The one-man, underground, electro-machine Copy (aka Marius Libman) is set to release his third album for Audio Dregs Recordings on September 21st. Hard Dream is “named after a horror movie concept created by friend and Portland DJ/performance artist Joe Von Appen and is loosely intended as a score to the un-filmed movie.”
“Part synth pop, part electro, part Italo disco, with a twist of Ratatat, and a dash of John Carpenter,” get Copy’s first single “Breakfast” from the new release here.
Plus DJ Copy drops a remix CDR where Copy “turns the King of R&B intot the King of Electro” dubbed R. Kelly Meets Copy. Check out the “I’m A Flirt (Copy Remix).”
Looking for qualified street teamers at colleges throughout the West Coast to intern and work projects from Jus Family Records and Executive Branch Management. Alot of good things coming up for you help with and great way to gain experience. Hit me up at KingCoolNutz@gmail.com if you are serious. OR, WA, ID, MT, CA, UT, AK, CO, AZ, and More….Get at me….
Download Lovers new single
Hot off their performance at last weekend’s Old Town Block Party, the emotionally synthesized Lovers will release their new album Dark Light on October 12th via Badman Recording Co. but get their first single “Figure 8″ here before their MFNW gig at Rotture on September 11th (with MEN, Boy Joy, SistaFist, Permanent Wave), TBA performance on September 15th at Washington High School, or their Doug Fir release show on October 14th. And definitely before they leave town on a national tour.
New Jared Mees leak
Tender Loving Empire leaders Jared Mees & the Grown Children leak the new hoe-down ready drama of “Cockleburrs & Hay” said to be “a sneak preview of their next record.” Currently wrapping up their follow up to Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money, the band heads out on tour around the Western states in late September with a PDX Doug Fir gig on 9/23 and an Ashland stop on 9/24 at Alex’s before moving south to California.
3 Leg Torso off to Chicago
3 Leg Torso The details are *in* for 3 Leg Torso’s appearances at the Chicago World Music Festival! Catch us on Saturday, September 25th for FREE at Navy Pier at 1pm, and then at The Empty Bottle at 10pm that same night ($12). Tell all your Midwestern family & friends!
(Queen?) Liv Warfield in Houston attending Prince drummer’s birthday party, calls it “the birthday bash of the year!”
Liv Warfield was posting from a beauty salon: “Getting my hair done sitting in the chair chillin to the sounds of Reva Devito! Hot!”
This is Reva Devito (and Farnell Newton on trumpet):
She was in Portland when she posted that but last night she was in Houston for the birthday party of Cora Coleman-Dunham, Prince’s drummer.
“Performances by Ledisi, Tank, Dallas Blocker, Tamar, Queen Liv Warfield, The Rambo Experience, Nikki J@ne, Kevin Herring, Reggie Jamz, Nakitta Clegg-Foxx and so much more! Se7en will be hosting and the Red Carpet will be bananas!!!!
Guests are encouraged to wear white!!!”
They call her Queen Liv now? Well, why not? She’s pretty regal.
If you were in Houston:
VIP Elite – $200.00 (includes: *Round trip LIMO ride to BIRTHDAY CONCERT *VIP Pre-Party Reception and Artist Meet & Greet *VIP Red carpet activities *USB stick with exclusive images and video *Autographed Cora Coleman-Dunham photo *Photo with Cora Coleman-Dunham & ALL performing artists *Priority seating at the Exclusive VIP Afterparty *Autographed GAGU book by author Cora Coleman-Dunham *Exclusive back-stage access and hors d’œuvres *Unlimited drinks (non-alcoholic ) *”Queen Cora” Vater Signature Drumsticks *Personal VIVO Party Gift Bag).
It’s been a long time since Liv wore a running outfit on stage when she sang (c. 2002). Portland’s Liv is thisclose to breaking out. Nice going, Liv.
Scott Avett sings to a small, but rapt, crowd at the Crystal Ballroom Monday night. Photos by Jon T. Cruz.
The Avett Brothers didn’t have to do much talking to explain their surprise show this past Monday night at the Crystal Ballroom, a benefit to support the Terra Nova Community Farm–their lyrics said it best: “Money won’t do the trick, / but it will help / to open the doors we need it to / to help someone else.”
When asked how the concert, which came as an even bigger surprise considering The Avett Brothers just visited Portland in July, Paul Hudak, Terra Nova’s farmer and crew leader, laughed and said simply, “Serendipity.”
Paul Hudak, Terra Nova Community Farm's Crew Leader, shares his excitement about The Avett Brothers' support of his students. Photo by Jon T. Cruz.
According to Hudak, who is also a mentor and tutor for the students at Terra Nova, The Avett Brothers had wanted to fit another Portland show into their tour, since they had sold out their earlier show at Edgefield. They had conditions though–they wanted the show to be intimate, and they wanted it to be a benefit.M
Hudak had connections at McMenamins, and the folks at the Crystal Ballroom had been trying to put together a dance party to benefit the farm. When The Avett Brothers told McMenamins they’d be coming back through Portland between opening for John Mayer and Keith Urban at the Gorge Amphitheater and traveling down to their next show in Las Vegas, everything came together.
And while The Avett Brothers may not have known about the Terra Nova Community Farm (TNCF) before last week, the fit couldn’t have been much more perfect. “They’ve been very authentically supportive of what we’re doing because of their own background in farming,” Hudak said.
The project, which began in 2008, is a student-run venture that combines rigorous student learning, community building, and sustainable agricultural growing practices. Last year, the 15 or so student farmers, who earn credit in ecology, economics, science, math, nutrition, health, physical education, social science, and language arts, served a 15-family Community Support Agriculture program and also provided local food to pantries and families in need.
The program’s success so far could also be described as serendipitous, as the fledgling farm was started and has operated on a fledgling budget. The proceeds from the $50 a pop show will help the TNCF in three ways: it will provide funding for a scholarship program (Terra Nova High School is a small alternative school focused on individual learning for at-risk students, who elect to attend there), purchase equipment and tools for the farm, and allow the community farming program to extend to other schools in the district.
In addition to the concert, The Avett Brothers spent a good portion of their time in Portland with the Terra Nova students; the teens watched the band perform an unplugged set that afternoon in Kink’s Bing Lounge and then cooked the band dinner with food they’d grown themselves.
All in all, the concert seemed to be a success on multiple levels.
While the brothers’ lyrics are generally known for being uplifting, honest, and passionate, they seemed especially aware of their audience Monday night, singing songs about helping others, following dreams, and coming of age, like the unreleased track, “Never Been Alive,” mentioned in this story’s opening paragraph. Even Langhorne Slim’s “Be Set Free” seemed to fit the evening perfectly with its line: “Every garden can grow; / every mouth can form a smile.”
Thankfully, The Avett Brothers’ brand of inspirational isn’t a saccharin sweet, greeting card inspiration, but rather a raucous, energetic kind of inspiration, fueled by lively banjo, spirited guitar picking, and vocals that alternate between smooth and screaming.
One of the evening’s highlights Emotionalism’s “Pretty Girl From Chile,” in which Seth switched from acoustic guitar to drums and Scott swapped a banjo for an electric guitar, and the band’s “punkgrass” sound shown through.
Langhorne Slim opens the benefit show on a sweet note, accompanied by Seth Avett on vocals. Photo by Jon T. Cruz.
Though the Crystal Ballroom might not be the most intimate venue in Portland, the 500-ticket cap that was imposed kept the crowd small. Seth and Scott, along with bass player Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon, brought the same passion and energy they brought in July, but the indoor setting and smaller crowd gave the show the familial feel the brothers were after.
From the opening number, a duet between opener Langhorne Slim (who just recently rocked Pickathon) and Seth Avett, with Seth’s arms draped around Slim’s shoulders, to the main act’s ode to Portland, “Portland Town,” the night truly felt like a special evening for those lucky enough to be there.
