Eight Days of Hanukkah from Tablet Magazine on Vimeo.
Okay, there are probably much better ways to celebrate it.
Friday, December 11, 2009
8 Days of Hannukah, Starting Now!
It's after sunset and thus Hannukah has officially begun. What better way to celebrate this miracle of light than by listening to a festive song written by Senator Orrin Hatch? Get ready for some Mormon chutzpah!
Okay, there are probably much better ways to celebrate it.
Okay, there are probably much better ways to celebrate it.
Arctic Day-Glo
It's December and many of you are probably eagerly awaiting a magical, sparkling gift from the upper regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Lucky for you, Caribou drummer Brad Weber and his alliterative side project Pick a Piper have delivered us a video for their song "Rooms," filmed in Iceland and Canada and wrapped in plenty of sumptuous arctic day-glo.
Perhaps 'Pick a Percussionist' would have been a more suitable moniker for this group, as its dense and eclectic percussion turns out to be the most pleasing feature of this particular song and video. The song itself is a sweet, droning affair that veers dangerously close to church camp sing-along material at times. However, things pick up as the initial percussion section of jingle bells and minimalist glockenspiel give way to an arsenal of intricately interwoven toms, hand drums and cymbals.
The accompanying visuals encompass a similar sweetness and wildness. A door opens to a room, or perhaps simply room, a physical and metaphysical space where soft dreamlike landscapes and bright, visceral action coexist and seamlessly interact. Green-screened deconstructionist psychedelia that would make Jimmy Joe Roche proud commingles with placid geology documentary landscapes and nothing could look more natural. The prominence of the former builds with the percussive crescendo of the music until everything recedes at the end into a pleasant lull of natural voices and scenery.
Perhaps 'Pick a Percussionist' would have been a more suitable moniker for this group, as its dense and eclectic percussion turns out to be the most pleasing feature of this particular song and video. The song itself is a sweet, droning affair that veers dangerously close to church camp sing-along material at times. However, things pick up as the initial percussion section of jingle bells and minimalist glockenspiel give way to an arsenal of intricately interwoven toms, hand drums and cymbals.
The accompanying visuals encompass a similar sweetness and wildness. A door opens to a room, or perhaps simply room, a physical and metaphysical space where soft dreamlike landscapes and bright, visceral action coexist and seamlessly interact. Green-screened deconstructionist psychedelia that would make Jimmy Joe Roche proud commingles with placid geology documentary landscapes and nothing could look more natural. The prominence of the former builds with the percussive crescendo of the music until everything recedes at the end into a pleasant lull of natural voices and scenery.
PICK A PIPER - Rooms (filmed in Iceland and Canada) from Brad Weber on Vimeo.
Regretsy Ventures into Musical Territory
If you haven't seen the blog Regretsy yet, click on that link immediately! It's a blog that delivers crafty comedy using the trusted laugh-generating formula of making fun of crappy art.
Today I was delighted to see that blogger Helen Killer has ventured beyond crappy crafts and visual art and into the realm of, you guessed it, crappy indie music with today's post about obscure artist Varga's album River of Love. This album features both killer casio and a killer album cover!
I'm looking forward to seeing more of these kinds of postings.
Today I was delighted to see that blogger Helen Killer has ventured beyond crappy crafts and visual art and into the realm of, you guessed it, crappy indie music with today's post about obscure artist Varga's album River of Love. This album features both killer casio and a killer album cover!
I'm looking forward to seeing more of these kinds of postings.
Ben Meyercord's Liuve Music Picks for Friday, December 11th
Hello Dear Readers,
House sitting in Hillsboro is pretty sweet. No responsibility except for the house which is pretty easy considering it is an inanimate object. I just watched DVD all day. Yes, I missed a lot of cool shows. But I was going to miss a lot of them anyway. What with only being able to be at one place at a time. These are the shows that I want to see. But honestly, I am playing one of them so I will only attend that one. But here all of them:
Ash Street Saloon is having a show with Westfold, Stray Heat, AristeiA, and My Dads. Westfold is a band that has evolved a lot over the years. What started out as a duo with acoustic guitar and bass has grown to a full fledged rock band that you can't imagine ever touched an acoustic guitar. The music has very cool dynamic starts and starts. The lyrics are often about social issues as oppose to all that lovey dovey stuff that a lot of people (myself included) write about. AristeiA is the instrumental rock band that I play bass in. The songs have riffs and guitar solos and break downs and everything. I have very good things about My Dads, also an instrumental rock band. The show is $5 and starts at 9:30 PM.
The Artistery is having a show with Grouper, Caldera Lakes, The Tenses, and Pulse Emitter. Grouper makes very pretty ambient drone folk music. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.
East End is having a show with Black Elk, Turks (Oakland), and The Ax. Black Elk is one of those "metal" bands that is a little different than straight up metal which is what I like about it. Also I hear that members or Black Elk are moving to LA. I have no idea what that means for the band. But I do know that it will be a while before they play Portland again. I am not familiar to Turks, but I really like The Ax. They are a Portland Two piece that makes makes really cool riff based rock. The show is $7 and starts at 9:30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Norfolk & Western, Carcrashlander, and Grand Hallway (Seattle). Norfolk & Western is a rock band that used to be vaguely Decemberists-esque I guess back when they shared a member. But now it is straight up a pop-rock band . I guess the Decemberists are more a straight up rock band too. This is also a CD release show for Carcrashlander. I have heard a little bit of it and it sounds gooood. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Dante's is having a show with Richmond Fontaine, Dolorean, and Michael Dean Damron. This is a much delayed CD release celebration for Richmond Fontaine. This is a solid Americana show. I have been into Richmond Fontaine for a long time now. I heard of them back when I lived in Texas. Dolorean is a great band that I did not hear until I moved up here. The consistantly put out good records. Michael Dean Damron used to front the kick ass band I Can Lick Any Sonofa Bitch In The House. He solo stuff is a lot slower and sadder. The show is $10 and starts at 9:30 PM.
Crystal Ballroom is having a show with Spoon, Black Joe Lewis (Austin), and Anya Marina (LA). Spoon is only kinda of a Portland band. I mean lead singer Britt Daniel lives here in Portland, but the rest of the band doesn't. They have a new album that is done and ready to be released (it won't be until January) which they will undoubtedly play songs from. Maybe for the first time in front of people. The ALL AGES show is $25 and starts at 8 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Bark Hide & Horn, and < href="http://www.myspace.com/stfrankielee" target="_blank">St. Frankie Lee. I can think of two reasons to see this show besides the great line up. One, it is the CD release for The Ascetic Junkies who make well made acoustic pop. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.
Berbati's is having a show with The Thermals, Dirty Mittens, and White Fang. If you know these bands, you probably like these bands. If you like these bands then you probably probably are already going to the show. The Thermals make energetic rock music. They have catchy hooks. So many hooks. Dirty Mittens are a pop group that have a tinge of soul. Perhaps it is the sax. Whatever it is I think they are great. White Fang play the music of young people. It is punk music that poppy with out falling into the pop punk genre. The show is $14 and starts at 8 PM.
Hinson Annex is having a Live Your Love Benefit with Tango Alpha Tango, Valeri Lopez, and Jacob White. It is a benefit is to help The show is $5 and starts at 7 PM.
The Bear Hug is having Our Bright Lights part 3 presented by Potlatch Presents with White Lighter, Grey Anne, The Sarcastic Dharma Society, What Can Skulls Tell Us?, Sweeping Exits, Glass Teeth, Prescription Pills. This is a pretty impressive line up. White Lighter is Kyle from Typhoon playing solo. Grey Anne is Anne Adams playing solo and is great. Her songs are well arranged written and performed. A Grey Anne show is always special. The Sarcastic Dharma Society is one of my favorite songwriters here in Portland. If I were not playing a show, I would probably be here. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
If you see me at the Ash Street show please say, "Hi". Or else.
