It’s Punjabi-Celtic-dub fusion but it’s neither Irish nor Indian. Instead, Delhi 2 Dublin comes from our neighbors up north, the Canucks.
With synchronized dance moves and party-ready bhangra beats, the five-piece Vancouver, BC group “mash-up electronica and world music, keeping it heavy on the bhangra, Celtic and dub flavors. Fusing tabla, fiddle, dhol, Punjabi vocals, and electric sitar with scorching electronic beats, the crew takes listeners on a wild ride through global sounds and synchronicities.”
It goes a little something like this: Two Punjabi walk into an Irish Pub and hear a fiddler playing. The first Punjab looks up and exclaims “Hey, that fiddler is hot!”
The second Punjab approaches the hot fiddler and says, “Let’s share some drinks, thoughts and profanity,” and the hot fiddler obliges.
They become friends and soon they meet a Korean sitar player busking outside a 99-cent pizza joint. The hot fiddler buys him a slice and invites him to a warehouse party. They dance. The DJ playing the party was pretty good so the new foursome invites him to out to eat.
“The food was okay, the service sucked, and the rest is history.”
Although there’s no punchline, this is Delhi 2 Dublin, a Canadian group that’s played SXSW and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival as well as toured Asia and North America. In 2009, they were awarded the Western Canadian Music Award for Best World Music Recording for their self-titled album and released their first official video for the song “Apples.”
Currently recording their second full-length album while touring North America, Delhi 2 Dublin comes to Portland for the first time on March 27th at the Fez Ballroom with local world-Indian duo DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid.
The crew also visit Ashland’s Cultureworks on March 14th before heading to this year’s SXSW.
A dance party with a bouncy beat fusion of world sounds, Delhi 2 Dublin comes to you.
Featured as 94.7 FM’sslice of New Music Heaven this week, Veirs’ seventh album, July Flame, continues to exhibit her extraordinary ability to write songs that create an outlet for her own feelings yet are identifiable all those listening.
“Veirs’ songs qualify as poems: careful, word-conscious, narrative, neither foggy nor overwritten, and tend to give you a take on regular life experience that you don’t quite expect.” —The New York Times
Her songwriting initially began as a way of coping with loneliness but she hasn’t been able to stop writing since. Although the subject matter is less about solitude than it was that first year, Veirs explains on her website that she wrote her latest album from a “searching, soulful place,” exploring “the dichotomy between one’s desire for permanence and security and the realization that such things rarely exist,” even though the tone is anything but melancholy.
The title track, “July Flame,” was written during the heart of the 2008 July heat wave after Veirs and a friend came across some July Flame peaches at a farmer’s market and was so inspired that she wrote a song about that day.
Veirs, touring together with Cataldo, and The Old Believers, already had quite a following before but will surely draw an even larger crowd from the recent radio exposure. Keep an eye out for her; it seems she’s a never-ending source of music.
The Red Elvises were quick to get the party started this Wednesday night at the Annex in Bend. As the colorful band mounted the small stage, frontman Igor urged the shy concertgoers scattered around the room forward proclaiming The Red Elvises to be a dance band that preferred their fans up close and personal. The dimly lit venue immediately became more intimate with everyone bouncing off one another to the band’s engaging, upbeat rock songs.
No opening acts were necessary as the group’s eclectic mix of musicians alone were as entertaining as any long line-up. Seasoned performers Igor (lead vocals/guitarist) and Oleg (keyboard/accordion/vocals) brought their beloved humor and over 15 years of experience in exceptional showmanship. Drummer Tina showed up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Being with the band only three weeks, she brought a freshness and enthusiasm and eagerly chatted it up with fans between their two sets.
Milka
Guitarist and vocalist Milka exemplified the bad-ass rocker chick persona, captivating the audience with her voice and red-hot stage presence. The group was complete with Kfir on bass and Adam taking over drums for the second set, while Tina danced at the merchandise table in the back, selling shirts and CDs with a wink and a smile.
The show began with a burst of energy and the excitement didn’t let up throughout the almost three hour performance. Complete with conga lines and a five-man drum solo, Igor and the Red Elvises delivered the life-affirming fun fans have come to expect.
Check out some live footage from the show. Come out to enjoy their rock when they return to Oregon on St. Patrick’s Day playing Dante’s in Portland and then Eugene on the 18th at John Henry’s.
Watch “I Wanna See You Belly Dance” live from Bend:
The drum pounded rhythmically as the deep sound of guitar started up throbbing along with the beat. Having been called a female version of The Black Keys, there is no question The Pack A.D. know how to rock.
Seated quietly drinking beer and cocktails, the crowd was taken by surprise by the sheer volume coming out of two such tiny ladies. The dynamic Vancouver duo played 126 shows in 2008, 157 in 2009 and are aiming for a new record this year.
Playing songs from their upcoming album, We Kill Computers to be released April 27th, the two are already booked almost every single day in the coming months. Touring is priority number one right now, informing the crowd that they couldn’t wait to get out of the clothes they had been wearing since the day before. That’s true rock’n'roll.
