This Week in the Mercury
Friday, July 31, 2009
Tonight! Hush Benefit
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 4:02 PM
(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) On the evening of February 28, a packed crowd at beloved all-aages showspace the Hush watched Meth Teeth and awaited sets from Explode into Colors, Panther, and more—until public safety officials from the fire marshal, along with the OLCC and the Portland Police Bureau, shuttered the venue once and for all, citing capacity issues. Tonight, you'll get that all-ages Explode into Colors show that you missed earlier this year, plus a chance to raise some funds for the Hush workers, who were fined by the city after being shut down. EZRA ACE CARAEFF
MP3 AU - Versions
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 2:31 PM
After sort of doubling in size—they are now officially a power duo with drummer Dana Valatka, compared to their previous incarnation of Luke Wyland and whatever warm body he found on the street—AU is releasing a brand new EP entitled Versions. Set for an October 8th release, the 10" release (suck it, CD fans) will be limited to 500 copies—there will be a digital release as well—and feature reworked/reinterpreted songs from their previous catalog, plus an epic new song, "Ida Walked Away," as well. Oh, I hope that song is about '90s indie pop band, Ida.
Track listing:
1. Ida Walked Away (unreleased)
2. RR vs., D (from Verbs)
3. Are Animals (from Verbs)
4. All Myself (from Verbs)
5. Death (from AU Au)
6. Boute [digital only] (from AU Au)
LISTEN:
AU - "Ida Walked Away"
MP3 White Rainbow Gets Demonic, Sweaty
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 2:02 PM
NYC's Fader has posted the premiere of White Rainbow's “Demon Sweat." Not from Adam Forkner's forthcoming album, New Clouds, the song is called "unabashedly New Age," which I can't really argue with, although I think it's less Stepmom New Age, and more tripping-on-peyote-while-looking-for-crystals New Age. There is a difference.
Anyway, New Clouds will be out on Kranky on the 19th of October and come in a handy double LP format. Forkner is currently on the road supporting Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, and more, as part of the "Round Robin Tour," which, I believe is sponsored by family chain restaurant Red Robin. Try the Banzai Burger®!
LISTEN:
White Rainbow - “Demon Sweat"
Photo: Krystal South
News YACHT & Pirating
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 10:15 AM
No, not the Somalia kind. Instead this is a great read from Dummy Magazine, where YACHT's Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans talk about the software pirating controversy that popped up last year.
You did an interview earlier this year and talked about the pirated software that you’ve used and well one of the companies, Audio Damage lost their rag. Were you surprised at the reaction?Jona: Honestly I was very surprised, before it blew up, before it was on Pitchfork and everywhere, I had written to them, sent them a really sincere email offering to pay for the 4 plug-ins that I used.
Claire: Didn’t you actually pay for them then?
Jona: No I didn’t, I offered, he refused. He never got back to me he just wrote publicly on his blog and referenced my letter. That was completely ridiculous to me. For one it’s funny how much coverage it got as it started in this weird vacuum of a software plug-in developers blog’s comment section, that’s where it really blew up.
It's a pretty fascinating situation and if there is no new Keyboard Cat to suck away your internet hours today, it's definitely worth reading.
Photo: Sarah Meadows
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tonight! Soul Clap, Now with Flop Sweat
Posted by Courtney Ferguson on Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 12:59 PM
I know, I know, it's still freakin' hot out. But that's just nature's way of making you a sweaty, angry dancing machine. So don't forget about the soultastic dance night and contest, Soul Clap & Dance Off, at Rotture tonight. NYC's Jonathan Toubin and our own DJ Beyonda will be making the soul records (and your heat-addled head) spin. Since Rotture is not exactly known for being lousy with air-conditioned comfort, I can pretty much guarantee that every dancer's going to lose seven pounds of water weight—combine that with $100 for the grand prize in the dance contest and you've got the makings of a perfect dehydrated Thursday night.
News This Week's Mercury Music Section
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 9:29 AM
Another week, another Mercury music section to read while sitting in a Turkish jail. If flashing the devil horns is wrong, I don't want to be right. Or Turkish.
- - -
We get all up in the grill of the Pickathon and refuse to use the term "hippie-granola" throughout the entire article. Who are we kidding? It's in the first sentence.
- - -
Give thanks to the ambitious pop arrangements of Church. Now it's only a matter of time before that Australian band from the '80s, and our litigious Lord, sue them.
LISTEN:
Church - "Hidden Tone"
- - -
Despite promo photos (see above) that warrant a Lonesome Dove joke—we know what the kids like, and it's references to Larry McMurtry books—Megafaun do a stellar job of expanding the rigid parameters of the Americana genre. Brother Woodrow, lead us in the closing prayer.
