Oregon Music News

We were bored so we started a band.  We’d like to play for you.  “The Sweet Part of Town.”

These are the closing lyrics to the first track of Heaven Is Whenever, The Hold Steady’s fifth studio album.  They are pretty emblematic of the band’s attitude: They’re self-aware, usually in narrative form, and often address the listener directly.  Vocalist and guitarist Craig Finn doesn’t really use metaphors or symbols in his songs, just simple narratives that, more than likely, have something in common with your own life.  They can be repetitive at times, but they never fall into the sea of drivel that swallows many who audaciously flirt with the abstract.

This is a pattern that Finn and the other members of The Hold Steady have been following for six years and five albums.  And it’s worked pretty well for them so far.  Imagine Finn late at night writing down lyrics in a dive bar, party or club, and you might be somewhere close to the lyrical themes on Heaven Is Whenever.

On “Hurricane J,” Finn Sings, “I know you’re gonna do what I know you’re gonna do, but 22 and banging around in restaurants isn’t that much prettier than banging around in bars.  And why do you keep going to his car?”  On “Rock Problems,” he sings, “The girls want to go to the party.  But no one is in any shape to drive.  So we called up your guy and when he comes we’re gonna ask for a ride.” On “The Weekenders,” Finn belts, “There were a couple pretty crass propositions, there were some bugs in the bars, there was a kid camped out by the coat check.  She said the theme of this party’s the industrial age, and you came in dressed like a train wreck.”  The album is full of these street-level narratives: good times, bad times, and everything in between.

Musically, the album has many strong points.  “The Sweet Part of the City” opens with a weary slide guitar, and the clarinet solo on “Barely Breathing” is a nice touch.  Overall though, the sing-along, crunchy-happy vibes from previous songs like “Sequestered in Memphis” and “Stuck Between Stations” are apparent on Heaven Is Whenever.  While that’s not a bad thing, the absence of Franz Nicolay, The Hold Steady’s keyboardist who left the band in January, is definitely felt.  His delicate key strokes added a welcome dimension to the band’s straightforward rock sound and will be missed.

Before they enjoyed commercial success, The Hold Steady was probably a band that played in the back of bars, just barely less drunk than the people milling around, yet their music begs attention with fun, positive rock vibes.  Even when the lyrics are melancholy, they’re backed by an enjoyable bounce that feels close to home.  That’s the blues, after all.

At the Crystal Ballroom on August 20th. Doors open at 8 p.m. and showtime is 9 p.m.  Tickets are  $23 advance, $25 at the door.

At the Wow Hall on August 21st. Doors open at 7 p.m. and showtime is 8 p.m.  Tickets are $16 in advance, $18 at the door. Milwaukee-based psych-pop combo Jaill will be opening on both dates.

The Roseland Theater has a history of putting on good shows.  From when the fabled building was a movie theater, to housing such great acts as Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, and Prince, the Roseland’s walls have always been known to host memorable evenings.  Saturday, August 14th was no different.

Butterfly Bones' Austin Fraser

The sold-out bill consisted of Australia’s The Temper Trap, Portland’s own Blue Giant, and “Sanfrandi$co” dance group Butterfly Bones, the show’s opener.  The Californian 3-piece took the stage around 7:30PM and immediately grasped the crowd’s attention.  Their sound is infectious: an electronically-enhanced rock sounds full of long keyboard and guitar solos.  Is this the new evolution of the jam band?

The band’s on-stage gyrations were contagious, as the crowd caught on quickly.  A delightful mix of bleeps and bloops exploded into powerful, catchy choruses that sounded like a mix of Duran Duran, Don Henley, and perhaps a little Super NES.  It was their first time playing in Portland, and you could tell they really loved their stage time.  So did everyone else.

Musically, Portland’s Blue Giant contrasted Butterfly Bones in just about every way.  There were no keyboards, hair flips, or sequined guitar straps, just fender guitars, cowboy hats, and American flag amps.  What they did have in common was a clear passion for their craft and creative delivery, and it showed.

Blue Giant's Anita Robinson and Dave Depper

Pedal steel guitars, harmonicas, mandolins, and banjos provided diverse accents to Blue Giant’s country-influenced set.  One noteworthy element of Blue Giant’s music is the harmonies between Kevin and Anita Robinson, the married vocal duo of Blue Giant.  Along with their melodious vocal mixture, the duo shares guitar duties, with Kevin providing the acoustic backing and Anita providing smooth electric leads, riffs, and solos.  The harmony between these two was apparent on tracks like “Run Rabbit Run” and “Blue Sunshine,” the first single from the bands self-titled debut, Blue Giant.

The crowd was now just minutes away from the band they came to see, The Temper Trap.  The excitement was palpable as they showered the overweight and bearded sound check guys with praise and applause.  Bathed in red, green, and blue lights, the band took the stage to even more thunderous praise.  Their set was a combination of the infectious beats of Butterfly Bones and the heart of Blue Giant, with a grandiosity and power that was all their own.

The Temper Trap's Dougy Mandagi

The Temper Trap’s compendium was littered with standout tracks and singles from their debut album Conditions.  “Fader” and “Fools” started things off, and it became apparent early that these musicians (vocalist Dougy Mandagi, bassist Jonathon Aherne, guitarist Lorenzo Sillitto, and drummer Toby Dundas) are stars in the making.  Dougy’s unique falsetto reached the highest of highs with ease, and uniform precision from the rest of the band followed suit.

The Temper Trap’s stage time was littered with pulsing interludes full of claps, delayed guitars, and additional percussion.  At one point, Dougy Mandagi doused a large floor tom with water, passionately striking it to create a dramatic visual.  The theatrics eventually led to “Sweet Disposition,” the first single from Conditions.  Other standout tracks from Conditions, such as “Soldier On,” “Love Lost,” “Science of Fear,” and “Resurrection,” shook the walls of the Roseland Saturday night.

