“My fear of the bear at Showbiz Pizza when I was six
was overwhelming and not dissimilar to this”

That line is one of many lyrical gems dropped in Alopecia, the most recent album from Why?. Given ones rational fear of animatronic carnivores that play instruments, it’s easy to see where frontman Yoni Wolf is coming from. But perhaps Wolf never saw the Showbiz Pizza band get down, Usher style…

Regular readers of this blog already know that from time to time I’m called upon to defend Celine Dion… AND TODAY WILL BE NO DIFFERENT! Total Guitar magazine has released their poll of the absolute worst cover songs of all time, and guess who’s at the tippy-top? Celine’s version of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

Now. I’m not saying this cover is the greatest (see her version of “River Deep-Mountain High” if you want to see the awesomest cover of all time), however, if nothing else it’s pretty freaking hilarious and I smiled all the way through it. Check it out below, and list your choices for worst covers in the comments!

This morning, as I do every morning over coffee, I picked up the sports section first. As I did, I found myself asking why? Basketball season is over, and well, the rest of it bores me. But habits are what they are, and some are hard to break—plus it takes a certain amount of time to consume some 40oz of coffee and I’ve got to read something. I like to save the Arts section until I’ve got a buzz, and the front page is way to depressing to begin the day with. So yeah, sports. But without basketball… well… it stinks.

I did, however, find a sweet little bit of basketball and music related sweetness: a Shaq freestyle. Hot damn. Dude is TERRIBLE! And totally fucking hilarious. I don’t want to spoil all his best jokes, but at one point the Bio Diesel works in a mention of his VASECTOMY (which is probably the smartest thing in the world for any professional athlete…)

The video doesn’t embed, and you’ll have to watch some dumb-ass commercial about smores, but it’s totally worth it! Get down with Shaq’s freestyle here.

After you do, you’ll be wishing even harder that this sucker would’ve come out:

It’s certainly time for a response, loser! RAP BATTLE!

Alright. So it’s Friday afternoon and hot as a motherfucker out. But maybe you’re still stuck at work. Hopefully there’s air conditioning. And hey, if you are in front of the damn computer screen, at least you’re not missing out on soaking up some Vitamin D on a patio somewhere with a cocktail in your hand—it’s fucking grey out. So what. Whatever.
For those of you counting down those last few minutes of the work week, I’ve got a sweet little time-waster for you. Because, let’s face it—by Friday afternoon you’ve exhausted all the websites you read, passing time on the company dollar. Here’s a sweet little sonnofabitch that oughta be good for a few more minutes:

http://www.spiritualizedharmonies.com/

It’s got a bunch of Spirtualized videos, past and present, to promote the new album and tour—a tour which aint coming to Portland, goddamnit. But this site is a whole lot better than the usual promotional schlock. Motherfucker is high-tech and high-fi—so much so it choked my poor G4 to death in full-screen mode. But it’s a pretty thing. And while were on the topic, Spirtualized’s sustained graphic motif’s throughout the years are pretty admirable as well.

Anyway, if you’re watching the clock, I hope this’ll help jump those little hands forward. Salud.

We like Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet quite a bit ‘round these parts. In fact, we even ran an article about the group this week. But it’s a little odd that the band, and their fellow tourmates on the Nylon Summer Music Tour 2008, have not caught on to a larger audience:

Please note this show has been moved from Crystal Ballroom to Hawthorne Theatre. All Crystal tickets will be honored.

I assume this was due to poor advance ticket sales. Unless someone really doesn’t like Ringlers’ onion rings or something. Anyway, the tour’s lineup (which in addition to BYOP features She Wants Revenge, The Virgins, and Switches) is made up entirely of major label bands, all of which have generated a ton of ink over the past year or so. That’s not a good sign when four bands with such backing can’t fill a room like the Crystal. Here’s hoping that this lack of interest has more to do with the godawful faux-goth headliners, She Wants Revenge, than with a band like Be Your Own Pet.

Wow. This commercial for Buzz Cuts—“the 30 biggest and best alternative rock hits of all time on two awesome CDs”—is totally extreme. It’s like the Poochie the Dog of K-Tel commercials. Or skydiving with a snowboard on while you crack open a Mountain Dew. And a Suuuurrrrrge.

