Oregon Music News

Portland-based, art-metal trio, Floater, continue to deliver their distinct brand of rock with their highly anticipated, ninth studio album, Wake, out now on Typhon Records.

Fixtures of Portland’s live music scene for over 16 years, Floater is known for their energetic live performances, sold-out shows and devoted fan base.  Rob Wynia (lead vocals, bass, guitar), Peter Cornett (drums, keyboards)  and David Amador (guitarist) have found a way to stay together longer than most marriages, while collectively remaining true to their unique stylistic proclivities – blending elements of hard rock, psychedelia, reggae, pop and jazz into their albums.

Yet, for as much as their music evolves over time, the band’s collaborative process has not.  “Just over 16 years so far and I’d say the collaborative process is pretty much the same,” shares Floater front-man, Rob Wynia.  “We never really found a single way of creating; it’s new and different every time.  We’ve just never really found a routine.”

The songs on the new album have had an opportunity to live and breathe in the world before making their way into studio sessions – the band toured the songs extensively before deciding on the 12 that would comprise Wake.  As a result, Wynia feels that allowed for a more relaxed process, giving themselves the luxury of time between tours to schedule recording sessions and get each note just right.

While the process may have been more relaxed, listeners will find the result to be another vital and spirited collection.  “It has a lot more high-energy songs and feels more ‘live’ than previous work,” commented Wynia.  “All of our previous records have been pretty varied; some records end up being really hard-hitting, others end up being really mellow and some are all over the map.  This one has been heavily influenced by playing live so much – there is an energy to it that we wanted to bring across, and as a result, I think Wake has a concert sort of feeling to it.  People have told me that it feels like a set list, and I agree.”

With new material that some will consider to be more pop-oriented and commercial, the band still thinks their die-hard fans will embrace it.  “The reaction so far has been amazingly good.  Of course we hope that everyone gets something great from it, but it’s hard to predict what other people are going to think of anything you create.  People who want a certain thing from us are generally the most vocal critics of anything we do. People who aren’t expecting something specific are usually the ones who are truly die-hard and get the most from the music.”

Listen to “Cannonball”

“Cannonball” is distinctively Floater –  it takes your average pop-rock song and turns it on its head, reeling you in on the verses with a runaway rock beat and plenty of shimmering melodies, before just grabbing you with the chorus’ hook and having you sing along…”

In addition to making the music, the band made a decision early on to take control of the process of getting their music out by starting their own label. “Typhon was created a number of years ago when we wanted to make our second record and it was really the easiest and most fluid way to get it done,” explained Wynia.  “For Wake, we had been recording on our own over the course of a few months just exploring the songs and thinking of it more like making demos.  We found ourselves diving into full-blown production and before we knew it, we were asking how long it would take to get it uploaded to the web.  The way the music business, the internet and new technologies have evolved, the production of an album really doesn’t require the old studio/label system. Typhon has been a great way of just streamlining the process for us to make what we want to make and get it out there.”

Watch:  An Apology (Live at KINK)

The work doesn’t end there for this industrious threesome.  In addition to their contributions to Floater and Typhon, each band member has their own side projects. Wynia performs solo/spoken word; together with guitarist David Amador, the two are members of dark, new wave, pop outfit, Drumattica; and finally, drummer Peter Cornett has a side project of his own called Riverboat.

In terms of achievement, Floater’s longevity and status as rock gods among their many devotees qualifies them as a “success story,” but Wynia thinks there is more to success than that.  “There are several elements to what I would describe as “success.”  Firstly, being able to reproduce what you hear in your head, or even come close, is a huge success.  So any time we come near to that I feel pretty successful. Secondly, if people hear it, live or recorded, and feel moved or are in some way transported, then that is another huge success.  While I have felt really good about a number of moments and elements of what we’ve done, I still feel like there is a lot more to do.”

Wynia has some ideas with regards to what is left to do.  For example, who he would like to see Floater perform with, and where. “I know we would all really like to play Red Rocks, among other places.  There are too many acts that it would be an absolute pleasure to share an evening with, so it would be ideal if we were part of a multi-day festival with tons of bands.  That way we could play with everyone from Willie Nelson to Queens Of The Stone Age and it would still click.”

For now, the band’s goal is to get on the road, get the record in front of people, and have people listen!
Purchase your tickets to Floater’s Wake CD Release show on Friday, June 25^th with Kleveland at the Crystal Ballroom.  All ages.  Doors 8 pm, Show 9 pm. Tickets $16.00 advance, $18 day of show. On sale in person at the Crystal Ballroom box office, or via Ticketmaster charge by phone at 1-866-448-7849, or online at Ticketmaster.com.

