Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 31st

Hello Dear Readers,

I had to work all day at work again. So dumb. Anyway there is a lot of good stuff happening tonight. Last night I get real lazy and didn't go to any shows but went to last Thursday instead. And guess what I saw. Some music. In particular I want to say that Nicoluminous was awesome. He is beat boxer/really good freestyler. He had a wireless mic hooked up to a utility belt of delay pedals and a looping pedal strapped to his stomach and he was doing some really amazing stuff. Anyways, here is what is happening today.

Friday, July 31st


Berbati's is having night two of the First Fest: Tango Alpha Tango, The Black Whales, The Winebirds, The Deer or The Doe, Phantom and Pill Thief. It is true that I think the first night had way better bands. but that might be because I am not too familiar with these bands. I know that I have written about The most of them but I haven't really gotten to know them that well. I know that Potlatch Presents usually deals with good bands, so I am going to trus them with this show. The show is $5 or $10 for the rest of the nights (I guess there being only two nights including tonight, the bargin aspect of the bracelet has now passed). The show starts at 8 PM.

The Artistery is having a Hush benefit with Explode into Colors, White Fang and Wampire. The Hush was a short lived ALL AGES venue that was right above the tube. It was in part fun by Rocky from Wampire. I t was awesome they always had really good shows. The fact that they are having a benefit gives me hope that they might start it up again. That would be cool. Plus Wampire wrote my current favorite summer jam, "Orchids". The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with Matt Sheehy & The Menders, Justin Power and Classical Revolution PDX. These guys are both so good. I have heard a rumour that The classica revolution will be backing both of these gentlemen. Kinda like PCP. I guess you have to go to know. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM.

The Waypost is having a show with Gregory Miles Harris & Friends. This is the last of his Summer long Residency. I think that he is totally worth checking out. For reals (even though, I have yet to. trust me I make myself sick with the amount of bands I feel I should have seen by now). The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Laurelthirst is having a show with The Ascetic Junkies, St. Frankie Lee and Nick Caceres. Folk Rock 4evah! I have run out of time at the library. They are kicking me out. The show is at 9:30 PM.




Justin Power plays sans the PCP tonight, though perhaps Classical Revolution PDX might contribute a similar bed of strings for his songs.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 30th

Hello Dear Readers,

I actually had to work today. Suck. I wanted to post this stuff earlier. Whoops.

Thursday, July 30th

Berbati's is having First Fest: Swim Swam Swum, Carcrashlander, Thee Headliners, Petracovich, Ocean Age and Wishyunu. That's a lot of cool bands for not a whole lot of moneys. Some of these bands I have been meaning to check out. Ocean Age in particular. Carcrashlander is also always so good live. This is a good show if you are into PDX Indie Rock. Oh, and its put on by Potlatlatch Presents. The show is $5 for tonight, but for a mere $10 you can go to all three nights of the Fest. It starts at 8 PM.

Hotel Deluxe is having The Woodlands play. Then they are going to The Secret of Nimh, one my favorite movies when I was growing up. You may recognize The Woodlands from their track that was featured on last years PDX Pop Now! CD compilation? The ALL AGES show is $8.

Ash Street Saloon is having Vs. the Sea are playing with play with a bunch of other bands that I don't have time to link to. I like Jared's songs. Maybe youwill too? The show is $5 and starts at 9:30.

Say "Hi" if you see me and you know what's up.

-Ben


Swim Swam Swum will play the First Fest tonight. Cool.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 29th

Hello Dear Readers,

It is soooo hot. Here are the shows for today.

Wednesday, July 29th

Berbati's is having the last Wednesday Restaurant Residency with Nucular Aminals. I missed their set at PDX Pop Now!, but I heard that it was pretty good. This is kind of like the festival. I mean except that it is not all ages. And there is only one other band, in this case Forever. And it is uhh...well, I guess it isn't as much like it as I initially thought. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.

Chaos Cafe is having a show with Pardee Shorts, Glass Teeth, Fire in a Crowded Theatre (Yakima, WA), and Tyler Freeman. The recordings on Pardee Shorts myspace sound live and truthfully kinda awful. But the actual songs sound kinda awesome. I would love to hear them live with out the crushing distortion of a mic that is too hot. I have been told that I need to see Glass Teeth for a while. I think I finally might, I mean I do like what I have heard. The ALL AGES show is $3 and starts at 8 PM.

