HEY LOVER, DIRTY MITTENS, DJ COPY, DJ LINOLEUM (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Hey Lover tastes like a big bowl of ultra-sweetened breakfast cereal, with enough sugar to keep you amped ’til afternoon and enough weird chemicals to turn your milk a different color. Husband-and-wife team Justin Varga and Terah Beth Baltzer Varga thrash appropriately on guitar and drums, respectively, with both supplying the singing and shrieking. Their new split release with Cafeteria Dance Fever opens with the stop-and-start “Full Costume Bible Drama,” which sounds like Quasi on a really fun meth bender [Is there any other kind?—Ed.], and continues with “She’s the Girl for Me,” a punky garage pop gem. Their 7-inch also has Hey Lover teaming up with Cafeteria Dance Fever for a couple brief freakouts that don’t sound like anything more than both bands clowning around in front of the microphone, but in general, Hey Lover’s hooks are focused enough to keep their unbridled, contagious energy from veering off the rails. NED LANNAMANN

MP3:
Hey Lover - Full Costume Bible Drama

Nuggets was originally a compilation double-album released in 1972, assembled by Lenny Kaye who went on to play in Patti Smith’s band. It was a collection of American garage pop singles, and it sparked a series of follow-up Nuggets records, not to mention the Pebbles series, the Rubble series, and countless other garage rock comps, all of which collected rockers and other ’60s oddities, the best of which were prized for their obscurity.

Rhino Records, who rarely—if ever—fuck anything up, released a 4-disc Nuggets box set in 1998, taking the original Nuggets album and pairing it with three other discs of American fuzz-toned gems, many of which were originally overlooked when they were released, but had probably since been rediscovered on Pebbles, or Rubble, or Green Plastic Ties, or any number of similar-minded comps. Anyway it was a terrific box set, one of the best ever.

Taking it one step further, Rhino released a SECOND box set, Nuggets II, which collected similar singles from the UK and the rest of the world. It contains mod classics, freakbeat jams, nascent psychedelia, tropicalia gold, and plenty of good ol’ shitkickin’ pop ‘n’ roll. It IS the best box set ever.

Saturday night, over a dozen bands are hitting the stage at Slabtown to pay tribute to the Nuggets compilations. They did one last year, which was a benefit for ? (yeah, that’s his name. He was in a band called ? & the Mysterians and sang the song “96 Tears”). This year, the benefit’s for School of Rock. To get you warmed up, here are a couple YouTube clips I found that are soundtracked by some very choice Nuggets. You can ignore the unrelated video, although some of it is kind of amusing. Enjoy:

The Eyes - I’m Rowed Out, with period fashion footage from London.

The Wailers - Out of Our Tree, accompanied by plenty of Nugget-y album covers. Incidentally, the Wailers hailed from Tacoma, WA.

Nuggets Tribute Night, Sat May 10, Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th, 9 pm, $7
Bands include: School of Rock, Mike Coykendall, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, The Family Gun, The Sugarlumps, The Pink Snowflakes, Giant Bug Village, Benjamin Starshine, The Strange Effects, The Brilliant Channel, Paper Cameras, The Dregs, The Wolfman Fairies

There is no other time than the early ’90s that Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde could have existed. It’s like the Slanted and Enchanted of the hip hop world: a shambling, gorgeous piece of work that manages to show moments of great brilliance with a complete lack of pretense. Songs fall apart on themselves, the drums and piano lack any sort of rhythm, and were it not for all of the members incredible slacker-ish rapping skills, the thing would have been quite a different record. No matter though, they had apathy calculated completely, and managed to point a happy middle finger to everyone around them by creating easily one of the best hip hop records of that decade.

Maybe it is the sunshine peeking through the skies right now, but Bizarre Ride hasn’t sounded this good to me in a long time. So good, in fact, that I went searching YouTube for some videos, and damn if I didn’t come up a gem.

