End Hits, Portland Mercury

Pickathon Schedule, Single Day Passes, and an Invitation to Ben Ratliff

Andrew R Tonry — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:04:00 -0700

Reviewing Bonaroo earlier this week, the NY Times' Ben Ratliff wrote about the festival he had just attended, but also festivals at large:

I have an unrealistic fantasy of a music festival purely of excellence, with no responsibility toward any aesthetic or sound or region, only toward the principles of unity and purpose in sound. Bonnaroo is not that. But it allows you, at least, to dream in those terms.

With that in mind I'd like to formally invite Mr. Ratliff to Pendarvis Farm this August, as I think Pickathon's near-perfection might shatter such engrained expectations—or at least offer them a slight tug of re-alignment.

Indeed, entering its 15th year, Pickathon's about as good as it gets.

Part of that's about preference, of course, on things like size, texture, palate, history, etc. But a lot of what has come to define Pickathon are the very qualities Ratliff drearily wishes for: "no responsibility toward any aesthetic or sound or region, only toward the principles of unity and purpose in sound."

Last year's highlights are starting to whiz by: There was Bombino, electric and electrifying on the Woods Stage. Cass McCombs, brooding but profound on the Starlight Stage. White Denim, like a bucking bronco in the Galaxy Barn. A husky buzzing day drunk for the War on Drugs, and, nights before, kicking up dust in the inimitable Square Dance. Back in the barn, TheeSatisfaction cool things out. And McCombs once more, just for good measure. Oh, and who could forget the Barr Brothers, a tremendous, effervescent surprise after a hectic day of travel postponed and nearly derailed their set. The list goes on.

On paper, this year's lineup looks as good if not better. For the full 2013 schedule, check Pickathon.com. While you're there you can also pick up some single day passes, which are on sale now. (But seriously, do the right thing and stay the whole weekend.)

And while the ranks run deep each day, a few scheduled performances jump immediately off the page:

The Relatives burning down and building back the Barn. Sharon Van Etten in the Woods, her voice a heavy wisp of sugary sap. Kurt Vile twinkling on the Starlight. Shabazz Palaces in the Woods and in the Barn (a part of me thinks maybe those spaced-out waves would really unfurl beneath the moon at the late-night Starlight stage, but maybe that I want to see Shabazz Palaces on three stages instead of two just means that I'm really excited to finally see Shabazz Palaces, especially at this marvelous festival instead of some ol' club.)

But, as always: it's who I haven't seen or heard yet at Pickathon I'm most excited for. Over the years such unveilings have become tattooed on my musical mind. Like Bonny Prince Billy, who in person, totally clicked. Or Cotton Jones, stunning, beautiful, and hearty. Or my own personal favorite, the beacon, and shining light of my Pickathons past and (hopefully) present, the saddest sweet voice in all of country music, Mr. Sam Quinn.

Indeed, I'd be remiss to leave out yet another last-minute petition to add the Quinner to this year's festivities. One can only hope.

Nonetheless, I'll be there with bells on.

Hopefully, Mr. Ratliff, you will too.

(The whole damn schedule is also available after the jump.)

PICKATHON 2013 SCHEDULE (DOWNLOADABLE PDF)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

Mountain View Stage
1:50PM - Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
4:10PM - Yellowbirds
6:30PM - Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside
8:50PM - The Devil Makes Three
10:20PM - Pickathon Squaredance with Foghorn Stringband and Caroline Oakley

Fir Meadows Stage
12:50PM - Pure Bathing Culture
3:00PM - Leo Rondeau
5:20PM - White Fence
7:40PM - Lightning Dust

Galaxy Barn
3:00PM - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz
4:40PM - Pure Bathing Culture
6:20PM - Old Light
8:00PM - Wayne Hancock
9:40PM - The Relatives
11:20PM - King Tuff
1:00AM - JD McPherson

Woods Stage
1:00PM - The Cactus Blossoms
2:40PM - Jessica Pratt
4:20PM - Sturgill Simpson
6:00PM - Lake Street Dive
7:40PM - Vieux Farka Touré
9:20PM - Andrew Bird

Starlight Stage
11:30PM - Breathe Owl Breathe
1:00AM - Marco Benevento

Workshop Barn
7:30AM - Yoga
9:30AM - Music Together (kids)
11:00AM - Yoga
2:00PM - Cat Doorman (Kids)
3:30PM - Kids Showcase with Annalisa Tornfelt
5:00PM - Shakey Graves
6:30PM - Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms

Pickathon Café
3:40PM - I Draw Slow
5:10PM - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

Mountain View Stage
12:20PM - The Relatives
2:40PM - King Tuff
5:00PM - LADY
7:20PM - Andrew Bird
9:50PM - Divine Fits

Fir Meadows Stage
11:10AM - Bradford Lee Folk & The Bluegrass Playboys
1:30PM - Wayne Hancock
3:50PM - The Lone Bellow
6:10PM - JD McPherson
8:40PM - Vieux Farka Touré

Galaxy Barn
10:00AM - Family Squaredance with Caroline Oakley (Kids)
11:40AM - Yellowbirds
1:20PM - Tift Merritt
3:00PM - Dale Watson
4:40PM - White Fence
6:20PM - Foxygen
8:00PM - Shabazz Palaces
9:40PM - Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole
11:20PM - Shinyribs
1:00AM - Parquet Courts

The Woods Stage
11:20AM - Cardboard Songsters (Kids)
1:00PM - Breathe Owl Breathe
2:40PM - Howe Gelb
4:20PM - Sharon Van Etten
6:00PM - Ty Segall
7:40PM - Feist
9:20PM - The Devil Makes Three

Starlight Stage
11:00PM - Kurt Vile & The Violators
12:30AM - The Felice Brothers

Workshop Barn
7:00PM - Yoga
9:00PM - Music Together (Kids)
10:30PM - Yoga
12:30PM - Diane Ferlatte (Kids)
2:00PM - Malcolm Holcombe
3:30PM - Jessica Pratt
5:00PM - Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz
6:30PM - I Draw Slow

Pickathon Café
2:00PM - The Cactus Blossoms
3:40PM - Pharris and Jason Romero
5:10PM - Shakey Graves

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Mountain View Stage
11:20AM - Shinyribs
1:40PM - Tift Merritt
4:00PM - Sharon Van Etten
6:20PM - Kurt Vile & The Violators
8:50PM - Feist

Fir Meadows Stage
12:30PM - Old Light
2:50PM - Foxygen
5:10PM - The Felice Brothers
7:40PM - Parquet Courts

Galaxy Barn
10:00AM - Cat Doorman (Kids)
11:40AM - Malcolm Holcombe
1:20PM - Leo Rondeau
3:00PM - Bradford Lee Folk & The Bluegrass Playboys
4:40PM - Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside
6:20PM - Lake Street Dive
8:00PM - Caleb Klauder Country Band
9:40PM - Ty Segall
11:20PM - LADY
1:00AM - Divine Fits

Woods Stage
11:20AM - Diane Ferlatte (Kids)
1:00PM - Pharis & Jason Romero
2:40PM - The Lone Bellow
4:20PM - Dale Watson
6:00PM - Lightning Dust
7:40PM - Shabazz Palaces
9:20PM - Marco Benevento

Starlight Stage
10:00PM - Shakey Graves
11:30PM - Howe Gelb
1:00AM - I Draw Slow

Workshop Barn
7:30AM - Yoga
9:30PM - Music Together (Kids)
11:00AM - Yoga
12:30PM - Howe Gelb
2:00PM - The Cactus Blossoms
3:30PM - Yellowbirds
5:00PM - Tift Merritt
6:30PM - Bradford Lee Folk & The Bluegrass Playboys

Pickathon Café
2:00PM - Lake Street
3:40PM - Foghorn Stringband
5:10PM - Person, Place, or Thing (Breathe Owl Breathe)

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Woolen Men, Fall Out Boy, WL & More

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:30:00 -0700

THE WOOLEN MEN, SAUNA, THE MEMORIES
(Record Room, 8 NE Killingsworth) The Memories' gorgeous druggy offerings slide and chime their way to the two-minute mark before losing interest and moving on. It makes them an oddly compelling act and perfect centerpiece for the Woolen Men's perfectly crafted lo-fi and Sauna's giggling surf-pop. ALEX ROSS

FALL OUT BOY
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Read our article on Fall Out Boy.

