It’s been 6 hours of sun, and frankly, I’m over it. Listen, I didn’t move here to squint all the time and lose my gothtastic alabaster coloring. Summer sucks. Can someone write a song that combines this awful season of sunshine with a liberal dose of, preferably Scottish, teenage bedroom emo?

Oh, hello Twilight Sad.

I’m 14, and you know,
That I’ve learned the easy way
Some stupid decisions
And with it a broken heart

Now you’re speaking my language. So if you need me, I’ll be inside, shades drawn, alone. I got some cutting* to do.

MP3:
Twilight Sad - That Summer At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy

* For my new Precious Memories scrapbook. I love arts and crafts. What did you think I meant?

Well, by now you’ve probably heard. Regardless of how you feel about the man and this verdict, the remix to “Ignition” remains one of this decade’s crowning achievements, and about as damn perfect a summer jam as you’re likely to find.

Hot damn. We’re gonna kill two little chirping birdies with one errant stone: a summer song, and one from a band playing this weekend (Sunday, to be exact).

This track, from Portland’s Nurses, isn’t quite going to be one of those bouncy, “Hey Ya!” hits of summer. This one simply sounds like summer. And by God, that counts.

It’s like being stoned at the river, swirling around in the underwater currents. Were you to open your eyes, everything would appear soupy and distorted. Blurry eyes. Sunbeams bent by the liquid. The strange underwater sound that’s both zen-like in it’s quiet and consuming as it surrounds you…

What?

Who cares. Go with it. It’s sunny out. Throw a couple beers in the backpack, pump up those half-flat bike tires, fire up a joint and spend all day and all night outside. Ride to shows. Ride to nowhere. See what you see. Relax in what you don’t. That’s where you’ll find me. Slow down time.

Again?

Yes.

Sunday, take the sucker and a couple of friends down to Satyricon to see Nurses, who are by far the sweetest Portland band nobody knows about. But my God, it wont last long. This could be their summer. There’s just no way once people hear and see these young idealistic, lovers of life they’ll be able to turn away. Plus these goddamn kids can write some songs. The song I’m posting, and the ones on their myspace are slightly funky demos, but live, the band really shines. They’ve been performing for years and they’ve got it down. Plus the two newest members (bass and drums, who are not featured on the these tracks) really add something to the picture. I’m telling you: Nurses, Sunday. It’s love.

Also, if you head over here to Brown Paper Tickets, you can save a few bucks by buying in advance. Word up.

Listen: “Apple’s Acre”

Despite the very un-summer sounding name, The Chills wrote nothing but sunshine-drenched pop gem after pop gem. Really, don’t let the name fool you. Judging by the music, The Chills never spent a day in any weather under 70 degrees in their lives.

Next up: tracks from Cold War Kids, Icicle Works, and Ice Cube. Oh, and Snow’s “Informer.” Nothing spells Summer like “a licky a boom boom down.”

The Chills - “Heavenly Pop Hit”

THE NEIL HAMBURGER COUNTRY WINNERS REVUE
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) There are three standard reactions to a Neil Hamburger performance: laugh with him, laugh at him, or sit there totally confused and possibly upset. Regardless of which describes your take of the comedian—who once single-handedly cleared out the Meow Meow while emceeing a show—he skirts the funny/not funny line with the same flair of Tony Clifton, complete with his hokey punchline, “But, that’s my life!” Now Hamburger has branched out with Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners, an album of wacky country songs sung in his deadpan warbling voice. His backing band features members of the Tubes and the Rentals, and if even his musical endeavors feel like a hipster version of Ray Stevens, there is never an excuse to miss Hamburger when he takes the stage. EAC

MP3:
Neil Hamburger - Please Ask That Clown To Stop Crying

You know what screams Portland summer to me? K Records. I find kickball, swimming in the river, and porch drinking to be synonymous with Beat Happening, Heavenly, and All Girl Summer Fun Band, among others.

However, there is one album that K released that is my ultimate Portland summer jam. Every year, as soon as the sun comes out, What Were Flames Now Smolder by the mid-90’s Portland-based The Crabs gets its due. Their fuzzed out surf guitars, perfect boy-girl harmonies, and songs about crushes are so sunny and bright (even when they’re about breaking up) that it’s almost criminal not to have this be the soundtrack to your sunshine. Below is “Love & Hate”, a perfect pop song that will hopefully be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

The Crabs - “Love & Hate”

I’m a slave to the wistful, and more importantly I’m a slave to the Dave Depper, so in his honor here is the sunshine pop gem, “It Never Rains in California” from Albert Hammond.

