Archives for 02/17/08 - 02/23/08
Friday, February 22, 2008
Live Review Get Free
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 5:09 PM
Monotonix live review, Thursday, February 21st @ Satyricon, Portland, OR.
Photo above NOT from Portland show
Well, Goddamnit. I told you to go. And for the most part—juding by the crowd of 20 or 25—you didn’t. So let’s be sure—you missed the fuck out. The Monotonix, all the way from Tel Aviv, Israel, played Satyricon Thursday night and it was a most unique, cathartic, visceral experience.
“I feel like my soul’s been cleansed,” I told my friend afterwards.
“I love that you said that. I know what you mean,” she said, throwing her arms around me.
It wasn’t a romantic thing, but thanks to the show, there was love in the air. Everyone was bouncing on it, as if we all went through something together—which indeed we had. And that’s really something when you consider that thrashing, chugging, heavy music inspired such emotion.
But as much Monotonix’s strong, driving tunes did it, so did their performance, equally if not more so. It began as the tiny-fireball of a lead-singer beckoned the crowd to come closer. The band had set up on the floor, and he was dancing wildly in the small circle before drawing it even closer. His jerky, funky moves at the beginning were a signal—inhibitions and shame would be neither necessary nor tolerated on this night (or, for that matter, any night).
The music crashed in, and to my surprise the band sported a new drummer. At first I worried. He was playing sitting down (the regular drummer plays a strange, stand-up kit that is moved into and around the audience throughout the show). But this new guy (no word on if he’s a replacement or just filling in) held shit down. After a few songs it didn’t much matter. The trio were tight as a whip, and the drumset moved anyway.
Everyone was dancing, even my friend, who is certainly a stranger to heavier, punkier shit like this. It didn’t matter though. The beats were there, and even at their most sonically aggressive, the Montonix are still friendly and for the most part, accessible.
The drummer is pounding, the guitarist is slashing back and forth, shooting his guitar into the air, firing rapid fire pentatonic riffs, and the singer is settling in. He’s blasting water all over the place, into his pants and out of his nostrils. He’s dancing up a broke-bird storm.
He’s on the amps, the chairs, the floor, the drums and then he spies a little ledge. A boost shoots him up there and he’s dangling and singing. After a song ends and another kicks in he sticks his finger out at me a motions for me to come over, below him. He’s jumping down and I’m going to break his fall. Alright. Shit. Here we go. Nimble little bastard. All works out and he’s back flipping around.
The songs get melodically stronger and more danceable, but all the while heavy as hell.
He eyes a trash can. It’s full. (My friend tells me later when he spots it, she sees his eyes light up like moons.) In no time the stinking trashcan is atop the drummer’s head, rotten garbage strewn all over. Now we’re swimming in it. The singer literally does. Not for shock value I believe, but for catharsis, and lightening—proving the pointlessness of shame and regret, and inhabiting the here and now. Letting life flow through you.
All the while the drums and guitar march and stomp surgically. They don’t stop to breathe. That guitarist can really play. On massive shot of adrenaline, pulsing collectively through the crowd.
The singer dismantles the drumset, sharing pieces and sticks with everyone around while the drummer mashes on what he’s got left. The garbage can and a stool are now pieces of percussion. The singer points at people, directing them to different drums. It’s becoming tribal. Probably about seven or eight drummers drumming now. Heavy, heavy, syncopated beats.
He motions to me again. A couple of us are standing around the now turned over bass drum. He brings the drummer over on top and hands the snare to another. We slip around on the garbage filled floor, failing to get him up on the drum the first time. He’s a large man. The second time we get him up, shaky as hell. Tottering back and forth the snare is lifted to him, and above our heads, in the middle of the massive drum circle, guitarist still wailing, standing on a stool now, the drummer goes to work on the snare. It’s ridiculous. It’s heavy. Everyone is involved. It’s so much more collective than most any show you’ll ever see.
After holding him up there for I have no idea how long, it’s time to stop. Not sure how everyone knew, or even if we could’ve held him there much longer, but the show’s over. There’s no need for an encore after that – everything peaked and it’s ending on a high note. Hot damn.
Blood pumping through my veins, and all of a sudden we’re out on the street. She’s squirrely, and I feel light as a feather. And free. Just really free.
