BRAD CREEL, JASON FELLMAN (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Gifted with the pen, the punchline and the guitar, local singer-songwriter Brad Creel celebrates the release of his latest recording, Reveeled, tonight. In addition to his illustration work, Creel’s husky-voiced folk ballads harkens back to a time when folk music had plenty of strumming jesters eager to tell a tale and collect some laughs along the way. Similar to the early days of Loudon Wainwright III, Creel is a vulnerable performer with a deep sense of humor, one who isn’t afraid to turn the spotlight on his own imperfections—as he points out on “What We Ain’t”: “I can’t write like Richard Thompson/I can’t dance like Michael Jackson.” I’ve never seen Thompson dance, but as someone who has read more than a fair share of MJ lyrics, let’s just say it’s a good thing it isn’t the other way around. EAC

MP3:
Brad Creel - What We Ain’t

SCOTLAND BARR & THE SLOW DRAGS, JAMES LOW, TONY SMILEY
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) One listen to Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags’ “She’s Happy,” from their upcoming All the Great Aviators Agree, should usher in memories of negligent summer breezes and riverside bonanzas. But two listens yield femme-venomous strikes at wayward relations; both scenarios combine for an awkwardly engaging listen. The Portland-based country/roots-rock quintet incorporates traditional pedal steel bravado to facilitate their power-hungry wail, most notably by way of Barr’s gruff, road-weary storytelling. The real kicker lies in the spot-on chops of the Slow Drags, a band just potent enough to dull the surreal lyrical punch of Barr. Regardless, the group divvies up fun, street-savvy bar room knuckle punches; I’d watch my chin. RYAN J. PRADO

MP3:
Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags - Legionnaires (acoustic)

Before there was Sub Pop, the revolving lineup of drummers, The Body, The Blood, The Machine, and, of course, The Thermals, there was Hutch and Kathy. Previous to downing those pixie sticks and plugging in, Hutch (Harris) and Kathy (Foster) were an adorable acoustic duo best remembered by their 2000 self-titled full-length on the local Jealous Butcher label.

The two had played together for years, in both Urban Legends and the lowercase-preferring haelah, but it was project number three that paved the way for the carefree melodies and hook-heavy songwriting that later became a staple of The Thermals.

Digging out this CD this morning was a sad affair once I noticed the “fine institutions” thanked on the liner notes: Meow Meow, The Blackbird, Red and Black, Robot Steakhouse. Ouch.

MP3:
Hutch and Kathy - A Minutes Decision

In Thermals news, you can get your hands on a great live version of “A Pillar Of Salt” by clicking right here.

Hutch and Kathy perform at The Modern Age at PSU (1825 SW Broadway) as part of the KPSU pledge drive.

Here is yet another reason to go to this year’s PDX Film Fest: the first US screening of Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell.

For those of you unfamiliar with Russell’s work, here’s a quick primer: dude moves to New York, dude becomes a fixture in the avant-garde scene, dude discovers disco, dude makes some of the best music you are likely ever to hear.

My obsession with his work is borderline creepy. YouTube lists the above clip as being posted in October 2006 and I’d say I’ve watched this trailer at least once a month since then, if for no other reason than looking at Jens Lekman’s pretty, pretty face and listening to Verity from Electrelane’s haunting version of “Our Last Night Together”.

Really, I have not been this excited for a movie since, well, I don’t know. I realize I’m probably in the minority here, but I would easily put Russell’s World of Echo on my long list of favorite albums of all time, and his song “A Little Lost” is just about my favorite thing ever.

Really, continue after the jump for “A Little Lost”. It’s an awful video, so just minimize your browser and listen to the audio.

See?! Did that song not just blow your mind with awesomeness?

Picture by Kelly O, courtesy of The Stranger.

I had a chance to interview Robin Pecknold (center) from Seattle’s Fleet Foxes, and the article appears in this week’s Mercury (you can read it here). Their campfire-meets-sacred-harp folk/rock often sounds like it’s echoing through a forest of trees, or out of a subterranean cave; it’s epically homegrown, if that makes any sense, and you’ll get a chance to see for yourself when they hit town tomorrow night. Pecknold told me about lots of stuff that didn’t make it into the article, so you can read more of the interview after the jump.

Fleet Foxes play with Blitzen Trapper and Au, Saturday, April 19 (that’s tomorrow!), Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, 9 pm, $8

How is the tour with Blitzen Trapper going?

The tour has been really great... it's been amazing going out on our first tour and having people come to see us and even occasionally singing along—it's so bizarre to me still! It's been a long and tiring one, but it's been illuminating and now hopefully normal-length tours will seem like a cakewalk. The Blitzen Trapper guys are all incredibly sweet and we've been getting along really well—we're so lucky to be on tour with such a great band filled with such great dudes.

Do you feel a connection to the Portland music scene?

I think there is a definite connection that we and the rest of Seattle have to the Portland music scene, even though it seems like everyone in Seattle is moving to Portland! Last winter we played the Doug Fir with Laura Gibson and the Cave Singers, and Laura Gibson couldn't be a sweeter person if she tried. What a gem, you guys are lucky to have her. The crowd was dead silent during her set out of what seemed like pure reverence. I think there's a lot to envy about both cities, but we're a team you know?