Of course, us Oregonians don’t want any mention of rain in our summer jams, but I suppose we’ll make an exception for the warm-voiced Hammond, as this song is synonymous with outdoor daytime drinking and ditching work for a trip to that secret river spot.

Plus, I’m pretty sure I was conceived to this song.

MP3:
Albert Hammond - It Never Rains in California

JEREMY ENIGK, DAMIEN JURADO, BRYAN FREE
(Dante’s, 1 SW 3rd) The seminal touchstones of Jeremy Enigk’s career have been pontificated upon enough by the popular media to fill volumes of post-punk tomes. However, the relevance of his larger umbrella of output allows for Enigk’s regular citing as a major musical entity since Sunny Day Real Estate’s demise. After the initial hiatus of SDRE, Enigk’s release of Return of the Frog Queen reminded longtime listeners that it was his fearlessness to embrace a wide-ranging cadre of rhythmic influences and ethereal spirituality that made his past projects so unique. The subsequent solo releases of World Waits and The Missing Link only furthered the allure of Enigk’s brash sentimentalities in a scene that could have swept him under the proverbial rug, had it the broom to follow through. His live shows are unmitigated inspiration, and he’s showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down. Score one for all of us. RYAN J. PRADO

MP3:
Jeremy Enigk - City Tonight

It begins.

After winter dragging on for far too long, and only a few teasing days of warmth, the Mercury meteorologists (we have three on staff, but they usually just fuck around in front of that green screen) have confirmed that the Portland summer has officially begun. Woo.

That said, let’s hear some summer tunes. All day long the End Hits staff (most likely just me, since the rest of the boys are probably at the lake working on one of those cool water ski pyramids) will be bringing you the sounds of summer. Hopefully this will go better than our winter dance mix (“The Winter of Our Discotech”).

While there might be better songs to signal the kickoff of the long warm days ahead, I can’t argue with a track called “Best Summer Ever” by a band called A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Sunny and Summer is the same song? Throw in a giant sun holding two delicious scoops of raisins and you have one unstoppable summertime trifecta.

MP3:
A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Best Summer Ever

Suggestions for summer tunes? Comment away…

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) There is a connective tissue that bonds people of African descent across bodies of water, but it’s one fashioned by work and wounds, not genetics. So when Africa is heard in the Americas, as in the resurrected ’70s Senegalese band Orchestra Baobab, it’s because someone carried, preserved, and reworked a tradition in a new space. Baobab’s mostly middle-aged members continue to generate the culturally, harmonically and rhythmically dense hip-rockers that once charmed off-duty Senegalese government officials at Dakar’s Baobab Club and heavily influenced the world music scene since their mid-’80s sabbatical. Although most recognized for their Cuban strains, the manifold cultures of Senegal pulse powerfully in the band’s well-worn repertoire. JALYLAH BURRELL

MP3:
Orchestra Baobab - Ledi Ndieme M’Bodj

Yesterday the kind folks in Blue Giant (whose lineup is 100% of Viva Voice, along with one Golden Bear, Seth Lorinczi, and a former Swords Project drummer, Evan Railton) invited a few of us media types to visit their secret lair deep in NE Portland.

They wet our whistle with beer (I’m a big fan) and boiled peanuts (I’m so not a big fan), before playing a live set which previewed their loose-knit and hazy Americana sound. It was our first look at this exciting band, whose real debut comes on the 20th at their EP release at the Wonder Ballroom. Until then, you can preview songs on their MySpace page, and stay away from those boiled peanuts.

Friends, there is a record called Verbs from Portland’s Au (pronounced “ay you,” not “aooohhh,” thank you very much) and it is absolutely phenomenal. The local music bar has definitely been raised to new heights with a group of songs as texturally gorgeous, and intelligent, as these.

Problem is, the album doesn’t come out until June 26th (with a release party set for the 24th at Holocene), and if the internet has taught us anything, it’s that waiting for things is what suckers do. I want everything now now now now!

Thankfully the folks at Emusic are aware of our generation’s lack of patience, and have offered Verbs for your consuming pleasure weeks before its proper release. Plus with their free trial offer, it’s basically free. Hot damn!

Free and now, the two most important words ever.