Tonight! Black Cobra at East End
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 5:00 PM
BLACK COBRA, GORT, DJ NOCTURNUS
(East End, 203 SE Grand) One night last August, Black Cobra took the stage of Kelly’s Olympian after a crowd of about 40 had already been roughed up by the screaming thrash rock of Saviours. It would take a little something extra to steal the thunder back from the openers. That something was Caligula, which Black Cobra projected behind them as the real assault began. The unsexy 1979 pseudo-porn flick coupled with Black Cobra’s ear-splitting calculations washed over the crowd like some kind of zombie spell, summoning a scary mosh pit in the unlikeliest venue. Grown men were kicking, flailing, being whipped to the ground—all lit by the subtlest neon glow from the adjoining biker bar. The band’s Feather and Stone CD reflects this live insanity with the relentless “Red Tide” and “Swords for Teeth,” two standout tracks of Dazzling Killmen-style jazzcore as rushed through the twin towers of heavy frickin’ metal. MIKE MEYER
R.I.P. Teo Macero 1925-2008
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 2:19 PM
Legendary producer Teo Macero died February 19th. He was responsible for some of Miles Davis’ greatest albums, including the magnificent In a Silent Way — which I maintain was the last jazz album to show any forward progression in the movement. (What came after that? Bitches’ Brew? A particularly enjoyable hangover, and a rock/funk album to boot. Not really jazz. Jack Johnson? Headhunters? Weather Report? Not jazz, my friends.)
What I find fascinating is that Macero was really a record producer. In a Silent Way did not follow the format of most jazz records - i.e. complete, pristine takes, essentially recorded live. In a Silent Way had bits of performances chopped up, edited, repeated, cycling back on themselves. It’s nearly undetectable at first, but Macero’s editing provides the dreamlike rush that you experience by listening to the album. It’s a gauzy, beaded curtain of music; by listening to it, you don’t absorb it—it absorbs you. NPR’s All Things Considered did a special on the album some years ago, which you can listen to here.
Meanwhile, the New York Times obit for Macero is online here.
Video Rick Ross (ft T-Pain) - “Boss”
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 12:43 PM
Having a song featuring T-Pain (that isn’t “The Good Life”): Minus 50 Points.
Having a song called “Boss” in which you consistently refer to yourself as The Boss, with nary a mention of the actual Boss: Minus 50,000,000 Points.
Sorry Rick Ross, you lose.
Video Journey Refuses To Stop Believing That People Will Care About Them Sans Steve Perry
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 12:31 PM
If “Don’t Stop Believing” (complete with Steve Perry’s luscious locks and animal-print shirt) isn’t yet lodged into every ounce of your subconscious, chances are you’re either a hipster lying to yourself about how much you actually enjoy Journey or you’re dead on the inside. Simple as that.
That being said, the band has always only been about Steve Perry. Did anyone really care about Steve Augeri-led Journey? What about Jeff Scott Soto? Nah, I didn’t think so.
In news that is sure to thrill karaoke singers and cover-band members everywhere, Journey discovered their new singer, Arnel Pineda, on YouTube. And, just like a Mark Wahlberg-less Rock Star, Pineda has suddenly found himself as the front-man for the legendary band.
Above is Pineda’s debut, and, well, judge for yourself. Dude seems to hold his own, despite his bad facial hair and lack of an animal-print shirt. However, despite his best effort, there’s only one man I want to go anywhere with on a midnight train.
(HT: Stereogum)
News PDX Pop Now! Accepting Requests for Festival
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 11:11 AM
The PDX Pop Now! Festival is damn well one of the coolest things ever. It’s an all-local, all-ages, all-genres, all-free celebration of the music that makes this town great. And they’ve just opened requests for this year’s festival. What Portland band do you want to see play the festival? Let the good folks over at PDX Pop Now know, now.
Submit your friend’s band, submit your own band, submit a band that you don’t know at all but think is awesome. Meanwhile, they are still accepting submissions from bands for the annual PDX Pop Now! compilation CD.
News Mercer and Malkmus to play Buckman Bash
Posted by on Fri, Feb 22 at 8:54 AM
What happens when you combine Shin and Jick? You get a Shick. Or is it a Jin? Hmm. Both of those sound vaguely derogatory, like outdated ethnic slurs from the 1700s.
But moving right along, James Mercer (Shin) and Stephen Malkmus (Jick) are joining forces to play the Buckman Bash on April 11th. It’s a benefit for the Buckman Elementary Arts School, and it’s taking place at the Jupiter Hotel. They’ll both be doing solo sets, and there’ll also be a silent auction, video installations, and a student art gallery.
Pretty cool stuff. Tix go on sale March 21st. They’re a spendy $50, but you can’t put a price on a good education. (Well—you can, it’s just going to be remarkably high.)
If you like reading press releases, there’s one for you after the jump!
PORTLAND'S FAMED INDIE ROCKERS
JAMES MERCER AND STEPHEN MALKMUS
TO ROCK FOR ART EDUCATION
AT "BUCKMAN BASH,"
APRIL 11, 2008
PORTLAND, OREGON (21 February 2008) — Indie music superstars will be shining for Buckman Elementary School this spring when James Mercer, frontman for The Shins, and Stephen Malkmus, of Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, rock the stylish Jupiter Hotel stage on Friday, April 11, 2008. The BUCKMAN BASH, with local rock and art luminaries in attendance, will benefit the award-winning arts-integrated academic education program of Buckman Elementary School Arts Focus. Tickets ($50) for this not-to-be-missed musical experience will go on sale March 21, 2008 at 3:00pm through www.brownpapertickets.com and Jackpot Records. Information about the event will be available at www.buckmanelementary.org/artsale.
