This Week in the Mercury
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Upcoming / Gossip (No, Not the Band) Short Notice: Atlas Sound Play Holocene Next Week
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 11:02 AM
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, Tues Feb 16, 8:30 pm, $10
News Pickathon 2010 Announces Lineup (And it's Really Good)
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 7:06 AM
Oldham alert! The lineup for the 12th year of the Pickathon has just been announced and they are bringing out the big guns this year: Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang, Heartless Bastards, Langhorne Slim, outlaw country icon Billy Joe Shaver, and plenty more. All of this goes down on a series of stages (forest, barn, etc) at Pendarvis Farm on August 6th-8th.
The partial lineup (more names are coming in the following months) is after the jump.
Monday, February 8, 2010
MP3 Decemberists Coverapalooza
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 3:01 PM
You Ain't No Picasso has posted over 50 various covers from Colin Meloy and his merry band of Decemberists. Want to hear Meloy pay tribute to the Moz, Robyn Hitchcock, ELO, Sam Cooke, and countless others? Well, then you are in luck, my friend.
LISTEN:
Colin Meloy - "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty" (Morrissey cover)
Contest Win Tickets to See the Presidents of the United States of America!
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 2:39 PM
The Presidents of the United States of America—yes, the very same band that brought songs like "Lump," "Peaches," and "Kitty" into our youthful lives—will be at the Roseland Theater this Thursday night, and we want to send you and a guest.
Just like that Socialist Kenyan-born Obama is giving away money to banks (and korans to our precious children), PUSA is parting with a free song this week via their site. Fitting, it's a song not about America (check it out below). Anyway, to win your way into their show, just comment below and explain why you deserve these two tickets. Talk about their music, peaches, or perhaps your favorite U.S. president. The best response by Tuesday (that's tomorrow) at 5pm wins the tickets. Good luck, and God bless.
LISTEN:
The Presidents of the United States of America - "Rooftops in Spain"
Tonight! Black Flag Fan Club at East End!
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 1:07 PM
Man, I love Black Flag. I could speak nostalgically about them at the drop of a hat. I still relive that seminal moment parked outside of a Wal Mart in the 'burbs listening to "Machine" for the first time over and over again ten years later. That moment was the first time punk rock scared the bejesus out of me and it was awesome. Anyways, thankfully there's a place I can go where people can appreciate such sentiment—tonight at East End.
Black Flag Fan Club may be the next best thing to a proper Black Flag reunion (which unfortunately may never happen). Tonight's lineup is a damn good start and I certainly hope more local bands follow suit to pay tribute to one of the best punk band of all time (here's looking at you Black Elk).
LISTEN:
Black Flag - "Machine"
News Contribute to the Bikini Kill Blog
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Feb 8, 2010 at 8:06 AM
- Pat Graham
Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill (and don't forget Julie Ruin or Le Tigre) has fired up the band's blog and is looking for contributors. She'll double dare ya to send in stories, photos, videos, sock puppets, or whatever BK memories you care to share.
Please add your Bikini Kill story to this blog! It can be totally off the top of your head and doesn’t need to be fancy. Maybe it’s your reaction to a song we wrote, something weird that happened at one of our shows, a personal anecdote or just WHATEVER. Feel free to send images too!Send yr story to bkillarchive@gmail.com and we will post it or just leave a comment somewhere on the site. Thanks!
Link: Daily Swarm
Friday, February 5, 2010
MP3 Spencer Krug Says Pay As You Like
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 8:31 PM
- Snorkelface
I had a long post for this but I can't find the goddamn old interview I did with Spencer Krug. It was a great one, about his one day deciding, 'fuck it, I'm not going to work at this bakery any more, I'm pursing music.' The story seems to have been swallowed up by the internet (yet many of the dumber things I've written most certainly still exist...)
