This Week in the Mercury
Friday, November 20, 2009
Upcoming Them Crooked Vultures Are (a) Super (Group)
Posted by Mark Lore on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 2:27 PM
It's actually better than I thought it would be... of course, I went into it with zero expectations. So there ya go. The song "Scumbag Blues" is pretty good—I love Homme's falsetto, Jones' basslines are Zeppelin-esque, and Grohl kindly gets his Bonham on.
So what's next? A tour, of course. The Vultures will swoop into the Roseland Theater on Sunday to indulge in the bluesy jams inspired by that one band Jones used to play.
LISTEN:
Them Crooked Vultures - "Scumbag Blues"
News Nurses Visit Everyday Music
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 1:40 PM
- Nilina Mason-Campbell
In their first show since canceling their nationwide tour with Le Loup, the Nurses boys will be performing a rare instore at the NE location of Everyday Music.
Located on the picturesque stretch of hooker territory that is NE Sandy Blvd—and mere feet from the Mercury offices (we came here for the hookers)—Everyday will be hosting their second instore as of late, the first being a July show from the Builders and the Butchers. Nurses will be playing the Rock/Pop aisle of the store on Friday, December 11th at 6pm. It is all-ages, free, and there will be tasty snacks provided by our fellow Sandy Blvd neighbor, Voodoo Dougnuts.
Tonight! The World Is A Vampire
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 12:40 PM
If you're a wannabe Wampire then put on your Vampire Hands and plastic White or Red Fang(s)—better yet, quickly get yourself some Meth Teeth, which will actually help you become nocturnal too—and make sure to head out to see Twilight: New Moon tonight with hoards of screeching, gothed out tweenage girls, or maybe sometime this Vampire Weekend. To help get you even more vamped up, here's a video of a real life "vampire" (I suspect she's not actually undead, just super nerdy).
Well, that was much better than this song:
Colin Meloy - "Dracula's Daughter" (Live)
Photography MarchFourth Marching Band - Live at the Wonder Ballroom, 11/19/09
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 9:53 AM
Good lord, last night's MarchFourth Marching Band release show for Rise Up looks like the greatest event ever. Just look at the kid, stopped dead in his tracks, he'll be talking about this show in therapy a decade from now.
Since we have no way of publishing that poor kid's nightmares—yet—we have to rely on these fantastic photos from Candice Harbour. Enjoy.
MP3 End Hits' Musical Tribute to Portland Strip Clubs (Part Five)
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 8:00 AM
We kill a lot of time around these parts partaking in the seedy exposed underbelly of Portland's finest strip clubs. That said, there is no better way to express our deep moral depravity than a week-long series of songs dedicated to such businesses. So every day this week we will post a song in tribute to Portland's nudiest of nude revues.
We have reached the glorious end of our strip club series, and speaking of glorious ends... Three Sisters Tavern. Sadly this SW institution of stiff drinks and stiffer male dancers closed its doors a few years back, but its legacy of jiggling beefcakes will always remain with us.
LISTEN:
Jim Carroll - "Three Sisters"
R.I.P. Jim Carroll
R.I.P. Three Sisters Tavern
Video Ghosties Make a Video, Watch Dancing With the Stars
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 6:00 AM
Consider this the Multiplicity of music videos. What starts with just another night of watching Watch Dancing With the Stars, turns into the oddest band practice ever (times four), a session of drawing straws, and a traumatic incident with a rubber glove. Make that a very traumatic incident.
Matthew Ross directed this video for "Cuffs Off," which is the first single from Ghosties' new four song EP. Which you can buy right here, because looks like someone needs some new rubber gloves. Ewwwwwww.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Let's Talk About... The Complete Meth Teeth Interview
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 3:47 PM
This week Cary Clarke talked to Meth Teeth about all sorts of things, but to make room for the escort ads that pay for this paper to stay in business, we had to cut much of the lengthy interview.
But thanks to the limitless territory that is the internet, here is the interview in its entirety. Frontman Mattey Hunter candidly discusses the band's beginnings, the Sub Pop Loser scholarship, Woodsist, and all sorts of other interesting topics. It's a great read.
Tonight! Orca Team at East End
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 3:05 PM
If you need any more convincing to head out to East End for tonight's impressivve lineup of Lovvers, Nice Boys and Meezcaz, then check out a few breezy tracks by openers, Orca Team. Even on an icy day like this, they'll manage to melt your heart with their '50's inspired love songs that sound like Elvis in Blue Hawaii. Get to East End early!
