I don't care about indie music!

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for the rest of April

Hello Dear Readers,I must say Saturday Night was one of the most fun shows I have ever been a part of. All the Bands were so good. I knew that Nurses and Jared Mees were going to spectacular (which they were), but I had not seen Dirty Mittens in a looong time. They were so good. NE Ways...Monday, April 27thValentine's is having a show with White Rainbow,...

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Hot Topics (sing it like Hot Pockets)

1. Do you want to play a show at Hot Topic?Yeah you do! Read the Craig's listing here: Hot Topic2. What is the first song in your iTunes alphabetically?Mine is A-ha Take on Me.3. Here is my current favorite youtube video:"I'm not afraid to mess up. I keep my head up. That's what my momma taught me." -- Sta...

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Musical Etiquette: No, You Can't Join the Band.

Dear Musical Etiquette:So, we've been looking for a new drummer for a while. We posted on Craigslist that we were looking and I'm starting to think it might have been a mistake. Every no talent assclown has shown up at our practice space looking to "get their break". This one dude in particular keeps responding with new email...

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for April 25 to April 26

Hello Dear Readers,If you are like me you get so tired. You think to yourself that you no longer wish to see live music. But let me tell you, I have yet to regret seeing a show that I wanted to see. Conversely, I have regretted not seeing many many shows that I wanted to see but convinced myself I didn't really need to go to. That being said, here...

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for April 23rd and 24th

Hello Dear Readers,I went to the show last night and had a relatively good time. Grey Anne was great (she even debuted a new song) and I got to see what good musicians A Cautionary Tale are. Plus as it turns out they were giving out their new album for FREE at the show. Crazy. But the real surprise was Sleepy Eyes of Death, the poorly named yet...

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Blow your mind... into the future

Well, the future didn't turn out quite like we planned. And I don't mean that European tour that was this close back in '97, or the ill-fated "I do" from that same year. No, I'm talking about Web 2.o. It just wasn't quite the mad-scientist extravaganza that I (and a lot of other people) expected it to be. Now, I get it. Looking...

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Ben Meyercord's Live Picks for April 22nd

Hello Dear Readers,Remember me? I am Ben I used to write about all the show that are happening in the Portland area. Then I went out for awhile. But I am back now. Looks like there are some shows that are happening this week.WednesdayIt's Earth Day! See a show in Celebration.Roseland is having a show with Bloc Party and...

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Musical Etiquette: At The Grocery Store

Dear Musical Etiquette:I was walking through the grocery store the other day and ran into XXXX from XXXX shopping! I was so nervous, but I walked up and said hi anyway. I told him I was his biggest fan ever and gave him my demo CD. Good thing I keep some on me! He didn't really talk to me, he just sort of stared at the CD,...

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Album Review : Bjorn Quenemoen Ears Will Talk

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Bjorn Quenemoen’s music is gentle, folk influenced singer-songwriter style with light orchestral backing. Touchstones for comparison would be Kings of Convenience or Belle and Sebastian at their quietest. Though I have had this album for a few weeks and been listening to and enjoying it thoroughly, I’ve had a hard time...

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Album Review: Iron and Wine - Fall 2007

Essentially the demo versions of Shepherd's Dog, this feels like a personal concert playing in my bedroom. It is stripped completely naked, just Sam and a guitar and it's great to hear these songs like this. There's some serious differences here too. "Boy With A Coin" has an extended vocal section that I've only heard live....

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Musical Etiquette: Don't Touch My Guitar

Dear Musical Etiquette:Can I play your guitar? Please? I'm wasted and I really want to rock out.XXXXXXThere is no faster way to upset a musician than grabbing an instrument and playing it without permission. I am glad that you asked, but I must decline. You see, I don't know you and your breath smells like it could melt a hole...

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Album Review: Upsidedown Astronaut - Flight 1998

Soundtracks are some of my favorite albums and this is a soundtrack to a film that needs to be made. It is a grainy film of an record, full of glitches and noise without grating up against your aesthetics and remaining firmly in love with the beat. Once you hit the fourth track "The Same As Before", the record really takes...

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Rant: Derivative Crap

There is no doubt that other forms of music are a huge influence on anyone creating music in the 21st century. With the huge collection of recorded music available to the modern artist and the speed at which this music comes to us, it becomes difficult to distinguish a bands influences from it's creativity. So what qualifies...

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Musical Tourniquet: Meeting your bandmate for the first time after lengthy internet collaboration

Heh, sorry Eriq. A quick riff on the title of your excellent series was unavoidable.As it turns out, the meeting of the minds went quite well. While of course Murphy's Law was in full effect for us (my wife got ill, baby needed watching, my bandmate Shreya lost her wallet and had to use public trans to find it), the only thing...

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Musical Etiquette: The Subtle Art Of The Mixtape

Dear Musical Etiquette,There's this guy at the gas station that I'm totally crushing on ! <3 He's sooooooo HAWT and I totally don't know what to do. My BFF sez I should make him a mixtape to let him know how I feel. Should I do this or is it way too creepy? Thanks! XXXXXXMixtapes are a wonderful tradition. It gives you...

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Album Review (and show Tonight) Chores : The Subtle Politics of the Public Hammock

A press release in my e-mail inbox announcing an April 2nd CD Release at Rotture was the first I’d heard of Portland locals Chores. Before taking a listen to the album, The Subtle Politics of the Public Hammock, I took a peek at the record cover – it has a 60’s or early 1970’s look, a hammock in the foreground with some people,...

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Portland rock/dance icon Fred/Ferd Nemo speaks!

Wieden + Kennedy has a radio station online called W+K Radio. I really enjoy listening to the interviews conducted by Alica McDaid of Rush-N-Disco. This week she interviewed Fred Nemo formally of back-in-the-day PDX rockers Hazel. Fred is now dancing along with Tara Jane O'Neil. You feel like going on a delightful 90's nostalgia...

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Album Review: Aids Wolf - Cities Of Glass

I am uncertain of how to describe Aids Wolf. I could agree with their surmise that they have embraced an intentionally ugly aesthetic in a sort of post-modern ironic statement and are pursuing pure art through pure trash. Then I would simply laugh at my pretentious art analysis, go with my gut feelings (which generally serve...

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Album Review: Pontiak - Maker

It's pretty rare that an album lands in my lap for review that I get totally obsessed with. Thank you Thrill Jockey. Thank you so fucking much. The arrival of this album in my record collection has given the Black Keys a scare, pushing in on their listening time to an almost dangerous degree. This is heavy rock. Meaning that...

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