The BUCKMAN BASH, to be held at the Jupiter Hotel in Portland's hip inner eastside (800 East Burnside, Portland, Oregon), will feature rare solo performances by James Mercer and Stephen Malkmus, and an opening musical act to be announced. Performance artist, writer, and filmmaker Andrew Dickson (whose performance piece Sell Out was a hit at T:BA 2007) will add a dash of hilarious irreverence as MC for the evening's festivities. A silent art auction featuring work by acclaimed artist Storm Tharp and others, video shorts, and a Buckman student art gallery will complete the evening's festivities.
James Mercer rose to fame following the release of The Shins' first album, Oh, Inverted World, and his music has been embraced by adoring fans and critics alike. The Shins' most recent recording, Wincing the Night Away (Sub Pop), entered the Billboard 200 at number 2. Their previous album, Chutes Too Narrow, was called "one of the deftest, subtlest and just plain loveliest guitar-rock albums of the decade" by Rolling Stone.
Stephen Malkmus has been lauded for his musical artistry and influential role in the indie-rock movement, with his work in the bands Pavement and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. Malkmus contributed the singing voice for Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Bob Dylan in the film I'm Not There, and he and the Jicks recently announced the early March 2008 release of their newest recording, Real Emotional Trash (Matador).
The BUCKMAN BASH at the Jupiter Hotel is a part of the 2008 Buckman Art Show & Sell, an annual celebration of art, craft, and arts education, returning for its 18th year to Buckman Elementary School. Featuring the work of more than 120 Pacific Northwest artists and craftspersons, food, music, and kids' activities, this bustling, vibrant community event and juried art festival benefits Portland's Buckman Arts Elementary School. The 18th annual Buckman Art Show & Sell art festival takes place Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12, 2008, at Buckman Arts Elementary School, 320 SE 16th Avenue, Portland.
The Buckman Art Show & Sell, which began in 1991 as an innovative way to simultaneously support Buckman and provide exposure to artists in the community, has grown into a major event that draws both established and emerging artists and art buyers from Oregon and Washington. Buckman Elementary School Arts Focus, a Portland Public School, offers an innovative arts-integrated academic curriculum, in addition to high-frequency arts classes in dance, drama and music, and visual art. At Buckman, Portland's premier arts elementary school, students internalize their learning through these varied forms of creative self-expression, resulting in increased self-esteem, absorption of academic material, creative thinking, and understanding and acceptance of the self. Combining a love of the arts with high academic achievement, Buckman is both a neighborhood school and focus option that is open for admission to all elementary students in Portland.
More information about the Buckman Art Show & Sell at Buckman Elementary School and the BUCKMAN BASH at the Jupiter Hotel will be available at www.buckmanelementary.org/artsale.
WHAT: The BUCKMAN BASH features solo performances by James Mercer of The Shins and Stephen Malkmus of The Jicks (plus musical opener to be announced) in a benefit concert for Buckman Elementary School, award-winning arts-focus option school in Portland Public Schools. Acclaimed performance artist and local personality Andrew Dickson will lead the revels as MC. A silent art auction featuring work by acclaimed artist Storm Tharp and others, video shorts, and a Buckman student art gallery, will complete the evening's festivities.
WHERE: Jupiter Hotel
800 East Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
WHEN: Friday, April 11, 2008
Doors open 7:00pm
TICKETS: $50 per person; 21 and over only.
On sale March 21, 2008, 3:00pm
www.brownpapertickets.com
and
Jackpot Records
3736 SE Hawthorne
and
203 SW Ninth Avenue
Portland, Oregon
NOTE: BUCKMAN BASH ticket holders will be granted free admission to Buckman Art Show & Sell art festival events on Friday, April 11, 5:00pm to 9:00pm, and Saturday, April 12, 10:00am to 5pm, at Buckman Elementary School, 320 SE 16th Avenue, Portland, Oregon.
INFO: 503/916-3506
www.buckmanelementary.org/artsale [Info about the Buckman Bash to be posted soon.]
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tonight! Go. To. This. Show.
Posted by on Thu, Feb 21 at 5:07 PM
Rather than write something, or post a song, I’m giving you a photo essay as to why you should go see Monotonix tonight at the Satyricon. (But if you really want to read or listen you can.)
No single medium, however, can accurately detail just how awesome the Monotonix are live. It’s catharsis through crisis. Just go and thank me later.
Tonight! The Hives - Tonight!
