April Fools Day Virus aka CONFICKER

I just found out about The April Fools Day Virus aka CONFICKER otherwise I would have blogged this earlier. Oh well, I hope this helps.From NPR:March 31, 2009 The fast-moving Conficker computer worm, a scourge of the Internet that has infected at least 3 million PCs, is set to spring to life in a new way on Wednesday — April...

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I Thought Hamm's Was A Pacific Northwest Beer

Though I discovered it (with it’s beautifully redundant, double “M”s) on my first visit to Portland, it turns out that it’s a Midwest beer.And you can get one and a shot of whiskey for 5 bucks at The Hideout which I declare my ground zero as I try to figure out Chicago and how to face down being an old music nerd in a new city....

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Album Review: Double Dagger "More"

As in "Balti-."I am learning to be suspicious- and rightly so- of bands' press releases. I'm not sure if there is simply a modality of writing and presenting them that persists from the old days of Payola and pin-striped hustle, some sort of stone tablet of Madison Avenue commandments. Whatever it is, I am always being burned...

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Musical Etiquette: Dealing with haters

Hello Musical Etiquette:I just read a review of our bands last show. The guy who wrote it is obviously some kind of asshole. He just went on and on about how lifeless we were on stage.What should I do about this guy? He's ruining our reputation!Help!XXXXXXCriticism is one of the most important parts of music. A well thought...

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Album Review: Charlotte & Magon "Love Happening"

Well, I hope that the boy/girl duo... how to say, convention? Trope? Fad? Archetype? Whatever, I hope that it doesn't burn itself out. I've commented in other places about its ubiquity these days, but one aspect of it that seems to be just as is the romantic connection between the two folks involved. A dysfunctional Buckingham...

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Album Review : Logan Lynn From Pillar to Post (2009, Beat the World)

Logan Lynn is a Portland Electro-pop artist who has been recently signed to the Dandy Warhols' label, Beat The World. I may be a freak of nature because although a Portland resident and NW native, I have never really listened to the Dandy Warhols. I have heard of them, though, of course. However, enough about that, because...

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PDX Racist D-bag

This is the guy that punched my 2 friends at different times at Tube. He hit one at Hot Mess (2/6) and and the other at Townbombing (3/20)Not only did he assault my friends he also yelled racial slurs at me and come to find out was aiming his punches at me when he accidentally hit Leigh!Don't let him get away with this! Please...

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Rant: The Death Of The Album

I love Twitter. It's an amazing way to connect with random people all over the web and babble on endlessly about things you care about. Earlier today I was tweeting back and forth with Dave Allen of Pampelmoose about the nature of music distribution. This is really an extension of that conversation. ( You can follow me here...

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Ben Meyercord's SXSW 2009 Experience Days 2 to Day 5

Day TwoDay two was not very productive as far as music seeing goes. I saw a stripped down version of Department of Eagles ( a Grizzly Bear side project) at Howe Gelb, again at Waterloo, which was awesome. I love anything that man does. He does not give a god damn what anyone thinks. I guess you could say, he keeps it real. Then we went back to...

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Musical Etiquette: Dinner Music

Dear Musical Etiquette:Recently I was invited to a semi-formal dinner party by a co-worker. Everything went off without a hitch but the music he played was too loud and abrasive. How do I let him know that it wasn't appropriate? What kind of music should I recommend?Signed, XXXXXXCritiquing a host's dinner music is a delicate...

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Live Music Review: A Cautionary Tale 3/18/09 @ The White Eagle

Nick O'Donnell of A Cautionary Tale (it was really that orange!) Photo by Goldie DavichI walked into the saloon with the a mission. I wanted to encapsulate the band I was about to see into a custom fit genre. We've talked a lot about genre these days. How describing bands sound is an annoying task. I wanted to do it for this...

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CIMTB at SXSW!

Hello Dear Readers,I am in Austin. I wanted to share with you my vision of the SXSW festival. Sadly my bandmate left the digital camera at my sister's place, so these words will have to do.Yesterday was my first day of SXSW. It was super fun. I started the day by playing a set at the Ioda stage with Y La Bamba. Directly after our performance we...