Impermanent by WL

WL, FAKE NAILS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) My relationship with local shoegazing three-piece WL (pronounced Well) could play out through a series of missed connections: "Sorry I wasn't able to catch you perform your original live score for René Laloux's Gandahar the other night, maybe you can do it again sometime?" or "Got to the Metz show a bit late, I'm sure that your loud and dreamy opening set would have been lovely to see. Hang out soon?" Bandcamp and Facebook stalking has deepened the intimacy. The band's 7-inch on Death Party Records surrounds you with noise. On "Impermanent," gorgeous vocals and a wall of guitar swirl together over a drumbeat that somehow manages to keep it grounded. The band is putting the finishing touches on an upcoming record, so this headlining show should be just the opportunity I need to take my affair to the next level. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

THE FRONT BOTTOMS, WEATHERBOX, LEE COREY OSWALD
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) The Mountain Goats are great, but unfortunately, most bands influenced by the Mountain Goats are considerably less so. There's more than a pinch of Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle in the Front Bottoms' vocalist/songwriter Brian Sella, but not enough to qualify as desperate emulation. As a matter of fact, Sella might be one of the only blatant Mountain Goats enthusiasts whose own talent manages to shine through his most derivative moments: "Lone Star," off the group's new record Talon of the Hawk, is the first song in approximately three months to legitimately give me chills (and I was getting worried!); "The Feud" sounds vaguely like a lost Weakerthans track; and "Skeleton" is undeniably stupid, but it's also a contender for the catchiest thing I've heard this year. Rounding out the bill are Californian indie rockers Weatherbox and Lee Corey Oswald, whose side of a new 12-inch split with Scranton-based Three Man Cannon is a beautiful, heart-wrenching eulogy to '90s (post-)power pop bands like Knapsack and the Smoking Popes. MORGAN TROPER

RACHAEL YAMAGATA, SANDERS BOHLKE
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Over the past decade, singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata has been Rachael Yama-go-to, her vocals appearing on records from an impressive list of artists including Rhett Miller, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, and Bright Eyes. Yamagata's voice always brings depth to whatever she sings on. The unfortunate byproduct of contributing to high-profile records is that it tends to overshadow her own output. Yamagata has released a handful of her own records, and there's a good chance one of her songs has appeared on a television show you've watched. There's a good reason she's sought after. Take away the big names, and you're left with Yamagata's stunning voice, which is really where the focus should be. MARK LORE

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

PDX Pop Now! Announces Lineup for 2013 Fest

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:20:00 -0700

PDX Pop Now! announced the lineup for this year's festival, with over 40 local bands from great to small, from famous to less-famousish, from rock to pop to rap to electronic to metal to folk to funk to et cetera. As announced, the 10th year of the all-ages, all-local, no-cover music festival will take place in a new location this year: the Eastbank Lot at SE Water and Salmon. And in addition to the music, it will include a street fair with a shaded food court, a Rigsketball tournament, and other activities.

But back to the music—watch the video above to look at all the artists' names on a bunch of delicious cupcakes. I'll also post the full list after the jump, and it includes many familiar names, plus some excitingly unfamiliar ones. Among many others, I'm excited for Hausu, Orquestra Pacific Tropicale, Shy Girls, Sons of Huns, Richmond Fontaine, Luck One, and LOTS more. Take your clicky mouse to the jump and look at all that'll be going down.

PDX Pop Now! takes place on Friday, July 19 through Sunday, July 21, and is free and all ages. Miss it at your peril.

Ancient Heat
Billions and Billions
Blue Skies for Black Hearts
Cassow
Dangerous Boys Club
Dusu Mali
Fanno Creek
Gaytheist
Genders
Ghost Ease
Grammies
Hausu
Hot Victory
Like a Villain
Litanic Mask
Luck One
Magic Fades
Magic Mouth
Mattress
Memories
Minden
Mojave Bird
Natasha Kmeto
Orquestra Pacific Tropicale
Palo Verde
PWRHAUS
Ramona Falls
Richmond Fontaine
Satin Chaps
Shy Girls
Slimkid3 w/ Doo Doo Funk
Sons of Huns
Sun Angle
The We Shared Milk
Trio Subtonic
Unkle Funkle
Vice Device
Warm Hands
Witch Mountain
WL
Wooden Indian Burial Ground
Woolen Men
Y La Bamba
Youthbitch
and Special Guests!

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Music Monday! Laura Veirs, Wampire/STRFKR, Beyondadoubt & More

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:23:35 -0700

Martin Mull, it's Music Monday!

Laura Veirs has a new album coming out August 20, and the first song from Warp and Weft can be found in the various farflung corners of the internet. Listen to "Sun Song," a luscious bit of country-tinged folk, with Veirs' assured, calm singing holding down the pillars of a gorgeous production, complete with a string section and a guest vocal from Neko Case. This is absolutely lovely. Veirs will do an international tour following Warp and Weft's release, playing a hometown show at the Doug Fir on Saturday, October 5.

• • •

STRFKR recently remixed the fine Wampire track "Orchard," from Wampire's debut album Curiosity. It's a gorgeous remix, blurring the edges of the already wistful track, prettying it up with a pulsing synth sound and adding the very distinctive, danceable STRFKR element. It's a huge sounding track, a total hit in the making. Wampire play Holocene on Wednesday, July 3 with Onuinu before heading out on the road with Smith Westerns for a month-long national jaunt.

• • •

Beyondadoubt (AKA DJ Beyonda) has been a staple of the DJ scene here in Portland—she holds down the monthly I've Got a Hole in My Soul party, she's a resident DJ at Ecstasy, she's spun at everything from rock shows to bounce parties to the Mercury fashion show. Here's Beyonda's first single, "9Inch Heels," with vocals from Niyi and additional production from Miracle's Club's Rafael Fauria. It's a hard, metallic dance track evoking the era of classic Chicago house—the perfect comedown from an overloaded weekend of Pride festivities.

Click the jump for new music from Lord Dying, UMO, Melville, and Radiation City remixed by G_Force!

• • •

Another new Lord Dying song went up on Revolver last week—take a listen here to "Dreams of Mercy," a scorching, grease-stained mini-epic from the Portland metallurgists. Summon the Faithless comes out on July 9 on Relapse, and will engulf all it surrounds in unholy flames. Lord Dying plays a release show that night at the White Owl Social Club. They'll play there again for MFNW; Brian Posehn is also on the bill for that show, which will be awesome—heavy metal shows could always use a bit more comedy if you ask me.