Krug recently released a marimba driven EP under the new moniker Moonface. The title: Dreamland EP: marimba and shit-drums. It's a 20-minute long single composition, and the title is pretty apt. It's marimba, effected marimba, electronic drums and Krug's stream of conscious, pitter patter of odd lyrics. Throughout the moves and arcs, Dreamland is a pretty great little suite. Even better, the sometimes member of Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes and Sunset Rubdown is using the Pay What You Want model.
Take a listen to the five-minute preview below, and if you like it, pop on over to the download page, and pay what you think is fair.
"Dreamland EP: marimba and shit-drums:"
Tonight! Fingers With Benefits
Posted by Mark Lore on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 5:58 PM
There's another one tonight at the (World Famous) Kenton Club, one of my favorite spots to take in an adult beverage. Post-rockers the Wax Fingers will provide some of the night's dexterous soundtrack—all you have to do is buy drinks and listen. The more drunk you get, the more money goes to those who need it.
Also on the bill is singer-songwriter Gavin Castleton, Wester Daywick and new local band Holy Tentacles, who's been described as Minus the bear with female vox. Show starts at 9pm, and is only open to generous 21+ patrons.
MP3 / I'm Drunk! Behold Geek: Remixed III.
Posted by Erik Henriksen on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 2:42 PM
- Art by Mike Russell and Bill Mudron.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Any album that begins with a pissed-off Laura Roslin shouting at the listener gets a big thumbs up from me.
Apparently aware of this rule, occasional Mercury freelancer Bobby "Fatboy" Roberts (of Cort and Fatboy fame) has finally released Geek: Remixed III, his third collection of remixed geek tunes. You can download III (along with I and II) for free right here. Bobby samples, remixes, and mashes up geeky tunes both contemporary and classic—making for fresh, compulsively listenable versions of everything from Bear McCreary's Battlestar Galactica score to the Night Court theme. It's pretty fantastic stuff.
A track from III is below, along with a track from the first Geek: Remixed that I couldn't help but include, given my earlier ramblings about Kill Bill.
LISTEN:
"A Fistful of Rupees" (Remixed and re-edited by Bobby "Fatboy" Roberts. Contains Samples of "Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and "Overworld Theme" by Koji Kondo from The Legend of Zelda)
LISTEN:
"Nas - Made You Look (Kill Bill Remix)" (Remixed by Bobby "Fatboy" Roberts. Lyrics by Nasir Jones. Samples "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei)
Tonight! Stankhouse Records Party - Tonight!
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Swamp rockers Here Comes A Big Black Cloud have been preaching their brand of Southern fried, beer-battered, zombie punk to Portland since moving here 2005 (after evacuating post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans). Over the last year, however, they've shifted their attention to their very own record label, Stankhouse Records.
The label has released not only their own albums but also records by Thee Ohsees, Don Hellions, Popitilopitilus, and many more. Tonight they celebrate the label's one year anniversary with a free show as well as a new split record from HCABBC and Tiny Knives.
This one minute sprint of a song sounds like a mash up of Thee Ohsees, The Cramps and Minor Threat.
LISTEN:
Here Comes A Big Black Cloud—"(Nuclear War) x (A Motherfucker)"
Here Comes A Big Black Cloud, Tiny Knives and Magic Johnson perform tonight at Ducketts Public Haus (825 North Killingsworth). Free & 21+
News The Thermals Release a Song in Time for the Olympics
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:00 AM
What the what?
The Thermals have written a song to coincide with the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. I am not kidding. "Canada" will be out next week as a digital single available on iTunes, just in time for all that frosty bobsledding action and (my personal favorite sport) the thrilling rifle and skiing combination, the Biathlon. While we have yet to actually hear the song—we're the trashy, underappreciated Tonya Harding of the blogging world (compared to the dignified Nancy Kerrigan-esque Pitchfork)—we assume the single will better than Giorgio Moroder's 1984 Olympics theme, "Reach Out."
At least, it better be.
Let's Talk About... You Are Doing it Wrong
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 9:50 AM
While we have a fair amount of sympathy for new bands unclear of the complex nature of media relations, I'm not sure if this local band gets a pass for their poorly-spelled request for press coverage. Then again, our company vans do need a good washing...
