It’s been just over half a year since we saw Japanther play at Music Fest North West, and since that time they’ve released a brand new album, Rock N’ Roll Ice Cream.  Believe it or not, before I got to hear this one for the first time, I seriously already knew all the words!  It’s because they are unbelievable live, and that’s why we’ve been updating you about each of their shows since early 2008.

Tonight they play Rotture, which will be amazing I’m sure, and tomorrow they play at the WOW Hall in Eugene.  Now having memorized all the words to their new record officially, this one is going to be even more fun than normal.

They’ll be joined by Portland’s own Jaguar Love, and word has it that each night they are going to flip a coin to see who headlines.  (Here’s to hoping it’s Japanther!)

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

But where the falafel failed to satisfy, Tertia does not. The album warms up to you from track to track, building a melody that, while later clouded by noise and distortion, never really leaves your head. Similar to vegetarian fare, an instrumental album can leave a little to be desired, but thankfully Caspian handle variation very well. After Tertia you’ll find yourself at the perfect balance between ambient and violent, never once wishing they had thrown some more tzatziki on it.

In all seriousness though, this shit ripps. It may even have you frightened to see how it would pan out live. For those who dare to find out, Caspian play with Red Sparowes and Fang Island (who are also extremely good) at the Hawthorne Theater on May 1st, and the next night at the WOW Hall in Eugene. Tertia will lure you to bed and then haunt your dreams, so do not sleep on this one.

Posted By David Hutchinson

The first time I heard P.O.S. was when he remixed Minus The Bear’s track Knights for their 2007 remix album, Interpretaciones Del Oso.  This actually became my favorite of the remixes featured, but offered little in the way of how P.O.S.’s actual music might sound.  Much to my surprise, P.O.S. turned out to be a hip-hop artist with a couple of albums already under his belt.  Well, of course there was more to it than that.

As it turns out, he’s a pretty damn good rapper, if underground is what you’re into.  Personally, I’ve always avoided the conscious-rap tendencies of the underground in favor of something I could move my feet to, or enjoy without feeling like a bad person.  Thankfully, P.O.S. produces a large body of his own music (hence the MTB remix).  This has allowed him to avoid the monotonous musical styling of some of his Rhymesayers compatriots, and rap over beats that vary in influence from punk (where P.O.S. has his roots) to noise, and dance to dub.  This sense of variety also permeates throughout his lyrics; some are aggressive and confrontational, while others are personal and humorous.

Again, Oregon picks up a pair of hip-hop shows on the north and south side.  P.O.S. will be joined by the new Rhymesayers recruit Grieves and Dessa in Portland at Berbati’s Pan on the 13th of this month, as well as in Eugene at WOW Hall the following day.  Sorry kids, the Portland show is 21+.

Posted By David Hutchinson

“One last time I’m really hurting/ Just a little taste to take off the edge/ I rummage through old love letters/ And photographs in a desperate reach for/ A clue into who I am.”  Sentiments like this may put Eyedea & Abilities into the sentimental spectrum of the rap world, and to a certain extent, they fit there.  More reasonably though, these kinds of statements indicate an introspection that is self-effacing and storytelling.  ”When you’ve never been moved its really hard to move on.”  They continue, “It ain’t all good/ but its all good enough/ so I know I’m alright.”  It’s as if they’re offering advice rather than looking for it.

And who better to do it than Eyedea & Abilities? Two people who are rarely photographed without smiling, even when it’s evident they’d rather not be.  Their actual attitude may not be readily evident in their music, but it’s evident in their energy, something that translates very well to their live show.  Lucky for Oregon, they’ll be hitting the north and south side on their upcoming tour.  They’re bringing along the excellent Dosh, who’s new track is indication that Tommy is going to be another classic.

Watch it all go down Sunday, February 7th & Monday, February 8th in Portland and Eugene respectively.

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.

So, with their buddies absent but their energy on point, Fool’s Gold began their set with a huddle and wasted no time taking the stage. The crowd was relatively dismal at this point, but it wouldn’t last long. Sure, the crowd may have filled out in anticipation of Edward Sharpe, but I like to think people just began enjoying it as much as I was. Fool’s Gold have such a welcoming demeanor both on and off the stage that it’s hard not to rock out to their show. Where singing in a different language may hinder the live experience from some bands, Fool’s Gold manage to make their music so dynamic and danceable that it demands audience attention and interaction. As I mentioned, Fool’s Gold’s music seemingly fits the aesthetic of this tour much more that their last, and I think they really won over the crowd as a result. By the end people were jumping and dancing as if they, like me, had come just to see Fool’s Gold.