As Seth said, it was a night that was special for a number of reasons. “When ya find something good,” he said, “You have to support it.” And as long as The Avett Brothers keep supporting Portland, Portland will keep supporting them.
Even with the rain steadily pouring down for three hours, Vampire Weekend and Beach House diligently tried to warm up the full Edgefield lawn on Tuesday evening–the day after VW lead singer Ezra Koenig was forced to cancel the band’s Seattle gig due to “vocal issues,” announcing on their MySpace that “he lost his voice completely,” and after being taken to the ER, he was “diagnosed with inflamed vocal cords and the doctor ordered him to not perform for 48 hours.”
Jubilantly, Koenig was back on stage despite the dreary, damp coldness coming down from above. Entering, the bubbly, bright rhythms of Vampire Weekend’s signature riffage and bouncing jams emanated from the stage doing their best to warm the audience by immediately inducing pogoing and clapping from the soaked, umbrella-sheltered and plastic poncho-covered crowd. Along with the spectacular, flashing light show–including five blinking, (plastic) crystal chandeliers that were lowered during “M79″’s Mark Mothersbaugh-derived key sequences–Vampire Weekend sounded tight, giddily entertaining to the audience’s delight, even through a botched Koenig lyric on “M79.” Although Seattle may have still been upset, they could do no wrong to this crowd. And most absorbingly comical of all on stage was bassist Chris Baio who took the award for hi-steppin’ and badunkadunk bouncing to his own bobbing bass lines.
As the rockabilly jam sesh burst forth on “Cousins,” Vampire Weekend showed flairs of why they are this generation’s Weezer–incredibly catchy and chock full of goofy intelligence with a simple, distinct sound. And Vampire Weekend also excels on stage because they are capable performers when the live setting has always been notoriously abysmal for Weezer.
Their one problem is that their tunes are formulaic. With every song equally catchy and similarly constructed, the echoed whooos and hoots become repetitive alongside the homogeneous key structures, sounds, and riffs. Regardless, as Koenig announced, part two of the set was for dancing and encouraged the concept of fist pumping for those familiar as the band burst into the appropriately raincoat-y “A-Punk.” The people bounced and pumped as new tracks like “Horchata” were met with as much love as “Campus,” “Oxford Comma,” and their shortest song, “Mansard Roof.”
Saying goodbye, Vampire Weekend suitably left with the repeated sing along, “Don’t you want to get out of Cape Cod, out of Cape Cod tonight?” of “Walcott” as Rostam Batmanglij jammed away on his keys.
“We have a few more emotional storm starters and we really appreciate you for sticking with it,” thanked Beach House’s vocalist and organist Victoria Legrand towards the end of their set knowingly understanding that their dreamy haze-pop was better suited for the warm, dark confines of a club (like their last Portland gig at the Doug Fir) rather than the drizzly open-air theater.
Backed by a trio of white, pop-up pyramids, which revolved at the close of their set, and strings of white lights strung up like scattered stars, their gentle, cozy-fuzzy, lo-fi electronics and Legrand’s ethereal vocals floated through the fog on stage and showers off like frothy surf flowing over wet sand. Alex Scally’s guitars put forth whispers reminiscent of a gentler Explosions In The Sky while Legrand’s voice rang like Mazzy Star’s ghostly Hope Sandoval with her breathy, sultry lows and passionate highs as the drums resounded with hollow mallet hits like empty exhalations. The slow, jazzy tempos moaned on as the audience attentively swayed along wishing for a lethargic sunset as the gray evening faded into a cold, black night.
Beneath the gray skies and rain, the melodramatic, all-girl quartet Dum Dum Girls opened the night with a gloomy, slow Stones’ cover of “Play With Fire.” Dressed in black dresses and tights, their bleak, reverbed guitars got a bit sunnier as their set wore on, especially on their single “Jail La La” but the girls seemed bored even with their lilt-y, poppy melodies and three-part harmonies that brought together The Raveonettes and The Beach Boys with a sluggish Ramones punch.
Their music quickly became repetitively cheesy, especially on “Bhang, Bhang, I’m A Burnout,” and the girls didn’t do much to liven up the mood with their mannequin stage presence. Whatever retro-elegant thing they’ve got going, they were to static and expressionless, thus boring the soggy crowd.
Even though the weather didn’t deter a full lawn from enjoying themselves, Tuesday’s lineup was made for sunnier days and would have been glorious beneath some sizzling rays.
Or at least inside, like Vampire Weekend did for 94.7 FM KNRK covering The Boss’ “I’m Going Down” earlier in the day.
Seven years and running, it’s time again for Portland’s hot Sweet F.A. (Fashion + Art) Rock & Roll Fashion Show, brought to you by Doom Town Productions. Co-conspirators Elizabeth Mollo and Erin Cry have worked hard to bring it again with seasoned production skills and fresh, edgy style.
Meant to be a cut above the average fashion show, Sweet F.A. Rock & Roll features non-traditional models who truly own their look, and Sweet F.A. hosts their annual show at a different venue each year, with live music. This year, the action is at Berbati’s Pan: That’s 231 SW Ankeny, yo!
Come watch some fierce chicas strut down a non-traditional runway in local designs by: Adam Andreas, Carolyn Hart, Clair, Diana Pingul, Moovmint, Owlhaus and Squeak Designs.
Seriously, this is an amazing night honoring Portland’s talent and we have a lot of it. It’s young, fresh and raw. Kind of like a farmer’s market, but with alcohol and sex infused into your meat and two veg.
Plus, tickets are only $8 presale, $10 at the door (if there are any left). Saturday, September 4th, doors at 8 PM, show at 9 PM, 21+. See you there, PDX.
And any guys and girls interested in modeling can email: elizabeth@doomtownproductions.com
As mentioned in the recently published article Soft Metals’ discovery, the duo of DJs Patricia Furpurse and Ian Hixx were asked by Holocene Music to remix the first single from Reporter’s latest release, Time Incredible. As Patricia Furpurse posted on Facebook: “We’ve been dying to share this with you for some time now! Ahhhhhh!” So check out Soft Metals’ remix of “Click Shaw”:
Pink Martini takes on Hollywood… with a little help from Sesame Street
PM has posted on Facebook:
We are thrilled to announce that not only are we performing September 10, 11 & 12
at the Hollywood Bowl with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra but we will be joined by very special guests Rufus Wainwright, Jane Powell, Ari Shapiro and the Original Cast of
Sesame Street. Don’t miss these shows, they are going to be amazing!
Niswanger clan escapes vacation fire, Hailey back at Berklee in Boston
A hot vacation spot. Niswanger clan escapes vacation fire... Hailey back to Boston and Berklee
Patti Niswanger says she is sad that daughter Hailey is returning to Berklee in Boston on Monday. She had a very fine gig at Jimmy Mak’s while she was here with Randy Porter on piano, Ron Steen on drums, Ed Bennett.
The family went on a Deschutes River rafting adventure, but had to be evacuated from Buckskin Mary, and took refuge. “Fires blazed across the river well into the night,” she writes. “After we were evacuated from our camp at Buckskin Mary at 7:30 pm on August 21, we moved to the grassy bank of the Deschutes River Club for the night”
Unwinding from the first Portland Folk Festival
Amanda Stark, one of the three curators says, “I think it went very well. We could have done with a smaller room instead of Wonder Ballroom on the Saturday – but besides that people seemed very happy that went to the festival. We had to start somewhere! And it was a good start!”
Gulls release Drexler-ized video by Nurses’ Aaron Chapman with new 12-inch out in September
Electro ambient outfit Gulls have a new 12-inch EP out on Boomarn Nation on September 15th titled From the Mean Sound, but before then, Aaron Chapman of Nurses has just finished the video for the track “Vetted.” He describes as…
I think about it as the inner-workings of Clyde Drexler’s psyche during a game. He has all the world’s pressure on him and has to overcome some personal issues like self-doubt, etc.