If you listen to The Temper Trap’s music without context, you may assume their live experience would be full of frills, light shows, pyrotechnics, and drama.  Their larger-than-life sound and commercial presence may provoke those images, but the band kept the frills to a minimum.  It really was just five guys (with the addition of touring guitarist/vocalist Joseph Greer) playing some seriously infectious and unique tunes.

Before the show ended, Dougy Mandagi again expressed his gratitude for an involved and devoted audience, saying “we always perform better when you guys do.”  As Dougy went into the crowd to shake hands with the front row, that exchange of energy became tangible.  It’s safe to say that everyone performed well that night.

You’ve probably heard The Temper Trap before… even if you’ve never heard of them.  The atmospheric quartet has produced four singles that have been featured the films 500 Days of Summer, and TV shows One Tree Hill, Greek, Chuck, and The Vampire Diaries.  Their music has even been featured in ads for Chrysler, Diet Coke, and Rhapsody Music.

One listen to their music and you’ll see why.  The Melbourne group’s blend of unique vocality and powerful instrumental hooks is simply infectious in the best way.  They’re a good choice for ads because their sound is instantly recognizable. Unfortunately for Chrysler, you’ll probably be captivated by the sound and completely forget about some damn Sebring (if they even make those anymore).

The band has been active since 2005, but the June 2009 release of Conditions, their first full-length album, has catapulted them into the mainstream.  The album’s sound will be familiar and likable to fans of stadium-sized pop rock as this band sounds like it was in front of strobe lights and Marshall stacks.  Take the poppy, anthemic preferences of U2, the rawness of Radiohead, and the theatrics of Muse and you might have something that sounds like The Temper Trap.  But there is something else.

Dougy Mandagi’s voice is truly unique.  It’s a trembling falsetto that elevates and drops erratically but is constantly roped in by accessible yet simple instrumentation.  It could be Mandangi’s Indonesian upbringing, his appreciation for Prince, or something else altogether, but it is clear that his pipes are what the band is built around.  He is the glue tying it all together.

Conditions begins with the delightful bleeps and bloops of “Love Lost,” which are interlaced with shimmering guitar chords, clapping drums, precision bass riffs, and of course Dougy Mandagi’s distinct falsetto.  “Sweet Disposition,” a track you may have heard on the aforementioned advertisements, is carried by delay-driven guitar accents but again centers around Mandagi’s vocal range.  That range is again featured on the acoustic-based “Down River” and the Radiohead-esque “Resurrection.”  The delectable ooo’s and aaah’s that back “Fader” are a huge reason for Condition’s commercial success: It’s a tonally diverse album made for the radio.  It’s also an album tailored for concerts, and Portland’s Roseland Theater is the perfect suit.

Watch “Fader”:

Rock groups Butterfly Bones and Blue Giant round out Saturday’s bill, and they couldn’t be more different.  Butterfly Bones is a digitally-enhanced retro group that begs comparison to Duran Duran with its thudding drum machines and electronic piano accents.  Blue Giant wanders on the opposite side of the spectrum, favoring steel guitars for synthesizers and folky jams for bassy breakdowns.  There are shared elements between all three bands, however, such as a penchant for sing-a-longs and involved live experiences.  And that won’t change no matter what part of the world you’re in.

Show starts at 8pm, all ages, tickets are available here for $16.50.

“Sometimes life throws you a curve ball,” The New Limb’s Joey Chavez said.  The opening bands had all pulled out of their Wednesday show at Luckey’s, but singer and guitarist Chavez, his drumming brother Adam, keyboardist and vocalist Lauren Salamone, and second guitarist and vocalist Dan Perez kept their commitment.

The band was surely disappointed, but not deterred.  A young man named Dylan, who was apparently hitching a ride with the band to Chico, California, recited spoken-word poetry over the band’s ambience as a substitute for an opener.  In an oddly fitting passage, Dylan read: “Each moment, hardship, and memory has brought us to this moment.  To me, that’s what makes life ridiculous.”  Ridiculous, but nobody was complaining.

Having played an acoustic set at a local brewery earlier in the day, The New Limb must have been worn out (although well-lubricated).  But when you have a group of musicians as talented as they are, the music simply speaks for itself.  The flickering piano accents, four-part vocal harmonies, and unwavering enthusiasm the band has for its craft caused the sparse crowd to multiply inside Luckey’s.  The silky live sound seeped onto Olive Street and coaxed listeners inside.  Even the old-time pub regulars, who were strenuously dedicated to games of billiards, seemed to take appreciative notice.

The New Limb began their set with “Ebb and Flow,” the reverb-heavy and lounge-y second track off Sounds People Can Hear, their first record.  They followed with “Birds And Stuff,” the album’s melodious first single.  “Cycle Mother Earth” was next, which is a lesson in musical contrast.  Aggressive and distorted verses segue into ethereal and echoed choruses in a manner that shows the band’s tonal diversity and promise.

As the set progressed, the coincidental glances from drunkards became attentive viewing.  They’d been won over, party due to other standout tracks from Sounds People Can Hear like “Sarah,” “Autumn Leaves,” the explosive crescendo “Vagaries,” and the smooth transitions between them.  The allure of the band’s performance can also be attributed to how many covers they played, which made up for the absence of an opener.

“Bizarre Love Triangle/Time After Time” was a cover mashup of New Order and Cyndi Lauper, one that is actually featured on Sounds People Can Hear.  Covers of The Band’s “The Weight” and The Beatles’ “Twist & Shout” aren’t featured on the album, but fit right into the set because those groups are a huge part of the The New Limb’s influences.