LISTEN:
Orca Team - "And She Knows"
Orca Team - "Ill at Ease"
MP3 End Hits' Musical Tribute to Portland Strip Clubs (Part Four)
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 12:53 PM
- Lapdances are $20, but she'll step in your penne for free.
Perched on the east end of the Ross Island Bridge, 633 SE Powell has seen its share of business turnover the past few years. At one point it was the eastside outpost of the Boom Boom Room, then it was Gata Salvaje, a Mexican-themed strip club. Then I think it became Bent, a gay bar? At any rate, the establishment is now Lucky Devil, a happy return to your normal meat 'n' potatoes strip club, with some extra flair, like red velvet wallpaper and a puma-print carpet.
Our song for today doesn't quite have the same flair, a rockabillyish pop number from 1960, back when hillbilly shared strides with the mainstream. Carl Dobkins, Jr. is best known for "My Heart Is an Open Book," but "Lucky Devil" was a minor hit too, with a bit of Buddy Holly in the jumping beat, and highlighted by some warm backing vocals. It might sound a little innocent for a lap dance, but I bet the right dancer could make it kill.
LISTEN:
Carl Dobkins, Jr. - "Lucky Devil"
Live Review Keyboard at Dunes
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Perhaps not since Wesley Willis has there been a more bizarre-o piano man than Noah DeVore, otherwise known as Keyboard. In between crooning like a lovesick 14-year-old over his ‘91 Yamaha keyboard’s programmed dance beats, DeVore delivers some truly oddball (and usually slurred) stage banter.
Tuesday night, in his twang-y New Mexican accent, DeVore threatened to hold Dunes hostage by locking the door from the inside with an allegedly stolen key if the crowd didn’t stay for the following act, Pocketknife. After a bonked-out, back and forth negotiation he bargained to not take such unlawful action, but to rather treat whoever remains to post-show breakfast at Burger King instead. He even vowed to start a Facebook group to insure his loyalty. Later DeVore confessed to falling victim to an excruciating panic attack during his last BK visit, however, his Double Stack was so delicious, it was worth it.
Not too surprisingly, a few people left shaking their head early on in the set, as Keyboard’s Dan Deacon meets Billy Joel love songs aren’t for everyone. However, if you‘ve rotted the rational side of your brain playing Nintendo in your awkward teenage years, you’ll fall in love with DeVore’s unique brand of lonely bedroom pop (even if he does freak out on you time to time.)
News The Decemberists' The Hazards of Love Gets Animated
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Well, this makes sense.
P4K is reporting that the Decemberists are transforming their conceptual The Hazards of Love album into a full-length animated video titled, Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized. Thankfully the band did not draw the entire film with their quill and ink, instead they used the services of Guilherme Marcondes, Julia Pott, Peter Sluszka and Santa Maria to animate and "accompany individual sections of music from the album." The entire video will be available for purchase exclusively from iTunes sometime soon. In the meantime, enjoy the cool looking trailer posted above.
News This Week's Mercury Music Section
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 8:55 AM
Another week, another Mercury music section to read while you celebrate Perry Farrell's sexiversary. What do you get someone for a ten year sexiversary? A vasectomy? Punch in the groin?
Speaking of groin punching, we talk to Art Alexakis from Everclear. It took ten years, but we finally covered that band. Look for our Pink Martini article in 2019.
LISTEN:
Everclear - "A.M. Radio"
The tale of Dutchess and the Duke is a great story of a band that accidentally stumbled into a record deal, and success, on the strength of their songs. Inspiring! Speaking of Dutchess, Fergie's debut solo album, The Dutchess, sold eight million copies. Depressing!
LISTEN:
Dutchess and the Duke - "Hands"
Rainbow Arabia travel the globe more than Carmen Sandiego. Sorry for that reference, it's just that everything I know about geography I learned from that show. Kick It, Rockapella!
LISTEN:
Rainbow Arabia - "Holiday in Congo"
I don't care if your guilty feet have got no rhythm, you are gonna dance again, and Friendly Fires is the band that is going to make that happen. Now stop the careless whispering and listen to this song.
LISTEN:
Friendly Fires - "Paris"
The Strange Boys have changed lineups—there is now a (strange) girl in the band—but that has not stopped the Austin band from churning out the raw R&B/rock and roll that those darn kids are so crazy about these days.
LISTEN:
The Strange Boys - "They're Building the Death Camps"
Local don't-call-them-lo-fi band Meth Teeth talks about their origins (spoiler alert: it had nothing to do with drugs or dental work) and their Everything Went Wrong LP. We'll be posting a much longer version of this piece later today, so cool your jets.