• • •

Unknown Mortal Orchestra is one of the only bands in the world that could pull this off: a cover of Otis Redding's "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay." That overfamiliar chestnut was recorded by UMO at a BBC session in Manchester last year, and Ruban Nielson & Co. put Redding and Steve Cropper's classic through their patented wringer of inner-space psych. There's a sense of haze and gloom that works well with the resigned feel of the song, and the turmoil subtly builds over their performance. I don't know if this needed to exist, but I'm glad it does.

• • •

Forked Tongue by Melville
Here's a track from Portland band Melville, from their upcoming EP Maquette, due out in September. The band's Ryan Jacobs dropped us a line with the news, adding "We've heard Jason Molina to Father John Misty." I definitely hear those influences, but Melville has something entirely there own on "Forked Tongue," including a sense of involving drama among the rich weave of guitars. Melville play the Alhambra Theatre (in the Tebbetts Lounge area) on Wednesday, June 26 with Fanno Creek and the Bevelers as part of their new Wednesday night series of free shows organized by Theo Craig.

• • •

I'll end with a track from the new Radiation City remix album, in which G_Force dissected and reconstructed all the songs from Rad City's fine new full-length, Animals in the Median, and came up with A Different Animal, featuring lots of local guest rappers and emcees. Here's the "Food" remix, with appearances by Juicy J, Blimp, and Calvin Valentine (that's G_Force's alter ego). A Different Animal officially comes out tomorrow, but you can stream the whole thing here (I'll embed it below as well). Radiation City, meanwhile, are out on the road and will be back home to play the Wonder Ballroom on Friday, June 28.

• • •

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Pleased to Meet You, Episode 9: Stepkid

Nilina Mason-Campbell — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:01:00 -0700

It's time to think outside the box with a brand-new episode of Pleased to Meet You, in which our intrepid host Nilina Mason-Campbell interviews up-and-coming Portland musical acts in unconventional locations. This week, Nilina talks to Stepkid—AKA Benjamin Tyler—as they both sit comfortably inside cardboard boxes. Tyler talks about the origins of his one-man musical project (which makes the perfect soundtrack music for homemade time machines), as well as his day job teaching music, and his role as a drummer in other bands, including Onuinu and the recently disbanded Stay Calm. Set your dials to far out!

For past episodes of Pleased to Meet You, click here.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Half-Price 8 Track Relay Tickets

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:54:23 -0700

On July 20 and 21, 8 Track Relay combines music and running for a 24-hour race that should appeal greatly to Portland's bumper sticker crew. Let's put the running to the side for a moment, and check out the music: There will be 27 continuous hours of music (no sleeping, lazybones) and the bands they've booked are really good: Menomena, Blitzen Trapper, the Cave Singers, Nurses, TheeSatisfaction, Quasi, AgesandAges, the Builders and the Butchers, Talkdemonic, Federale, Lost Lander, Lovers, LAKE, Michael Hurley, Denver, Wild Ones, Lemolo, Morning Ritual, Hevetia, MC Sam Adams (wha?!?), DJ Beyonda, Magic Fades, and the Bubblin' DJ crew.

Here's the cool part: MercPerks is selling half-price passes for the music portion only—for those not participating in the race—so you can see all these bands for 20 measly bucks. (Ordinarily, festival-only passes are $40.) So hop over to MercPerks and score.

[Caveat: I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that PDX Pop Now!, Portland's terrific, all-ages, totally free music fest is happening the exact same weekend. That's where I'll be. Although I suppose I could check out PDX Pop Now! on Saturday until close, and then hop over to 8 Track Relay around 2 am to watch the bands playing 8 Track's overnight slot, until PDX Pop Now! kicks off again around noon the next day. That is logistically possible, and probably insane, and I doubt I'll actually do it. Check back tomorrow for the lineup for this year's PDX Pop Now!]

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Cayucas

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:59:21 -0700

CAYUCAS, JBM
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Cayucas.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Marisa Anderson, Old Junior, Warped Tour & More

Ned Lannamann — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 09:46:51 -0700

Mercury by Marisa Anderson

MARISA ANDERSON, DRAGGING AN OX THROUGH WATER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Marisa Anderson.

EP by Old Junior

OLD JUNIOR, SLEEPTALKER, TERMINAL FUZZ TERROR, TINY LADY
(Langano Lounge, 1435 SE Hawthorne) Old Junior's drummer Ben Muha moved to Seattle earlier this year, which makes tonight's show a very special thing indeed. Rounded out by bassist Cory Decaire—who is recovering well from the serious injury he suffered at the Oregon Coast when a sneaker wave crushed a log into his leg—and the crunching guitar of Johnny Magnifico, Old Junior is a fuzzing, towering monolith of redwood-sized rock. It's the perfect accompaniment to beer or whiskey or bongloads of green, whatever your pleasure happens to be. The band—an offshoot of Old Growth, the just-as-great Portland band with Muha, Magnifico, and bassist Luke Clements—has delivered two excellent, fist-pumping EPs of distortion-pedal rock of the best kind, and while they're not all in the same city anymore, give thanks at the holy altar of Crazy Horse (the band) that we still get to see them play from time to time. NED LANNAMANN

WARPED TOUR
(Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine) This is the year that summer festivals are finally getting called out on the pathetically low percentage of female-to-male performers (with Sasquatch/Bonnaroo/Coachella estimated to be 16 percent female.) Of course, in the case of Warped Tour's ultimate gathering of all the young dude-bro punks, the numbers are even worse—female artists appear in the festival at a shockingly low six percent! It often appears as though festival organizers view women in bands more as a footnote or subgenre, dismissively allowing an insignificant quota of "girl bands" to be filled in the same manner that they fill a quota of '90s third-wave ska relics (Reel Big Fish are headlining!). Yes, Gwen Stefani, at least according to the Warped Tour, you ARE just a girl. BREE MCKENNA

Street Eaters by Street Eaters

GATHERING OF THE GOOFPUNX
(Various locations) The weekend-long Gathering of the Goofpunx is an all-ages DIY punk fest with more than 30 bands of all stripes and sizes playing various venues around town. Sunday's festivities kick off with a punk-rock spelling bee, a matinee show with sets from Street Eaters and TeenSpot, and an evening show headlined by Harry and the Potters! NL

RADAR BROS., OLA PODRIDA
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) LA-based Radar Bros. released their eighth album, Eight, at the beginning of this year. It is Jim Putnam's most psychedelic—and most sinister—work of country-shoegaze to date. The songs hint at a deep, dark emotional underbelly, but generally, layers of noisy good-naturedness outweigh the menacing flourishes. That's what makes the album better than good: It's a fun album on the first listen, but a profound one on the 10th. Also on the bill: Ola Podrida has seen a lot of personnel changes in between David Wingo's peripatetic ramblings between Austin and Brooklyn. But because his day job is as a film composer (Take Shelter is a recent standout), it's no surprise that the band has maintained a cinematic quality. Old Podrida's third album, Ghosts Go Blind, has a big robust sound, the product of a new (Austin-based) lineup. The shift may surprise longtime Ola Podrida fans, but the tiny profound moments remain. REBECCA WILSON

PRIDE NORTHWEST: ANDY BELL, THE CLIKS, GOD-DES AND SHE, AIDEN JAMES
(Waterfront Park) See our Pride Guide.

