If you haven’t already seen Molly Siegel on stage singing for Ponytail, you now have unbreakable plans this Sunday. As childlike and chaotic as their album cover suggests, Ponytail are one of the most fun female-fronted bands to ever take the stage. I had the good fortune of catching them open for Battles on their Mirrored tour, and they were simply amazing. The way Siegel bounces and screams suggest a sense of urgency, but really it’s just her inner child bursting through her adult exterior. Remember when you were little and all you could think to do was scream, jump and shake with excitement and frustration? Neither do I really, but lucky for us Ponytail does, and their set to remind us all this Sunday when they play Holocene with Katy Davidson and Tests.

MP3’s after the jump:

Ponytail – Celebrate The Body Electric (It Came From An Angel)

Ponytail – Jamming

Posted By David Hutchinson

We’ve already told you that tonight you should not miss Fuck Buttons & Mogwai at the Roseland Theater; an easy feat. Thursday however, proves much more challenging as there are sets all over the map, music-wise and genre-wise.
5:30pm No Age
7:00pm Battles
9:00 pm Calvin Johnson
10:00 pm M Ward
10:00 pm The Cool Kids
11:00 pm Starfucker
12:00 am Deerhunter

The choice is clear early on, as No Age and Battles are all there is to see during their given time slots. Although capacity was a big issue at last year’s Nike sponsored free events, this year sees the shows moved to the Wonder Ballroom, who’s capacity hopefully wont leave many out. I’d plan to get there early though; because who wouldn’t want to see No Age take the stage only to be followed by Battles, who you may recall I really enjoyed at this years Sasquatch Festival.

Shortly after Battles are finished, I recommend rushing to the Crystal Ballroom. Calvin Johnson is a local North West legend, and if you didn’t already know, he has his hands in absolutely everything you’ve ever loved in the music biz. Unfortunately after he finishes, things begin to get a bit confusing. While one might be tempted to just stick around for M. Ward (who is amazing live), they should be aware that one of the only hip-hop shows at this years MusicFestNW is happening just down Burnside at the Roseland Theater. The Cool Kids take the stage at the same time as M.Ward, and I suppose it’ll just be a matter of what is interesting you at the time. Another thing to note though: although M. Ward resides in Portland, this doesn’t really increase your chances of seeing him live more often.

If neither of these sound interesting, please save me a spot while watching Bodies Of Water, who I am so so sad to be missing at Holocene. After all, Holocene is where you will want to be post 10:00PM. Portland’s own Starfucker take the stage just shortly before the fabulous Deerhunter. Whether you did or did not catch Deerhunter at last year’s MusicFestNW, tomorrow’s show is sure to amaze, as it’s hard to imagine messing up an almost flawless catalog.

Posted By David Hutchinson

Starting today, and throughout the week I’ll be posting to the calendar shows you should probably be going to that correspond to this years MusicFestNW, along with MP3’s so you can preview the artists before the shows. At $50 for 4 days, there is no good reason not to make it out.
After the jump check out the list of performers as well as how to get into Ratatat, Les Savy Fav, Britt Daniel, No Age, Built To Spill and Battles free of charge.

