I am quite frustrated. I have misplaced my wallet. That means I have no access for money and or ID to go to shows. It is probably good for me, but man I want to see me some music being made. Here is a show that I want to see but will probably miss tonight:
Monday, March 5th
Valentine's is having a show with Alemeda, Ghosting and maybe more. I have a digital copy of the ep that Alameda put out recently. I am impressed with it. You have your acoustic guitar singer-songwriter backed by a lush group of musicians. This is a formula that when done well, I do not tire of. There are a few people who do this around town, most notably Horse Feathers. But I assure you there is no Horse Feathery occuring in this music. It is its own thing. Perfect for the current cold and rain filled atmosphere that has taked Portland over. I caught a set of a smaller version of the group the other month at the Woods. I liked it. You might should check it out. Ghosting is one of those noise type bands. They have two songs on their myspace. OnE of them is a loud exercise in seemingly formless noise. The other is in the opposite end of the spectrum in the quite almost ambient end of things. So if you are a fan of those extremes, this is the band for you. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at this show please say "Hi". Please do not ask me for my ID, though.
-Ben
This band broke up and then some of them got back together. They sing now. It's called Alameda and they play tonight at Valentine's
This is a little late, but what's Easter without a little Jesus Christ Superstar action?
Now I'm personally partial to the 1970 original cast recording over the 1973 movie version, mainly since I'm not a big fan of Ted Neely as Jesus. However, Carl Anderson certainly did a fine performance of Judas in the latter iteration, and since the musical is really about Judas anyway, I'd like to post this move clip. Enjoy!
Last night I played at Press Club in Sean Flinn & The Royal We and Y La Bamba. it was super fun. The thing about Press Club is that as far as venues go it is on the smaller. Which means it is easy to fill. When the room is filled with people it makes us play better. I think. At least makes me feels better when there a bunch of people in the audience. There were plenty of them. Anyways here are some very fine looking shows happening tonight: Sunday, April 4th
Holocene is having a show with Dat'r, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, The Shakes, and Reverse Dotty. I don't Know if you have heard Dat'r or not but they are pretty dope. I mean if you like beats and dancing and innovative uses of play station controllers. Seriously these guys know what they are doing. And they are creating quality dance tracks infused with some electro funk. I am not sure where Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt is from but I know that it seems like the revolution is a guy who dresses up in a stuffed animal jacket. Like it is made out of smaller stuffed animals. I know that the revolution also has quite a light show. So many strobes. So many colors. Reverse Dotty is an electro pop group that has been around town for quite some time. They also incorporate a lot of live instruments and mix in a lot of different kind of sounds. They vocals are switched off between the font woman and sometimes the front man. The show is $8 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Ducketts Public House is having a show with Duck Little Brother Duck, Slow Trucks, Hot Damn, and On the Tundra. Duck. Little Brother, Duck are awesome. They are a set of very skilled musicians. They make rock music that is in the guitar heavy math pop vein. I just love 'em to death. They have been recording recently for one of the most anticipated albums of the year. By me anyways. Slow Trucks is very different and makes simple and yet good acoustic music. This a very hard feat to accomplish as most of the time if you have a guy with an acoustic guitar you have yourself the ingredients of a boring time. Hot Damn is the new band of Maggie Morris. She used to to live in California and I guess lives here now. I saw her a while back and Typhoon acted as her backing band and it was awesome. I like here songs. I have the CD that Boy Gorilla put out. I imagine that there are now permanent members outside of Maggie, but it appears she has some talented friends to help her out. I know because I used to run an open mic. On the Tundra is probably the only instrumental rock band in Eugene. They seem to lean toward long jammy passages but then kinda snap back into more organized parts. I am not sure what to think of them yet. The show is FREE is 9 PM.
