Not only has the White Denim show at Slabtown on March 1st been cancelled, but the Pretty Things at the Wonder Ballroom on March 24th is cancelled as well.

Unfairly, the Rascal Flatts show at the Rose Garden on April 4th is STILL ON.

Crap.

Keren Ann joins Dean & Britta at the Aladdin Theater tonight. They’re doing a co-headlining tour, alternating who closes the show each night. Tonight, Dean & Britta play first and Keren Ann closes. There’s a Dean & Britta preview in this week’s Up & Comings.

Keren Ann, meanwhile, is an Israeli-born singer-songwriter, with a chanson-type voice and a pop mentality that keeps things from getting too strange. Her latest self-titled record is a mostly gentle, pleasant wave that reportedly incorporates a more Americana-bluesy vibe, but coming from an Israeli-Dutch-French popstress it’s almost unnoticeable to my American ears. There’s some really nice music on there. There’s also a piece of utter dogshit, an electro vamp called “Caspia” which closes the album. But I really like the sound of “Lay Your Head Down,” and the clarity of her voice, and the simplicity of the song’s message. You know, I DO kind of feel like laying my head down, now that she mentions it.

Okay, I admit it. Keren Ann makes me feel a little funny. Not to mention Britta (of Dean & …), who definitely makes me feel funny. And my date tonight is someone who makes me feel REALLY funny. Um… I guess it’s just going to be a funny-feeling evening. Wheeeee!

MP3: Keren Ann - Lay Your Head Down
Stream Dean & Britta’s Variations remix EP here.

There’s no way I’m topping Ezra’s description of Jeffery Lewis as “Indie Rock Rain Man”. (But how about my fucking amazing collage above???)

I post that one because it’s the most directly informative. This one’s more existential and funny, but if you’re an artist, it’ll actually speak to your soul. Or something. Afterwards I was cheering.

I’m sure these been all over the blogs, but I don’t read other blogs. Fucking stupid.

The Drive-By Truckers are on autopilot. Or, I guess, cruise control. Regardless, every year, you know what to expect from the Athens band: Kickass live shows, new record not quite as good as their older ones, and more kickass live shows. While DBT aren’t resting in their Wranglers, ever since the departure of Jason Isbell last year, the band seems a little off. At least they seem that way on their latest, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark, but onstage the band is untouchable, one of the best guitar-based acts around.

While it’s not a new song, I’ve been obsessed with “Lookout Mountain” (from ‘04’s The Dirty South) for such a long time, I feel that it should be posted.

The protagonist of the song is about to hurl himself off Lookout Mountain—it’s a real place—but before he crosses over to the other side, he is racked with confusion, guilt, and a whole lot of questions.

Who will end up with my records?
Who will end up with my tapes?
Who will pay my credit card bills?
Who’s gonna pay for my mistakes?

All good points, but the song’s most enduring line come later:

If I throw myself off Lookout Mountain who will ever hear my songs?

I don’t know why that single line effects me the way it does, but every time I hear it, I can’t help but think about someone on the cusp of death, wondering if their art will ever be noticed, or even heard, when they are gone.

MP3:
Drive-By Truckers - Lookout Mountain

POWER LOVE—Still yearning for the love of Valentine’s Day? Then don’t miss the mooshy-gooshy lovesick sounds of Cover Your Hearts—where local groups cover some of the greatest rock ballads of the ’80s! Charmparticles, Climber, Oh Darling, Curious Jones, Dr. Theopolis, Tango Alpha Tango, Castle, Jonah, Derby, UHF, and god knows who else might be recreating such romantic classics as Foreigner’s “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” and (hopefully) Extreme’s “More than Words.” Plus! It’s a benefit for Ethos Music—who we love more than life itself. WSH Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th, 9 pm, $7-8

Ethos Music teaches music to kids who go to school where the music programs have been axed. A fair amount of those, these days, so get down to Someday Lounge tonight and pour your heart out for a good cause! And don’t think your charity ends once you pay the cover—you’ll want to get boozy, as well. $1 from the price of every vodka drink will also go to Ethos!

AND NOT ONLY THAT….. Bonnie Tyler. Oh yes, there will be Bonnie Tyler.

Apparently the students at Evergreen actually do more than smoke pot and talk about how cool squatting is. Last night/early this morning, at a Dead Prez concert, police arrested someone on misdemeanor assault charges after a small fight broke out, and, well, a riot ensued.

