Do you live in the Pacific Northwest? Do you live far away but like to buy impulse plane tickets? There is a bunch of notable amazement in the next month. Here is a partial guide to sweaty rooms and beer fueled friendships.
Samiyam
Splatinum
Nordic Soul
Tyler Tastemaker
Friday August Sixth
The Crown Room
205 NW Fourth Ave
Right now, this is happening pronto. Fresh VS Decibel festival.
Chromeo
Friday, August 13th
Roseland Theater
8 NW 6th ST
Night by Night…
Distal
Ben Tactics
Lincolup
Friday, August 13th
The Crown Room
205 NW Fourth Ave
Check Distal here.
A-Trak
Peanut Butter Wolf
Nacho Lovers
August 14th
Rotture 315 SE 3rd AVE
If you don’t know A-Trak…
JD Twitch (Of Optimo) (Glasgow)
Honey Soundsystem DJs (San Francisco)
Linger & Quiet
Thursday 19th of August
Holocene
1001 Southeast Morrison Street
Optimo is pretty f’n amazing.
Flosstradamus
Rude Dudes
Lionsden
Serious Business
Cory O
Saturday, August 21
Rotture 315 SE 3rd AVE
Block party, almost.
Dubstep Weekly, Every Tuesday
Come meet us.
The Crown Room
205 NW Fourth Ave
& Electro every third Thursday at Beauty Bar
Other admins should add on to this with their own picks, yeah?
Posted By Sasha
Minneapolis’ Dark Dark Dark are making their way across the country on tour in support of their upcoming album Wild Go, stopping in Portland this coming Thursday.
Probably the most obvious sound comparison one could make is to Bowerbirds, but Dark Dark Dark set themselves apart by elaborating on the spare sounds that Bowerbirds usually offer. Keys, violin, horns & banjo are just some of the sounds that create their expansive sound, one which provides the perfect backdrop for Nona Marie Invie’s trill vocals.
They’re playing Thursday at Rotture with The Drowning Men & Lindsey Clark. It’s only $6, but you can avoid that price by winning a pair of tickets to the show right here. All you’ve got to do is be the first to comment with your full name & e-mail address.
Check out a couple MP3s below, and enjoy the show!
Dark Dark Dark – Bright Bright Bright
Dark Dark Dark – Daydreaming
Posted By David Hutchinson
Largely the creative guise of Christopher Bryant, Areyougone is a Portland, Oregon based group specializing in haunted folk tunes. An introduction at this point, is long overdue. Beginning as a solo project by Bryant, Areyougone has evolved into a group consisting of four mainstay members, but also including “borrowed friends” as their facebook indicates. Haunted folk, as a description, really doesn’t do the work justice. From what we’ve heard the songs truly range in character from slow americana guitar twang to full blown anthemic shoegaze, usually moving from the prior to the latter in the best cases.
Intrigued by the work made public via the links above, we caught up with Bryant who was generous enough to send us more music than we thought the group even had to share. Luckily for all of us, most of it is very good. Areyougone are set to go into the studio with Jeremy Sherrer (J. Mascis, Black Angels) to record a six song mini-lp which should see release in the near future.
We’ve got some exclusive downloads of Areyougone’s recorded work up to this point after the jump.
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Posted By David Hutchinson
It’s pretty rare that we get good, or even just buzzed about hip-hop artists to pass through Portland, which makes this week all the more exciting. No matter where you’re at in our fair state, you’ll have the chance to check out two great ones with week.
Recall our photo-shoot with Fashawn last year, just shortly after the release of his way-too slept-on Boy Meets World. Criticisms of that set always go back to his heavy reliance on samples to make up the basis of each beat, something producer Exile is known for. Anyone who has followed Fashawn through the mixtapes leading up to his album knows, however, that samples act as markers of his inspiration. On Higher Learning Fashawn goes through everything from Kid Cudi to Ratatat to Talib Kweli. He’s always worn his influences on his sleeve, and an affinity for old-school should come as no surprise on his debut. With that in mind, it’s hard to find something bad to say about Boy Meets World. It’s real, and as a result, real good.
Fashawn (Ft. Talib Kwali) – Life’s A Bitch
Fashawn (Ft. Planet Asia) – The Score
Krondon (ft. Fashawn) – I Aint Running
I’ve never been as big a fan of Wiz. He’s undoubtedly the more exciting of the two, if Twitter is to be believed. But that, to me, is what makes him sort of boring. Something about Fashawn saying, “I’m so California.” resonates as real much more than Wiz saying “Pittsburgh Imma Swell My Town”. Maybe it is his mellow demeanor, it can’t break past this listener’s desire to bang-out. Regardless… There will never have been a more blunted crew to come through The WOW Hall on the 13th, and Peters Room (at the Roseland) the following night. If this picture is any indication… the crowd should be significantly intoxicated too.