Here's a generic question: What inspires your lyrics?

There's really no one way that a song comes together for us—sometimes the lyrics are the main focus from the outset, even to the point where some songs are a capella or mostly so, and other times the lyrics come after all the musical segments are put together into a cohesive whole... it really depends on the song. I would say the lyrics so far have been mostly inspired by family, either appreciation of it or a desire for it, both specifically and generally. A couple interviewers have asked me about the "nature" influence in the lyrics and where that comes from, which I find difficult to answer to—like, who doesn't like nature? It seems like "nature" is in some way or another a big part of everyone's life so it's funny to me to have to explain why it's part of the lyrics!

How important are the words in the songwriting process?

It's interesting, that being on this tour and singing these songs every night has made me reevaluate some of the songs. Some are way easier to "sell" every night and those usually for me end up being the songs that have a direct meaning to me, as opposed to the songs that are more atmospheric in purpose lyrically. Not that I don't enjoy playing those songs, but as a singer it's interesting to see what songs can be sung with the most conviction every night and those end up being the ones that mean the most to me lyrically. I don't know what that means for the "process" or whatever, but it's been curious.

What is your relationship with [producer] Phil Ek? I understand he is a family friend. Did he ever point you in the direction of music before the start of Fleet Foxes?

Phil has always been super encouraging, since before Fleet Foxes started—I remember giving him some really, really early demos of stuff Skye [Skjelset] and I did, and him coming into my work and saying that he thought it sounded cool. That blew my mind! "Family friend" is a bit of a misnomer, I met him through my sister Aja.

I read that the album (due June 3) was recorded before the Sun Giant EP? Is that right? How did that happen? What originally happened to the album, and why isn't it coming out until later this year? How does the album stand separately from the EP?

Well, when we were first talking to Sub Pop about signing they let us know that the next available slot they had to put out a record was in June—this was in December when we had just finished the LP. It's good that every band gets to have a time when their record is the label's main focus, so we weren't bummed about the long wait, but we'd worked out new songs even since finishing the LP that weren't shaping up to be the next record and were kind of their own little batch. We came up with the idea of recording the EP in December and were back in a studio in January for a week and a half to record it, then as soon as it was back from the manufacturer we released it. I think the EP and LP are sort of a pair, and they'll be packaged together on vinyl as a pair. They were really different experiences though. The LP was like 6-7 months of recording mostly at home with some studio recording, and we threw out tons of recorded songs before writing and recording what eventually went on the record. The EP was 8 days total and we knew exactly what it was going to be going into it, so that was a good thing, but I don't think that would've been possible if we hadn't deliberated over the LP for so long! Since the EP is newer it might be a better representation of where we may be going, but we hope the next LP sounds a lot different than both of them.

Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that this is happening on the same day that the OLCC voted to amend the minors posting law, but all you bartenders and grocery store employees better have your poop together tonight:

Oregon Partnership, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and several Multnomah County law enforcement agencies will conduct compliance checks tonight – using decoys at 80-90 randomly selected grocery stores, bars, taverns and restaurants in hopes of reducing alcohol sales to minors. The decoy teams will depart from the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct headquarters at 737 S. E. 106th at approximately 6:30 p.m. The operation is expected to be concluded by 10 p.m. Compliance checks are a proven method to reduce sales of alcohol to underage drinkers. The underage decoys will attempt to purchase alcoholic beverages as part of the operation. “We do these decoy operations so that the folks who sell alcohol get the message loud and clear about selling to people under 21,” says Pam Erickson, deputy director of Oregon Partnership, a non-profit alcohol and drug prevention organization that spearheaded the missions under a grant from the Oregon Department of Human Services. About a quarter of the randomly selected Multnomah County stores, bars and restaurants involved in last February’s decoy operation sold alcoholic beverages to minors. That illegal sales rate is the same as was recorded in the compliance checks carried out in December, 2007 by Oregon Partnership, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, and Multnomah County law enforcement agencies. But it also shows an increase over the past year. Of the 72 establishments visited in February, 18 sold alcohol to minors, which equates to 25%. That compares to an illegal sales rate of 19.7% recorded in the decoy operation in June of 2007 and 18% in March of 2007.

The OLCC actually did something commendable this morning. Let’s not fuck it up.

Not to be confused with Illegal Download BitTorrent Day, Record Store Day is an attempt for small independent record stores to remind music fans everywhere that, yes, they do still exist and you should go into them and actually buy music for a change.

Tomorrow’s event—in which hundreds of stores across the country are celebrating—will feature some great local events which include, but are not limited to; live music and free gift bags with CDs/7”s/goodies (Music Millennium), special sales and giveaways (Everyday Music), and a chance to whup Menomena’s collective ass in foosball (Jackpot Records Downtown).

If you need a YouTube clip to document the demise of independent record stores, then click here for the trailer to I Need That Record!: The Death (Or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store, which despite its title, is not about feral cats. I think it’s about record stores or something.