-Ben
AristeiA will play tonight at Ash Street. It will be kinda like this.
p.s. I finished this hours ago but could not find internet until just now.
House sitting in Hillsboro is pretty sweet. No responsibility except for the house which is pretty easy considering it is an inanimate object. I just watched DVD all day. Yes, I missed a lot of cool shows. But I was going to miss a lot of them anyway. What with only being able to be at one place at a time. These are the shows that I want to see. But honestly, I am playing one of them so I will only attend that one. But here all of them:
Friday, December 11th
Ash Street Saloon is having a show with Westfold, Stray Heat, AristeiA, and My Dads. Westfold is a band that has evolved a lot over the years. What started out as a duo with acoustic guitar and bass has grown to a full fledged rock band that you can't imagine ever touched an acoustic guitar. The music has very cool dynamic starts and starts. The lyrics are often about social issues as oppose to all that lovey dovey stuff that a lot of people (myself included) write about. AristeiA is the instrumental rock band that I play bass in. The songs have riffs and guitar solos and break downs and everything. I have very good things about My Dads, also an instrumental rock band. The show is $5 and starts at 9:30 PM.
The Artistery is having a show with Grouper, Caldera Lakes, The Tenses, and Pulse Emitter. Grouper makes very pretty ambient drone folk music. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.
East End is having a show with Black Elk, Turks (Oakland), and The Ax. Black Elk is one of those "metal" bands that is a little different than straight up metal which is what I like about it. Also I hear that members or Black Elk are moving to LA. I have no idea what that means for the band. But I do know that it will be a while before they play Portland again. I am not familiar to Turks, but I really like The Ax. They are a Portland Two piece that makes makes really cool riff based rock. The show is $7 and starts at 9:30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Norfolk & Western, Carcrashlander, and Grand Hallway (Seattle). Norfolk & Western is a rock band that used to be vaguely Decemberists-esque I guess back when they shared a member. But now it is straight up a pop-rock band . I guess the Decemberists are more a straight up rock band too. This is also a CD release show for Carcrashlander. I have heard a little bit of it and it sounds gooood. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Dante's is having a show with Richmond Fontaine, Dolorean, and Michael Dean Damron. This is a much delayed CD release celebration for Richmond Fontaine. This is a solid Americana show. I have been into Richmond Fontaine for a long time now. I heard of them back when I lived in Texas. Dolorean is a great band that I did not hear until I moved up here. The consistantly put out good records. Michael Dean Damron used to front the kick ass band I Can Lick Any Sonofa Bitch In The House. He solo stuff is a lot slower and sadder. The show is $10 and starts at 9:30 PM.
Crystal Ballroom is having a show with Spoon, Black Joe Lewis (Austin), and Anya Marina (LA). Spoon is only kinda of a Portland band. I mean lead singer Britt Daniel lives here in Portland, but the rest of the band doesn't. They have a new album that is done and ready to be released (it won't be until January) which they will undoubtedly play songs from. Maybe for the first time in front of people. The ALL AGES show is $25 and starts at 8 PM.
Backspace is having a show with Bark Hide & Horn, and < href="http://www.myspace.com/stfrankielee" target="_blank">St. Frankie Lee. I can think of two reasons to see this show besides the great line up. One, it is the CD release for The Ascetic Junkies who make well made acoustic pop. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.
Berbati's is having a show with The Thermals, Dirty Mittens, and White Fang. If you know these bands, you probably like these bands. If you like these bands then you probably probably are already going to the show. The Thermals make energetic rock music. They have catchy hooks. So many hooks. Dirty Mittens are a pop group that have a tinge of soul. Perhaps it is the sax. Whatever it is I think they are great. White Fang play the music of young people. It is punk music that poppy with out falling into the pop punk genre. The show is $14 and starts at 8 PM.
Hinson Annex is having a Live Your Love Benefit with Tango Alpha Tango, Valeri Lopez, and Jacob White. It is a benefit is to help The show is $5 and starts at 7 PM.
The Bear Hug is having Our Bright Lights part 3 presented by Potlatch Presents with White Lighter, Grey Anne, The Sarcastic Dharma Society, What Can Skulls Tell Us?, Sweeping Exits, Glass Teeth, Prescription Pills. This is a pretty impressive line up. White Lighter is Kyle from Typhoon playing solo. Grey Anne is Anne Adams playing solo and is great. Her songs are well arranged written and performed. A Grey Anne show is always special. The Sarcastic Dharma Society is one of my favorite songwriters here in Portland. If I were not playing a show, I would probably be here. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.
If you see me at the Ash Street show please say, "Hi". Or else.
-Ben
AristeiA will play tonight at Ash Street. It will be kinda like this.
p.s. I finished this hours ago but could not find internet until just now.
Question of the Week: Hey You!
This one is for the musicians/performers, which I'm sure encompasses much if not most of our readership. What would you say was your most successful moment as a performer?
I think mine was shortly after performing a solo acoustic set when I overheard a guy from the audience describing it as the scariest thing he'd ever seen.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Thursday, December 10th
Hello Dear Readers,
Played a show last night at the Someday Lounge benefit show for Bolo Moyo as part of Sean Flinn and the Royal We. It was fun. Not too many people were there which was understandable considering the $30 cover cover charge. I was super busy today so I won't be able to go in depth about shows today, but here are the shows that look good to me:
The Artistery is having a show with Benoit Pioulard, O Paon, and Jozef van Wissem (NY). Benoit sometimes makes folk music sometimes makes drone music. It is a real nice mix. Jozef van Wissem is the lute player I wrote about recently.The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 7:30 PM.
Holocene is having Stumptown Printers 10th anniversary party with Norfolk and Western, LAKE (Olympia), Karl Blau, Ilyas Ahmed, Foghorn Duo, and DJ Hometapes. They make some of the best packaging around. I especially like LAKE. The show is $10 and starts at 8 PM.
Berbati's has a show with We All Have Hooks for Hands, Nuclar Aminals, And I was Like What?, and Duck, Little Brother Duck!. All I am saying is check out the mathy madness that is Duck, Little Brother Duck! and thank me later. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Dunes is having a show with No Kind of Rider and Microtia. No Kind of Rider is a band that was brought to my attention by my friend Perry who played with them at a house show. He said they might be one of his new favorite bands in Portland. They are an indie rock band that makes cool music that reminds me of the place of the country where I grew up. I can't my finger on why, but I like it. The show FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with On The Stairs, Pikara, and Steve Hefter. On The Stairs is the folk-rock outfit of Nate Clark who plays with a bunch of bands including the other band he fronts Les Flaneurs. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Anais Mitchell and Annie Bethancourt. Annie Bethancourt writes really well written songs melodically and lyrically. She has such a s good voice that I had her sing on my EP when I recorded a while back. The show is $8-$9 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Benoit Pioulard will probably do this song at he Artistery. Tonight.
Played a show last night at the Someday Lounge benefit show for Bolo Moyo as part of Sean Flinn and the Royal We. It was fun. Not too many people were there which was understandable considering the $30 cover cover charge. I was super busy today so I won't be able to go in depth about shows today, but here are the shows that look good to me:
Thursday, December 10th
The Artistery is having a show with Benoit Pioulard, O Paon, and Jozef van Wissem (NY). Benoit sometimes makes folk music sometimes makes drone music. It is a real nice mix. Jozef van Wissem is the lute player I wrote about recently.The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 7:30 PM.
Holocene is having Stumptown Printers 10th anniversary party with Norfolk and Western, LAKE (Olympia), Karl Blau, Ilyas Ahmed, Foghorn Duo, and DJ Hometapes. They make some of the best packaging around. I especially like LAKE. The show is $10 and starts at 8 PM.