At first, this video for “It’s Jigaboo Time”, a skit from the record that really only makes sense plopped in between “Oh Shit!” and “4 Better or 4 Worse”, seems to be some sort of messed up fan video. It’s not until about thirteen seconds in where things get really crazy and you realize, no, this is not a fan video. Those dudes actually made a video. For a skit. Damn if it doesn’t fit their vibe completely, and damn if this 1:24 isn’t going to be one of the weirder minutes you have today.

And hey, just because I can, why not continue after the jump for “Passin’ Me By”.

What’s the best part of a party? Listening, of course. That and keg stands.

So in honor of their new album, Earth To The Dandy Warhols, the Dandys (Dandies? Dandyzzz?) are throwing a listening party on Monday at East End. Come listen (NO TALKING!) and be on the lookout for Courtney Taylor-Taylor who might, or might not, be there.

Holy shit… Portland’s own Builders And The Butchers have some long-lost relatives on the east coast. They’re called O’Death and the similarities are striking. Same morbid marches, same busy, sometimes found percussion, and the same murky lyrical themes.

Sure, there are differences; O’Death is a bit more jumpy and visceral, whereas the Builders are at times more melodic. But still, the groups are both following the same moonlit path down towards the swamp.

Have a listen: O’Death’s “Spider Home”

See what I mean? Pretty damn good, too.

There’s more to be found at O’Death’s myspace and their own website as well. Plus there’s a few tracks you can download from their Daytrotter session. Be sure to check “Down to Rest” and “Adelita”.

It may not be the right tunes for Friday afternoon, but certainly they are for Saturday night…

The best emo is the kind “The Man” pays for. That being said, how could I not drop $60 (a mere 10% of my surplus refund) on the new super-fancy version of the My Chemical Romance live CD+DVD set, The Black Parade is Dead [Live] (out June 24th)?

In addition to all the bedwetting emo dramatics that I live for, the limited-edition version will be packaged in a pinewood coffin (*cough, The Misfits, cough*) and includes death certificates of each member (*cough, Cupid Car Club, cough*), hand-painted “Day of the Dead” masks (let’s just assume Los Straitjackets already did this), plus some downloadable live tracks as well.

Oh, just pry open my wallet and take the money already!

SUBTLE, EFTERKLANG, SLARAFFENLAND
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Over the course of three albums and multiple EPs and remix collections, Subtle has eked out a specific, dynamic musical corner to themselves. While rooted in hiphop, their sound wouldn’t be what it is without the propulsive drumming and textured drones that recur throughout their discography. They’ve collaborated with musicians ranging from Why?’s Yoni Wolf to the German avant-pop group the Notwist, and their core sound is such that neither seems out of place. Their upcoming ExitingARM fuses densely delivered lyrics, overlapping melodies, and guitar lines that spark. It’s an album whose intellectual ambitions are entirely in line with its pop sensibility, and the result is a collection of richly textured songs with an unrelenting backbeat. TOBIAS CARROLL

MP3:
Subtle - Unlikely Rock Shock

THE RIFF RANDELLS, COOTIE PLATOON, THE DTSS
(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) The prettiest ponies in the Dirtnap stable, Vancouver’s Riff Randells follow in a long line of great Canadian pop-punk acts. Last year’s Doublecross is a total blast of energetic teenage punk, capped by the bratty vocals and lip-gloss coo of singer Kathy Camaro. This isn’t mindless revisionism of the Ford/Jett pinnacle of the Runaways, or something cheaper (Sahara Hotnights, anyone?)—the Randells are the real deal. Much like their foremothers before them—namely Ronnie Spector and the Shangri-Las—the Randells are keen on melody, and although their records might fall under the great umbrella of punk rock, their hearts, and hooks, belong firmly in the pop world. Tonight Vince Lombardi High School will burn to the fucking ground.