The group on-stage (no word on whether it was Dead Prez or an opener) suggested the crowd “do something” about the person getting arrested. Rather than employ their typical Evergreen response (curse the man, smoke a bowl, write a zine about it), a crowd of about twenty-five over-turned the cop car, broke some windows, stole a computer and a radar gun, graffiti-ed the car, and displayed other very non-pacifist behavior.

In news more shocking than violent hippies, M-1 and stic.man played Evergreen college.

(HT: Idolator via King 5)

Do you know who sang the song “Tarzan Boy”?

Can you name the singer Journey hired to take the place of Steve Perry?

Are you not ashamed to be a total music geek?

If your answers were—Baltimora, Steve Augeri, and an enthusiastic “YES!”—then you need to head over to the Low Brow Lounge tonight from 6-8 pm for the Mother of All Music Trivia Contests. Sponsored by Pabst and currated by Matt Slessler (of our very own Pure Pod For Now), the trivia contest is open to individuals and groups, with tons of prizes being awarded for most correct responses and even for “creative answers.”

Here’s a “creative answer” for you: All I do is listen to Smashmouth all day! How am I supposed to win this thing?

How many points do I get for that?

Minutes ago, on a whim I visited the PDX Jazz Festival’s website and found they’ve got a badass sale going on — $20 for all shows!

The sale ends TODAY. So if you want to get cheap tix to catch the likes of legendary performers like Maceo Parker and Ornette Coleman, you’ve got to do it now!.

I got a fucking orchestra seat for Ornette for $20. Not too shabby. (Except those dog-fuckers over at Ticketmaster tacked on another $10 bucks to the order… Whatever. Still a good deal.)

GET WITH IT!

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!! FOR BILLY JOEL!! LIVE!! SHEA STADIUM!! THE BEATLES BLOW!! AWESOME!! EXXXXXXXTREEEEEEEMMMMEEEEE!

If tonight’s Basia Bulat show is anywhere near as fun as the above video, it will be the single greatest Valentine’s Day ever. And even if there is not a weird Furry drum corps marching behind her, I suspect seeing the charismatic Bulat will still be a memorable event.

But you know, deep inside, I’m secretly holding out for the all-animal drum corps.
I just am.

Picture courtesy of The Stranger.

Throw Me the Statue’s Moonbeams album is being re-released on Secretly Canadian next week. It’s a really terrific album, and the Seattle band is gearing up for a nationwide tour to promote it. These dates are posted on the band’s MySpace, but a Portland date? Nowhere to be found.

What gives, TMTS? We love you dearly, and we are just a couple short hours away. You played here last November, opening for Jens Lekman; I wasn’t at that show. Did something bad happen? Were we rude to you? Please forgive us and come back!

In the meantime, we shall console ourselves with the album. Like many great pop records, I find that each track sounds slightly different from all the others, while never veering too far from the standard guitar-drums-synth indie pop template. It’s as satisfying as anything you’re likely to find. Let me put it like this: Throw Me the Statue is like a chocolate chip cookie. You may have had one before, but that doesn’t mean they’re anything less than delicious. You wouldn’t turn down a chocolate chip cookie, would you?

MP3:
Throw Me The Statue - Yucatan Gold
Throw Me The Statue - Lolita

Today is a very special day for our continuing series, “Your Friend, the ’90s.” Not only is it Valentine’s day, but today we’re going to feature one of the most romantic ass-shakers ever constructed, as well as one of my top five songs from the ’90s.
It’s Q-Tip’s 1999 barn burner “VIVRANT THING,” and this is one of the only songs I NEVER skip over when it comes on my iPod. I love everything about it—the production, the flow, and even better? As Q-Tip says himself, “This is some heartfelt shit,” and one of the most surprisingly romantic songs to come from the decade. You could do worse than having a relationship as good as he describes. (Ignore the strippers in the video, and just listen to the words. Then watch it again for the strippers.)

Another Mercury music section to read at the gym while you feel the burn with your personal trainer, the world’s smallest bodybuilder.

The Portland Jazz Fest ignored my suggestions about titling this year’s event, “39 Years of Jazzercise!” Instead they just booked some guy named Orenette Coleman. Whatever.
VIDEO: Ornette Coleman, live in Rome (1974)

Kay Kay and His Weather Underground are the biggest rock and roll alter ego since Chris Gaines captured the nation’s heart in 1994.
MP3: Kay Kay and His Weather Underground - Hey Momma

Little know fact about Foreign Born: Before they developed their stylish pop sound, the band used to be a Foreigner and Born Against tribute band called, well, what else, Foreigner Born Against. As you might have expected, they were terrible. The idea works on paper, just not on stage.
MP3: Foreign Born - It Grew On You (EP version)

How to go from grunge, to Blue Cheer, and back again, in three easy steps.
VIDEO: Blue Cheer, “Summertime Blues” (live)

Maybe it’s the fact that every blog in the world today is posting love songs, or maybe it’s the intense chocolate high I’m on right now, but I’m feeling, dare I say it, a little romantic.