Their banter provided even more entertainment in between songs as drummer Maya Miller joked that she “bullshits” while singer/guitarist Becky Black changes guitars. Both their intoxicating music as well as the endearing comments left the audience wanting more, many of whom stood for an extended applause, cheering wildly, hoping for an encore.
Sex Life played next with their experimental fusion of synth-pop. Each musician in the band plays a multitude of instruments: Niko Kwiatkowski played guitar, bongo drums while hitting cymbals intermittently. Their electronic, dance-y sound eased those in the crowd back into a mellow zone, perfectly fitting the mood already set for sipping cocktails and chatting in the dimly lit Rontoms.
After Sex Life finishes their upcoming schedule of shows, they will take a short break to finalize recordings and rejuvenate before they come back full force with a new album. Their next show before their hiatus will be March 23rd at Valentine’s.
All the while at Rontoms, DJ Maxx Bass kept the good music rolling before, after, and between sets rocking out on his laptop with head bobbing grin.
Casey Dienel, the vocal goddess behind White Hinterland’s unique sound, has a voice that is as playful and sexy as it is sophisticated and haunting. After attending the New England Conservatory of Music, her recording career began as a solo artist in Boston where she emerged as a female keyboardist in the wake of acts like Regina Spektor.
With name change (from self-titled to White Hinterland) and a change of location (from Boston to New York), Dienel’s sound took a chirpy, jazz-infused, eccentric direction. With Kairos, all bets are off because Dienel has transformed yet again, this time bringing heavy loops, rhythmic complexities, and R&B into the mix. Read about the metamorphosis in the OMN interview with White Hinterland.
Listen to “Icarus” from Kairos.
Since White Hinterland moved to Portland in 2009, the local music scene has been spoiled with frequent White Hinterland shows. This Sunday at Holocene, come get your final fill of White Hinterland before they kick off a two-month international tour and see how their new sound transforms from recording to live performance.
Opening acts include a solid line-up of Portland-based bands: Alexis Gideon (the producer of Kairos), Cole Milner, DJ Gordon Shumway, and DJ Baba Booie. Show starts at 8:30 PM, $8.
Alternative hip-hop duo The Cool Kids proved they should be heard throughout the city of Portland Monday night at the Roseland Theater. The lyrical tag team (Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks) arrived at the Roseland along side of Southern California natives Pac Div (MCs Mibbs, Like and Be Young). Both groups accomplished the task at hand: showing Portland their unique rap styles influenced by the sounds of the golden era of hip-hop.
Pac Div (from left to right): Be Young, Mibbs, Like
Pac Div started the evening with songs from their mixtape, Church League Champions. The trio clearly stated with their performance that their chemistry alone will help Pac Div emerge from the underground hip-hop ranks. With the performances of “Mayor” and “Shut Up,” Pac Div cemented a well-deserved bid for a position as a front-runner in the future of authentic West Coast hip-hop in the years to come.
Passing the mic to The Cool Kids, both Chuck and Mikey looked their parts with crisp clothing and fresh kicks complementing their sounds of heavy bass driven music. Starting the show with two new tracks from their upcoming album, When Fish Ride Bicycles, the Kids showed they were only warming up for the night.
With bass levels high enough to fill all corners of the theater, The Cool Kids did what they do best, especially while performing their hit song “Delivery Man.” They brought Portland alternative hip-hop drums and lyrics about their pop-culture lifestyle and endless swagger.
The Kids rapped about everyday life in a serious but entertaining manner on “A Little Bit Cooler” off their debut EP, The Bake Sale. Mikey came on strong, bar for bar spitting, “So I’m sittin’ on the couch / holding the remote / flippin’ channels / I’m a rebel / eating a bowl of them Fruity Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles / how gangsta is that? / not gangsta at all / aww, you judging me dog / please, you shop at the mall / me, I shop at boutiques.” Rapping with such ease, The Cool Kids displayed a calm savviness that comes from the Midwest.
Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks
Midway through, The Cool Kids made sure the audience knew they were enjoying themselves at the Roseland. During a quick break, the two MCs described their love for Oregon’s well-known greens, and they followed this up with a shout out to the city of Portland during “Hammer Bros” that ignited the crowd. After the uproar from the crowd, the rappers continued with party-driven hits “Basement Party” and “Mikey Rocks,” which was featured in HBO’s hit series Entourage.
Before leaving the stage, The Cool Kids wrapped up their set with two popular songs, “Black Mags” and “88,” and another fresh track that will be featured on their upcoming album.
The air still filled with fading beats, the audience insisted the duo continue with chants of “Cool Kids, Cool Kids.” Giving more, the boys came back to the stage for a well-deserved encore, cutting up three additional tracks (including another unreleased track). Inviting members of the audience on stage, they wrapped up the night performing “What Up Man” as hordes of teenagers engulfed the Kids in a sea of waving arms and bouncing bodies.
As the lights came up, The Cool Kids stuck around longer than most of the crowd, signing autographs and sneakers for the rest of the cool kids.
Mississippi Studios celebrated their first birthday with a grand Swellebration–a night that saw eleven Oregon bands take the stage performing 20 to 30 minute sets ranging from acoustic folk to indie rock to a rowdy diva set from Tahoe Jackson.