In a surprising move the OLCC has unanimously voted to amend 845-006-0340 Minor Postings!

Basically, this means that certain Oregon venues which sell alcohol can submit (and comply by) specific control plans which enable them to host minors without eliminating their bar. This is great news for Portland’s music and arts community.

Amy will chime in with all the details later today, I just wanted to share the good news.

Now, let’s get some teenagers drunk!!!

Just kidding.

There are no words to describe the awesomeness that is Levar Burton. Period.

At the risk of using words to describe this event, I need to tell you that the Wordless Music Series is coming to Portland tonight. This is a very cool concert series that’s previously only taken place in New York; tonight is the first West Coast date.

What is the Wordless Music Series? From the “words” that are written on its website:

The Wordless Music Series is devoted to the idea that the sound worlds of classical and contemporary instrumental music — in genres such as indie rock, free jazz, and electronic music — share more in common than conventional thinking might suggest. To illustrate the continuity between these worlds, the series will pair rock and electronic musicians in an intimate concert setting with more traditionally understood classical and chamber music performers.

Tonight’s show at Holocene features a performance by Stars of the Lid, who create unbelievably gorgeous ambient music. They’ll be accompanied by a string quartet and some cool light projections. Also on the bill is Christopher Willits, a San Francisco guitarist/visual artist, and Classical Revolution PDX will be performing a Shostakovich string quartet and “Spiegel Im Spiegel” by tintinnabulist composer Arvo Pärt.

To be honest, I can’t imagine what this will be like at Holocene (1001 SE Morrison). The room is great for visual projections, but are people going to be standing in a packed crowd, the way they do for rock shows? Will they stake out floor space and sit? Will folks be flocking to the bar? (Nothing says ambient/classical music appreciation like a good, solid buzz.)

In the meantime, here’s audience footage (great sound, awful video) of Stars of the Lid performing in Prague, performing another piece by Arvo Pärt:

The Wordless Music Series continues tomorrow night at the Old Church (1422 SW 11th) with performances by Eluvium and Third Angle New Music Ensemble. They’ll be performing music for string quartet by Chen Yi, Zoltan Kodaly, and Portland composers Tomas Svoboda and David Schiff.

MARK KOZELEK, DAVID BAZAN
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Witnessing Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon performing under a giant illuminated cross inside a Texas Presbyterian church (during South by Southwest) was an odd feeling to say the least. Looking like he’d ditched his notoriously prickly behavior and sinning ways, Kozelek seemed humble, if not downright vulnerable, for the first time in his nearly 20-year career. Much like the greatest icons of the singer-songwriting stable—from Elliott Smith to Tim Hardin—there was also something unapproachable about Kozelek. You didn’t want to have a beer with him, befriend him, or have him crash on your couch—you just wanted to worship him, from afar. The absolutely stunning April, his latest under the Sun Kil Moon moniker, showcases Kozelek’s hazy, soft voice and ability to emotionally draw you in, with the album’s sprawling opener, “Lost Versus,” which clocks in at a little under ten minutes, or the reminiscing love dirge “Moorestown,” where his sad voice seems more pained than usual when he sings, “My thoughts will pause, my throat will swell/When her name is spoken.” That song, in particular, is one of Kozelek’s best, which—when you consider the depth of his vast catalog—is saying a lot. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

I am not joking about this song. While Kozelek was playing it at SXSW, I turned to my friend sitting next to me in the pew and said (a little too loud for church), “this is fucking gorgeous.” To which he replied, “shhhhh!”

Tonight, at the Aladdin, I promise to be quiet and keep my expletives to myself.

MP3:
Mark Kozelek - Moorestown

Photo by Nyree Watts

SYMPHONY X, EPICA, INTO ETERNITY
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Power metal conquers evil. We even have proof. Helloween (remember them?) literally defeated Satan (remember him?) at the end of 1988’s Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2, which is why the last 20 years have been so peaceful. But when it comes to fighting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, even power metal’s fastest tremolo-picked arpeggio sweep has no game. Practice your Segovia scales all you want—they’re just no match for the dreaded “hospital bacteria.” This is why Epica lead singer Simone Simons is bedridden in the Netherlands while the rest of her classically-influenced band are in Portland tonight. Nice of them to make sure Satan doesn’t stage a comeback specifically in these parts (apparently last weekend’s Behemoth show had them very worried). They’ve acquired a “live session lead singer” replacement—a mezzo-soprano from Michigan. Only in heavy metal can we do this. MIKE MEYER

That is one classy record cover. What is all over her skin? Tribal tattoos? I hope it’s not “hospital bacteria.” Gross.

MP3:
Epica - Consign to Oblivion (preview)

I cannot stop listening to this song.

It haunts me. Twice this morning. Once at the gym. Twice on the ride to work. And, to be honest, I’ve lost count how many times I’ve listened to it on the clock. Before this song crashes and burns—an inevitable death caused by obsessive over-listening—I should at least say something about it.