Apparently this video was loaded to Youtube three months ago, so please forgive me if I’m late getting to the party. However, I’m sure glad I got my invitation, because Wildbirds & Peacedrums, despite the somewhat awful name, are incredible.

This song, “There is No Light”, is all buildup. It kind of has that same Gallowsbird’s Bark-era Fiery Furnaces feel to it, where the songs just build and build but never break. And, like the Furnaces, Wildbirds & Peacedrums are comprised of just two members, the husband and wife team of Andreas Werliin and Mariam Wallentin. However, musically, the Furnaces aren’t an apt comparison. This song is all percussion: Werliin is subtle and amazing, calculating every snare hit with quiet precision. Add that with Wallentin’s husky, Antony-like all over the place vocals and shit gets real good real quick.

I also recommend heading on over to their Myspace page and checking out “Doubt Hope”, another truly epic slow-burner that rocks the hand-claps and shakers like it’s nobody’s business.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums have a new record out, Heartcore, which can be purchased via their record label, if you’re so inclined.

Listen up, kids! And, yes, I do mean kids. Not only is tonight the PDX Pop Now! CD release party at Holocene, but the event is all ages! Thanks to the OLCC’s recently reformed minor postings rule, the ‘Cene will be open to everyone. It’s true, I even saw the floor plan. It was exciting.

Yeah, I get excited about floorplans, what’s it to you?

Anyway, the show’s $10 cover includes a copy of the new PDX Pop Now! CD compilation, before you can buy it in stores, plus the all-local lineup (YACHT, Fist Fite, Southern Belle, White Fang, DJ Manny Lennox) is guaranteed to be pretty stellar as well. See you there.

FOGHORN DUO, HUCK NOTARI
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Caleb Klauder and Stephen “Sammy” Lind have branched off old-time bluegrass ensemble Foghorn Stringband to record the Lonesome Song album on their own. Appropriately enough, they call themselves Foghorn Duo, and if you’ve ever spent a moment with Foghorn Stringband’s authentic folksy revival, you’re going to like the duo just as much. It’s timeless music, played with guitar and fiddle, with occasional mandolin and banjo, and it’ll shake loose some long-dormant part of your ancestral soul to get you thinking about traveling railway lines, or courting fair young maidens, or minding how you’re going to feed your trusty horse, let alone yourself. The songs are mostly standards, with the occasional original seamlessly thrown in, but it’s no time warp—Foghorn Duo’s pickin’ and singin’ anchors you perfectly in this precise moment of being alive. This is the second-to-last show ever in the original Mississippi Studios before they rip it down to rebuild a venue three times bigger and better. NL

MP3:
Foghorn Duo - My Horses Ain’t Hungry

Another week, another Mercury music section to read while you patiently hunt the ultimate game, man a unicorn that looks suspiciously like a Photoshopped deer.

So maybe their sophomore record (Arm’s Way) isn’t everything you wanted it to be, Islands are still a pretty damn amazing band. Too bad their Portland show isn’t going to be at Banana Joe’s Island Party, I sure miss that place. So many precious memories in that bar. Jello shots, too.
MP3:
Islands - Creeper

Take a gander at the strange little world of Dosh. I’m all for incorporating your baby in your band photos, but why just one? Screaming Jay Hawkins had 57 kids. Now that’s a photo I want to see.
MP3:
Dosh - If You Want To, You Have To

Even an angry curmudgeon like myself has a soft spot for the hyperactive pop music from the kiddies in Southern Belle. But if I have to ask you one more time to turn down that godforsaken racket and get off my lawn, there will be hell to pay. Now be quiet, grandpa is watching his stories.
MP3:
Southern Belle - Oh Tokyo

You named your band what? I Love Math? I don’t care how poppy your songs are, no one loves math. Just the sight of a Texas Instruments TI-80 calculator gives me a panic attack.
MP3:
I Love Math - Josephine Street

See that lovable fellow flopped out on the basketball court? That is Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons, and I was so damn sure that his team would defeat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs that I made a silly little wager with fellow End Hits‘er Andrew Tonry.

I lost the bet.

So now I must do the following:
1. Attend a show of Andrew’s choice. He will pick a band that he knows I despise.
2. Get there the second doors open and stay until the last note of the last band.
3. Do all of this alone and completely sober.
4. Write a 500 word show review for this blog.

I hate you Rasheed Wallace. Good thing this band isn’t coming here anytime soon. But no matter what terrible band Andrew picks, I know it’s going to hurt. Bad.