Hello; I would like to promote my bands upcoming shows on your paper. Can you please tell me what the proper procedure is for making that possible. We are a local band and hope that the cost isn't that high. In exchange for a not so high cost, we will be more than happy to help deliver your paper or do some work around your facility, (ex) rake up, sweep up, paint, wash all your company vans, that kind of stuff. Will believe in your paper and the work that you do and that you are a pretty liberal paper that is not afraid to press the real questions that mainstream media shies away form, Props for you. We will always give you full EXCLUSIVE interviews long after we make it big. Lets face it, you should never be to big of were Home is. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thank you for your time.Sincerely; [name retracted]
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tonight! Sea Wolf - Right Now!
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 3:12 PM
- Mia Kirby
Sea Wolf, the Los Angeles—and occasionally local, if gossip serves me right—pop act is playing a free, 94.7-sponsored "New Music Heaven" show right this very second. Well, not exactly right now, but at 6pm. The show is 21+ (sorry kids) and at the Woods.
Go.
Now.
LISTEN:
Sea Wolf - "Wicked Blood"
Upcoming / News Wolves in the Throne Room Move Show to Rotture; Circadia Art Center Still Active
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 1:54 PM
- Hmm, I can see why the Fire Marshal might have concerns.
Circadia Art Center had been temporarily closed this past week. We are reopening with a moratorium on large gatherings while our sprinkler system is serviced and our fire monitoring system is reactivated. Studio usage and regularly scheduled classes will resume. I deeply regret not being able to host the Wolves in the Throne Room show on the 10th. I'm personally a fan and was looking forward to seeing them on my stage. We are working with the Fire Marshal to address his concerns so that normal operations can proceed as soon as possible... With all of the venues that have been closed or that are facing serious issues with the Portland Fire Bureau recently, there is a bit of a panic. Fortunately, the activities of Circadia Art Center are not limited to the live music events. This allows us to continue through this process.So it's too bad that the show won't be happening there, but the good news is that the show has been moved and is now taking place at Rotture. What's more, it's still an all ages show! (21+ bar in Branx downstairs)
Wolves in the Throne Room w/Atriarch, Megaton Leviathan, Chasma; Rotture, 315 SE 3rd, Wed Feb 10, 9 pm, $10, all ages
News Mimicking Birds Announce Album Details (& More)
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 12:04 PM
- Pat Graham
There is a real Modest Mouse feel to this excellent new single from Mimicking Birds, which makes sense when you consider that the band resides on Isaac Brock's Glacial Pace Recordings imprint. The local act signed on with Brock last year, but only now have they announced the details of their much anticipated self-titled debut album.
The Brock-produced recording will hit stores on March 9th, and the band will have a local release show at the spacious Mission Theater on the 6th of March as well. Tickets for the release show go on sale on the 10th of February, and we recommend picking yours up in advance. Considering the buzz on this release, it's safe to assume that Mimicking Birds are about to sell out a lot of shows in the future.
LISTEN:
Mimicking Birds - "The Loop"
News Some Days are Better than Others to Screen at SXSW
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 9:42 AM
Starring James Mercer (The Shins, Broken Bells) and Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney, celebrity blogger), Some Days are Better than Others is the much-discussed film debut from Portlander Matt McCormick, and it's finally on it's way to the big screen. The movie will screen at this year's SXSW festival during both the film and music portions of the week-long event.
Team End Hits will be cramming our taco holes at the festival, so we'll try and catch a screening and report back. On the film, not the tacos. Or maybe both.
Video Two New Into the Woods Videos
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 9:20 AM
Slow your roll, Into the Woods, you might be burned out at this pace.
The very active online video site has not just one—but two—new videos for your work-distracting enjoyment. The first episode of "Don't Quit Your Day Job" (embedded above) focuses on late night carb-slinger Mike McKinnon of Potato Champion (and drummer for Reporter). They also premiered the first "Learning Curve" clip, where Zach Osterlund of Breakfast Mountain explains the mystery behind a "cheesy techno sound."