Posted by on Thu, Feb 21 at 3:58 PM
The Hives seem to elicit a sense of “been there, done that” from many music fans, but I have to say you can’t keep good garage rock down. I’ve never seen the Hives, but my friend still tells the story of when he saw them and Howlin’ Pelle had more fluid coming out of and off of his body than any human he’d ever seen. There’s something to be said for a performer who’s not afraid to break a sweat.
w/The Donnas; Roseland, 8 NW 6th, 8 pm, $20 at the door
Video Match Made In Heaven
Posted by on Thu, Feb 21 at 11:25 AM
We here at End Hits have already expressed our love for both Seattle band Throw Me the Statue and the Take Away Shows on La Blogothèque. The two recently met on a boat, and with Robert Pollard presiding over the festivities, the outcome is nothing short of greatness.
The band managed to do a few of their own songs as well, which you can check out here.
News Panther Works Hard For the Money
Posted by on Thu, Feb 21 at 9:54 AM
As everyone knows, rock stars make disgusting amounts of money. David Bowie commands over 19 billion dollars to hum a single bar of “Rebel Rebel.” Keith Richards once made 650 trillion dollars by coughing up a loogie and selling it on eBay. Bono is so rich that he no longer accepts currency as payment, and instead demands compensation in the form of human souls.
Of course, not all musicians are so fortunate. Charlie Salas-Humara and Joe Kelly of Portland’s very own Panther recently popped up in Stereogum’s Quit Your Day Job column to talk about some of the ways they earn a dollar when they’re not melting our faces off with spazztastic dance pop. Check it out here, and don’t forget that Panther’s new album 14kt God just came out on Kill Rock Stars.
Panther plays Thursday, March 6 at Holocene.
MP3:
Panther - Puerto Rican Jukebox (Lips and Ribs remix)
Big thanks to Stereogum!
News This Week’s Mercury Music Section
Posted by on Thu, Feb 21 at 9:00 AM
Another Mercury music section to read while you get your new tentacle suction-cup implants. My arm tastes like calamari!
With UnonoU, Danava has established themselves as the damn coolest metal band around. Although no one has the heart to tell them they really misspelled the title of their favorite board game.
MP3: Danava - Where Beauty And Terror Dance
Nick Jaina has dug many a ditch, and worked many a menial job, but those all pale in comparison to the fact that he toured by Greyhound. On purpose! Good lord.
MP3: Nick Jaina - Power
John Darnielle from the Mountain Goats talks about the Lord, lo-fi, and Chilean black metal, but not in that order.
MP3: Mountain Goats - Sax Rohmer #1
Few things sound better than the pure, sweaty, chaos of a Monotonix live show. Plus, the singer’s bushy ‘stache? That is a lot of things, but ironic isn’t one of them.
MP3: Monotonix - Summers And Autumns
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tonight!
Catfish Hunter Haven - Tonight
Posted by on Wed, Feb 20 at 2:53 PM
THE REDWALLS, THE NEAT, CATFISH HAVEN, DJ KENOY, MR. MUMU (Dante’s, 1 SW 3rd) Catfish Haven is an archetypal three piece, and the music they make reminds us why the power trio has endured. Take one charismatic singer/guitarist (George Hunter, with a gravelly, rich voice) and a fine rhythm section (bassist Miguel Castillo and drummer Ryan Farnham), and apply a timeless style of music. It’s rock with a pronounced soul influence, and thankfully Hunter’s voice is more than up to the challenge. 2006’s Tell Me is fueled by yearning and heartbreak, and maintains its tone throughout. Live, the strengths of their songwriting become even clearer, and the group’s chemistry becomes more visible. TOBIAS CARROLL
MP3:
Catfish Haven - Crazy For Leaving
Rewind Your Friend, the ’90s: Pop Princess Wednesday
Posted by on Wed, Feb 20 at 2:50 PM
Welcome again to “Your Friend, the ’90s”—your one-stop shop for the best of ’90s pop! And for all of the pop princesses that showed up in the late ’90s, one that never quite reached her popularity potential was Swedish sensation ROBYN. While popular (then and now) overseas, she hit it big in the states with two top ten hits in ‘97, and was opening for the Backstreet Boys—until she was diagnosed with exhaustion and shipped back to Sweden. Aaaaaand… that pretty much killed her career here. (Just think: if she’d pushed on through the exhaustion, she could’ve ended up just like Britney!)
Anyhoo, here’s my fave song of Robyn’s—a great R&B groover from 1996 entitled, “DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES.” She has a really amazing voice, and could’ve easily given Christina Aguilera a run for her money!
Video Castanets on La Blogothèque
Posted by on Wed, Feb 20 at 11:19 AM
Ray Raposa lives in Portland as much as he lives anywhere else—he’s a bit of a nomad, apparently. But his project, Castanets, has a show coming up this Tuesday, Feb. 26th at Valentine’s. Meanwhile, French-tastic videoblog La Blogothèque has posted some new Castanets footage. Some of it dates from a year ago, but some is much more recent.
