Oregon Music News

Los Angeles based lo-fi hero Ariel Pink’s new record Before Today sounds good.  And as the perfectly mastered tracks are a certain departure from the ubiquitous hiss of a cassette recorder on his earlier releases, so is a solid live band to a guy on stage pressing buttons on his four-track.

For a Monday night at the Doug Fir, it was crowded.  Well, at least crowded enough for Pink to juxtapose casual, controlled singing with an extended crowd surf.  And for people to dance.  But this was after the crowd was sufficiently warmed up to his undeniable weirdness.

He set up his gear slowly, with a subtle smirk on his face–a look that hinted towards some secret prank he would later play.  His posture bad, back hunched, skinny arms and hair long, he spoke with wit and sarcasm, radiating eccentric-creative energy.  And except for lighting a cigarette onstage during his encore set (which was eventually snatched and put out), he really behaved quite well.  In fact, he’s great entertainment.

The band held nothing back for the weeknight crowd, unleashing a large portion of their repertoire in two sets.  Pink’s compositions showed incredible diversity, sounding somewhere in between a crisp eighties pop number by Michael Jackson and the rock riffage of the Doors, all covered in a Velvet Underground-ish blah-pop haze.   The live performance contained layered synths and electric guitars, backed by a Fender jazz bass and acoustic drums.  Pink was using lots of extended vocal techniques like percussive popping, creating microphone feedback by putting the mic in his mouth, and a number of very strange shrieking sounds.  At times he would stop and speak to the audience, once asking during the chorus, “You know the words, right?”  Then speaking the words over the chorus and asking again, “What does that mean anyway?”

If only we knew, Mr. Pink.  You’re a true American weirdo.

Ten minutes after Katzenjammer left the stage for the second time, the enamored crowd was still clapping and cheering wildly. Even a two-song encore was not enough to satiate the room of adoring fans. First-time listeners as well as those already singing along with the music; not a soul could keep their eyes off the stage, or their bodies from bopping.

The stunning quartet from Norway that make up Katzenjammer wowed the Doug Fir Thursday with their unique and eclectic blend of music encompassing notes from all genres, all over the world. With 15 of their 29 instruments in tow, the band-members enacted an almost literal version of “musical chairs,” …without the chairs. Utilizing an accordion, a banjo, a harmonica, a ukulele, as well as their signature mascot, to name a few, a contrabass balalaika they have decorated and named Børge (the triangular-shaped bass featured at right), the self-taught women are all proficient on every instrument and, seemingly, after each song, they would switch positions and instruments, each lending a different sound to the music.

Their internationally influenced music ranges, even mid-song, from a Gypsy, Bohemian sound reminiscent of something one would hear in Moulin Rouge; to circus-sounding bells, whistles, and trumpets; to 1920’s, flapper-esque pep; to deep and soulful, folky-rock, and everything in between.

At one point, Anna Marit led the audience in a sing-a-long rendition of “To the Sea,” instructing the room to repeat the chorus lines after her:

“Because alllll I have leffffft, is the voiiiiiiiice of the wiinnnnnd,

blowwwwinng throughhh-the doorrss….”

“OF THE HOUSE!”

A fairly intimate crowd on a warm Thursday night, the floor in front of the stage would have suggested otherwise: the linoleum full of fans new and old dancing, clapping, smiling along with the enthusiastic, fun-loving band. The energy in the room was contagious and by the end of the night, everyone was buzzing around, whether they knew the lyrics or not.

Local Portland quintet, The Ascetic Junkies, helped to set the infectiously positive tone for the evening, so very obviously in love with making music, no matter who is listening. As they played to the early, mellow group, their apparent joy and great music wafted up the stairs and into the ears of passersby that slowly began trickling in and quickly took up swing dancing on the spacious floor. Catch them throughout the summer, at the Doug Fir August 1st and 14th, and at Pioneer Courthouse Square July 22nd, performing free with Kink.fm’s summer concert series.

The release of the Katzenjammer’s album Le Pop brings the foursome on their first “real” tour of the U.S., even playing several Lilith Fair shows in August. Keep your eyes and ears peeled: after professing their instant infatuation with Portland, and already working on another album, there is no doubt these ladies will be back for their next tour. In the meantime, watch the music video for Katzenjammer’s hit “Bar in Amsterdam” below:

Once upon a time, four women from Norway taught themselves to play a multitude of instruments, as many as 29, and started a band showcasing their talents. They are Katzenjammer and will be gracing Portland with their unique blend of musical beauty.

Their sound transforms from song to song, and even within each song, featuring sounds straight out of the wild west or a an old silent western movie, the circus, the deep south, the 1930’s, and at times even sounding like something that would be featured in Moulin Rouge. However, the core of their sound is rooted in rock and folk, with strong, energetic and powerful vocals that are also contagiously bubbly.

Katzenjammer plays at the Doug Fir Lounge Thursday, June 24th at 9pm with The Ascetic Junkies

Watch the “Bar in Amsterdam” video below:

It seemed as if all of Portland was at the Doug Fir Thursday to see Delta Spirit perform. Even before the opening acts began, the log cabin atmosphere was cozy. Most seats were already saved, while the rest of the crowd mingled, drinks in hand, throughout the floor and onto the stairs.

The Long Beach, California band sincerely thanked the audience  for attending the evening’s concert. “You had a lot of choices tonight, thanks for choosing us,” lead singer Matt Vazquez professed. He went on to play up the rivalry between LA and Portland, razzing the crowd about the Lakers’ loss (to Boston) that night. He received “boo’s” aplenty.  They eventually won the crowd over completely by conceding the mock argument and admitting their respect for the Blazers, because they “always beat the Lakers” when they play here.

Truthfully, the crowd was won the second they appeared on stage, beginning the set with an old favorite, “Strange Vine.” Everyone in the room warmed up for all that was to come. The love affair continued through the entire set. The energy was high, guitars purring and the room singing along and dancing to the music they knew by heart.

The band’s new album, History from Below, was released June 8th and the fans were eager to hear the songs live. One in particular was especially anxious, shouting out to “play new stuff!” Vazquez assured him and the room that they would play new material, but would also play “some old stuff,” too.