After the show, the band hopped offstage and immediately started chatting with onlookers as if they’d known each other for years.  It was a gesture indicative of the band’s fan-friendly attitude; the conclusion of a performance that felt much bigger than the room where it was held.

Make sure to catch this band if they’re in your town.  As Joey Chavez said in the OMN interview, the band is planning a national tour for the fall.  Don’t miss it.

Over the course of nine years and five full-length albums, heavy rock outfit Haste the Day has gone through some immense changes: multiple shifts in lineup, the departure of their original vocalist, various tweaks to their aggressive sound, and mixed fan reaction.  Their latest album, Attack of The Wolf King, shows that these changes were not made in vain.

Attack of The Wolf King is the first record to feature guitarists Dave Krysl and Scotty Whelan, as well as a new drummer, Giuseppe Capolupo.  With Stephen Keech assuming the role of lead vocals from Jimmy Ryan in 2006, bassist Michael Murphy is the sole original member of Haste the Day.  Some longtime fans of the band are dejected by this, and rightfully so: bands can be very personal to some, as the music is often tied to powerful personal experiences, feelings, and growths.  When a band keeps changing, some of that connection, unfortunately, can be lost.

So perhaps this record is best experienced with a clean slate.  Because to put it bluntly, the new lineup has injected new life into Haste the Day.  The vocals are much more dynamic, the instrumentation (especially the guitars) is several levels above what it once was, and the song-writing structure has always been above-average.

These improvements are apparent right from the beginning.  “Wake Up The Sun,” starts the album off with a bang, as the harmonized guitar work of Dave Krysl and Scotty Whelan palpitates over Haste the Day’s familiar down-tuned rhythmic attack.  The heavy and melodic elements seem more integrated than they have in the past as the anthemic chorus skillfully plays off a subdued, yet aggressive verse.

Another interpretation of that melodic integration is in the vocals.  Michael Murphy and harsh vocalist Stephen Keech exemplify an opposites-attract formula, and their contrasting styles remind listeners why this genre of music has become so popular in recent years.  Of course, this type of vocal duality is nothing new, so what really matters is the quality and ambition of the sound.  These vocalists, this record, and this band have those qualities in spades.

“Travesty,” Attack of The Wolf King’s first single, demonstrates why Haste the Day’s evolution was a positive one.  The vocal harmonization in the chorus is unlike anything the band has done before, and the improved guitar work really pushes the song into the spotlight.  It’s easily the best melodic chorus, if not song, the band has produced in recent memory.  Take a listen.

Listen to “Travesty”

Although “Travesty” is probably the best song on the record, the others aren’t far behind.  “Merit For Sadness” has a chorus that is just as memorable, where the vocals switch from clean to harsh and back again.  It ends with the machine-gun double bass jam that, while still cool, may be becoming cliche for “Metalcore” music at this point.  It’s featured on almost every song on this record (and hundreds of others), so one has to wonder how much life this musical element has left in it.

Six songs in, the record has already tantalized listeners with melody on “Dogs Like Vultures” and “Merit For Sadness,” moved them with the powerful vocal messages of “Travesty,” and alarmed them with the darkness of “Un-Manifest.”  The wide variety of tones and emotions continues with “The Place That Most Deny,” which features guest vocals from Micah Kinard of Oh, Sleeper.    It’s a painfully heavy track that crescendos into a beautifully-constructed climax.  There’s even a bit of Oh, Sleeper-inspired finger-tapping guitar work, which is a nice touch.  “White As Snow” is an interesting play on the contrast between heavy, extremely down-tuned guitars and smooth clean vocals.  It’s a highlight of the album, and an illustration of the band’s musical ambition.

Attack of The Wolf King snaps back into consciousness with “Crush Resistance,” a blistering array of All That Remains-esque harmonies and tones.  The wails of Stephen Keech are piercing and frighteningly honest, as always.

On June 29, Haste the Day will celebrate the release of Attack of The Wolf King with a concert in Bloomington, Indiana, the band’s founding state.  In a move that will be undoubtedly powerful for longtime Haste the Day fans, the original lineup (vocalist Jimmy Ryan, guitarists Brennan Chaulk and Jason Barnes, bassist Michael Murphy, and drummer Devin Chaulk) will reunite on stage for the first time since December 2005 to play songs from Haste the Day’s earlier albums.  The new lineup will play the newer songs, and the entire event will be filmed for a future DVD release.

This reunion of past and present band members proves Haste the Day is a group with its conflicts resolved, its dedication to its fans strong, and its squabbles in the past.  Haste the Day seems to be a band at peace; this concert wouldn’t happen otherwise.  With its personal issues aside, this is a band that’s making the music they truly love to make, and it shows.

Haste the Day will be playing at the Vans Warped Tour 2010, Aug 15 2010 at 12:00 PM at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Every band needs a niche.  Well, maybe they don’t need one, but it can’t hurt.

New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem has one: nostalgia and an undiluted 1960’s vibe.  The guitars are crunchy, the arrangements are simple and bouncy, the tone retro and danceable.  Frontman Brian Fallon’s shaky, raw vocals have even likened to Bruce Springsteen. In fact, at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival, The Boss joined The Gaslight Anthem onstage for a rendition of “The ‘59 Sound”, a single from the band’s second album of the same name.  Is there a better endorsement?

On June 15th The Gaslight Anthem is releasing their third album American Slang. Along with the band’s nostalgic instrumentation, artwork, and style, the lyrics also harken back to the days of JFK, Studebakers, and counterculture.  The lyric “when we were young” graces many of The Gaslight Anthem’s songs, including the title track of their last album The ‘59 Sound.  On American Slang, Brian Fallon  belts it, or a line very similar to it, on “Stay Lucky,” “Orphans,” “We Did It When We Were Young.”  That sentimentality, that fondness of more innocent times is something everyone can relate to, whether you’re a baby boomer, a Gen-X kid, or something in between.