You can always hear Raposa’s restlessness in his music, but it’s another thing to see it in front of you, as he saunters through the city streets, outside cathedrals, up flights of stairs. It’s been said before, but La Blogothèque is really onto something. They take an idea that you’d think would result in the most forced, stilted kind of performance. But seeing Raposa walk and wander, with his guitar and voice echo off city walls and occasional passers-by, it seems absolutely right, and entirely natural.
Go here to see it all.
News Kate Nash Coming To Portland!
Posted by on Wed, Feb 20 at 10:24 AM
OMG! Kate Nash is coming to Portland!
I realize I’m one of about three straight men over the age of twenty that is going to find this news exciting. And, to make matters worse, this show is happening at the Wonder Ballroom, meaning I’ll be corralled over on the twenty-one and up side of the venue with roughly ten other people, nine of which will be supportive parents bored out of their minds.
If you’re not familiar with Ms. Nash, she’s a perfect blend of the foul-mouthed, snark-tastic Lily Allen and the piano-playing, quasi-adult-contemporary master Regina Spektor.
In the off-chance that last sentence didn’t leave you vomiting in your mouth, please watch the video below for the pop perfection that is “Foundations”. I’ll admit that Kate’s album, Made of Bricks, is a little hit or miss, and seemed to be thrown together hastily in the wake of the success of “Foundations”. It doesn’t matter though: I’m still squealing like a teen-girl on the inside right now.
Kate Nash plays the Wonder Ballroom on Sunday, May 11th!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
News The Clash Live: Revolution Rock
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 4:41 PM
Those feisty punks at PBS are gearing up to air The Clash Live: Revolution Rock, a new documentary chronicling live performances from the greatest punk band ever (sorry guys, it’s true). The program is a preview of an upcoming DVD release (out March 18th), and will air locally on OPB on March 8th at 10:30pm, sandwiched between an exciting episode of Antiques Roadshow and Alan Alda in Scientific American Frontiers.
MP3:
The Clash - The Clampdown (live, August 17, 1982)
MP3 Daytrotter Loves Portland
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 4:24 PM
One Daytrotter post on this, the 19th of February, just wasn’t enough, apparently. So here’s another: The Thermals recently recorded a live session for the fine folks in Rock Island, Illinois.
You can listen to and download the four songs, which includes an unreleased Wipers cover!
After seeing the band perform acoustic last weekend, I hoped this session would be as well, but alas, it is not. Still, I think it might be time for a formal Thermals acoustic show… You in? Maybe we can set this up… End Hits first sponsored show? I wonder… now the wheels are turning…
Alright, well I’ll get to work on that, and you listen to the Thermals tracks at Daytrotter.
R.I.P. Jim Jones R.I.P.
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 2:10 PM
Ugh. In continuing with the bad news today, Jim Jones, guitarist for the seminal art-rock band Pere Ubu, passed away last night.
From the Cleveland Scene:
Pere Ubu guitarist Jim Jones died late Monday night. Details have not been released, but he’d been ill for years. Health problems lead him to leave the Cleveland post-punk band in 1996, and his condition had deteriorated, though friends say he’d looked good over the last year.
I don’t own enough Pere Ubu to consider myself a fan (only about four records in their extensive catalog), but this is sad news regardless. Geez, today is turning into a little mini Black Tuesday, isn’t it?
As a send-off, here’s the Ubu performing on “Night Music”, an old TV show hosted by David Sanborn. Check the solo at about 2:30 in:
(HT: The Daily Swarm)
News Blitzen Trapper News!
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 1:17 PM
Oh my goodness gracious. Lots going on in Trapperland today, we just don’t know where to begin.
First of all, they’re kicking off their tour this week, and they’ve got a BRAND NEW live and acoustic EP available at iTunes! There’s a couple tunes recorded at Holocene on there, and a Tom Paxton song, amongst other things. Point your iTunes store to here and get busy downloadin’.
But THAT AIN’T ALL. No, sir. They’ve also got a new session up on the wonderful, fabulous Daytrotter site, including some unreleased tunes. So get yourself on over here and check it all out.
Still not enough for you? You greedy swine. But okay, Blitzen Trapper just keeps on giving. Because they’ve got an exclusive tour EP that you can buy at the merch table at one of their upcoming shows! This includes Saturday’s all-ages show at the Artistery.
Tour EP tracklisting and complete tour dates after the jump.