Delta Spirit at Webster Hall 12/7/08, photo by Sarah Hajjar

Throughout the evening the band traded out guitars, switched positions and instruments, and brought out extras for certain songs. Lead singer Vazquez adorned a harmonica fastened around his neck for “Trashcan.” Multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich took charge, banging a metal trashcan lid for the song. At one point Winrich tag-teamed the drum cymbals while Brandon Young went nuts, beating the drums fiercely. He seemed unable to tear his hands away. During ‘White Table’ Winrich once again lent his diverse skills by thumping a huge bass drum in time to Young’s light drumstick tapping.

A few of the songs slowed the room down, but most of the evening’s set stayed extremely up-tempo, possibly a little too up-tempo for the Doug Fir’s limited floor space. A mosh-pit started in front of the stage, which in the packed room became more like a game of “bumper-people.” The pit stayed mostly contained to the moshers until the very end as the band sang its final encore, the always foot-tappingly popular, “People C’mon.” An excited, and very drunk, fan started climbing the stage only to rocket himself off it into the unsuspecting crowd. But the music was so intoxicating, who could blame him?

Watch the ‘People, C’mon’ video below:

Delta Spirit’s performance was superb, and both opening acts, The Romany Rye, and Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, set the tone and energy perfectly for the evening’s success.

It’s amazing to think that anyone can deliver a high level of artistry on a toy piano, but Phyllis Chen did just that at the Doug Fir Lounge on Thursday evening. Whether her hands were blazing or slowly tapping on the tiny keyboard of her Schoenhut toy piano,  Chen transfixed the audience with her virtuosity.

This concert, sponsored by Portland Piano International, didn’t have a printed program; so Chen announced each piece that she played from the stage. For most of the pieces, she played a large toy piano that looked like a miniature baby grand piano (it had a lid that could be raised). I couldn’t quite tell, but it looked as if Chen just crossed her legs and sat on a pillow or on the stage floor when she played, and the piano was nicely amplified to fill the space with sound.

Chen began with Stephen Montague’s Mirabella a tarantella, which quickly caught everyone’s attention with its sparkling quickness and dance-like rhythms. She followed this with Exposiciones for toy piano and CD by Chilean composer Andrián Pertout. This piece had an intriguing pensive and restless quality.

Chen also played John Cage’s Suite for Toy Piano, which uses only nine notes. Cage wrote in 1948 and is considered the first piece for toy piano by a serious composer. For the Toy Toccata by Swedish composer Fabian Svensson, Chen played the white key with her right hand and the black keys with her left. This was an intensive and exciting piece that sounded like a super-Glockenspiel until it reached a herky jerky section and came to rest on a section in which Chen used her elbows, which was really intriguing, because her elbows could cover the entire keyboard.

Chen took a break from the toy piano to play a few pieces by Leos Janáček on a baby Steinway, which shared the stage with its smaller brethren. I didn’t get the name of these beautiful pieces, but the amplification on the Steinway seemed to dull the sound, especially in the bass.

Chen also played a work called Prayer for toy piano by a Japanese composer whose name I didn’t catch. Next came Alvin Lucier’s Nothing Is Real for the big brother Steinway and a teapot. Inside the teapot was a recording – fragmented – of a passage from the Beatle’s Strawberry Fields Forever number. The music was so fragmented that the piece sort of fell apart and, in a way, became unreal.

Chen also played a couple of her own compositions that was accompanied by a video. The second of these, Carousel, used a music box to create a pleasant, serendipitous mood.

During her introductory remarks Chen said that she began piano lessons at the age of three, but discovered the toy piano when she was 21. She now owns 14 toy pianos and commissions works from composers. She has also released a CD, UnCaged Toy Piano, which contains several of the pieces that she played in the concert. Let’s hope that she returns again to Portland to play more of these gems

Portland will be treated to its first-ever concert that features music for toy piano. Pianist Phyllis Chen will play virtuosic pieces for the toy piano at the Doug Fir Lounge (830 East Burnside Street, Portland) this Thursday at 8 pm. The concert is sponsored by Portland Piano International, which usually deals with virtuoso pianists who play on the big boys (Steinways and Bösendorfers) instead of the toy boys. Chen, however, has a passion for the toy piano and has been recognized for her artistry, including being selected as a New Music/New Places Fellow at the 2007 Concert Artist Guild International Competition.

Chen is a member of ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble), a Chicago and New York-based collective dedicated to the performance and promotion of new works. Chen attended Oberlin Conservatory as a recipient of the Dean’s Talent Award Scholarship and received a Masters Degree from Northwestern University as an Eckstein Merit Scholar. She is continuing to pursue her DMA in piano performance at Indiana University where she studied with André Watts.

Also performing will be Portland’s own Courtney von Drehle of 3 Leg Torso. Courtney von Drehle is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and improviser (saxophones, guitar and accordion).

In addition, Portland Piano International will raffle a toy piano at the concert. This is a new toy piano, made by the Schoenhut Piano Company. The color of the piano is red and it has a range of two octaves. All attendees at the Phillys Chen concert will be elligible to win the piano – at no extra cost.

Editor’s Note: Are you moved by The Mountain Goats?  Leave a comment below and you may win a pair of tickets see the North Carolinian trio on Sunday evening.

John Darnielle, Peter Hughes, and John Wurster–better known as The Mountain Goats–come back to the Dour Fir Lounge this Sunday, May 30th making these last two weeks of rain, well, make sense.  Darnielle, known for his excellently depressing lyrics, makes crowds want to melt and weep in ecstatic agony more than stomp in complete abandon, though, he’s known to be able to do both equally well.

Their most recent album, The Life of the World to Come–more Get Lonely than We Shall All Be Healed–will elicit more tears than laughter, but, isn’t that what we all come for?  A very minimalistic album (mostly guitar, drums, piano, some strings) dedicated to exploring Biblical stories, in a way exploring stories in and of themselves, will make the crowd seem like they’re praying with their ears.

On the first track of Life of the World…, “1 Samuel 15:23,” Darnielle quietly sings, “I became a crystal healer and my ministry was to the sick.  Creeping vines would send out runners and seek me in their numbers… and as word spread of my powers they would seek me far and wide.  All sad faces at my window, I would welcome them inside.”