LISTEN:
Megafaun - "Kaufman's Ballad"
- - -
We examine the unconditional rock and roll of Purple Rhinestone Eagle. At PDX Pop Now! their bass player had a skull on her mic stand, but Steven Tyler is not impressed. He thinks that mic stand skull could use a nice scarf.
LISTEN:
Purple Rhinestone Eagle - "Walk With the Wizard"
- - -
The Henry Clay People offer a new take on classic rock, and 19th century American politics. Now when will this paper cease it's blatant pro-Whig Party bias?
LISTEN:
The Henry Clay People - "This Ain't A Scene"
Photography Life on the Road in 156 Glossy Pages
Posted by Theodora Karatzas on Thu, Jul 30, 2009 at 6:51 AM
Sometimes, it would be nice if musicians would just stick to the music and leave the rest to the professionals. Clothing lines, perfumes, and memoirs really don’t figure into my qualifiers on what makes a good music career. However, in recent years, there’s been an incredible outpouring of artistic collaborations wherein artists are beginning to jump the borders between visual art, music, writing and other creative endeavors.
Such is the situation with the recently released book, The Art of Touring. Here, we see a case where only a pack of seasoned musicians could have successfully created such a project. Edited by Sara Jaffe of Erase Errata and Mia Clarke of the late great Electrelane (I know it says "indefinite hiatus," but I get the feeling these ladies are gone for good), the book is a collection of art, photos, and writing on what the life is really like behind the wheel of a touring vehicle.
This lovely package comes complete with a DVD of live footage, tour diaries, and video art from Andy Moor, Mecca Normal, Erase Errata, The Jeffrey Lewis Band, Electrelane, Neptune and more.
I haven’t gotten a chance to see a physical copy but the the photo samples and writing snippets that were available look stunning. For added cool points, the book is being published by Yeti, run by Mike McGonigal, and a portion of the profits will be going to Musicians' Emergency Fund, a terrific non-profit committed to helping musicians through hard times and emergencies (sorry, running out of pizza in the middle of practice does not qualify as an emergency).
In conjunction with the release of The Art of Touring, there will be group photo exhibition on August 6th at the Fontanelle Gallery (205 SW. Pine), plus a reading/performance on August 22nd that will feature Jaffe, Tara Jane O'Neil, and Julianna Bright of the Golden Bears.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
MP3 The MOTHERLOAD: PDX Pop NOW!
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 6:09 PM
You can download every goddamned set performed at PDX Pop Now right here! How fucking cool is PRA? Sure can't wait 'till they get that real bandwidth...
Photo: Christian Reed - Concert Co-Op
MP3 It's HELL!
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 5:46 PM
In observance of the heat AND the shitty economy, I present the most ideal, topical song possible for the last scorching week:
"Hell" by James Brown:
(This is a phenomenal album by the way. One of Brown's best. The band is in top form, even for them, and every song marked with the crash of a giant gong. Enjoy.)
News The Kelly's Olympian Venue Becomes The Knife Shop
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 9:50 AM
Pop quiz: What is the name of the venue inside Kelly's Olympian?
Um, Kelly's Olympian?
Wrong answer, may you be crushed by one of those motorcycles perched in their rafters. Kelly's is keeping their name, but the venue portion of the downtown bar is getting a pointy new moniker: The Knife Shop.
The change will happen on September 11th (never forget!) of this year during a benefit show for the Transitional School. Why The Knife Shop? Booker Nalin Silva explains via email:
The Knife Shop is a nod to The George and Sons Cutlery Shop that was there for so many decades, and the renovation will make The Knife Shop one of the best venues in Portland to take in a show.
Well there you go.
Video YACHT - "Psychic City (Voodoo City)" Video
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Wed, Jul 29, 2009 at 9:02 AM
P4K has posted the YACHT video for "Psychic City (Voodoo City)," from their DFA debut, and just-released, See Mystery Lights album. With a drip-drip beat that sounds like it was trapped in R. Kelly's closet—with Rufus—the song is a joyful little pop number that stands on it's own, yet still fits in nicely within the context of the album. And the video? Well, it finds the duo partaking in all sorts of creepy occult and religions activities—plus there is some smooching as well. I have never seen The Da Vinci Code, but I imagine the film is exactly like this.
There are rumors of a YACHT hometown show in September, but nothing is confirmed as of yet. As always, we'll let you know.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tonight! Sonic Youth - Tonight!