MP3:
The Riff Randells - When He Looks At Me

Back before Fuse was a household name and emo mainstay, there was its precursor, MuchMusic USA, a Canadian super-music channel that seemingly, for awhile there, played nothing but the video for Thursday’s “Understanding In a Car Crash” (which, embarrassingly enough, I absolutely LOVE).

However, since the station was Canadian, they managed to throw in the occasional wacky video, like tracks from a then-obscure K-OS and “Ol Time Killing” by Kardinal Offishall, which I also fell immediately in love with. I remember the first time I saw it, even: it was some late-night hip hop show, and the dude hosting was counting down his top five producers of all time. If I remember correctly, the list went something like this:

1. Jay Dee
2. Ali Shaheed Muhammed
3. Premiere
4. Pete Rock
5. Some dude from Da Grassroots

Yeah, I don’t really know who Da Grassroots are either (crazy Canadians!), but apparently one dude from there produced Kardinal’s “Ol Time Killing” (as evidence by his “knew it was murder since Da Grassroots produced this” line), and this was the video they showed to accompany his number five producer pick.

And jeez if that song doesn’t kill. How Kardinal’s album, Quest For Fire, didn’t blow the hell up because of that song, I’ll never know. But now it’s time for round two, as the man from the T-Dot-O comes with a brand new track featuring none other than hit-maker extraordinaire Akon.

“Dangerous” has summer-jam written all over it, and something tells me the name Kardinal Offishall is going to be tossed around a lot more here in the near future.

Looks like Talkdemonic has emerged from their wooden bird’s nest thing (What the hell are they standing in?) with a brand new album, Eyes at Half Mast. Out September 2nd on Arena Rock, the album is the duo’s finest moment, a glorious collection of delicate and textured songs.

Now the hardest part is for me not to write about Eyes at Half Mast until September. The band will be on tour with Helio Sequence in June, but they are not playing Portland because they secretly hate this city and think they are better than all of us*.

* This is a lie. I crave attention.

Pretty cover art and track listing after the jump.

Ugh. I’m fucking sick… on May 8th, how is that possible? This ridiculous. I swear to God if the sunshine came out whatever rotten virus caught in my throat would be immediately forced into the depths of my bowels. RRRgrgh.

In other news that’ll make you want to shit, legendary CBGB’s has turned into a punk-styled high-fashion boutique, complete with $200.00 vintage t-shirts. This is such a sad fucking joke.

I consider myself anything but fashion-forward, but know in the bottom of my heart that if you shop at this store you are a worthless scum-sucking tool. I’d like to cough my sickness all over your face. If I were in New York right now I’d go in there and hock my disease infected phlegm into the jacket sleeves and shoes then piss all over the bathroom floor. SHAME ON YOU JOHN VARVATOS! You deserve nothing more than to be super-glued naked to the vomit-soaked floor in the middle of a 1981 Bad Brains mosh pit.

Pour out a little from the 40’oz to commemorate the continued rape and mutilation of classic punk rock’s carcass.

There you go. The fever remains, but I feel a little better. Venting helps.

I have been waiting for the day to post this song, and today is that day. For yes, it finally seems that Obama gonna get it.

Earlier today, our esteemed music editor Ezra Caraeff posted what he thought was the best Barack-related song out there. Of course, he didn’t know any better. Because he’s never heard THIS, which is not only the best Barack-related song, but is also—according to the band’s page on CD Baby, where you can purchase the album—the greatest song of the year.

So without further ado, please enjoy:

MP3:
The Steelers - Obama Gonna Get It

And to think, I used to love this band.

Not that one appearance on a bad television show is a deal breaker—the Flaming Lips have made a career of their performance at the Peach Pit After Dark (“I’ve never been a big fan of alternative music, but these guys rock the house!”)—but Alkaline Trio’s particularly soulless “recording session” on the “reality show” The Hills just makes my skin crawl.