XANDER HARRIS, STRATEGY, DESTINATION ELEVATION DJ CREW
(East End, 203 SE Grand) What better way to spend the evening of Dad's Day than by bathing yourself in the analog bubble bath of Xander Harris' (Justin Sweatt) electronic escapades. Like the beloved soundtrack to a long-lost sci-fi cult film, his music sets the mood for a dystopian dream reminiscent of the warbly VHS gems of our childhood. An amalgam of driving rhythms and arpeggiated synth lines under sweeping melodies lay the foundation for an homage to science fiction in all its forms. Prepare for glory by checking out Sweatt's massive catalog of releases so you'll be fully primed for the live experience in technicolor reality. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD

FOOD WARS 6
(Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside) Local community organizer Jessie Sponberg is a busy man. You may know him as the host of Fight Church Television, an internet variety show that combines local activism and education with music and comedy. He also organizes coat drives for the homeless in the winter and collects chalupa coupons for the homeless after Blazers games. One of his longest running projects is Food Wars, now in its sixth straight year, an event that combines local hiphop with a canned food drive aimed at children with food insecurities. With an event this size, 20 different acts performing 15-minute sets each, the quality of performances is bound to ebb and flow. But since the night has grown to become one of Portland's most diverse charity events, that seems a small price to pay for the cause. RYAN FEIGH

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Salute to Summer, Beastie Boys Tribute, The Taxpayers & More

Ned Lannamann — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:37:54 -0700

Twisted Light by Electric iLL

SALUTE TO SUMMER: DJ COOKY PARKER, ELECTRIC ILL, ADVENTURE GALLEY
(Grand Central Bowl, 808 SE Morrison) Give a proper salute to the best season of the year with Deschutes' Salute to Summer, featuring jams from DJ Cooky Parker, Electric Ill, and Adventure Galley coming atcha from the lanes. Plus, Da Booth photos and a look at the venue's new game room. MARJORIE SKINNER

BEASTIE BOYS TRIBUTE
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Last year, right after the Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch died (way too young) of cancer, a whole mess of Portland acts staged a super fun tribute show in his honor. It was such a hoot, they're doing it again—bringing back members of Pinehurst Kids, the Decemberists, and Lifesavas—and helping out the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Oregon. DENIS C. THERIAULT

Cold Hearted Town by The Taxpayers

GATHERING OF THE GOOFPUNX: THE TAXPAYERS, ARTISTIC CRISIS, HI HO SILVER AWAY, DETACHDOLLS, DANGER DEATH RAY, LIVING RHEUM
(PSU's Food for Thought Café, 1825 SW Broadway) The annual Gathering of the Goofpunx festival taking place all weekend (go to gatheringofthegoofpunx.tumblr.com for all shows and locations) was organized by local punk rock mainstays the Taxpayers. It's a celebration of DIY spirit and the community's acceptance of anyone willing to bring a positive attitude and embrace weirdness. It's fitting that the Taxpayers' headlining slot tonight also happens to be a record release for their latest LP, Cold Hearted Town. The nine-track album is layered with sax, trumpet, and piano, hooking you in with its dark jazzy swing and not letting go until the brilliant yet bleak acoustic closer "Evil Men." The vocals find a balance someplace between the deranged bark of Les Savy Fav's Tim Harrington and John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats at his most urgent. It's well worth a listen, and the material should make a nice translation into the band's frantic and energized live set. CHIPP TERWILLIGER Also see My, What a Busy Week!

Fade Away by Destro Destructo of Boom Bap Project/ Oldominion

DESTRO, TH3RDZ, RAFAEL VIGILANTICS, BAD TENANTS, BAD HABITAT, DJ WICKED
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Destro Destructo is a founding member of Northwest hiphop collectives Oldominion and Boom Bap Project. He also stays busy as a solo artist, and tonight marks the release of his newest solo record, Day of the Dead. The origins of the hefty 17-track album date back to 2010 when Destro was approached by producer Cash Flow from Zaragoza, Spain. They soon worked out tentative plans to work together, with Cash Flow supplying the beats while Destro began writing and recording songs. Sadly, Cash Flow's life was tragically cut short when he passed away from leukemia in March 2011. The resulting effort is impressive both in size and scope, featuring numerous guest spots including local emcees Luck-One, L Pro, and Serge Severe. Seattle supergroup Th3rdz, a trio featuring JFK, Candidt, and XP, are also releasing a new album of their own tonight, This, That, & Th3rdz. RYAN FEIGH

Ready, Set, Ruin! by Valkyrie Rodeo

VALKYRIE RODEO, BIG BLACK CLOUD, FIST FITE
(Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan) Ready, Set, Ruin!, the third release by Portland grindcore cluckers Valkyrie Rodeo, plays like a maelstrom. Thick thunderclaps of low end dominate, anchoring vocalist/drummer Tuviya Edelhart's no-care howls and screechy verses. Loaded with lots of caterwauling, buzzy bass, and tinny drums, the record's obvious allegiances to punk forefathers NoMeansNo (as on "Big Gulp") are tempered by similarly homage-worthy shout-outs to contemporary scumfuck noise brethren like Rabbits. Regardless of where the tones turn, Valkyrie Rodeo's levels of aural destruction are only a string-strum away from shaking the shit out of your head, assuming your head isn't shaking already. RYAN J. PRADO

MOUNT KIMBIE, HOLY OTHER, VINYL WILLIAMS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The album cover for Manchester producer Holy Other's latest release, Held, is a stark portrait of a lovers' bed left unmade—fittingly brooding without being melodramatic, just like the music it depicts. Within Held, minimal beats combine with chopped R&B vocals drenched in reverb, resulting in a very singular and cohesive album with a distinct down-tempo style. Dark-wave synths serve as the backdrop to the airy fore of emotion and unrequited promises in the sampled vocals, tinged with a warped romanticism and insatiable longing for human contact. With a rather maximal approach to a minimal production format of electronic music, Holy Other's excursions within the post-dubstep realm brings it closer to the genre-bending experimentalism of contemporary producers like Clams Casino or Balam Acab, rather than the lo-fi garage style of tonight's headliners, Mount Kimbie. WYATT SCHAFFNER

THE COUP, LUCK-ONE, CLOUDY OCTOBER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Though some may have only just heard of the Coup from their latest video (featuring Patton Oswalt), the Coup has been slaying tracks since the golden age of hiphop. Their latest album, Sorry to Bother You, is a concept album, containing politically charged tracks that vary in sound from Daft Punk-y dance jams to psychedelic funk-rock. The Coup provides a beautiful blend of soulful, percussive music, with furious poetry that could keep anybody on their toes. Where the usual hiphop acts can get tiring after you've seen one too many rappers uttering gibberish against the usual squigidy-squigidy sounds from the DJ, the Coup's live band and dystopian Mod Squad look promise a compelling performance. ROSE FINN

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Video Vriday! Parenthetical Girls, Matthew Heller, Onuinu, Glass Candy

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:23:31 -0700

Vot's this? It's Video Vriday!

Here's the thrilling conclusion to Parenthetical Girls' four-part video series, shot by Into the Woods. (See Parts 1, 2, and 3.) Each clip takes the band to an off-the-beaten-path location in the Portland area, and this one sees them roving the (impressively huge) catacombs at Archery Summit winery in Dayton, Oregon. I'd dismiss this as a transparent attempt for Parenthetical Girls to try to score some free wine, but the remarkable setting speaks for itself. I'd go see a band perform there in a heartbeat.