Blitzen Trapper 2008 Tour EP
01. Silver Moon
02. Going Down
03. Shoulder Full of You
04. Preacher's Sister's Boy
05. Black Rock
06. Big Black Bird
BLITZEN TRAPPER 2008 SPRING TOUR
2/22 Seattle, WA Univ. of Washington#
2/23 Portland, OR The Artistery
2/28 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill*
2/29 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour*+
3/01 San Diego, CA Casbah*+
3/02 Phoenix, AZ Modified*
3/04 Denton, TX Hailey's*
3/05 Houston, TX Walter's on Washington*
3/06 Hattiesburg, MS Thirsty Hippo*
3/07 Tallahassee, FL The Beta Bar*
3/08 Everglades National Park, FL Langerado Festival
3/09 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits*@
3/11 Birmingham, AL BottleTree*%
3/12 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon*$
3/13 - 3/15 Austin, TX SXSW
3/16 Norman, OK The Opolis*
3/17 Columbia, MO Mojos*&
3/18 Memphis, TN Hi Tone Cafe*
3/19 Nashville, TN Exit In*
3/20 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn*
3/21 Columbia, SC New Brookland Tavern*
3/22 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle*
3/23 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506*
3/25 Washington, DC Black Cat Backstage*
3/26 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's*
3/27 Cambridge, MA Middle East*
3/29 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom*
3/30 Worcester, MA Clark University*
4/01 Montreal, PQ La Salla Rossa*
4/02 Toronto, ON El Mocambo*
4/03 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place*
4/04 Cleveland, OH The Grog Shop*
4/05 Detroit, MI The Magic Stick*
4/06 Chicago, IL Schubas*
4/08 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon*
4/09 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry*
4/10 Grinnell, IA Grinnell College*
4/11 Omaha, NE The Slowdown*
4/12 Lawrence, KS Jackpot*
4/14 Denver, CO Hi-Dive*
4/15 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge*
4/17 Vancouver, BC Media Club*
4/18 Seattle, WA Neumo's*
4/19 Portland, OR Holocene*
4/26 Salem, OR Wulapalooza
# = w/ Menomena
* = w/ Fleet Foxes
+ = w/ Grand Archives
& = w/ Mahjongg
% = w/ Dr. Dog
$ = w/ Man Man
@ = w/ Matt Pond PA
Video The Juno Effect
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 12:02 PM
It’s time to see if Juno really is a taste-maker or just the hot new thing. Above is the new Adam Green video for “Morning After Midnight”. The song sounds slick, the video looks good, yet somehow I don’t think this even going to manage to sell 1/10th of what the Juno soundtrack has so far, which is really too bad. But hey, who knows, maybe this will top the Billboard charts as well.
Adam Green’s new record, Sixes & Sevens, will be available in US on March 18th.
R.I.P. A Sad Day In Music Land
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 11:46 AM
First Idolator reported that thirteen year old magazine No Depression is calling it quits.
Then All Hip Hop reported that label TVT is filing for Chapter 11, and while the label is claiming to not quite be done yet, I can hear the death rattle from here.
Finally, The Daily Swarm is reporting that indie rag Resonance is done as well.
I could try and make a joke in here somewhere, but really, this is just sad news all around.
Video My Dad Is Bigger Than Your Dad
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 11:18 AM
I managed to catch about three minutes of the clusterfuck that is the TV show “My Dad Is Better Than Your Dad” last night (don’t ask), and all I could think about (besides “holy hell that’s Rock N’ Jock maestro Dan Cortese!!”) was how much I love Mclusky.
The above is a live video for “To Hell With Good Intentions”. If you’re not familiar with the now-defunct band, one of their strongest selling points (among everything else, really) was their lyrics. Take a look at a few of the couplets pulled from this song:
My love is bigger than your love
We take more drugs than a touring funk bandMy band is better than your band
We’ve got more songs than a song conventionMy dad is bigger than your dad
He’s got eight cars and a house in Ireland
See where the tie-in is coming? Replace “bigger” with “better” on this song, use it as the shows theme, and all of a sudden “My Dad…” becomes worth actually watching. OK, probably not. Not even the all-powerful Mclusky could redeem this monstrosity.
Instead, why don’t continue after the jump for easily one the scariest/creepiest/disturbing videos I have ever seen. That cat gives me nightmares.
News The (Portland) Viper Room
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 8:13 AM
Metroblogging Portland is reporting the news that the recently-sold Viper Room—purchased by Hard Rock Cafe founder Peter Morton—will be turning into a chain of clubs, with Portland as one of the intended destinations.
Oh boy!
Of course, anyone who has actually been to the Los Angeles dive knows that it’s a pretty crappy club, known primarily for its poor booking, overpriced drinks, and the strong possibility of running into Izzy Stradlin in the bathroom. I wonder how a chain rock club would do in Portland? It might do better in the ‘burbs. Plus, wasn’t there already a Viper Room in Portland?
Personally, I’m only setting foot in the club if the animatronic corpse of River Phoenix is splayed out on the sidewalk in front of its doors.
News YETI Coaxes Jeff Mangum Out Of His Cave
Posted by on Tue, Feb 19 at 6:42 AM
Mike McGonigal’s YETI magazine just announced the details of their fifth issue, due out March 7th. The full lineup is after the jump, but the big news is that the local magazine contains a companion CD which features music handpicked by Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum. Mangum’s contribution comes in the form of new songs that sound better than anything on In the Aeroplane over the Sea four of his favorite songs from his vast collection of old 78s.