This is exactly what Darnielle has become to his fans and why so many of us keep coming back for more.  He’s mastered the art of storytelling, he’s reiterating the oldest stories we know (those of the Bible), and in a way, he’s telling us our own stories.  His fans know him for the shaman that he is, yet Darnielle goes out of his way to show that he’s just like everyone else making him simultaneously worthy of awe while still being easily accessible.

You might expect huge theatrics, you might not.  After all, The Mountain Goats have been known to do metal versions of their quietest songs (i.e. the one quoted above).  The Mountain Goats have built their reputation on some very honest, understated observations on heavy subjects such as meth addictions, abusive relationships, and loneliness.  What you can expect is some poetry that will move through the room like water, infiltrating every crack with such unassuming stealth that it’ll feel like silence.  Forget church this Sunday, or rest, The Mountain Goats will turn the Doug Fir into a quietly roaring cathedral.

The Mountain Goats move onto the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, WA on Monday, May 31st to play the closing day at the Gorge Ampitheatre.

With over 75 performers on three untamed stages–dubbed Sasquatch, Bigfoot and Yeti–and inside the Rumpus Room, the ninth annual Sasquatch! Music Festival takes place on Memorial Day weekend–Saturday, May 29th through Monday, May 31st–at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA.

2010 features headliners My Morning Jacket, Massive Attack, Pavement, and Ween alongside indie and electro combos, hip-hop, DJs and dance acts from around the world, and OMN is here to help navigate the offerings.

Sorry kids, this year’s festival is sold out (check C-list for last-minute buys), but we’ll also tell you who’s coming through town before or after the fest and where you can catch them.

And don’t forget the Ice Cream Man (aka Matt Allen) who will be handing out thousands of free frozen treats from his 1969 Chevrolet Step Van.  To date, he’s passed out around 400,000 ice creams, and he’s shooting for a million, so there should be no shortage in sight.  Hooray!

Saturday, May 29th — Picks by Katie Shaw

Mumford & Sons: This passionate four-man troupe from England have quickly been gaining ground in the states with the US release of their debut album, Sigh No More, in February. While frequently compared to Kings of Leon, their banjo-driven blend of country, bluegrass, folk, and rock also calls to mind the likes of The Avett Brothers and other folk-rock revivalists.

Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane are not just band members but good friends, and like their music, they all have spirited personality. The band’s website includes blogs like “Ben’s Food on the Road” and “Marcus’ Book Club,” and the posts reflect the same down-to-earth quality of their song lyrics. If the combination of their intimate, honest lyrics and rollicking instrumentation on tracks like “Roll Away Your Stone” and “Little Lion Man” is anywhere near as enthralling live as it is on their album, they’re sure to be a crowd favorite as Sasquatch 2010. And if you can’t catch them at Sasquatch, you’ll have another chance Monday night at the Aladdin.

Watch “Winter Winds”:

Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend is popping up everywhere these days–from a nod as the “whitest band” in Stuff White People Like to an appearance on Saturday Night Live to featured tracks in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and I Love You, Man.

The New York-based band, whose members met while attending Columbia University, released their second full-length album, Contra, in January. Like their self-titled debut from 2008, the songs on Contra feature quirky lyrics about pincer crabs and everyone’s favorite milky Mexican beverage (“Horchata”) and references to typefaces (twelve-point Futura, to be exact) and other academic nerdery (“Holiday”). And, like their debut, Contra is packed with catchy, poppy tunes perfect for a sunny day in George, Washington.

Watch “Giving Up The Sun”:

Nurses: Nurses are strange, but it’s the right kind of strange. If you’ve seen the Portland-based band live, like at their recent opening gig for The Tallest Man on Earth at the McMenamins Mission Theater, you’ve seen how many cords and power strips it takes to keep this three-man band going. Their combination of pianos, drums, shakers, and guitars looped and layered with reverb-heavy vocals is unusual, but it’s the kind of sound that grows on you, especially tracks like “Caterpillar Playground” and “Technicolor.” The band members, Aaron Chapman, John Bowers, and James Mitchell, have an understated stage presence, saying very little between songs but rather allowing their strange sound (and sometimes a few props, in the form of a psychedelic background video and some colorful, hand-knit charms) to speak for itself.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros: A music festival just wouldn’t be complete without hippies, and this year’s Sasquatch will be featuring some of the most enjoyable hippies around: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. The ten-piece folk band from Los Angeles is led by Alex Ebert (former front-man of Ima Robot) and was a result of Ebert’s disillusionment with major labels. The independent group sings free-spirited songs about love and life that feel organic and free and straight out of the sixties. “Home,” from their debut album, Up From Below, which was released in July of last year, is a summer anthem that evokes the story-driven ballads of flower power days, and the combination of whistles, horns, claps, and an impossibly bouncy chorus will have Sasquatch-goers feeling the free love.

Watch the crew live on the stomping jam “40 Day Dream”:

Five-piece ambient noise-rockers Minus The Bear hit the main stage in the afternoon as well as the Roseland in Portland on Friday, May 29th.  Read more about the Seattleites here.

Plus, don’t forget Oregonian bluesy folk rockers Portugal. The Man (check out the recent OMN interview) and Glacial Pace/Isaac Brock (of Modest Mouse) produced, psych-rockers Morning Teleportation.

Sunday, May 30th — Picks by Chris Young

Massive Attack's Grant “Daddy G” Marshall and Robert “3D” Del Naja

Massive Attack: Back in the USA for the first time since 2006, the Bristol, UK, trip-hop pioneers just released their fifth studio album–their first in seven years.  (Read the OMN review of Heligoland.)

Headlining the second night, Massive Attack will be joined by long-time collaborators Martina Topley-Bird and Horace Andy (whose vocals have been featured on every MA studio album).  You oughta feel privileged to experience this one live as this is the last stop on their eight date North American tour (and five of those dates came in California).

As they say on their MySpace, “If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing slowly.”  Soak up the chilled out beats.