• • •

Here's one from Matthew Heller, for his track "Space Girl" from his recent album Invitation, which came out earlier this year. While the lyrics open with the initially unpromising lines "Juliet/You're so young/I would like to do it to ya," the video, directed by Lucy Martin and Kevin DeAngelo, goes on to tell the story of a young girl (in what looks like an enviable Pendleton shirt) who's bored with earthly life and happily gets abducted by aliens. Heller has several local shows line up: July 5 at Tiger Bar, July 19 at the Know, July 20 at Mississippi Studios as part of the Sometimes a Great Notion festival, and an August residency at the White Eagle.

• • •

Director Mark C. Roe concocted this visual feast for Onuinu's "Always Awkward," featuring dancer Darren "Outrage" King with a television set for a head. Onuinu's Dorian Duvall doesn't appear in this clip, but the visual story goes great with his song, finding that area between futuristic and nostalgic. Onuinu deejays Holocene's happy hour tonight (which is, like, holy shit, right now), and also plays a proper live show at Holocene on Wednesday, July 3, as well as Ecotrust's Sundown series on Wednesday, July 10.

• • •

This video for Glass Candy's "Beautiful Object" went up a couple weeks ago, but I can't think of any better way to send you into this warm Friday night in June. Taken from Italians Do It Better's spectacular new comp, After Dark 2, this clip was shot at their demo studio (which might be in Montreal, or might be here in Portland—it's hard to keep track of Johnny Jewel's global wanderings) by Alberto Rossini. All 77 minutes of After Dark 2 are available for free download here as one ginormous MP3 file. And there you go, instant weekend party.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Molly Ringwald's Coming to Portland... to Sing!

Marjorie Skinner — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:44:00 -0700

Did you know that Molly Ringwald has, in fact, been keeping herself mighty busy since her '80s days as John Hughes' muse and star of the most iconic teen movies of all time? In fact, she moved to France and did more movies there, got married, got divorced, wrote two books, did more movies and TV, got married again, had three kids, and now...

She's a singer! A jazz singer. Which isn't as strange as it might seem when you consider that her father was a (blind) jazz pianist. According to "someone on Twitter," her voice sounds like "a dessert." She released the album Except Sometimes in April, and is touring behind it, including a performance at the Newmark on September 27. So how is it going? Well, according to this review in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, in which the critic imagines Hughes giving her notes throughout her set and banter, things are a little shaky:

Ringwald: “How’s everybody’s dinner? Their food is very good. I had a salmon sandwich.”

Hughes: Who wrote this script? And when you introduced one song as “this is track 9 on the CD,” hello? Please say something intelligent, something that’s as classy and fitting as your black cocktail dress.

Hm. Well, curiosity and nostalgia are certainly a potent combination when it comes to selling tickets. Which might have something to do with her album including a cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)."

I don't think I feel so good about this.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Parquet Courts & Naomi Punk at Doug Fir, June 12, 2013

Alex Ross — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:22:43 -0700

I’m sitting in the garden* of the Doug Fir and my friend’s just texted me saying that Andrew Savage is 20 yards away, sitting by the fire. We’re not usually reduced to text messages and hushed whispers, but for a few brief moments tonight we’ve become shy, giggling schoolgirls. This is because Andrew Savage is no regular Singer In A Band. He’s one of the few rock polymaths of our generation, masterminding lo-fi pop-punk in Teenage Cool Kids and experimental psych band Fergus & Geronimo before leaving Denton, Texas, for New York City, forming Parquet Courts and becoming one of the most talked about musicians in the country. It’s Parquet Courts that he’s brought back to Portland for the second time in six months tonight, and the buzz around the Doug Fir is proof that their star has risen significantly since the release of their magnificent debut Light Up Gold.

* Editor's note: I think this is English-person for "patio"?

Before all this though, there’s Naomi Punk, whose set usually caves in on itself before it has the opportunity to make any sort of impression. Tonight, however, they are a different animal. Tighter and more refined than normal, tracks like "Voodoo Trust" and "Burned Body" hit twice as hard, their bluesy dissonance sounding more terrifying than simply monotonal. Much of this can be attributed to Nick Luempert, whose canon-like drumming dominates the set, and allows Travis Coster and Neil Gregerson the freedom to plunge their guitars into the sludge. Naomi Punk’s embrace of their more technical side could prove to be their secret weapon and, on this showing, the potential that they demonstrated on debut album The Feeling may be realized.

The room is packed by the time Parquet Courts reach the stage and, with all the swagger that’s come to be expected from them, launch into a new and unheard song. In many ways it’s the perfect showcase for their talents, as the guitars of Austin Brown and Savage carelessly play off one another while the rhythm stays hypnotically consistent. Sure, the room is visibly shaken when the magnificent “Master of My Craft” blares out of Brown’s lungs, the sardonic refrain of “fuggedabouddit” chanted back in a manner that can only be described as odd.

Much the same can be said for the frantic “Light Up Gold,” a highlight live just as much as it is on record. The real gift here, however, is that Parquet Courts can play whatever the fuck they like and make it sound essential. Every new track is greeted as if it were a classic and there’s every chance that might be the case before the year is out, so brilliantly does the new material stand up to the that of Light Up Gold. Yet again, Savage is demonstrating his ability to walk into any style and make it his own.

With all the hushed whispers and mild hero-worship, I should have seen that coming.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: PDX Pop Now! Comp Release, Gathering of the Goofpunx, Lovers & More

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:15:56 -0700

PDX POP NOW! COMPILATION RELEASE: SAPIENT, SEAN FLINN AND THE ROYAL WE, SUMMER CANNIBALS, WISHYUNU
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) PDX Pop Now!'s annual compilation is the best barometer of local music around, and this year's double-disc set is no exception. Featuring a staggeringly diverse 43 tracks from all walks of the Portland music scene, there are local hits, obscurities from unknown bands, and exclusive premieres of new tracks from big names. The only thing these astonishingly diverse songs have in common is that they're all great, and tonight's release party features four of the participants. Sapient—riding high on the artistic triumph of his recent, groundbreaking Slump album—headlines, but be sure to get there in time for Sean Flinn and the Royal We's stately, sun-flared folk-rock, Summer Cannibals' knife-sharp post-punk, and Wishyunu's sexy synth slow jams. NED LANNAMANN

GATHERING OF THE GOOFPUNX
(Various locations) The weekend-long Gathering of the Goofpunx is an all-ages DIY punk fest with more than 30 bands of all stripes and sizes playing various venues around town. Check out the fest site for complete info.

LOVERS, ATOLE, COINS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Portland queer, indie synth-pop favorites Lovers are bringing their big show to Pride weekend with Atole and Coins opening. Celebrating the community of local out musicians is one of the best ways you can check being proud in public off your list this year—plus it will be cute and fun, so... what else is there? LOGAN LYNN

SPACE WAVES, SPIRIT LAKE, THOMAS MUDRICK AND (((BOING)))
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The ambitiously titled You Can Ride a Beam of Light Like a Musical Strum, the latest from workaholic dreamgazers Space Wave, offers chilled-out presence with an immediacy that's palpable when you're totally zoning out. That's most definitely a compliment. The band's coalescence has reached dizzying heights over the last year, having built their own studio, Mindwave, as well as minting their very own label, also called Mindwave. Whichever wave you want to apply to it is fine; You Can Ride... runs goopy, far-away guitars through the gauntlet of an eerie pre-dawn nightmare, scouring all the little essences of sonic mastery and head-down rock ambiance there may be available on earth to muster. RYAN J. PRADO

LIVE AND DIRECT: REV SHINES, SLIMKID3, DJ NATURE, STARCHILE
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Those nostalgic for the days when tribes were called Qwest and clans were largely Wu-Tang can groove down to the smooth DJ stylings of the Pharcyde’s Slimkid3. Tre "Slimkid" Hardson, now on a solo mission and living in Portland, has been bringing us the monthly DJ remix set Live and Direct since 2009 along with conspirators Rev. Shines, DJ Nature, and Starchile, putting the “hip” back in hiphop. As they’ll be spinning everything from Kool and the Gang to the great MJ to Grandmaster Flash, one would be hard-pressed not to dance, or at the very least screech, “Oh my god, I love this song!” (This month features live painting by guest artist Keith Carter.) ROSE FINN

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Win Tickets to Quadron!