Coming out of nowhere (Stockholm, actually), Lykke Li has been making the rounds in support of Youth Novels, her debut album produced by Björn Yttling (best known for being the Björn sandwiched between Peter and John).

Since I’m not a citizen of the Nordic lands, I can’t get my paws on the full-length, so for now I am left to neurotically fixate on her Little Bit EP. There is a clear Bjork (Post era) influence, the soft vintage soul of tourmate El Perro Del Mar, plus a little bit of fearlessness that leads to performances in the bathroom , on the streets of Stockholm, and lyrics like “And for you I keep my legs apart, and forget about my tainted heart.”

I’d type more, but it’s been minutes since I’ve listened to “Little Bit.” Sorry.

Lykke Li performs at the Doug Fir on May 16th.

Local “exciting punk rock trio” the Gossip took to the glossy Letterman stage last night. While I’m not a fan of Beth Ditto’s street sign outfit, their performance was pretty spot on, and it charmed Dave into making some crack about touring with them in a van. Somehow I picture him being a terrible roadie.

Another Mercury music section to read after you view the world’s greatest nerdiest personal ad.

The New Bloods are the polite punks. They’re down to smash the state, but just as long as they clean up the mess when they’re done.
MP3:
The New Bloods - Oh, Deadly Nightshade!

Fleet Foxes, Sub Pop’s latest buzz band with an animal name. They join the band zoo alongside: Wolf Eyes, Wolf Parade, Band of Horses, Pigeonhed, Tiny Vipers, Fruit Bats, The Monkeywrench, Zen Guerilla, Radio Birdman, Handsome Furs (this is a stretch), and Holopaw (this is really a stretch).
MP3:
Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

I didn’t need Why? to tell me that gypsies (with “kniiiiiiiiiiiiiiives”) are dangerous, I read Stephen King’s Thinner in the 5th grade. Plot synopsis: An obese lawyer named William “Billy” Halleck, who has recently fought an agonizing court case in which he was charged with vehicular manslaughter after receiving a handjob from his wife Heidi while driving, causing him to run over an old woman who was part of a group of traveling Gypsies. I can’t believe I wasted so many years reading King’s books. Christ, that is depressing.
MP3:
Why? - The Hollows

Recently relocating to Portland from Canada, Josh Martinez rhymes about the hiphop holy trinity of weed, women, and beer. Wait until he finds out that our weed is illegal, our women have no health care, and our beer isn’t Molson.
MP3:
Josh Martinez - Just A Dood

“I’m Rocking the muthafuckin’ laptop y’all!”

That’s right! You too can be hot shit global party DJ like Girl Talk. All you’ll need is a laptop, some dance moves and a moderate to large ego. And that’s it! Hot Damn, simple huh? Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be saying things like “I’m only here for a hot minute so LET’S PARTY!”

1- Download a bunch of hit songs You’ll want to mix in current hits (maybe some Lil Wayne) with a few ironic classics (think classic rock commuter radio station).

2- Choose a musical key I suggest ‘D’, the happiest of all keys. Take the songs you’ve downloaded and shoot them through a digital pitch shifter (many available for free download). Now when your ready to overlap the songs, they’ll shake hands, musically speaking. You can easily shift pitch with or without affecting a song’s speed, just be sure to hit the right options in your processing application. Hot Tip: speeding up ironic songs to get “chipmunk voice” is a must—don’t take it from me, just ask Kanye.

3- Set your beats per minute (BPM) You’ll want to choose something fast, but not too fast. Many DJ websites suggest somewhere in the 120BPM range. But here’s your chance to get creative! Mix it up! Once you’ve decided on number, use a time shifting application to make them match (Logic is good for this, but there are other free downloads to be found). Group the songs you like by their new beats per minute. (This is the boring math part of being a computer artist, but don’t worry, things are about to get HYPHY!)

4- Start chopping! It’s time to trim the fat! Who needs all those bridges and intros and all that other whack shit? All we want here is the hook. Get into some looping/sampling software like Syntrillium’s Cool Edit Pro (not free, but more savvy users should be able to find other software, or hell, just pirate the thing like all those MP3’s you just illegally downloaded). Be sure to keep you cuts to 30 seconds or less. The audience doesn’t have time for ENTIRE SONGS(think RINGTONE, in fact, repeat it like your mantra).

5- Layer Now that we’ve got a bunch of songs with matching beats and pitch, it’s time to start draping them over each other! Here’s your chance to be funny and creative. Kenny Loggins over Dr. Dre? Brilliant! Metallica backing up Biggie Smalls? You don’t say. Kanye West and John Lennon? Genius. It’s your chance to play producer God, so go nuts—it’s like you’re Phil Spector and you’ve got the gun (just not all the musicians and skills and talent and studios and cocaine). Do something that, at first taste, will make your audience look at their friend with a cocked brow and say, “what in the WORLD!? This is CA-RAZZY! But you know what? I’M LIKE, TOTALLY FEELIN IT BRAH!”

*These next two steps are for advanced superstars only Find them after the jump.

6- For added effect Set up a few (like, 2?) different BPM groups and make people really go for it--TO THE MAX! THEN TAKE IT SLOW AND SEXAY!