Portland’s Quick & Easy Boys are touring in support of their sophomore full-length, “Red Light Rabbit,” out now.
Jimmy Russell on guitar, Sean Badders on bass, and Michael Goetz on drums have done a little changing, from good-time, energetic funk punk band to a stew of funk, psychedelic rock, and garage-soul with a slight pinch of honky-tonk.
Watch the video for “Take Your Medicine,” the first single off of Red Light Rabbit:
Doom Folk? Now there’s a small niche
San Diego’s the Black Heart Procession likes to classify themselves in that catagory. They’ve collaborated with Lee “Scratch” Perry & Eluvium on Blood Bunny / Black Rabbit a limited edition mini-album dropping October 12. Along with 3 brand new BHP songs, the 40-minute EP includes a collaboration with the godfather of dub himself, the immortal Lee “Scratch” Perry. It also features a titanic 10-minute orchestral reconstruction of “Drugs” by ambient mainstay Eluvium. Listen to “Blank Page” from Blood Bunny.
See them Dec 3 @ Aladdin Theater, Portland, OR w/ The Books
Zippy the Pinhead now a musical
Are we a Tony Award Winner yet? “Zippy the Pinhead: The Musical” will be opening Nov. 12 in Baltimore, MD. It’s written by Baltimore composer Lorraine Whittlesey and tells the story of the Zipster’s return to Baltimore to attend his high school reunion, and includes numbers such as “Pinhead Love,” “The Condiments” and “Type ‘Z’ Personality.”
We are told:
Bill Griffith, the Award winning and marvelously esoteric creator of the long running Strip, has provided acclaimed Baltimore composer Lorraine Whittlesey with the rights to create this unique show. Whittlesey has chosen Theatre Project as the ideal venue for the premiere of this project. Whittlesey will serve as Artistic Director and Theatre Project is co-producing the work with Private Sector Productions.
Auditions were held in March. Zippy is a baritone/bass who can dance some basic moves. Singing and dancing ability were required for characters Zerbina and Mister Toad. Character of Griffy did not require singing ability.
In case you’ve forgotten:
Zippy is the “wise fool”. He knows nothing at all and everything at once. Media-soaked, he has the attention span of a channel-surfer. He’s giddy from information overload. He speaks in an expressive voice, full of emotion and media sound bites. His mind works in a distinctly non-linear fashion, leap-frogging from one thought to the next , creating a speech pattern that closely resembles the swing of improvisational jazz. Though his behavior may appear “surreal”, he’s really making his own kind of sense of the world. His seeming “non sequitur” style is really more of a rearranging of subjects, objects and emotions, flowing like poetry. Zippy thrives on an additive-rich, high MSG diet and a hefty dose of celebrity-spotting (after all, he lives in Hollywood). He’s fueled by Ding Dongs and taco sauce. Of course, there’s an intentionally satiric edge to Zippy, but this never takes a back seat to his strong attachment and loyalty to those around him. When he’s not hanging out at Donut Hut, the bowling alley or the laundromat, he lives with his family in a courtyard apartment building a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard. When he wants to get away from it all, he goes to his fur-lined fallout shelter in a vacant lot on the other side of town. He’s the central character of the show, bouncing around inside each episode, both reacting to and directing (often unwittingly) the storyline.
A sea of bodies covered the McMenamins’ Edgefield lawn Friday, anxiously awaiting the anticipated Doobie Brothers concert. Doobie daughter Lara Johnston opened the show with a surprisingly full and sultry voice, the likes of Aretha Franklin or Christina Aguilera, coming from her tiny figure. Playing a mix of covers like “Let the Good Times Roll” and her own originals, the tone was fun and upbeat. Although her voice and the lyrics of her original songs, which were being played for the first time, conveyed a harshness as she sang about being scarred by the pain, when she spoke to the crowd, she was only bubbly and bright. Full of sweetness and a kind of youthful innocence, she invited the crowd to get up and dance as she herself also moved freely with the music, bopping and bouncing, shoulder-shrugging and fist-pumping throughout.
Lara Johnston has a voice bigger than her frame
Lara Johnston and Co. played a classic style that ranged through the decades from 1970s funk, 1950s pop, and even took us back a little further, instructing the audience to close their eyes in preparation for the next song.
“Now imagine you’re in a speakeasy in New Orleans in the 1920s.”
Overall, Johnston’s fun set provided a great mood-boosting way to enjoy the evening sun before the Doobie Brothers took the Edgefield lawn. Announcing that there was only time for one more song, Johnston described, [this next song] “is a very personal song,” but stopped herself. “….Nevermind… Who wants personal? We want fun!!” and instead kept the tone light and fun to continue revving up for the main attraction. As if the crowd’s excitement wasn’t already radiating forth, as the band began to exit the stage she called out: “GET READY FOR THE DOOBIE BROTHERS!!!!”
After a short break allowing for the stage changeover, a chord of music streamed out of the giant speakers on stage, warning the crowd that the show was about to begin and fans stopped their conversations mid-sentence to run back to their spots, unwilling to miss even a second of the legendary band’s show. The eight-man band filed out on stage, took their places and got right down to business.
The Doobie Brothers
As they played “Take Me In Your Arms,” a beach ball bounced around the crowd in an effort to keep it from touching the ground. With most people standing, there was clearly no need for the low-seated chairs that individuals and families had dragged in from their cars.
Speaking for the first time since arriving onstage: “Do you guys know this one??” asked Johnston as they all hummed along in harmony to the organ-y music. Those who weren’t standing before surely were now as the familiar sounds rang out:
“Doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo. Doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo. Doo-da-da-doo-doo-doo-doo-do. Jesus is just alright with me. Jesus is just alright. Oh, yeah. Jesus is just alright with me. Oh, yeaaaaaah!”
The varied crowd was decked out in everything from baseball hats to bandanas to brimmed hats, flow-y dresses to cowboy boots, tie-died shirts to Doobie-logoed gear. No matter if they were 25 or 60, the crowd had a hard time keeping still throughout the concert, swaying and waving their hands in the air. On “Dangerous” the Doobies showed their true rock’n'roll chops with the soulful sounds of the electric guitar and the deep beats from two drum sets filling the air. One of the drummers stood and clicked his drumsticks together motioning for the crowd to follow suit, which they did with a slow overhead clap. ”Whoooooooah!” Johnston screamed on the next one, ”Rockin’ Down The Highway.” The deafening whistles and cheers after each song almost matched the screaming of Simmons’ guitar.
Introducing their upcoming 13th album, World Gone Crazy, they announced they would preview three of the songs for the crowd, starting with the album’s single, “Nobody.” “Has anybody seen the video [for this song]?” Simmons asked in his barely audible, small-town-southern-hippie soft drawl, ”It’s coohl.” Watch the video of the revamped song for yourself below featuring vintage footage from their early days as well as a look at the guys now.
Next, they played “World Gone Crazy,” the album’s title track and a “song about New Orleans ta’ getcha up an’ movin’” but one with heart (and a conscience) as well as lyrics spelling out the real problems many humans face. “Don’t wanna live in the street like some folks do…. This whole world’s gone crazy and I’m ’bout to lose my mind.” After finishing the third featured song, called “The Chateau,” Johnston called out, “Anybody out there like the blues??” The answer was a resounding yes in the form of a full-bodied “WOOOOOOO!” As they played, the five members standing in front slowly moved to the center of the stage as they played and in an unexpected moment they all dipped their guitar and saxophone-arms in rhythmic unison, a delight for first-time witnesses of the classic move and Doobie junkies alike.