Watch the video for Heligoland’s first single “Splitting the Atom” featuring Horace Andy:

LCD Soundsystem: Hot off the release of what may be James Murphy’s last album, LCD Soundsystem brings legendary dance-punk verve to the main stage.  With so many sweaty dance jams to their name, expect “Drunk Girls” and pray for Daft Punk to play at your house.  LCD also hits Portland (twice in one night) on Saturday, May 30th–once at the Roseland with Holy Ghost! and later at the Supernature after party at Rotture.

Public Enemy: Yeah boy!  There’s not much that needs to be said here.  Hip-hop originators fronted by one of the most influential MCs in the game, Chuck D still leads his controversial crew after more than 20 years of thumping minds with loaded lyrics.  Colossal clocks and gold chains, Flavor Flav!

Booka Shade: Following Public Enemy on the Bigfoot stage, the Frankfurters crank the Sunday club night with an electronic house party starting at 11:30 PM.  Releasing their fourth album More! on May 4th, the duo of Arno Kammermeier and Walter Merziger may have begun as dancefloor producers and DJs but they become an immense live dance act.  Setting up synths and an electronic drum kit, they’ve rocked the big stages at Coachella and Glastonbury making fans of club music haters.  Body rock into Monday with the album’s first single “Bad Love”:

And seriously, if you can’t get enough dancing on Sunday, the Simian Mobile Disco DJ set is a must-see as well as A-Trak’s hip-hop mix tape, electronic mash-up.

Plus Portland electro ideologists YACHT hold down the Rumpus Room stage earlier on Sunday eve.  Read OMN’s pre-Sasquatch interview with the transcendental planet sailors and become a part of the band during the interactive YACHT experience.

If you’re over worshiping the dance gods, then stick to indie rock stuffs like Local Natives, Freelance Whales, Dirty Projectors, Langhorne Slim, and Pavement.

Monday, May 31st — Picks by Chris Young

MGMT: Telling the world that they’re gonna do exactly what they want, MGMT doesn’t care what you think.  Or hear.  Stepping away from the college party pop of their debut, the duo of Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden said Congratulations (to themselves) with their second effort–an electro-pop conundrum of twists and turns, accidentally cobbled together by the lighthearted Middletown tykes.  (Delve a bit deeper into the MGMT psyche with the OMN review of their latest.)  Second to last on the main stage, they’ve also sold out two shows at the Crystal Ballroom for the following Tuesday and Wednesday.

Mayer Hawthorne & The County: Add Motown soul plus white boy falsetto and you’ve got Mr. Hawthorne–an indemnity to the funky rhythms of a bygone Detroit; old school spirit with new school beats due to his hip-hop producer mentality.  Getting big love from the Big Snoop Dogg and exposing his 7-inch heart to the world, Mayer spoke with OMN before he visited Portland back in April.  Playing most of the instruments on his record, Mayer got wise when it came to touring and hired the best damn backing band, The County, to compliment his awkward charm.  In white hi-tops and a charcoal suit, he tore up the Roseland on that fine April evening (including a rollicking cover of “Mr. Blue Sky”) as ladies screamed and booties swang to his funky, bass-laden beats.

Neon Indian: The acid trip that never happened spawned a new musical alter-ego for Texas’ Alan Palomo (also the disco house act VEGA).  Lo-fi, glo-fi, it’s time to bust Neon Indian’s debut Psychic Chasms back out in hopes that our “Deadbeat Summer” will return.  Full layers of warm electro-pop, Neon Indian is appropriate for lounging in the sun donning your psychedelic shades.  Check out the OMN interview with Alan Palomo from November 2009–before the first time he performed in Oregon.

The Heavy: Wake up early for the soulful Noid rockers!  What rockers?  From Noid, UK, they’re playing at noon, so forget your coffee because they’re damn heavy enough to jolt you out of any Sunday night stupor.  Dirt and punk, rock ‘n roll, blues and soul, the gritty quartet takes a break from their tour with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings to hit the Sasquatch main stage.

“How You Like Me Now?”  It flipped Letterman’s middle-aged ass.

(Something not so heavy: You’ve also heard them in this Toy Story Kia commercial.)

Seattle Rock Orchestra: What’s flippin’ cooler than a symphony rocking out?  Cypress Hill first stumbled onto to this concept while high at Hullabalooza and The Portland Cello Project has been doing it with strings in late 2007.  The all-volunteer SRO ensemble “collaborates with bands and artists to produce one-of-a-kind symphonic rock shows.”  The project began in 2008 as a 13-piece string ensemble lead by bassist and orchestrator Scott Teske and now it includes a full symphony orchestra with strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion and choir.  They’ve done Bowie at Seattle’s Moore Theatre, but Sasquatch 2010 will be SRO’s tribute to the Arcade Fire’s Funeral.

The Mountain Goats: Melt and weep to lead singer John Darnielle’s “excellently depressing lyrics,” as OMN’s Guia Nocon puts it.  They also hit the Dour Fir Lounge on Sunday, May 30th and you can win tickets to their Portland gig here.

Then there are indie pop sweeties M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel acting as She & Him who also stop through Oregon in Bend at the Les Schwab Amphitheater with Band of Horses the day before.  Check out those details here.

Once you’ve recovered from your festivities, check back here for interviews with artists, photos, and performance reviews on our Sasquatch Music Festival page.  Happy hunting.

It is 9pm and Logan Lynn and The Gentry are scrambling to sound-check in a cavernous warehouse space in Portland’s NW industrial district. “We’re in the Dandy’s kingdom,” Lynn says of The Odditorium, the sprawling studio of the Dandy Warhols.

The main room has giant murals leaning on almost every surface, a small fleet of motorcycles in the rear. There’s a kitchen outfitted better than most restaurants. The oddly placed nooks, crannies, windows and doors suggest a building cobbled together from several smaller ones.

The band is setting up for an early morning video shoot at The Odditorium with local CBS affiliate Koin 6. They’re shooting promo videos too, for a tour they’re kicking off this Thursday, May 27th, at the Doug Fir Lounge with DoublePlusGood and Fleshtone.

Logan Lynn is known for his emotronic, electro-pop, and OMN has profiled him before. In the past he’s mostly performed alone, sometimes bringing along a producer like Cars & Trains, while he stood out front crooning into a mic over layers of soft electronics. But for this Thursday’s show, and this summer’s upcoming tour, he’s brought along a full band: slamming dance-electro rockers The Gentry.