LISTEN:
Meth Teeth - "A Thousand Regrets"
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Live Review KISS xoxo PDX
Posted by Mark Lore on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 11:10 PM
The Rose Garden was filled up—say to a Blazers vs. Mavericks-like capacity—all there to see Gene, Paul, some dude in Peter Criss makeup (gay) and the guy who used to fetch Gene's coffee wearing Ace Frehley's space-suit and makeup. That guy who used to fetch Gene's coffee is Tommy Thayer, who attended Sunset High School in Beaverton and went on to form one of Portland's most beloved bands, Black N' Blue, in 1981.
Now look where he is. He's in effing KISS! The makeup. The devoted followers. There's nothing else like it. And to this day they still put on the best show $126 can buy (shove it up your arses, U2). There was a song about drinking and driving ("Detroit Rock City"), tempered by a PSA from the Starchild about drinking and driving, and Gene spit blood, which I'm sure spread all kinds of bloodborne pathogens. There was also fire and and bombs, a ticker tape parade, drum and guitar solos... but not a bass solo, which I would have enjoyed thoroughly.
Now don't let my sarcastic tone lead you to believe that I didn't enjoy myself... because I had a fucking blast—much more fun than standing and crossing my arms at the boring indie rock shows I usually go to. And Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer are much, much better musicians than Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. But I bet they can't do as many drugs as they can. What else can I say? It might just be the greatest show on earth. It rocked. It rolled. It partied every day.
Photo: Mark Lore
Bonus: Old news footage of KISS in Portland during 1977's Love Gun tour!
Upcoming Hayes Carll to Play Portland! (With Some Dude Named Steve Earle)
Posted by Raquel Nasser on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 3:59 PM
I've been feeling unsafe when I venture out at night lately and I'm chalking it up to the recent presence of Crunkcore and Christian metal in Portland. While scouring the internet for a good place to purchase personal defense weapons, I came across something infinitely more exciting than a Panther Stun Gun: Hayes Carll's two night stand at the Aladdin Theater on January 19th and 20th! Hooray! Let him lead us back to the shelter of our rowdy Americana roots.
Hayes Carll sort of sounds like electric Bob Dylan meets Garth Brooks, but more Texas. Ok, way more Texas. He's probably (almost) as obnoxious as Garth Brooks, drawling words out much longer than they need to be drawled. And like a young Dylan his music illustrates life as poetry in the starkest sense. The song "I Got a Gig" contains a stunning stanza about life in bars: "Four tin walls now there ain't much left/Lookin' like a homeless Cheers on Meth/Homer's in the corner, breaking up a fight/Lord, I hope I get paid tonight." I suddenly feel like I haven't slept for days and just ate a whole basket of bar snacks.
Unfortunately, Steve Earle is headlining the show. A Steve Earle show really shouldn't be unfortunate, but last summer, at the Newport Folk Festival, I watched him play several country songs over a canned hiphop drum beat. It was enough to drive someone to the next stage (where Damien Marley was rapping). Luckily, his son Justin Townes Earle (who will be making an appearance at the Doug Fir on Valentine's Day) has polished the tarnished Earle namesake and made two incredible records, and one incredible EP, in the past couple of years. Here's to hoping that big daddy Earle forgets the drum machine on this tour.
In the song below, listen to the tact with which Carll interprets religion.
LISTEN:
Hayes Carll - "She Left Me For Jesus"
MP3 End Hits' Musical Tribute to Portland Strip Clubs (Part Three)
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 2:04 PM
We kill a lot of time around these parts partaking in the seedy exposed underbelly of Portland's finest strip clubs. That said, there is no better way to express our deep moral depravity than a week-long series of songs dedicated to such businesses. So every day this week we will post a song in tribute to Portland's nudiest of nude revues.
There are far too many "Mary" songs to dedicate to the local institution that is Mary's Club, but it would be hard not to include Bruce Springsteen's "Mary Queen Of Arkansas" here. (Plus, perhaps it's the poor Confederate exchange rate, but a career as a Portland dancer seems far superior than the Queen of Arkansas.)
It might not be a fitting song for the playlist at Mary's—too many start/stops, no one could dance to this—but the tale of the "lonely acrobat" who pines for a woman to "hold me so tight and love me so damn loose" is a staple of early Springsteen dramatic songwriting. In fact, this song would work better while you dine alone on a sad burrito next door at Santería, loser.