But since I am known for not learning anything from life’s experiences, and I am a glutton for punishment, we are betting once again—this time on the NBA finals. But instead of using the same painful “prize” as before, we need new stakes. This is where you come in, dearest reader, what should the loser have to do?

Some failed suggestions include:
- Streaking (as in naked) through the Crystal Ballroom during a sold out show. Since this would involve crossing into the 21+ section of the room, you’ll need to bring I.D., but nothing else. (Verdict: Too cruel. Plus the sight of my nude body has been known to cause severe nausea.)
- Karaoke Throwdown: The winner picks a song (most likely “It’s Raining Men” by the Weather Girls) for the loser to sing at a crowded karoake night. (Verdict: Too easy. Plus I usually sing that song anyway.)
- Open Mic Awkwardness: The loser must sing a song written by the winner during an open mic night. (Verdict: This one might work. I don’t play an instrument, but I suppose that would make things all the more awkward.)

We are open to your suggestions. I know there are plenty of people that want to see Andrew suffer (and a few that wouldn’t mind witnessing me cry in public), so comment away…

It’s been a long goddamn time in the making, but it’s finally here: Tha Carter III. And after all the free mixtape love Lil’ Wayne has shown us, I figure it’s time to head out and actually buy this sucker.

In the meantime, as all the hype and numbers begin to swirl, keep in mind that Lil’ Wayne’s full-on, major-label release is substantially different than what’s been packing the loads of mixtapes he’s put out recently. I mentioned it in a column a few weeks ago, and yesterday Jon Pareles of the New York Times wrote a pretty solid story about Wayne’s segue into mainstream pop. We’ll see how it goes, but if “Lollipop” is any indication, I’m down. Seriously, I usually detest Auto-tune in all it’s forms but Wayne somehow makes it worthwhile — eat shit T-Pain! (For more on T-Pain and Auto-tune see Sasha Frere-Jone’s latest New Yorker column.)

So anyway, keep your eyes peeled here for a Carter III review in the coming days. I’ve got a feeling it’s WAY better than that Hold Steady schlock…

One more quick not on Wayne: I caught him on TRL yesterday (I know). In all of the possible venues, it was pretty amazing to see a genuine aura surrounding him there… Asked his thoughts regarding sales figures, Wayne responded: “I don’t care how much it sells, all I care about is waking up every day.”

Not bad. For all the talk of Young Money, Wayne appears propelled by the art. He wasn’t even upset that the album leaked — just as long as people are listening. As they say: Use the money to chase the art.

Blah Blah Blog.

Fuck all that, just listen to this uncensored, extended cut of “Lollipop” from Tha Carter III.

ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL, PORTUGAL. THE MAN, TRACTOR OPERATOR
(Berbati’s Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Led by novelist Chris Eaton, Rock Plaza Central is a Toronto ensemble whose albums feel less like linear narratives than hallucinatory meditations on a theme. 2006’s Are We Not Horses served as the junction of rapturous vocals, buoyant horns, and crashing guitars. Listen closely enough, though, and surreal lyrical perspectives on religion, technology, and relationships become apparent. On previous albums, the group’s wide-ranging sensibilities have been applied to more directly personal narratives, creating detailed and harrowing portraits and landscapes. Eaton’s voice is equally capable at channeling desperation and a heartbreaking strain of loneliness, and the unpredictability of the group as a whole makes their live show, at its best, gripping. TC

Hey, you in the back, stop fucking yawning! What does that say about your band? “We’re so boring that I can’t even refrain from yawning during our… YAWWWNNNNNN. Oh sorry, where was I?”

MP3:
Rock Plaza Central - My Children, Be Joyful

Yesterday’s (totally justified) love letter to the Hold Steady’s Stay Positive got me thinking about the numerous Craig Finn rants on that record, especially that great line about Joe Strummer:

“Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer. I think he might’ve been our only decent teacher.”

Technically, I always thought Ian MacKaye was a better teacher—Strummer was totally the cool uncle—but there’s no point to raising a toast to the guy who pretty much invented straight-edge. Anyway, songs that mention “St. Joe” are nothing new—everyone from Powerman 5000 to General Public have written about him in the past—but few capture the fanboy respect like the Pernice Brother’s drug-happy salute to the former Clash icon, “High as a Kite.”

“We wore pictures of Strummer/Fell over ourselves all summer.”