Berbati's has a show with We All Have Hooks for Hands, Nuclar Aminals, And I was Like What?, and Duck, Little Brother Duck!. All I am saying is check out the mathy madness that is Duck, Little Brother Duck! and thank me later. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.
Dunes is having a show with No Kind of Rider and Microtia. No Kind of Rider is a band that was brought to my attention by my friend Perry who played with them at a house show. He said they might be one of his new favorite bands in Portland. They are an indie rock band that makes cool music that reminds me of the place of the country where I grew up. I can't my finger on why, but I like it. The show FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with On The Stairs, Pikara, and Steve Hefter. On The Stairs is the folk-rock outfit of Nate Clark who plays with a bunch of bands including the other band he fronts Les Flaneurs. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Anais Mitchell and Annie Bethancourt. Annie Bethancourt writes really well written songs melodically and lyrically. She has such a s good voice that I had her sing on my EP when I recorded a while back. The show is $8-$9 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Benoit Pioulard will probably do this song at he Artistery. Tonight.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Ben Meyercord;s Live Music Picks for Wednesday, December 9th
Hello Dear Readers,
Last night was pretty cold. I tried and tried (not very hard) but could not leave the house. I hope people made it out to that Valentine's show. It looked so good. Anyway I saw Paper Heart which was cute. But today looks to be a little warmer. And I will be out. These are the shows that I want to see:
Wednesday, December 9th
Laurelthirst is having a show with Nick Jaina. This will be the second in a residence series that Nick Jaina and his band will be performing. He has curated one of the best bands in Portland. I mean they aren't all that faithful, I know for a fact that at least one of the members is playing the show I list right below this entry. But they are all ridiculously good and sound very tight. Hell they recorded their last album live. If you can do that it means you're good. Assuming that it sounds good and I have heard that theirs does. Nick usually writes a narrative type song that is well arranged. His voice is not what you typically consider great, but it works really well for what he is doing. The music is during happy hour, so if you like drink and food specials this might make it even more appealing. It is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Someday Lounge is having a Leonard Mynx, Sean Flinn & The Royal We, and Amy Seeley. What is Bola Moyo? "Bola Moyo exists to help women and children, touched by poverty and HIV/AIDS in Malawi, Africa believe in themselves and believe a better life is possible. Working in partnership with local leaders, Bola Moyo supports education, creative expression, and skills development to equip them to live inspired and secure lives." So that sounds good right. Plus there are prizes to be won. Like a a stay at a hotel in Seattle, or a cabin near Mount Hood, or a spa treatment at The Dragontree, or some wine by Arcane Cellars, Dinner at Higgins, and Stumptown Coffee. I know I know. I had you at Stumptown Coffee. And on top of it all there are some good musicians who will playing for the people. Leonard Mynx is someone who I have written about several time. He is a songwriting machine. He always has a revolving band of people from around town. Sometimes he is folk, sometimes he is rock. Many times he is somewhere between. Sean Flinn is a man of many bands. You probably have seen him play with Nick Jaina or Jolie Holland. Most recently he has been playing in Y La Bamba which he has managed to steal/share some members. Luz Elena (vocals) and myself (bass, and some vocals) and sometimes Eric Schrepel (accordion) have been known to perform with him. As well as Scott McGee (Nick Jaina, Loch Lomond, many more). Sean's songs are really good musically and lyrically. I have yet to hear a song of his that I don't like. They are more on the pop side of things. It is not folk, it might fit okay with pop-folk? Whatevs The Show is $25-$30 and starts at 7 PM.
Berbati's is having a show with Incredible Yacht Control and Soft Tags. Incredible Yacht Control is a pretty ballsy name to have here in Portland given the popularity of Yacht. I am not sure how I feel about them. I have only heard a little bit of them. But Berbati's is pretty good about who they give residencies to. Did I mention they have a month long residency? They do. The openers, Soft Tags are a band that I have written about many times. They have a kinda shoegaze kinda 60's pop sound. It is a good mix. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with The Woolen Men, Total Bros, and Total Noise. Woolen Men are a rock band. I wish I could say that I have seen, but so far it hasn't worked out. They have very good melodies and a whole lot of guitar buzz. Total Bros make rock music with the energy of Punk. Total Noise contrary is not total noise. In fact is quirky pop music made with a lot of keyboards and whatever seems to be laying around. Seems worth checking out, based on the three songs they posted on myspace. It shows a lot of potential. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Leornard Mynx will be playing at Someday to help some people. What are you doing tonight?
Last night was pretty cold. I tried and tried (not very hard) but could not leave the house. I hope people made it out to that Valentine's show. It looked so good. Anyway I saw Paper Heart which was cute. But today looks to be a little warmer. And I will be out. These are the shows that I want to see:
Wednesday, December 9th
Laurelthirst is having a show with Nick Jaina. This will be the second in a residence series that Nick Jaina and his band will be performing. He has curated one of the best bands in Portland. I mean they aren't all that faithful, I know for a fact that at least one of the members is playing the show I list right below this entry. But they are all ridiculously good and sound very tight. Hell they recorded their last album live. If you can do that it means you're good. Assuming that it sounds good and I have heard that theirs does. Nick usually writes a narrative type song that is well arranged. His voice is not what you typically consider great, but it works really well for what he is doing. The music is during happy hour, so if you like drink and food specials this might make it even more appealing. It is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Someday Lounge is having a Leonard Mynx, Sean Flinn & The Royal We, and Amy Seeley. What is Bola Moyo? "Bola Moyo exists to help women and children, touched by poverty and HIV/AIDS in Malawi, Africa believe in themselves and believe a better life is possible. Working in partnership with local leaders, Bola Moyo supports education, creative expression, and skills development to equip them to live inspired and secure lives." So that sounds good right. Plus there are prizes to be won. Like a a stay at a hotel in Seattle, or a cabin near Mount Hood, or a spa treatment at The Dragontree, or some wine by Arcane Cellars, Dinner at Higgins, and Stumptown Coffee. I know I know. I had you at Stumptown Coffee. And on top of it all there are some good musicians who will playing for the people. Leonard Mynx is someone who I have written about several time. He is a songwriting machine. He always has a revolving band of people from around town. Sometimes he is folk, sometimes he is rock. Many times he is somewhere between. Sean Flinn is a man of many bands. You probably have seen him play with Nick Jaina or Jolie Holland. Most recently he has been playing in Y La Bamba which he has managed to steal/share some members. Luz Elena (vocals) and myself (bass, and some vocals) and sometimes Eric Schrepel (accordion) have been known to perform with him. As well as Scott McGee (Nick Jaina, Loch Lomond, many more). Sean's songs are really good musically and lyrically. I have yet to hear a song of his that I don't like. They are more on the pop side of things. It is not folk, it might fit okay with pop-folk? Whatevs The Show is $25-$30 and starts at 7 PM.
Berbati's is having a show with Incredible Yacht Control and Soft Tags. Incredible Yacht Control is a pretty ballsy name to have here in Portland given the popularity of Yacht. I am not sure how I feel about them. I have only heard a little bit of them. But Berbati's is pretty good about who they give residencies to. Did I mention they have a month long residency? They do. The openers, Soft Tags are a band that I have written about many times. They have a kinda shoegaze kinda 60's pop sound. It is a good mix. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.
Ella Street Social Club is having a show with The Woolen Men, Total Bros, and Total Noise. Woolen Men are a rock band. I wish I could say that I have seen, but so far it hasn't worked out. They have very good melodies and a whole lot of guitar buzz. Total Bros make rock music with the energy of Punk. Total Noise contrary is not total noise. In fact is quirky pop music made with a lot of keyboards and whatever seems to be laying around. Seems worth checking out, based on the three songs they posted on myspace. It shows a lot of potential. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Leornard Mynx will be playing at Someday to help some people. What are you doing tonight?