Hey, at least it’s something.
featuring musical contributions from and/or interviews with: Jeff Mangum (who not only contributes visual art but also supplies us with 4 of his favorite, never anthologized sides from old 78s for the CD), Iron & Wine, Akron/Family, Will Oldham, Dean and Britta (covering Galaxie 500 on the CD), Deerhoof, D+, Mt. Eerie, Anglin Brothers, A Hawk and a Hacksaw, the Spiritualaires, Cooper Moore, and more. Also: Awesome travel journals from the Western Sahara by Sublime Frequencies co-founder Hisham Mayet; Erik Davis on P.G. Six; Mike McGonigal going off about Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night, Cold was the Ground"; Scott Seward on "the marriage made in hell between folk music, dead cultures, myth & highly technical modern extreme metal"; drawings by German Surrealist Unica Zürn; an excerpt from Meredith Brosnan's new novel; an interview with Nicola Bowery about iconoclastic '80s fashion icon Leigh Bowery; fiction by Kevin Sampsell; dirty AIM conversations courtesy of BloodNinja; visual art from the likes of Saul Chernick, Kevin Arrow and Kyle Field (from Little Wings) -- we're psyched about this one!
Monday, February 18, 2008
News Win Tickets to Sia!
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 2:29 PM
Want a free pair of tickets to witness the adorable ball of cuteness that is Sia? I bet you do.
The Australian indie popster—who has collaborated with the likes of Beck, Zero 7, and is also known as “the singer of that one song they played during the weepy closing scenes of the final episode of Six Feet Under—is touring the States and will be at the Wonder Ballroom tomorrow night.
Not only will you get a glimpse at Sia performing songs from her latest, and greatest, release (Some People Have Real Problems), you’ll also get an eyeful of the show’s opener, this sizzling slab of man meat.
To win your way into the show, just post a comment below explaining why you deserve the tickets. Simple as that. The polls close tonight at 8pm. Good luck.
MP3:
Sia - Electric Bird
VIDEO:
Live Review Notes from the Weekend
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 12:49 PM
Friday was an interesting day. It began with a screening of a French film (Priceless, for PIFF, which I would recommend. Since it showed in the basement of the Art Museum it turned into a free walk through which was half good and half an embarrassment for the Museum (the new Van Gogh is nice though). So I took to calling Friday the Day of Culture and I put on a tie.
Then it was off to Ornette Coleman, who opened PDX Jazz fest. Despite my better judgments and trepidations I had high hopes for this one, but what I got was highly forgettable.
Every so often Coleman and his band would go on some ethereal melodic run so unexpected it couldn’t hardly have been devised by a human brain. But for every one of those there was an obnoxious electric-bass wah-wah solo. I’m not kidding. (The stand-up bass player, however, was fantastic, and could’ve carried the load fine without “Bass-Vai”.)
I pictured myself taking his bass from him, cracking it in half on the corner of the stage, handing it back to him split down the middle and saying, “look what you’ve done!”.
Coleman didn’t say one word the whole show—certainly the Jazz incarnation of a cool cat. Also, he’s fucking old. He can still blow that sax with a smooth, round, soulful breath, but it certainly wasn’t full of fire.
Something to have seen, I suppose. But probably wouldn’t do that again—probably better to spin the old records and go out looking for a new up and comer…
Stumbled later into a house party where the Thermals—well, just Hutch and Cathy—played acoustic in a living room. A surprise and a real treat. After the stuffy, heady free-jazz show it was real nice to sit on the floor with a 40oz. and listen to three-chord pop songs.
Cathy handled most of the guitar playing and Hutch mostly just sang. It was cute and funny and they knew it, but Hutch’s voice was really strong. Their years of touring paid off and even doing something funky like this came off solid. It was rad, tounge and check and over too quickly—everything it should’ve been.
After that Castanets went on. They were good but we moved on.
Saturday I had tickets to Bone Thugs and no idea what to expect. I figured one of three things: Rad, funny, or bad, with funny or bad getting the heavier odds. But I was wrong and Bone Thugs lit the Roseland up.
Sold out show, the place was packed. 10 cops in the entry way but the place stank like weed just the same. The crowd was really live, and though they could’ve worked in an encore, rather than heading to the merch table to sign autographs, the three Bones worked the audience and hit all their marks. Old songs, new songs, and the like. Even played “Crossroads” and dedicated it to all the dead homies—which other than the requisite 2pac and Eazy-E included REDD FOXX!!!
All in all, a nice surprise.
Now on to tonight: the lovely St. Vincent and the possibly awesome Foreign Born.
Video Yeasayer - “Wait For the Summer”
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 12:35 PM
There is no denying that the above video for Yeasayer’s “Wait For the Summer” is gorgeous. And I mean really gorgeous. This is surely going to end up on more than a few best of lists this year.