Mississippi Pizza is having a show with My Dads and Lee Corey Oswald. My Dads is a band that I thought showed a lot of promise last time I saw them They are an instrumental rock band. They are a bit more on the chill side and stand out in my mind due to their nice incorporation of the trumpet. But when I saw them last they used a touch too much chorus for my tastes. If you are not afraid of chorus though, you should totally check out this band. Lee Corey Oswald is a folk duo made up of Corey Ciresi and Lee Ellis. They have a good sense of harmony and structure. I guess if pressed I would say that they are a bit softer or at least more accessible form of folk punk. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Rontoms is having a show with The Woolen Men, XDS, and Nucular Aminals. The Woolen Men make dirty sounding indie rock. Nucular Aminals sound like a band that is just full of catchy pop hooks that are used very liberally though out their songs. I like what they do. XDS make crazy music created by a wildly inventive duo. The guitarist probably has more pedals and effects than they other two bands combined and he makes good use of them constantly changing the tone two make it appear that he is playing more than one instrument. They drummer on the other hand sometimes actually plays more than one instrument, They both sing. The closest I can come to having a comparable band would have to be Deerhoof. They are awesome. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I will return the favor
Last night I played at Madai Lounge with The Sarcastic Dharma Society and Padriac FinbarHaggerty-Hammond. It was really good. It was the first time that I had seen their new set up with the added bass drum and Rhodes. The arrangements of the music were simple but very effective and very very impressive considering that it was played by two people. Both bands are the same two people. One on guitar and vocals and the other plays the drums Rhodes and glockenspiel (often at the same time). I heard a grip of new songs from the two. I loved it. Then I played, not to badly. I felt pretty good about it. Anyways, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:
Saturday, April 3rd
The Press Club is having a show with Y La Bamba and Sean Flinn & The Royal We. Both of these bands are comprised of the same seven people. We all recently got back from a ten day tour together. So we are excited to show off how tight we have gotten. I play bass and sing in both of these groups. I love them both dearly. Y La Bamba is a folk pop band with a lot of vocal arrangements. Sean Flinn writes really great melodies and has the same group that comes up with the vocal arrangements of Y La Bamba. The show is FREE and starts at 8;30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Anias Mitchell (Montpelier, VT), Jeffrey Foucault, and Kele Goodwin. I am not too familiar with Anais Mitchell but her music seems peculiar. There are parts Tom Waits part other. She often collaborates with some dude that layers his vocals like beck. Not really my thing. I guess I am mostly writing about this show because of Kele Goodwin. He has been around making his gentle minimalistic folk music. I have his first ep that he used to give out at his shows. It sounds great. I used to compare him to Nick Drake a lot. That is a good starting point for his sound, but he is no carbon copy. He has spent the last couple of years recording with members of MuseeMecanique. I can't wait to get a copy once it is done. His song " A Kiss for Your Eyes" is one of my favorites. He rarely plays so if you like you hear of his myspace you should totally check out this show. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Hosannas, The Swifts, and Kittin. I think I have finally gotten used to calling the band Hosannas by their name. I love them to death. Their moody and dynamic and at times bombastic songs do it for me every time. They seem to be constantly tweaking their arrangements. I heard that they have recently spent some time in the studio. Also their first couple eps will be re-released next month. I think 2010 will treat these guys well. I don't know nothing bout the other bands, but seriously it doesn't matter. Hossanas is bomb. The ALL AGES show is at 9 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Run On Sentence, Super XX Man, and John Vecchiarelli. If you have not seen Run On Sentence, I suggest that you go see this show. I have only seen him a handful of times, but when he had his full band it is huge. The songs sound epic due in large to the size of front man Dustin Hammond's voice. It is strong. Super XX Man is a favorite of mine since my Texas Days. I think he will have a band with him tonight. I have only seen him play solo since I have moved to Portland. His songs sound sweet again due in large part to the lead singer, in this case Scott Garred. John Vecchairelli is mostly know as nice guy and drummer for many including