7- Big Timers The most daring ones of you out there can mix these songs live. Use a program like AudioMulch, which is what Girl Talk ACTUALLY USES! Apparently Audiomulch is "an interactive musician’s environment" where "the worlds of mainstream electronica and electroacoustic sound composition to create a fluid sonic environment only limited by the artist’s imagination." BOOYAH!

8- Maximum Booyah But wait if you want to be the real TOP DAWG (and who doesn't?) you can one up Girl Talk and Mix these babies even more live--think scratching! That's right! Gimme the rock, brah.

Here's how you take it to the next level:

Purchase Final Scratch, a computer mixing program that turns your computer into a record! Here's how it works: the package comes with real records that are etched with a bunch of zeros and ones (that's computer talk, holmes). You put them on your real record player, and some crazy juju box translates your scratching into the computer and BOOM! you're scratching MP3'S! IN YOUR FACE, CRATE DIGGERS!

Seriously, this is the king hell shit! It's going to take some seriously Long Balls. But instead of clicking away on your mouse during the show (ok, some clicking still required) you're actually mixing WITH REAL RECORDS (kind of). And who isn't down with that? John McCain? Fuck him anyway.

So get out there, Young Bucks, future stars, and Big Balla's--it's time to get to work. Just make sure you take time to learn some FRESH dance steps (crunk?) while the laptop's doing it's thang.

PEACE!

CONVERGE, THE RED CHORD, BARONESS, GENGHIS TRON
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) If you’re currently somewhere between the ages of 20 and 30, chances are I don’t need to try and sell you on Converge. There was a brief time there (right after 2001’s hardcore masterpiece Jane Doe was released) that the band was inescapable, and much like what Mastodon have become in recent years, they were the metal band that it was acceptable to love no matter what kind of music you find yourself typically listening to. Since then the band has released two more stellar albums full of their signature chaotic time structures, hardcore-influenced vocals, and punch-you-in-the-face relentlessness, and for dudes who have been doing this for 15-plus years to still be this good is nothing short of amazing. ROB SIMONSEN

I agree. During the Jane Doe tour the crowd at the Paris Theatre (before it housed nothing but porno flicks, I swear) was a mixed bag of indie kids, heshers, and the hoodied hardcore masses. It was glorious.

MP3:
Converge - Fault And Fracture

Last night, after checking out Thurston Moore’s perfunctory set and stomaching as much of Girl Talk’s mash-up madness as we could at the Wonder Ballroom (where, incidentally, we also stomached a couple $4 Pabsts—which just ain’t right), we decided to jump ship and cruise on over to the Someday Lounge to see Thao & the Get Down Stay Down. This was the right decision: The corporate Nike party started to feel like the wedding of someone you barely remember from college, complete with crazy DJ and awkward onstage dancing. I wasn’t nearly drunk on super-expensive Pabsts to begin to enjoy it.

So, onward and upward, and Thao was the perfect antidote. She’s a remarkably charming live performer, modest and gracious, especially when the music gets the best of her and she starts kicking to the beat. “Geography” and “Feet Asleep” were definitely highlights, as was set opener “Big Kid Table” and single “Bag of Hammers.”

As announced, it was just Thao and drummer Willis Thompson. Regarding the two absent members of the Get Down Stay Down, she kidded, “Well, we’ve reached the end of a very long tour, and we just got sick of them. I think we left them in Nebraska somewhere.” The stripped-down line up really let the songs breathe, and Thompson was given the opportunity to fill up more space with his strong, swinging drumming. He’s a very melodic drummer, and a perfect counterpoint to Thao’s breezy style. They’ve been playing together since college, and their chemistry was evident. Thao was in incredible voice, too. She has been on the road with Xiu Xiu for a while, and her singing has definitely been toned by the experience, sounding stronger and clearer than on record. While her voice is always appealing, it can sometimes sound a little puckered (as she notes in the lyrics to “Bag of Hammers”: “As sharp as I sing…”). Last night she sounded marvelous.

If you missed Thao, she’s off to do a large tour of Europe, so you can either jump on a plane OR you can check her out, along with the complete Get Down Stay Down, at the Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge Amphitheater on Monday May 26th.

Tonight!

Berbati’s Pan–Daniel Johnston, Gregory Miles Harris, 8 pm, $17.50-20
Holocene–Dirty Projectors, No Kids, Rafter, 9 pm, $8
The Know–The Human Echo, Paperbacks, The Vivian, 8 pm
Satyricon–Converge, The Red Chord, Baroness, Genghis Tron, 7 pm, $15, all ages
Slabtown–The Bad Trees, Bugs of Lightning, Beluga Whale, 9 pm
Towne Lounge–Elf Power, Flowers Forever, The Quiet Ones, 9:30 pm, $8
White Eagle–A Cautionary Tale, Jared Mees, Test Audiences, 8:30 pm, free

David Lynch… not playing tonight, but check out his guitar!

Photo courtesy of Minh Tran

Now I realize this isn’t necessarily news. Honestly though, I would happily blog about what The Boss ate for breakfast, what kind of laundry detergent he uses, and who his pick is to win the World Series.