While this might be a soft target for goofing on the failing music industry, I have to give them credit for including every single thing that was ever wrong with alternative music and accurately compiling it on two CDs. What, no Hoobastank?

Oh, sorry, they are track 9.

You can’t get enough of the buzz!

Check out this new video from Snoop Dogg entitled “My Medicine” which is not only a C&W foot stomper, but it name checks Johnny Cash, includes Willie Nelson and is all about… well… here’s a lyrical hint: “You can’t buy me love, but you can damn sure buy me bud.”

Yeeeee-to-the-HAW!

As part of the Penny Jam series (think La Blogotheque, but more local and far less French), summertime pop band Dirty Mittens took a trip to Old Portland Hardware. There, the color-coordinated band put on an excellent performance of “Time Forgiver,” the title track from their upcoming EP.

Also, if you have time to waste (i.e., if you are at work), check out the other Penny Jams, which include Magic Johnson performing at the Dollar Scholar, Dykeritz live at Grass Hut, and a few more as well.

Hey Penny Jams, if you want to film an episode in the Mercury offices as our staff updates their Facebook profiles diligently works in the background, let me know.

Good morning. As we shake off the hangover from last night’s Nurses show, here is a little record cover battle to kick off our week. I’m sure it’s been posted somewhere before, just not here. Oh man, that Nevermind baby is no match for the prog-supergroup powers of Asia.

Now let’s see how long I go before breaking down and posting “Heat of the Moment.”

Well, by now you’ve probably heard. Regardless of how you feel about the man and this verdict, the remix to “Ignition” remains one of this decade’s crowning achievements, and about as damn perfect a summer jam as you’re likely to find.

Apparently this video was loaded to Youtube three months ago, so please forgive me if I’m late getting to the party. However, I’m sure glad I got my invitation, because Wildbirds & Peacedrums, despite the somewhat awful name, are incredible.

This song, “There is No Light”, is all buildup. It kind of has that same Gallowsbird’s Bark-era Fiery Furnaces feel to it, where the songs just build and build but never break. And, like the Furnaces, Wildbirds & Peacedrums are comprised of just two members, the husband and wife team of Andreas Werliin and Mariam Wallentin. However, musically, the Furnaces aren’t an apt comparison. This song is all percussion: Werliin is subtle and amazing, calculating every snare hit with quiet precision. Add that with Wallentin’s husky, Antony-like all over the place vocals and shit gets real good real quick.

I also recommend heading on over to their Myspace page and checking out “Doubt Hope”, another truly epic slow-burner that rocks the hand-claps and shakers like it’s nobody’s business.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums have a new record out, Heartcore, which can be purchased via their record label, if you’re so inclined.

LOCAL H, THE PHOTO ATLAS, SHARPENING MARKERS
(Berbati’s Pan, 10 SW 3rd) There was steel grip of close to a year-plus when KNRK seemingly played the same damned five or six songs in constant rotation. Maybe they still do now, but back then at least three of ’em had to have been Local H’s “Bound for the Floor.” Before rock duos became fashionable, these two Chicagoans were peerless for years in the sensitivity and intensity of their signature sound. Great, abrasive albums (Pack Up the Cats, Whatever Happened to P.J. Soles?) would follow, but fresh radio airplay was grounded and the once-golden sales became tarnished. Like that shit even matters. JUSTIN PETERSON

VIDEO:
Local H - Bound for the Floor

“Every other band was on stage because they wanted to be rock stars, this lot was on stage because they had no fucking choice.”

Hot damn, this new Joy Division documentary (creatively titled Joy Division) looks splendid.

But, wait, wasn’t there already a Joy Division documentary that was just released? No, that was Control, which was a movie about the band. That was great and all, but no actor in the world can do that spazzy-rigid-flopping-fish-dance like Ian Curtis could.

No word on a Portland screening, but the DVD is supposed to be released on the 17th of this month, so you can just hold one at your house. And invite me.

Coming up next: The Joy Division Pixar kids movie. I heard Cameron Diaz has signed on to do the voice of Annik Honoré, who will be illustrated as a panda. A seductive panda.