time drummer for the other two bands playing. I have had the pleasure of playing a show with John Before. It is nice to see a person who knows his craft. The show is being put on by KZME. I am not sure what that means. But they seem to put on good shows. The show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Surfer Blood (West Palm Beach , FL), Turbo Fruits (Nashville, TN), and Dirty Mittens. Surfer Blood is one of those new fangledreverb drenched bands that has reached very high levels of popularity in a very short period of time. I think their songs are catchy and good and I see why they are popular. They are good at what they do. Hell I guess I will admit that I like it. I have never heard of Turbo Fruit, but they are on tour with Surfer Blood. They have a tinge of surf rock to their energetic indie pop rock. It would probably be cool to see. Then there is the home town neo soul pop group sensations Dirty Mittens. I really can get down with what they do. There is sax and guitar solos and lots of tamborine. I love it. I think they have an album on the verge of being released (a lot of local bands do right now). Come see if you can recognize songs you don't recognize (ie new songs). The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Cherry Sprout Market is having a show with Evolutionary Jass Band, Cexfucx, and Midnight Snacks ( Larry Yes and Kevin Michael Mayfield). There is also an art show comprised of the employees of Cherry Sprout. Or you can just get your fresh produce. Let me break it down like this: Evolutionary Jass band are amazing. There done. Just see them or at least do your self the favor of checking them out online. They are really good at what they do. Which is jazz based and expands into its own thing. Cexfucx is another huge jazz based freak out band. I never seen them but I know they can't pretty far out their based on the live recordings they have in their myspace. I love it. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
The Waypost is having a show withLove Menu, Leonard Mynx, and The Shivas. Do you want to keep it folky in the NE? Then this is the show for you. I used to see Love Menu when she had a full band. Emily Katz would switch between a guitar and her autoharp. She doesn't play too often and never plays ALL AGES. So kids now is your chance. Leonard Mynx is Portland's Dylan. I think that is a good summary. I mean he is very wordy and often changes things up musically. Going back and forth between electric and acoustic. But is always about the songs. They are usually pretty sad as hell. But who doesn't enjoy a good sad song? I have not seen the Shivas in a long time, but apparently they are just coming off a tour and will be playing a special acoustic show. Should be good. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at the Press Club shows please say, "Hi". I will be sporting a beard and converse.
-Ben
Run On Sentence will tear it up at Mississippi Studios tonight.
Yesterday was a crazy day for me that involved the assist in arresting two heroin addicts who also were some of the biggest guys in ID theft in Portland. It did not, however, include me making a blog post. Which is a bummer considering I had all of the hard part done (picking the shows and getting all of their links). Also it meant me staying at work late writing a big ass report. Which made me very sleepy. I was in bed by nine, no joke. Anyway I will definitely be out tonight. Check it:
Friday, April 2nd
Mudai Lounge is having a show with Meyercord, The Sarcastic Dharma Society, and Padriac Finbar Haggerty-Hammond. If you do some research on Mudai Lounge you find that it is not a traditional venue, but rather an Ethiopian restaurant. A good one I hear. "Great Ethiopian food, the ambiance is lacking, but how fancy can you expect to get when you're eating with your hands?" is what mnymarkf777 had to say about the place. Well tonight I plan on making the ambiance a little less lacking. How do I plan on doing this? I think you know. I mean the cat is already out of the bag. I already mentioned that there will be a show. Some of the readers may have already made the connection between my name, Ben Meyercord, and the first band listed, Meyercord. Yes, it is a band that I front. yes, I am listing the show first. Yes, I am biased. Yes, I am friends with the other acts playing. Yes, I think that they are some of the best songwriters in Portland. yes, I know how to start a sentence with out a "yes". No, I do not want to. Whoops. Anyway, I am very happy to be playing a show with my band mates who will man the upright bass and clarinet respectively. They will also add some vocals here and there as well as a sprkle of glockenspiel. The Sarcastic Dharma Society and Padriac Finbar Haggerty-Hammond are essentially the same band. And by band I mean Mat Vuksinich and ummm...Padriac Finbar Haggerty-Hammond (or as we call him "Fin"). They are a perfect match musically and have created a very cool set up of one person playing electric guitar and singing while the other person mans a bass drum, floor tom, glockenspiel and Rhodes piano and singing back ups (often an impressive combination of these instruments). I personally have not seen them play with this set up as it is relatively new. But I bet it is good. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Nick Jaina, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, and Future Historians. This is a CD release show for Mr. Jaina and his band. The new album is called "A Bird In The Opera House". Unlike his last album, this one was more of a studio effort. You may recall the last was famously recorded live. This one was carefully crafted over the last year or so. I have not heard it, but I have heard that it is good. Plus I think Nick always assembles a top notch band. You should catch him now before he and his crew head out on the road for about a month. Also I cannot say enough great things about Sally Ford and her excellent band, The Sound Outside. The only thing I wish is that they had another release to quench my retro-pop desires. I have never seen Future Historians. But I have listened to their tunes online. It was a pleasurable experience that most likely is comparable to the live experience (which I, again, have not experienced). Check them out for me. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
The World Famous Kenton Club is having a show with White Fang, Million Brazillions, and Droni Mitchell. A mere week ago or so I was on tour in California and we actually had a show booked with White Fang. I was totally stoked because I hadn't seen them in a long time. But then the band took longer than we thought to eat and I ended up missing their set. I felt like such a dick. I am sorry White Fang. I really do enjoy your artful punk musical endeavors. I will miss you again tonight. Sorry. Million Brazillions is a band that actually did a pretty good job classifying themselves as psychedelic, trance, and punk. It is not easy to wrap you brain around, but kinda cool once you do. Droni Mitchell is also a trancy psychedelic drone laced band. I think they played earlier this week, so if you missed them you have another chance to see them. The show is probably FREE and starts at 9 PM.
The Artistery is having a show with Dopesmoker, Cower, Hexenkrieg, and Aapoaa. I like many people in this town like all kinds of music. One type of music that I honestly don't see enough of is heavy music. That is because personally I don't often get in the mood to see loud and heavy music. But it is shows like this one that make me glad that I live in a town that has some good, if few, heavy bands. So if you have a hankering to damage you ears and see some good gear, because let's face facts: heavy bands always have good gear,then this is the show for you. I remember seeing Cower at PDX Pop Now! a few years back and being amazed that there was a) that kind of band in Portland and b) that I had not heard of them. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.
Car Hole Gallery is having a show with Stag Bitten, Meth Teeth, and Guantanamo Baywatch. Car Hole (also a less fancy terminology for a garage) is probably a house venue. I gather this because a) I have never heard of the Car Hole b) I found this show on Pc-PDX.com a site that shows lots of house shows and c) all of these bands thrive in the house show setting. I have never seen Stag Bitten, but I have heard they are thrash? Punk? Thrash punk?. Whatever they are, they are too punk to have any sort of social networking page. Meeth Teeth occupies the lo-fi space between punk and acoustic music without being a terrible folk punk band. Guantanamo Baywatch remains one of my favorite neo surf punk bands that I have not seen. I will catch them one day. I swear it. Until then, you should see them for me. The ALL AGES show is by donation at 9 PM.
Gresham Skate World is having a show with Hornet Leg, Orca Team, and Don Hellions. Gresham Skate World is exactly what you would expect. A freakin' skating rink. Yes y'all, you are invited to roller skate or, if you want, Rollerblade while hip local bands play. Well almost local. I mean they are from Portland. I don't know of any bands from Gresham off the top of my head. I like the descriptions that GSW (Gresham Skate World) put up so much I am going to straight up copy and paste them right here in this post. They list Orca Team (my other favorite neo surf type band that I have not seen) as "a simple minimalistic surf pop band". They describe Don Hellions as a "Motown/neo soul group". They describe Hornet Leg as a "garage rock/soul band". So if these descriptions appeal to you, you finally have a reason to head out to Gresham. But I probably had your attention at the words Skate World, didn't I? The ALL AGES show is $6.75 and starts at 6:30 PM.
If you see me at the Mudai Lounge please say "Hi". I will dedicate a slow jam to you.