SparkleGirl's review of Hockey/Passion Pit at the Crystal Ballroom
I don't really know if that is what Sparkle Girl looks like, it was just one of the first Google image results to pop up.
So, this review is not written by me. Let's get that straight. All I've done is read me some Craigslist music postings, found me a fantastic show review, and learned y'all with some repostin'. Also I have done some minor edits to tame the truly berserk ellipses and... well, what do you call an ellipsis made out of commas? I digress...
Some may say that reposting someone else's article without asking them is inappropriate. To them I say: Fuuuuuuuck you. I have indeed contacted Sparkle Girl, to let her know that her review was awesome and that she should consider writing for Crappy were she so inclined. I haven't heard back from her, but at least I've tried. Besides, it was on Craigslist!!! So, without further ado, here is her review.
Hello folks, this is the first of many show reviews I will be posting in the coming weeks. Last night I went to see Passion Pit and Hockey. Now, I will admit I have been looking forward to seeing Passion Pit for months. I love the song they play on the radio, plus the show was at the Crystal Ballroom, one of my favorite venues, so I was in a great mood... notwithstanding that I went alone, again. Even so, I am a short girl so I always make my way to the front of the stage, usually on the left side, so needless to say I had a commanding view of the stage, as usual. Hockey played first. They do have a popular song on the radio at the moment, which led me to believe they might be good. The first song passed and I was definitely not impressed… 4 minutes later song number two was over and I was checking out the set list to see how many songs they still had left. Song after song ... I couldnt wait for the end. The drummer and the keyboard player played to each other- they actually had some talent , but the guitarist and the singer were uber boring and the bass player played only the top two strings… or I should say the bottom two strings, which led me to believe he was afraid of the other two strings, as he never touched them. OMG. Did I say the guitarist was boring? I meant he did nothing worth noticing, and as for the singer I think he looked about 12 years old...not to mention their radio hit did not come through favorably in their live performance. It was dry like old white toast. Or dry young white toast. They also had a filler entertainer named Anja Maria who has a song on a movie or t.v.show about teenage vampires. She played her two songs and left promptly. Her songs were short and cute, like her and did not totally suck. “Satellite Heart” is her song, which I understand has some accolades. Passion Pit played next and they had lots of energy and bad shoes. I have a long standing motto,"Never trust a woman in Keds." How did an entire band of boys find women’s shoes in their sizes? Plain white Keds. Is this some kind of nightmare? A bad joke? An alternate reality where low rise, tight pegged pants and women’s shoes are in style??? Where the heck have I been?? I thought I was imagining it the first time I saw it when Hockey came out in the same outfit, but no, Passion Pit came out wearing the same garb, and bad garb at that. I thought that maybe Keds had given these kids a sponsorship. I mean free is free… In any case, on with the show. Did I mention I love Passion Pits' song "The Reeling"? Yeah, they played that last, and half the song was pre-programmed (which always bums me out when bands do that ), but by the third song I had figured "how can one make a mediocre song sound pretty good?" Have Passion Pit play it! The singer sang all his songs in a falsetto voice(which was annoying after about the fifth song) and near the end he could not contain it any longer and his voice started cracking. The drummer had a beautiful silver metal flake DW set that he only messed up on twice the whole night . The percussionist was quite extra and provided no real ooomph.. I will admit that the keyboard player and bass player were so uninteresting I did not look at them more that twice... sorry boys. However, I was standing next to two of the silliest boys, which made the evening quite interesting and fun even if the music was a let down. This review is by SPARKLE GIRL,,,,,,,,,,, be sure and look out for SPARKLE GIRL'S TOP TEN LIST OF THINGS THAT DON'T SUCK,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
See what I mean? Awesome, huh. After having edited that I realize that it was probably written on a cell phone. So, thanks to Sparkle Girl for being a guest blogger. If you're SG, or know her, get in touch with us.
Oh come on! You don't think I'd leave it at that, did you? A little digging comes up with a Portland band called Left Hand Zero, whose drummer (note the attention to Passion Pit's kit above) is one Michele "Sparkle Girl" Gomez. Oh really? So maybe this is what Sparkle Girl really looks like...
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Tuesday, December 8th
Hello Dear Readers,
No show for me last night. I instead shared a meal with AristeiA, the idea I guess was to get me to eat out of something other than a pot with a wooden spoon (an everyday occurance with me). It was fun. I got to DJ on Devon's ipod. Then I went and watched a movie at another friends house, Holland a Meyercord band member was there. I guess what I am saying is that last night I had a social night with people I play music with. This is something I don't do all the time. It was 'aight. But if I missed a good show, please let me know leaving a comment. Here is what looks good to me tonight:
Tuesday, December 8th
Valentine's is having something called Portland Stories which will feature Kele Goodwin, Sarah Winchester, Michael Elias, Nicholas Archibald Marshall, MayMay, Rauelsson, Town Rill, Galveston, and Heather Woods Broderick. These are some of the best indie-folk performers in town. Granted there are some that I don't know, I feel that the quality of those that I do, make this a very very good show. Plus many of these artists don't play out too often (Heather included). This show accompanies an album that Heather Broderick curated with these folks called Portland Stories. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band (Seattle), World's Greatest Ghost, and The Growlers (Costa Mesa). I honestly have seen the name Mt. St. Helens Vietnam band a lot, but have never listened to them. They are not why I am writing about this show. I am writing about the show because World's Greatest Ghost is so good. They play music that combines fun nerdy-ness and guitarmonies interlocking with keyboard melodies (so many melodies) and a rewardingly perfect way. I missed their Gnome Party over the week end that encouraged people to dress up as mythical creatures. Though it is not really encouraged at this performance, I sure that if you broke out the 'ol Minotaur costume you would not be turned away. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having a show with Stiffwiff, Jozef van Wissem (Netherlands), Saudade, and Pete Swanson. Horray for improvised instrumental music. Stiffwiff is a revolving cast of some really good musicians from around Portland. I know that members of Graves, Carcrashlander, Point Juncture and more all play in the group. Someone described their music as "drum-heavy, jazz-rock fusion". I could get behind that. Jozef van Wissem is a composer who plays the Lute. That is so old school. But I guess he also adds some sound manipulation as well to get up with the rest of the world. Regardless, I think it will be rally interesting. This is an album release show for Saudade, an ambient duo who make layers of upon layers of sound to create beautiful soundscapes. I love that sort of thing. Pete Swanson used to be half of Yellow Swans. Who instead of ambient sounds, used noise and very effected guitar to create a soundscape. The show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". You never know, I could be your new best friend.
-Ben
Heather Woods Broderick will play tonight at Valentines. Probably a narrative tune.