LISTEN:
Bruce Springsteen - "Mary Queen Of Arkansas"
Video The Cribs - "We Share The Same Skies" Video
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 8:45 AM
Evidently today is Portland-bands-that-are-big-in-Britain video day! Perhaps we'll have a new Gossip video next.
The Cribs video for Ignore The Ignorant's "We Share The Same Skies" is quite simple, pasted together with a green screen and without color. Hate to drop such a momentous spoiler alert, but the band is actually not performing atop that majestic mountaintop. Also, Axl didn't really die at the end of "November Rain." Sorry.
Video Hockey "Learn To Lose" Video
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 8:35 AM
My biggest concern on the seemingly overnight ascent of Hockey is how this band will follow up their evolution from basement act to UK—if not global—pop darlings. Judging by "Learn To Lose," their new UK single and seven-inch, Hockey will be more than fine.
Equally as infectious as the finest moments of Mind Chaos, the single benefits greatly from a loose instrumental backing, well-placed female vocals, and the carefree delivery of frontman Benjamin Grubin. The song is great, but I think his hat is worse than the headbands. What does this band have against hair?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
MP3 End Hits' Musical Tribute to Portland Strip Clubs (Part Two)
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 3:45 PM
We kill a lot of time around these parts partaking in the seedy exposed underbelly of Portland's finest strip clubs. That said, there is no better way to express our deep moral depravity than a week-long series of songs dedicated to such businesses. So every day this week we will post a song in tribute to Portland's nudiest of nude revues.
I originally was going to pay tribute to East Burnside's Union Jacks with Billy Bragg's "Take Down The Union Jack," but then realized that Bragg might be the least sexy man on the planet. Even his minor hit "Sexuality" ("A nuclear submarine sinks off the coast of Sweden/Headlines give me headaches when I read them"—what?) never quite lived up to its title. Instead I went with the equally British, but far more alluring, "Crack in the Union Jack" from Suede. A change of pace from their usual bombastic androgynous glam-pop, this song is the intimate acoustic closing number to 1999's uneven Head Music. And unlike Bragg, this band has probably had sex in the past decade.
LISTEN:
Suede - "Crack in the Union Jack"
Tonight! Happy Birthday!
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 2:36 PM
Put some more sass in your sashay because today is Rupaul's birthday! Also celebrating their birthday today is guitar God Isaac Hanson (he's the eldest Hanson) and Lord Infamous from Three 6 Mafia. Below are some music videos of the birthday boys (sorry, Rupaul), and strangely enough if you play them all at the same time it sounds kind of like Brokencyde.
Video Bob Dylan Prooves Tarnishing a Legacy is More Fun Than Earning One
Posted by Dave "the Intern" Bow on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 1:17 PM
I've heard a lot of bitching and moaning about Bob Dylan's upcoming Christmas album. My response has unfailingly been, "Shut up, Bob Dylan can do whatever he wants. If he wants to fart into a microphone and talk about Jesus I will buy it."
Well... there is a video up on Dylan's site for the song "Must Be Santa" and now I am the one shutting up. I encourage you all to watch it and we'll laugh, cry and scratch our heads together. It's not embeddable, but it's well worth the mouse-click:
WHO HAS A BEARD THAT'S LONG AND WHITE?
(Bonus: can someone explain to me the sub-plot of the guy who's running around throwing glasses at people and threatening guests with a fire-poker? What's his deal?)
Video A Brief History Of Antares Auto Tune
Posted by Kurt T. Prutsman on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Seriously, how funny is "Weird" Al Yankovic in this (surprisingly educational) video? I wish we were related. It sure would make me look forward to the holidays a bit more.
Tonight! Neon Indian in Portland Tonight; in Salem Tomorrow!
Posted by Ned Lannamann on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Chillwave/glo-fi band of the moment Neon Indian plays their first Portland show tonight at Mississippi Studios. Their debut Psychic Chasms is a fun, wobbly dance party: a little bit italo disco, a little bit Ariel Pink, a little bit Prince's Dirty Mind playing on a Walkman with melting batteries. It's the work of one Alan Polomo, and I was skeptical about how a one-man electric music project would translate to the live setting, but by most reports the Neon Indian live band delivers the goods.
LISTEN:
Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer"
The Stranger ran an interesting piece on the short lifespan of the "chillwave" scene, which reflects how quickly the online music community chews up and spits out new genres nowadays. I actually think the supposed chillwave backlash demonstrates the inefficacy of genre-branding in general. (Does anyone else think the genre tags in iTunes are worthless, and change them to another identifier? My genre tags are all switched to the year, so I can browse that way.) But hey, the bagging and tagging of an emergent musical genre makes it easier to talk/write about music, I guess.