-Ben
See these two guys play a show with me tonight at Mudai Lounge tonight. It's FREE.
Last night I ended up being to tired to go to a show. I actually went to bed pretty early after recording a podcast thing that lasted longer than I had anticipated. But man there are a lot of great shows going on tonight. These are the shows I want to check out:
Wednesday, March 31th
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with And And And, Archers, The Charts, and Total Bros. I have played a show with And And And and I they reminded me of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. At least the guys vocals did. They are pretty good. I can see good things for them. The Archers are a rock band. Not too shabby. The Charts only have live tracks on their myspace. It is kinda hard to tell what they sound like. Total Bros is an awesome and crazy band. Very hyperactive and fun. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having something called called My Favorite Things. This is a multimedia event curated by Sam Adams. What did he pick? Soft Tags, Rev. Shines and DJ Hwy 7. There will also be a screening of the latest of the W+K series Don't Move Here. This episode features Holocene. Sam Adams has pretty good taste. I have written several times a bout Soft Tags. Who knows? Maybe Sam reads the blog (hi Sam). Anyways, I read that all of the proceeds will benefit: CAN (Creative Advocacy Network) and Right Brain Initiative. The show is $5-$15 at 8 PM.
Ducketts Public House is having a show with Hornet Leg, Agatha (Seattle), and Orca Team. Hornet Leg is a band that I have never seen but have heard evolve over the years. They currently, at least judging by the music they have posted, reminded me of the Velvet Underground. They used to be more punk. Whatevs. I think they sound better now. Agatha is kinda of a louder rock band from Seattle. They kinda seem to be in the ballpark of a Blood Brothers type band or something. Then there is Orca Team. They are great. They have had a bit of trouble lately but they are still musically on target. They have a sense of pop that is greater than most bands will ever have. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Rotture is having a show with Wax Fingers, Yeah Great Fine, and Duck Little Brother Duck. I like these bands a lot. Wax Fingers are an innovative pop band. I have not seen them but I really want to. Check them out. Yeah Great Fine is also a...wait.. all of these bands are innovative pop bands. Yeah Great Fine mixes mathy stuff and some electronics. Duck Little Brother Duck is a mathy type band too. I love them. You need to see them. The show is $5 and starts at 9M.
Doug Fir is having a show with World's Greatest Ghosts, Tempo No Tempo, and Monarques. Funny story. The other day I was in Ashland playing a show with Y La Bamba. There was a guy who was at the show. A friend of one of Luzelena's brother was there. I asked him how often he went to shows. He let me know not very many. He did say that he had seem an indie band a few weeks back. World's Greatest Ghost. I told him that I had just been listening to them in the van ride to the show. He was like... "Yeah I am not sure about that band. They were kinda weird. They had a song about a Tyranasaurus...". He did not seem like a music fan. But I can assure you that they are really great. I love them. Keyboards, guitars, dinosuars, they got it all. Tempo No Tempo is a band from the bay that sounds really good. They kinda have a Les SavyFav vibe to them (Rock with drumming that makes you want to dance?). Which is to say really cool angular guitar type stuff mixed with a really tight rhythm section. Monarques take it back to when pop was pure. They last time I saw them was on Valentine's and they covered a bunch of oldies tunes. They were the perfect band for that considering I feel like that is the ascetic they seem to be shooting for. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I like to say it, maybe you will to?
-Ben
Wax Fingers play at Rotture tonight. Possible with more light.