No show for me last night. I instead shared a meal with AristeiA, the idea I guess was to get me to eat out of something other than a pot with a wooden spoon (an everyday occurance with me). It was fun. I got to DJ on Devon's ipod. Then I went and watched a movie at another friends house, Holland a Meyercord band member was there. I guess what I am saying is that last night I had a social night with people I play music with. This is something I don't do all the time. It was 'aight. But if I missed a good show, please let me know leaving a comment. Here is what looks good to me tonight:
Tuesday, December 8th
Valentine's is having something called Portland Stories which will feature Kele Goodwin, Sarah Winchester, Michael Elias, Nicholas Archibald Marshall, MayMay, Rauelsson, Town Rill, Galveston, and Heather Woods Broderick. These are some of the best indie-folk performers in town. Granted there are some that I don't know, I feel that the quality of those that I do, make this a very very good show. Plus many of these artists don't play out too often (Heather included). This show accompanies an album that Heather Broderick curated with these folks called Portland Stories. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band (Seattle), World's Greatest Ghost, and The Growlers (Costa Mesa). I honestly have seen the name Mt. St. Helens Vietnam band a lot, but have never listened to them. They are not why I am writing about this show. I am writing about the show because World's Greatest Ghost is so good. They play music that combines fun nerdy-ness and guitarmonies interlocking with keyboard melodies (so many melodies) and a rewardingly perfect way. I missed their Gnome Party over the week end that encouraged people to dress up as mythical creatures. Though it is not really encouraged at this performance, I sure that if you broke out the 'ol Minotaur costume you would not be turned away. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Holocene is having a show with Stiffwiff, Jozef van Wissem (Netherlands), Saudade, and Pete Swanson. Horray for improvised instrumental music. Stiffwiff is a revolving cast of some really good musicians from around Portland. I know that members of Graves, Carcrashlander, Point Juncture and more all play in the group. Someone described their music as "drum-heavy, jazz-rock fusion". I could get behind that. Jozef van Wissem is a composer who plays the Lute. That is so old school. But I guess he also adds some sound manipulation as well to get up with the rest of the world. Regardless, I think it will be rally interesting. This is an album release show for Saudade, an ambient duo who make layers of upon layers of sound to create beautiful soundscapes. I love that sort of thing. Pete Swanson used to be half of Yellow Swans. Who instead of ambient sounds, used noise and very effected guitar to create a soundscape. The show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". You never know, I could be your new best friend.
-Ben
Heather Woods Broderick will play tonight at Valentines. Probably a narrative tune.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Monday, December 7th
Hello Dear Readers,
Last night got taken over by a very productive Y La Bamba practice. I don't want to give too much away but, we are working with a guest member. We are working on a new song and are stoked. Anyway, after that I was pooped. Plus it has been ridiculously cold. In fact I am not sure if I will be able to make it out tonight. The low here in Portland is 17 degrees. That is barely in the double digits. I am cold right now. Sorry to complain. But jeez. Here are the shows I will most likely miss.
Monday, December 7th
Crystal Ballroom is having a show with Passion Pit and Hockey. Passion Pit is a pretty popular band in the "indie" scene right? I have heard of them. They have a high pitched singer and play "indie-dance-rock". I put it in quotes because their album is released by a major and an indie, Columbia and French Kiss respectively. It will probably be a lot of fun. But I am mostly writing because of Hockey. They are a band whose time line,if I am not mistaken, went like this: Move to Portland, play a couple of house shows and some smaller venues, and then sign to Capital Records, play many huge festivals, get a huge following in Europe or whatever. That is just crazy. I had the pleasure of actually being on the bill of a few of those smaller bills. I think they are pretty great. They are catchy as hell they have smart lyrics for pop music. The singer has a great voice with some raspy soulful voice. The bass player makes really cool grooves and the guitar player has the dance guitar thing down. But they are not a dance band. They are a pop band that happens to make very danceable music. It is super fun. The ALL AGES show is $20 and starts at 8 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Terraform, Don Hellions, and Fuck You Safari. Album release for Terraform. I have never heard or seen them. But I have read that they have a "Germs/Mae Shi/Arab On Radar punk energy" achieved with a tight rhythm section and a saxophone player. I think that rock music with a non-traditional use of sax (i.e. sax solos from the E. Street Band) is cool. For example the other band playing, Don Hellions also makes good use of the sax. But they mix it with the organ playing of their lead singer and the awesome drummer. Don Hellions is great. I am doing a piss poor job of describing them, but trust me they are great. Fuck You Safari has the cutest little bio on their myspace. It is so cute that I have decided to repost it here:
Last night got taken over by a very productive Y La Bamba practice. I don't want to give too much away but, we are working with a guest member. We are working on a new song and are stoked. Anyway, after that I was pooped. Plus it has been ridiculously cold. In fact I am not sure if I will be able to make it out tonight. The low here in Portland is 17 degrees. That is barely in the double digits. I am cold right now. Sorry to complain. But jeez. Here are the shows I will most likely miss.
Monday, December 7th
Crystal Ballroom is having a show with Passion Pit and Hockey. Passion Pit is a pretty popular band in the "indie" scene right? I have heard of them. They have a high pitched singer and play "indie-dance-rock". I put it in quotes because their album is released by a major and an indie, Columbia and French Kiss respectively. It will probably be a lot of fun. But I am mostly writing because of Hockey. They are a band whose time line,if I am not mistaken, went like this: Move to Portland, play a couple of house shows and some smaller venues, and then sign to Capital Records, play many huge festivals, get a huge following in Europe or whatever. That is just crazy. I had the pleasure of actually being on the bill of a few of those smaller bills. I think they are pretty great. They are catchy as hell they have smart lyrics for pop music. The singer has a great voice with some raspy soulful voice. The bass player makes really cool grooves and the guitar player has the dance guitar thing down. But they are not a dance band. They are a pop band that happens to make very danceable music. It is super fun. The ALL AGES show is $20 and starts at 8 PM.
Valentine's is having a show with Terraform, Don Hellions, and Fuck You Safari. Album release for Terraform. I have never heard or seen them. But I have read that they have a "Germs/Mae Shi/Arab On Radar punk energy" achieved with a tight rhythm section and a saxophone player. I think that rock music with a non-traditional use of sax (i.e. sax solos from the E. Street Band) is cool. For example the other band playing, Don Hellions also makes good use of the sax. But they mix it with the organ playing of their lead singer and the awesome drummer. Don Hellions is great. I am doing a piss poor job of describing them, but trust me they are great. Fuck You Safari has the cutest little bio on their myspace. It is so cute that I have decided to repost it here:
"mando (capricorn) and beren (virgo) lived in Portland, OR. leif (aries) moved down to Portland from Bellingham, WA in may of 2008. he went to many magic johnson (mando's main project) shows and began to hang around hotboat (mando's house) more often than not. one day in early june, leif asked mando if he wanted to start a project that was more noise influenced with pop capabilities. mando said that would be great. mando and leif played guitar and shouted words. they created ten songs in a week and a half. after a month of playing their songs, they decided to look for a drummer on craigslist. one day after the ad was posted online, there was only one response and it was from beren (formerly from the shotgun and currently from eat skull). mando and leif were so amazed beren had responded, they jumped up and down in the air. mando and leif invited beren over to practice in july. beren, mando and leif decided that they liked one another enough to play shows and have practice while working around jobs, not having jobs, and emotional squalor. they still need to go dancing together sometime."
Plus I hear they dislike certain computer operating system. So they got that going for them too. The show is FREE and starts after 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". There will be no high fives tonight lest I find a good pair of gloves.
-Ben
Hockey plays the Crystal Ballroom tonight.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". There will be no high fives tonight lest I find a good pair of gloves.