I don’t think there’s any debating that the above song is just about perfect, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. So what are you listening to today? Is it sweet? Sad? Are you crying in your beer listening to this? Maybe you’re a bit more bitter?

It’s fine, we’re all emo around here, so nothing is off limits.

Have at it in the comments.

Sometimes words just can’t express how you feel about your valentine. That’s why you should get soul giant ISAAC HAYES to sing your words for you!

Hop over to this site, type in the lyrics to your love song, hit the “sing” button, and ISAAC FREAKING HAYES will sing your song! Then you email it to your lover, or even better, SEND IT TO THEIR CELL! Omigod, you are going to score so much tail tonight!

Be patient with this, it’s worth it!

In honor of the sexiest day on the calendar (St. Jean-Baptiste Day is a close second), and the recently announced ‘Mats reissues, here is a little romance, Replacements-style.

If you were a pill, I’d take a handful at my will,
And I’d knock you back with something sweet and strong

MP3:
The Replacements - Valentine

Say hello to David Martin, Portland musician.

Um, who? Turns out that Martin, a former Christian rocker (hence the reason no one I know has ever heard of him) has been making news with a bizarre cross-promotion that involves his lifeless lite-rock single “Something In Your Eyes” being embedded as a 30-second snippet in 65,000 heart-shaped boxes of chocolates stocked by Walgreens.

I suppose it’s a fitting combination, seeing how the box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day is just as predictable, and uncreative, as Martin’s music, but hey, if you need the help of chewy nougat and sour quince logs to sell your music, then more power to you.

Finally, a post on this blog that involves the word “police,” yet does not contain the following terms:

- “Independent Police Review”
- ” Fried By Cop”
- “pseudo police action”
- ” Rent-A-Cop”

Instead, it’s about The Police, as in the greedy great reunited pop act that is finally coming to Portland!

Well, technically, it’s Ridgefield, WA, at the Amphitheater at Clark County on July 11th, but that is close enough. And not only will you get a few hours of Police hits—and tantric sex tips from Sting—but the opening act will be Elvis Costello and the Imposters.

Damn.

No word on when tickets go on sale, but it’s safe to assume they will not be cheap. Anytime a tour is sponsored by a credit card company (from the press release, “Presented by Citi®”), you know it’s going to cost you.

OK, even though it’s sunny outside at this very moment, that doesn’t make it spring… but “winter cleaning” just sounds stupid.

Anyway… last night I was cleaning off my computer’s desktop. There was like 8,000 things on there and finally I’d had enough. Most of it was total crap (temporary work files from October of last year?).

But I found a gem of a song I had forgotten: “Esses” by Pterodactyl.

Loud and rad and catchy as art rock gets, I’d say. Crank it up, and of course, right-click to save. Get more from Pterodactyl at their website or their myspace page.

Mwwwwwwwwaaaaah.

The New York Sun recently reviewed the musical “The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island: Or, The Friends of Dr. Rushower”. I know, who cares, right? I don’t.

It does bear noting, however, that the man responsible for the play is none other than Mark Mulcahy. OK, you probably don’t know who Mark Mulcahy is (as is likely the case for most people who aren’t me), so here is a little refresher:

Not only is “Hey Sandy” by Polaris Mark’s crowning achievement, it’s also the greatest television theme song ever. Seriously. Try and name something that even comes close. Fresh Prince of Bel Air? Facts of Life? Chico and the Man? Sorry, try again.

Not sure if I absolutely love this Spike Jonze directed video for it’s blunt simplicity, or hate it for making a clip with a supermodel, fire, a kidnapped Kanye West, and a bludgeoning shovel, all seem kind of boring.

It’s usually not big news when a somewhat obscure Albuquerque pop-punk band reunites, but an exception should be made for the criminally underrated Scared Of Chaka, who are playing together for the first time in a decade on March 28th in Virginia City, NV.

It’s quite the odd place for a reunion show, but the performance is part of the Sticker Guy! 15th anniversary celebration. The band also has a solid Portland connection, as members David Yanul Hernandez and Ron Skrasek currently live in town. Skrasek occasionally plays for the evil Disjecta softball team, while Hernandez has gone on to achieve a great deal of success in some band called The Shins.