Doug Fir is having a show Soft Tags , Massive Moth, and Hello Electric. Soft Tags is a band that I have been meaning to check out. I like their latest album. It is a good balance of pop and cool guitar stuff. Also Hello Electric makes rock music with programmed drums. You should really check out the videos they have posted on their myspace page. They are hilarious. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Gregory Miles Harris, The Happy Prescriptions, Hypnogogue and Rian O'Hara. Gregory is one of Portland's best kept Portland pop secrects. His songs are really good. It seems that only Daniel Johnston knows what's up (Daniel has him open when ever he play Portland). His friend Rian writes pretty cute songs check it out. The other bands seem very reverby especially Hypnogogue. The show is $2-$5 and starts at 8:30 PM.

The Aladdin is having a show with The Ditty Bops (LA) and Firs of Prey. The Ditty Bops are are two gals singing in beautiful harmony backed a by a variety of acoustic instruments. I am pretty sure they did one of the tours by bicycle tours like Portland's own Blind Pilot. But I am listening thsi show because of Andrew Miller aka Firs of Prey who's music is so good. His recorded music reminds me of classic mid period Beatles ala the Elephant six, but I have seen some videos of him play and it is much more. He uses his looping pedal to make gorgeous harmonies and it is so cool. The ALL AGES show is a pricey $20 and starts at 8 PM.

So if you see me say "HI'. Just Sayin'.

-Ben

Nucular Animals @ PPN Day 2 from localcut on Vimeo.

They play tonight at Berbati's for FREE.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 29th

Hello Dear Readers,

It is soooo hot. Here are the shows for today.

Wednesday, July 29th

Berbati's is having the last Wednesday Restaurant Residency with Nucular Aminals. I missed their set at PDX Pop Now!, but I heard that it was pretty good. This is kind of like the festival. I mean except that it is not all ages. And there is only one other band, in this case Forever. And it is uhh...well, I guess it isn't as much like it as I initially thought. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.

Chaos Cafe is having a show with Pardee Shorts, Glass Teeth, Fire in a Crowded Theatre (Yakima, WA), and Tyler Freeman. The recordings on Pardee Shorts myspace sound live and truthfully kinda awful. But the actual songs sound kinda awesome. I would love to hear them live with out the crushing distortion of a mic that is too hot. I have been told that I need to see Glass Teeth for a while. I think I finally might, I mean I do like what I have heard. The ALL AGES show is $3 and starts at 8 PM.

Doug Fir is having a show Soft Tags , Massive Moth, and Hello Electric. Soft Tags is a band that I have been meaning to check out. I like their latest album. It is a good balance of pop and cool guitar stuff. Also Hello Electric makes rock music with programmed drums. You should really check out the videos they have posted on their myspace page. They are hilarious. The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Gregory Miles Harris, The Happy Prescriptions, Hypnogogue and Rian O'Hara. Gregory is one of Portland's best kept Portland pop secrects. His songs are really good. It seems that only Daniel Johnston knows what's up (Daniel has him open when ever he play Portland). His friend Rian writes pretty cute songs check it out. The other bands seem very reverby especially Hypnogogue. The show is $2-$5 and starts at 8:30 PM.

The Aladdin is having a show with The Ditty Bops (LA) and Firs of Prey. The Ditty Bops are are two gals singing in beautiful harmony backed a by a variety of acoustic instruments. I am pretty sure they did one of the tours by bicycle tours like Portland's own Blind Pilot. But I am listening thsi show because of Andrew Miller aka Firs of Prey who's music is so good. His recorded music reminds me of classic mid period Beatles ala the Elephant six, but I have seen some videos of him play and it is much more. He uses his looping pedal to make gorgeous harmonies and it is so cool. The ALL AGES show is a pricey $20 and starts at 8 PM.

So if you see me say "HI'. Just Sayin'.

-Ben

Nucular Animals @ PPN Day 2 from localcut on Vimeo.

They play tonight at Berbati's for FREE.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 27th and 28th

Hello Dear Readers,

Good lord did I see a lot of music last Weekend. PDX Pop Now! is always a good time to be Ben Meyercord. I get to see a bunch of music I love or have been meaning to check out and sometimes even some music that I have never heard of. But Over all my highlights are as follows: Chamber of Commerce (Blue Cranes and Paxselin Quartet's joint band) hands down my favorite of the first day (though Peter Broderick and his family were also very good), Church may have had the "break out set" that people are always looking for at Festivals, Being tossed about like a rag doll durning Strength's set was super fun, there was so much good music on Sunday but it was Thrones that blew my mind on the last day. Anyways, here are some shows happening very soon.