I am back. California is beautiful and sunny and warm. Portland is cold and rainy. But I am glad to be back regardless of the temperature. I played many shows in many cities and noone has as many good shows on any given day like Portland. Or maybe they do and I just didn't research enough. In any case, I am glad to be back. I returned from a West coast tour with Y La Bamba and Sean Flinn & The Royal We (playing bass and singing in both) yesterday. Last night I had an AristeiA practice for a podcast we are recording this evening. So I didn't attend a show. But the podcast we are recording tonight is pretty early so I might be able to take in a show tonight. Here are some fine looking shows that peaked my interest:
Tuesday, March 30th
The Barn is having a show with Tall Grass (Oakland), Firs of Prey, and Captn Shirt. Tall Grass is a band from Oakland thatmake pretty good post indie folk music. It is obviously infuenced by those who did male female harmonies before them armed with acoustic instruments, but it is not afraid to add newer elements. Take the programmed beat on "For a Good Time Call" , for instance. I like it. It kinda reminds me of The Moldy Peaches. Firs of Prey is the project that Andrew Miller uses to make music. The recordings I have heard generally consist of classic pop arrangements with well above average melodies and super tight three part harmonies. I have not seen him live but I have seen this video of him with a looping pedal that is just brilliant. I think I will include it at the bottom of this post. I could not find any info on Captn Shirt. Oh well. The show was originally scheduled to take place at The Skidmore Bluffs but as you may have noticed,it is currently raining and really cold outside. So they moved it. The ALL AGES show is by donation and starts at 5:30 PM.
Burgerville (SE 12th and Hathorne) is having a show with Droni Mitchell, Eternal Tapestry, and Jeffrey Jerusalem. Droni Mitchell is a mix of a lot of different elements. I have come to expect this form anything that Travis Wiggins touches. He seems to have dedicated himself to exploring new sounds of psychedelia. Also, as one might expect from a band called Droni Mitchell, there is a hint of drone to the music. Eternal Tapestry is one of those bands that is hard to describe with out using that word psychedelic. But they are more of a tripped out rock band with loud riffs and walls of sound. Cool stuff. Then there is Jeffrey Jerusalem, the one man disco party. You may know him as the drummer from Inside Voices, but I assure you this is nothing like that amazing band. This project is also rad, but in a totally different and fun way. If you love to dance, this is for you. If you happen to be at this show and you don't love to dance, be prepared to learn how to love to dance. That is a confusing sentence, but I assure you it makes sense. Have a burger. Perhaps a shake. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
The Parlour is having a show with The Kris Special (LA), Kelli Schaefer, Destroy Nate Allen, Mike Hex, and maybe more. The Kris special is a duo from LA. They list themselves as Americana and Punk. I listened to their first song on their myspace and I was like, "yes, this is kinda punk-ish". Then I listened some more and I was like, "Woah, is that pedal steel? That sounds good. Americana!" So rare to have people be un-ironic in their genre listing for myspace. Kelli Schaefer is amazing. She is why I listed this show and one of the many musical reasons you should be glad you live in Portland. If you do not live in Portland and are reading this, do not move here. It is cold and rainy and unpleasant always. But Kelli Schaefer makes music that showcases not only her incredibly stong voice but her talent as a songwriter as well. She initially caught my ear from her song "Lasso the Moon" a while back. It seems every song she writes she gets better though. Check her itunes singles and you will see what I mean. I have never seen Nate Allen play, but you can read a review of one of his CDs that was posted on CIMTB last summer just by clicking this link. Mike Hex writes coutry songs that are inspired by whiskey. His playing appears to be inspired by it as well. Not in all too bad way though. It might just be a certain asthetic. I don't know. The ALL AGES show is $4 and starts at 7 PM.
Posies Cafe will be having a show with The Moon In Light. I heard about this show through my buddy Perry. He has started booking shows at Posies every Tuesday. Pretty good stuff ususally. I have not seen The Moon In Light but have heard good things and written about those good things before on this very blog. It is the musical vehicle for Tim Emerson. Sometimes it seems kinda folky sometimes it is more a indie rock type thing. Both of these genre tags are pretty useless though, so I would suggest you go ahead and click on the link I provided and see for yourself what it sounds like. It will be FREE and starts at 7:30 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I am the one you have not seen at shows in a while welcome me back.
-Ben
I know I have posted this video of Firs of Prey before, but I don't really care. He plays at The Barn tonight. Check it out.