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 4:18 PM
SONIC YOUTH, AWESOME COLOR
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) If I can whittle down an entire lifetime of rock obsession to one single memory, it would be Thurston Moore dry-humping an amp with his guitar in a swirling sea of feedback. Witnessing this scene has been a constant occurrence in my life—I have three shirts from the Dirty tour, all purchased on my 13th birthday, to prove it—and a staple of the Sonic Youth live experience. Even if this year's The Eternal is no Daydream Nation (or Rather Ripped, for that matter), and the mere act of peering at Thurston and Kim reminds you of your fragile mortality, Sonic Youth just might be the most important band of my lifetime. They survived New York in the '80s, the burst/bloom/collapse of the '90s alt-rock scene, and even an extended stay from Jim O'Rourke—thus proving that no matter what else happens in this world, Sonic Youth are forever.
Not only are they forever, they are here tonight. And, yes, the Roseland does have air conditioning, you big sweaty baby.
Video / Tonight! Japandroids Tonight!
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Japandroids play tonight at Holocene. They sound (and look) like this:
Japandroids have never played Portland before. Here is an article from this week's paper about them.
Still need a reason? Okay, here you go:
Holocene has air conditioning. In fact, you are welcome to go to the show early and hang out in the lounge with a frosty cocktail. They have two a/c units pumping out cold air in the front room, and one in the show room.
Yeah. I thought that would do the trick.
Video Ears to the Ground with Au
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Well, we wrote about that Nurses video yesterday, so let's keep on this theme and post this lovely Dig for Fire piece on Au. Similar to what we posted yesterday, the band's contribution to the "Ears to the Ground" series has a personal interview with frontman Luke Wyland—who discusses his stuttering—plus a pair of lovely and dramatic performances at his piano, and on a BBQ grill.
There needs to be more videos like this.
Video New Menomena Song + Video (Sort Of)
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Still swooning from Menomena's headlining set the other night? Well now you can watch a live video of the band performing a song that just might be called "Caught." This live PDX Pop video features the back of someone's head, but the sound quality is excellent and since that new Menomena record probably isn't coming anytime soon, we'll take what we can get.
Link: Prefix
Edit: Drummer Danny Seim writes to us to say that "Caught" is not the title, instead the song is called "Queen Black Acid." We like that title much better.
Photography Pdx Pop Now! More Pictures!
Posted by Philip Gaudette on Tue, Jul 28, 2009 at 6:36 AM
Kind of a slight delay, but here are a few more photos from the incredibly fun (and sweltering) PDX Pop Now! weekend, with a sweaty finale featuring Menomena. Kudos to Anna Ottum for all of the great pics.
Now I return to the freezer from which I came.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Video / Tonight! Noisettes Tonight!
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 4:32 PM
With sophomore album Wild Young Hearts, London's Noisettes are now following the trend instead of setting it. The warm, retro-soul trappings of current single "Never Forget You" sound aimed straight for the wallets of Amy Winehouse fans, and the disco beat of "Don't Upset the Rhythm" is comfortably ensconced in the dance-punk trend of a few years ago. So, familiarity aside, let it be said that lead singer Shingai Shoniwa is a much stronger and more inventive vocalist than Amy Winehouse can ever hope to be—and a much more likeable presence, to boot—and that the music of Noisettes is capable of making a lot of people have a lot of fun, even if it's nothing they haven't heard before.w/Autopilot Is for Lovers; Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd, 9 pm, $10
Video The Gossip Take a Stab at "Psycho Killer"
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Sure, it would have been nice to see the Gossip burn it up in the SE industrial blocks for PDX Pop Now, but they are no longer our band, they are everyone's band.
That is why the trio quartet (Wait, when did that happen?) was at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Saturday, and it was there that they broke out a cover/medley of the Talking Head's "Psycho Killer." It's a little unorthodox of a cover (needs more "fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa"), but then again, what else did you expect from Beth Ditto and pals?
Tonight! Warpaint - Tonight!
Posted by Andrew R Tonry on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 3:12 PM
WARPAINT, MOON RATS, MIKAH SYKES
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Certain bands excel in particular spaces. For Warpaint, a breezy, tranquil, starry night at an intimate venue is ideal. There the group's ghostly vapors should float right on through the wispy curtains and off into the summertime sky. For the Los Angeles foursome—three girls and a boy—these grooves (as opposed to more shifting pop compositions, which they mostly avoid) run the risk of becoming trapped in a larger venue. At Valentine's, they should be safe. It's also a homecoming of sorts: Co-vocalists Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman grew up in Eugene, where Kokal cut her teeth in a band with tonight's opener Mikah Sykes. Here's hoping the two rekindle the fabulous, effervescent and bittersweet folk single "I Would Not" during his set. Word is they might. ANDREW R TONRY
Warpaint "Billie Holliday":
Video Nurses in Rhythm
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 2:32 PM
I know what you're thinking:
No shit, Sherlock, of course Nurses' Apple's Acre is going to be of the best local releases of the year. Now tell me something I don't know.