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:37:28 -0700

[UPDATE: This contest is closed and the winner has been notified.]

Have you gotten to know Quadron yet? It's high time you did. The LA-by-way-of-Denmark electrosoul duo—make up of singer Coco O. and producer Robin Hannibal—has just delivered a terrific, breezy pop record in the form of their second album Avalanche, and they're coming to the Hawthorne Theatre next week, on Friday, June 21. (You can be certain they'll play much larger rooms next time they roll through.)

We're giving away a pair of tickets to the show! To enter, all you have to do is send an email to this address with "Quadron" in the headline. Please include your first and last name in the email, and we'll select a winner at random and send them on their way. This contest closes Monday at 5 pm, so do it now! And in the meantime, take a look at Quadron's irresistible video for "Hey Love," and fall in love.

Quadron w/Foreign Orange, Jellyfish Brigade, Rap Class; Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez, Fri June 21, 8 pm, $10-12 (tickets here), 21 & over

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

This Week's Mercury Music Section

Ned Lannamann — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:41:28 -0700

Another week, another escapist music section to read, after you get through the latest evidence that Kanye West might very well be clinically insane. His craziest assertion? That Grammys actually matter.

Kelli Schaefer wants you to step through the door with her. And it's definitely something you should do.

LISTEN: Kelli Schaefer - "Giants"

Guitarist Marisa Anderson has long been one of Portland's most inventive musicians, and on her new album Mercury (great title, Marisa!) she makes music that functions as cinema for the mind.

LISTEN: Marisa Anderson - "The New Country"

Attention: The sunny, nostalgic tones of Cayucas are your new summer fling. Get busy.

LISTEN: Cayucas - "East Coast Girl"

Fall Out Boy are back! Which means they were gone! Did you notice?

LISTEN: Fall Out Boy - "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'em Up)"

Plus the usual tangle of Up & Coming shows.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Nationwide Elliott Smith Tribute Planned, Including a Portland Event

Ned Lannamann — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:18:00 -0700

The full details aren't out yet, but this sounds potentially intriguing: An organization called Friends and Family of Elliott Smith are staging a series of four concerts around the country between August 4-10, to coincide with what would have been Smith's 44th birthday on August 6. The event is called "No Name #1" and will include a Portland show at the Doug Fir, along with shows in LA, Austin, and New York City. Apparently over 100 musicians and artists are participating, which sounds like a lot.

The Portland event kicks off the series on Sunday, August 4, and it'll be hosted by PDX film director Gus Van Sant, who of course is partly responsible for bringing Smith to the mainstream by including his music in Good Will Hunting. It hasn't been announced who's playing—the press release I received simply says "Members of Grandaddy, plus very special guests." Proceeds from the Portland show will go to benefit Outside In (the other events will benefit local charities in those areas). Participants in other cities include Jon Brion, David Garza, Chris Thile, Rhett Miller, and others.

Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, Sun Aug 4, 8 pm, $30-35, tickets here

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Kelli Schaefer, Eleanor Friedberger, They Might Be Giants & More

Ned Lannamann — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:18:08 -0700

601 by Kelli Schaefer

XRAY FEST: KELLI SCHAEFER, THE BEAUTY, VIN BLANC, GHOST TO FALCO, NO MORE TRAIN GHOSTS, DJ BILL PORTLAND
(Union/Pine, 525 SE Pine) Read our article on Kelli Schaefer.

ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER, TEEN
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) An occupational hazard of being in a band with an exceptionally talented sibling—especially one as good as the Fiery Furnaces—is that folks will tend to perceive one of you as being the more gifted, the other as being the hanger-on. Matthew Friedberger has always been seen as the main Furnace, but Eleanor's solo career has proven that she is so much more than the lesser sibling in a buzz-worthy indie band. On 2011's Last Summer, and now with her just-released Personal Record, Friedberger's songwriting, instrumentation, and lyrics shine in new and unexpected ways. On this latest album, she collaborated with NPR darling John Wesley Harding, whose ironic worldview is perfectly tailored to Friedberger's self-aware subversion of singer/songwriter tropes. Meanwhile, Kristina Lieberson, formerly of Here We Go Magic, is responsible for the keyboard drones that serve as the backdrop for Teen's atmospheric vocals and complicated percussion. REBECCA WILSON

[[video best be viewed in a darkened room]

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, MOON HOOCH
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) What has 16 albums, four arms, six eyes, and two Johns? Nope, not a very specific prostitute! It's the loveable goofballs They Might Be Giants, touring the land with their backing band on the wings of new album Nanobots. Maybe you've seen the rowdy popsters before, but have you ever regretted it? COURTNEY FERGUSON

The High Country by Richmond Fontaine

RICHMOND FONTAINE, IAN MOORE AND THE LOSSY COILS, THE GEODES
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) Last month, Richmond Fontaine played a week's worth of stripped-down sets at Al's Den, but tonight they play their first full rock show in over a year and a half. Led by songwriter/author Willy Vlautin and with new bassist Freddy Trujillo in tow, Richmond Fontaine is nothing less than one of the greatest Portland bands of all time, and yes, I'm including the Wipers and Dead Moon. Traversing the wide, fascinating space between keening, melancholy country and shit-drunk bar rock, Richmond Fontaine hasn't turned in a dull record in more than 15 years of existence, and their last album, 2011's The High Country, was a fearlessly experimental radio play of sorts (don't let their laidback, drawling music fool you, it is one of the most ambitious records you'll hear). The possibility of hearing new Richmond Fontaine songs tonight is enough to get you in the door, but even if they don't play any, the old ones will do just fine. NED LANNAMANN

AM AND SHAWN LEE, DON'T TALK TO THE COPS, ADVENTURE GALLEY
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Shawn Lee is a phenomenal multi-instrumentalist who can play a zillion instruments in a zillion different styles. Check out his ever-expanding catalog for ample proof. Miles of Styles might be an opportune place to start; Tabla Rock—a clever track-by-track reinterpretation of the Incredible Bongo Band's breakbeat bonanza Bongo Rock—might be a fortuitous spot to end... but only temporarily, as more Lee-conceived music is surely coming. With guitarist/vocalist AM, Lee focuses his songwriting within a more accessible funk/pop framework, with occasional forays into reggae/dub (check the Sleng Teng riddim of "Two Times"). Their two albums together, Celestial Electric and La Musique Numérique, are slick, pro-studio-dude works that abound with big, honkin' hooks and in-the-pocket beats. The duo's sparkling, devotional cover of "Steppin' Out" surely will make Joe Jackson—and probably you—ecstatic. DAVE SEGAL