Remember when My Bloody Valentine was dead, and a Kevin Shields influence was novel? The Warlocks sounded good last year with Heavy Deavy Skull Lover, but this was before an MBV reunion was certain. “The Valley of Death” and “Moving Mountains” evoked Loveless by breaking apart peaks of hardened love-song syrup with overdriven, psychedelic rattle. Now that we can hear Loveless live (if we want to spring for airfare), the allure of the Warlocks is beginning to fade. Luckily, “So Paranoid” and “Slip Beneath” are more Brian Jonestown Massacre than MBV—janglier than your average MBV mindmelt, but no less transcendent. MIKE MEYER

I always thought the Warlocks did “drug rock” better than anyone else, and I loved the Warlocks’ first self-titled EP from 2000 (especially “Song for Nico”), thinking it was their high-water mark until I heard “It’s Just Like Surgery” from 2005’s Surgery. Sounding like a ’60s three-chord cherry-pop A-side amped up far beyond Jesus & Mary Chain levels of fuzz happy bliss-out, it’s the kind of song that I would play as loud as humanly possible. The YouTube clip above, coming out of tiny computer speakers, probably isn’t going to cut it. So to get the whole idea, you’re going to want to go to the live show tonight. There are also a ton of songs posted on their website, so if you want some Warlock fixin’, head over there.

The Warlocks open for the Black Angels tonight at the Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12

Good news, the Gits documentary (appropriately titled THE GITS) is slated to come to Portland, July 4-10 at the Clinton Street Theater. The film’s release coincides with the 15th anniversary of the death of singer Mia Zapata, but judging by the above trailer the film seems to (thankfully) focus more on the band’s music than the tragic events that are now synonymous with their legacy. Also, if the press release is to be believed, the Portland screenings will feature the film’s producer (Jessy Bender), plus “band members and special guests.”

Local label Hush Records has gone global. No longer just releasing local artists—or every single band Dave Depper plays in—the label’s quest for (quiet) global domination marches on with the singing of Rauelsson, from Castellón, Spain.

Well, sort of.

The artist is an “adopted Oregonian” who spends time here, but admitting that would totally discount my whole Hush-world-takeover intro, so for the sake of this blog post (and an affront to the standards of journalist excellence… hahaha, oh man, sorry, I started laughing while typing that) let’s just say that Rauelsson lives near the fjords of Castellón (I’m terrible at geography) and has never heard of Oregon.

Moving on.

Hush is releasing a pair of Rauelsson EPs this Summer, entitled Tiempo De and Pacífico, both of which showcase the gentle mix of soft melodies (en (español) and gorgeous instrumentation. Of course, since this is a Hush release, you can expect cameos from the likes of Laura Gibson, Loch Lomond’s Ritchie Young, and tons more. And if Dave Depper is not this record, I owe him a tapas dinner.

Here is a video for “Cazadores de Tornados.”

Nice video, it looks just like this totally awesome Portland summer weather we’ve been having.

Contrary to popular belief, bloggers are people too. We pay taxes, bleed when stabbed (this is not an invitation to knife me), and have loving mothers who don’t understand how we generate a paycheck from this interweb and its complicated series of tubes.

So, in honor of today being my dear mother’s birthday, here is a favorite song of hers:

She gave me the Stand By Me soundtrack as my first cassette ever, with this song kicking off the record, thus planting the seeds for my longtime love of music. Thanks, mom!

Okay, now back to the snark.

Hey, it’s almost Summer, right? And it’s almost Cat Friday too, right? In honor of both those occasions, I present you with the dance-tastic video for “Lonely Planet”, the new single from Australia-based Summer Cats.

This is easily one of the best indiepop singles of 2008, period. And while Fred Meyer might not quite be stocking Summer Cats seven inches yet, the always amazing Cloudberry Records is! Go buy a copy!

Yep, that’s right: the interwebs exist solely for nerds and their nerd-jokes. And on the nerd scale, it doesn’t get much higher, or much better, than this animated Star Trek mash-up featuring William Shatner covering Pulp’s “Common People.”

