Christmas is nine days away, but my present comes early in the form of a fantastic tour stopping through Portland.

Sic Alps was probably the group I was most excited about during this year’s SMMR BMMR, both before and after the actual show. Something about the earnestness of their demeanor coupled with the underlying pop-sensibilities of their music has me totally hooked. Even on their newest, a split with tour-mates Magik Markers, Sic Alps experiment with spoken word, melisma, jangle and distortion, all on the same track! The appropriately titled closing track to their side of the 12″, ‘The Greatest’, sees them experimenting with vocal pitch to create a track that would come off as a joke, if it wasn’t so well washed in their signature echoed agression.

So there’s that, but one critical component I’ve yet to discuss is the flip side to that 12″, the wonderful Magik Markers. Where some bands like Harlem propose to release a new track each month, Magik Markers put them to shame, releasing what feels like multiple albums per year. Thing with them is, they are as consistent as Radiohead or Animal Collective in their output, even if they release at three times the pace. Don’t even get me started on the amazing side projects. The bottom line is, no matter when you’ve decided to give them a shot, chances are you’ve picked up one of my favorite records from that year.

Geez, I haven’t even mentioned that Eat Skull are playing! Too much to say about this show… I suggest you just join me in experiencing it.

The show goes down at Eagles Lodge (4904 SE Hawthorne) this Wednesday. 8:30PM, and don’t be a minute late!

Posted By David Hutchinson

It’s been a week now since the beginning of this year’s SMMR BMMR, the appropriate time needed to wind down from such an exhausting event. Most of us probably didn’t catch the show from start to finish each day (yours truly included), but even in drifting in and out of the 40+bands playing, one is bound to become overwhelmed. There’s a certain lack of variety from band to band which can cripple those hoping to see it all, but I suspect that to those interested solely in punk rock and its subgenres, this last weekend was absolute paradise. There wasn’t a truly bad band to speak of, and even going into SMMR BMMR with no education on the bands themselves, you were bound to find a few to fall in love with.

For me these bands were Sic Alps, Eat Skull, Ganglians, Gestapo Khazi, Fergus & Geronimo, Christmas Island, White Fang and Personal and the Pizzas. I suspect had I made it to the early shows, and all of the evening shows, my list would be extensively larger. Thanks to those involved for an amazing weekend. We’ll spend the rest of the summer trying to match that intensity.

Check out some photos after the jump.

SMMR BMMR:

Gestapo Khazi:

Sic Alps:

Eat Skull:

Ganglians:

White Fang:

Fergus and Geronimo:

Personal & the Pizzas:

Christmas Island:

Posted By David Hutchinson

The very confusingly titled SMMR BMMR festival is happening this weekend at Rotture, and I’m far from bummed. Boasting probably the most pretentious line-up of any festival this year, SMMR BMMR proves to be the hippest place on earth this coming weekend. Hip for a reason however, as the artists they’ve brought together for this year’s festival are some of the best in SMMR BMMR history. The more I look over the line-up, the more I find that excites me. In an effort to illustrate that excitement I’ve thrown together a short hand list of bands (with MP3s) that I cannot wait to see. It’s rare to get so many small acts together in this city, and this is one of many reasons SMMR BMMR is not to be missed!

Graffiti Island – Wolf Guy
I’ve only had the chance to spin Graffiti Island’s Head Hunters 7″ a few times, but from those 6 or so minute sessions I can safely say that they are my most anticipated set at this year’s SMMR BMMR festival. Of course, their being on tour with one of my favorites, Crocodiles, also intrigues me.

Christmas Island – Bed Island
Christmas Island are the nerd version of Graffiti Island. Their music evokes the same distant monotony, but Christmas Island comes off as a lot less serious, less heavy. That they only have a few songs floating around the internet makes their live set seemingly your best way to take in as much of their music as you can.

Ganglians – 100 Years

Ganglians – Violent Brave
Much ado about Ganglians on the internet this year. I haven’t yet been swept off my feet by anything they have to offer, but hopefully that will change this weekend when I finally catch em live.

Eat skull – Stick To The Formula

Eat Skull – Shredders On Fry
I was once advised to skip an Eat Skull show on the opinion that they get too drunk to preform properly. This of course peaked my interest more than it served to dissuade me from attending. What a show. French fries were thrown, drool was spilled etc… I’ve seen Eat Skull in both Chicago and Portland, and I’ll say, they really bring it for their home-town. I’m here to oppose the recommendation I received, and encourage you not to miss this show.

Sic Alps – Bathman
The little I’ve heard from ____’s Sic Alps alone has me looking forward to the weekend. Certainly in keeping with the overall tone of SMMR BMMR, Sic Alps offer a variety of tracks ranging from outright melodic to straight noise; all of which I’m very much enjoying.

Fergus & Geronimo – Harder Than It’s Ever Been

Fergus & Geronimo – Tell It (In My Ear)
Being from Portland, I can’t help but instantly think of the Exploding Hearts when listening to Fergus and Geronimo. They’re somehow another band making music on Woodsist records, and somehow another excellent example of that label’s ear for talent. This is definitely a must see for me this weekend.

Pure Country Gold – Yellow Bubbles

Pure Country Gold – You Got To Bro Up To Bro Down

Pure Country Gold – Lady Low
Not quite true to their name, Pure Country Gold are a ramshackle bunch of punk rockers who maybe, somewhere deep down, gather influence from the old west. If the influence isn’t apparent in their music, they at least allude to it in their lyrics. After having listened to their Yellow Bubbles 7″ 100 times, I’m left wondering why the hell Old Time Relijun isn’t playing SMMR BMMR!!? Pure Country Gold will do though, and if their music suggests anything its that this weekend will be, at the very least, fun for the duration of their set.

White Fang – Tall Shadow

White Fang – Space Gemz

White Fang – The Roar Of The Plesiosaur
What more can I say about White Fang that hasn’t already been said. They make it a point to entertain, and in doing so happen to play some extremely catchy and rewarding songs. They’re some of the coolest kids in Portland, and it’s no coincidence they make some of the coolest music we’ve got. If you haven’t already seen em, now’s your chance.

SMMR BMMR is taking place August 21st-23rd at Rotture (315 SE 3rd Ave) in Portland or USA.
Check the full schedule out right here.

Posted By David Hutchinson