I’d type more, but I have to meet Lauren at sushi.
Oh, wait, I have to meet Heidi.
No, no, I mean Whitney.

It’s very confusing, these emotionally vacant O.C. girls all look the same to me.

Keeping with the political theme, John McCain’s evil hellspawn lovely daughter recently posted her personal campaign playlist and it features a few Portland acts.

She had to miss Coachella (waaaaa!), but Meghan McCain’s “Lucky Number 13” playlist shows that even young Republicans can enjoy the local sounds of The Gossip, Laura Veirs, and The Battle of Land and Sea. Too bad, I assume, those bands don’t share her daddy’s views on most policies.

In honor of Obama’s impending victory (Hilary, stop it. For reals.), we bring you the best Barack-related song out there. Nope, it’s not that cheesy Will.I.Am. motivational video, nor is it anything from Obama Girl.

The song, “Vote Obama,” is courtesy of Sa-Ra Creative Partners and produced by Daedalus, plus it features brief cameos from everyone from Kanye West to Shepherd Fairy (of Obey Giant fame, and also the man behind the “Hope” Obama posters). I love it when graphic designers are in videos.

Another week, another Mercury music section to read while you compile your tearful Jason Castro video tribute. My sweet dreaded angel, may your mellow never be harshed again.

The Little Ones are all about making mighty pop music, and telling Astralwerks to suck it.
MP3:
The Little Ones - Tallies

Looks like someone owes Mick Collins and the Dirtbombs a frosty round of Guinness. I’m glad we ran this article instead of my piece where I offer the band a round of delicious Zimas.
MP3:
The Dirtbombs - Wreck My Flow

We wrote a glowing article on Robyn, who then thanked us by canceling her Portland show. I’m going to throw myself off a bridge now.
MP3:
Robyn - Konichiwa Bitches

Despite what her songs says, she is not bit-ter like a lemon, instead Kate Nash is totally sweet and loves Roald Dahl. O to the M to the G!
MP3:
Kate Nash - Foundation

While they are supposedly just “touring,” the real reason the Duke Spirit are returning to Portland is to bust the skulls of those jerks who stole their equipment the last time they came through town. Kill! Kill! Kill!
MP3:
Duke Spirit - Dog Roses

We didn’t send Jeremy Smears out to photograph Glass Candy as they played a packed East End. He was already there, and was nice enough to send us these photos. I love it when we don’t have to do anything.

Robyn. Letterman. And three guys in bear outfits.
Thanks to The View, we get none of these things.

After we found out about that Robyn show being canceled, our blogger souls are completely dead. Why bother? The bands we love are just going to break our hearts in the end.

Anyway, one band that has yet to stomp on our devotion is the mighty 31knots, who played a scorching live set for WOXY way back on April 2nd of last year. For your listening enjoyment—play it loud in order to drown out the sobs of the Robyn-obsessed End Hits staff—here is “Savage Boutique” (from the band’s still fantastic The Days And Nights Of Everything Anywhere album).

MP3:
31knots - Savage Boutique (live on WOXY)

OMG! Tonight is FINALLY here!

THE B-52S, EAGLE SEAGULL

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) OMG! WTF! YAY! The B-52s are back! Wait, I don’t think they ever went away… but anyway, they’re in town and you’d best be getting your money-maker down to catch the gang’s ass-shakin’ show. Funplex, their new album—their first since 1992’s Good Stuff—is nearly as good as their classics. Solid from start to finish, Funplex does everything the B-52s do well, like Fred Schneider barking out, “Tell your skirt to take a hike,” and Cindy Wilson singing, “I’m your day-time waitress at the Taco Tiki Hut/I’m your day-time waitress, here’s your stupid 7-Up.” The B-52s simply don’t age: It’s like they’ve found some sort of dance shuttle to a cryogenic planet where beehives and lurex mini-skirts are interstellar requirements. I’ll be there dancing my mess around, how ‘bout you? COURTNEY FERGUSON

OH NO SHE DIDN’T! Well, actually, she did. Anybody (like me) who was completely pumped for next week’s Robyn show, get ready to have your little heart broken. Robyn has postponed her Portland (and Seattle) date to play The View.