With a smooth transition, the pace quickened again as the lively “Little Bitty Pretty One” began. Fans young and old bopped along to the lighthearted tune, ”Hey, little bitty pretty one, c’mon and talk to meee,” twirling each other in the twilight. Then with only the sound of twinkling chimes, cheers of recognition rang out as the slowed pace of “Black Water” emerged. “Oh Black Water, keep on rollin’ Mississippi moon, wontcha keep on shinin’ ….OR-egon moon,” they added in, receiving big cheers, “woncha keep on shinin’ on meee?” The band went silent, letting the crowd take over as they sung out, ”Hand-hand. Take me by the hand, pretty mama!” expelling all the air in their lungs and diaphragms with zealous participation.
Following one classic with another, they sang out the well-known words from “Long Train Runnin’” leaving everyone standing and dancing feverishly. ”Without lu-uhve, where would you be now? Without Luuuuuh-uuuuh-uuuuh-uve! Where would you be now-ow-ow?”
Johnston stood at the edge of the stage playing almost face-to-face with the lucky fans in the seated rows up front. The song extended into an improvised instrumental solo with a trick ending, which seemed unfamiliar when the tune started up again from the beginning. The crowd was hesitant to sing along in fear that they would be the only ones singing the wrong song.
The Doobies rock with two drum sets and countless guitars
With the Doobies’ help and the once-again familiar chorus back, the sing along resumed only to leave the whole crowd shocked when they said their thanks and goodnight after only an hour. The fans stood with lighters and cell phones, cheering and whistling incessantly while a few tried to start the chant, “Doo-bie. Doo-bie.” Without fail, the Doobie Brothers did return to the stage, saying, “Ya’ll are havin’ some fun out there, ‘cuz we’re watchin’! So there’s no sense in stoppin’ now–let’s rock this place a little harder, c’mon!”
The not-so-die-hard fans had already begun to trickle out and the lights danced on the crowd, revealing a sea of outstretched arms. Johnston informed the eager audience, “We’re gonna play another song, can you help us out? I know you’re gonna know the words…” as he sang, “O-oh-ohhhh, listen to the music.” They had saved the best for last and this time when they said goodnight, though the crowd still begged for more, they were satisfied and happy to let them go.
Only 14 months since the release of their debut album Up From Below, the contagiously free-spirited and life-loving Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros have become quite the whirlwind success: their fan-base grows by the day and their shows are selling out across the country. Returning to Portland after almost nine months since their last visit, tickets for their September 2nd show sold out so quickly, an additional (and third Oregon) date was added.
OMN talked with guitarist/vocalist Christian Letts, who actually lived in SE Portland for several years, about their upcoming trip to Oregon.
[Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros] have been touring a ton.Is that the main goal right now?
Man, it feels like ages ago since [the tour] started. We got home about a week ago and will start making the trek up the coast [to play in Eugene Wednesday, September 1st at the WOW Hall before arriving in Portland for their performance at the Wonder Ballroom on the 2nd and 3rd.] It’s been really fun to see how things have changed, you know? This summer’s been really different [than last year when they were just starting out.] It’s been fun.
Yeah, touring’s what’s going on now, you know. But in the next few months when things slow down, we’ll start recording again, which is one of my favorite things, to get the songs down and have a rough idea and just watch ‘em come to life. We’re excited to get a new album out.
Do you still tour in the your big white bus [the band used last year]?
No, uh. We have haven’t used our bus. It, um… needs some fixing. [Laughs] But we’ll use it again. There have been such great memories on that bus. Our first trip we had 27 people crammed into that thing. It was really fun.
Do you guys write a lot on tour?
Well, there’s no set equation, you know. Sometimes [we write] on the bus at nighttime, or sometimes they just come out of nowhere. We’ve been writing a ton of songs, so I’m excited to start recording them.
I bet. And there are a lot of fans that can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Yeah, everyone’s been asking us if we’re nervous about how our next album will be, but no matter what, we’ll be ourselves. Who knows. We don’t even know what it’ll be like [until we start].
I know this all sort of started as a cleansing process for Alex, is that true for the rest of the band?
You know, this whole thing just happened. It wasn’t a conscious choice to get away from anything it was just …. Just a collection of people doing something very pure, like an art project almost, just people, really good friends, coming together to make music and have a good time. We recorded at [bassist] Aaron’s [Older] house, just having fun, having dinner and drinking wine.
I remember thinking, later, “Why is this feeling so good? Why am I enjoying this so much?” But [the whole process] was just so honest and pure. You know, it was like I could feel my cells growing.
We’re just really fortunate to have such amazing friends that happen to be really fucking talented. It’s fantastic.
Last year in December you guys started doing a 12-part video series [a theatrical movie-music video series called SALVO!], is that still going on?
Yeah, we’re still doing it. The fourth one’s coming up soon. We don’t know how long it’ll take to finish it all, it’s a big undertaking, but we’ll keep going, whether it’s a year or 5 months. But it looks like we’ll have some free time coming up here soon, maybe we’ll do some more recording.
“Kisses Over Babylon” is the second installment of the series (below):
Great, we look forward to everything you have on the horizon, is there anything else you’d like to add?
Actually, I have a question for you: There’s this great sushi place, I wanna say it’s in NE, and it’s only open at night and always has a line to get in. Do you know what it’s called??
Unfortunately, this OMN writer could not provide the answer, so if any readers out there know this sushi restaurant, please post the name below so that Christian can fulfill his craving.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros play with South American electronic duo Lulacruza on Wednesday, September 1st at the WOW Hall in Eugene, 7pm; Thursday, September 2nd (sold out) and Friday, September 3rd in Portland at the Wonder Ballroom, 9pm.
Blue Giant released their self-titled debut album on Tuesday, July 13 with an in-store performance at Music Millennium. Performing the first half of the album in its entirety, Blue Giant began in 2008 as another project of the musical husband and wife duo Kevin and Anita Robinson (Viva Voce, The Robinsons). Playing a style that’s much more Southern country than their previous works, Blue Giant has flairs of all out rock’n'roll, psychedelia and electric blues. The album was recorded with Evan Railton (drums, percussion, keyboards), The Decemberists’ Chris Funk (pedal steel, assorted stringed instruments), and Seth Lorinczi (bass, keys), but due to scheduling conflicts, the current lineup (and the one that performed at Music Millennium) includes Dave Depper and Jesse Bates instead of Funk and Lorinczi.
After playing the first six tracks, the A-side to their new album, the audience’s applause encouraged Blue Giant to play one more song, “Wasted Time”–the “quietest song” on the album that is only featured as a bonus track. The following day, Blue Giant visited Jackpot Records to play side B of the new album. You can catch Blue Giant in September playing Sam Bonds Garage in Eugene (9/4) and Pioneer Square (9/11) as part of MFNW with The Decemberists, Laura Veirs, and Weinland.
As McMenamins Edgefield’ssummer concert series nears the halfway point, Thursday night’s concert on the lawn featured a cheerful New Zealand lineup. 26-year old band Crowded House and new-comber Lawrence Arabia brought rays of sunshine to a smaller crowd unafraid of the threat of rain. Lawrence Arabia played songs from his debut album, Chant Darling, and set the tone for the delightful evening filled with dry humor and witty banter. With a light-hearted silliness, slightly toned down from songs one might hear on Flight of the Conchords, “Lawrence,” aka James Milne, kept the tone light, starting with the peppy “Beautiful Young Crew.”
“They love each otha’, they hate each otha’, they’re afraid of each otha’, ‘cuz they wanna screw each otha – doo-dada-doo-dada-doo-dada-doo-dada-doo-dada-doo – we love each otha’…..“
James Milne is "Lawrence Arabia"
“This is anotha,’ ….song,” he uttered as he immediately begun playing the next cheeky tune. ”I was feeling a bit pissamistic about the weetha’” he described, sounding exactly like F.O.T.C.’s Jemaine Clement.