All of these themes culminate on The Gaslight Anthem’s most stimulating and memorable album yet.  It begins with “American Slang,” the light-hearted and lively title track.  It sets the tone and foundation for the whole record: simple rhythms, narrative vocals, enchanting song-writing, and an all around happy vibe.

Following the strong opener is “Stay Lucky,” an up-tempo track that, while it borrows its intro from “The ‘59 Sound,” quickly emerges as a standout number.  The subtle guitar solos and trill accents throughout reveal the band’s ever-growing confidence in their sound.  This is a song best enjoyed while barreling down a sun-baked freeway in July; it just sounds like summer.

“The Diamond Church Street Choir” is another single-worthy offering on American Slang.  The verse sways back and forth, slowly building momentum until the sing-along chorus, where Fallon belts “Everyone singin’ who, who, who does it better than we do?”  In 2010?  Not many.

“Orpans” is one of the fastest and most powerful songs on American Slang, drawing influence from Rock staples like Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and The Clash. It sounds familiar, but The Gaslight Anthem infuse it with punk flavors that make it their own.  “We were orphans before we were ever the sons of regret,” Fallon sings.  “And on and on and on, how the alphabet boys carry on.  We were orphans before we were ever the sons of the songs.”

The album repeats itself at times, but slower offerings like “The Queen of Lower Chelsea” and “We Did It When We Were Young” cleanse the palette.  The latter is a beautiful introspective harmony echoing the sentiment carpe diem, but it does so honestly and without sounding cliche.

And that’s their niche.  Simple music with a simple message: remember.  It’s a throwback to edgy Springsteen while still sounding modern.  At the end of the day it’s fun, honest, and easy-listening Rock music.  It may not stray from the formula, but that’s because it doesn’t have to.

Listening to American Slang, one thing is clear:  The Gaslight Anthem is a band with heart, and they wear it on their sleeves.

Thrice, Kevin Devine, and We Barbarians played a fantastic set on Friday night, but it was a month overdue.  Thrice was slated to perform at Eugene’s McDonald Theatre on May 1st, but was unable to do so because of a family emergency.

“It has been an indescribably difficult seven months for all of us,” drummer Riley Breckenridge posted on Thrice’s blog.  “In September, my and [bassist] Ed’s Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in his throat and tongue and has since undergone seven weeks of chemo and radiation, and a major surgery three weeks ago to remove the remaining tumors.  No more than two weeks after our Dad’s diagnosis in September, [guitarist] Teppei’s Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and passed away in January.  And most recently, [vocalist] Dustin’s Dad’s diagnosis [of an aggressive brain tumor] and surgery last week.  It’s just been relentless.”

Luckily, Thrice held fast.  They mourned.  They recovered.  And they came back better than ever.

A nearly sold-out crowd filled Portland’s Hawthorne Theatre to show their support.  After Long Beach rock group We Barbarians finished their passionate set, which sounded surprisingly “big” for a three-piece, and Kevin Devine and The Goddamn Band doted over the crowd, Thrice advanced to the stage.  Kevin Devine is an impeccable songwriter, and his band was excellent, but the energy level seemed to gradually slope downward during his stage time.  The pulsing tone from Eddie Breckenridge’s bass on “All The World Is Mad” shot it right back up through the roof.

When a band has the technical knowhow to self-record, self-mix, and self-produce their album to harmonic precision, competent live equalization is expected.  Right away, the clarity of the live tone was astonishing.  This was evidenced on the reverb-heavy and layered “Of Dust And Nations,” where the live performance was nearly indistinguishable from the album version.   “Doublespeak,” from Thrice’s latest album Beggars, featured piano, harmonized guitars, bass, drums, and vocals that all resonated beautifully inside the harmonic dampening Hawthorne Theatre.

In the weeks preceding this tour, Thrice promised fans an eclectic setlist featuring tracks from their entire catalog.  They obliged with several songs they hadn’t played live in years (or ever), such as a full-band version of “A Song For Milly Michaelson,” “To Awake And Avenge The Dead,” and “Atlantic.”

Thrice also vowed to include a few “shredders” from their earlier, more metal-influenced days.  They did so with “Silhouette,” “The Messenger,” and “The Earth Will Shake.”  The musical voyage the crowd went on was diverse: from moshing, to foot-tapping, to singing along; from metal on “To Awake And Avenge The Dead” to blues on “Beggars” to acoustic-driven folk on “Come All You Weary.”  It was a representation of Thrice’s diverse influences.

Throughout their 19-song set, the members of Thrice proved they were masters of their craft.  Riley Breckenridge provided a consistent yet accented rhythmic background on his Maple C&C drumkit, and his brother Eddie plucked his iconic Gibson Grabber with energy and skill.  Guitarist Teppei Teranishi switched between a Fender Jaguar, a Gibson ES-335, and a beautiful butterscotch blonde Nash T series all while skillfully skipping up and down the keys of a Rhodes piano.  Dustin Kensrue sang with a seasoned vocal inflection that was absent on Thrice’s early records.  For guitar, he played a Nash Telecaster with the innards of a Line 6 Variax, a modeling guitar that can switch between tones, tunings, and channels with the flick of a switch.  That variety of timbres gave Dustin options to switch from dark and downtuned on “Burn The Fleet” to bright and crunchy on “Artist In The Ambulance” to sparkly clean on “Circles.”