Here’s hoping the reunion sticks.

MP3:
Scared of Chaka - Crossing with Switchblades

Things this video for Johan Agebjörn’s “Mega Man II” remix has going for it:

1. Mega Man
2. Mega Man jumping (seriously, how cute is his little spread-leg flailing around? I don’t remember finding that charming as a kid)
3. Mega Man shooting things
4. The awesome song

I’ve listed the song at the fourth slot, but really, it’s pretty amazing. Especially considering that I’m pretty sure this (or some damn near similar space age future jam) is all I listened to for roughly four hours a day from the ages of five to around nine (when I upgraded from Nintendo to Sega Genesis). And yes, I had no friends.

This song will be available on the “Spacer Woman From Mars” 12” (featuring Sally Shapiro!), released on February 25th.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day—which means you need to SHAPE UP today! And by “shape up” I mean you need to recognize the difference between romance and “sexual creepiness.” Example: “Romance” is when you express your innermost feelings to the person you love. “Sexual creepiness” is when… well, it’s best expressed in this 1998 video by NEXT, appropriately entitled, “TOO CLOSE.”

It tells the story of a trio of young men who get a bit too close to their dancing partners, and… well, they get erections. (Or as they call it, “a bolt.”) But you see, it’s not THEIR fault they have erections—it’s those damn girls! Women are just too damn sexy! (And these guys are sexy, too—in the creepiest sort of way.)

But it’s still a great song! And the way the girls in this video dance? I must admit I’m developing a little “bolt,” too. (These gals REALLY enjoy whipping off their shirts.)

In keeping with yesterday’s theme of the pillars of indie rock you might not have ever heard of, may I present The Mice.

What planet these boys came from I do not know. Mixing punk’s fury and power-pop’s harmonies (much like Hüsker Dü, but with a truly different end result), the Cleveland trio exploded on the scene in the mid-80s and disappeared just as fast, only managing one album and an EP during their brief existence. Collected on 2004’s For Almost Ever Scooter, these sixteen tracks are everything that has ever been right about the American alterna-rock scene, and are nothing less than essential for anyone who has ever claimed to love SST, Twin/Tone, or IRS records.

You may recognize the singer, Bill Fox, from either his also-brief solo career or last year’s Believer Music Issue , where Joe Hagan calls him one of the greatest contemporary American songwriters. And that’s not a label you go throwing around blindly, now is it?

Watching the above video for “Downtown” makes me think of my brother, as in, “I wish Bill Fox was my”. I can just imagine him giving me my first beer, playing me The Soft Boys for the first time, and, on that sad November day when he finally moves out, giving me a handshake and assuring me it all is going to get a little bit better. Not that I’m, you know, creepy or anything.

(Image not from last night’s show)

Doug Fir was packed last night. Super Furry Animals sold that motherfucker out. Missed the openers, Holy Fuck, but hey, what can you do?

Even though the place was a clusterfuck—no space to stand or move—it wasn’t buzzing… at least not in the way a sold out show usually is. But it was Monday, which is a tough time to get the crowd especially sudsy or riled up.

After a prolonged sound check and a short, recorded musical intro the Furries took stage, and to my disappointment no video projectors flipped on. There wasn’t much in the way of props except for the Power Rangers helmet singer Gruff Rhys occasionally tossed on while he sang.

At first I was a little disappointed – last time the Furries came to town the video projections were killer and the Wonder ballroom stage was full of props. How would we go from big and bombastic back to basics? But in the end, the stripped down Doug Fir show was enlightening in its own way—without all the clutter the Furries consummate skills and compositions took center stage and held it.

They were a band at work. And dammit, they were working hard. Everything—from the pristine sound to the perfect segues to the quirky stage tricks to the matching jackets—was nailed fucking down, yet still full of life. Even the rehearsed moments—like when the band thrust their guitars together, crisscrossing in the air—felt light. Clearly the Super Furries enjoy their jobs.

As they rammed through pop song after song the mood went up. That lack of bubbles before the show didn’t slow the Furries, which was testament to their ethic and enjoyment. Every note was precise, every beat was air-tight, and every instrument in just the right place.

The night’s set was chosen mostly by fans, via voting on the Furries website (quite a nice gesture I think). The band threw in a few from their latest, Hey Venus, and leaned heavily on Rings Around the World. At one point Rhys chomped carrots into the microphone to form the beat, a trick I’ve been told was done by Paul McCartney on a Beach Boys album.

