (new line up is a complete success), Brainstorm, Ben Darwish & Drew Shoals, AAN, Typhoon (made especially good by the anticipation created by technical difficulties). I need to make sure to take off work next year. Anyway, yesterday I ended up having a stupid busy day at work. I ended up working for 15 hours. I could not blog. I could not go to a show. I had to sleep. I don't think there was anything incredible that I missed (show wise) but let me know if I missed something. Anyway, there are a few shows worth mentioning. I would also like to say that Jared Mees & The Grown Children were all set to open for Weird Al which I thought was amazing, but then last minute it turns out Weird Al doesn't do opening bands. Well, I don't do $40 tickets. Here are the shows that look good tonight.

Poises Cafe is having a show with Dustin Hamman. Dustin usually plays under the moniker of Runonsentence. He is going on tour tomorrow for about two months (he is taking my bassist Perry Pfister among other people with him) supporting his latest release "You The Darkness and Me" that comes out next week on Hush Records. So if you like his music, and you probably would if you heard it, then you should check out this show. It is FREE and starts at 7:30 PM.

Someday Lounge is having a show with Merriwether Lewis & William Clark (Corvallis), Autopilot is for Lovers, Spirits of the Red City (Minneapolis), and Ezra Carey. Yes this seems like a large bill. But there are two bands on here that I really want to see. Autopilot is for Lovers are a good band. That being said there may have been a line up change. I have no idea really. I guess to find out you have to go to the show. Also I have heard really good things about Spirits of the Red City. They played twice in the area I stayed in when I was in California recently and I heard that they were hands down the best shows all summer. From what I understand they have an epic folk sound. Are they like Typhoon? I don't know. Go to the show. Find out. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

Holocene is having their monthly installation of The Rumble. This time round they have Nucular Aminals, Rumspringa (LA), Ghost Mom, and DJ Skin So Soft. Though I listed Nucular Aminals several times, I have not yet seen them play live. This might be a good time to do so. From what I recall they have a seemingly fresh indie pop music. Rumspringa is what they call the time when Amish people let their young people go completely apeshit. Their music does not seem like anything is going apeshit. But maybe that is what Amish people sound like when they go apeshit. Do you guys like the term going apeshit? I do. I am not familiar with Ghost Mom but I remember really liking this. This show is FREE and starts at 8:30 PM

If you see me at any of these shows please say "Hi". I am wearing a beard these days.

-Ben


Runonsentence is gonna play Poises tonight. What a beardy guy.

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PDX Pop Now! Sketchbook

Hi Folks!

I've had a lot of fun scoping out PDX Pop Now! this weekend. Here are sketches I drew of most of the bands I saw (click on images to embiggen):

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Friday, July 30th

Hello Dear Readers,

As I might have mentioned before. I do not really have computer access at home. Unless I figure out a way to sneak into my roommates rooms while they sleep (totally creepy), I do not have access to computers unless I am at work. Did you guys go to any shows? Wednesday Y La Bamba played our last Laurelthirst Residency show. Black Prairie the bluegrass band that has three Decemberists (none with the initials C.M.) playing in it. They were super fun. On one of the songs the fiddle player pulled out a fiddle with what looked like a trumpet on the end of it. It made her sound like an old record. Really neat. I had a great time playing. A really good time. If you were there great. If you did not, maybe next time? Anyway PDX Pop this weekend is the only place you have to be:


So this is the big weekend. PDX Pop Now! 2010 is going down at Rotture. This is where I will be when I am not at work this weekend. Here is today's schedule:

INSIDE
6:00: Blue Horns
6:40: Ylang Ylang

OUTSIDE
7:25: Kusikia
8:05: AgesAndAges

INSIDE
8:50: Rollerball
9:30: AndAndAnd
10:10: Witch Mountain

OUTSIDE
10:55: Jackie-O Motherfucker
11:35: Tu Fawning
12:15: AU/Dovekins (Denver, CO)

Blue Horns are jangle pop goodness. Ylan Ylang is I believe a new super group of Portland musicians. Kusikia is an amazingly dynamic duo that just kill everytime they play. I just got their LP and love it. AgesAndAges play really good vocal arranged pop. I heard a bit of their upcoming album today and I was blown away. They are gonna be huge. Rollerball is an awesome art rock band that do not play their hometown enough. The Europeans love 'em though. AndAndAnd is a newish pop band that I see going places as well. I don't have their latest. But I might get it today. I don't know Witch Mountain, but I have seen the words sludge and doom associated with them. Jackie-O Motherfucker is a pretty famous experimental group of improve folk jazz pyschedelic folks who create new sounds in music. Tu Fawning is the band that features real life couple Joe Haege (31 Knots/Menomena) and Corrina Repp (Corrina Repp/Viva Voce) and two others whose names I forget. They make music that is very dramatic and very good.

If you see me please say "Hi"

-Ben


Kusikia is awesome they play PDX Pop tonight at 7:25. Sweeeeet!