Inside Mississippi Studios
The bands started playing at 8 PM and North Portland patrons were hungry for the music with a one-in, one-out policy already in place before 9 PM and a line queuing south down Mississippi Ave. The night began with subdued singer-songwriter offerings from Run On Sentence, Sean Flinn & The Royal We, Holcombe Waller, Adam Shearer (Weinland), Justin Power, and Laura Gibson while slowly building into something more potent and rockier.
Here’s a rundown of the second half of the evening (read about the first half here) starting with Matt Sheehy & The Menders who began his set looping his vocals and letting his drummer slug the digital drum pads, adding a pleasant, inorganic flavor to his otherwise straightforward sound. Sheehy shone through his opener but fell back upon his genuine but formulaic acoustic roots with his backing band that included Sean Flinn and Andy Parker. He announced that he’s recording a new album, and to close his set, his last tune dawdled quietly competing with the din of chatter.
Eugene and Portland-based Yeltsin finally brought some rocking instrumentalism to the Studios with their grinding indie rhythms as drummer Jivan Valpey’s rolling storm rumbled on, sparking every time you thought it might stop. Happy to be in Portland supporting the release of their new record Rhinestone Glow, bassist Dana Axon beamed a giddy, head bobbing smile as guitarist/singer Jake Pavlak ripped through derivative electric riffs that kept the songs lively. Steady and sunny pop, the band slowed it down with the surf-inspired “I’m Afraid I’ve Lost My Way In This World” (below) off their new album and fuzzed up some guitars with hints of distortion and echoes before heading back to the bar.
Tahoe Jackson may have been the oldest performer to grace Mississippi Studios’ stage on Saturday night but her funky moves and exuberant soul disclosed little about her age as she got down with the audience coaxing her sax and trombone players to follow suit. Bluesy soul from her boys on brass and a funky electric organ matched her range from gruff, grumbling lows to bleating, passionate highs.
Asking, “Are you ready to get the fuck down?” Tahoe shed her specs (they “got too steamy”), flipped the bird, and heedlessly threw her powerful voice to the rafters and directly into the audience’s ears, jiving and strutting amongst the dancing mass. “I wanna be part of the audience,” she announced while belting out in her canary blouse, “Keep that shit funky / Shake what your momma gave ya.” Making it over halfway to the bar before heading back to the stage, she exclaimed to Mississippi Studios, “I’m as good as you are!”
Dirty Mittens eased into their spot with front woman Chelsea Morrisey moaning in her nymph-like warble but she quickly refashioned the band around her into a frolicking indie-pop machine bursting with sax energy and keys that would make a preschooler dimple. Charming and coy but definitely the chief, she led her boys and their arsenal of instruments: unbuttoned bass lines, animated bongos, machine claps, and weary piano notes.
Chelsea could not hit the same pitches that her predecessor Tahoe Jackson did, but she did hit everything with passion, her voice ranging from placid peeps to the cusp of beautifully harsh. Dirty Mittens wowed first time listeners and indulged friends by defining or redefining poppy, indie rock… whatever that means, but it’s meant to be complimentary.
Closers Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside rounded out the swelling night of music with Sallie returning to the stage to show off her Carolina vox and two-step, big beat, blues bop with her men backing. Hearing her voice, you’d feel as though you were transported to a 50’s lounge and this was Etta James not a skinny white girl. But alas, Sallie Ford has that classic sound that’s immediately enjoyable and catchy. Infused with jazz and rockabilly, Sallie’s piddling but charming banter contrasted her hypnotizing, soulful singing.
It was a feat to see eleven amazing bands in one place–a crowed but jovial venue. But with so many acts, the sets were so short that many groups just built up steam to be cast off after their 20 minutes and four or five songs. Regardless, it was a great night for Oregonians and our music. Kudos to the heart and soul of Mississippi Studios and thanks for a nice night, Jim and Alicia.
A Portland staple in recording since 2003, Mississippi Studios on N. Mississippi Ave. knew that as their following grew, the space would need to as well. Renovating and reopening the doors last year also reintroduced their presence to both the music community as well as the rest of Portland.
Unbelievably, a full year has gone by, and as owners Alicia Rose and Jim Brunberg calculated, Mississippi Studios has been packed with over 1,000 shows in those 365 days.
The Swellebration, as the swell celebration was aptly named, gave their thousands of fans (or just the few hundred that could cram inside) a chance to enjoy a free evening filled with eleven different amazing artists that love Mississippi Studios as much as Rose and Brunberg do.
The doors opened at 7 PM and the diehards were there waiting patiently for the opening acts to begin. As they waited, birthday cake was cut and passed around the room. It’s a good thing they didn’t wait until more people arrived–the cake was gone within minutes, surprising the server: “I thought I’d get a bunch of polite no’s.’” But a celebration it was and there was no holding back.
The music began at 8 PM with Justin Power performing solo on guitar, banging his steel-toed boots on the floor in solid rhythm proving that for him, drums and bass are unnecessary. The din of chatter among the crowd quieted as he sang, listening to the captivating folk-style sound that followed in the footsteps of great one-man performers of the past.