Edward Sharpe isn’t an easy act to open for, so you’ve got to hand it to the guys in Fool’s Gold. They successfully channel the crowd’s energy, and win over the audience as a result. Edwarde Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes don’t have to do any of this. Their reputation as an enjoyable live act has largely been what’s made them so popular, and they do not ever disappoint. Thursday night saw the lanky lead singer hopping and swaying, often directly over the crowd, to songs that seemingly everyone but me knew the words to. As is common at the WOW Hall, the college-aged crowd got very much into it, jumping and shouting with arms high in the air. I don’t know what it is about these guys that people get so excited for, but just as with Monolith and MusicFest where I caught them earlier this year, they won me over again. Songs like ‘Home’, and ‘Up From Below’ just have such a familiar sound that translates into an indescribably warm feeling live.

They can somehow make a 9 degree night during finals week in December feel like a stress-free and steamy summer evening.

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

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.

But he’s about more than weed, and way more than stoner rap. Some may be turned off by the positive and suggestive nature of some of his lyrics. Some might think he’s too underground, too raw. He combats these notions on his album by sampling recognizable sounds, and spitting about every-man experiences. Even when his raps are specific to his experience, it isn’t hard to imagine these situations as being close to one’s own. That is, of course, unless you are a white, well to do college student.

Which is to say, I’m not totally surprised people weren’t going crazy for Fashawn’s set. At one point I heard someone yell, “Make your own beats!” in a relatively aggressive fashion. And in some ways, the guy had a point. But more so, this indicated his inability to comprehend, or care about what Fashawn was actually SAYING. For a lot of people (particularly those invested mostly in Ghostface’s most recent record), there isn’t much beyond the beat that justifies rap’s ability to entertain. Personally, I thought Fashawn’s voice carried over into the live setting phenomenally. Despite being worlds apart from his crowd, he brought the topics of his songs down to earth; and was able to engage and entertain considerably well. He’s coming back through Eugene on December 14th, and I suspect that after last Friday I won’t be the only person jockeying for front and center during his performance.

Ghostface is such a different beast. For one, he’s been on the mainstage a million times. He’s played for rich white students before. He knows what the crowd wants in any given situation, because he’s been around long enough to have seen it all before. For that reason, I don’t know how much there is to say about his set.

He came on stage with two others; one with notable celebrity. He preformed songs old, and new, even delving occasionally into Wu-Tang territory. He made the crowd go wild, and the women come on stage. If you’ve seen Ghost once, you’ve seen him a million times. This isn’t to imply, however, that you wont have fun time, and time again. He has a presence that demands your attention, and a charisma that keeps it. He can evoke different crowd reactions and responses with a myriad of different styles that span across his entire catalog. Like him or not, he’s among the most important rappers around. Seeing that power put to performance will always be interesting, as it was at this show.

Posted By David Hutchinson

I have all Minus The Bear’s records. I have seen them over ten times in 3 different states. These things would normally qualify me as being among their biggest fans. The truth of the matter, however, is that I’m not even sure I really like them. Sure, I was in love with their debut and followed them closely afterward, but all of that had somewhere along the line lost it’s significance to me.

Until today.

What they’ve accomplished up to this point has seemingly only served to lay a reasonably significant foundation for what is to come. Whether it’s R&B, or disco, or whatever, something has inspired a change in Minus The Bear’s sound. It’s still easy to imagine fingers tapping strings, and toes tapping pedals, as they have throughout MTB’s career. With their new single ‘Into The Mirror’, however, there is a new energy that is making their sound much more dynamic. Repetition is a quality of disco music that perpetuates resonance and introspection; and it is the high pitched guitar tapping repetition that drives the uptempo beat of this particular track. But unlike Jaguar Love, or Neon Neon, they aren’t transforming so much as evoking qualities to accentuate what’s there. Same goes for R&B. The vocals have become more tonally aware. The melisma isn’t as urgent as it is sensual. Again, what’s always been there on previous records still remains; but it’s being accentuated with some careful consideration of the boundaries of their sound.

One could argue with reason that older albums, namely Highly Refined Pirates, have adopted a new quality within the context of the band’s career that serves to discredit their genius, their significance. But if time has had any effect on Minus The Bear’s past, I find it most evident in this new single. ‘Into The Mirror’ is a wake up call to those who may have written them off. It indicates that, musically, Minus The Bear still have something significant to say; and they still have an incredibly appealing way of saying it. Maybe this is much ado about one single song; but if it’s any indication of where they’re going with their new record, you’d be silly not to be excited.