I don’t even know what to say after watching that, other than I think this very well could be the internet’s greatest triumph.

(HT: Boing Boing)

What happens with Dizzee Rascal and Calvin “I Created Disco” Harris team up? Only a kick ass summer jam that is more than likely going to be inescapable in the oncoming months.

“Dance Wiv Me” is probably, after two listens, one of my favorite Dizzee tracks. The thing is just smooth, nonchalant, and that beat creates the perfect counterbalance to his affected vocals. Maths + English is a pretty tough record, and this just feels breezy and real fun in comparison. It’s nice to see Dizzee letting his hair out, as it were, especially after seeing how charming the guy is in person.

It happened again. I was half-asleep, bleary-eyed, shifting through the channels around 4AM last night and I saw another one of CMT’s brilliant travesties. This one featured some Boring, Bumbling, Barbie Blonde singing on the boardwalk. What made the video a possible Best of the Worst contender was the break-dancing. That’s right. There were a bunch of dudes — yes, some black — kicking their shit on the cardboard behind her. It’s insane. First time for everything, I guess. What’s next? Line-dancing in a Lil’ Wayne video?

Although the for-mentioned crossover is totally ridiculous, the poor execution of the rest of the video and the song’s un-funny and bland spin didn’t quite make the cut. Not even on a slow-news Monday would it be fair to show this video.

But I was reminded! I’ve been holding on to the mother of all fuck-ups, the king shit, bottom feeding toad, most unintentionally hilarious video of ALL TIMES. Finally, it’s time to crown this bastard, once and for all. Here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the Best of the Best of the Worst:

Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy

Faux sixties freakout style, country rapping, terrible sex innuendoes, midgets, Cowboy Troy, “my old stud Leroy,” and did I mention liberal freakout style ON CMT? Oh God, it’s just so precious. “Save a Horse” is proof that the best parodies can’t be written — they are are the ones which are somehow true. The only thing that could possibly make this better would be Carmen Electra sluttin’ up the joint, hard. And maybe a Dave Navarro shirtless pedal-steel solo… Man, that’d be the fucking trifecta right there —the very worst of country (new), rap (Cowboy Troy) and rock (shirtless Dave) . On the other hand, the thought that they’d be making more money in those three minutes than I do all year would sure cause my head to implode, sucking all of North East Portland in with it.

So please, behold, Big and Rich:

And if you like, there’s another video here if you’d like to learn the lyrics.

Everything, and I mean everything, about this video is perfect. The dude in the “Girl Wanted” shirt, the foliage, the tambourine playing, the “naked man in my dreams” lyric: Morrissey is slowly turning into this guy, and I couldn’t be more happy.

You know, Moz was always the king of the tongue in cheek lyric, but it’s almost like now, with age, he’s letting that tongue fly. Even if the song isn’t spectacular (although I will say I enjoy it much more than almost everything on Ringleader), he still somehow manages to sell it completely, making me want to throw my panties flowers at his feet for all forty-five nights of his Las Vegas residency (which, I realize, hasn’t happened yet, but if you don’t think that is exactly where he is headed, you’re crazy).

Blue Skies for Black Hearts - Siouxsie Please Come Home

Here’s the new video from Blue Skies for Black Hearts, from their brand new album Serenades and Hand Grenades. The Skies play in a chilly, snowbound setting (somewhat reminiscent of this video, and thankfully not at all reminiscent of this one). Unlike the video, the song is a sunny, warmhearted jangly pop song straight out of the ’60s. Frontman Pat Kearns strums his Rickenbacker with gloved fingers (which doesn’t really work in real life; the notes get all muffled). Looks cold! But it looks like they were having fun, too, on one of the few snowy days of the year.

What’s the easiest way to create an internet sensation? Well, for Weezer it was populating their new video “Pork and Beans” with already established internet sensations! Let’s see, there’s the Chocolate Rain guy, the crying Chris Crocker guy, the guy knocking himself out with his own nunchucks guy, and… well, see how many YOU can identify!