Laura Gibson performed second to cheers and excited screams from the audience as she made her way to the stage. Before beginning her second song, she chuckled and apologized that the song, ”Nightwatch,” was a lullaby. Gibson also asked for the audience’s help with the song, providing some background vocals. “It’s really easy,” she said, instructing us. “Da. Da-da-da–da. Da-da-da–da. Da-da-da-duh.”
Nervous laughter was heard throughout the room as everyone worried a little that they wouldn’t be able to remember. But as soon as she gave the word, the room filled with the peaceful chants and the harmony was made much deeper by the collective group.
As she promised, the next songs had a quicker pace and more upbeat feeling, but all her songs showcased her beautifully distinct and peace-inducing voice, leaving everyone mesmerized even as she announced the next artist to perform: Adam Shearer from Weinland.
Shearer called into the crowd, urging any of his fellow Weinland band mates to feel free to join him on stage. When a drummer showed up ready to assist, Shearer mentioned laughing, “Well actually, you don’t know this one,” but insisted he stay. “Just follow along.” It had to have been a ploy, because there was no telling that they hadn’t played it together before.
Holcombe Waller performed songs on guitar, with friend Ben Landsverk accompanying him, from his new album-in-progress, The Winter Songs, due out in May 2010. Waller has completed 10 songs so far available for listening on his website with links to purchase upon completion, and the downloads will disappear as the release nears. On Saturday night, his clear, smooth voice fluctuated with precision, almost sing-speaking with such insightful lyrics–no description to do him justice, just listen.
Sean Flinn and the Royal We borrowed Sallie Ford for the evening who lent her powerful voice, perfectly accompanying Flinn’s. Flinn’s folk sound evoked a feeling of simpler times, his steady voice grounding the songs while the music invited the body to sway and the toes to tap.
Releasing their LP, Write Me a Novel, this summer, Flinn and the Royal We are already beginning to play songs in preparation. They also perform on Saturday, March 13th at The Woods.
Run On Sentence picked up the pace with sounds reminiscent of being on the bayou on a hot summer night. Singer-songwriter Dustin Hamman put so much into his whiskey tumblin’, grumblin’ songs that it came as a surprise when his speaking voice sounded so calm and sensible. With a rotating cast of 13 musicians often joining Hamman to form Run On Sentence, Saturday night saw a stand-up bass, glockenspiel, and lonely horns alongside Hamman’s steady acoustic strums. But the heart of the band remained centered around the spiritual singer who, at times, is the only member of the group.
The Swellebration was swell indeed–so popular and beloved that many late-coming fans were left waiting in the cold. But they waited eagerly, all for the love of Mississippi Studios and the second half of the night.
For eight years, Miles Kurosky was the principle songwriter and front man for the impish pop outfit known as Beulah. A group associated with the Elephant 6 Collective, Beulah grew in both ambition and fan base over the course of their career, managing to end it on a brilliant high note in 2003 with the release of what would be their last album Yoko.
Perhaps the most surprising part of the band’s break up was that the prolific Kurosky didn’t churn out a batch of new material soon thereafter. Even more surprising was the reason for this: The songwriter spent the last five years suffering from a severe shoulder injury as well as battling kidney problems, both of which kept him from being able to pick up a guitar until just recently.
With those ailments behind him (for the most part), Kurosky is ready to take a tentative step back on to the stage with the release of his first solo album The Desert Of Shallow Effects (out this week on Majordomo Records). The disc expands on the lovely pop of his former band, but lets more of the darkness that marked their work creep in at the edges. When the light gets let in, either through his charming harmonies or the delirious jangle of his guitar playing, it is bright, bold and warming.
Kurosky spoke with Oregon Music News from his new home in his new hometown of Portland, Oregon, about the medical trauma that kept him from playing music and how it affected his songwriting and his view of the world.
How did you end up moving to Portland?
My wife and I have lived in San Francisco for years partly because she’s from there. But after she graduated, we had kind of priced ourselves out of San Francisco. So we put together a list of cities and Portland was on it. It was actually the only place we visited–I mean, I had been through on tour a few times, but… we went through and were smitten with it. It’s changed a lot in the last 10 years. Some people would bemoan that change, but I think it’s pretty fantastic. It is one of the great cities but still manages that small town vibe.
Have you been able to get out and check out the Portland music scene at all?
I know of its existence. I’ve only been to one or maybe two shows since I’ve been in Portland. I have friends in bands but I don’t really go out and see shows too often. I’m more of a homebody really.
It has been a while since the last album that you made with Beulah and this solo record. Was it just your health problems that kept you from making music?
Mostly, yeah. Also when you deal with health issues, you deal with depression as well. It’s hard to stay positive mentally when you’re having difficulties with your body. I wasn’t trying to be slow. I wish, in hindsight, that I recorded this quickly after Beulah broke up.
What happened with your shoulder?