Void of the urgency and tattered punk anthems of Strummer himself (if you want blatant style aping in your odes to the man, look no further than this song), the song is proof that his legacy stretched far from the punk landscape and touched even the most sensitive of poetic Smiths fans. In that great breathy voice Joe Pernice hazily reminisces on his Clash-soundtracked teenage years, which seem to be have been primarily spent wasting the long summer days away while getting high (as a kite). It would make for great summer listening, that is, if today wasn’t another goddamn miserable day here in Portland.

MP3:
The Pernice Brothers - High As A Kite

If I know what our readers like, it’s to be alerted when important email lists turn ten years old.

That being said, today marks the tenth anniversary of the PDX-Pop email list, whose occasional music-related emails have been filling local inboxes for a decade now. Why, here’s the first post ever, from way back in 1998.

Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 14:33:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: PDX POP - boy crazy show
To: pdx-pop@geekhouse.org
Sender: pdx-staff@geekhouse.org
Precedence: bulk
boy crazy is playing with cherry ice cream smile, tra la la, and sarah douger this saturday at 17 nautical miles ( which is on woodstock and about 45th). it starts at 9:30pm.

hope to see y’all there!

rachel

Woah. I know Sarah Dougher, Boy Crazy (I first saw them randomly in Utah, ironically a few weeks after this email was sent) and 17 Nautical Miles, but Cherry Ice Cream Smile and Tra La La are new to me. Can anyone shed some light on those two? Judging by their adorable band names I assume they are death metal, right?

Anyway, happy birthday email list! Here’s to ten more.

Although the record isn’t due out for another few weeks (July 15th, to be exact), over at their Myspace page The Hold Steady currently have Stay Positive, in its entirety, streaming for free!

I have quite a few lengthy things to say about the brilliance of Stay Positive, so please continue on after the jump to hear me rant about why this record may prove to be the finest in their catalog, and why The Hold Steady are easily the greatest working band in rock and roll.

Opening track "Constructive Summer" is huge. Real huge. Probably as big and hooky and chorus-y as this record gets (well, maybe with the exception of the title track), and is a great kick off to this record. And right now, with this endless gray outside, it gives me goosebumps thinking about what this summer is going to be like, and Craig Finn's words hit home like gospel truth. When he sings "let this by my annual reminder that we can all be something bigger", it makes me want to get my ass in gear and start doing everything I've been putting off. The song also has a very, duh, Springsteen-like quality to it, especially the whole "working in the mill until you die" bit.

Next comes "Sequestered in Memphis", the single, and this song wins if for no other reason than it has the single greatest chorus The Hold Steady have ever written:

"In bar light, she looked alright/

In daylight, she looked desperate"

Finn is one of the most ridiculously gifted lyricists around, and this album really has him shining. It's not as wordy as either Almost Killed Me or Seperation Sunday, and not as cohesive as Boys and Girls in America, but it is subtly brilliant. It just keeps unfolding itself, the way that, say, Blood on the Tracks does. That record has some really banal lyrics to it ("Time is a jet plane/it moves so fast"?!), and it's not until multiple listens that they start to unravel themselves as utterly genius. This record has that feel to it. It may not jump out the way, say, "The Swish" did, but give Finn time: the lyrics will win you over.

Case in point: "One For the Cutters", one of the standout tracks on the record. At first it may seem bizarre, because basically this song is all harpsichord (a Hold Steady first?), off-beat drums, and rolling piano lines, and the thing is very mid-tempo. But it has Finn in full on lyrical mode, unraveling a murder story about a girl who hangs around with "townies". There are so many great lines in this it's hard to choose a standout or two, but I think "Dads do you know where your kids are?/Sniffing that crystal in cute little cars/getting nailed against dumpsters behind townie bars" probably sums it up pretty well.

This record also boasts the best ballad the band have done to date, "Lord, I'm Discouraged". A sad little love song (another Hold Steady first?) about not seeing a girl around anymore because she's too busy with either drugs or prostitution or both, and the yearning that goes along with wanting to see her end up okay:

"She says the sutures and bruises are none of my business/

She says that she's sick, but she won't get specific"

I mean, come on, it ends by Finn praying that the girl doesn't die, even though he knows she'll never be his. Heavy, for sure.

All I'm going to say about "Yeah Sapphire" is that it opens with the line "If I cross myself when I come would you maybe receive me?" I'm not even going to dissect that one.