Oh fuck that.

Plus, it looks like she won’t be back until August, which is, like, forever away.

First she had technical difficulties when I tried to see her at SXSW, and now she’s canceling her Portland show. What is the deal, Robyn? Can you not handle me?

Thanks (begrudgingly) to Pitchfork for the tip.

Straight for our big sister up North (and confirmed in the comments this morning), it looks like The Vaselines (ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod) will be playing the Sub Pop 20th Anniversary party.

I was stoked about the My Bloody Valentine reunion tour announced yesterday (although I’m not excited about flying to California for it), but with this news coming today I think I’m about ready to jump out of my skin. Seriously. I couldn’t be any happier right now. MBV and The Vaselines? It’s like I’m twenty all over again, and it feels real good.

Update: P4K is now reporting that Eric’s Trip will also be joining the SP20 lineup. How freaking awesome is that?!

PRIZE COUNTRY, DIESTO, SIRHAN SIRHAN, MINNOW
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Nostalgia isn’t a healthy habit, but neither is turning one’s back on the past. The ’90s certainly had its share of cultural embarrassments, but a certain brand of underground guitar rock from that decade remains pretty crucial. One only needs to look at the Amphetamine Reptile and Touch and Go rosters from that decade for affirmation of the lasting relevance of that era’s trademark ugly guitar noise. Prize Country apparently share that sentiment. They manage to channel the same driving gutter sounds that made bands like the Jesus Lizard, Hammerhead, and Drive Like Jehu institutions, while tourmates Sirhan Sirhan tread a similar line but opt for a campier brand of nihilism. BRIAN COOK

MP3:
Prize Country - Nice View

This photo isn’t from yesterday, because yesterday there was only one rapper…

Yo Majesty @ Rotture, May 5, 2008.

Fresh off Coachella, brimming with hype, Yo Majesty figured to be a wild party. Add Portland’s best DJ, Beyonda, and the floor at Rotture figured to split open and pour us down into the big open room below. And well, downstairs is where we ended up, but it wasn’t because of all the dancing.

Something went awry last night for Yo Majesty’s Portland performance*, and honestly I’m not quite sure why. Just two weeks ago at Rotture the French pop sensation, Yelle put on a bouncing show with the integral warm up assistance of Beyonda. Certainly Yo Majesty’s music is different — queer-crunk as opposed to shiny pop — but both are popular party acts. But for whatever reason, the people didn’t show for the ladies from Tampa like they did for the girl from Paris.

Now, a packed crowd isn’t always necessary for a successful performance, but for hip-hop with a celebratory bent, it surely helps. So why was the room so sparse? I don’t know. Strangely enough though, Rotture’s print and internet ads said “tickets were going fast”.*

But I maybe I shouldn’t even say Rotture, because although they are basically housemates, the show took place downstairs in the larger room at Hippodrone. It was an all ages affair, which is great, but it didn’t help fill the place. Drinks were available in the back room, but you couldn’t get anywhere near the performance with them—just peer through the two doors. Not exactly a great crossover venue. Even had the show taken place upstairs at Rotture, it likely wouldn’t have gained that sense of packed, communal intimacy. But downstairs at Hippodrone, the room was all empty space.

To their credit the contigent of diehard fans did their butt shaking in an effort to shake off the room and the night’s strange vibe.

Perhaps strangest of all were the missing band members. In all the photos I’ve seen of seen of YM, I saw two rappers. Heard them in the songs too. But last night, there was one pacing the stage—Shunda K. I’m sure there was some explanation, but arriving shortly after the set began, I must have missed it.