Um, how about the "Nurses in Rhythm" video? Have you seen that?
The video, courtesy of Left | Right Hand, features the boys in the band talking about the new record, fleshing out material in their makeshift studio, and then busting loose on a live version of their standout track (and single?), "Technicolor." As far as glimpses of the recording process go, it's far more enjoyable, and fun, than most drab videos of people hunched over mixing boards, or those depressing recording scenes in Some Kind of Monster.
The only thing that could make this video—ans every video—better would be a shot of Dave Mustaine crying like a baby.
Tonight! We Like Pizza, We Like Pizza Hardcore!
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 1:34 PM
You know Good Neighbor Pizza, right? That friendly joint on Dekum that serves pie in the pizza-defunct Bermuda Triangle that is my neighborhood? Well, it would seem that they are branching out and putting on shows these days. What sort of music, you ask? Acoustic folk? Open mic?
Uh, how about Bane?
Oh, sorry, I meant: BANE.
Yeah, that BANE. The influential hardcore icons from Massachusetts that have been cutting the shit and starting the pit for over a decade will be moshing next to the mozzarella in what might be the most bizarre band/venue combination I've heard of in quite some time. If that wasn't enough, opening the show will be Broadway Calls, who are about to tour with Gaslight Anthem (and a few shows with the Offspring which we will not talk about) and release a much anticipated album on SideOneDummy.
Pizza and hardcore, sounds like a pretty good way to spend a Monday night.
LISTEN:
BANE - "Bang The Drum Slowly"
News / Gossip (No, Not the Band) Thao Visits The Woods
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Shhhhhhhh. At first this was just a boozy rumor tossed around at PDX Pop Now, but now it is confirmed:
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down and Horse Feathers will perform tomorrow (Tuesday, July 28, doors at 8 pm) at the Woods. If you have yet to visit the lovely SE venue, now is your chance. Plus tickets are an affordable $7, which means you can chow down at Saburos before the show and just walk over.
It just keeps getting better, here is an update:
"There will be a special guest appearance by members of the Portland Cello Project joining Thao on some songs."
MP3 For the Love of God, It's Hot
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 8:25 AM
The combination of a couple hours of sleep—PDX Pop Now almost killed us—plus the odd sensation of sweat trickling out of every single pore, has mad us a little cranky today. We're just going to just sit in our darkened office, hydrate, and type the hangover away. You know where to find us.
It's no "Sunday Morning Coming Down," but this will do...
LISTEN:
J Church - "Sunshine"
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Photography PDX Pop Now! Pictures!
Posted by Philip Gaudette on Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Or rather, pictures of Laura Gibson and Nice Nice. Laura Gibson cooled everyone down from another hot day of music with her charming folk songs, which happened to fit well with the festival theme—can we keep singing "this is not the end" please? Nice Nice were feverishly improvising on spot (my way of avoiding the "jam band" handle they've received) and, albeit some technical difficulties, kept on... jamming. Damn.
Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the shirtless ponytailed dude that was tripping out and dancing during Nice Nice (and scaring everyone around him) but if anyone has a photo to help me relive the moment, I'd definitely appreciate it. See you at Day Three.
Live Review PDX Pop Now! Day Two
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 10:40 AM
I didn't think it was possible, but the second day of PDX Pop Now! was even more fun than the first. Late night attendance was big, although probably not as big as Friday's, but for most of the afternoon Rotture was comfortable, not too hot and crowded. Church played a remarkable set that featured a horn section augmenting their darkly dynamic, ponderous rock; meanwhile, Nice Nice played a rare killer set that only emphasized how much more often they need to play. Laura Gibson commanded a hushed crowd with ease, while Deelay Ceelay after some technical hiccups played a zoney, trancey tunes with two drumkits and some wild video projection.
We've been using Twitter to broadcast impressions about the event, and I could rehash those "tweets" for you into a semi-coherent overview—they're actually functioning as a kind of public notepad—but I think it's more in keeping with the momentary, flashing thrill of PDX Pop Now! and its clusterfucky tendencies to let the "tweets" stand on their own. Check 'em out here.
Oh, and hey, I am a lousy photographer so I am not going to inflict any pictures on you, but if you've got a link to pics you took at the fest, please post them in the comments! Also, take a gander at the PDX Pop Now! Flickr group.
Day Three begins at noon. Are you ready?
(I think I need some pancakes before I can answer that question.)
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