Minus The Bear – Into The Mirror

‘Into The Mirror’ is due out the 27th of this month, and hopefully they’ll bring it, as well as some other new ones, to the WOW Hall when they play October 30th.

Posted By David Hutchinson

Just over two years ago, Ghostface Killah took the stage at AudioCinema for MusicFest NW after releasing two of the most important records of the 2000’s. The confidence was apparent in his demeanor, and somehow he managed to absolutely kill it even as follow up to a set from rockers The Bronx. What they accomplished that night with brash vocalizations, Ghostface made up with mid-song banter and crowd interaction.

His attention to the crowd is what, I believe, drives Ghostface to be as relevant a force both on stage and on record. His newest, Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City is easy to dismiss being that it’s such a far reach from his Wu-Tang roots. Most people give Ghost the most credit when he sounds closest to his old group. So, it’s almost a “F*** You!” to release an all R&B based record to close out an excellent decade for himself. But, I personally think the record works. Ghost brings his banter to the studio, with all the misogynistic confusion that you’d typically see on stage at his shows. He’s not only witty and funny, but thanks to the R&B hooks, he’s for once catchy. You’ll have to hear for yourself, but if you’re like me, you’re interested to see how he’s going to put it together live. He won’t have his strongest guests like Lloyd to back those hooks, but I trust Ghost will manage to make it exciting regardless.

Ghostface Killah (Ft. Ron Brownz) – She’s a Killer

Where the bronx might not exactly set the stage for a Ghostface set, this year’s opener Fashawn surely does. Anyone who’s heard either his Higher Learning or One Shot, One Kill mixtapes will know his knack for hook experimentation; often creating hooks from both his lyrics and/or the backing beat. On his debut record, Boy Meets World tracks like ‘Our Way’ and ‘Samsonite Man’ serve as reminders of an earlier (more lovable) period in Kanye’s career. Like back when he was concerned with being a pioneer within current hip-hop boundaries, rather than trying to define those boundaries as he may now. In fact, Fashawn’s flow isn’t far off, and as Kanye always has, he picks his guests, and his samples, carefully. They serve to push him further into the spotlight, rather than create it for him. He maintains an underground style, while spitting as if he’s been at it for years, ready to grab at the fame he truly deserves.

Fashawn – Life As a Shorty

So if there was any doubt in your mind about next Friday’s show going down at the WOW Hall, and Thursday’s at Berbati’s, hopefully you’ve taken time to realize just how amazing this show should end up. “Grand opening, grand closing.”: the way it should be.

Posted By David Hutchinson

When your band is conceived on the basis of some hallucinatory epiphany, there are obviously going to be some limits as to how far it should be taken (and taken seriously). Flowers Forever are that band, and they’ve taken this concept band above and beyond the self titled album. That is to say, they’ve decided for some reason to tour. Fortunately for us, it’s with the Black Lips. Don’t get me wrong, Flowers Forever aren’t a bad band. In fact, I recognized more than a few of their songs when they performed them this Monday; and that’s after only having heard their album once prior. Flowers Forever could (maybe) even be put in a category with bands like Los Campesinos! who are catchy and above all fun to watch.

It must be just that Derek Pressnall plays ringleader to all his, frankly annoying band mates which leads me to dislike them. Or maybe it was the light-contraption of doll pieces all entwined with Christmas lights that was behind the band as they played. Either way it appeared to me that no matter how genuine their conception, this band was simply trying too hard to impress an abysmal crowd (maybe that’s why?). Funny, it seems my sentiments regarding their set are very similar to the conversation I held about their album prior to their performance, “I just could never sit and listen to it for that long.”

-Black Lips-

Black Lips have played Eugene before, to what I presumed at the time to be a sold-out crowd. There’s no question that some facet of their music speaks not only to the hippie kids with nothing to do, but also the hipster students who need to let out a bit of that aggression (read: angst). Put the two together in a room however, with a band like Black Lips to egg them on, and you have the recipe for quite the shit show.

Complete with crowd surfing, feet stomping, and elbow flailing, the crowd at the WOW Hall Monday could have seemingly cared less about what was going on in front of them. Even when Black Lips played some of their calmest tracks, the crowd felt a need to keep their body in constant gyration. Thankfully, for those of us who may find themselves bored with watching Cole Alexander spit in the air and catch it in his mouth, the crowd provided another show all in itself.

Hindsight truly is 20/20 though, and looking back on last night Black Lips had done all I could have asked of them. They played an engaging set of music that spanned their entire catalog, and played it damn well.