Folky “Talk about the Good Times” featured a bit slower pace with upbeat “lalalalala’s” reminiscent of an ABBA classic. ”Gracias.” “…For the spanish speakers,” he added in his distantly sarcastic tone. “Wow, a chorus of ‘de nada’’s,” he announced with a chuckle in his subdued excitement, repeating what could not be heard in the farther lawn seats, adding “…Very polite, didn’t get that from the ‘thank you.’”
Ending with “Apple Pie Bed,” the quirky and upbeat song (below) full of “ooooo-ooh’s” and a twangy sounding guitar, Lawrence Arabia definitely left an impression.
Between bands, show-goers mingled and made conversation with their neighbors, making friends with fellow fans over the excitement of the show. Wandering the grounds, families stocked up on the featured delights: McMenamins burgers and brews along with giant ice cream cones and root-beer floats, enjoying the lingering sun; the lines dying down as time wore on closer to start-time. Individuals stepped carefully as they trekked back to their seats as they carried their beers filled to the brim, knowing that any misstep down the ever-so-slightly-inclined bumpy and uneven grassy knoll would result in the loss of precious drops of refreshing McMenamins ale.
All at once, with instrumental notes not all that distinguished from the between-set background music, there was a stir in the air; a recognition. It was time. “There he is,” whispered long-time fans as lead vocalist and guitarist, Neil Finn, stepped foot on stage, trailing the other three members. Curly-cued letters reminiscent of the magazine cut-outs used in childhood collages spelled out ‘Crowded House’ on a pumice-stone wall behind the band with colors swirling over it in an ever-changing array of lights.
Performing their hits from the 1980’s as well as many new songs featured on their new album,Intriguer, the band featured a much more rock sound than the easy-listening feel one might incur while reminiscing with old albums. Partially due to their always-moving-forward attitude, the minor change likely occurred with the addition of two new members when original members Finn and Seymour reunited in 2005. Drummer Matt Sherrod had never listened to a Crowded House song before joining the group, a major possibility in the changed, and modernized, sound.
Though there is no doubt the sappiness of the ’80’s influence has lessened, the band’s classic sound is still present and distinct. The crowd had no trouble recognizing their 1987 hit “World Where You Live,” echoing Finn as he sang out, “ohhhhh-oh,” the world where we live, “yeahhhh-ah” with the crowd’s and back-up vocals all combining in an extended harmony reminiscent of U2.
In a serene early evening moment, while the sun was still glowing through the trees, Finn took a moment and commented on what a great place (Edgefield) was, looking around at the kids playing in an open area southwest of the stage, being swung about by their dads. “Can you swing me (as well)?” he asked the dads as a whole, adding, “Are you a chiropractoh’?” which brought up a whole amusing discussion about osteopathy, including the variations of pronunciation, and putting a younger male in the seating area in front of the stage on the spot about the possibility of becoming an osteopath.
Finn and Seymour entertaining with their witty charm between songs
Seemingly out of nowhere, Finn’s thoughts escaped through his mouth. “It would be a great night for a running race,” he said, seemingly as a passing comment. Though this fleeting thought did not escape his mind, in fact becoming more solidified. After several songs, he announced that it was time for a race. Becoming full-blown event planner, he called for participants to race against Sherrod, who was unaware that he was being volunteered so that there would be “no scalduggery.” Finn continued inciting excitement by promising that there would be prizes… a pretty good prize, to which he called out, “Kin we get sim prizes oh-ganized??” Directing keys/guitar player Mark Hart that he was responsible for the race music, he had to clarify his wishes for something more bubbly after the first attempt did not meet expectations. Ending up sounding like a tune straight out of an old-timey silent western featuring a flapper being wronged by a gun-slinging Saloon robber, it was hardly what anyone would think of as “race music,” but Finn was satisfied; it was fast-paced and sounded like panic, so it did the trick. Finn was enthused with the “extraordinary turnout” and, after initially declaring a winner, stated that there were no winners or losers; “The race was the winner of the day.”
After playing several more of their older songs, such as “Fall At Your Feet,” and “Don’t Stop Now,” they played the classic “Four Seasons in One Day,” asking the crowd, “will you sing it with me?” Without hesitation the audience quietly chimed in, singing out “Blood dries up like rain, like rain. Fills my cup, like four seasons in one day,” in hushed tones, reflecting the feeling of the song. Watch the video of their 2006 performance of the song, shown below, to see the same audience reverence.
They seemed to get more energy as the show went on, or maybe the set list was arranged that way on purpose but they showed no signs of tiring as they played “Private Universe,” which ended with what sounded like sound effects of some kind. As the familiar lyrics began: “there is freedom within, there is freedom without…” the crowd, now chilled to the bone, instantly perked with recognition as the spotlight turned onto the lawn. “We know…. theyyy. won’t. win,” the monotonic uni-voice rang out from the darkness. Finn yelled out, “it’s only natural!” at the end of the song of the same name, extending his guitar jam-sequence making it end-of-the-show worthy and jumping around on stage with boundless energy before the quartet bowed and exited the stage.
While the lights were dimmed and the crowd stood clapping, cheering, and whistling, the four members of Crowded House slowly snuck back on stage. With a deep “HUHH!” by Finn, the band returned the energy level to where it left off, with the high-tempo, “(feelin’) Locked Out,” and slowly moving into a ‘cool-down’ set with “Something so Strong,” and bringing Lawrence Arabia on stage for “Weather With You.” After almost 2 hours of performing, there were no signs of tiring as Finn, Seymour, Hart and Arabia strutted across the stage, calling out the lyrics enthusiastically. Finn paused his own vocals as the crowd carried the chorus, singing out, “everywhere you go-oooh, you always take the weatha’ – with you,” in a continuous loop as Finn interjected jokingly asking, “Nobody knows it do they? Does it just go on?” before leading a repeat-after-me yell to end the song. “Oh yeah. No-no. Yeah-yeah. With you!”
Quickly saying their last thanks to the crowd for being so warm, Finn asked for their help on one last song before they “call the fucking curfew…excuse my French.” Assistance was, again, gladly given, singing along to “Better Be Home Soon,” without missing a note against the sounds of organ music. Finn held the note on “hooooooooooooooooooooome” for what seemed like a full minute before closing with a soft, “You better be hoooome soon.”
“We love you” someone called from the lawn through the cheers and applause as the beloved band stood together in a line, bowing deeply in unison before their happy, satisfied fans.
Even with bounties of wine and cheese available and silver-haired couples cavorting around, Pink Martini’s sold-out, second night at the Oregon Zoo, on Friday, August 27th, was a family affair–Sesame Street included. Families of all ages spread out on the green grass to take in their splendorous variety–and a linguistic lesson including their first-ever song in Arabic–of Portland’s most popular offspring as the little orchestra of Pink Martini worked–and they do work hard–through honeyed jazz and poignant classical compositions, cosmopolitan rumba and sultry Latin with lead singer China Forbes seducing in all the romantic languages, missing only Romanian. From French to Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, MC Thomas Lauderdale peppered the audience with tales and tidbits about each song while graciously introducing the players, giving special attention to the groom-to-be, trombonist Robert Taylor, who ties the knot today.
Exquisitely tight, PM finally coaxed a steady flow of dancers of all ages to the open space before the stage with “Bitty Boppy Betty.” No matter the delicious context, one can’t help but bob and bop to the washboard rub and four-part harmonies from the barbershop quartet. Followed up by a two-part tale, with Lauderdale sharing the piano with Taylor for the Schubert intro, the first half was Forbes’ feisty tango “And Then You’re Gone,” but Timothy Nishimoto immediately responded to her demands on the plucky, big band amendment “But Now I’m Back.”