He calls himself a “bad hostess” as the band hurries to set up. He seems anxious, but affable. Will an act that’s gained popularity for soft, emotive electronics sit well with an accustomed fan base after adding a full, raucous band?

“I was scared about what people were gonna do,” Lynn says. But after their first performance at Blow Pony in February, “We had every single ear and eye on us. They were into it. I checked the video just to make sure. It’s real.”

The transition began in December “and we just went full force, we started practicing 30 hours a week.” OMN caught up with Logan Lynn, and Gino Mari (vocals, guitar), Steve Taylor (synthesizers, bass), and Andrew Carrion [A.C.] (drums) of The Gentry between rehearsals to talk about the change. Plus, there’s a new live track of their collaboration below.

Logan Lynn and The Gentry rocking out on “Bottom Your Way to the Top” (LIVE at the Dandy Warhol’s Odditorium on 5/25/2010):

Looking at some old stuff, I noticed that Gino had done a remix for you. Is that where the relationship began?

Logan: Well kinda. The remix relationship had happened because they had played a show with us when we played with Dhalia  [at East End]. I was impressed with how they were. It was the first I had sort of seen of electronic rock or something that made me want to dance, but with live instruments. Back then… there were a lot of people trying to do that and [The Gentry] were wild enough to entertain me. When it was time to do the remix record I hollered at them cuz I knew that they would be able to do something good… A couple weeks into doing the remixes I got a weird licensing deal from my label, and it was for some new Cedric the Entertainer show [laughs]. It was for this scene where, they’re like in the car “rollin’ up” and it was supposed to be some sort of hip-hop in the car, and then when they open the door it needed to get really “gay” [everyone laughs]. It was from Dreamworks or something.

Gino: Yeah, I think it was like a cop or something.

Logan: It’s like a cop rolls up there, and then they roll down the window, and it sounds really gay. So I was like if anyone can do something weird… out of the 28 guys I had doing remixes, these guys could do it. None of them are gay, but I knew that they had dirty minds. So I just picked the people that I thought were most perverted on the list.

Gino qualifies.

Gino: I’m perverted? You think I’m perverted? I’m just a sweet guy, what are you talking about? I am a gentle giant.

Logan: I disagree

[Laughter]

I’m wondering, where was the approach?

Logan: You came to my listening party.

Gino: Yeah that’s right.

Logan: I had a hell of a time figuring out my live show, from the first time I started playing until now. It has taken a while.

With your live show before, it was pretty much pre-programmed with you singing?

Logan: Yeah. The idea initially was a “singing DJ” and then somewhere along the line it turned more into like…

Being the performer versus being the DJ.

Logan: Right, I took the headphones off and stepped up. It just took me a while. I have crippling stage-fright, historically. That was my problem I think. So I was gradually getting more recognition, and feeling less comfortable as more people were looking and having opinions about what I was doing on stage. And it became clear that I needed a band, and I wanted to work with somebody who I respected. And these guys came to my…

Gino: Aww. [laughs]

Logan: Listening party and something clicked, and I was like “What are you guys doing? Are you guys really busy right now?”

How long was that transition in your career?

Logan: From 2000 when my first record came out.

So really that long, almost ten years before you decided: “I need to get a band.”

Logan: Yes. But there was like 6 years where I was like in party town, living in an alternate universe. I lost some time to the party wagon. I think I got serious about all this in 2007. Since [then] it’s been one thing after another. It started with my producer from Pillar to Post. I kind of dragged him on stage an said “You HAVE to do this, we’re gonna go and play shows!” And he ended up moving. Then, I worked with Cars & Trains. He’s an indie, electro-pop, one-man show and it was great, I did that for a year. And then it was just time to make it louder and wilder. I needed something to pull me out of my shell, I think, and the loudness has done that. And with Gino, these guys on stage, it’s way less scary, it’s fun instead of being terrifying.

From seeing past Gentry shows, Gino is a hell of a frontman.

Logan: Totally.

Gino: Aww, guys.

Logan: I’m shy and he’s not.

But for this project at least, Logan, you’re the actual frontman, so you have to sort of step up, beyond somebody who is used to having that role.

Gino: But what’s good is that I kind of force him to. Because it’s not like I sit back. I’m still me.

Logan: He’s still Gino out there.

Gino: I’m still all about that rock ‘n’ roll, escapist raaaa, crazy.

So what are your roles now. I mean A.C., he’s quiet in person, but he’s a monster on drums. For Gino, are you playing mostly backup stuff?

Gino: I play guitar, and I sing backup stuff, and I’m gonna do keyboards. But mostly just harmonies and guitar.

Steve, what’s your role.

Steve: I play mostly synth and electric bass. I don’t really play leads or anything like that now, it’s all bass.

For The Gentry, as a band, do you have a dedicated bassist right now?

Gino: It’s a machine.

Logan: We like computers.

Steve: After seven of them we replaced them with a machine.

[Laughter]

Logan: The way that the show goes, just to give you an idea, we’ve merged the units. We’re going on tour together as kind of one band, but it’s two bands. The Gentry sort of starts off the set, and plays their set… and they kind of bring me on stage. [Then] we play a whole other set where they don’t really change their position, except that Gino sort of slides over, and I pop out… Once I pop on, they’re still The Gentry, but it’s my songs. But they’ve been totally reworked by these guys.

And are you gonna do anything by yourself, or is everything formatted for a band?

Logan: No, it’s all brand new.

Steve: There was talk…

Logan: There are some times where its calm, and it’s just me singing. But there’s not really time where I go and clutch the mic in anticipation of something happening.

Going back and listening to your stuff, Logan, it seems really sensitive. The emo thing gets tagged to you a lot.

Logan: Sure.

But I think of The Gentry as being really macho. Even though it is dance music and ’80s, there’s a certain machismo to it.

Logan: Its chick bangin-rock.

Yeah so now its chick-bangin’ rock mixed with dude-bangin’ rock.

[Laughter]

Gino: It’s just an appreciation of sex.

Logan: Just bangin’ all around. I’ve been called the “Ambassador of Bisexuality” before, and I’m not bisexual. But my imagery that I put out in my videos… I had the first gay kiss on MTV, well man-to-man.