From brucespringsteen.net:

Dear Friends and Fans:

LIke most of you, I’ve been following the campaign and I have now seen and heard enough to know where I stand. Senator Obama, in my view, is head and shoulders above the rest.

He has the depth, the reflectiveness, and the resilience to be our next President. He speaks to the America I’ve envisioned in my music for the past 35 years, a generous nation with a citizenry willing to tackle nuanced and complex problems, a country that’s interested in its collective destiny and in the potential of its gathered spirit. A place where “…nobody crowds you, and nobody goes it alone.”

At the moment, critics have tried to diminish Senator Obama through the exaggeration of certain of his comments and relationships. While these matters are worthy of some discussion, they have been ripped out of the context and fabric of the man’s life and vision, so well described in his excellent book, Dreams From My Father, often in order to distract us from discussing the real issues: war and peace, the fight for economic and racial justice, reaffirming our Constitution, and the protection and enhancement of our environment.

After the terrible damage done over the past eight years, a great American reclamation project needs to be undertaken. I believe that Senator Obama is the best candidate to lead that project and to lead us into the 21st Century with a renewed sense of moral purpose and of ourselves as Americans.

Over here on E Street, we’re proud to support Obama for President.

Well, there you have it. If you’re the kind of person who likes to pick their president based on celebrity endorsement, you’re not going to get a better one than this.

No, this isn’t like the play foosball with Menomena thing, instead it’s a new Lifesavas video, for “Double Up.”

Filmed in what looks like the rumpus room at an assisted living home (Where are all the photos of the grandkids?), the Lifesavas crew—under their Gutterfly aliases; Sleepy Floyd (Jumbo the Garbageman), Bumpy Johnson (Vursatyl), Jimmy Slimwater (DJ Shines)—take each other on in a game of high stakes poker.

Spoiler alert: The cheater wins!

It’s only fitting that hours after I post an image of them in their glorious big haired prime, Mötley Crüe announces a Portland show, a new album, a video game promotion, blah, blah, blah… JESUSFUCKINGCHRIST LOOK AT THAT PHOTO!!!

Good Lord, it’s like Father Time raped their faces!

I know Mick Mars has been ill (Ankylosing Spondylitis, it sounds so un-rock and roll), but he looks like Death in a hat. Tommy Lee, unsurprisingly, is clutching his goods, Vine Neil looks like my Mom (before she shaved the goatee), and it would seem as if they replaced Nikki Sixx with a member of Crazytown.

Shifty Shellshock, is that you?

If you can bare the sight of it, Mötley Crüe will be at the Rose Garden on August 9th.

Well hot damn, if you can’t manage to scare up one of those free tickets to the Converse party tonight there are still options— and Thao Nguyen is a real good one. We’ve been showering the recent Kill Rock Star with praise lately, and if you’re unsure, here’s just about everything you need to know in a variety of media:

A bit of history in print by the venerable Ned Lannaman.

The video for “Bag of Hammers”

And finally another track, which you can find in my podcast.

That one’s called “Geography” and I think it’s Ms. Nguyen’s tip top shit—should’ve been the single. There’s some strange lyrical rhythms that, to me, recall Modest Mouse. But it’s the themes of “Geography” I like best. Thought the verses it takes me through an array of feelings, as I become the cheater, and then the one who has been cheated on. Strong stuff. And you gotta love the line: “Are you unhappy for me? I am unhappy for you.”

So go on, check out Ms. Nguyen and her killer backing band tonight at the Someday Lounge, along with Plants and Horse Feathers.

Um, let me answer that for you?

YES! YES! YES! YES!

Well, then get down to either Jackpot Records location right this very second. As of 4pm (right now!) there are a very limited amount of free (FREE!) tickets to the Converse 100th Anniversary party at the Wonder Ballroom tonight.

There you will see Vegaleague, Sonic Youth frontman (and house party connoisseur) Thurston Moore, and the mutant mashup party skills of Girl Talk. You must be over 21, but that’s it. So get moving right now, or regret it forever.

I only have one question for you: Who better than blonde sex bomb Scarlett Johannson to do an album of Tom Waits covers? Well, don’t waste your breath, because ScarJo has already done it, and a few songs have leaked (dripped, dribbled) onto the internet. Want to hear one? YES, YOU DO!

Here’s Scarlett’s cover of “Anywhere I Lay My Head,” that I automatically hated, then liked, and then felt ambivalent about. But more importantly, what do YOU think?

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Anywhere Scarlett lays her head—including inside this tree trunk—is where she calls home.

Hat tips to Bring Me Up.

BRAILLE, VURSATYL, THEORY HAZIT, OHMEGA WATTS, PIGEON JOHN (Berbati’s Pan, 10 SW 3rd) We cover a fair amount of CD release shindigs here in this paper, but most are little more than just a show that just so happens to occur within the vicinity of an album’s respective release. But for The IV Edition, Braille is actually throwing a party. The local emcee—who we wrote at length about a few weeks back—has hoarded the majority of Portland’s finest spitters (Ohmega Watts, and the event’s host, Vursatyl) along with some out-of-town notable names (Theory Hazit, Pigeon John), and a sweet deal where your 10 dollar admission includes a copy of his record. Bands take note, this is how you do it. EAC

Braille is also playing a free in-store performance at Music Millennium tonight at 6pm.

