XRAY.FM, named after the influential X-Ray Cafe venue from Portland's past, has been a long work in progress for the folks at the Cascade Educational Broadcast Service (CEBS). The station is hoping to offer true, listenable free-form radio, much in the manner of the influential New York-area WFMU station. The self-proclaimed mission is "to advance a new radio outlet focusing on the exposure of innovative recording artists, presented by music anoraks heavy-into collecting vinyl." So yeah, you'll be wanting to free up one of those preset buttons on your car stereo.

In the meantime, XRAY Fest has a lot to offer, including DJ sets from Mudhoney's Steve Turner, Voodoo Doughnuts' Tres Shannon, and former mayor Sam Adams, plus live shows from the Bats, Kelli Schaefer, and lots more—plus some cool film screenings as well. Check out all the goings-on after the jump, and hop over to XRAY Fest's site for more info.

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By all accounts—and judging by the new material played at those very intimate shows she staged last year at Oaks Pioneer Church—About Farewell will contain among Diane's most personal material yet. From the press release:

"It serves as an eloquent goodbye to lovers from years past, coupled with some poignant last walks down memory lane. While the lyrics deal most directly with her recent divorce, the album explores her entire last decade of relationships with tremendous honesty and nuanced insight. To call the experience "cathartic" would almost be an understatement - for Alela, this was a record which direly needed to be made. In the writing process, she was able to lucidly articulate her emotions about her marriage, a process which led her to realize the necessity of ending one chapter of her life in order to begin a new one."

Let's hear that great new song "The Way We Fall" again. In the meantime, Diane will be performing at another local church—this time at a church-turned-150-seat-theater, Portland Playhouse (602 NE Prescott), on Sunday, May 19. It's part of the "No PA" series, back after nearly two years. Yes, this will be a quiet acoustic show, and Diane will share the bill with two artists from the local Mama Bird Recording Co. label, Vikesh Kapoor and Barna Howard. Tickets for that show are available here.

In related news, you are old.

But to soften the blow to those aching creaky joints of yours, there's the annual Make It Pop! benefit concert, a show to raise money for the free music festival and the associated nonprofit. This year as always, Make It Pop! takes place at the Cleaners at the Ace Hotel, so mark your calendar for Thursday, May 9, as the lineup is a good one. This year's performers are Kelli Schaefer, Monarques, Grandparents, Ezza Rose, and DJ Jeremy Petersen, and they'll also announce the tracklist for the 2013 PDX Pop Now! compilation album.

Tickets are $20 and there's also (via the press release) "complimentary hors d'oeuvres from Olympic Provisions, Fifty Licks, Saint Cupcake, and ¿Por Que No?, along with beverages for purchase from 10 Barrel Brewing Company and Division Winemaking Company." There's also a raffle ($5/ticket) and the general sense of well-being that comes from supporting a great local institution like PDX Pop Now.

There's more info here, and you can take a look at the full poster after the jump. Tickets are on sale here.

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This year's Bender has been announced, and there are some big changes to the three-day punk-rock binge. For starters, for the first time ever, the Bender will not be taking place at Slabtown this year, instead finding its new home at the Star Theater. It's taking place April 12-14, and they've already got a bevy of rockin' bands, with more to come:

Cheater Slicks, Black Bananas, The Cynics, Monoshock, White Mystery, M.O.T.O, Head, The Mallard, Warm Soda, James Arthur’s Manhunt, King Louie & and the Missing Monuments, Rhett & Dean, Glitz, Big Eyes, Life Stinks, MUSK, The Fireballs of Freedom, Sex Crime, Pity Fucks, Youthbitch, The Pynnacles, The Bloodtypes, Therapists, Wimps, The Suicide Notes, The Unnatural Helpers, Bad Tats, Big Eyes, Guantanamo Baywatch, Pataha Hiss, Moyster, Thee Headliners, Paradise, Flash Flood & The Dikes.

In the past, the Bender has hosted a Sunday matinee show, which won't be the case this year. However, there will be a "Wristband Party" for those who have bought weekend wristbands. Bender organizers Sam Soule and Brinda Coleman have this to say: "The party is going to be totally feted-out will be free food and drink AND a whole assortment of amazingly killer special performances that Bender fans are just not going to want to miss. We can tell you that Cheater Slicks will jam live with some of this city’s finest noise-makers; Tim Kerr will lead a horn-heavy soul jazz session; and King Louie is busting out his banjo."

More info as it arises, including when and where to get your Bender wristbands, over on the Bender site. This is going to be a Bender to remember. Wear a smock.

Posting this a little late in the day, so maybe it is second-hand news, but...

Break out your twirliest scarves and your dangliest belt balls (or whatever those things are): FLEETWOOD MAC IS COMING TO PORTLAND.

Original members Mick Fleetwood and John McVie and latecomers Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks announced a F.Mac 2013 tour a little while back, which didn't include a Portland date. Thankfully they have corrected that oversight, and will be Go-ing their Own Way and Don't Stop-ing* at the Rose Garden on Sunday, June 30. Tickets go on sale February 16 at 10 am at Live Nation, Rose Quarter, the Rose Garden box office, and TicketsWest locations.

*I apologize for the general shittiness of this sentence

I would now like to take this opportunty to pedantically point out that the best Fleetwood Mac album is not the vastly overplayed Rumours, but the superior, Stevie Nicks-less and Christine McVie-less Then Play On from 1969. Okay!

But just take a look at the list of participating bands, each of which will have members on hand to play with the School of Rock kids: Red Fang, Blind Pilot, Blitzen Trapper, Typhoon, Radiation City, Brainstorm, Lost Lander, Portugal. The Man, Laura Gibson, The Mean Jeans, AU, Lovers, Wild Ones, Sons of Huns, Magic Mouth, Blouse, Sloths, 1939 Ensemble, Guantanamo Baywatch, Autistic Youth.

Wow.

I asked School of Rock's Danielle Fish and Ed Thanhouser to tell us more about this incredible event, which will be awesomer than a bull stampeding across an alien landscape, and which you absolutely should not miss. Seriously. Do not miss this show.

DANI FISH: Local music is at the heart of School of Rock Portland. Everyone on staff plays in bands. We support each other's bands and are all really excited about other local bands. I talk with the kids about Portland bands all the time. A few weeks ago I ran into one of the Best! of Portland 2 kids at Typhoon's merch table. She was buying a tank top, and I was buying a record.

Personally, I live to nerd out on music, and putting the setlist together is one of my favorite School of Rock activities of the year. It's like putting together a DJ set, only you'll actually get to see everyone play the songs live. I'm not exactly sure how the idea came up, but I know it was obvious that it had to happen, that I had to direct it with Ed, and that we had to make it a benefit. After how killer last year was, there was no question about doing it again.

As far as getting the bands to play, it doesn't take too much convincing. Occasionally there are bands who aren't interested, but luckily we aren't interested in bands who don't get how amazing this is. Usually, if a band is in town, they are totally psyched about playing the show. It's a great opportunity for everyone—playing the Crystal is great exposure for the bands, the money goes to a good cause, and it's life changing for the kids. Fun!

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