Are you worried about alienating people who came to like your through your softer sound?

Logan: I don’t know, I’m kind of in the business of alienating people. In the beginning, I was making records that I didn’t think anybody was going to listen to. And then when they started listening I changed it up again and then made some weird electro-clash record. I think the common element in all my work is me, and my words, and my songs, and my melodies. That stays the same no matter what the energy behind it is. This is just like a brand new energy that’s been worked into the same songs. People are going to recognize the songs. They just hit heavier and have grown large and epic instead of soft and sweet.

But do you think it still is dance-y?

Logan: Oh, it’s so dance-y.

Gino: It kind of like [an] electronic Buzzcocks, Stooges. Really primal simple parts.

Steve: We really tapped into ’70s punk for a lot of these songs.

Logan: It’s like dance-punk.

’70s punk is the last thing I would ever think when I heard your stuff.

Logan: I am not punk though. That’s the thing, that’s what I’m saying. I haven’t changed the way I’m singing necessarily. It’s them, they’ve brought their Gentry. That’s the thing. I’m still soft. They’re hard, I’m soft and it comes together in this new way. But it’s familiar. I think we’ll hold on to my fans, and [The Gentry] are gonna get some new ones.

And you’re comfortable now, or even excited.

Logan: I’m so excited, everything rules. And even A.C.’s energy back there… That alone versus some programmed beat it changes the whole fucking scope.

Steve: It changes the whole dynamic entirely.

Gino: Well the three of us have been playing [as The Gentry] for so long we have a natural…

It’s been like six years.

Gino: Even longer. What’s cool is that we get to try out a lot of things that we’re interested in the moment. And it’s nice to not be the frontman, cuz I’ve always been the frontman. I’ve always had to be the singer. To just be a guitar player… it’s fun, the simplicity of being able to leave [the mic]. I’m not attached to a microphone, though I do sing vocals I can leave, and the song isn’t done [just] because I’m not singing.

Logan: You can jump off the stage.

Gino: Exactly, I can do my crazy thing and it lets me take that exhibition further because I’m not trapped to the center of the stage and singing into my mic [where] if I miss my cue everything is fucked.

Logan: That’s my job.

Gino: It’s cool too, because we’ve been really into dynamics lately and we get to do some experiments with some really soft parts of songs and then big, loud. Just experimenting with playing as a band rather than being an electronic unit. I mean we still use computers and we still…

So there’s still a lot of programming there, but some of the songs are free form.

Logan: Some have [no programming].

Gino: And they’re totally different from The Gentry.

Logan: Its working, but its been an adjustment.

Especially as a DJ where you have a record, a program, something else in front of you the whole time.

Logan: Definitely. It’s a new world. It’s a more enjoyable world from what I’ve experienced so far… There’s not one sound within our band or within our set that makes it pinpointable, but it’s all one thing. It’s all hard, fast, rock, dance, wildness.

Are you working on any new material that you’ve only just started with the band, or is this all old material?

Logan: No, no. Yea, I finished making a new record, which we’re mixing now. So I’d say half the set is stuff from this new record that nobody has ever heard before. They’re gonna hear it the first time as The Gentry’s version of it.

Is there anything from that you’d be willing to share with OMN?

Logan: Sure, yeah definitely, but I have to check with some people on that [laughs]. I’m not in charge of me anymore.

Logan Lynn seems anxious but confident about the new sound. “I’m in contact with the people who are listening to my music. That’s how this whole thing started, that’s how its built up to this point. That’s how I know somebody’s gonna be there tomorrow.”

It’s those relationships that fuel Lynn’s music. “It’s great that I get good reviews or whatever, but the people who I actually care about are the people I’m talking to online, that are coming up to me after shows, that are interested in what they just heard. You gotta feed the tree.”

Logan Lynn and The Gentry will be playing this Thursday, May 27th at the Doug Fir Lounge, 9pm with DoublePlusGood and Fleshtone.

Walls of sequenced sound speed past ears on a night of live electronics at the Doug Fir on Thursday as UK’s Fuck Buttons and Portland son White Rainbow cultivated emotively intense sequences from their tables of strewn with gear, connected by piles of cords.  Rhythmic and stirring, above all else, it was deafening.

“It’s normally very loud.  We like it that way,” said Fuck Buttons’ Andrew Hung in the OMN interview.

On stage alone with a table full of electronics, it seemed White Rainbow was doomed to play for an audience of gadgets rather than people, but the Doug Fir steadily filled throughout his continuous, 30+ minute set of live layer creation.

Triggering sounds and samples in revolving synchronicity, he tickled your senses as his actions happened live but the audio came two seconds later.  Letting his auditory creation grow, his transitionary set evolved from minimal to stacked layers, harsh and dirty to clear and sharp.

Pensive, he methodically tapped out drum beats and turned dials before snatching his guitar off the stage floor and finessing the strings.  Adding, adding, adding along the way, he turned caustic into rhythmic, ending with serene guitar twinkling and haunting echoes that floated through the din, completing it with an air horn ending.

Facing off with two tables between, a floor tom flanked Benjamin John Power while Andrew Hung used a LED flashlight to make the initial adjustments inside his suitcase of electronic equipment.  Immediately loud, it only got louder as glitch-y beats rattled sternums, and the crowd swayed, shook, and pumped fists as Fuck Buttons opened with the distinct chimp screeches of “Surf Solar,” the opener from their October 2009 release Tarot Sport.

Concentrating on their latest release, the set flowed always onward with “Olympians” and “The Lisbon Maru.”  For brief splits, they droned with the subtle, minimalist beauty of Sigur Ros turned to 20 until the abrasive button was pressed again and body rumbling power surged through the room.  Power’s distorted, angry mic ranting melded some punky energy into their electro-experimentalism as Hung’s equally warped synths whirred taking the audience inside a tank engine one moment and into a short-circuited arcade game in the next.

While it was simply two silhouettes head bobbing, hunched over folding tables fiddling knobs and buttons, the crowd hung on throughout the sonic journey as it built and transformed with gripping repetitive intensity and until it finally broke–leaving one sensory organ slightly less astute than when all had entered.