After a short break, Thrice reemerged on stage for a three-song encore, including “For Miles” and “Lost Continent.”  Thrice ended on “Beggars,” the closing and title track from their latest album.  It was a symbolic ending.  “Beggars” is silky and slow, stirringly raw, and undeniably powerful.  Considering the band’s emotionally punishing path leading up to this tour, the track’s closing lyrics are emblematic.

Tell me if you can recall,
Just one thing, not a gift, in this life?
Can you hear what’s been said?
Can you see now that everything’s graced?
After all,
If there’s one thing I know in this life,
We are beggars all.

If only.

After Thrice canceled their April co-headlining tour, it was unclear if their summer  tour would continue as planned.  On June 4th, that uncertainty will lift as Thrice, Kevin Devine and The Goddamn Band, and California rock group We Barbarians will appear at Portland’s Hawthorne Theatre.

Thrice released their seventh full-length album, Beggars, in late 2009.  The band self-recorded, mixed, and produced Beggars in a home studio, which gave the groove-oriented tunes a very organic feeling. That recording style enhances the band’s honest and diverse rock sensibilities, which range from bluesy on the album’s title track, to sharp and aggressive on “Talking Through Glass/We Move Like Swing Sets,” to pastel and melodic on “Circles.”

Thrice released the music video for “In Exile,” Beggars’ first single, in December 2009.

Supporting Thrice is Kevin Devine and The Goddamn Band, whose popularity has been steadily gaining since his 2004 tour with Brand New, and later Manchester Orchestra.  His Folk-Rock resonated with fans of those groups, and is sure to do the same with fans of Thrice.  Indie rock group We Barbarians, who strikes some resemblance to Long Beach’s Cold War Kids, will open the show.

Each of these bands interpret their genre a bit differently, but they all find their base in raw, old-fashioned rock.  Friday’s bill all but promises a steady stream of just that.

Tickets are still available for $19.99.  All Ages.  Doors at 7:30pm, show at 8:30pm

Skeletons is a fitting title for Hawthorne Heights’ fourth record.  It’s a simple collection of catchy songs that never really strays outside the box, but is melodically appealing.  The band has gone back to the basics of what made them popular: anthemic choruses, edgy guitars, and approachable lyricism.  But in contrast to their first two albums, The Silence in Black and White and If Only You Were Lonely, there is something missing on Skeletons.

Casey Calvert

That something is guitarist and vocalist Casey Calvert, who tragically passed away in 2007. Calvert’s death left the band without their most unique characteristic: Calvert’s third guitar added substantial heft to the band’s rhythm section; his unclean vocals distinguished the band from a congregation of similar performers.  Second guitarist Micah Carli has stepped up to scatter some unclean vocals throughout Skeletons, but the band knows Calvert can never truly be replaced.  In fact, he is still credited as a guitarist/vocalist in the album’s liner notes.

A loss like that can affect people in different ways.  It can draw depression, inspiration, or in the case of Hawthorne Heights, mixed creative results.  Some of the best songs on Skeletons are those that deal with loss, where the raw emotion organically translates like rock music should.  But unfortunately, with the loss of their most unique element, many of their songs fall back into the fold of uniformity.

The first track, “Bring You Back,” is an example of the former.  The solitary guitar line that opens the song eventually develops into a towering chorus with vocals reminiscent of Saosin’s Cove Reber.  “I’ll do anything if it would bring you back, I’ll go anywhere if you would show me the map,” singer and guitarist JT Woodruff belts.  “Here I am, you don’t have to ask, I’ll do anything if I could bring you back.”

The album’s first single, “Nervous Breakdown,” follows.  It’s a fairly straightforward Hawthorne track with simple rhythm guitar, booming drums, and swirling guitar accents.

Listen to “Nervous Breakdown”

A harmonized guitar riff introduces the mid-tempo and colloquial “End Of The Underground,” which also features the unclean vocals of Micah Carli.  The electronically forwarded “Drive” comes up next, which has an almost hip-hop-flavored intro.  The thumping bass and circling guitar octaves that follow are all Hawthorne, though.  The verses and arena-sized choruses are sprinkled with vocal echos; all these elements come together into one of the album’s best offerings.

After four songs, Skeletons has built up considerable momentum, but it slows down somewhat with “Gravestones,” a cliched yet intriguing rambler.  It, like “Bring You Back,” centers on the loss of Calvert with lyrics like “I’d give anything just to see your ghost,” and “It’s still so strange without you here.”  Although it’s execution may be unremarkable, its tumbling acoustic rhythms, slide guitars, and electric tremolo accents are evidence of the band’s technical improvement from past albums.

Sadly, save for a strong, five-song opening, the album sounds repetitive and safe.  There are some other memorable tracks, such as “Unforgivable” and “Hollywood and Vine,” but even those songs are relatively unimaginative.  There are some real snoozers too,  like “Boy,” a sedate ballad with obligatory piano and string sections and “Picket Fences,” an acoustic woe that inspires nothing but the “next track” button.

The problem with Skeletons is that even the best tracks are spawned by an overdone and dry formula; the worst tracks by something else altogether.  Perhaps this album is a representation of where the band is at personally: without the unique talent of an inspiring friend, and in need of a revamp.

This Memorial Day weekend, Bend is celebrating the unofficial start of summer with the start of the annually anticipated Summer Concert Series at the Mill District’s beautiful outdoor Les Schwab Amphitheater.

Goo Goo Dolls

The series kicks-off with ’90s alternative rock icons the Goo Goo Dolls performing Friday and indie sweethearts Band of Horses and She & Him co-headlining Sunday at the grassy venue by the river.

Both concerts will cost attendees almost $40 a ticket, but to those not financially inclined to shell out, don’t fret: This summer long line-up includes more free shows than ticketed.