I had shoulder problems in the past. Basic stuff like tendonitis and bursitis. But all this started when Beulah was on tour in Sweden. The boys were doing soundcheck and I fell off the stage. I kind of jumped off the stage and my feet got caught in the wires. It was a pretty high stage and I fell and hit my elbow and head and funny bone, but I also felt my shoulder pop back out and in. An after that I started slowly losing use of my arm. I didn’t know what was wrong with it. I went to the doctor and he said it didn’t look like anything was wrong, but that they should get in and take a look. Exploratory surgery turned into 8 hours of surgery. It was a lot worse than we expected. The worst thing was a torn labrum and the tearing in all rotator cuffs. And then while it was healing, I couldn’t move my arm to a certain point without the tendons getting caught on the screw. So they had to go in and redo the surgery. That was another year of rehab.
And then you were developed kidney problems in the midst of this.
The kidney was diagnosed as being related to an intestinal disease. We’re still trying to work out what it is. Basically, I don’t absorb nutrients properly and develop chronic kidney stones. In fact, I can feel one right now not as bad as other ones I’ve had. That was the most excruciating pain. They drop from the kidney and are so big that they get stuck in your ureter. So, they have to send a tube up through the penis through the bladder and destroy them and pull them out. It’s a chronic condition. The worst sort of chronic condition you could have because with the intestinal disease there’s no cure. They’ve put me on a few different drugs, but you can’t really cure that. I’ve tried changing my diet, and started eating a lot differently, but it’s incredibly limiting. It’s especially hard because there’s so many good places to eat in Portland.
Did you have health insurance for all of this?
Luckily, I did. It was sort of serendipitous. I just sort said to myself a year before I am going to get myself insurance for the year. I had this weird feeling that maybe I should get personal insurance. It was expensive but it would have been a lot more had I not spent the $300 or something a month. Now, my wife has insurance so she can get me on her plan. It’s unfortunate and kind of ridiculous that more Americans aren’t for health care reform. We lead the world in bankruptcies due to medical expenses… it’s crazy.
Was it hard for you to not be able to play music as you were dealing with all of this?
Pop enough Vicodin and anything’s easy to forget. That’s true. You have to roll with it. It’s frustrating, certainly. You feel really overwhelmed and you feel impotent, but really just you have to deal with it. The body does what’s it going to do. It was difficult but I had no choice in the matter so I couldn’t really complain. And again when you’re in pain a lot, the only thing you care about is not being in pain.
With the songs on your new album, did you have some written before these problems came up or did they all come after? Or were you able get things done during it?
I’d say yes to all three–before during and after. I had some of the songs ready but I couldn’t practice until my shoulder got better. A couple of songs I wrote a cappella. I remember being in a car once singing a melody and that became “Apple For An Apple.” So I kept writing even when I couldn’t play guitar.
How did all of this affect your songwriting?
I think in part because of the troubles, I had a lot of time for self-evaluation. I started thinking about my life and who I’ve known and what I’ve done. I touched on the medical problems with the first song (“Notes From The Polish Underground”)–the opening line is “My limbs have failed me again”–and from there I told the story, a little bit, of my grandmother from Poland, in a two-minute pop song, trying to draw parallels to my own life. Trying to add up the sum of little bits of my life. It certainly was the case with ["Apple For An Apple"], where I’m asking myself, “What do I believe–the apple of science or the apple of religion? Newton or Eve?” It’s the stuff I had to consider when I was going through surgery. Am I going to trust the guy with the steady hand who’s taking care of me or the guy who is promising eternal salvation?
Do you feel like you lean towards one over the other?
I kind of have my toe in both pools.
You’re about to head out on tour. Are you nervous about getting on stage again?
Yes and no. I do have a lot of anxieties and neuroses about it. I’m worried that it goes well. Not just ticket sales but staying healthy. There’s lots of weird things you don’t know that might happen. It just seems really hard and difficult. Looking at the dates, it seems like a lot of work, I feel really unprepared. Today is the second day that I’m in San Francisco practicing with the band. There’s still so much work to do. Also I just bought my first home in Portland and I was enjoying just being in my home. I’ll certainly miss my family and my wife.
I read on your Facebook page that you were getting a lot of questions about whether you’ll be playing Beulah songs on this tour. Did you make a decision on that?
I definitely will. A lot of people have been asking for those songs and I understand why they’re requesting them. The band meant a lot to some people and younger people haven’t had a chance to hear those songs live. I don’t feel like it’s an unreasonable request. I did write those songs. I don’t have to be dragged by a wild horse to play a song that I hate. I’ll try to pull out a few of them. We haven’t even rehearsed them so likely it will be whichever ones are the easiest.
Do you think you’ll continue on playing music after this tour?
I take it as it comes. I may make music again, I may never make music. Being away from something that you love for a while really challenges you. It makes you wonder how important it is, if it defines you as a person. It’s what I did for a long time, and in a certain sense, I became robotic in my motions. I don’t know. I’ll have to see. I think I’ll have to be like Brett Favre. Go play the game and then hem and haw. A lot of it depends on the tour. We’ll see how it goes. I might have the time of my life and it might be a stunning failure. That’s the thing that’s fantastic about life, there’s a lot of different turns that life can take.
Do you know what you would do if you weren’t playing music?