The title track, "Stay Positive", is this band's thesis statement. It's everything they stand for, or have stood for, and is total riotous sing along fun. In the opening track when Finn says "our songs are sing a long songs", this is exactly what he was talking about. I can't wait to see this song live, because it is going to absolutely demolish. For my money it's probably the best track on the album. Plus, "I've got a lot of old friends that have been getting back in touch/and it's a pretty good feeling, yeah it feels pretty good" is my absolute favorite Hold Steady lyric ever. Just typing it out here gets me excited. I'm pretty sure this is his "didn't you/kidding you" line (sorry for all the Dylan references in this, but in twenty years kids when Finn is canonized, he's going to stand along with the giants as greatest songwriters of all time, without a doubt).

"Magazines" gives "Sequestered in Memphis" a good run for best chorus:

"Magazines and daddy issues/

I know you're pretty pissed, I hope you still let me kiss you"

Plus it has the always wonderful Ben Nichols (of the also always wonderful Lucero) giving this song some growly weight.

I think this record is going to be a grower for most people. Don't expect out the blocks admiration of it the way that Boys and Girls automatically won everyone over. It's definitely much more subtle than that record. It isn't quite as cohesive (although they do tie in all the original suspects, like religion and drinking, even if Holly or Charlemagne don't make appearances), and it isn't as bombastic, but I really feel like this is their record. It's everything good about the first two mashed with Boys and Girls, and the end result is pretty exciting. They manage to still sound like The Hold Steady, yet be a little more adventurous musically (thank the heavens it's not as crazy as the new My Morning Jacket, that giant turd of a record), and I really think this is Finn at his absolute peak as a songwriter.

Granted, I've only gotten through the thing about ten times so far, and knowing the way I listen to the Hold Steady, it'll probably be another hundred listens before I finally form an official opinion and rank it among the other three, but at this point I think this thing has the possibility of being my favorite record of theirs. There, I said it.

LOCAL H, THE PHOTO ATLAS, SHARPENING MARKERS
(Berbati’s Pan, 10 SW 3rd) There was steel grip of close to a year-plus when KNRK seemingly played the same damned five or six songs in constant rotation. Maybe they still do now, but back then at least three of ’em had to have been Local H’s “Bound for the Floor.” Before rock duos became fashionable, these two Chicagoans were peerless for years in the sensitivity and intensity of their signature sound. Great, abrasive albums (Pack Up the Cats, Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?) would follow, but fresh radio airplay was grounded and the once-golden sales became tarnished. Like that shit even matters. JUSTIN PETERSON

VIDEO:
Local H - Bound for the Floor

Later this week, I will take a brief summer vacation to go to Florida for three days. I’ll be visiting family in the Sarasota/Tampa area, on the Gulf Coast.

I’m hoping to take advantage of this time away from Portland to check out a different local scene, and maybe catch a regional band that would never tour to the Northwest, far away as we are from their sunny Florida home. So I’m doing some research on bands and venues in the Sarasota area, figuring I can go as far afield as Tampa to catch a show… and I’m coming up empty-handed. Can’t find anything worth a damn. I know that we’re in a comfortable position to easily look down with disdain at virtually any other music scene in the country, but surely there’s got to be one band worth seeing. The only things that seem to be happening are a whole bunch of cover bands.

There is a Tampa band called Zillionaire who have some passable songs on their MySpace page. Sadly, they will not be playing any shows during my brief stay.

So, if you have any tips on some cool Florida bands who play the Gulf Coast, let me know. Meanwhile, I’ll be combing through Creative Loafing to find something to occupy myself.

So uh, I’m a total ass for missing the CD release party two weeks ago, but hey, better late than never, right?

Los Angeles based old-school hip-hoppers Giant Panda just dropped their latest Electric Laser and there’s a local connection — it was recorded here in Portland. Now, geographically speaking, where something’s recorded isn’t always news, but it is here. It’s not so much location as process. And bunked out in NW Portland at Old Standard Sound the group—along with studio owner/engineer Justin Higgins—went deep into some pretty fresh recording techniques, many of which are rarely seen in hip-hop.

Just like it sounds, Old Standard uses vintage, real-deal shit. Tape machines (to which apparently Michael Jackson laid some tracks back in the day) and a giant mixing board from Memphis. Giant Panda got in on the action and dropped their tracks to that thick ol’ 2-inch tape—so warm and inviting. Add to that a bunch of tasteful live instrumentation and you’ve got one of the best-produced hip-hop albums in recent memory (unfortunately one of the best, most-intricate tracks—a disco inspired number—isn’t available online… and damn… all the little interludes between tracks, like little out-takes cut off, littered on the floor then spliced together… feel the studio!)