Check out the full schedule of concerts featuring both regional and national favorites below. Stay tuned to Oregon Music News for previews and reviews of some of Bend’s most promising summer performances to follow this weekend.

Indie duo She and Him

Les Schwab Amphitheater 2010 line-up:

Goo Goo Dolls- Friday, May 28th, 2010 Ticketed

Michael Franti & Spearhead- Thursday, August 5th, 2010 Ticketed

Visit the Les Schwab Amphitheater’s website for details on all show times and tickets.

It is really quite unfortunate that songs like “No One’s Gonna Love You,” and “Is There A Ghost” are the only experiences many people have had with Band of Horses.  While those are easy songs to like, the Seattle indie group has penned much better.  Many of those better offerings, like “The End’s Not Near,” “The General Specific,” and “The First Song,” largely exist in the shadows for the casual fan, but hopefully the band’s major-label debut, Infinite Arms, will shed some light.

Band of Horses’ third full-length album is a collection of 12 foot-tapping indie rock tracks with alternative country and folk flavors.  This is a band bred in the northwest, and it sounds like it.  Many of the songs, while accented with slide guitar, piano, and intricate vocal harmonies, are born with simple acoustic guitar progressions.  Because of this honest base, much of Infinite Arms, or Band of Horses’ two previous releases, Everything All The Time and Cease to Begin, would sound just as good around a Seaside campfire as they would through loudspeakers at the Rose Garden.

Listen to “Laredo:”

It’s been a fairly logical progression for the band.  As they moved from the modest Seattle label Sup Pop Records to Columbia Records, the music has gotten a little cleaner and a little safer.  “Factory,” Infinite Arms’ first track, is still delightfully old-school, but it sounds more like prom night than Woodstock.  Its opening string sections are a bit theatric, but the album progresses quite nicely from there.

“Compliments” is the albums first single, and while it opens with delayed electric guitar, it soon settles into the honest, raw, and swaying melodies that made Band of Horses popular, backed by the fantastic vocal harmonies of vocalists Ben Bridewell and Mat Brooke.  “Older” harkens back  to the band’s country influences, in the vocal harmonies, plucked electric guitar accents, and candid lyrical reflections.  Neil Young would be proud.

The band’s folk chops surface on “Evening Kitchen” and “For Annabelle,” which are acoustic-guitar based and green.  They turn it up a bit with “NW Apt.” a distortion-laden rock-flavored anecdote about where Band of Horses was born.  The vocally oriented “Neighbor” closes the album, with fluttering flutes and sharp piano that sways from left to right and back again.

Regardless of the arrangement, the vocality remains painfully and refreshingly honest throughout.  In many cases, the lyrics mirror spiritual uncertainly, as the chorus of “Compliments” does. “If there’s a god up in the air, someone looking over every one, at least you got something to fall back on,” Bridewell writes.  With “On My Way Back Home,” Bridewell struggles with his transient touring lifestyle.  “On my way back home, by chance I thought of all my favorite songs, where I’d gone wrong. The only words I could think of, I’m pissing my life away in the form of a song.”

Infinite Arms isn’t entirely pessimistic though.  “Laredo” is similar to “On My Way Home,” in the sense that it’s narrative about finding your way, but it sounds much more positive.   The aforementioned “NW Apt.” is a conceptually flat but lyrically fun rock track about musical beginnings.  “With three guitars and one amplifier, I’m gonna blow the dust off this scene,” Bridewell sings.  “Everybody in population are gonna find out what I mean.”

This album may be a safer chapter in Band of Horses’ logical progression towards the mainstream, but as a collection of music, there isn’t much to complain about.  The music is real, genuine, and timeless.  Infinite Arms is more a collection of vignettes than separate songs, a credit to Ben Bridewell’s knack for storytelling.

In many respects, this album would have fit in during the 70’s just as well as it does today.  It is truly difficult to find a lot wrong with it.  And at the end of the day, that’s something.

Band of Horses will be playing at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, OR on May 30th.

Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria. Photos by Jon Cruz.

Smoke is annoying.  You can’t see through it; it’s disorienting; and it’s presence is usually indicative of some sort of malfeasance or physical danger.  In other words, it’s a downer.  It does have a major weakness though: sound–or more specifically the sounds of Coheed and Cambria, Circa Survive, and Torche.  Despite attempts by the Roseland’s smoke machines, and Portland’s hazy atmosphere, the ambiance of Friday, May 7th was crystal clear.

Each group had a unique element that separated them from other acts, inside the Roseland or otherwise.  Torche, the show’s opener, used immensely down-tuned guitars with punk vibes and positive atmospheres to create a very distinct aura.  Circa Survive’s remarkably fluid instrumentation, along with vocalist Anthony Green’s piercing tenor, was reflected onto the crowd through the use of an elaborate mirror display.  Coheed and Cambria closed the show with extraordinarily catchy riffs, science fiction-inspired video displays, and a crazy loyal fan base.

Torche’s opening was surrounded by positive feedback: from the guitars and the sold-out crowd.  Bassy progressions and fluttering guitar solo’s came together into a sound that can only be described as “big.”  On their last song, “Charge of the Brown Recluse,” from their 2005 debut album Torche, the guitar’s low string was downtuned to the point of percussion; it sounded more like a tectonic tremor than a musical note.  That particular track is punctuated by a hellacious jam filled with cymbal assault, haunting vocality, and the aforementioned guitar tremors.  It had the energy of metal without sounding harsh or angry.  Needless to say, the crowd was pretty warmed up.  (See photos of Torche from Friday’s gig.)