I am so so sorry for not blogging more. Some of my excuses are cool- like having a couple of novels coming out- but most of them are not. At any rate, I will try to pick up the slack. There is so much music coming our way, it's spilling into our ears and out of our asses, and we will do our best to share it with you. Here are some standouts that I would like to talk about.
Maximum enthusiasm. That's what these kids have. Also, talent. It's fun stuff, and honestly they could be singing Cannibal Corpse type lyrics, but it's in Indonesian. So you'd never know. Regardless, they seem to have missed the memo about how music should make you miserable. I wish they would have opened up at the Efterklang show I saw recently, instead of the shit nightmare of Portland bands that supported the gleeful Danish indie popsters. You should enjoy music! Not endure it, or try to stay awake through it. But here are the Greats in their own words:
Greats was formed in mid-November 2005, by a bunch of teenagers who passionately want to find a more aesthetic time immemorial music is unpretentious, with a simple instrument that is played outside the window at night. Behind the bombastic-sounding name, "Greats" are really just our way a little too far to read the tone: 6-1-2-3-4-7-5 (la-do-re-mi-fa-sol-si). This method we can from the typical fad of young people trying to put their identity on the car plates. But, a name will be an echo selallu not be easily lost when we call something, thus we, are inevitably tied in this name.
Deep apologies also to Rolla. He sent us a track, "Highway Patrol", that was one of the most beautiful tracks that's ever come our way. I ended up in conversation with the enigmatic Canadian, and got the rest of the album from him, and it's all just as good. Somehow it managed make its way onto regular rotation on my ipod and not into review on the blog. Well, let's rectify that. Here's what Rolla himself had to say about his debut, after I used some uncharacteristic threats of interviewer violence on him:
It's less a structured album, than a collection of songs. The tracks vary a lot. I didn't consider making an album that flows from start to finish but instead just focused on each song as individuals. I guess there's no right or wrong way. There may even be a thread that runs through it all that I haven't discovered yet.
He's right. This is a record that rewards multiple listens. Initial comparison to Neil Young is easy, and apt, but incomplete. There are a few songs here that seem slight, but everything ties into a series of deep spaces and mysteries. The production value is stellar, as well, serving to maintain the intensity over varying cascades of reverb and distortion and slide guitar, as well as Rolla's highly expressive voice.
We all know that Portland only has 2 degrees of separation. That is just a stone fact, brothers and brotherettes. Alameda features Jessie on cello, which she also played in Tchotchkes, which I saw at the Langano when they opened up for my friend Anthony's band. Anthony grew up in Bellingham with David Kyle of Secret Codes, who has been known to play in some projects with Ben Meyercord of Crappy Indie Music fame... you see what I mean. Well, it doesn't stop there. But that's just a teaser, first the review of Alameda.
I stated at first that Alameda's music is clean and nice. I stand by that. Stirling Myle's vocals have a potential fluidity that is just begging to be let out- were the music a tad more dynamic and the lyrical range extended, I think Alameda would easily crowd out any well-known Portland bands named after failed Russian revolutions. It's not bad for a first go round.
Here's where it gets hairy, though. Stirling is also in Autopilot (Is For Lovers). They're working on their next disc "Not Now, Apocalypse", as he informs me, and he shared a rough version of the song "Workhorse" with me. It's going to be very good. So if we take the previous example, and work backwords from the blog, you've got me, Ben, David, Anthony, Jessie, Stirling, ADRIENNE HATKIN of Autopilot... and then, my lovely wife who was in her social scene back in the day and sang on a Builders and Butchers album. So then it's back to me. But of course, instead of a wheel, you can cross some spokes through... add Goldie at an Aristeia and Stabbity show and it's starting to look like macrame. Add my daughter and, ah hell. Then again, that's why Portland is awesome. Great music, great people.
So, to recap, have a listen to Greats, Rolla Olak, Alameda, keep an eye out for the new Autopilot disc, and our old friend Mike Kirkland just informed me that he'll be sending me the next New Evils disc hot off the presses next week, so expect a review of that. WOOT!!!