In between songs Rhys showed off his cutesy Welsh accent. “Thank you very much,” he rattled off at rapid fire, song after song. But that was just about all you could understand. Motherfucker talks about a million miles and hour with an accent thick as mud.

Just as the mood was starting to slow – and, when you play nothing but hopeful pop, it eventually must – the Furries quickly wrapped things up. Outro music played, the band left the stage and the audience stayed put. They rose for an encore but the Furries would have none of it (apparently the band rarely, if ever, plays encores). It was the right move. I myself had just the about right amount of their round, spacey pop sandwich. Any more would’ve been too much.

As we walked off my friend said to me, “You know, I like seeing them live. I have no desire to listen to their albums when I’m at home, but live they’re just kind of nice, you know?”

Mmhmm.

Photo: Jeff Elstone

We ran a big ‘ole piece on Baby Dee in this week’s issue, you can check it out here.

But we are not alone in our admiration for Dee, as Andrew WK (indie rock’s version of this guy) interviews the longtime cult artist for Fader TV. Part one of the interview series is below, and parts two and three are also available. It’s pretty interesting (and candid) viewing of one of rock’s most intriguing figures.

Baby Dee performs at the Doug Fir tonight, and save your cash for the coolest merch item I have ever seen.

Billboard.com, you’re my new best friend. Well, maybe not you specifically, but any person with the official word that the Replacements back catalog is finally getting reissued! On April 22nd via Rhino, Sorry Ma…, Stink, Hootenanny, and Let It Be are all going to be re-released! With unreleased bonus tracks! Sorry for the multiple exclamation points, but oh god is the thought of Replacements songs I’ve never heard exciting.

Straight from the horses mouth:

Here is the bonus material for the Replacements reissues (previously unissued tracks marked with *):

“Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out the Trash”:

“Raised in the City,” live, 1980 - demo*
“Shutup,” live, 1980 - demo*
“Don’t Turn Me Down,” live, 1980 - demo*
“Shape Up,” live, 1980 - demo*
“You Ain’t Gotta Dance,” studio demo*
“Get on the Stick,” studio demo*
“Oh Baby,” studio demo*
“Like You,” outtake*
“Get Lost,” outtake*
“A Toe Needs a Shoe,” outtake*
“Customer,” alternate take*
“Basement Jam,” rehearsal*
“If Only You Were Lonely”

“Stink”:

“Staples in Her Stomach,” outtake*
“Hey, Good Lookin’,” outtake*
“(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock,” outtake*
“You’re Getting Married,” solo home demo*

“Hootenanny”:

“Lookin’ for Ya”
“Junior’s Got a Gun,” outtake - rough mix*
“Ain’t No Crime,” outtake*
“Johnny Fast,” outtake - rough mix*
“Treatment Bound,” alternate version*
“Lovelines,” alternate vocal*
“Bad Worker,” solo home demo*

“Let It Be”:

“20th Century Boy”
“Perfectly Lethal,” outtake*
“Temptation Eyes,” outtake*
“Answering Machine,” solo home demo*
“Heartbeat — It’s a Lovebeat,” outtake - rough mix*
“Sixteen Blue,” outtake - alternate vocal*

The rest of their studio albums are set for the reissue treatment as well, but no dates have been released for those. Sadly, The Shit Hits the Fans is still never going to see the light of day, and my cassette-only copy is getting worn.

+

As reported not long ago, Jackpot records is moving – not far mind you. Just down the street to 3574 SE Hawthorne Blvd. But did they bitch and moan about having to pack up all those CD’s and records? Hell no!

They decided to throw a party!

Colin Meloy will perform at the Jackpot Records re-opening celebration on March 2nd at 2:00pm. Meloy plays in a band called The Decemberists. Perhaps you’ve heard of them?

Did we mention this show, an intimate afternoon with Mr. Meloy, is absolutely free? (Better get in line soon, folks…)

So take that, shitty landlords! You want to jack the rent? Fine. We’ll just get a bigger, better place RIGHT DOWN THE STREET! And we’ll have free concerts there!

In case you aren’t hip with the 82nd Greatest Album in Indie Rock History, may I present the video for The Embarrassment’s “I’m a Don Juan”.

Nerd rock before there ever was such a genre (wait, is that even a genre now?), the Embarrassment were Wichita’s biggest export there for a short period in the early ’80s, and for good reason. These down home boys rocked angular rhythms, had idiotic lyrics (a love song to a lawn chair?), maintained a sense of humor about themselves, and did everything totally DIY.