Cheese curds, and cheesy techno. What else is there in life?
News This Week's Mercury Music Section
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 9:08 AM
Another week, another Mercury music section to read while you stalk Pavement, who is practicing right this very second within Portland city limits. First person to bring me a lock of Bob Nastanovich's hair "wins" this Mudvayne DVD that is sitting on my desk.
Van Dyke Parks! The other man behind Smile, and countless underappreciated solo records, is making a rare performance next week. You are officially excited.
LISTEN:
Van Dyke Parks - "Palm Desert"
The intimate bedroom sounds of Cars & Trains. I can't believe we cropped the cat out of his promo photo. Such blatant Tabby disrespect shall not stand!
LISTEN:
Cars & Trains - "Asleep On A Train"
When not busy "redefining psychedelic" music, San Francisco's Sleepy Sun are plotting a move out to the country. You know what they don't have in the country? Mission burritos. You people are insane.
LISTEN:
Sleepy Sun - "New Age"
Who is your favorite ginger-topped member of the Parson Red Heads? No, Danny Bonaduce does not count.
LISTEN:
Parson Red Heads - "Ram On" (Paul McCartney cover)
Plus, our local music column Our Town Could be Your Life looks at the fascinating, and prolific, world of Into the Woods.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Video Horse Feathers Get Laundered
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 1:58 PM
Horse Feathers aren't the only Portland band to stop by LaundroMatinee while touring through Indiana; you can also watch performances by Blind Pilot, the Thermals, Blitzen Trapper and others.
Live Review Never Thought I'd Ever Write This: Pierced Arrows Unplugged
Posted by Mark Lore on Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 10:11 AM
I stood there in the "J" section almost eye-level with Jack Johnson, Nora Jones and Nick Jonas. Frightened, I averted my eyes to the balcony of Music Millennium to see Pierced Arrows' Fred and Toody Cole and drummer Kelly Halliburton setting up acoustic instruments and a drum "kit" that included only a kick and a snare.
Last night Pierced Arrows knocked out a short and sweet acoustic set that made their pure rock 'n' roll even more pure.
"We're a little nervous," Toody told the crowd, which had filled most of the store with even more filing in. "We've never done anything like this before."
Toody sported a shiny red Western shirt with black-and-white piping, while Fred and Kelly wore all black. The performance stripped away the distortion and pounding drum rolls to reveal clicking rim shots and string buzz. Fred and Toody's strained howls were even more pronounced. And it still felt and sounded like a sweaty show at the East End. The trio ripped through "Let It Rain" off their just-released Descending Shadows record, and Toody took the lead on "Caroline." Pierced Arrows ended the half-hour set with a cover of Neil Young's "Mr. Soul," a song Fred called his favorite of all-time... which is why, he explained, they had to bastardize it. If he hadn't told the audience, I'd guess many would have thought it was an Arrows song.
Now I don't have any photographic evidence of the performance—just watch the above video and picture them surrounded by CDs and posters instead of trees and beer bottles. I can tell you one thing: They looked like rock 'n' roll.
Video Au Devour Their Luxury Wafer
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 9:16 AM
Compared to the less appealing discount wafers that represent the body of Christ—get a better snack, God—luxury wafers just sound so nice. Equally as nice is the Luxury Wafer site, where bands record live sets in their LA studios without the guilt the comes with eating a Jesus cookie. Au recently stopped by for this dramatic five song set that includes a pair of new songs with working titles. Hot damn.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
News Les Savy Fav Recording New Album!
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 7:56 PM
This must be the way Ned and Ezra feel when Frightened Rabbit does something. Les Savy Fav is my very favorite band to see (not to mention they make damn fine records)... yessir... and album means tour! (Thanks again piracy!)
Let's Talk About... Yeasayer's Followup Flop
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 5:15 PM
My god was I excited when Yeasayer's new single "Ambling Alp" came out, along with a video every bit as perplexingly rad as the song.