Emilio Delgado
The real family entertainment began as PM welcomed Emilio Delgado, who has been living on Sesame Street for 40 years as Luis, sang his SS-medley complete with the show’s theme song, “Rubber Duckie,” “Tu Me Gustas (I Like You),” and “C is for Cookie,” closing the first set in a duet with a Forbes.
Returning to the stage after intermission, PM kicked off a more mature set with “Una Notte A Napoli” and “Tuca Tuca,” complete with Forbes and Lauderdale’s wonted and wanted “touching” dance. These little traditions are what makes Pink Martini timeless–always bringing the same basic routine, their performances charm all the first timers while the seasoned fans relish in the familiarity, coming to expect and adore the cutesy, choreographed moments with bliss.
Sharing a song in Mandarin from their upcoming holiday album, Forbes and Nishimoto sang a duet originally recorded by a brother-sister duo, but not before Lauderdale could relay that even after swearing he’d never do a holiday album, every musician has his price… and Starbucks came a-knockin’. The album, commissioned by Starbucks, is out on November 16th.
With Forbes’ classy elegance and Lauderdale’s showy extravagance on the piano–his wispy, dramatic hands glided across the keys all night long–Pink Martini is always a treat; when they jam during the jazzy breakdowns, it’s a chance to see some of the most talented musicians in the world ply their craft. Their impeccability inspires a little flame of happiness, a lilt in the step, of all that watch and hear (regardless of age) as every song is accessible and punctuated with an emotional high.
Waving her arm goodbye, Forbes got everyone singing and waving along for the torn Russian/Italian man on “Dosvedanya mio bambino” before thanking Portland for their constant support and bidding farewell to all, even “goodnight gorilla.”
Nurses have hardly made a peep around Portland all summer. Drummer James Mitchell went on a bike tour down the coast, co-lead man John Bowers had throat surgery, and his co-conspirator Aaron Chapman moved into a new house.
“So we’ve had a minute to focus on other creative endeavors and life things before getting to work on a new record and touring,” said Chapman in his interview with OMN.
But before the threesome could embark on their first tour to Europe, with The Tallest Man On Earth, they decided to give Portland one good summer show at Holocene on Thursday night, August 26th. Amongst the irregular drum clacks and reverb-heavy, distorted guitars, a few crystal sounds rang clear–piano keys or a sampled woodblock or the swishing rustle of some unseen noisemaker (possibly prerecorded).
Working through the now familiar material from 2009’s Apple’s Acre, Nurses played a few newer songs and ‘09 mainstay “Technicolor” (below), where Chapman and Bowers vocals lusciously intermixed, working together–one taking the highs, the other the lows, meeting in the middle and trading off on the extremes.
Relaxed and distant, it felt like the two were singing into a tin can and by the time it reached the audience, the vocals were echoed and layered amongst equally thick sonic textures. The prepubescent vocal pitches cracked and bent to the music as Mitchell kept a tambourine on the hi-hat stand while he drummed his mallets across his simple kit.
Thundering on “Man At Arms,” the overall pace was lethargic as the other two fiddled with electric guitars and gadgets until Mitchell’s tempo ever so slightly increased to a bit of a tribal lilt before sampled vox and sounds bleated and pulsated. Yet, as is often the problem at Holocene, the sound, whether it simply be the abysmal acoustics of the space or inadequate technical abilities, was poor. Nurses’ complex layers were muddied into one slogging sludge that droned on in an uninteresting middle ground.
Better suited for the space, the electro-art quartet Operative opened the evening in a robotic fashion. Droning beats developed and morphed, tapped out on drum pads and twisted on knobs, two members, Scott Goodwin and Alex Neerman, hunkered down behind gear-filled wooden boxes, cords spilling from the sides, while the other two mechanically drummed away on a traditional kit (Jed Binderman) and an electronic assortment of pads (Spencer Doran).
Their extended, repetitive jams were dance-y enough to make heads bob in unison but not clubby, although there was a moment reminiscent of New Order’s “True Faith” among the various early ’80s, analog sounds–full of clapping effects and samples, woodblock, and symbol cracks. Un-mic’ed and saying little to the audience other than uttering thanks, they were preoccupied with programming textured sequences and constructing sonic formations, fitting the pieces together like Legos–building up before breaking down and then reassembling in another manner on the next track.
The one-man, circuit bent Dragging an Ox Though Water brought his host of modified electronics–oscillators, capacitors, resistors and all–to the dark stage where his visually stimulating photoresistor could be played by a flickering candle flame. Batteries, pedals, mixers, and electric guitar, Brian Mumford ranged from his delicately raw folktronica to violently abrasive noise–like stumbling upon a freight yard in the gloom. A man of cumbersome contrasts, his gentle folk-inspired tunes evolved awkwardly like opening a cursed picture book and releasing the demons within. You could feel the wavy, calm distorted nose creep through the air until it wickedly gave way to headache-inducing drones that overpowered all else. The sheer noise chaos was enough to make your heart burst, but on a night like this, one would not expect any straightforward indie rock or soft singer/songwriter strumming.
There’s not a lot left unsaid about rock legend Bob Dylan who has had countless interviews, articles, and books written about him. And John (Cougar) Mellencamp has certainly been honored by his fair share as well. But the cool things about these two are (presently and locally speaking):
A) That they are both seasoned American musicians, well listened to for decades, who have kept themselves musically vital throughout their time in the public eye…
B) Who have stayed true to themselves, yet reinvented their craft over and over again to match the times and their own maturity… (both have new albums out/on the horizon)
C) And who are playing TOGETHER in Oregon at McMenamins Edgefield this Saturday AND Sunday! That’s twice, Portland. And to make it three times, you need look no farther than Bend, where the two will visit the Les Schwab Amphitheater on Friday.
And bonus D) Dylan is rumored to be playing some special, rarely showcased live gems, while Mellencamp is back in full force after a quiet period and he’s bringin’ it hard all over again.
What’s not to be excited about?!
Get your tickets, and bring your umbrella (who cares, IT’S BOB DYLAN + JOHN MELLENCAMP) and get you some rock’n'roll goodness!
Friday, August 27th in Bend for $48.50-79.50, show at 6 PM. Saturday and Sunday, August 28th and 29th at Edgefield on the lawn in Troutdale, OR. Saturday is sold out, Sunday still has space, $75–hurry! Show at 7 PM.
What are three art school, almost 30-something white boys doing making funky, sexalicious music? Not asking for your permission, Strength is telling you, “Let’s get down” with the release of their second–long, long, long-awaited–album, Mind-Reader. The self-produced, recorded and released album comes out on September 3rd, coinciding with a CD release gig at Holocene with Fake Drugs, DJ Copy, and DJ Patricia Furpurse.
Feeling up MJ and Prince for their goodies, the California-natives but PDX-transplants since ‘03 set out to make a horror-dance album but got distracted along the way by their normal shenanigans of sexy electro-funk-soul. And why shouldn’t they get diverted? …While diverting themselves with their tongue-in-cheekiness. Ridiculous lyrics, indelible riffs and thumping beats make you wanna get up and freak your girl while trying to lay her down.
Looking to make a “darker” sophomore album, Bailey Winters (vox), John Zeigler (keys, programming), and Patrick Morris (guitars, programming) didn’t get distracted with the production, it consumed them–every sound is delicately and deliberately placed. This is why it took them so damn long–four years long–for the release of album #2. But being seriously scrupulous doesn’t mean they can’t have fun, including a vampire track (“Blood” with lyrics “My body’s weak, I’m out of time, I need her blood before sunrise”) and a bit of punk rock, albeit still quite smoothly produced punkiness, on the energetic “Disaster.”