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Tuesday July 27th

Hello Dear Readers,

Yesterday was a looooong day for me. I ended up working 15 hours. I normally work 7 hours. That's over twice as long as I am used to. I was about ready to call it a night when I got off but I ran into my roommates on the way home who convinced me to go to Valentine's. I caught most of the set of The Reservations (i.e. Don Hellions and Mattress). I was kinda bummed I missed Blood Beach. According to Rex of The Reservations, "They Murdered it". I was not sure of what to expect from the band but I could not help but think of The Halo Benders. Those of you who do not know, The Halo Benders is an amazing collaboration of Doug Martsch (Built to Spill) and Calvin Johnson (Dub Narcotic Sound System/Beat Happening). In that two voices one high and one low mix together in a very cool way. In The Reservations the singer from Don Hellions (sorry I don't know your name) fills the Doug Martsch role, and Rex from Mattress fills the low end as the Calvin Johnson role. Pretty cool. Also tonight at The Gerding Theater the is The Portland Plan Arts Town Hall Meeting. "Come discuss how to effectively prioritize and weave arts-related issues in the City of Portland's road map for the next 25 years." Get your voice heard if you have an opinion. There will be a presentation by Mayor Sam Adams and probably some food and stuff. Anyways, here are some Portland shows happening today:

Music Millennium is having an in store performance by Menomena. Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod the new Menomena is out today! I have not heard Mines yet, but I bet it will sound awesome. Plus I bet it will be awesome to see them play a lot of it live this evening. Seriously this band tries and succeeds so hard. It is ALL AGES and FREE.

Valentine's is having a show with Sad Horse, Ron Burns (probably not this), Chris Johanson, and Brian Mumford. This might be an art show thing. Sad Horse is a noisy rock duo. The rest of the people on the bill are artists. You may recognize Brian Mumford as being Dragging an Ox Through Water. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Dunes is having a show with Tiny Moving Parts (Minnesota), Sunrise Sunset (Fargo), and Kidcrash. Experimental rock? Whatever. Start stop rock is more like it. Tiny Moving parts is the "experimental screamo" band that is on tour with Sunrise Sunset. That band seems like it will be cool to watch. They are a rock band but it sounds like there is a lot of brass. Kidcrash is a band that I have been meaning to check out for a while. It is kinda mathy with some screaming. Perhaps they too are experimental screamo? It will probably be a fun show. The show is probably FREE or very cheap and starts at 9 PM.

Mudai Lounge is having a show with Battlehooch (San Fran), Prescription Pills, and Weak Steel. I ran into Tony Prato who puts on the Mudai Shows last night. He told me that this was gonna be a good show. He said it was gonna be a dance show. He did not say so out right but he indicated that he thought that people were gonna dance. He also mentioned that Weak Steel is the new project of Josh who was in that band Newspapers who broke up to form the awesome band Yeah Great Fine and SAFARI (Cleavland). Also, I would like to say for the record that I think that Battlehooch is a hilarious name. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM?

If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".

-Ben


Kidcrash play Dunes tonight.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Monday, July 26th

Hello Dear Readers,

I am back in town. I actually got back on Saturday, but as per usual I have been super busy. Saturday I got to play as Meyercord at the Doug Fir. I was so stoked. Then yesterday I went and saw a MAKE Records Records showcase at In Other Words. I only got to see four out of I think six bands, but I very glad I went. Like a Villain and Kusikia were both incredible. Like a Villain is Holland Andrews who also plays in my band Meyercord. But as this project she goes it alone looping her clarinet, voice and glockespiel with considerable skill. I literally got chills watching her perform (it was not cold in the room, it was just really good). Then Kusikia tore it up afterwards. I love that band. They are a guitar and drum two piece that are kinda of a jazz punk thing? Never mind what I say about them, just check them out. I bought the Kusikia LP and the Like a Villain CD. I also picked up the Forest Park ep. I have not seen them but it features tow of the girls from the band Teeth and super awesome drummer Cyrus Lampton. I can't wait to listen to all of them. Anyway, here are some Portland shows that look good to me tonight:

Sellwood Riverfront Park is having a show with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside. I have written about Sallie Ford and her band many many times and the way things are going, I will write about them many many more times. They continue to gain more and more notice from their super fun live shows and their debut ep. I think can't wait for a full length to come out. Come out if you like throw back pop, or just good music for free near a body of water (i.e. ideal circumstances to see music). The show is ALL AGES and FREE and starts at 6:30 PM.

Ella Street is having a show with The Golden Hours and Palmz (Porltand/Santa Cruz). I have written about both of these bands in the past. Then I kinda forgot about them. But I know that The Golden hours have started playing shows again. Which is cool because I never got to see them before. From what I remember they are a garage pop band. Check out their cover of The Shirelles "Baby it's you". So good. I recall Palmz music to be pretty good pop music too (kinda retro pop). The show is FREE and starts at 9:30 PM.

The Kenton Club (I hear it is world famous) is having Lana Rebel & The Love Lasers play a show. Lana Rebel used to play in a loud and heavy band. Now she plays county-esque music. We have heard of this kind of transition before, but I think that Lana has made an exceptional change. I like what I have heard her do with her new band. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Singing Knives, The Reservations, and Blood Beach. I am not familiar with the first two bands listed. I mean I read that The Reservations has members of Mattress and Don Hellions. I like Mattress and I really like Don Hellions. I am not sure which members but it is probably good, right? Plus I have been wanting to see Blood Beach for quite some time. Crazy weird rock and roll forever! The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi"

-Ben


Lana Rebel & The Love Lasers play for FREE tonight at Kenton Club

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