MP3:
Braille - The IV (Feat. Rob Swift)

In honor of our hardworking local independent record stores, Menomena is throwing down the gauntlet.

Um, the foosball gauntlet, that is.

As part of the national Record Store Day celebration, Jackpot Records Downtown has convinced the boys of Menomena to take on all challengers in the sport of kings, foosball. If you can somehow cheat defeat the band, you’ll be entered in a drawing with one lucky winner taking home “special gifts.”

The band will also be spinning records as well, but they better take it easy, since once they battle Team Mercury in the esteemed sport of calcio balilla, they’ll be in pain.

Full press release after the jump.

How many things can we cram into that bath tub with the band?

Record Store Day (April 19th) event - MENOMENA vs. YOU

At Jackpot Records Downtown (203 SW 9th Ave)

1-3 pm Free, All Ages Invited

Local Portland band, MENOMENA will be challenging Jackpot Records customers to free foosball for National Record Store Da If your lucky enough to beat the band, your name will go in a hat and one lucky winner will win free special gifts. The band will also be bringing their private collection of vinyl and DJ’ing during the event. spinning

MP3:
Jeff Beck - Tally Man

People are buzzing about a couple top-secret shows going down tonight. I’m sworn to secrecy—and no, despite the photo above, Mötley Crüe is not playing tonight (with red blocks over their eyes)—but I can spill some details on last night’s hush-hush Thurston Moore house show.

Few quotes are better than this one, from an anonymous source:
Moore played “someplace behind Burger King. I didn’t go and was sworn to secrecy about telling anyone about it.”

Hmm, that’s odd. If anyone knows where this shows was (is it close enough to Burger King that the house always smells like BK Chicken Fries?), or has any details on the show, let us know.

As for tonight, one show will be at the Wonder Ballroom (but it’s invite only) and the other will be at Slabtown, and open to the public. Good luck, gum shoes!

Holy hell. The line-up for the 2008 Capitol Hill Block Party was just announced, and wow does it look good:

Friday July 25
Vampire Weekend
Les Savy Fav
Girl Talk
USE
The Dodos
Jay Reatard
Akimbo
Pwrfl Power
Past Lives
Black Eyes And Neck Ties
Champagne Champagne

Saturday July 26
Surprise guest!!
The Hold Steady
Chromeo
Kimya Dawson
Darker My Love
The Butchers And The Builders
The Hands
Vallela Vallela
The Physics
Man Plus
Little Party And Bad Business

Personally, the thought of seeing Girl Talk followed by Les Savy Fav is blowing my mind a little bit right now. Not to mention that quite possibly the greatest band currently in existence, The Hold Steady, is also slated to play.

So if anyone needs to get in touch with me on either July 25th or 26th, you know where to find me.

How do you even review a show at a place like the Roseland? It’s almost as though there are two different shows to discuss—there’s Cat Power, and then there’s Cat Power At the Roseland. I never saw Ms. Marshall in the heyday of her mumbling, stage-abandoning shenanigans, but I have seen her perform multiple times over the last three years, including a jaw-dropping, career spanning, 2-plus hour show at the Aladdin last year. Her shows are, nowadays, pretty spectacular. But Cat Power At the Roseland is another issue entirely…

Here (after the jump!), in an attempt to cover “both shows,” are the things I’ve noticed over the last few years…

( It’s worth mentioning, too, that I have no idea how Liza Lubell’s pictures came out so wonderfully, given the lighting situation in that place. Good grief!)

1. Cat Power (Chan Marshall) has this unmistakable tone, where her voice makes the noise that your heart wants to make, or would make if it could make a noise at all. It’s a great voice, of course, but it’s also more than that—I’d go so far to say that it feels like an emotion manifest, like if you had an emotion in your hand the same way you might have a rotating fan, and then you plugged it in and it just started going. Her voice just goes in this indescribable way.

2. The Roseland is the coldest and most uncomfortable place I can think of to see a show. I have a longstanding theory that someone involved in its construction or design must’ve been straight-edge or at least very strongly anti-drinking, and so was hellbent on making the bar setup at the Roseland into the most awkward, unpleasant, uncomfortable drinking experience imaginable.

3. Seeing Cat Power perform, the songs tend to bleed together, so that everything sounds somewhat the same and you lose track of what you’ve heard or whether you can understand a word she’s saying. (You usually can’t, unless you know the song pretty well.) The thing is, that’s okay. In fact, it’s actually better than okay, because her songs become so deeply personal when you hear them at home, that the live show inadvertently lends itself to spacing out on your own tangents. You think about your own loves, your weird emo secrets, whatever it is in your life that makes you listen to Cat Power, her shows bring you to that place—which is pretty wonderful, actually.