Posted By David Hutchinson

mp3: Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War

It’s been a month now since Stars released their Sad Robot EP, which only comes one year after their Polaris Prize nominated In Our Bedroom After the war. Well, they must be eager to get it out there because the EP has warranted a tour of its own which will be hitting Oregon this week.  Tomorrow they are playing Eugene’s WOW Hall, while wednesday they can be caught in Portland’s Wonder Ballroom. One of my favorite Canadian bands Think About Life are opening, and this alone (if not the fabulous/cheap food served downstairs of the Wonder Ballroom) is reason to get there early! Also, this tour is the only opportunity to grab up their ‘Limited Edition’ version of the Sad Robots EP.

Sad Robots (limited edition) track listing:
1. Maintenance Hall, 4am
2. A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife
3. Undertow
4. Going, Going, Gone (live version)
5. 14 Forever
6. Sad Robot

Both venues open their doors at 8:00PM.

DON’T SLEEP!

Posted By David Hutchinson

Not long after interviewing Tom Campesinos!, I was off to catch Portland’s own Parenthetical Girls. I’ve seen parenthetical Girls perform a number of times before, but never in such an empty room [3 people watching above are in Los Campesinos!]. I’ve also never seen Parenthetical Girls play so energetic, making amazing use of the space and even stopping to comment, “Thanks for giving us a lot of room to play” and even thanking Los Campesinos! for taking them to such “exotic locales”. I keep deciding that Parenthetical Girls are my new favorite Portland band every time I see them. Although that is currently in debate, it was very much a fact in the heat of their set.

Los Campesinos! followed shortly after (enough time for one pint) and it took a Parenthetical Girl or two to really get the crowd moving. Once the thirty or so person crowd was loosened up, so was the band. A friend commented that, “there’s too much going on to pay attention to lyrics”, which is truly a shame since thats the best part. Live however, that hardly matters. Los Campesinos! traded nearly every imaginable duty among members, save drumming, and in doing so worked up a flurry of hoots and hollers from the crowd. A request for singer Gareth to, “take it off” was partially fulfilled, followed by a request from Gareth not to tempt him with the pants. All in all it was a great set from both bands, who may have been a bit disappointed by the turn out. In the end what mattered is Los Campesinos! loved Eugene, “I think this is our favorite show so far of the tour” and Eugene loved them back.

Posted By David Hutchinson

After much groveling, and a handshake with Stephen himself, I managed to get into the WOW Hall last night. Just about right on time, I arrived to the tunes of Portland’s own The Joggers. They played a lot of songs, mainly coming from both their Solid Guild and With a Cape and Cane LPs. What really strikes me about the Joggers is their ability to make complex guitar parts so fun and unpretentious. This crossed over well to the live setting, where they appeared not only comfortable on stage, but happy to finally be on tour again.

Its interesting to me that the Joggers aren’t as big as their Portland contemporaries like The Thermals or Shins. They’ve been around a long time making songs that are catchy, convivial and even danceable; and they don’t even have a label to call home. If their tour goes as smoothly as last night’s show did though, these guys are headed for the top in no time.

The Joggers – Era Prison

Before the show, Stephen mentioned to me probably not playing Eugene again for a long time. I saw this disinterest in the show as disconcerting, in that a band is hardly fun to watch when they themselves aren’t having fun. Much to my surprise, and I think the band’s as well, the show went over great, with Stephen and The Jicks in all smiles.

They played songs from Pig Lib, Face The Truth, and of course the recently released Real Emotional Trash. What ended up being about a 2 hour set began to justify the claims of the band as being ‘Too Jammy’, but anyone there knew what they were getting themselves into. No one was complaining when their encore held songs like ‘Dark Wave’, and a cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s ‘Godzilla’.

With my recent experience falling in love with Panther, I am mostly left proud that Portland can be home to such talented acts as the aforementioned, Malkmus, and the Joggers.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Cold Son

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Baltimore

Posted By David Hutchinson

Handsome Furs after the jump.

Arthur & Yu had already stole the show with their charisma, but when Handsome Furs took the stage they were welcome with hoots and hollers. Looking and sounding a great deal more aggressive than their album, Dan and Alexei commanded the crowd with a simple guitar and synth set up. A couple new songs and a mosh pit or two later, Handsome Furs called it quits. After the show Dan was bombarded with questions about the new Wolf Parade, which served as a good reminder why everyone was there.

-Arthur & Yu-

Posted By David Hutchinson