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Rude Dudes & Serious Business open for Rye Rye April 15th @ Rotture

Rude Dudes consist of one of my favorite DJ's DJ Solomon and RAD!. Solomon hosts the super fun, super guilty pleasure Special People's Club dance party. I'm gonna check out Serious Business when I am in front of a computer that has the flash media player working. These Portland party people will be opening for Rye Rye Wednesday,...

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Worst Band I've seen @ SXSW SO FAR

Oh No Not Stereophoto by Wes NamanOMG! WHile I was listening to one of the guitar solo's of this pop/punk/LA Trash my sinus infection came back.NO GOD DAMN JO...

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Watch SXSW Live online @ The Belmont March 13th-21st in Austin, TX

Watch some of SXSW for free, from your bedroom, office or phone! I'm doing it right now. AristeiA is going on in a little bit... Please let me know of any other cool streaming of SXSW!CLICK HER TO WATCH: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ustream-studioTuesday March 17th – uStream/The Belmont “Green With Envy” (St. Patty’s Day Party)Details:...

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Fun Portland Dance Party: Electric Feel

PDX PIPELINE gave this night a stellar write up calling it a "A Deeply Satisfying Dancegasm".I'm gonna check out Electric Feel this Saturday night at the Fez Ballroom. I hear this is going to be fun night full of indie/electro/dance music, with some guilty pleasures, 80s, britpop, etc mixed in. I'm totally gonna bust out my...

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Ben's Live Music Picks is on a vacation.

Hello Dear Readers,I will be away for a month. AristeiA is going on tour. In my absence, please check out PC-PDX. They are pretty good at listing the shows and stuff. But CIMTB is going to be fine without me. I am sure you have been noticing the excellent content that has been posted as of late. -Ben p.s. You can see what I'm doing at the AristeiA...

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Unfiltered: Wednesday @ The White Eagle

A Cautionary Tale, Photo by Arian StevensHey Gang! I totally forgot about The White Eagle! It wasn't until I caught up with Nick O'donnell of A Cautionary Tale that I remembered about this venue. I haven't been there in yeeeears. I liked the place but apparently no one I've wanted to see has played there until now. Well,...

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Musical Etiquette: The First Date And The Music Collection

If you have a serious music habit, chances are you met your date at a record store, music shop or show. This makes it hard not to talk about music on the first date, since for all you can tell, it's the only thing you've got in common; except a shared desire to be in an awkward situation with a total stranger. It's OK, you...

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Guided History of PDX Past Volume 2 - THE DUTCH FLAT

OK. So I've come to realize that in a town/scene/era of this size, as welcoming as it can be, certain bands/projects end up slipping through the cracks.So that said, I've decided to do a weekly documentation of some of these musical projects that maybe never really made it out of the basement but still deserve some shine. Most...

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MTV Flashback 1983 / Personal Flashback 1995

In between talking to the Vanity Fair Twitter gal and watching this video I almost didn't feel sick today. My eyes burn as I type this but I love you guys to much not to share something that brought a smile to my snotty swollen face. It's one of my favorite songs. I can say I've seen the Ramones* which made me an instant...

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 13th to March 15th

Hello Dear Readers,I could have sworn that I had included yesterday in my last post. It really is a shame cause I meant to list the show I played at a House called the Arctic Circle Pit with His Name Shall Breathe. He was so good. He certainly knows his way a guitar. And knows how to write a song. I was looking forward to see how he was going to...

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Rant: I hate you Indie Genre Tag.

I listen to a lot of music. By a lot of music I mean I border on obsession. I listen to every kind there is, all the time I'm not playing it. Before you can say "Everything? Who does this guy think he is?" I will tell you this. My last few procurements are a collection of ancient Chinese folk songs, some Blur albums (Parklife...

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 9th to March 11th

Hello Dear ReadersI want to ask one thing. Why do not more bands incorporate french horn? Last night I saw Matt Sheehy play with his new band The Menders for the first time. It sounded great. A lot in part of the addition of Jen who plays french horn in everything from indie-bands to the Vancouver Opera. Thats Range!. That is not to take away from the...

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