If there was any location to be in Oregon on March 5th, SW Third and Burnside in Portland was perhaps the final destination for rock’n’roll lovers everywhere. Not only did local bands The Dry County Crooks and Kleveland provide Dante’s packed crowd with amazing live sets, Portland’s own I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House established themselves as one of Oregon’s best live bands in the scene today.

“There’s always something that you have to fight before the day you die,” exclaimed Mike D, lead singer and guitarist for I Can Lick. “We kind of ended on a bad note [but] we got back together and will have a new album out hopefully before summer.”

I Can Lick, or S.O.B., exploded out of Portland’s music scene in 2001 with their debut release Creepy Little Noises and began touring immediately throughout the Northwest, establishing them as one of the best alternative country-rock bands in the nation. In late 2006, after the studio releases of Put Here to Bleed and Menace, S.O.B. quickly released Live at Dante’s and were planning on a fourth studio album and more touring; however, the band announced that they wanted to pursue other projects and/or spend time with their families.

Mike D, or Michael Dean Damron, had already released a solo album, A Perfect Day for a Funeral, in 2005 and was also involved with Mike D and Thee Loyal Bastards who released Father’s Day in June 2009 and embarked on a West Coast tour the same year. Although guitarist Handsome Jon and drummer Flapjack Texas continued with their band, The Runaway Boys, and harpist Dave Lipkind was involved with Spigot, fans continued to pick up past S.O.B. records in hopes that the original lineup would return for a reunion show and a new album.

On Friday night, their prayers were answered. After The Dry Country Crooks displayed their affection towards melding folk with country and rock from 2008’s When Hearts Break and native rockers Kleveland entertained the crowd with Joan Jett/Iggy Pop inspired garage punk-rock, S.O.B. hit the stage like a lightning bolt, performing fan favorites from their three studio releases.

“I’ll stay my course and I’ll stay strong,” screamed Mike D during the band’s song “I Be Ready” from 2004’s Menace. “And I know someday, someway, we’re all gonna shine / And I be ready!” The band also presented electrified performances of fan favorites “Gone,” “Saturday,” and “Rachel Corrie,” a song about the Evergreen State College student who was killed by Israeli Defense Forces in 2003.

Of course, the set list would not have been complete without the ballads “Creepy Little Noises” and “Walk Across Texas,” which both included the crowd’s sing-a-long participation. S.O.B. concluded the night with an encore, performing Put Here to Bleed’s “Dear Mr. Heston,” a guitar-scorched, blues tear-jerker that reminds fans of the honesty that S.O.B. includes in their lyrics.

With a fantastic reunion show completed, the question on everybody’s minds is what’s next for S.O.B?

Mike D, guitarist/singer for S.O.B.

“We’re going to stay in the region for a while,” says Mike D, who also stated that the band is hoping to release their anticipated fourth studio release, Sounds of Dying, during the summer. The singer/songwriter, who is influenced by an array of musical genres from Smokey Robinson to Motown, punk and 70’s rock, is also working on completing a solo album titled The Day Brian Piccolo Died and plans to have it released sometime between May and July of 2010. Mike D said the album will be similar to his past releases and added that he has been working with an orchestra to make it a little different.

“All those creepy little noises, all alone immersed in sin / Cannot make you disappear, looks like death has found me again,” sings Mike Damron, lead singer/songwriter of Portland’s own I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House. Although the lyrics may still sound haunting after over three years of inactivity, the band has risen from the grave, officially reuniting to perform at Dante’s on Friday night.

“We’re going to be playing a long set to fit in all our favorite songs,” says the band on their website. “It’s going to be a night that you won’t want to miss!”

I Can Lick, who performs a mix of southern rock with a hint of punk and hard rock, formed in 2001 under the direction of Damron with the intentions of fusing gritty, country-rock jams with punk influences. After the release of their first album, Creepy Little Noises, I Can Lick (or S.O.B.) was touring throughout the Northwest, even going as far as Texas to perform at Austin’s SXSW Festival in 2006. After subsequent albums Put Here to Bleed (2003) and Menace (2004), S.O.B. quickly put together a live album at Portland’s renowned Dante’s for their growing and dedicated fan base.

“It is truly a live record, mistakes, lyrical deviation, pre-song batter, and all,” said the band’s label, In Music We Trust Records. “Fans have cherished the studio records, but recognized that the energy of their live show [had] yet to be captured on disc.”

Two thousand six’s Live at Dante’s was the explosive result, featuring fan-favorites such as “I Be Ready” and “Saturday,” which both demonstrate the band’s tactics towards blending brutal, guitar-soaked rock with country and punk. Blues ballads “Walk Across Texas” and “Creepy Little Noises” further reveal S.O.B.’s musical fusion of blues and folk while “Dear Mr. Heston” sees the band at their most honest and aggressive moment. With the end of 2006 approaching, S.O.B. was considering a winter tour with rumors of a fifth album in the works.