Circa Survive's Anthony Green

Circa Survive sounded great, and Anthony Green always impresses with his ability to reach the highest of highs with ease.  His voice lullabies you on softer tracks, such as the jazzy rendition of “Stop the Fucking Car” off Juturna, but awakens with a fury on the more aggressive tracks such as Blue Sky Noise’s “Get Out.”  They mixed up their set with offerings from all three of their albums, like “In Fear and Faith” and “The Great Golden Baby” off Juturna, “Living Together” and “In The Morning and Amazing” from On Letting Go, and “Glass Arrows” and “Imaginary Enemy” from Blue Sky Noise, their latest (read the OMN review and see more photos of Circa Survive from Friday’s gig).

During Circa Survive’s stage time, Anthony Green was grateful for their inclusion on Coheed and Cambria’s headlining tour, saying “Coheed has the coolest fans.”  Then the chants started.

“Co-heed, Co-heed, Co-heed,” echoed throughout the building in anticipation of the headliner’s appearance.  Coheed and Cambria have exercised genius in combining two very loyal groups of fans: sci-fi, through The Amory Wars storyline, and rock music.  These fans showed how loyal they were by shaking the Roseland, but they started to get quiet after several minutes.  Then the lights went off.

Claudio was the first band member on stage, with his signature Gibson Explorer in hand.  The iconic guitar was put to good use as Claudio impressively rattled off intricate fretwork while singing flawlessly.  In front of a large video screen splattered with images of geometric figures, skeletons, clouds, lights, and images of war, the band launched into “The Broken” off Year Of The Black Rainbow (read the OMN review).  “Here We Are Juggernaut,” the album’s first single, followed.

A highlight of Coheed’s set was “Pearl of the Stars,” a graceful and whispery acoustic track that chilled live.  Other highlights from the set were “Made Out Of Nothing (All That I Am)” from Year Of The Black Rainbow and “A Favor House Atlantic,” off In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3.

Coheed and Cambria stole the show, as a headliner should.  They ended their concert with an encore that included “Welcome Home,” which crescendoed into a medley of guitar solos, crowd chants, and near-seismic activity.  After it was all over, the chant of “Co-heed, Co-heed, Co-heed” again filled the venue, this one more thunderous than ever.

Two bands fresh off album releases will grace the Roseland Theater this Friday: Coheed and Cambria and Circa Survive.  Florida rock band Torche will open the show.

Coheed and Cambria will be headlining the Roseland in support of their latest album: Year Of The Black Rainbow (read the OMN review).  Year Of The Black Rainbow was released April 13th and is the effective conclusion to The Amory Wars saga, a collection of sci-fi literature written by front man and guitarist Claudio Sanchez.  The album is effective in two ways: wrapping up The Amory Wars’ dynamic plot-line and presenting listeners with a collection of 13 progressive, honest, and catchy rock songs.

Coheed and Cambria released the video for Year Of The Black Rainbow’s first single, “Here We Are Juggernaut,” on May 3rd.

Supporting Coheed and Cambria is Circa Survive, whose third full-length album, Blue Sky Noise, came out April 20th (read the OMN review).  Circa’s latest is a harmonious example of a band truly finding its sound. Blue Sky Noise’s 13 tracks function as a unit as opposed to individual pieces.  For fans of progressive rock, these two bands together is a can’t miss.

The show is sold-out.  All ages.  Doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm.

Anthony Green has a flair for the abstract.  Whether it be his piercing tenor voice or his unusual lyricism, the talented former vocalist of Saosin always seems to operate just outside the proverbial box.  This is just as apparent as ever on Circa Survive’s latest album, Blue Sky Noise: an eclectic mix of moods, styles, and arrangements.

The roots of Circa Survive’s unusual style can be traced back to the history of each member: Anthony Green’s tenure in the post-hardcore group Saosin is well-documented, guitarists Colin Frangicetto and Brendan Ekstrom were recruited from the metal band This Day Forward, bassist Nick Beard used to play in the experimental acoustic outfit Taken, and drummer Steve Clifford was snatched from indie rock group Marigold.

Because of these differing influences, Circa Survive’s music is difficult to categorize.  It is slow yet fast, heavy yet gentle, but always unique.  It is a fitting album title, Blue Sky Noise, because a clear blue sky is alluring and “noise” can represent something different to everyone.  Combine the two and you have beautiful ambiguity, which describes Circa Survive pretty well.

One of the mainstays of Circa Survive’s instrumentation is how the strings of Colin Frangicetto and Brendan Ekstrom mix together, and with the help of Grammy-winning producer David Bottrill, the guitars circle and bounce off another like strands of DNA.  Very rarely do you hear a simple chord progression with a distinct lead line; it’s usually a dynamic entanglement of tones that sound like one instrument, which is a good thing.

This wreath of guitar sounds is apparent on many tracks on Blue Sky Noise, but especially on “Glass Arrows.”  It crescendos for about a minute then explodes into a punchy, bass-heavy chorus with the aforementioned harmonized guitars wailing as accents.  “Get Out,” Blue Sky Noise’s first single, is the very crunchy home to several intricate guitar solos that pay homage to the guitarists’ metal backgrounds.  Anthony Green’s vocality walks the line between singing and screaming; it overloads your senses in the best way.  Just as you think the song is about to end, another guitar solo springs forward and puts an exclamation point on one of the record’s best tracks.

Circa Survive shows their softer side on “Frozen Creek,” a bright and mid-paced progression that opens with beautiful clean guitar strumming.  “Spirit of The Stairwell” features a silky smooth slide guitar riff over earthy acoustics, backed by ethereal harmonies only Mr. Green can pull off.  Anthony’s falsetto voice translates on the aggressive tracks quite well, but it really shines on the slower, more intimate songs like this one.