Have a listen to the single: “Speakers Pop” and head-over to Giant Panda’s myspace for more.

Welcome to the 25th episode of Your Radio Sucks! Since your radio’s not getting any better—at least not until the new MetroEast station begins broadcasting—we’re still your source for the most exciting new music. For our silver anniversary, your host Ned Lannamann plays a set of all-local, all-Portland music, with songs by Derby, Blue Giant, the Estranged, Matt Sheehy (pictured), Lackthereof, Lasers All the Time, Diesto, Rollerball, Foghorn Duo, and Au. Check out some awesome new bands that just might live on your block.

Photo by Alicia Rose.

While I didn’t attend last year’s 3900’ Festival (the “Two Day Overnight Music Festival Celebrating the West’s Best Indie Music”), I heard great things about the setting (Horning’s Hideout) which made for a lovely weekend of local music.

But the organizers of the festival need your help, according to this email from the folks at Tender Loving Empire:

The festival is at risk of not happening unless we all buy tickets by Wednesday so the fine folks at Union Records can pay for everything in advance. Festivals are expensive to throw…and soooo much fun!

Agreed. Festivals are fun, but they are also damn expensive to promote. Perhaps this is the reason why the 3900’ Festival’s tickets are a bit pricey—$53 (or $75 if you wait until the 15th of this month) for both days—especially with a lineup that features a great selection of local music, but no huge headlining acts. Granted, the ticket price does include camping/parking and a 15% donation to the PRA, but even an event like MusicFest NW (which surely benefits from deeper pockets and larger sponsors) costs less (I believe it’s $50) for larger bands and twice as many days of music. Of course, comparing festivals is irrelevant, but this does raise the point of what an uphill battle it must be to plan something so large, extensive, and, of course, so expensive.

Tickets to the 3900’ Festival are available online and at the Tender Loving Empire retail store (NW 18th & Lovejoy).

Full band lineup after the jump.

Friday:
The Mercury Tree/ The Quick and Easy Boys/ Outpost/ Trip Like Animals/ Jared Mees/ the Royal Houser/ Two Loons for Tea/ Power of County/ Ian Moore/ Kublakai/ Reverse Dotty & the Candy Cane Shivs

Saturday:
Imaginary Airship/ Acoustic Minds/ Little Beirut/ Broadband Shortwave/ Professor Gall/ Ah Holly Family/ Nick Caceres/ Kurt Hagardorn/ Sterilize Stereo/ Paper Brain/ the Skinnyz/ the Wherewithals/ No Go Know/ Finn Riggins/ Ohioan & the Native Kin/ Echo Helstrom/ the Kindness Kind/ the Ascetic Junkies/ McDougall/ Mantis/ Double Plus Good

“Every other band was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars, this lot was on stage because they had no fucking choice.”

Hot damn, this new Joy Division documentary (creatively titled Joy Division) looks splendid.

But, wait, wasn’t there already a Joy Division documentary that was just released? No, that was Control, which was a movie about the band. That was great and all, but no actor in the world can do that spazzy-rigid-flopping-fish-dance like Ian Curtis could.

No word on a Portland screening, but the DVD is supposed to be released on the 17th of this month, so you can just hold one at your house. And invite me.

Coming up next: The Joy Division Pixar kids movie. I heard Cameron Diaz has signed on to do the voice of Annik Honoré, who will be illustrated as a panda. A seductive panda.

Last night, after some guestlist drama (is there any other kind?), photographer extraordinaire Minh Tran was finally able to get inside Backspace (he snuck in via a bass drum case, since he is a former award winning contortionist) and shoot the electro madness that is Crystal Castles.

How did the pictures turn out?
In one word, awesome.
In two words, awesome awesome.

Christ, I am a terrible at my job.