Wiz Khalifa – Kush & OJ Mixtape
Posted By David Hutchinson
The track titles essentially tell the whole story.
With songs like, “Let There Be Horns”, and “A Spaceship For Now”, RJD2 continues to do what a mostly instrumental act should: incite imagination through instrumentation. And the mind will surely wander through his painfully under-rated 2010 output The Colossus. But, what makes RJD2’s 4th(?) record so strikingly different from that which initially broght him fame, Deadringer, is that he’s finally got something to say, and this time he says it well.
With the help of artists like Kenna and Aaron Livingston, he enlightens his instrumentation with vocals that seem to acknowledge the general disinterest in his 2007 output The Third Hand. It’s like if Jamaraquai didn’t wear that awful hat… or if Jamie Lidell wasn’t such a helpless romantic. Contributions by The Catalyst and Phonte Colman also ensure he maintains his hip-hop sensibilities. My honest opinion? It’s pretty damn good. Don’t take my word for it though, see for yourself this Friday at Dante’s. I know… it’s Dante’s, but Give a fellow Oregonian some love!
Posted By David Hutchinson
If you had told me two years ago that Linfinity was on tour with Murder By Death, I would have thrown a fit. Such a poorly matched pair simply wouldn’t make sense. For one, Murder By Death were at what could arguably have been called the peak of their career, though touring as an opener. Additionally, however, I would have asked you who the hell Linfinity were.
Well it turns out that M.B.D. are now headlining, but with a sound that has undergone a huge transformation. And, playing now for someone like Linfinity somehow seems suiting. Linfinity offers very vocal, melody based songs with a sort of intimate absurdity that recalls everything from Antony Hegarty to even Bruce Springsteen. Murder By Death could be said to lean as far away from the prior comparison, in the direction of the latter. Their now-whiskey-ballads recall fellow rockers Murder City Devils retold through a burlesque filter, but this filter offers a similar intimacy to their openers in Linfinity. They likely won’t gather much praise for their most recent record Good Morning, Magpie due to its overall tone, but the fact remains: as a live act M.B.D. are more compelling and exhilarating than anyone one you could compare them to.
They both take the stage tomorrow at the perfectly appropriate Doug Fir Lounge.
Posted By David Hutchinson
Thursday night’s show had potential to be a half-hearted disaster from each of the bands. As it was their last show on the tour, Local Natives were looking to spend a little more time before their set relaxing and hanging out. The overall vibe backstage was excited, but ultimately sad to see them go. One Fool’s Gold member commented, “I’m just sad we wont get to hear them play every night.” It was evident that the moments the bands had left together were precious. So, it was a precarious start to the show when the promoter came in demanding Local Natives take the stage immediately. Everyone put in effort to argue their case for a later start time, but the promoter wouldn’t have it.
So, understandably, things got a bit glum backstage, but none of the bands carried that onward into their set. Local Natives kicked off the night with an agressive and beautiful set of some tracks from their record Gorilla Manor. Having only heard it a few times before the show, I was sure they were performing covers with the way they managed to sound so raucous. They weren’t. They ended their set with a very sweet goodbye, calling members of Fool’s Gold and Edward Sharpe onto the stage to make their loud set even louder. It was evident that this large group of guys had moved on from depression to acceptance, and the night would turn out alright afterall.
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Posted By David Hutchinson
It’s been exactly three months since I first saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. It’s been exactly three months and six days since I last saw them last. That’s because after stumbling upon them at this year’s Monolith Music Festival in Colorado, they quickly became a must see at Music Fest North West upon my return to Portland. Since that time I’ll admit, I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about them. Listening to their record after having seen them is almost a disservice to the raw energy they exude live.
That being said, knowing all the words to their record could serve a super-fan when checking out their live set. It’s fun enough to sway back and forth with the surely sold-out crowd, but I’d imagine singing along would make a person feel like even more a part of the experience. They are, in fact, magnetic performers in this way.
Check out a bunch of their tracks right here.
What has me most excited, however, is the opening act: Fools Gold. Recall last time they played in Oregon they were joined by Metronomy, who’s disco leanings had me mostly turned off. This time they join a much more suitable tour which should serve to play to their strengths. Not sure how many people will be present on this particular trek, but something tells me they’re going to rock regardless.
It’s hard to talk about this band without mentioning they sing almost entirely in Hebrew. The thing though is, you could listen to and enjoy their album over and over without noticing. I’m sure what they have to say is important, but they say enough musically to keep a listener happy despite their language of choice.