Today’s band: The Heavenly States
From: Oakland, CA
Scheduled appearance: Sunday May 25 at 2:35 on the Wookie Stage
Evidenced gathered:

“Pretty Life”

One of the few national acts I haven’t heard before, the Heavenly States play soulful pop-rock, with dynamic shading and clever arrangements. Ted Nesseth’s voice has a husky quality, and Jeremy Gagon’s drums are hard-hitting. Like Spoon meets the Black Keys or something. I dig it. I also dig a tune on their MySpace called “Lost in the Light.”

Will I make a point to see them?
I think so! I’d really like to see J. Tillman on the smaller stage, whose set overlaps with theirs, but this looks like it will be worth seeking out.

Heyo. Tonry here with a bit of news: There’s a new music video site in Grumptown. It’s called Pacific Noise, and since 2006 it’s been producing video podcasts on San Francisco bands. This March the site expanded north. So far they’ve covered just two Portland groups, The Prids and Reporter—one per month it would seem. Judging by the array of past Bay Area coverage, Pacific Noise could be a pretty cool little addition if the Portland bureau keeps at it.

The videos are Quicktime, so we can’t embed them here. Visit the Pacific Noise Portland site to check em out.

In this video for “Hometown,” from UK (but not exactly local) darlings The Hugs, the band plays their stripped-down rock in a dimly lit room, before hitting a restaurant for a regrettable, too stoned to really talk, interview. Along the way, they pass a Mercury box, where singer Danny Delegato takes out our paper, flips through it, then tosses it to the ground and mumbles, what I believe is, “Fuck the Mercury.”

Well played young buck. Way to document the destruction of the one paper that has gone out of its way to praise your little band, even when you guys were still working the High School Battle of the Bands circuit. But given the band’s past history of making some very very very very stupid decisions, this shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise. Anyway, I don’t have issue with the “Fuck the Mercury” thing (if he actually said it, since the quality of the video is Zapruder-esque, plus he has a good point…), just don’t litter like that, since your mommies aren’t always around to pick up after you, okay?

Hey fans of late ’90s Russian teenage lesbians! Remember t.A.T.u., and their controversial video, “All the Things She Said”? Well, the teeny twosome is now all growed up, still recording, and STILL doing very naughty things. When your boss isn’t looking, check out this NSFW new video entitled “Beliy Plaschik (White Robe)”—which like their previous work relies on hot dance beats, a dark undercurrent, and this time? Bunches of nudity! (Aaaaand something about a pregnant execution. Enjoy!)

Thanks, James!

As Sasquatch! quickly approaches, I examine the line-up and check out bands I’ve never heard before.

Band: Joshua Morrison
Scheduled time: 3:15 Saturday 5/24, Yeti stage
Evidence gathered: A homemade tour video (seen above), taken from his MySpace page.

Okay, this sounds like a million other acoustic singer-songwriters. The guitar picking is not bad, shows promise. It’s awfully pretty, though—pretty in the same way that the embroidered flower pattern on toilet paper is pretty. Might he take a dark left turn here, and make some interesting music? It’s possible. Joshua Morrison served in Iraq, so maybe he’s got some stories to share.

But no. This is Hallmark Card music at its most blatant and unimaginative. It’s about wanting to go home. A potent emotion, sure, but not a very complex or interesting one. “Quietly cursing the distance under your breath. The spirit is willing but my flesh is so weak.” It goes on from there. No bad feelings, just kind of an “Aw shucks won’t it be nice to go home.” He’s pitching big fat slow balls, perfectly over the plate. Boring, and unnecessarily chewy.

If I was a war bride, and hadn’t seen my husband in ten months, and he wrote this song for me—sure, my knees would get weak. I might even get a little puddly. But I’m not, I haven’t, and he didn’t. So, no.

How will he fare at Sasquatch?
I doubt he’ll do much to get the party started, but by mid-afternoon people may be in need of a gentle, soft-handed massage-of-the-heart… more likely, though, folks will still have energy to burn, and this will be too much of a snooze.

Will I make a point to see him?
Again, this comes down to the competition. Ozomatli plays on the main stage at the same time, so Morrison actually might have a shot… but his set overlaps with both the Whigs and Kathleen Edwards on the Wookie stage, both of whom I like a lot more than this—so, nope.

