The diversity of sounds on Shelley Short’s new record A Cave, A Canoo is striking. While the record maintains a mood that evokes genuine laughter and longing (thanks mostly to Short’s perfectly produced vocals) the variety of instruments, and even vocalists on tracks like ‘Time Machine/Submarine’ and ‘Familiar’ give the typically slow moving tracks a very engaging boost of energy. Plus, lyrics like “So hold on, and stick it out/ I’m not gonna be, led about” depict not only Short’s feelings about a particular situation, but also they are telling of her overall attitude toward making music. A Cave, A Canoo oozes with the influence of those she’s spent the past three years with. But even artists like M. Ward and Norfolk & Western tend to slump in a particular sound. On this, her second record, we’re given the impression that regardless of whether or not she achieves the acclaim she deserves, it won’t be her last.

To say the least, this record would make for an amazing flushed out live show. Lucky for us who call Portland home, her CD release show is going down at Holocene on October the 7th. This surely won’t be the last opportunity to catch her at home, but as CD release shows tend to go, she’ll probably bring out all the bells and whistles to make this show a very special one.

Shelley Short – A Cave
Shelley Short – Time Machine Submarine

Posted By David Hutchinson

MusicFest North West exists in a realm between two of the biggest city-wide festivals of the year. While Austin’s SXSW kicks the summer off with essentially every artist you could ever want to see playing multiple times, New York’s CMJ offers a similar set of shows across its vast city. MusicFest North West, while similar, has the benefit of falling between those two events, cherry-picking the best of both and presenting them similarly all across Portland. It is undoubtedly Portland’s most exciting festival, and for a number of reasons.

1) The line-up: It’s impossible to talk about a line-up that lasts five days, but if Okkervil River doesn’t get you excited for Wednesday, surely Girl Talk, the IHEARTCOMIX showcase, and Explosions in the Sky should get you pumped for Thursday. The line-up only gets better as the days go on, with Friday offering stand-outs like No Kids, Mount Eerie, Rocky Votolato, Mudhoney, Japanther, Bad Brains, and We’re From Japan. Saturday doesn’t slow down either, with bands like Titus Andronicus, John Vanderslice, OM, Erase Eratta, and Beach House. Although the only thing currently scheduled for Sunday is the Glacial Pace Recordings showcase, even that line-up has Portland favorites Modest Mouse supported by Love as Laughter and Mimicking Birds.

2) Local bands: Sure MusicFest North West brings in the best touring talent of any festival this far north, but the festival also offers up the stage to the best of the best local bands Portland has to offer. Bands like Norfolk & Western, The Mint Chicks, Guidance Counselor, Explode Into Colors, Strength, Reporter, Panther, Alan Singley and Grouper offer a condensed look at the amazing talent we harness here in Portland, Oregon.

[Photo by Krissy.]

3) The City: While Austin has become a mecca for music since the inception of SXSW, and New York is well… New York; MusicFest North West is Portland’s only beacon of national attention that doesn’t have to do with political scandal and Brandon Roy. It offers an in depth understanding of both the east and west sides of Burnside, Portland’s most intriguing street, and showcases the best venues littered across it. From Doug fir to the Crystal Ballroom, Burnside, and the streets that surround it, have been a home to me and my friends since before I can remember, and nearly everybody who comes through this city has something to say about it. Beyond even that, there are shows which push people as far as north east Portland to venues like the Wonder Ballroom and Mississippi Studios, and to my south east favorites Holocene and Rotture. The festival truly covers the most relevant areas of Portland and provides a sort of tour of our best venues.

4) The Free Shows: Last year we got Ratatat and Les Savy Fav, the year before that we got Grizzly Bear and Deerhunter. This year all of Portland is welcome to try to get a free pass to see not only Passion Pit and The Helio Sequence, but The Bronx, Fucked Up, and the Arctic Monkeys as well. These are arguably the most crowded events at MusicFest North West, but that only illustrates the strength of the artists who preform, as well as the power of the word ‘Free’. If this is the only thing you take in at this year’s MusicFest North West, you’ll still have plenty to talk about.

Posted By David Hutchinson

As this starts at 9:00pm on Wednesday, it is officially the first thing you should catch at this years MusicFest NW; and what a way to start.

9:00 pm Fuck Buttons

10:30 pm Mogwai

6 months have passed since I wrote about Fuck Buttons’ debut album, Street Horrrsing, and all that has changed is my i-Tunes play count. The album is still full of haunting/charming washes of noise from start to finish, which crosses over flawlessly in their live sets. If you missed Fuck Buttons at the Doug Fir with Caribou, now’s your chance to make up for it.

Fuck Buttons – Sweet Love For Planet Earth

Sure, a huge stage for two guys pressing knobs isn’t ever that engaging, but their music more than makes up for it. In some ways this could be the best show at this years festivities, because you can attend knowing that you wont be missing much. Of course, right after the show is over you should head to Berbati’s (if you can get in!!) to check out Portland’s own amazing Norfolk & Western, who are followed by the very intriguing Langhorne Slim and Old 97’s.

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