What timing! Squeeze in a Hebrew lesson or two just before Hanukkah: Fools Gold will be joining Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes at both the WOW Hall and the Doug Fir tomorrow and tonight respectively.
Posted By David Hutchinson
In any given weekend, there’s too much going on to even begin writing about. This weekend in Portland though, there is a particularly unique set of shows going down. Everyone knows the weekend begins on Thursday now-a-days, but for the purposes of this post I’ll start on Friday.
The epic and amazing Black Heart Procession are going to be introducing their doom & gloom atmospherics to the Aladdin Theater this Friday with Bellini. Now into their tenth year as a band (and six albums deep) the places they’ve been and struggles they’ve faced resonate really fucking heavily on their latest record, Six. And hey, as Portlanders we get to take some credit for their masterful malcontent, because founding member Tobais Nathaniel used to call Portland home!
If you’re sick of your typical Friday night (who isn’t?) be sure to check out the Black Heart Procession, I promise they’ll be a pleasurable change of pace. Also, be on the lookout for an upcoming feature on FuckBadMusic in which the aforementioned Tobais Nathaniel shares some of his favorite Portland haunts. Who knows, maybe Aladdin Theater will be one of them after this Friday.
The Black Heart Procession – Rats
And if Black Heart Procession proves to be a little too traditional for your tastes (you are insane), look forward to Saturday! Julianna Barwick will be playing her subdued experimental songs in a (surprise!) somewhat experimental setting. That’s because the organizers of the event, titled Sonic Celluloid, have asked each act to choose an accompanying film for their set. The film they choose will be playing as they play in a “muted and trippy” format. I’m thinking Psychic Ills, but with a narrative! The event goes down (including Portland’s own White Rainbow) at the Reed College Chapel this Saturday at 9:00pm. Be there or be boring.
Julianna Barwick – Various Songs
Posted By David Hutchinson
A record made solely of samples seems an exhausting effort; one hard not to approach with skepticism. Essentially records created using this technique promise no hook, no point of entry. That has certainly been the case with much of Junk Culture’s label mates. Illegal Art is one of those niche labels that many like-minded musicians call home. And while these artists do need and deserve a home, it’s hard to glean too much significance when running through their records. Often times what’s most memorable is a familiar sample, rather than how it is used in a new context.
Junk Culture – West Coast
That being said, I’ve listened to this West Coast EP so many times now, the samples that were once familiar to me, as samples, now sound like they were made organically for this record. In this context the record flows so effortlessly through the brain. The perfect blend of familiarity and potency makes what could be a tiring 19 minutes of very varied soundscapes enjoyable throughout. It’s experimental, and for that reason inaccessible, to be sure. But the blurbs and dirges break up songs like ‘My Two Hands’ and ‘For Elise’, which might have been too somber for a sample based record if placed next to one another; and the vocal samples and repetition create a sort of non-traditional hook, easing the listener through tracks that might otherwise have been too noisy.
Download the entire West Coast EP on a ‘Pay What You Want’ basis from Illegal Art.
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Posted By David Hutchinson
I’ve gotta ask… Where the hell was Portland at this Kid Sister show? Was it the Wednesday night? Was it the nearly $20+ price tag?
Whatever it was, the lack of folks in attendance inspired the promoters to section off the two main floors at Holocene for an all ages crowd, leaving the narrow bar the only place to hold a drink. Needless to say, this cut down a major chunk of the dancing that might have been done during Rude Dudes & Flosstrodamus’ set. Commendable effort by those guys though. It was almost depressing watching them attempt to hype a headliner in a relatively empty venue.
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Posted By David Hutchinson
The social/racial effects of poverty are hardly as evident as they are at a Ghostface Killah show taking place in a small college town. One would expect the crowd to be diverse in both color and status, due to the popular nature of anyone coming from a group so big as the Wu-Tang clan. In a college town however, the large majority of interested viewers are going to be white, well-to-do students. This is exactly how the crowd at the WOW Hall was this last Friday. Some were genuine fans of Wu-Tang and Ghostface’s catalog, a few were even fans of Fashawn, but most were just white boys and their girlfriends looking for something, anything to do.
This, of course, isn’t a problem. As long as people are into the music, the event, it should go off without a hitch. For the most part this last Friday, they were.
A very small enthusiastic crowd formed at the front of the stage for the two local acts that began the show. Most of the attendees, however, were in the bar if their age permitted; waiting for the more significant half of the evening to begin. Once Fashawn took the stage, it had. His presence on stage is strikingly similar to how he acts offstage. Not shy to fanfare, and not afraid to push the boundaries of acceptable action. This is to say, he smoked a blunt both backstage, as well as on stage.
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Posted By David Hutchinson