If there’s one thing that Bret and Jermaine (of the hilarious band and HBO show Flight of the Conchords) know, it’s how to please the ladies. Check out this new video entitled “Somethin’ Special (For All the Ladies in the World),” where they share the secret of seducing women. (Hint: It involves roller skates!)

And don’t forget that Flight of the Conchords will be appearing at this year’s Sasquatch fest! WOOT!

The very Wish-sounding new single from The Cure is quite a nice surprise, proving that despite his odd post-menopausal, you-just-woke-up-Mom-from-a-nap, look, Robert Smith can still pen one hell of a bouncy little pop song. “The Only One” fits that mold, as Smith bends his trademark vocals (He’s totes ripping off that dude from The Black Kids!) all over the song’s over-indulgent chorus.

Ladies and gentlemen, here is my early nomination for the “Summer Jam of ‘08”— N.E.R.D.’s homage to chicks snorting booger sugar, “Everyone Nose.” Not only does Pharrell and the boys put together a great chorus, but the video features sexy gals blasted out of their gourds on blow, AND a cameo from… LINDSAY LOHAN? I’m sure she’s just there to chastise these girls for their reprobate behavior. Right, LiLo?

Anyhoo, watch the video and let us know in the comments below… WILL YOU BUMP IT? OR WILL YOU DUMP IT?

In honor of the fantastic pop sounds of the Little Ones hitting up the Towne Lounge tonight, here is their excellent video for “Ordinary Song.”

This track was supposed to be the first single from their major label debut LP, Morning Tide, but the band got kicked to the curb and that record won’t be released until later this year. The video itself is a gorgeous production with tons of moving sets, an endless cast of varied characters, and some sharp editing that allows all the various scenes to flow together. It’s sort of what Wes Anderson would have done if he was directing low-budget videos for indie bands.

There is no other time than the early ’90s that Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde could have existed. It’s like the Slanted and Enchanted of the hip hop world: a shambling, gorgeous piece of work that manages to show moments of great brilliance with a complete lack of pretense. Songs fall apart on themselves, the drums and piano lack any sort of rhythm, and were it not for all of the members incredible slacker-ish rapping skills, the thing would have been quite a different record. No matter though, they had apathy calculated completely, and managed to point a happy middle finger to everyone around them by creating easily one of the best hip hop records of that decade.

Maybe it is the sunshine peeking through the skies right now, but Bizarre Ride hasn’t sounded this good to me in a long time. So good, in fact, that I went searching YouTube for some videos, and damn if I didn’t come up a gem.

At first, this video for “It’s Jigaboo Time”, a skit from the record that really only makes sense plopped in between “Oh Shit!” and “4 Better or 4 Worse”, seems to be some sort of messed up fan video. It’s not until about thirteen seconds in where things get really crazy and you realize, no, this is not a fan video. Those dudes actually made a video. For a skit. Damn if it doesn’t fit their vibe completely, and damn if this 1:24 isn’t going to be one of the weirder minutes you have today.

And hey, just because I can, why not continue after the jump for “Passin’ Me By”.

Back before Fuse was a household name and emo mainstay, there was its precursor, MuchMusic USA, a Canadian super-music channel that seemingly, for awhile there, played nothing but the video for Thursday’s “Understanding In a Car Crash” (which, embarrassingly enough, I absolutely LOVE).

However, since the station was Canadian, they managed to throw in the occasional wacky video, like tracks from a then-obscure K-OS and “Ol Time Killing” by Kardinal Offishall, which I also fell immediately in love with. I remember the first time I saw it, even: it was some late-night hip hop show, and the dude hosting was counting down his top five producers of all time. If I remember correctly, the list went something like this:

1. Jay Dee
2. Ali Shaheed Muhammed
3. Premiere
4. Pete Rock
5. Some dude from Da Grassroots

Yeah, I don’t really know who Da Grassroots are either (crazy Canadians!), but apparently one dude from there produced Kardinal’s “Ol Time Killing” (as evidence by his “knew it was murder since Da Grassroots produced this” line), and this was the video they showed to accompany his number five producer pick.