Swedish Indie rock quintet Shout Out Louds will be coming to Doug Fir Lounge on Sunday night as part of its U.S./Canada tour.

The international rockers, who took a planned six-month hiatus in 2008 following their second album, have come back with a new direction and the result is a solid new rock album, Work.
After touring extensively after Our Ill Wills, the band took a much-needed break to collect themselves. The band actually wasn’t sure if it was going to continue at one point.

Good thing they did. Enlisting the help of producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses, The Shins), the band recorded Work in a barn-turned-studio in Woodinville, WA (outside Seattle) in late 2009, refining their music with Ek’s well-known touch.

The result is a simpler album than they’ve done before, but also their best. The point was made to get down to basics on this album, abandoning the vast strings in their previous works. Led by vocalist/guitarist Adam Olenius, Eric Edman’s driving drums, and Bebban Stenborg’s lovely floating vocals, the band has a 1980s pop rock feel to it with synthesizers, keyboards, and distorted, catchy guitar riffs. Even Olenius’ voice has that ‘80s sound to it, evoking memories of when The Cure was king. People have clearly taken notice as the band has already sold out shows in Boston, Toronto, Chicago, and LA.

Although “Walls” and “Fall Hard” have been their most heavily marketed songs, there are plenty of songs on Work that could have made the cut. Fortunately for Portland, Shout Out Louds will more than likely be playing most of them at the Doug Fir.

The entire album is available for free streaming for a limited time on label Merge Records’ website.

Watch the making of Work:

Queens, NY, pop experimental, multi-instrumental Freelance Whales will play before Shout Out Louds. The quintet has already gained a strong local following since their 2009 debut Weathervanes hit the shelves, and should surprise many in the crowd on Sunday. Complete with harmonium, banjo, glockenspiel, synthesizers, guitars, bass, drums, and waterphone, the band has a dreamy, harmonious feel to it. As put by them, their music evokes a “sense of dislocation, or sensory disorientation,” “inviting the human spirit to exit the body.”

Energetic LA-based punk trio The Franks will open the show, getting the crowd dancing from the start.

21+, $12 advance, $14 day of show, doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 9.

Shout Out Louds and Freelance Whales will also be playing a free in-store performance at Music Millennium at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

As a sci-fi geek, Boy Eats Drum Machine solo member, Jon Ragel, defends attacks on Star Wars incest over an early May breakfast:  “He doesn’t actually get it on with his sister.  They kiss, but who hasn’t kissed their sibling (pause) on the lips after almost freezing, being loaded into the carcass of the Tong Tong. You try that sometime and tell me you’re not going to accept a kiss from your sibling.  Maybe in Arizona, kissing your sibling, you can be deported, I don’t know.  That’s a strict state right? (makes a megaphone voice) ‘You just kissed, do you have papers to prove that you’re not siblings, cousins, second cousins.’ Has the Supreme Court ruled on whether kissing second cousins is incest?”

When it comes to Ragel’s siblings (the youngest of four), they would poke fun at his unfinished poetry by reading through his journals without permission.  Now, Ragel has finally asked an audience to glimpse in. “There’s a flood burning in the hills and smoke throughout the sky circling the west, circling the long way home,” Ragel sings sandwiched between a looped vocal bass line and soaring organ synths in “Lolo Forest” off his most recent release, Hoop and Wire, off Portland’s own mom and pop label Tender Loving Empire.

Fire is a theme throughout the album because “it’s part of the cyclical nature of the way our ecosystem works, but the individual is often trapped by it and destroyed by it and we’re in this very individualistic thinking that it’s difficult to embrace the fact that we’re powerless, that it’s out of our control,” Ragel noted.

The lyrics add complexity to his music, but the thick beats, heavy hooks, and sexy sax fills make his creations dance music, first and foremost.  In lieu of those synthesized drum machine beats, Ragel uses vinyl, turntables, a guitar and a saxophone.  At age 36, after a long affair with the alto sax (he played in the Binnsmead Middle School marching band in SE Portland), he recently traded it in for a tenor to layer his songs with “funky horns.” The product is “weird pop,” as he self-describes, but in a live show it translates to an old-fashioned dance party.  Even in a cold feet town like Portland, Ragel promises people will “get down.”

If you think Ragel is mixing it up, wait until That 1 Guy gets on stage.  Mike Silverman plays the Magic Pipe, the Magic boot and the saw.  His looped beat boxing lays the down the rhythms and the music comes in ways you’ll just have to check for yourself this Friday at the Doug Fir.  But, here’s a video sneak peek…

The show’s at the Doug Fir this Friday.  Doors at 8:00, show at 9:00.  $12/$14.

Country music legend Pinto Bennett was in Portland on Cinco de Mayo and treated the packed Doug Fir Lounge to several of his songs backed by his good pals from Austin act Reckless Kelly. Considered among the top Red Dirt acts in the world, Reckless Kelly and Pinto Bennett ripped through a long set gleaned mostly from the recent Yep Roc’ release Somewhere In Time. This Yep Roc’ LP is  one of RK’s most country leaning albums, from a catalog of nine records or so, and features exclusively the songs of  their buddy and mentor Pinto Bennett, the visiting Idaho singer/songwriter of The Famous Motel Cowboys.

The Legendary Pinto Bennett & Reckless Kelly

Pinto was looking sharp as he belted out his tunes and tipped his cowboy hat to enthusiastic fans.  Although he had a huge engagement scheduled for early the next day, that most of us would have taken an early bedtime for, Pinto jumped on stage and gave Portland a taste of his great Roots/Rock songs.  The crowd was surprised at the guest appearance and there was overwhelming applause when country music veteran Pinto took over the mic.  Bennett has played several shows in other states with Reckless Kelly, but not since Somewhere In Time was released this winter and never in Portland.  Pinto, the Idaho cowboy singer, was in good company because a Reckless concert is one of the few times one can catch country swing dancing, cowboy hats (the sweaty well-worn kind) and rodeo belt buckles in the center of Portland as fans come in from all over the Northwest for these annual shows.  Beers went up in the air as ax-man Dave Abeyta sang a Texas Tornados song ‘Guacamole’ in spanish in honor of the Cinco de Mayo Mexican victory holiday.  The scene was illuminated by industry folks including; creative consultant Lisa Lepine, booking agent Jan Haedinger, singer Kristie Rethlefsen, marketing guy John Balfe and Monqui big cheese/Doug Fir Lounge owner Mike Quinn.