If you’ve ever used the words indie and rock together and you happen to see one of these four guys in person, make sure you buy them a beer because you definitely owe ‘em one.

Sometimes I wish this were a blog about politics. But I guess shoving my hyper-ecstatic opinions about Barack Obama where they don’t belong just takes a little cleverness to find the music-relation. Yesterday I found one. Well, two actually.

Judging by the 3.2 million views on this video alone, perhaps you’ve already seen it, but just in case, here it is:

Will.i.am.’s “Yes We Can” Barack speech-song.

Yes, Will is a wanker, but this is a pretty interesting study on the lyrical quality of Obama’s words, which might explain this, at least somewhat…

Saturday night I was at home watching Barack speak on CNN. All of a sudden I noticed I was standing up in the middle of the room, rocking back and forth—just totally buzzing. Bouncing there on my toes, hanging off every word. Tell it brother Barack! Adrenaline, YES!

And, after sweeping all the weekend’s primaries to take the delate lead (even w/ Hillary’s cadre of nepotic superdelegates no less!) Barack was still not done winning!

The skinny kid from Kansas won a Grammy! And the best part? In the race for best spoken word book he beat Bill Clinton!

Double high-five to the Obama campaign for scoring two big-ol’ hits for the cost of zero-dollars. It’s huge. Frank Rich summed it up perfectly in the comparison of all the free views on the music video (basically a commercial) vs. Hillary’s spending truckloads of her own cash for airtime on the Hallmark channel.

Go Barack, GO! Eat these washed-up motherfuckers alive!

After sufficiently spending the morning with pop masters Grant McLennan and Robert Forster, can someone please explain to me why The Go-Betweens were not, at one point, the biggest band on the face of the planet?

In terms of pure, perfect pop, nobody can touch this band, and this is coming from a gigantic Smiths fan (with whom they are often compared). Nearly every song in the entire Go-Betweens catalog could have easily topped the Billboard charts, yet somehow they never quite broke, taking the spot as one of the biggest and best cult bands of all time. Sadly, the band were trying to make a career out of this music thing, and when it became clear their poor sales weren’t going to turn around, they called it quits (they did, however, manage to reunite in the 2000’s with members of Sleater-Kinney, but that’s a whole different story).

Since it is currently clouding up outside, it seems fitting to share with you the video for “Spring Rain” from Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express, their “dark” opus from 1986.

Pop music, meet your master.

Improvisational instrumental band Holy Fuck plays tonight, opening for Super Furry Animals. Check out this mindblowing video, made by Chad VanGaalen, who makes some pretty cool music on his own, in addition to trippy cartoons.

Holy Fuck, indeed.

The Fuck’s whole gimmick is to do electronic music without relying on the typical tools, i.e. laptops and loops. So everything’s live, especially the drums. By all accounts, it’s an astounding show. But if you can’t go tonight, fret not! Holy Fuck is coming back later this month (Feb. 27) to play another show at ye olde Doug Fir, this time with A Place to Bury Strangers.

LIMBECK, JOHN RALSTON, THE NEW FRONTIERS, BRIDGETOWN (Rock n Roll Pizza, 11140 SE Powell) Over the course of this decade, Orange County’s Limbeck has undergone a sonic progression that they’ve shared with many of their predecessors: A fondness for the timeless elements of alt-country has led to a larger appreciation for a classic power-pop sound. Thankfully for Limbeck, that broader sound has suited them well. The jauntier riffs and expansive choruses heard on their latest, self-titled album (released last year) make for a warm, congenial listening experience. Driving in various forms—from touring across the country to briefer cross-town excursions—informs much of the band’s lyrics, and the result is both agreeable and catchy. TOBIAS CARROLL

Limbeck - “Big Drag”

Long before Kanye was joined by Daft Punk (their first live television performance ever), or the most frightening phrase on the planet was uttered—“Three-time Grammy winner Fergie”—a couple Portland acts had a few chances to take home a Grammy.

Menomena, and artist Craig Thompson, were nominated for Best Recording Package for Friend and Foe. But, alas, they lost to Bright Eyes. Danny Seim, the band’s drummer, flew down for the ceremony, and although he didn’t get a trophy, he did get to see Morris Day & The Time.

Meanwhile, The Shins’ Wincing the Night Away was up for Best Alternative Music Album, and the album’s producer, Joe Chiccarelli, was nominated for Producer of the Year (non-classical). They lost to the White Stripes and Amy Winehouse enabler producer Mark Ronson, respectively.