“I Felt Free” is one of the many highlights on Circa’s third release, as it has an arrangement evocative of Coldplay (which is not an insult) with its reverb-y guitars and active, heartbeat-like drums.  It subtly switches keys from minor to major throughout, enough to convey different moods but not enough to sound choppy.  “Through the Desert Alone” is a sustained, narrative piece with a heavy chorus and a cool cosmic-sounding riff about two and a half minutes in.

Circa Survive wouldn’t be an experimental progressive rock outfit without an instrumental track, and they oblige with “Compendium.”  Classically, a compendium is defined as a collection of detailed information about a particular subject, and the one minute, forty-nine second instrumental does just that for Circa Survive.  It’s off-beat, harmonized, progressive and original.  It also serves as a lead-in for “Dyed in the Wool,” the delightfully bouncy and positive conclusion to Blue Sky Noise.

Whatever Circa Survive was experimenting with on Juturna and On Letting Go, they’ve found it with this record.  Perhaps it’s a less brave offering than the previous two, but it’s more at peace with itself.  They’ve found their sound.  But what kind of sound is it?  What do you call the noise found in these twelve tracks?  It’s Blue Sky Noise.

Circa Survive will be playing at Portland’s Roseland Theater on May 7th with Coheed and Cambria.

Track List:

1. “Strange Terrain” -3:57
2. “Get Out” – 3:10
3. “Glass Arrows” – 4:12
4. “I Felt Free” – 3:56
5. “Imaginary Enemy” – 4:24
6. “Through the Desert Alone” – 4:07
7. “Frozen Creek” – 5:16
8. “Fever Dreams” – 4:35
9. “Spirit of the Stairwell” – 5:30
10. “The Longest Mile” – 4:04
11. “Compendium” – 1:49
12. “Dyed in the Wool” – 4:59

Concept albums are a high risk, high reward endeavor: Do it right and you captivate audiences with a musical narrative; do it wrong and you’ve just pontificated a sea of drivel to a mediocre soundtrack.  With their fifth full-length studio album, Year Of The Black Rainbow, Coheed and Cambria join such acts as Pink Floyd, Queensryche, and Armor For Sleep in their quest to create a successful concept album.

Actually, Year Of The Black Rainbow is the final installment and prequel to a five-part discography that parallels The Amory Wars, a series of comic books and novels written by front man and guitarist Claudio Sanchez.  It’s a science fiction story, which takes place on a collection of 78 planets known as Heaven’s Fence.  The plot revolves around a messiah named Claudio Kilgannon, son of Coheed and Cambria Kilgannon, and his quest to save the souls of the Keywork.  The Keywork is a system of interconnecting energy beams that hold the 78 planets together; in order to save the souls inhabiting the Keywork, Claudio must destroy it.  The result is a collection of songs that detail Claudio Kilgannon’s adventures, struggles, and battles with side characters including a man with a gun and a sword for arms, a ten-speed bicycle, shape shifting zombie priests, and something called an IRO-bot.  Cool.

What Coheed and Cambria have done with The Amory Wars is combine two of the most loyal types of fans: rock music and science fiction.  The consequence of this genius is an extremely faithful fan base and cult following.  Don’t think that the music isn’t accessible though, perhaps the most admirable aspect of Coheed and Cambria’s canon is that is all works even without pre-exposure to The Amory Wars storyline.

The first single from Year Of The Black Rainbow, “Here We Are Juggernaut,” is part of The Amory Wars plotline, but also about frontman Claudio Sanchez’ relationship with his wife and about  “how strong of a team we’ve become,” he says.  “This one unit, just pushing forward.  It’s a very special tune for me.”  It also happens to be one the best songs on the album with awesome harmonized vocals in the chorus, backed by a mobile lead guitar line that’s mimicked by the bass during the verses.  While primarily inspired by a fictional space war with pulser blasts and cybernetic organisms, this powerful tracks feels from the heart.

“The Broken,” the album’s second song, is fuzzy and progressive in its approach.  Arbitrary guitar lines riddle the verses, but come together into a stream of rapid fire picks in the catchy, anthemic chorus that seems to come out of nowhere (in a good way).  “Pearl Of The Stars” is a stunning acoustic ballad with whisper-y vocals and accents of bells, strings, and percussion.  “Made Out Of Nothing (All That I Am)” crescendos linearly into a melodic, major-sounding chorus.  It’s essentially a pop song, but still in its essence Coheed and Cambria.  “Far” is a mid-tempo ballad that is very unique in its arrangement.  The guitars are very distorted but the track has a calm, muted appeal to it, and it works very well.

Some concept albums don’t get very far past the “A for effort” evaluation because they spend too much time culminating a concept and not enough on the music.  For an album eight years deep in a weighty concept, Year Of The Black Rainbow is, at the end of the day, twelve solid songs backed by a science fiction narrative, not the other way around.  The Amory War saga is completed, symbolized in the album’s last track “The Black Rainbow,” a seven-minute elegiac melody that repeats “It’s over, it’s over…” until it’s conclusion.  What Coheed and Cambria are left with is a completely clean slate on which to refine, or perhaps a new musical and conceptual journey awaits.  “If the band were to end tomorrow, this would be the perfect album to describe or represent us,” Claudio Sanchez states.  Indeed.

Coheed and Cambria will be playing at Portland’s Roseland Theater on Friday, May 7th.

Track List

1. “One” – 1:54
2. “The Broken” – 3:53
3. “Guns of Summer” – 4:47
4. “Here We Are Juggernaut” – 3:44
5. “Far” – 4:54
6. “This Shattered Symphony” – 4:26
7. “World of Lines” – 3:18
8. “Made Out of Nothing (All That I Am)” – 4:38
9. “Pearl of the Stars” – 5:05
10. “In the Flame of Error” – 5:29
11. “When Skeletons Live” – 4:18
12. “The Black Rainbow” – 7:33