Absolutely no idea. I have been writing a novel for the past five years. I had a time limit on that–as long as I finish by the time I’m 65 that would be fantastic. So if I stop playing music, I should try to get that done.
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Miles Kurosky plays at home in Portland on April 9th at the Doug Fir.
Fresh from Down Under and setting foot in the USA just months after their first visit, London electro-rock duo The Big Pink make a stop in Portland on Sunday, March 14th at the Doug Fir. It’s just their fifth date on their second jaunt through North American and their second time at the Doug Fir playing in support of their debut album A Brief History of Love, released in September 2009.
Multi-instrumentalists Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell are signed to the legendary 4AD label and continue to follow in that indie rock tradition with guitar-heavy car crashes and impenetrably poppy tunes ready for radio play (which they’re receiving plenty) like “Dominos” and “Velvet.” Their lyrics will run circles in your mind while their sonic walls of fuzz will box you in.
See them at small venue before they blow up as they’re sure to catch a few ears and eyes at this year’s Coachella festival.
From all the side projects of The String Cheese Incident’s members, EOTO (pronounced like the Japanese city, Kyoto without the ‘K’) is perhaps the most diverse, experimental and strange. Thus, Oregonians should not be alarmed when they see robots in attendance at Eugene’s WOW Hall on Thursday night as EOTO brings a mixture of electronic, world music, and rock tastes to their second of three Oregon shows.
Since their 2006 debut release, Elephants Only Talk Occasionally, EOTO has nourished their fan’s hunger for a fusion between electro-rock while combining elements of hip-hop, world music, jazz, and R&B into their growing buffet of musical obscurities. In fact, after listening to one of their albums, one may get the sense of listening to a dozen bands in the span of fifteen minutes, when in truth, EOTO’s sound is composed by only two individuals. Drummer Michael Travis and percussionist Jason Hann of The String Cheese Incident created EOTO, an acronym for End Of Time Observatory, in attempt to craft an original, improvised set of trip-hop, house, and drum n bass that fluctuates between each tour stop.
Like most modern DJs, Travis and Hann find new approaches towards playing their music to audiences worldwide. However, Travis, who also contributes hand drums, electric bass and guitar, and keyboards to EOTO’s sound, differs from these artists because of his spontaneous tactics of live drumming. Hann, who usually controls the rhythmic building block of the band, has also been involved in a number of projects ranging from working with drum/dance artist Vinx to soul singer Isaac Hayes and enjoys mixing Latin, African, flamenco, and techno in with EOTO’s evolving sound.
After their debut record, EOTO released Razed in 2008 to worldwide audiences. Songs such as “Warp” and “Gloren” combine funk-like, electronic piano-pop that could only relate to tunes from the Flaming Lips’ Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Fans of Thievery Corporation and Massive Attack should rejoice after hearing Razed’s “Camel Bend,” which draws Latin-jazz, Persian music, and pounding drums into one eerie resonance. Other songs such as “Taking the Fife” and “Health Plant” bring on a smoother side of the band as they experiment with synthesizers, keyboards and sound effects to create something truly innovative for electronic listeners.
With so many influences, it is difficult for any audience to be prepared for their next set of live material. Although many of EOTO’s performances sometimes revolve around a multitude of themes, fans always question what scheme the band will take next.
“The only time we really talk about that is at the beginning of the set,” says Jason Hann in a 2009 String Cheese Radio interview. “We’re like, ‘what does it seem like the mood wants to be in here right now? Do we start straight off with dubstep? Or do we start straight off with house?’ Seems to me like we leans towards house just to get people moving and not play something that’s too far out.”
Following the release of 2009’s live and improvised Fire the Lazers, EOTO began planning a nationwide tour that will encompass all corners of the U.S. and even hit the Freedom Festival in Toronto, Canada. Though EOTO has just played in Medford, musical adventurers can see them in their live, untarnished state at Eugene’s WOW Hall on March 11th or at Portland’s Berbati’s Pan on March 12th.
EOTO will play with the WOW Hall with psychedelic hip-hop dub act Resident Anti-Hero. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 at the WOW Hall, $12 at the door. Doors open at 9 PM.
EOTO, accompanied by Lynx & Janover and DJ James Ho, will conclude their Oregon tour with a stop at Berbati’s Pan in Portland. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Show is 21+ and doors open at 9 PM.
Seattleites orbited around Portland on Sunday night at the Doug Fir, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, Portlanders probably wished they stayed here for good.
The Cave Singers headlined and clearly lit a fire that ran up the Doug Fir’s walls.
Lead singer Pete Quirk was dynamic and had a presence on stage that injected fuel into the fire. From his antics onstage (doubling over and foot-stomping with a tambourine in his hand, erratically dancing on stage with a sort of quirk-iness, playing the melodica) to his tribal and soul-infused vocals, Quirk got the crowd dancing from the very start and never let up.
The Cave Singers are heavily influenced by Fleetwood Mac’s music–evidenced by their drum beats, electric guitar, and tambourine–but the band has a distinct sound of its own. Their folky, bluesy rock is accompanied by washboards, shakers, harmonica, rocking drums, and electrifying guitar, and is something you could imagine people dancing to in a Southern church… or in some kind of snake cult.