“I thought it would be great to just have a punk song, one of our own,” says lead singer Bailey Winters. “And it goes over pretty well. I think it shakes things up a little bit.”
And the darker vibe is plainly typified by the aggressively hitting first single “Metal”:
The guys met at the California College of the Arts in Oakland in 2001, forming a “Weezer-esque” rock band called The Suds. Strength was then formed in 2003, the same year they graduated, after they realized that the real dance party began after the bands, when the DJs started to spin. Post-graduation, they moved to Portland because “John was chasing a girl,” says Winters, but also “it sounded exciting to all move together.” They were not familiar with Portland but it was cheaper and “fun to get away from where we grew up.”
After four years between their first and second album, Strength still retains their sense of humor in their recordings and on stage, where the act is stern and seductive (hilariously so), while they look to tour more in support of Mind-Reader.
You always say so in concert, but you two [Bailey Winters and Patrick Morris] aren’t really brothers, are you?
Bailey Winters: We’re not actually related but I do like saying that he’s my brother. [Laughs]
I can see it… it could be plausible.
We used to get it a lot. I used to wear big glasses like Patrick so I just kinda brought it on the stage.
Live in concert, how much of your show is an act, going into a stage persona?
I’m nothing like the person on stage. If [people] know me from off stage, they’re a little shocked to see me on stage. And if they only know me from the stage, they’re probably disappointed when they talk to me in person just because I’m super laid-back… the three of us are. We’re really mellow people and pretty quiet off the stage.
Every time I see you guys, I spend about half the time just kind of smiling and laughing. Then about halfway through your set, I really get into it.
Yeah.
But really, when you’re singing things like “Rub me down with brandy” (on the new song “Brandy”), how can you not grin?
Yeah, yeah, it’s a good time.
What inspired you guys to make this kind of soulful, funky, let’s get down music?
We were going to parties at art school a lot. Usually a rock band would go on at like 10 or 11 and everyone would just kinda watch the band. Then after that people would put on records, so there were DJs, and they were always dance records and that’s like when the party started. And I just kinda felt like, “If we could be the dance record instead of the rock band before the dance record, we’d have it made.”
It’s been four years since you put out your first album…
Yeah, it’s been so long…
What’s happened during this time?
Well, we wrote the second album, which took forever. And then we recorded the second album, which took forever. We toured the East Coast for the first time, we’ve done some West Coast tours–a West Coast stint with Starfucker where we opened. But we seem to go over pretty good if it’s just a DJ night and we’re playing.
Well that’s exactly what you were going for when you started Strength.
Yeah, I like the idea of having a band that’s caught between the DJ set and the full on rock band with drums and stuff.
How has your sound changed and evolved since the first record?
I think it’s definitely darker. It’s a little more hard-hitting.
Yeah, a song like “Metal” in particular is definitely darker but still has your dance-y groove.
Yeah, it’s still very dance-y and I’d say it’s still very tongue-in-cheek but it hits a little harder.
When you start to write a song, are you trying to be humorous about it, tongue-in-cheek?
I can say with the lyrics, for this album in particular, I was looking at a lot of [things] like Dracula and Frankenstein and reading a lot of books in that genre and just looking at dated language. So that’s where a lot of the lyrics come from. We set out to make a horror-dance album and we got a little sidetracked. So it’s kinda like half of a horror-dance album.
It’s only eight tracks. Why so short?
I like dance records that don’t have any filler and I don’t want to put any filler on the albums. I don’t want to put a two-minute track on the album just to make the ninth track. I think a lot of the dance records that we listen to from the ’70s and ’80s, they’ve got seven, eight songs. You know some of the Georgrio records have like six songs and they’re fucking good. If you take an album like Justin Timberlake’s Justified… if you cut out like five of those tracks, that’s the only way you can make the album better. So there’s that, and then the other aspect is, we fucking take forever to write songs and we’re constantly editing them. There’s like three of four songs within each song basically.
Why does it take you so long to write songs?
We’re really meticulous and it’s very democratic. We’re all sitting down and writing the songs together and nobody gets to have [or add] a part unless everyone thinks it’s good. When you’ve got a band that’s one person writing all the songs, I can see how you could turn out a bunch more songs than we do. I think the only way that Strength works is if we’re all happy with everything, which can be painful but I think that’s why we’re still together.
You’ve been playing these songs for a while know. Are you pretty comfortable with them?
Yeah, we’re very comfortable and I’m really thrilled to finally be putting this record out because it’s pretty much what we’re playing at our live shows.
Recently when you’ve been playing live, you’ve been covering The Romantics’ “Talking In Your Sleep.”
Yeah, I wanna work out some more covers but that one has just stuck around–it seems to fit into our set. And I like the idea of just coining a song, just taking a Romantics song.
And believe me, you guys do sound damn good when you play it.
Thanks, thanks a lot.
Do you have anything newer that you’re working on?
We’re just getting there. We are going to be working on remixes for a handful of people here in Portland. As soon as we do the CD release show, we’ll sit down and start writing a third album.
Where does the album title Mind-Reader come from?
You know [laughs], we used to have a piece of paper that was above a fish tank at our house and people would just write down ridiculous title names that they’d come up with. [Laughs] Patrick wrote down Mind-Reader and it seemed to stick. It just sounded good and it seemed to fit in with the horror theme but it wasn’t blatant.
Strength celebrates their CD release at Holocene on Friday, September 3rd with Fake Drugs, DJ Copy, and DJ Patricia Furpurse. Show starts at 9pm, $5, 21+.
Darwish Michael Jackson Afrobeat Tribute for the last time EVER?
Ben Darwish told OMN, “The idea has run it’s course and I’m ready to move on to other projects. In addition, it’s extremely time consuming trying to organize a ten piece band without any guarantee that well even make any money. It’s been a good run and I may still have an Afrobeat style project in the future. We’ll be performing our last two Afrobeat Tribute to Michael Jackson shows this weekend. The show fuses the music of Michael Jackson with the Afrobeat style of Fela Kuti and features an all-star 10-piece band.”
Saturday, August 28th at Berbati’s Pan, doors at 9pm, show at 10pm. DJ Rev Shines plays midnight- 2am. $10 and 21+
Sunday, August 29th at the Tractor Tavern (Seattle), Doors at 8pm, show at 9pm. $8 and 21+. August 29th is MJs birthday.
Starfucker drops new track, now streaming on MySpace
Starfucker, or STRFKR if they’re feeling family-friendly, has just uploaded a new track to their MySpace called “Julius.” Plus they’re now officially signed to Polyvinyl Records and you can get the new track (and the b-side “Helium Muffin”) with a pre-order of their new, eponymously titled, limited blue vinyl (and unlimited black vinyl) 7-inch–the physical is out on October 12th and the album art to your right. The band kicks off their North American tour (that includes two stops in America’s hat… aka Canada) on September 23rd and comes home to play the Roseland on October 20th with The Octopus Project.
Logan Lynn to release final album (digitally) on Tuesday, exclusive download here
Last month Logan Lynn decided to take an “extended break from music industry to commit career suicide!” This month he played a farewell show at Mississippi Studios one week ago, and he’s digitally releasing his final album, I Killed Tomorrow Yesterday, on Tuesday saying, “We have decided just to give [the proceeds] to charity since I’m not gonna tour it or do any of the bullshit that goes along with releasing records these days for at least a year or two.”
“100% of the proceeds are going to Portland’s Q Center. The ONLY way to get the record is by donating to them directly. Info and instructions here.”
But OMN has two exclusive tracks available for download below.
Logan Lynn –I Killed Tomorrow Yesterday (2010 Logan Lynn Music)
1. Things Are Looking Up
2. Smoke Rings
4. Quickly As We Pass
5. I Erased Who I Was For You
6. Fly Me Through
7. Tennis Whites
8. It’s Too Late
9. A Hundred Years Of Letting Me Down
10. Fall Into New Arms
Lyrics and Vocals by Logan Lynn; Programming by Bryan Cecil; Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Bryan Cecil; Album cover photo by Ray Gordon.