Sometimes a music buyer could be satisfied with a download of an album, but this Pinto Bennett/Reckless Kelly CD is one for the collection with it’s storybook packaging and beautiful sepia booklet featuring great original artwork and interesting anecdotal tales. Having the ability to read Pinto’s poetry brings considerable depth to the songs. Only those who purchase the CD will get to see the great Portland shout-out from Reckless.The photo of fiddler/vocalist/producer Cody Braun shows off his Mary’s Club long sleeve (Mary’s Club is a working class strip club on Broadway off Burnside).

Producing "Somewhere in Time"

Cody, who with his band plays over 200 shows a year across the country, has been garnished with a Mary’s Club clothing for many many years and helped make Mary’s togs a must have for Rock/Roots musicians touring through the Portland market.

He has lent his good ear to Reckless Kelly recordings in the past and this time around, RK lead guitar player David Abeyta truly stepped up creatively with his name all over the producing, engineering and mixing credits on Somewhere In Time. Brothers Cody and Willy Braun sport studio nerd credits on this album as well.

David Abeyta in Portland photo Jenny Wetzold

Musically, this recording of Pinto Bennett songs features the world-class musicianship of a band that continues to season like good southern whiskey.  The Rolodex timing of drummer Jay Nazz falls in beautifully with bass player Chris Schelske and it’s obvious this rhythm section has played together for some time. Pinto Bennett, Micky Braun and Joe Ely all lend their famous vocals to this recording and it features top-notch sidemen such as Lloyd Maines on pedal steel, Mark “Sergio” Webb on slide guitar, Brian Standefer on cello, Bukka Allen on B-3 organ & accordion and Rob Matson on guitar.

A highlight song on Somewhere in Time is the Willy/Micky Braun brother duet of Pinto Bennett’s, ‘I Hold The Bottle, You Hold the Wheel’, shown in this video. (Micky, Willy and Cody Braun l. to r.)

Editor’s Note: The following interview was conducted and published in November 2009.  Unfortunately, Fuck Buttons were forced to cancel their Portland show at Worksound just days before the gig so a portion of the original article has been republished here.

This English electro-experimental duo were set to smack PDX artsy hipsters with massive walls of sonic soundscapes during a fantastical audio journey they call a gig at Worksound on November 14th, 2009… when something–we’re not sure what–happened and they were forced to call the rest of their tour off.  Bummer.

But now it’s spring and Portland will gladly welcome back the pair of Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power when they approach the Doug Fir on Thursday, May 13th with our own electro-minimalist White Rainbow (Adam Forkner) opening.

Making progressive, electro-ambiance since 2004, Fuck Buttons released their second disc Tarot Sport in October 2009, an album where five outta seven tracks broach the 10-minute mark.

Sculpting beats into a river of noise that thrashes and drowns, the Bristol, UK Buttons have supported Mogwai and Caribou on previous tours, but before they bring their commotion to your underground log cabin, the Fuck Buttons spoke to OMN about strippers and Tupac Shakur reincarnated.

AH = Andrew Hung
BP = Benjamin John Power

What the fuck are Fuck Buttons?  Where does the name come from?

AH : I found this cute little badge on a table once in a strip club, but then this stripper slapped it out of my hand and told me to “FUCK OFF BUTTONS!” She was really high or something, but we thought it was a funny turn of phrase!

What’s the best moniker you’ve heard subbed in place of “Fuck” in Fuck Buttons?

AH : F Buttons has been the most interesting and creative dubbing of the word “Fuck.”

What is the core of Fuck Buttons?  How did the band form?

AH : We wanted to make music because we enjoyed making music so we did. That was our impetus.

BP : Andy had made a short film whilst we were studying and we decided to soundtrack the film together. That’s the first time we ever made music as a duo.

Where does your sound come from?

AH : We take a lot of time finding sounds that we enjoy and that is source of our influence. We like testing our tastes.

BP : Yeah, extensive jamming and exploring the various mountains of equipment we’ve acquired over the years. This is both our influence and when paired up with our sensibilities, where our sound comes form.

Tell me about your latest release Tarot Sport.

BP : We recorded Tarot Sport with Mr. Andrew Weatherall at Rotters Golf Club over the space of three and a half weeks. It was a great experience and we’re both thrilled with how the record has turned out.

Back in the early days you were constantly playing shows.  What made you a live hit?

AH : I’m not even sure we were ever a “live hit.” But yeah, we love playing live and it’s fundamental to the development of our music.

How would you describe your live show?

AH : It’s normally very loud. We like it that way.

Do visuals play into your live performance?

AH : We don’t have any visuals as of yet but that is something we are very interested in.

BP : Our videos and artwork are all made by us. So if there were ever to be live visuals integrated into the set, they would almost certainly be made by us both and no outside force.

Are you involved in other projects?  With other singers, songwriters, artists, musicians?  How do any of these flow with your work in Fuck Buttons?  Or contrast it?

AH : We’ve started a band with Dan Snaith from Caribou called Thigh Masters. Imagine Black Flag meets Whigfield. It’s pretty sweet!

BP : Yeah, Dan plays drums and the nose trumpet, whilst Andy and I are both on vocal duties whilst playing the goat skull bagpipes.

What are you listening to right now?

AH : I’m really enjoying listening to Cocteau Twins at the moment. It’s really sweet.

BP : Always Ennio Morricone and Starts of the Lid, but more recently Black Meteoric Star.

Describe your sound in 3 words.

AH : Blissed Out Fusion.

BP : Roots and Culture.

What was your worst day job while trying to make it playing music?

AH : Call centre work. For a life insurance company. Cold calling.

BP : I worked in a door panel factory once in the gluing department. The industrial glue was so potent that I would get on average five nosebleeds a day.

Any good show anecdotes?

AH : Some guy dressed as Tupac Shakur was running around behind our table the other day. I had to push him away.

Check out the video for an aquatic penguin-y, Transformers cut of “Surf Solar,” the first track off Tarot Sport.