Quarantine by Pelican Ossman

PELICAN OSSMAN, MONTGOMERY WORD, DRAMADY
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) After a very long hiatus, Dan Currin and Virginia Currin of Pelican Ossman are back with Quarantine, their debut for local label Ewe of Now. The 10 tracks of anti-folk musings are tighter and less serious seeming than their songs from last decade. Pelican Ossman are unconcerned with folk rock that stands under a pristine and lush banner. Rather, they strive for lo-fi authenticity, a specific bedraggled mood that is totally lacking in preciousness. Frankly, it's a breath of fresh air. But with all its murky guitars and fuzzy samples, Quarantine doesn't eschew prettiness: "War" and "Come Along" are both surprisingly lovely. Ewe of Now labelmate Montgomery Word's druggy R&B pastiches will follow Amanda Mason Wiles and Zacery Quintin Stanley, the talented multi-instrumentalists in Dramady. Produced live, their layered pop songs are as much an exercise in impressive choreography (each person plays several instruments at once) as they are in songwriting. RW

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Next Year There Will Be Two Sasquatch Festivals

Ned Lannamann — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:38:27 -0700

Festival organizers announced this morning that in 2014, there will be not one but two separate Sasquatch Music Festivals. One will take place on Sasquatch's usual slot during Memorial Day weekend (May 23-25), and the other on the weekend of the Fourth of July (July 4-6). Both fests will be at the Gorge Amphitheater in Central Washington, Sasquatch's home since its inception in 2002.

Perhaps they're taking their cue from Coachella, which expanded to incorporate two weekends last year, or perhaps Sasquatch is capitalizing on the spectacular success of this year's festival, which sold out completely in 90 minutes. Unlike Coachella, the two weekends of Sasquatch next year will have entirely different lineups from each other, with no acts repeating from one to the next.

This is a boon to the Pacific Northwest concert calendar, I think, although the idea of actually going to Sasquatch twice in one year is a little daunting. On the surface, it does sound like the opportunity to see more bands, especially big ones from overseas that don't always get to the Northwest. Here's hoping the mammoth fest doesn't affect other summer festivals in the area, and doesn't take anything away from the Portland live music calendar. (Sasquatch often cuts both ways, with many acts unable to contractually play both Portland and Sasquatch, while others are able to use the opportunity to do a Portland show before or after their Sasquatch slot.)

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: Parquet Courts, XRAY Fest, The Rivera

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:38:00 -0700

PARQUET COURTS, NAOMI PUNK, BLOOD BEACH
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Andrew Savage's ADD-induced musical chameleonism has finally led him to something essential rather than merely excellent. Parquet Courts are post-punk for the post-everything generation, with a soul and swagger that's even more impressive in the flesh. Turn up early for Naomi Punk's riff-heavy sludge. ALEX ROSS

XRAY FEST: 31KNOTS, MADE FOR TV MOVIE, E*ROCK, DJ CHAMPAGNE JAM, DJ SAFI
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Way back when this city's early adopters were laying the groundwork for the culture Portland would become known for, everyone was drinking at the Blackbird—a club that literally got hit by a car and died. Pay tribute tonight with XRAY Fest's retrospective, featuring some of its elder denizens! MARJORIE SKINNER

THE RIVERA, LESSER BANGS
(The Goodfoot, 2845 SE Stark) Tonight songwriter Josh Rivera debuts the new lineup of his band the Rivera, which has recently completed work on a new album, recorded onto tape at Jackpot! Studio with John Askew. The album won't be out until later this summer, but the preview single, "Midnight Choir," is enough to get me incredibly excited about what the Rivera have in store. A soulful, Springsteen-esque rocker ingrained with shiny strands of power-pop, "Midnight Choir" is a humming, buzzing, flat-out terrific anthem that's half desperation and half joy. It's guided by a missile-like lead guitar that basically solos through the entire thing, Thin Lizzy style, while the male/female backing vocals on the chorus (by Hunter Paye and Amelia Thornton) echo Brill Building auteurs Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. Even though I've just been streaming it on Soundcloud, I bet "Midnight Choir" has already become one of my most played songs of 2013, and I only became aware of it two weeks ago. NED LANNAMANN

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Mikal Cronin at Mississippi Studios, June 6, 2013

Alex Ross — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:51:00 -0700

With the release of MCII early last month, it became clear that Long Beach export Mikal Cronin had crafted a record that infused the garage-rock prototype of his peers with more heart than many of them could manage in a career beneath all the bluster. Whether or not they were favorable (they were, actually, always favorable), the comparisons with his friend and collaborator Ty Segall had grown tiresome in the two years since Cronin's self-titled debut, and his emotionally fraught old soul has finally come to be lauded in its own right. All of this is justified. MCII is is one of 2013’s most accomplished releases, a joyous combination of heart-on-sleeve indie rock and psychedelia that reveals its creator as one of the most paradoxically self-assured authors of self-conflict in his generation.

All of this is in evidence before Cronin even steps towards the microphone at Mississippi Studios. His long hair draped over the shoulders of his tie-dye T-shirt, Cronin looks like a more charming, fresh-faced Jimmy Page and his smile is half embarrassed, half ecstatic. Then, as if it was the easiest thing imaginable, he sings the a cappella introduction to "Is It Alright," originally a rich harmony, completely on his own without missing a note. Calling him shy—as so many critics have chosen to—seems hasty. The modest confidence that underpins his set can be seen in the punch he gives to "Get Along" and the swagger with which he bleeds into "Apathy," wheeling away to Emily Rose Epstein’s drum kit and throwing himself head first into another solo.

With this in mind, you’re forced to question why Cronin introduces new songs into his set so late, as if MCII hadn’t been released yet—particularly when "Weight" and "Am I Right" border on flawless when he does get to playing them. Why, too, does Cronin choose to cover Wreckless Eric’s "(I’d Go the) Whole Wide World" for his encore, rather than taking his foot off the pedal to showcase the delicate beauty of a track like "Don’t Let Me Go"?

In the end you have to go back to that smile. With MCII, Mikal Cronin has struck out on his own, not content with the constant comparisons to his friends or peers, affording him the opportunity to construct his identity in opposition to them. It’s that smile that shows he’s aware of the subtlety and soul that make up his songs, and that they will shine through the reverb and distortion, regardless of which songs they may be.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Tonight in Music: The Bats, XRAY Fest, Generationals & More

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:40:31 -0700

THE BATS, EAT SKULL
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Read our article on the Bats.