Shunda is indeed a solid rapper although without the interplay the sound was somewhat thin. Really though, this comes back to the missing member. In a playful group with songs like “Cryptonite Pussy” and the fantastic hipster-skewering “Leather Jacket,” with out a cohort to double lines and joke around with, well, what can you do?

But really, for whatever reason—and there seem to be a great number of them—this was a show that missed it’s mark. It’s too bad, because if chance and word of mouth and venue selection and what the fuck other magic things a good show takes would’ve aligned, Yo Majesty probably would’ve brought the house down… A time and a place, they say.

*Now, it is also certainly possible that loads of people came to see Beyonda and Does It Offend You, Yeah? then just peaced the fuck out before. I came to see Yo Majesty.

As if it weren’t enough for her to only be a much-buzzed about singer (and current End Hits favorite), those folks over at The Hood Internet had to go get all electro up on Lykke Li’s ass.

Mixing in her sultry, Swedish vocals with hipster favorites like The Field, Booka Shade, Hercules and Love Affair, and the wholly under-appreciated Gui Boratto, the Hood Internet manages to create a breezy, fun, and playful mixtape that feels like it could have very well been an alternate version of Lykke Li’s yet to be released in the US album Youth Novels.

Listen to the mixtape here.

Blue Giant is the new project of Kevin and Anita Robinson from Viva Voce. It also includes Seth Lorinzci from the Golden Bears and Evan Railton from the Swords Project. Blue Giant makes country-twanged rock ‘n’ roll, with a healthy dose of shitkickin’, and they’ve just announced their debut show. It’s taking place at the Wonder Ballroom on Friday, June 20th. The Shaky Hands and the Lackthereof are also playing, and you’ll get your very own copy of the Blue Giant EP; it’s included in the ticket price. So mark your calendars! This should be a good one.

Listen to Blue Giant at their MySpace page. All three songs are great. “Target Heart” reminds me a little of “Strangers” by the Kinks, which is a very good thing, and “Lonely Girl” has a home-cooked Loretta Lynn vibe.

Joe Jackson visits our fair city tonight. I think he’s kind of an overlooked titan in the music world—I mean, have you heard Look Sharp!? It’s amazing.

And over the years, he’s turned into a modern-day Gershwin, incorporating equal helpings of jazz and classical into his pop. You might complain that he abandoned the punk pop/new wave idiom of which he was an absolute master, but you can’t argue with his artistic adventurousness—on par with Elvis Costello, one could argue. He even did this song, which you may not even realize was by Joe Jackson:

Joe Jackson - Steppin’ Out

I admit I have not-entirely-good memories of this song, which I probably first heard as a little kid years before “Is She Really Going Out With Him?,” but at least it’s unforgettable. And hey, listening to it with fresh ears, maybe it actually transcends its dentist’s office/Kmart vibe… maybe.

Joe Jackson plays at the Aladdin Theater tonight.

P4K is reporting that the enigmatic local songstress Mirah is releasing a b-sides/rarities compilation called The Old Days Feeling. Surprisingly it won’t be out via K Records (her home for what seems like forever), instead Modern Radio has the honor of releasing the 14 song album on either June 24th, or June 8th (their website says both dates).

MP3:
Mirah - Lone Star (from The Old Days Feeling)

PURCHASE:
The Old Days Feeling

It will be some time (weeks? months? 2009?) before French singer-songwriter Soko makes waves here in the States, but her limited output to date shows a fair amount of promise for an unsigned artist. So far she has captured the attention of a foreign press eager to crown the next LillyAllenKateNash, all thanks to her bitter break-up ballad, “I’ll Kill Her.”

MP3:
Soko - I’ll Kill Her

Woah, it’s like reading someone’s livejournal!
Someone in France!

The charm of the song lies in Soko’s vulnerability and self-deprecating comments (“I would have met your friends, we would have had a drink or two/They would have liked me, ‘cause sometimes I’m funny”), although that charm can’t mask how creepy—in that break-into-your-apartment-and-boil-your-pet-rabbit way—the song really is.