Where has The Blow been?
It’s been a long, long, long frickin’ time since Portland has heard anything out of the one-woman, electro-pop show The Blow. In fact, Khaela Maricich has left us altogether residing in NYC on Boerum Hill for a while. She hasn’t played any shows around the NW for an even longer while, nor made very many peeps (outside of her blog). Debuting some new material over the spring during some regional East Coast dates, Maricich played with her partner and collaborator Melissa Dyne, who also provided visuals “that effectually put the entire performance piece over the top.” She spoke more about the art of her performance and a slowly developing follow-up to 2006’s Paper Television (when, when?!?) with Brooklyn Vegan before supporting Jens Lekman in Europe this summer. Now crossing America’s vast expanse, it looks like she’s back on the Pacific side (fleetingly) as The Blow is playing LA’s FYF Fest on September 4th. Please come say hi Khaela, your mother misses you. And so do we.
The Jazz Jams at Proper Eats ended Thursday
Thursday night Neil Mattson hosted the last Thursday Jam Session at Proper Eats in St. Johns. (details). “Sadly, the jazz jam’s phenomenal run of 4 years is coming to a finish,” he said on Thursday, adding “If you can’t be there tonight, Trio Flux is making their debut performance at the ‘wine-bar-formerly-known-as’ Vinideus (now called Barile Wine & Beer). Don’t worry, same address: 4759 NE Fremont St. The trio will be playing original music from its soon to be released debut CD, and a healthy dose of music by Ornette Coleman, Bill Frisell, Herbie Hancock, and more. Free show. Starts at 7:30 (details).”
Make a note, no more Vinideus…call it Barile Wine and Beer.
Patrick Lamb in Japan
Lamb and Caldwell
He actually IS big in Japan. He said, “I’ll be doing over twenty shows in Osaka, Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya with Bobby Caldwell, then some Canadian dates with Gino Vannelli. I recently recorded all the saxophones (Bari, Tenor, Alto, Soprano) on Gino’s new release and am excited to be a part of the project. I’ve been going to Japan with either Diane Schuur or Bobby Caldwell for the last ten years and have a Japanese website if your interested at patricklamb.jp.”
They don’t quite know what to make of Storm in Scotland. (We understand.)
Edinburgh’s Chortle website says:
Storm Large’s show isn’t straight comedy, nor is it a regular music gig or even a one-note cabaret experience. Large defies categorisation. It’s a rock gig with wit in abundance –in the banter in between tracks, in the chat that breaks out halfway through a song and within the lines of the songs themselves.
Chance Hayden, Tony Ozier in the studio…not together
Chance Hayden In the studio today with Americana band, Redwood Son. Ozier is still working on his Doo Doo Funk album.
FarnellNewton funkifies “The Bluest Eyes”
The Bluest Eyes is a jazz composition that is on my “Sense of Direction” release on Diatic Records. So now I went back and made it a lil funkier! Just Trumpet and Voice! I hope you enjoy.
Chervona in New York City
Chervona in Portland
Portland’s own band of Russians always sends charming PR blasts, including this one:
Chervona invited you to New York CHERVONA Party! Labor Day Weekend Starter @ DownHouse and says “Friends, we really in need u help us to spread the word to all your folks in New York to support this major effort in bringing Chervona to the East Coast. Please repost /share that event if you consider that it’s worth to see Chervona Live! Thank you !!”.
New York CHERVONA Party! Labor Day Weekend Starter @ DownHouse, Thursday, September 2 at 9:00pm, Location: DownHouse Lounge, 250 Avenue X Brooklyn, NY, 11223
Happy Birthdays
Patti Niswanger on Thursday, Byron Beck, December Carson and Tony Ozier on Friday.
“Performances by Ledisi, Tank, Dallas Blocker, Tamar, Queen Liv Warfield, The Rambo Experience, Nikki J@ne, Kevin Herring, Reggie Jamz, Nakitta Clegg-Foxx and so much more! Se7en will be hosting and the Red Carpet will be bananas!!!!
Backed by a trio of white, pop-up pyramids, which revolved at the close of their set, and strings of white lights strung up like scattered stars, their gentle, cozy-fuzzy, lo-fi electronics and Legrand’s ethereal vocals floated through the fog on stage and showers off like frothy surf flowing over wet sand. Alex Scally’s guitars put forth whispers reminiscent of a gentler Explosions In The Sky while Legrand’s voice rang like Mazzy Star’s ghostly Hope Sandoval with her breathy, sultry lows and passionate highs as the drums resounded with hollow mallet hits like empty exhalations. The slow, jazzy tempos moaned on as the audience attentively swayed along wishing for a lethargic sunset as the gray evening faded into a cold, black night.
Beneath the gray skies and rain, the melodramatic, all-girl quartet 
Seven years and running, it’s time again for Portland’s hot Sweet F.A. (Fashion + Art) Rock & Roll Fashion Show, brought to you by 
Portland’s 
Are we a Tony Award Winner yet? “Zippy the Pinhead: The Musical” will be opening Nov. 12 in Baltimore, MD. It’s written by Baltimore composer Lorraine Whittlesey and tells the story of the Zipster’s return to Baltimore to attend his high school reunion, and includes numbers such as “Pinhead Love,” “The Condiments” and “Type ‘Z’ Personality.”
A sea of bodies covered the 
With a smooth transition, the pace quickened again as the lively “Little Bitty Pretty One” began. Fans young and old bopped along to the lighthearted tune, ”Hey, little bitty pretty one, c’mon and talk to meee,” twirling each other in the twilight. Then with only the sound of twinkling chimes, cheers of recognition rang out as the slowed pace of “Black Water” emerged. “Oh Black Water, keep on rollin’ Mississippi moon, wontcha keep on shinin’ ….OR-egon moon,” they added in, receiving big cheers, “woncha keep on shinin’ on meee?” The band went silent, letting the crowd take over as they sung out, ”Hand-hand. Take me by the hand, pretty mama!” expelling all the air in their lungs and diaphragms with zealous participation.
No, uh. We have haven’t used our bus. It, um… needs some fixing. [Laughs] But we’ll use it again. There have been such great memories on that bus. Our first trip we had 27 people crammed into that thing. It was really fun.
As 
All at once, with instrumental notes not all that distinguished from the between-set background music, there was a stir in the air; a recognition. It was time. “There he is,” whispered long-time fans as lead vocalist and guitarist, Neil Finn, stepped foot on stage, trailing the other three members. Curly-cued letters reminiscent of the magazine cut-outs used in childhood collages spelled out ‘Crowded House’ on a pumice-stone wall behind the band with colors swirling over it in an ever-changing array of lights.
Though there is no doubt the sappiness of the ’80’s influence has lessened, the band’s classic sound is still present and distinct. The crowd had no trouble recognizing their 1987 hit “World Where You Live,” echoing Finn as he sang out, “ohhhhh-oh,” the world where we live, “yeahhhh-ah” with the crowd’s and back-up vocals all combining in an extended harmony reminiscent of U2.
Quickly saying their last thanks to the crowd for being so warm, Finn asked for their help on one last song before they “call the fucking curfew…excuse my French.” Assistance was, again, gladly given, singing along to “Better Be Home Soon,” without missing a note against the sounds of organ music. Finn held the note on “hooooooooooooooooooooome” for what seemed like a full minute before closing with a soft, “You better be hoooome soon.”
Nurses
Better suited for the space, the electro-art quartet 
There’s not a lot left unsaid about rock legend 
And believe me, you guys do sound damn good when you play it.
Starfucker
Last month Logan Lynn decided to take an 
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