A Weather
Akimbo
Alela Diane
An Intimate Evening With Mirah
Anders Parker
Andy Combs and the Moth
Animal Farm
Another Cynthia
Atole
Autopilot is for Lovers
Barry Hampton & The Triple Grip
Battles
BEAUTIFUL LOSERS
Best Fwends
Bitchin Summer
Black Elk
Black Whales
Blind Pilot
Blitzen Trapper
Blue Horns
Blue Skies for Black Hearts
BOAT
Bobby Bare Jr.
Bodies of Water
Bouncing Souls
Boy Eats Drum Machine
Britt Daniel
Built To Spill (Performing Perfect From Now On)
Cafeteria Dance Fever
Calvin Johnson
Carrie Clarke & The Lonesome Lovers
Caves
Centro-Matic
Chicharones
Chris Robley & the Fear of Heights
Coconut Coolouts
Colour Revolt
Colt Vista
Cool Nutz & DJ Fatboy
Copacrescent
Copy
Crooked Fingers
Crystal Antlers
Dakota Slim
Dan Deacon
Danava
Death Vessel
Deerhunter
Del The Funky Homosapien
Diesto
Dirty Mittens
DJ Kez
DJ Santo
Dolorean
Dykeritz
Dyme Def
Eat Skull
Eskimo and Sons
Eskimo and Sons
Explode Into Colors
Fernando
Finn Riggins
Fireballs of Freedom
Flaspar
Fleet Foxes
Flipper
Fuck Buttons
Fucked Up
Gratitillium
Graveyard
Gray Matters
Griffin House
Hazelwood Motel
Hey Lover
Hillstomp
Hockey
Horse Feathers
Hot Water Music
Hungry Ghost
Hypatia Lake
Ian Moore
Invisible Rockets
Iommi Stubbs
Iretsu
Jaguar Love
Jared Mees & the Grown Children
Jedi Mind Tricks
John Vanderslice
Joshua Morrison
Kaia
Kelly Blair Bauman
Kurt Hagardorn
Lackthereof
Lael Alderman
Langhorne Slim
Langhorne Slim
Laura Gibson
Les Savy Fav
Living Proof
Loch Lomond
Logan Lynn
Looker
Love As Laughter
M Ward
Matt and Kim
Matt Sheehy
Menomena
Micah Blue Smaldone
Michael Dean Damron & Thee Loyal Bastards
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
Mimicking Birds
Mogwai
Monica Nelson
Monotonix
Monstrous
Morgan Grace
Nada Surf
Nebula
Nick Jaina
No Age
Norfolk & Western
Oh Captain, My Captain
Old 97’s
Old Time Relijun
Outtasite
Oxford Collapse
Panther
Paper/Upper/Cuts
Past Lives
Pierced Arrows
Pleasae Step Out Of The Vehicle
Polvo
Port O’Brien
Portugal. The Man
Pseudosix
Pure Country Gold
Pwrfl Power
Rachel Taylor Brown
Rapids
Ratatat
Red Fang
Richmond Fontaine
Rupa and the April Fishes
Sandpeople
Scared of Chaka
Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags
Seaweed
Sharpening Markers
Silver Summit
Sir Mix-A-Lot
Sleepercar
Southern Belle
Starfucker
Stauffer
Steel Pole Bath Tub
Stiffwiff
Strangers Die Every Day
Street Plant
Sunday Night Blackout
Super XX Man
Supernova
Swim Swam Swum
Team Evil
Thao with Get Down Stay Down
The 1900s
The Blakes
The Bugs
The Builders and the Butchers
The Cool Kids
The Devin Phillips Band
The Dry County Crooks
The Freddie Steady 5
The Fucking Eagles
THE GITS MOVIE
The Helio Sequence
The Joggers
The Love Language
The Mommyheads
The Muslims
The Night Marchers
The Old Believers
The Rainy States
The Retrofits
The Shaky Hands
The Skinnyz
The Slants
The Strange Boys
The Thrones
The Upsidedown
The Valiant Arms
The Wherewithals
The Whigs
The Whips and the Whales
These Arms Are Snakes
Throw Me the Statue
TK Webb and The Visions
Tony Ozier
Totimoshi
Tractor Operator
Trans Am
Trio Subtonic
Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death
Truckasauras
TV on the Radio
Typhoon
U.S.E.
Vampire Weekend
Velella Velella
We’re from Japan
Weinland
White Fang
Witchcraft
World’s Greatest Ghosts
Wow & Flutter
Xavier Rudd

WOW. See the artists in bold? All of them are playing free sets at the Wonder Ballroom on different days during the festival. Get your free passes by going to Jackpot Records the day of the show. In my experience, they definitely give them out beyond capacity, so if you have always wanted to see No Age but haven’t had the chance… I suggest getting to the venue EARLY.

Posted By David Hutchinson