And while the lyrics of “I’ll Kill Her” have the same desperate cry for blood as Shellac’s “Prayer to God,” Soko isn’t asking for the Lord’s help (she is French after all, so let’s assume that she, unlike Albini, is completely godless when it comes to her vengeance). Of course one wonders why Soko wants to kill the “bleach-blonde girl” when it was the guy who never took her to the cinema, called her back, and denied her the “beautiful babies” she sings so longingly about? Why not “I’ll Kill Him”? Is she holding that song back to make it her follow-up single (ala “Soulja Boy” and “Soulja Girl”)?

Photo by Melanie Elbaz

Da Moose has posted a great clip of Horse Feathers live from the star-studded Kill Rock Stars BBQ.

According to the post it seems like everyone in Portland’s indie scene—from Carrie Brownstein to Hutch and Kathy—was there, and in addition to the Horsies, there was a performance from Mecca Normal as well.

This sure sounds like a fun time. Huh, our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail Or if it was an Evite, I bet it got caught up in that damn spam filter of ours. The email subject was probably something like “Canadian Pharmacy V1%GRA BBQ with Horse Feathers and X.ANEX.” Yeah, that was it.

Oh, but we, um, had other plans and they were totally better than some stupid lame BBQ for jerks.

Not that we care or anything.

We’re firing up the ticket giveaway robot once again and offering you a chance to win a pair of tickets to see electronic-turned-pop band, South.

The British trio—who often go by “sOuth,” but I won’t type it that way unless my shift key suddenly breaks (or bReaKs)—will be at Doug Fir on Sunday, May 11th, in support of their hook-heavy new album You Are Here. The record is a mighty departure from their digital roots, and instead is an ambitious pop record that is stacked high with plenty of potential singles. But they had to choose one…

MP3:
South - Better Things

PURCHASE:
You Are Here

If you want these free free free tickets, just post a comment below and explain why you (and no one else but you) deserves to attend this show for free. Deadline is Tuesday at 5pm, and good luck.

Last week was the US premiere of Wild Combination: A Portrait of Russell, a feature-length documentary on the avant-garde composer and disco powerhouse. It’s a project that I first heard about probably a year and a half ago, and having to wait that long to finally see the film set it up for nothing short of disappointment. Thankfully, it did more than exceed any of my incoming expectations.

For as much as I love Arthur Russell, I had never seen, apart from a few brief clips in the trailer for Wild Combination, him perform live. Nor had I seen any pictures outside of those readily available in each of his releases. Info is scarce, and besides the basic biographical stuff, I really knew nothing about the guy. And, well, info is still scarce, but far less scarce than it used to be. The thing was chock full of images, live performances, and just about anything that an obsessive like myself would freak out over.

The major highlights, for me at least, were the clips of Arthur playing live, running from early folk (I had no idea he even played the guitar!) straight through to the World of Echo drone business. Also, his parents and boyfriend were unbelievably charming and made for great interviews, and without their quirky antidotes and clear love for the man this film would have probably been lacking.

The documentary also didn’t really fall into any of the traps of “misunderstood genius” or “ahead of his time” (well, maybe a little on the latter) that plague most rock-docs. Instead, this was more of a friendly portrait, a love-letter to a guy whose life ambition was to make music. Perfect he wasn’t, but rather than dwell on any negatives, the thing felt more like a fond farewell and instead chose to celebrate Arthur’s life for what it was, and completely succeeded.

Also, in what is about the best news I’ve heard (straight from the director’s mouth), Audika is planning on doing a new installment in their reissue series later this year, this time featuring a bunch of folk and acoustic guitar tracks from the earlier part of Arthur’s life. The film featured a few of these unreleased cuts, which were haunting, sublime, and gorgeous, all at once.