Remember when My Bloody Valentine was dead, and a Kevin Shields influence was novel? The Warlocks sounded good last year with Heavy Deavy Skull Lover, but this was before an MBV reunion was certain. “The Valley of Death” and “Moving Mountains” evoked Loveless by breaking apart peaks of hardened love-song syrup with overdriven, psychedelic rattle. Now that we can hear Loveless live (if we want to spring for airfare), the allure of the Warlocks is beginning to fade. Luckily, “So Paranoid” and “Slip Beneath” are more Brian Jonestown Massacre than MBV—janglier than your average MBV mindmelt, but no less transcendent. MIKE MEYER

I always thought the Warlocks did “drug rock” better than anyone else, and I loved the Warlocks’ first self-titled EP from 2000 (especially “Song for Nico”), thinking it was their high-water mark until I heard “It’s Just Like Surgery” from 2005’s Surgery. Sounding like a ’60s three-chord cherry-pop A-side amped up far beyond Jesus & Mary Chain levels of fuzz happy bliss-out, it’s the kind of song that I would play as loud as humanly possible. The YouTube clip above, coming out of tiny computer speakers, probably isn’t going to cut it. So to get the whole idea, you’re going to want to go to the live show tonight. There are also a ton of songs posted on their website, so if you want some Warlock fixin’, head over there.

The Warlocks open for the Black Angels tonight at the Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12

I thought I was just going to stroll right into Holocene’s 5th anniversary show on Saturday night, but ooooohhhh noooo, I was wrong.

The line to get in the venue was almost a block in length, and with the delicious Potato Champion calling my name, I knew I was not going to wait.

But Liza Lubell did, and not only did she wait like a good fan, she got inside and took some great snaps of Starfucker. Speaking of Starfucker (Oh sorry, you’re at work. I mean, St**fucker. Is that right?), word has it that their upcoming full-length on Badman will be out on September 23rd. Can’t wait. Now onto the photos….

Good news, the Gits documentary (appropriately titled THE GITS) is slated to come to Portland, July 4-10 at the Clinton Street Theater. The film’s release coincides with the 15th anniversary of the death of singer Mia Zapata, but judging by the above trailer the film seems to (thankfully) focus more on the band’s music than the tragic events that are now synonymous with their legacy. Also, if the press release is to be believed, the Portland screenings will feature the film’s producer (Jessy Bender), plus “band members and special guests.”

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) I sort of hate it when kids get it right at such an early age. I think of how little I did at 19 and then realize that Annuals’ frontman Adam Baker, at the same age, was busying completing Be He Me, their excellent Ace Fu debut. That record is a beast of riotous fun, sounding like Sufjan Stevens alongside Broken Social Scene, which is why it’s no surprise they quickly became critical darlings in no time at all. Their live show is a thing of legend, chockfull of youthful exuberance and a six-piece band that constantly switches instruments. Yep, the kids are indeed all right, and I’m pretty jealous.

The first 1:40 of this video for “Brother” paints Annuals as just another precious indie band. Don’t buy it. Wait for the second half where the band performs live-ish, nearly bursting at the seams, spazzing out and rocking hard. Jesus these kids bring it, and Holocene is surely going to feel their ruckus tonight.

Wait, what’s that? You, like members of this band are or just recently were, aren’t of a legal drinking age? Don’t fret. The band plays an all ages set at Music Millennium on E Burnside for free at 6:30pm. Everybody wins!

Along with the free aforementioned Music Millennium show, Annuals play Holocene tonight with A Weather and Musee Mecanique.

In between the bouts of Nigerian pop and whatever new crosses my desk, I keep coming back to the Profane Existence (yes, they actually exist outside references in Hold Steady songs) released Resistography by famed Portland punk band Resist.

Huh, punk rock in the Mercury? Aren’t you guys just a bunch of emo bedwetters who never cover punk music?

Let me answer that: Yes, yes, and it’s a bladder problem which we are taking medication for, thank you very much. Pissed sheets aside, it’s true, this paper’s coverage of the local punk music scene has been downright pathetic in the past. We’re working on that, I swear. Oh, and if you know your (local) punk and are interested in sharing your knowledge as a freelancer for us, let me know.

Anyway, back to Resist. The Resistography offers an excellent look at a band that ruled the local punk rock roost from the late ’80s through 1994 (they are back together now, billed as “more mature and sober” than their early days ) with a brutal dose of blaring anthems (Common enemies: The government, intolerance, and the government some more. ) that dabbled in basement hardcore, but seldom strayed far from their straight-forward progressive message. In short, they were one of the more important punk bands on the West Coast, and this anthology does an excellent job of capturing that, right down to the iconic black and white artwork.

If the band ever gets back to me regarding my interview request, look for more Resist coverage to come. If not, get ready for 750 words on emo songs to wet the bed to.

MP3:
Resist - Get Ahead

PURCHASE:
Resist - Resistography