And jeez if that song doesn’t kill. How Kardinal’s album, Quest For Fire, didn’t blow the hell up because of that song, I’ll never know. But now it’s time for round two, as the man from the T-Dot-O comes with a brand new track featuring none other than hit-maker extraordinaire Akon.

“Dangerous” has summer-jam written all over it, and something tells me the name Kardinal Offishall is going to be tossed around a lot more here in the near future.

And to think, I used to love this band.

Not that one appearance on a bad television show is a deal breaker—the Flaming Lips have made a career of their performance at the Peach Pit After Dark (“I’ve never been a big fan of alternative music, but these guys rock the house!”)—but Alkaline Trio’s particularly soulless “recording session” on the “reality show” The Hills just makes my skin crawl.

I’d type more, but I have to meet Lauren at sushi.
Oh, wait, I have to meet Heidi.
No, no, I mean Whitney.

It’s very confusing, these emotionally vacant O.C. girls all look the same to me.

In honor of Obama’s impending victory (Hilary, stop it. For reals.), we bring you the best Barack-related song out there. Nope, it’s not that cheesy Will.I.Am. motivational video, nor is it anything from Obama Girl.

The song, “Vote Obama,” is courtesy of Sa-Ra Creative Partners and produced by Daedalus, plus it features brief cameos from everyone from Kanye West to Shepherd Fairy (of Obey Giant fame, and also the man behind the “Hope” Obama posters). I love it when graphic designers are in videos.

Robyn. Letterman. And three guys in bear outfits.
Thanks to The View, we get none of these things.

Da Moose has posted a great clip of Horse Feathers live from the star-studded Kill Rock Stars BBQ.

According to the post it seems like everyone in Portland’s indie scene—from Carrie Brownstein to Hutch and Kathy—was there, and in addition to the Horsies, there was a performance from Mecca Normal as well.

This sure sounds like a fun time. Huh, our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail Or if it was an Evite, I bet it got caught up in that damn spam filter of ours. The email subject was probably something like “Canadian Pharmacy V1%GRA BBQ with Horse Feathers and X.ANEX.” Yeah, that was it.

Oh, but we, um, had other plans and they were totally better than some stupid lame BBQ for jerks.

Not that we care or anything.

“Wolves” was one of my favorite tracks last year, and here we get a nice video of Phosphorescent performing the song for the Black Cab Sessions. Even stripped down to just a guitar and a funny hunting hat, the song still holds most of the haunting beauty that made me love it so much in the first place.

The core of the Thermals, Hutch and Kathy get the La Blogothèque (or if you like your links en français) “Take-Away Show” treatment on the Oregon coast.

Filmed by One Shot Seattle, the pair enjoy a lazy afternoon on the beach (Astoria? My coast detection skills are not what they used to be.) and debut some new songs which might be for their revitalized acoustic project, or for the Thermals. Who knows?

Hutch and Kathy - “That’s Inertia”

Friend to all, Kiala Kazebee has been kind enough to grant us a peek into her superior life, one where she dines with Dave Allen, Cut Copy, and talks about The Thornbirds while stuffing her face with tortilla chips. Face it, her life is just better than ours.

Gang of Four’s Dave Allen threw a dinner party for Cut Copy, Australia’s new New Order, on Monday night at his home in SW Portland and I was invited. Like any rock journalist worth her salt, I did a little Googling seconds before meeting the band. I am that good at what I do. What I found out, in the one half minute of signal service I could get in the West Hills, was that they are from Melbourne and Melbourne is in Australia. Sufficiently prepared, I headed inside.

I found the guys sitting at a table surrounded by beers and tortilla chips (in other words, heaven) and quickly ran over to Dave’s computer to look up who was who on the band’s MySpace page. Chanting “Dan, lead singer, gets the most chicks,” “Tim, guitar, slightly less chicks,” and “Mitchell, drums, might die unexpectantly and/or lose an arm but still—chicks” under my breath I sidled up to the boys and, in a desperate panic, asked them about the only Australian thing I knew anything about—The Thornbirds.

The Thornbirds is a book, but more importantly a 1983 miniseries, set in the Australian outback. Starring Richard Chamberlain, Bryan Brown, and Rachel Ward, it set the bar for rom