Based on "Alp," I was salivating for the album. Did it leak? Do you have it? I NEED it! Well, a number of weeks ago I got it, and I couldn't have been more disappointed. I forgot about it almost totally, until this feature on the band came out in last Sunday's New York Times. I read the first sentence and and knew Jon Pareles wasn't employing a gimmicky lead:
YEASAYER is braced for a backlash. "People could turn on us at any moment," said a smiling Anand Wilder, 27... Yeasayer’s second album, "Odd Blood" (Secretly Canadian/We Are Free), purposely sidesteps the sounds that made the band an indie-rock sensation with its 2007 debut album, “All Hour Cymbals."
How does the sound change? Pareles writes:
The sounds of acoustic instruments and echoes of African and Celtic music are upstaged by synthesizers, samples and programming. Instead of vocal-harmony chorales and canons, there are many more straightforward solo lead vocals.
In other words, some of the best aspects of the band have dissolved. They've also lost their drummer, who was a virtuosic dynamo, capable of great abstraction, driving simplicity and stunning punch.
When I first got "Odd Blood," which comes out February 9th, I popped it in on a trip to the coast. I've got a pretty fine car stereo and it seemed like a great opportunity to digest the album in full. None of the other tunes, however, had anything in common with "Ambling Alp." They were these horrid, distant, limp synth wanderings. "I can totally picture these guys," my girlfriend said, having no prior knowledge of the band. "They're little gay goth club kids, right?" She went on, "this is what Duran Duran would sound like in the year 2020."
As the tracks rolled along, it didn't get better. "I know you're supposed to listen to the whole thing," she said, skipping to the next song, "but I can't really take it." I agreed. The Times article explained some of the inspiration for change:
"They’ve been playing in European nightclubs, being exposed to the entertainment industry that supports them worldwide. I think they want to be making the sound that describes the weirdness of the environment they’ve been exposed to. It’s a digital exorcism."
But it's more than that. The band say they consciously rejected what was cool when making their fantastic debut, "All Hour Cymbols," a play on traditional rock even in it's title. Yeasayer say they wanted to take things that weren't hip and make them so, and they did a fine job. Unfortunately the sound they made cool irked Yeasayer, for whatever reason, so they forced change again.
"When you read about a Bob Dylan or David Bowie making a new-sounding record after they made one that was popular, or even loved by a couple of people, people were really mad,” (singer Chris Keating) said. “Then it’s only in hindsight that it was cool. It’s cool to keep moving.”
Maybe their right, and "Odd Blood" will be vindicated. But that's quite a comparison to make from a band who are about to release their second record. And yeah, maybe they were prescient, saying that "people could turn on us at any moment." They pegged me right. But it doesn't make me any less disappointed. I was rocking "Ambling Alp" like a motherfucker for weeks, and I sure would've loved another couple of sweet tunes to take me into spring.
Gossip (No, Not the Band) Morning Teleportation Possibly Play Sasquatch!
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 2:47 PM
While three suspected acts aren't quite enough to be a full weekend of music, I'm going to put money on Nada Surf playing Sasquatch! also (they play a Portland show on May 29) as well as Vetiver (May 28 at Mississippi Studios). Hmm. Still two and a half more days to fill. Maybe an open mic? Story sharing? How about a pot luck?
Tix already on sale. Commenters: Who do you want to see? My personal wishlist: Besnard Lakes, Peter Gabriel, Thin motherfuckin' Lizzy.
Video Feels Like Home Gets Leathery
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 11:46 AM
In an effort to take over all facets of Portland music videos, and give us enough blog content to justify our existence, Into the Woods has just debuted a new series entitled "Feels Like Home." The first episode takes us into the Dekum Manor home of Leather Tom and The Dirty Dudes.
It's a lot of fun—especially the brief Hole cover at the end—even if this clip is a total violation of my parent's rule to never enter the home of a man named "Leather Tom." Especially if there is a video camera involved.
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