4. Even at the Roseland, with random drunk girls yelling in the balcony, justifying their rudeness by shouting “This is a bar, damn it!” (It’s not. It’s a venue. There’s a bar downstairs, thanks.), tonight’s version of “Metal Heart” was so huge and theatrical and perfect. The Dirty Delta Blues Band comprises some pretty serious players, and this was easily the best moment of the night, with deep reverb-heavy basslines and really rich piano work, it was vastly superior to the original, even. Yowza.

5. From far away, Chan Marshall has this spectral, gorgeous quality where you can’t really get a good look at her, but you know (and you’re right) that she’s stunning, even as she sort of tilts around stage like a tangled string puppet. Up close, on the other hand, she’s odd and fierce, she contorts her face a lot, and what seems oddly graceful seems really tense at the same time, as though she might turn into her imagined boxing star and just knock you out, just because.

6. As I walked out of the show I was under whelmed, not disappointed, but certainly not thrilled. But it was the Roseland, not Cat Power, that faded into the background over the last 18 hours. So, the lesson: Cat Power is a more good than the Roseland is bad.

Here is what all the kids are listening to these days:

If you hadn’t heard of Tokio Hotel, well now you have. Here are a few factoids, so’s you can get acquainted:

1. No, that’s not Ashlee Simpson. The singer is a BOY. His name is “Bill.”
2. The singer and the guitarist with the dreadlocks are TWIN BROTHERS. They were born in 1989.
3. The band is GERMAN.
4. In Germany, and throughout Europe, they are SUPERSTARS. Bigger than Hasselhoff. They won the MTV European Music Award for “Best InterAct,” whatever that is.
5. Most of their androgynous Euro-Emo has been sung in German thus far, but they’ve just begun to do some English language stuff. Their first American single was initially restricted to the domain of mallrats, being exclusively sold in Hot Topic stores. But it’s only a matter of time before this shit is all over the place.

So, that’s Tokio Hotel. Are you ready?

Yeah. Me neither.

Image not from Friday’s show

31 Knots @ Doug Fir, Friday April 11

It’s been a bit since Portland’s snarling stalwarts 31 Knots took the stage. Frontman Joe Hague has been dabbling in Tu Fawning, a infinitely more mellow project with his girlfriend Corrina Repp. But that time away from 31 Knots hasn’t slowed or dulled their attack. In fact, it may have helped fill the Doug Fir this Friday night — it wasn’t a sellout, but certainly well attended.

Hague began in the audience, perched atop the log railing in a dark room, shining his own light. A laptop intro played as he wove through the crowd to the stage. The band crashed in as Hague maniacally flailed back and forth across the stage, mic in hand. He bumped and shook guitarist/bassist Jay Winebrenner hard, making sure to share the energy, a jumpstart for the adrenal glands.

They charged through a few songs before Hague took the guitar and Winebrenner picked up the bass. It was with this configuration 31 Knots most effectively swung around their full weight. A product of some 10 years together, the angular interplay between Hague and Winebrenner is fierce. (The history must also explain the group’s ability to stay sharp despite having just “seven practices a year,” as Hague told the audience). Winebrenner’s punchy, rapid-fire basslines are at times quite technical, but mostly avoid going over the top and remain in the pocket.

(It would also be unfair for me to go further without mentioning drummer Jay Pellicci, who rips. Let’s just say this: I brought a drummer friend with me who is fucking unbelievable, and made a point of praising Pellicci. He usually doesn’t.)

Changing jackets and ties and hats throughout the set while the band played, Hague strutted like a maniacal preacher either performing—or perhaps receiving—an exorcism. But when the music stops, so does the persona. In-between songs Hague’s deranged focus flips off like a switch. He is humble and shy and makes silly jokes to the audience.

The trio then rumble through three new songs in a row. Hague apologizes for it, but the new cuts are easily the strongest of the set, and they highlight the band’s progression.

Compartmentally, in the amount layers and technicality of the riffs, 31 Knots have grown more complex. There are lots going on. But as a whole, the songs have become more accessible, immediate and catchy—a perfect delivery vehicle for vehement rants on consumerism, the nature of man and God knows what else.

Hauge moved back into the crowd for the show’s emotional high. He stripped down to his white-fronts all while creating a small mosh pit, shouting and playing and sweating. Shortly after, the band left the stage but the crowd stayed—pleading with an encore that must have lasted two or three minutes.

When the band came back, it was clear why the took the time. Hague had donned a magnificent pseudo marching band uniform, complete with a very tall, very furry hat. It was light for a minute, but what the show really offered that night was cathartic, loud, and frantic—Friday night, rock and roll church.

If you’ve been sleeping on the excellent new Born Ruffians album Red, Yellow & Blue, please stop. It’s fantastic, through and through, and is easily a contender for making my Top 10 list this year.

Even better than the album, though, is this new video for the standout track “I Need A Life”. If this video doesn’t land Luke LaLonde on next year’s Indie Rock Hotties list I will be damn amazed. I mean really, what’s cuter than cooking to the beat? Eating to the beat is close, but I still say this wins.