-Ben
Hockey plays the Crystal Ballroom tonight.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Sunday, December 6th
Hello Dear Readers,
So last night was fun. I ended up seeing two out of the four shows I thought I might be able to do. I saw the Folk thing at Waypost but to honest there was kinda a weird vibe. I was very happy to see The Sarcastic Dharma Society and Padraic Finbar Haggerty-Hammond play. They both debuted some new material that was just great. They both play on each others music and both added drums and glockenspiel into the mix. I loved their sets (it was a round robin style thing). Then I walked three blocks down to Ivy house and caught Duck, Little Brother Duck. They are very math, and play very fast, and it is hard to bob your head to, but very fun to try. I think that they are very very very good. After that I wanted to see if World's Greatest Ghost was playing but apparently was spent. Oh well. Here are the shows that look good to me today:
Rontoms is having a show with ioa and Paper Upper Cuts. ioa is the band that Amanda Spring (Point Juncture, WA) created for the songs she has been writing lately. There is some overlap in the sound of Point Juncture. It is hard to not sound kinda like a band when you have as distinctive voice as hers. The instrumentation is Baritone Ukulele, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, timbales, trumpet, French Horn, Flute. That being said it is not as "indie rock" sounding as her other band, and in fact I would say it has more of a Latin flavor with the rhythms that she uses (and maybe some of the brass). Anyway it is worth checking out. Her drummer in ioa is David "Papi" Fimbres who is the person behind the other band playing, Paper/Upper/Cuts. It is usually a one man affair but he is open to collaboration. He has played with like a million bands and has a long list of past collaborators for this project. But all the videos I have seen show Papi alone at the kit looping his keyboard, flute or vocals ore whatever and making some phresh beats to go atop the loops. It is very cool. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Valentine's has a show with Gulls, Hexlove, and Sustentacula. Gulls is a band that I saw play PDX Pop 2007 that I was very impressed with. So much so that I bought a CD of theirs. As I recall, it was instrumental and had really cool beats, some flute and a lot of synth and samplers going. I really like it. Also I recall it sometimes approaching dub. Whatever it was, it was really cool. Hexlove is not that different in idea. It is a drummer who also plays loops other instruments, though he uses his voice a log more. Put the sounds are heavily effected and sometimes get kinda far out there. Sustenacula is a duo that plays whatever they feel like sometimes it is all samples and loops, sometimes it is acoustic guitars and singing sometimes it is keyboards with sick beats. But it is consistently interesting and, as far as I can tell, good. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Rotture is having a show with Bastard Noise (LA), Thrones (Salem), Rabbits, and Nux Vomica. Bastard Noise is experimental Hardcore from LA. I am mostly listing this show because I think Thrones is pretty bad ass. Though he is lives in Salem, he plays Portland an awful lot. He one man show, of Joe Preston (of every cool heavy band) consists of a bass a drum machine a microphone run through a vocoder and a whole lot of amps and cabinets. It is loud and heavy and, yes he plays with a drum machine but it is still intense and the drum machine is programed to fit the weird progressions that are made. It is often slow and sometimes quite pretty. And always epic. Honestly the other bands are heavy and not really my thing. But Thrones is great. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I will say it back. Honest.
-Ben
Hexlove will be doing something like this tonight at Valentine's.
So last night was fun. I ended up seeing two out of the four shows I thought I might be able to do. I saw the Folk thing at Waypost but to honest there was kinda a weird vibe. I was very happy to see The Sarcastic Dharma Society and Padraic Finbar Haggerty-Hammond play. They both debuted some new material that was just great. They both play on each others music and both added drums and glockenspiel into the mix. I loved their sets (it was a round robin style thing). Then I walked three blocks down to Ivy house and caught Duck, Little Brother Duck. They are very math, and play very fast, and it is hard to bob your head to, but very fun to try. I think that they are very very very good. After that I wanted to see if World's Greatest Ghost was playing but apparently was spent. Oh well. Here are the shows that look good to me today:
Sunday, December 6th
Rontoms is having a show with ioa and Paper Upper Cuts. ioa is the band that Amanda Spring (Point Juncture, WA) created for the songs she has been writing lately. There is some overlap in the sound of Point Juncture. It is hard to not sound kinda like a band when you have as distinctive voice as hers. The instrumentation is Baritone Ukulele, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, timbales, trumpet, French Horn, Flute. That being said it is not as "indie rock" sounding as her other band, and in fact I would say it has more of a Latin flavor with the rhythms that she uses (and maybe some of the brass). Anyway it is worth checking out. Her drummer in ioa is David "Papi" Fimbres who is the person behind the other band playing, Paper/Upper/Cuts. It is usually a one man affair but he is open to collaboration. He has played with like a million bands and has a long list of past collaborators for this project. But all the videos I have seen show Papi alone at the kit looping his keyboard, flute or vocals ore whatever and making some phresh beats to go atop the loops. It is very cool. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Valentine's has a show with Gulls, Hexlove, and Sustentacula. Gulls is a band that I saw play PDX Pop 2007 that I was very impressed with. So much so that I bought a CD of theirs. As I recall, it was instrumental and had really cool beats, some flute and a lot of synth and samplers going. I really like it. Also I recall it sometimes approaching dub. Whatever it was, it was really cool. Hexlove is not that different in idea. It is a drummer who also plays loops other instruments, though he uses his voice a log more. Put the sounds are heavily effected and sometimes get kinda far out there. Sustenacula is a duo that plays whatever they feel like sometimes it is all samples and loops, sometimes it is acoustic guitars and singing sometimes it is keyboards with sick beats. But it is consistently interesting and, as far as I can tell, good. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
Rotture is having a show with Bastard Noise (LA), Thrones (Salem), Rabbits, and Nux Vomica. Bastard Noise is experimental Hardcore from LA. I am mostly listing this show because I think Thrones is pretty bad ass. Though he is lives in Salem, he plays Portland an awful lot. He one man show, of Joe Preston (of every cool heavy band) consists of a bass a drum machine a microphone run through a vocoder and a whole lot of amps and cabinets. It is loud and heavy and, yes he plays with a drum machine but it is still intense and the drum machine is programed to fit the weird progressions that are made. It is often slow and sometimes quite pretty. And always epic. Honestly the other bands are heavy and not really my thing. But Thrones is great. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". I will say it back. Honest.
-Ben
Hexlove will be doing something like this tonight at Valentine's.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Hey ladies...
Nah, that's not fair. Anybody can answer this. But maybe this is a peculiarity that you rocker ladies have experienced...
What's so hard about meeting people to play music? Or rather, why does it approach a level of awkwardness that's almost as bad as dating? This isn't just speculation on my part, it's a problem I've experienced and I really would like to know. So feedback from the female musical practitioners is appreciated- no, required.
Of course, me being who I am, I have to overthink things and won't just leave it at an open-ended question. I've ruminated on the problem of forming an opposite-sex partnership before in the blog- though, to be fair, it doesn't have to be a boy and a girl, just a matched pair of whatever persuasion. For me personally, I don't need the arrangement to be Moonlighting or The X-Files. I'm married- not only do I have no desire to date random people, it's generally frowned upon. Therefore, I try to bring a professional approach to the whole thing. All business, yo.
So what's the problem, then? Maybe that's where the awkwardness is, and where the responses can help confirm, or not. Do the ladies out in the scene looking to form musical partnerships get bombarded with non-musical requests and non-professional attention? That seems most likely to be true and least likely to hurt my poor sensitive feelings.
Ah well. The work continues, and the great thing about seeking new musical partners is that you're always being exposed to new influences. Did you know that Karen from The Knife has a solo project? NEITHER DID I! Well, now I do, thanks to a guy I talked to recently, and I'm a happier person because of it. So keep forging ahead, kids. Meet new people and make music with them. It's good for you.
Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Saturday December
Hello Dear Readers,
Last night I took some time to myself. Partly because I was lazy but mostly because I knew that I was/am going to try to see a lot of music tonight. You see there is a lot of stuff going on, and a possibility of seeing more than one show. Nice. Here is what Portland has to offer tonight:
The Knife Shop is having a show with Alan Singley & Pants Machine and Travis Wiggins. Alan has a knack for writing endearing songs with memorable melodies and impressive arrangements. Tonight he has said that there will be a full on horn section. Sweet. Travis Wiggins on the other hand plays "Lo-Fi Beats, Psychedelic Freak Outs, Sound Collage & Weirdo Pop Songs for your Headphones, Car Stereo, Boom Box & Bike Rides" He will be playing songs from his latest album, "Spacewayz" which features Alan on one song and a sampled song of his on another song. They are friends. In fact Travis was a one time member of Pants Machine. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
WonderBallroom is having a show with Blind Pilot, Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames, and Point Juncture, WA. You probably have already heard about Blind Pilot. If not, check out their near perfect acoustic pop. It is very familiar sounding in a comforting way. If they are ripping someone off I don't know who. I keep hearing about how good her new album, which is not yet released, is. I finally took a listen on myspace and people are right. It is good. You the title track, "July Flame" is pretty good and then when the chorus comes in, it is really good. Also you should check out the song "I Can See Your Tracks" where you can hear her new Old Believers band mates singing all folky like. Point Juncture are an awesome band. They play tight well arranged indie-rock songs that seeded to be influenced equally by Yo La Tengo and Stereolab. Which is to say it is awesome. The ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at 8 PM.