The band opened the evening with a bang, playing “At the Cut,” the group’s fastest song that features guitarist Derek Fudesco at his finest. Fudesco was electrifying throughout the night and is an adept player. Along with Quirk and talented drummer Marty Lund, the three-piece band plays well together, and has a chemistry that could drive them forward quickly. (They’ve already gained a loyal following since disbanding Pretty Girls Make Graves in 2007.) It’s also evident the three friends enjoy playing together with smiles and laughter throughout the night.
The group’s last song before their encore was “Dancing On Our Graves,” which is the song that has the greatest chance of propelling the band’s popularity. It is tribal and rhythmic and features everything the band brings to the stage. It is the kind of piece that defines bands, especially on that defines The Cave Singers in a live setting. The song had the crowd clapping and foot-stomping instantly and yearning for an encore.
The band closed the night with two acoustic, folk songs (with Lund leaving his drums and playing guitar alongside) and left the crowd smiling and happy.
While The Cave Singers got the attention of the audience with its high energy and rocking sound, The Dutchess and the Duke did it with its quiet, acoustic harmonics and vocals.
The Dutchess and the Duke
There was clearly an excitement in the air as Jesse Lortz and Kimberly Morrison took the stage, and it was evident that many in the audience had heard the duo before. As soon as Lortz began singing the first song, the hub bub reduced instantaneously to a hush. It was the kind of hush that acoustic musicians strive for–people were riveted and didn’t dare make a sound for fear of drowning out the quiet melodies.
The duo have an aura about them onstage that should ensure they will be a folk favorite in the Northwest for as long as they play. Lortz’s pain-soaked, rough voice fits Morrison’s beautiful, floating vocals perfectly, and the chemistry between the two is undeniable. You don’t know who to focus on at any one time, because they both captivate in their own ways. Lortz, who has admitted that many of the lyrics are autobiographical in nature, is hard to look away from at times, his pained voice resounding from a deep place inside. Morrison’s voice is absolutely gorgeous with her female, folk singer sound.
Beyond the staples “Hands” and “Reservoir Park,” “Scorpio” (off the group’s second release Sunset/Sunrise) is emerging as another defining piece. The lyrics rank right up there with “Hands” and the song features the duo’s harmonic chemistry prominently.
In the haunting chorus, Lortz sings: “I feel good, I feel fine, the sky is blue, the sun is shinin’, No need to run, no need to hide, no need to kill myself just to stay alive.”
But beyond the aching lyrics are two friends having a good time, and the two have a humorous side to them that is very personable. At one point, Lortz said, “They’re slipping,” to which Morrison replied, “Well, pull up your pants.”
“No, my legs [off the stool],” Lortz said. “They’re not as long as they look [looking down at the ground]… but they’re beautiful.”
After “Out of Time,” one of the more somber songs from the group, Lortz said, “Hey, let’s play more of a downer this time.” Morrison replied, “More of a downer than that?”
Toward the end of the show, when Lortz realized he didn’t have any more beer, he asked the audience if they could spare a brew. The crowd was quick to oblige, showing the clear connection the band made with the audience.
The group is a bit unpolished (at one point Lortz said, “Well, that was a rough ending”), but it actually adds to their character onstage and doesn’t hurt their performance. They are naturally off-key people, and Northwesterners wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Moondoggies
The Moondoggies opened and wasted no time in delving into their folk and blues rock. The group, led by vocalist/guitarist Kevin Murphy, didn’t mess around, and brought its loudest music to the stage Sunday night. Murphy has a voice that evokes memories of Kurt Cobain (one of the band’s main influences) and had his eyes closed and head down for most of the night while he wailed on the guitar. All four members of the band know what they’re doing and you get the feeling they are just beginning to discover themselves and their capabilities. Their loud, grungy blues rock, coupled with their folk pieces, is the kind of music that can last a long time. “Changing” and “Bogachiel Rain Blues” (off the band’s debut album Don’t Be A Stranger) are formidable live pieces that should serve the quartet well as they move forward. The band is only two years old and still has plenty of time to grow.
Sunday night was a glimpse into three young bands committed to their music, on the cusp of perhaps something great. If they continue to develop at this pace, they won’t have to come to Portland–Portlanders will go to them.
MixBox is a drum / bass / winds trio you’ve not heard much about. They don’t have a website, they barely have a MySpace page, and they sort-of have a CD you can purchase. They aren’t playing at top-line venues, they don’t inspire the audience to dance, and their music is difficult to approach. So why bother listening, much less reading this article?
Miles Davis historically suffered no fools, and at one point snorted “I’ll play it first and tell you what it is later.” From this came Bitches Brew and other Jazz Fusion recordings unexpected by his fans. Listening for what this music is requires that you listen for something you haven’t heard before. That’s where MixBox joins our little philosophical discussion, already in progress.
MixBox plays 100% original music, written mostly by Robert Geistwhite, bassist, but increasingly by Ben Lincoln, Saxophone. The charts are a suggestion, the music is a result of the conversation between the musicians. Little wonder there aren’t any formal recordings – why record a composition that changes each time it’s performed? On their sparse MySpace page, they state “We follow a form and ignore it at the same time, leaving room for the listener to be a part of the experience.”