I’ve been trumpeting Nurses to the hills lately and, frankly, I don’t intend to stop until everyone in Portland—ney, the world—has heard them. If you want a little history, read this week.

Listen: “Man At Arms”

The track is super low volume, so jack it up. For more, see the band’s myspace.

Then, after a few Cinco De Mayo margaritas, head down to Valentine’s tonight for the goddamn thing, live, up close and personal. ES BUENO!

(Oh and also, because I told him I would, my buddy at the Burrito cart is doing two-for one on everything today in celebration of Cinco De Mayo. It’s in the Fox Tower parking lot, kitty-corner from Jakes Grill, The fajita burrito is awesome. So if you work or live downtown, there you go.)

YO MAJESTY, DOES IT OFFEND YOU YEAH?, FLESHTONE, DJ BEYONDA
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Okay, so points are deducted for excessive punctuation and evoking Austin Powers, but Does It Offend You, Yeah?, for the most part, don’t. “We Are Rockstars” is a convincing declaration, switching abruptly but satisfyingly from cowbell and synth gnarl to an insanely hooky vocoder-ed chorus. Elsewhere on debut album You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into, the band flirts with pretty vapid runway rock (“Dawn of the Dead”), Daft Punk-ed electro vamps (“Weird Science”), and Rapture-ous punk-funk howl (“Let’s Make Out”). Nothing impresses anywhere near as much as that chorus on “We Are Rockstars” (you are humming it right now), but I bet it all looks pretty good on the dance floor. ERIC GRANDY

MP3:
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn Of The Dead

When not running this very paper with an iron fist (after all, we are a bunch of “little girls”), the rock superstar that is Courtney Taylor-Taylor has been hard at work trying to right the sinking ship that is the Dandy Warhols. With a new album (Earth To The Dandy Warhols) out on the 19th of this month via their Beat The World label, the band just released their first single, “The World The People Together (Come On).”

Since Taylor-Taylor is my boss-boss, I have to say great things about the song, because it’s totally not just a shallow pop song with some empty lyrics about whatever. It’s genius! Someone call Pontiac, it’s commercial time!

MP3:
The Dandy Warhols - The World The People Together (Come On)

Link courtesy of Stereogum.

The last name on my live-music-that-I-must-see-at-all-costs list (No way am I calling it a “Bucket List,” more like a “Bank account? Eh, fuck it, list.”), Tom Waits took to YouTube this morning to announce his “Glitter and Doom” US tour, which (of course) is coming nowhere near Portland.

El Paso? Seriously? Have you actually ever been there? Jacksonville? You know that’s where Limp Bizkit is from, right? Time to check the frequent flier mileage to see if I have enough for a free ticket to the destination to end all destinations, Columbus, OH. Wooooo.

Tour dates after the jump. My day is ruined.

VHS OR BETA, ANOTHER CYNTHIA, TIGERCITY
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) VHS or Beta have come a long way since the French-inflected instrumental disco of Le Funk; they’re now a full-fledged mainstream pop/rock band similar to the Stills or the Killers, and the Louisville, KY electro-popsters are returning for their third Doug Fir appearance since September. They’re still touring behind last year’s Bring on the Comets, a pleasant, ’80s-skewed pop album that’s equal parts Duran Duran and Simple Minds. Album highlights “Can’t Believe a Single Word” and “Bring on the Comets” are over-inflated but affirming anthems ready-made for the sports arena, and having just come off a Coachella performance, they’ll strive to make the Doug Fir seem larger than life. Sure, the formats of VHS and Betamax are both irrelevant now, but the band’s music is a harmless, danceable nostalgia trip. NL

MP3:
VHS or Beta - Night On Fire

EL CERDO, JONNY X & THE GROADIES, TRANSIENT, FLYING FORTRESS
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) There was a time when being hardcore meant applying faith (pick a political issue!) to fury (now scream!). Metalcore arrived later, fortified with high-flying pit moves, chugga-chugga gr