XRAY FEST: REV SHINES, DJ SAM ADAMS
(Produce Row, 204 SE Oak) The old X-Ray Café—anarchist den, weirdo art incubator, and springboard for Voodoo Doughnut's impresario Tres Shannon—looms large in Portland's crusty lore. The gang is getting back together for nine days for the upcoming launch of FM radio's 91.1 KXRY, celebrating and reminiscing at the aptly named XRAY Fest. Tonight, Sam Adams will still be mayor (of the party's music selections; he's guest DJ). DENIS C. THERIAULT

GENERATIONALS, YOUNG EMPIRES
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Generationals make timeless pop, mining the best practitioners from the past four decades. The New Orleans two-piece have a few records under their belts, but their latest, Heza, is easily their best. "Spinoza" is such an earworm you might actually need surgery to remove it. Not many bands can bring sounds from vastly different eras into a cohesive whole, but Generationals have managed to pull it off. Heza, their first for Polyvinyl, should attract a few more ears, and maybe put no-frills pop back in the spotlight. There's nothing flashy here. But a good hook is forever. MARK LORE

WILD ONES READING: JON MOOALLEM, BLACK PRAIRIE
(Powell's, 1005 W Burnside) Polar bears are fucked. In fact, half of all living species could be extinct by the century's end. Jon Mooallem brings both gravity and optimism to Wild Ones, his nonfiction investigation of the present and future of wildlife on our planet. Bonus: Black Prairie will be on hand to perform songs from their soundtrack to the book. ALISON HALLETTSee My, What a Busy Week!, and read our review of Wild Ones.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Y La Bamba's Synchronized Swimming Video

Courtney Ferguson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 10:41:39 -0700

Two things that taste great... Y La Bamba and synchronized swimming. This 16mm-shot video for the song "Ponce Pilato," off their album Oh February, is a dreamy confection, floating among big trees and deep waters. It was shot on the Oregon Coast, in the Redwoods, and in Puget Sound, starring a troupe of professional synchronized swimmers. The whole endeavor came about because our local amateur synchronized swimming collective, the Olivia Darlings, really wants to keep the aquatic arts alive for a new generation of budding Esther Williamses. (The film star sadly passed away at the age of 91 on June 6. She was a masterfully daring mermaid.) So the group has set about filming music videos for local bands, featuring the fine art of synchronized swimming. This here's their debut—directed by Madison Rowley—and a fine one it is, bypassing the strangely lurid present-day of Olympic synchronized swimming (eeeeeek!), for the beautiful and graceful days of Esther. In the gorgeous out of doors! Sign me up as a supporter.

Speaking of support... the Olivia Darlings are in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign to send out 100 packets to local pools, community organizations, dance schools, and swim clubs. These kits will give a primer course on how to dive in (DON'T SHOOT ME) to the art. They're also giving out a host of goodies for contributors. Here, I'll let their adorable video, starring Minka of the Olivia Darlings, explain it.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Hear the First Track from Neko Case's New One

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:12:40 -0700

The first song off of Neko Case's much awaited new album was released today, along with the album information. It's called—deep breath—The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You and it seems to take its cue from the Fiona Apple Playbook of Incredibly Long Album Titles. It's out September 3 on Anti-, and you can hear the first single, "Man," below.

Case spent several months out of the past year here in Portland, recording tracks for the album with Tucker Martine at his Flora Recording & Playback. The Worse Things Get... was also recorded in Tucson, Brooklyn, and LA, and includes guest appearances by Portland musicians like M. Ward (his guitar graces "Man"), Steve Turner, and "members of Los Lobos," which probably includes Steve Berlin. The album also includes a cover of "Afraid" by the other Nico.

Neko Case plays Pioneer Courthouse Square as part of MusicfestNW on Sunday, September 8. Meanwhile, take a listen to "Man" below, a quick-paced rocker with a bridge that reminds me of late '60s Kinks, followed immediately by a guitar solo that reminds me of early '60s Kinks. It also includes a few words that you won't hear on the radio.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Music Monday! The Mean Jeans, the Harvey Girls, Load B, Summer Cannibals, Hausu

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 16:38:49 -0700

Possessed To Party by Mean Jeans
New music from the Mean Jeans! Their latest release is a split 7-inch on It's Alive Records, with two new boppers on one side, and two tracks from the Underground Railroad to Candyland on the flipside. The Jeans' new tracks, "Possessed to Party" and "Terminally Twisted" are both top-notch, Ramones-y party punk. I'll post the kickoff, "Possessed to Party," which brings back to life those immortal words, "Sha la la la." Hear the whole thing, and pick up a copy, over at It's Alive. And dig that cover art by Brian Connolly.

The Harvey Girls, Load B, Summer Cannibals, and Hausu after the jump!

2in1 by The Harvey Girls
Here's something truly nuts. Portland duo the Harvey Girls just released their new EP (the second of four planned for 2013) and it's a collaborative effort of a very unconventional sort. They combined tracks with those of five fellow musicians/bands/friends—including Benoit Pioulard, Bill Lamboley, Victor Scott, James Poolner, and Matt Smith—having in each case decided on the key, tempo (BPM), and style beforehand. But the catch is that neither party could hear the other's half before writing their half and committing it to tape. The result is a collection of accidents and spontaneous collaboration. It's really, really weird. Of course, some pieces are more successful than others, but the whole thing is a wild experiment that's exhilarating to hear.

Rebellion by Load B
Portland's self-described "most detestable rap group" Load B sent their debut album Debauchery my way, and here's a track called "Rebellion," with a beat so thick and dark you can stand a coffee spoon up in it. Load B are emcees Milc and Brill, and this thing was produced by Dust with beats by Chemist, Johnny Juliano, Ready Rock Productions, Chase n' Dough, Harry Fraud, and Ive League. Go over to Bandcamp to hear the whole thing, which, according to the boys, "should not be listened to by anyone under any circumstances."

Portland band Summer Cannibals are releasing their debut album No Makeup on August 6 via their own label New Moss Records (which is also home to Sun Angle's recent album). Here's the first single, the cool, strutting "Wear Me Out." Summer Cannibals has inherited members from sorta synthy indie-pop band Your Canvas, but this is a rock band through and through, and Summer Cannibals are playing the PDX Pop Now! compilation release show at Backspace this Friday. (They've also got more local dates slated for the summer: June 22 at the Know, June 29 at the Star Theater, July 6 at the Doug Fir, and August 1 at Mississippi Studios for No Makeup's record release show.)

I'll end today with another Hausu song. I briefly posted "Chrysanthemum" last week, but it's worthy of additional attention in case you missed it. The opening track from Hausu's excellent debut album, Total, "Chrysanthemum" is one of two tracks named after flowers ("Gardenia" is the other). It opens with chiming guitars before the match is struck; once it catches on fire, the rest of band careens into a complicated but wholly melodic mini-epic that's alternately stormy and calm. Hausu left for a national tour, their biggest to date, last week and are now in Minneapolis. Their next hometown show is MFNW in September.

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Little Mix's Hysterical Fans Will Put a Smile on Your Face

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:57:20 -0700

If anything, the Mercury is committed to keeping you up-to-date on the latest obsessions of 11-year-old girls, and UK girl group Little Mix are your tween niece's new favoritest thing EVARRR. The four young ladies were contestants on The X Factor UK before all joining forces, becoming heirs apparent to the Spice Girls' throne (it's a really nice throne, but they left a lot of gum under the seat).

And the mania has already started. Here is the video for "Wings," which was a huge hit in Britain last year and is slowly but surely going to do the same here. It's the kind of song that you can't fucking stand for the first 60 seconds, then you slowly warm up to for the next 60, and by the end you are a shrieking, teary-eyed fanatic.

So "Wings" is all fine and good, but what I really want to show you is this wonderful, heartwarming video of Little Mix's first CD signing in the US, at a mall somewhere in the New York area (they want you to think it's Manhattan, but I bet it's somewhere in Jersey). These fans—girls all, except for one very special boy at the 2:34 mark—are SOOO HAPPY to meet their heroes. I bet they already have picked their favorite Little Mixes, like the violet-haired one with the Scottish accent, or the one with the creepily huge doll hair with the pretty bow in it, or the tough (read: black—see also: Scary Spice) one with the backwards combat-green hat, or the one that looks a little like Thnooki (that's "Thin Snooki").

These borderline hysterical fans are delightful, and this is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. :D

[ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]