Dave Haverkampf, drummer for MixBox, points out that MixBox requires different skills and assumptions from an audience. First, assume that MixBox DOES know what they are doing – this isn’t some random fingerpainting. Notes are in tune, breath is under control, strings are sustained, and the beat is in the pocket. The trio is acutely aware of where they are in the music – for example, listen for the theme of “Who would Jesus Bomb.” You’ll recognize it, and note that it enters and exits in time, in unison and in tune. Nope, they’re not just winging a bunch of random notes.
Second, the music exists in the space between the musicians. Lincoln says: “The newness is exciting. I try to put melodies in as much as I can. Melodies resonate with listeners – and listeners are an important part of the improvisation. The music morphs into different tangents – it’s not linear. When I’m playing, I find myself ‘over there.’ I try to do something with that. I try to respond in a creative way that fits what the other musicians are doing. Maybe a harmony, or texture, or rhythm, or something. Sometimes we’re all doing something independent and you can feel that.”
Haverkampf compares the current multi-track manipulated music to that of Sinatra and a small band in a live recording. With limited recording techniques, music existed between musicians in real-time – mistakes weren’t cut out – they were part of the song, and if you were good, you know how to take that mistake and stand on it. Recordings were a result of the live performance, rather than a remix and approximation of the live performance. Lincoln characterizes MixBox recordings as milestones – merely reference recordings of where the band is at any one point.
Lincoln warns against analyzing the music too much. “I believe in music.” says Lincoln. “If I had faith in a particular thing, that would be it. it’s just a gut feeling. People try to analyze jazz, but there is a point where it isn’t analytical. You don’t think and analyze – you go with your gut. It works when you steep yourself in it.”
Take the song; “Um-ba ba” – it has a repeating theme, strong enough that the band vocalizes with it. As the song progresses, it moves in and out of the theme, straying in time, intonation and arrangement. Just as it starts to move outside of a comfortable place, it moves back in to the reassuring vocals. Like a magic trick, it shouldn’t be repeated over and over. The magic of the piece exists between the performers, and when they finish, the piece stops existing. Existential and pedantic, but an appropriate description.
MixBox works hard to voice the music that exists between the band members. Listening requires a bit of focus. Fortunately, the effort is worth it.
Mimicking Birds stretched their wings Saturday night for the release of their self-titled, debut album at the Mission Theater. Out now digitally and on CD, it was recorded by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock for his new label Glacial Pace Recordings. It will be available for purchase on LP April 1st.
The fledgling band brought grace and beauty to the unique and ornate venue. The Mission Theater accommodates both live music and movie screenings, and the juxtaposition was stunning as the Mimicking Birds slowly took stage to video from Planet Earth: Jungles.
Guitarist Tim Skellenger plucked dreamy, atmospheric guitar while a camera panned over a jungle canopy. When singer-songwriter Nate Lacy finally approached the mic for the opening “New Doomsdays,” it was to the courtship dance of a strutting bird-of-paradise.
Mimicking Birds were a perfect fit for the BBC documentary’s backdrop of breathtaking scenery.
Photo by Maia Earnshaw
The subtle drama of Lacy’s songs synced flawlessly with leaves unfurling, green life shooting up through the ground, and vines slowly wrapping around a dead tree branch. Matched with Mimicking Birds’ naturalistic bent, the documentary took attention away from the band as personalities and refocused it on the sensitivity and beauty of their music.
Lacy’s music has the intensity and intimacy of your most private bedroom moments, but it was drummer Aaron Hanson who breathed life into the live performance. His woodblock pulsed with growing fungus, and his busy, but restrained, beats marched in time with an army of ants climbing a branch during “Burning Stars.”
The seemingly shy Lacy barely spoke. Aside from his humble and sincere thank you’s, his sole attempt at stage banter was the butchering of a joke about a dolphin committing suicide: “…something about having no porpoise.” An old family friend, who’d watched the three playing at BBQ’s as teenagers, confided “now and then, he’s always been so understated.”
Lacy still is.
His vocals and fingerpicked acoustic guitar were so often hushed, but on the rare occasions he raised either to a howl it brought chills. Lacy is by no means a rock star, but his songwriting commands attention.
By the end, the hour and a half set still seemed short. After being cheered on to preform a three song encore, ending with “The Loop,” the band gracefully exited to still-screaming friends and fans.
And it’s no surprise. Mimicking Birds have the potential to fly far beyond Portland.
It’s Punjabi-Celtic-dub fusion but it’s neither Irish nor Indian. Instead, Delhi 2 Dublin comes from our neighbors up north, the Canucks.
Featured as 
Seated quietly drinking beer and cocktails, the crowd was taken by surprise by the sheer volume coming out of two such tiny ladies. The dynamic Vancouver duo played 126 shows in 2008, 157 in 2009 and are aiming for a new record this year.
Tahoe Jackson
ura Gibson
For eight years, 
Fresh from Down Under and setting foot in the USA just months after their first visit, London electro-rock duo 
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