Holocene is having Heatstroke: A Summer Jamz show with Guantanamo Baywatch, Orca Team, and DJ Hot Air Balloon. In case you didn't know, Winter is the new Summer. Or at least people are trying to make it that way and with the tune that both of these bands are supplying, it won't be hard. Guatanamo Baywatch plays surf rock by in a slightly updated way. I really like it. And Orca Team play kinda surf but mostly reverb drenched pop numbers. Their song "And She Knows" is currently one of my favorite "Summer Jamz". The show starts at $3 PM.
The Waypost is having a show with Glass Teeth, Almost Nearly, Michael The Blind, The Shivas (Vancouver WA), Bryan Weller, The Sarcastic Dharma Society, William Carpenter's Towering Trees, and Sweeping Exits. Man this is a lot of bands. They are all kinda folk and this is billed as "Saturday Night's Alright for Folking". They are all good, but in my opinion, you cannot miss The Sarcastic Dharma Society. He is one of the best songwriters I know. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Ghost Realm is having a show with , Here Comes A Big Black Cloud, The Department of Motor Vehicles. Party at World's Greatest Ghost's house! This is the third Gnome party they have thrown. I have missed the previous two but have seen pictures. If pictures do not lie, then I have missed out. Costumes of your favorite mythical creatures are highly encouraged. Plus World's Greatest Ghost put on one of Portland's greatest shows. I love the way their guitar melodies intertwine with the keyboard melodies. I also love how it is impossible not to lose control while seeing them. The ALL AGES show is by donation and starts at 8 PM.
The Ivy House is having a show with Duck. Little Brother, Duck!, Mama Sunshine, Sex Hair, David Duchovny, and Top Shelvers. I am writing this because Duck. Little Brother, Duck! is one of the best bands in Portland. They play high energy mathy-pop music. Think modern day Cap N'Jazz. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Sarcastic Dharma Society will be playing at The Waypost for FREE
Last night I took some time to myself. Partly because I was lazy but mostly because I knew that I was/am going to try to see a lot of music tonight. You see there is a lot of stuff going on, and a possibility of seeing more than one show. Nice. Here is what Portland has to offer tonight:
Saturday, December 5th
The Knife Shop is having a show with Alan Singley & Pants Machine and Travis Wiggins. Alan has a knack for writing endearing songs with memorable melodies and impressive arrangements. Tonight he has said that there will be a full on horn section. Sweet. Travis Wiggins on the other hand plays "Lo-Fi Beats, Psychedelic Freak Outs, Sound Collage & Weirdo Pop Songs for your Headphones, Car Stereo, Boom Box & Bike Rides" He will be playing songs from his latest album, "Spacewayz" which features Alan on one song and a sampled song of his on another song. They are friends. In fact Travis was a one time member of Pants Machine. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.
WonderBallroom is having a show with Blind Pilot, Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames, and Point Juncture, WA. You probably have already heard about Blind Pilot. If not, check out their near perfect acoustic pop. It is very familiar sounding in a comforting way. If they are ripping someone off I don't know who. I keep hearing about how good her new album, which is not yet released, is. I finally took a listen on myspace and people are right. It is good. You the title track, "July Flame" is pretty good and then when the chorus comes in, it is really good. Also you should check out the song "I Can See Your Tracks" where you can hear her new Old Believers band mates singing all folky like. Point Juncture are an awesome band. They play tight well arranged indie-rock songs that seeded to be influenced equally by Yo La Tengo and Stereolab. Which is to say it is awesome. The ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at 8 PM.
Holocene is having Heatstroke: A Summer Jamz show with Guantanamo Baywatch, Orca Team, and DJ Hot Air Balloon. In case you didn't know, Winter is the new Summer. Or at least people are trying to make it that way and with the tune that both of these bands are supplying, it won't be hard. Guatanamo Baywatch plays surf rock by in a slightly updated way. I really like it. And Orca Team play kinda surf but mostly reverb drenched pop numbers. Their song "And She Knows" is currently one of my favorite "Summer Jamz". The show starts at $3 PM.
The Waypost is having a show with Glass Teeth, Almost Nearly, Michael The Blind, The Shivas (Vancouver WA), Bryan Weller, The Sarcastic Dharma Society, William Carpenter's Towering Trees, and Sweeping Exits. Man this is a lot of bands. They are all kinda folk and this is billed as "Saturday Night's Alright for Folking". They are all good, but in my opinion, you cannot miss The Sarcastic Dharma Society. He is one of the best songwriters I know. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 6 PM.
Ghost Realm is having a show with , Here Comes A Big Black Cloud, The Department of Motor Vehicles. Party at World's Greatest Ghost's house! This is the third Gnome party they have thrown. I have missed the previous two but have seen pictures. If pictures do not lie, then I have missed out. Costumes of your favorite mythical creatures are highly encouraged. Plus World's Greatest Ghost put on one of Portland's greatest shows. I love the way their guitar melodies intertwine with the keyboard melodies. I also love how it is impossible not to lose control while seeing them. The ALL AGES show is by donation and starts at 8 PM.
The Ivy House is having a show with Duck. Little Brother, Duck!, Mama Sunshine, Sex Hair, David Duchovny, and Top Shelvers. I am writing this because Duck. Little Brother, Duck! is one of the best bands in Portland. They play high energy mathy-pop music. Think modern day Cap N'Jazz. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Sarcastic Dharma Society will be playing at The Waypost for FREE
Friday, December 4, 2009
Ben Meyercord'sLive MusicPicks for December 4th
Hello Dear Readers,
One of the reasons I was late for blogging yesterday was because I was being filmed for the cooking with bands series that Brennan Novack has been posting for Potlatch Presents. It was pretty fun you should check it out.
Friday, December 4th
Wonder Ballroom is having a show with Blind Pilot, Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames, and Mimicking Birds. Blind Pilot is band that I really like. A lot. I can't really put a finger on why. For all intents an purposes they are a normal indie folk pop band. But their melodies get stuck in my head all the time. Laura Veirs is not too shabby herself. She has a new album out next month. She has a good band now that, last I checked, included members of Old Believers. Mimicking Birds is one of the bands that Issac Brock took under his wing. Since then I have not really heard much from them. So I guess this is a rare show for them. The ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at 8 PM.
East End is having a Children of The Revolution and East End Anniversary show with Magic Johnson, Fuck You Safari, Nucular Aminals, Total Bro's, Jeffery Jerusalem, ASSS, Best Supporting Actress, The Whines, The Intelligence, Eternal Tapestry, and Macrocosm. Children of the Revolution puts on a festival once a year and sometimes they fo one off shows. This is one of those shows. But with the amount of bands on this bill, it might as well be a festival. All this week East End is celebrating it's two years of existence. Plus there will be new art in every room. And the bands, did I mention the bands? They are pretty good. I am partial to the dance grooves that Jeffrey Jerusalem. The show is $3-$10 and starts at some time.
Rotture is having a show with Fist Fite, Grayceon, Mongoloid Village, Hot Victory and Lost Lockets. The show is $7 and starts at 7 PM.
