Oregon Music News

Portland is world-renowned for housing innovative excellence in many fields, and lucky for us, we have Siren Nation for all of our female-centric musical, visual, and craft-inspired artistic outpourings. The organization now in its fifth year has a huge, upcoming weekend of greatness planned for us Portlanders so that we may revel firsthand in the experience of hearing and seeing some of the best, most promising female-fronted acts around.

A little history:

Siren Nation’s mission “is to inspire and empower women of all ages to create their own art,” further taking it upon themselves as an organization to promote the original, high-quality content that comes of this empowering design. One of the ways in which they do this is with their annual performance showcase, the Siren Nation Festival, to be held this year from November 3rd to 6th at venues across Portland. The line-up includes some of today’s best art, craft, film, and music created by women.

And now for the musical line-up:

DJ Safi kicks off the festival on Thursday night at Albina Press (5012 SE Hawthorne) DJing the free, all-ages Siren Nation Art Show, which will feature more than 40 NW artists on display. She spins ’60s underground rock, ’80s and ’90s indie rock, classic dub, dancehall, hip-hop, funk, soul, bossa nova, jazz, and African pop.

Friday evening’s show takes place at the Doug Fir Lounge. If you didn’t catch Ximena Sariñana when she shared the stage with Sia and Oh Land at the Wonder Ballroom back in August, make sure you don’t miss her this time around. It’s no surprise that she was recently voted a You Oughta Know artist by VH1. Her Spanish and English ballads are the stuff of pop poetry. Watch Ximena Sariñana’s “Different”:

Three additional, breathtaking female artists will take the stage along with Ximena. Lemolo, a dreamy Seattle duo, would be the sonic sum to come out of an Air and Azure Ray combination. Breath, light, harmony are just a few words that come to mind. Listen to Lemolo’s “Open Air”:

Kelli Schaefer

Kelli Schaefer was chosen by Willamette Week readers as being one of the Best New Bands of 2011 and impressed at PDX Pop Now! this year. She embodies a lyrical feminism and vocal candor reminiscent of PJ Harvey or Bjork, but with the pop sensibility of a colorfully sensual Cyndi Lauper.

The Corin Tucker Band (ex-Sleater-Kinney) rounds out the bill with their “post-consumer rock” that takes you by the pants and spins you along with driving riffs and real life struggles in a world outside of ’80s-inspired entitlement. This is stripped down rock at its finest. Tucker pushes our ability to adapt to her new sound with questions like, “What is really important in [your] life?” and “What do [you] absolutely have to hold on to?” Doors open at 8pm. Music at 9pm. 21+.

Listen to the first single, “Doubt” (right click to download), from The Corin Tucker Band’s Kill Rock Stars debut, 1,000 Years:

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Saturday afternoon features an all-ages matinée at Mississippi Studios. Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches, Aesop Rock) is a busy lady. As a solo act she’s been touring with the likes of They Might Be Giants, The Butchies, Third Eye Blind and others, promoting her most recent album, Thunder Thighs. In the studio she has accompanied fellow anti-folk singer/songwriters such as Regina Spektor and Jeffrey Lewis while collaborating on an album with Aesop Rock to be released in 2012. Listen to Kimya Dawson’s “Loose Lips”:

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Opening for Kimya are two incredibly different, vibrant female acts. STLS are getting rave reviews around town for being “drumcore mavens,” and Sassfest, a group of four young teens who met at last year’s Rock’n'Roll Camp for Girls, will dazzle you with their fresh talent.

Saturday evening will bring three acts to The Woods. Led To Sea is the solo project of Seattle violist/violinist L. Alex Guy (Degenerate Art Ensemble). Sometimes joined by percussionist Paul Kikuchi and bassist Jherek Bischoff, L. Alex’s viola and violin can be heard on recordings by Xiu Xiu, the Dead Science, The Pharmacy, and Parenthetical Girls.

Y La Bamba needs no introduction, do they? The Portland indie darlings are well-known for being fronted by the deep well that is Luz Elena Mendoza’s voice. Pulling from music circa 1930s Mexico, Luz Elena and her band mates have crafted a distinctly folkloric yet modern form that defies classification, except to say that it is audibly lovely. A pure joy to hear unfold. Watch Y La Bamba’s “Juniper” above.

Laura Gibson

Laura Gibson sings atmospheric melodies as if from inside a glass guitar. Reminiscent of Thao Nguyen’s lilting depth or Patti Griffin’s flute-like vocal wanderings, Laura brings a distinct minimalism to folk music. She’s already set to release her new album La Grande on January 24th via Barsuk Records, but you can watch a live rendition above of “Milk-Heavy, Pollen-Eyed” Gibson recorded for Mason Jar Music.  Doors open at 8pm. Music at 9pm. 21+.

To close out the festival on Sunday, Siren Nation has brought in New York City/Detroit band My Brightest Diamond. Shara Worden–singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire–is one of the best female artists you’re ever gonna see. Seriously. She could hold her own with the likes of Leslie Feist, Beth Gibbons, Judy Garland, or Shirley Bassey, but she’d bring a rock ‘n’ roll twist with a touch of superhero antics. Deeper meaning flows through her prose-laden songs, piercing listeners with a sweet arrow with a tip they’ll want to keep under their skin. The show is on Sunday evening at Mississippi Studios with opener Chicago’s Netherfriends. Doors open at 8:30pm. Music at 9pm. 21+.

Watch an acoustic (without a guitar) rendition of My Brightest Diamond’s “Be My Husband”:

The 5th annual Siren Nation Festival runs from November 3rd to 6th in Portland.  Get the complete schedule including art, crafts, film and more on Siren Nation plus ticketing info.