However, because of solo-projects and needed rest, the band disbanded in late 2006 with no intentions of recording any new material. Though the band continued distributing all their albums through their website and iTunes, fans speculated whether S.O.B. would return in the future.

Fast forward to December 2009 when S.O.B. surprised music enthusiasts by announcing a reunion show at Dante’s with country/rock band The Dry County Crooks and local rock outfit Kleveland. That’s right folks, Mike D, guitarist Handsome Jon, bassist Mole Harris, drummer Flapjack Texas, and harmonica-slinging David Lipkind are set to thrill their hometown once again, featuring songs from their three studio releases.

“We can’t wait to see everyone and tear it up once again,” says the band, who last played at the venue in 2006. “We’ll have some new shirts [but] no new record quite yet… it’s coming soon!”

I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In the House will play at Dante’s in Portland on Friday, March 5th with Kleveland and The Dry County Crooks. Advanced tickets can be purchased at Dante’s or on Ticketswest for $8. Doors open at 9 PM with the show starting at 9:30 PM.

Without a doubt, the idea of playing death metal, death punk or slasher rock on an acoustic guitar with no back up is a daunting notion. If there were one person who might be able to pull it off it would be Nick Oliveri.

Sadly, it was just not possible.

Since his departure from Queens of the Stone Age, Oliveri has been touring solo and contributing so some of his side projects, most notably The Knives, Turbonegro, and his own creation, Mondo Generator. Up on stage at Mississippi Studios last Monday with his sticker-laden guitar, Oliveri pounded out a set list that covered songs from past and current projects, including “Green Machine”, “Autopilot”, “Another Love Song”, “Six Shooter” and a cover of Roky Erikson’s “Bloody Hammer”.

Screaming at the top of his lungs and beating out chords on the guitar, this show seemed more like a release of pent-up frustration more than an effort to make good music. While the attempt was valiant, and oftentimes an interesting take on the singer/songwriter genre, the material was always lacking something. Most likely due to Oliveri’s bassist nature, the ‘melodies’ played were primarily harmonies, and the vocals seemed more like back-up singing than that of a front man. Without any accompaniment, the music was flat and one-sided, taking the luster out of the great songs he played.

This isn’t to say that the show was a bad one. Oliveri has a great demeanor and puts on an enthusiastic production, but he effectively proved why the acoustic singer/songwriter genre is primarily composed of rich melodies and heartfelt vocals.

It’s the only way to really make it sound good.

While he described his solo work as sounding like ‘a jet plane’, the music was actually something much more like the intoxicating smell of jet fuel. However, without the fire of a drummer, lead guitar or bassist, the fuel remained on the ground. And while Oliveri tried his best to light it up, it was like watching a man furiously beating to wet rocks together in order to make a spark. It makes a lot of noise, but it isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Kleveland opened the show with a solid acoustic set, played by lead singer/rhythm guitar Stephanie Smith and lead guitar Kevin Hahn. Their tone was laid-back and casual, consisting of a good deal of covers, including an especially solid take on Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky Babe”. While they too demonstrated that they are better suited for the structure of a four-piece band, they nonetheless produced a cogent set reminiscent of a jam-session. Smith was especially impressive, as her carefree persona was on full display. At certain points in the set, the chair she sat in could barely hold her, and this carried over into the pair’s emphatic guitar work.

You can catch Kleveland tomorrow, Feb. 19th, at the Hawthorne Theater, and on Mar. 5^th at Dante’s.

When you’re thinking of going to a good acoustic show, Nick Oliveri aka Rex Everything isn’t going to be the first name you think of. As a matter of fact, Oliveri’s name is more likely a name you won’t think of. But considering his recent solo CD, Death Acoustic, this should change in a hurry.

Since his unfortunate departure from the Queens of the Stone Age, Oliveri has worked with several groups, including The Knives, Turbonegro, and as the frontman for his own creation, Mondo Generator. These days however, he is concentrating on his solo work. But he hasn’t exactly taken the conventional, lovey-dovey, sensitive approach to writing songs.

With howls and screams that lead you to consider his mental state, Oliveri has crafted an acoustic body of work that brutally tears through the modern conventions of acoustic rock.

“I’m not  a folk singer or singer/songwriter,” he said, laughing. “I approach the Death Acoustic tour the same way I would playing bass. I scream my head off, and I play as hard as I would playing, you know, my bass. I thought Death Acoustic was an appropriate title. Death metal, death punk, Death Acoustic.”

And the final product?

“Sounds like a jet-plane.”

Consider yourself warned, this is not the typical solo acoustic show. But that’s exactly why you should come see it. Local garage-punk-rock band Kleveland (you know, the ones that play the Blazers theme song) open at Mississippi Studios this Monday, February 15th.

21+, Doors at 8 PM, Show at 9 PM, 3939 N. Mississippi

Tickets $10