So: Neon Indian in Portland tonight! And—this is cool—they're playing a show in Salem tomorrow night at Willamette University. It's part of their Wulapalooza Fall Feastival (an autumnal counterpart to the University's spring fest) and the show is free (and all-ages, I'd reckon, or at least 18 and up). It takes place on campus at the Montag Den and "neon attire is encouraged." (Thanks to Cliff Batson for the tip!)
Neon Indian plays live tonight w/Guidance Counselor & Tigercity at Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm (DJ Remy the Restless starts at 8 pm), $10; and tomorrow (Wed Nov 18) w/Tigercity at Montag Den, Willamette University, 900 State St, Salem, 8 pm, FREE
MP3 Parenthetical Girls Pay Tribute to Ivor Cutler
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 9:41 AM
"When I do die I shall be glad to get away from loud pop music." Ivor Cutler
Well, Mr. Cutler is in luck. The Parenthetical Girls' latest is not only a loving tribute to the iconic Scot, but the limited edition 10" recording (a mere 500 copies were made) lacks the volume and dramatics of their previous recordings. They saved that for the release's title: The Scottish Play: Wherein The Group Parenthetical Girls Pay Well-Intentioned (If Occasionally Misguided) Tribute To the Works of Ivor Cutler. (Oh, conflict of interest pony insists we mention that Parenthetical Girls' singer Zac Pennington used to work at this paper over four years ago.)
Available from Tomlab, the release features four interpretations of Cutler's songs, and four spoken word poems culled his vast catalog of writing. If you want to learn more about Cutler and all his many accomplishments (from befriending the Beatles to his poetry), this BBC obit is a good jumping off point. But beware, this might lead to obsession, and next thing you know you'll be making your own well-intentioned (if occasionally misguided) tribute to the man.
LISTEN:
Parenthetical Girls - "Doughnut Master"
News Someone Needs a Chihuahua Sitter: Magnetic Fields to Play Portland
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 8:37 AM
- Woah, calm down Stephin.
For the first time in quite a while, Stephin Merritt and his Magnetic Fields will be passing through our fair town: February 21st and 22nd at the Aladdin. You can get your pre-sale tickets right here. For what do we owe this honor? Well, they'll be touring in support of their forthcoming Realism album, which P4K describes in this baffling paragraph:
The band used no electric instruments in recording Realism, and they also played around with nontraditional percussion instruments like tabla and, seriously, tree leaves. Contributors to the album include the author Daniel Handler— better known as Lemony Snicket— on accordion, Johnny Blood on tuba, and Ida Pearle on violin.
Leaves and Lemony Snicket? This sounds like a terrible idea. Then again, so did a triple-LP with 69 love songs, so until I hear Realism, I'll give Mr. Merritt and his tiny dog the benefit of the doubt.
News A Fascinating Conversation on the Past/Future of Record Labels
Posted by Ezra Caraeff on Tue, Nov 17, 2009 at 7:00 AM
Carrie Brownstein—former Portlander, Sleater-Kinney guitarist, and Phish fan—conducted an excellent round-table interview with a few of today's most influential independent record labels for her Monitor Mix blog.
The loose conversational format is essential reading and the contributors—Mac McCaughan from Merge, Maggie Vail and Portia Sabin from Kill Rock Stars, Gerard Cosloy from Matador, Chris Swanson and Darius Van Arman from Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian/Dead Oceans, Robb Nansel from Saddle Creek—shed a lot of light on the state of the modern record label, and what the future holds. While it's not all doom and gloom (hooray for vinyl), this line is a bit frightening:
Carrie Brownstein: Does a Pitchfork 9.1 help?
Maggie Vail : Absolutely.
Gerard Cosloy: Sadly, yes. A Pitchfork 9.1 is more influential to the audience and the retailers than a Rolling Stone or New York Times review.
Carrie Brownstein: What does a Pitchfork 4.5 do?
Portia Sabin: A 4.5 can kill a record. Unfortunately.
Mac McCaughan: Agree on the Pitchfork thing, though I do think that a 9.1 helps more than an average number hurts.
Robb Nansel: I'd be inclined to say a high Pitchfork number helps; a low Pitchfork number is irrelevant.
Gerard Cosloy: There remain great things that aren't even on the Pitchfork radar.
Mac McCaughan: Impossible!
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