However, will someone please tell me when hating hippies went out of style? I think the Yeasayer album is great, but there are points (IE the above song) where it teeters so close to being jam-band-esque that I can almost smell the patchouli coming from my speakers. What’s more alarming is that it’s not just Yeasayer. Panda Bear? Hippie. MGMT? Hippies.
It’s easy to shrug off the Devendra Banhart’s of the world (they’re not really hiding their freak flag), but this subversive indie rock-hippie business is scary because I really like it. Like a lot.
Every single anti-hippie punk ethos I ever grew up on is suddenly wrong, and if the current trend continues, I’m like two years away from Birkenstocks, tie-dye, and bootleg-trading.
Video New Spoon Video
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 11:36 AM
Tonight! Foreign Born Visits Portland, Plays New Music
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 10:35 AM
Foreign Born rolls into town tonight to play a show with St. Vincent at the Doug Fir. I wrote an article on the L.A. band, which you can read in this week’s paper, or online here. Being the responsible, conscientious reporter that I am, I sent the band some questions with the hopes of cramming some of their quotes into my article. However, I sent this request approximately 17 minutes before my deadline. Needless to say, the band did not have the opportunity to get back to me in time.
BUT, being the cool, friendly, helpful guys that they are, they still took time to answer my questions about their new material. Here’s what singer/guitarist Matt Popieluch had to say:
Yes, we are unveiling some new jams that will be spilling out over America’s highways during the next few weeks. We’ll be playing about 4 or 5 of them live, to put them through the ringer, so to speak, before we cement them forever in our discography. Some song titles include “Vacationing People,” “Early Warnings,” and “Palace (in the Wind).” I will say, that at times, conga drums and vocoders are involved…We are scheduled to start officially recording these numbers in April, and it is scheduled to rule. We will be self-producing this record as well, mainly because we have the skills and the unyielding zeal to make it work. We also feel that there might be too many cooks in the kitchen if we let someone else in at this point, and we don’t need them sticking their fingers in the soup! (So to speak.) Right now, we have about 25 songs/ideas that we are sorting through to make the strongest record… on record.
Sounds good to me. I’m really looking forward to hearing some of these new tunes at tonight’s show. Meanwhile, here’s a song from the first record for ya.
MP3:
Foreign Born - In the Shape
News Daydream Nation Painting to be Auctioned
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 9:12 AM
The Independent is reporting that the painting which adorned the cover of Sonic Youth’s classic Daydream Nation is going up for auction. The painting, titled “Kerze,” was created by avant-garde German artist Gerhard Richter, and despite rumors to the contrary, it was not inspired by the candle my little sister held during her communion.
Later this month, fans of Eighties nostalgia will also have the chance to buy the art that gave the record one of the classiest covers ever produced.
I have a problem with that line. When I think ’80s nostalgia, a lot of things come to mind—like this—but Daydream Nation is not one of them. If anything, that record was based on being completely anti-’80s.
Anyway, it’s expected to go for over “£2.5m” (which, if my calculations are correct, is about 25 novemdecillion dollars!), which is not as impressive as the MP3 below, which is all yours, for free.
MP3:
Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
Tonight! Ovo - Tonight!
Posted by on Mon, Feb 18 at 7:49 AM
OVO, THE BETTER TO SEE YOU WITH, BRIZBOMB, DJ NATE C (Tube, 18 NW 3rd) Some bands sell music with their hair, while Italy’s Ovo actually make music with theirs—specifically frontwoman Stefania Pedretti and her ankle-length dreadlocks, which when sawed with an electric bow summons a godless squelch of feedback. At a recent show the experimental duo united Halloween-costume kitsch with Boredoms-style rock (circa-Pop Tatari), destroying and rebuilding foundations on which to nod. Live, the duo is more fun than their domestic CD, Miastenia. Dressing like a non-dimensional birthday cake and a hooded executioner, the duo turn guttural female vocals, glorified bucket drumming, and art-damaged whammy-bar diving into an unlikely dance party. Standout surf number “Anime Morte” is like Boris during a less-concerned stretch, forgoing low blight for tasty waves. Welcome to the parade, noise freaks. MIKE MEYER
Sunday, February 17, 2008
News Lindsay Lohan + Menomena?
Posted by on Sun, Feb 17 at 12:37 PM
While in Los Angeles for their Grammy loss to Bright Eyes, the boys in Menomena crossed paths with the drunken natural disaster that is Lindsay Lohan, plus the super creepy TMZ video stalkers that follow her every move.
Menomena drummer Danny Seim (not seen in the video) commented on the clip:
“Justin (Harris) is the longhaired, black-shirted dude you see for a second after the doors to the elevator room open. Craig (Thompson, Blankets artist and longtime visual collaborator with the band) is the guy wearing brown who can’t stop smiling. Awesome.”
A chance meeting by the elevators? Or maybe something more? She makes music. They make music. I see a (sexy) collaboration in the future.
Time to get started on my bootleg Lohanomena t-shirts. Anyone interested?
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