Someday Lounge is having a show with John Craig and Oh Captain My Captain. I don't really know how this bill got put together. John Craig makes slightly electro-rock pop music. Oh Captain My Captain, on the other hand, makes excellent music. Like they are one of the best bands in Portland excellent music. I have said many times that two bands that could be used as reference points would be Pedro the Lion and Dr. Dog. I cannot get enough of this band. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Aladdin is having a show with Portland Cello Project, and Portland Ukulele Project, The Robinsons, Panther, and Leviethan. Portland Cello Project has a pretty good concept. Arranging Portland artists for the cello. Brilliant. They do a good job. Sometimes I feel they could lay off the covers, but over a they pretty good. I think they inspired the group Portland Ukulele Project (P.U.P.). They do strictly covers. The other day at Sean Flinn practice, Scott McGee (of Sean Flinn, and P.U.P., and many others), played a bit of David Bowie's "Major Tom". It sounded surprisingly good on a uke. The ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at 8 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Brothers Young, and Marty Marquis (of Blitzen Trapper). Sallie Ford and Co, are great. They make somewhat throwback pop music. The Brothers Young are an experiment in unison voices in pop music. It is a pretty cool trick. Especially when it is done by brothers who have similar voices. Marty Marquis is the dude in Blitzen Trapper with the red hair. I have seen him play and he is very good. A solo guy and a acoustic guitar and a really awesome raspy vocal. And a penchant for writing narrative tunes. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Laughing Horse Books is having a show with Swim Swam Swum, What Skulls can Tell Us?, and Glass Teeth. This is also related to Potlatch Presents. They put on good shows. Swim Swam Swim is a great band they have interesting sense of rhythm and nasally vocals. I love it. What Skulls Can Tell Us? is a "Thanksgiving"-esque feel. Glass Teeth is has a very strong voice and has songs that remind me of the blues, though I am not sure why. I like it. The ALL AGES show might cost money and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Blind Pilot play night 1 of 2 tonight at Wonder Ballroom. Nice.
One of the reasons I was late for blogging yesterday was because I was being filmed for the cooking with bands series that Brennan Novack has been posting for Potlatch Presents. It was pretty fun you should check it out.
Friday, December 4th
Wonder Ballroom is having a show with Blind Pilot, Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames, and Mimicking Birds. Blind Pilot is band that I really like. A lot. I can't really put a finger on why. For all intents an purposes they are a normal indie folk pop band. But their melodies get stuck in my head all the time. Laura Veirs is not too shabby herself. She has a new album out next month. She has a good band now that, last I checked, included members of Old Believers. Mimicking Birds is one of the bands that Issac Brock took under his wing. Since then I have not really heard much from them. So I guess this is a rare show for them. The ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at 8 PM.
East End is having a Children of The Revolution and East End Anniversary show with Magic Johnson, Fuck You Safari, Nucular Aminals, Total Bro's, Jeffery Jerusalem, ASSS, Best Supporting Actress, The Whines, The Intelligence, Eternal Tapestry, and Macrocosm. Children of the Revolution puts on a festival once a year and sometimes they fo one off shows. This is one of those shows. But with the amount of bands on this bill, it might as well be a festival. All this week East End is celebrating it's two years of existence. Plus there will be new art in every room. And the bands, did I mention the bands? They are pretty good. I am partial to the dance grooves that Jeffrey Jerusalem. The show is $3-$10 and starts at some time.
Rotture is having a show with Fist Fite, Grayceon, Mongoloid Village, Hot Victory and Lost Lockets. The show is $7 and starts at 7 PM.
Someday Lounge is having a show with John Craig and Oh Captain My Captain. I don't really know how this bill got put together. John Craig makes slightly electro-rock pop music. Oh Captain My Captain, on the other hand, makes excellent music. Like they are one of the best bands in Portland excellent music. I have said many times that two bands that could be used as reference points would be Pedro the Lion and Dr. Dog. I cannot get enough of this band. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Aladdin is having a show with Portland Cello Project, and Portland Ukulele Project, The Robinsons, Panther, and Leviethan. Portland Cello Project has a pretty good concept. Arranging Portland artists for the cello. Brilliant. They do a good job. Sometimes I feel they could lay off the covers, but over a they pretty good. I think they inspired the group Portland Ukulele Project (P.U.P.). They do strictly covers. The other day at Sean Flinn practice, Scott McGee (of Sean Flinn, and P.U.P., and many others), played a bit of David Bowie's "Major Tom". It sounded surprisingly good on a uke. The ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at 8 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having a show with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Brothers Young, and Marty Marquis (of Blitzen Trapper). Sallie Ford and Co, are great. They make somewhat throwback pop music. The Brothers Young are an experiment in unison voices in pop music. It is a pretty cool trick. Especially when it is done by brothers who have similar voices. Marty Marquis is the dude in Blitzen Trapper with the red hair. I have seen him play and he is very good. A solo guy and a acoustic guitar and a really awesome raspy vocal. And a penchant for writing narrative tunes. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Laughing Horse Books is having a show with Swim Swam Swum, What Skulls can Tell Us?, and Glass Teeth. This is also related to Potlatch Presents. They put on good shows. Swim Swam Swim is a great band they have interesting sense of rhythm and nasally vocals. I love it. What Skulls Can Tell Us? is a "Thanksgiving"-esque feel. Glass Teeth is has a very strong voice and has songs that remind me of the blues, though I am not sure why. I like it. The ALL AGES show might cost money and starts at 8 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi".
-Ben
Blind Pilot play night 1 of 2 tonight at Wonder Ballroom. Nice.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Friday, December 3rd
Hello Dear Readers,
I got totally busy today. I know this is post unacceptably late in the day, but here are the shows very briefly described in case you see are looking for a show tonight.
Thursday, December 3rd
Holocene is having a show with Dat'r, Velella Velella, Head Shop Boys, and DJ Vision Quest. Dat'r is very very danceable with sick beats. They have not played in forever and will mostly play new material. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Weinland and Garrett Pierce. Weinland make quality folk rock music. Think Elliott Smith meets Neil Young (or don't and just go see them). The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Tristeza, Strange Holiday, and Drew Andrews. Tristeza plays kinda post-rock music. I like it. It is not really loud post-rock like many bands coming out these days. The Guitar player of that band moved to Portland a while back and has started to play in her post-post-Beach Boys band, Strange Holiday. It sounds great. You really need to see this band they will be huge. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
The Knife Shop is having a show with Gratitillium, St. Frankie Lee, and Porches. I love to see St. Frankie Lee live. They are a fun and good couple dual vocals (bitter and sweet) band with many members doing many things. The show is $4 and starts at 10 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". But you won' because I need to go to Hillsborro tonight to house sit. :(
-Ben
Need I say more?
I got totally busy today. I know this is post unacceptably late in the day, but here are the shows very briefly described in case you see are looking for a show tonight.
Thursday, December 3rd
Holocene is having a show with Dat'r, Velella Velella, Head Shop Boys, and DJ Vision Quest. Dat'r is very very danceable with sick beats. They have not played in forever and will mostly play new material. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.
The Woods is having a show with Weinland and Garrett Pierce. Weinland make quality folk rock music. Think Elliott Smith meets Neil Young (or don't and just go see them). The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.
Doug Fir is having a show with Tristeza, Strange Holiday, and Drew Andrews. Tristeza plays kinda post-rock music. I like it. It is not really loud post-rock like many bands coming out these days. The Guitar player of that band moved to Portland a while back and has started to play in her post-post-Beach Boys band, Strange Holiday. It sounds great. You really need to see this band they will be huge. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.
The Knife Shop is having a show with Gratitillium, St. Frankie Lee, and Porches. I love to see St. Frankie Lee live. They are a fun and good couple dual vocals (bitter and sweet) band with many members doing many things. The show is $4 and starts at 10 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". But you won' because I need to go to Hillsborro tonight to house sit. :(
-Ben
Need I say more?
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