Monday, 27th

Backspace is having a show Two-Piece Fest: Panther, Casy & Brian (San Francisco), Total Bros, Magic Johnson and Nu Sensae (Vancouver, Canada). I think this is a pretty good premise for a "Fest" though it seems to me that if someone spent a little more time they could have gotten a lot more bands (Experimental Dental School seems an obvious oversight). I think it is intreresting to see what two people can do together when they put their instruments together. I have been meaning to see Panther recentlt because his newer material seems much different from what I remember him sounding like. The show is $6 and starts at 8:30 PM.

Tuesday, July 28th

Someday Lounge is having a show with Danava, Rabbits and Ripper. This is a Portland Rock show. All the bands here play actual rock music as oppesed to indie rock or folk rock or whatever. I am not familiar with two of the bands but have been assured that Danava is one of the best Rock bands that Portland has to offer. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Ghosties, El Come Home and Support Force. This is a celebration of Ghosties new ep "CUFFS OFF". From what I understand the ep is free if you bring your ipod or a blank CD. The band is realated to Boy Gorrilla which has a tendency of putting out really good music. The show is $5 and starts at 8:30 PM.

Chaos Cafe is having a show with Tex Winters, Unreliable Narrator (Vancouver,Canada), Kidnap Kids! and Problems?. I got tow word for this show Quir Key. I mean it is only one word, but seriously you need that pause inbetween those letters. I do love me some Tex Winters, but his music is kinda weird. I have heard the same about Problems? So if you are looking for an alternative to the norm, come check it out. The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts at 8 PM.

If you see me out at a show, say "Hi". I had the luck of having this happen over the weekend. I very much enjoyed it.

-Ben


Tex Winters in all his glory. He might have even more glory at Chaos Cafe on Tuesday.

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Animal Farm @ PDX-POP NOW '09.

Gonna keep it short and sweet.

I had fun @ the Animal Farm set. Although I did not wave my hands in the air, because I just didn't care.
A lot of people made some snide comments about the only hip-hop act of the day. Whatever though, I'm used to that. Which led me to leave early despite Soul Plane (Unrated Mile High Edition) playing on the dance party screen upstairs @ Rotture.

And upon leaving, I swear I didn't make this up, some dude approached me by the korean taco truck.

Absolute Stranger: Hey bro! You got some weed?
Me: Nah man.
AS: OK. I got some.
Me: All right. You're set then.
AS: You wanna buy some?
Me: Nah. I'm good man.
AS: You got a piece at least?
Me: Nah. Sorry. (pretends to text on my phone)
AS: That's cool. I got one. If you wanna get lit in a bit just hit me up. My car's right over there.
Me: OK. *puts headphones on and walks away awkwardly*



Looking forward to Luck-One manyana.

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We claim this town's music scene for baby formula

So we've all heard about the child prodigy, and the crazy scheme where the parent has the kid smear some finger paint around then sells it as modern art- this is not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how awesome my daughter Amelia is going to grow up to be, living in Portland with its diversely wonderful music scene and growing up with our weird family.

Amelia's mom, my lovely wife Kayla, is a tattooed slinkster cool chick, and she's been encouraging baby to listen to everything from Modest Mouse to Mates of State to Lil' John. Sure, why not. I've been all over the map, dancing around with baby in my arms to Justice and Barry Adamson and M83. She gets a healthy dose of Neil Young and Leonard Cohen at grandma's house. I'm pretty sure her babysitter plays a bunch of weird slack-key guitar polynesian stuff and potentially some contemporary classical. There's your musical foundation, which anyone can tell you is very important to having a healthy and eclectic musical life.

This is the age of teh Intarweb, and you could get all that in the comfort of your own headphones, but I feel very happy that we are in such a wonderful town as PDX. Our blog is a great example of how we're interweaving our liking of music so that others can find it too. I'm glad to be a part of it. As Amelia grows up she will be exposed not just to the truly terrible but very earnest riot grrl band in the house next door, but the Cuban music concerts in the park, and PDXPop, and more shows that I play with my band, and shows at the zoo, and maybe things that I can't even anticipate. Will she want to go see some horrid teeniebopper it-girl-of-the-week? Maybe. She'd better have a damn good reason. Daddy is a critical philosophy douchebag, remember.

One last thing, and this ties in with what I was talking about at the very beginning. Since she was born, Amelia has been my constant companion as I have been teaching myself the basics of keyboard and electronic composition, and reinventing myself as a songwriter. Now that she is an 8-month-old wiggle worm, for a month or so she's enjoyed the privilege of sitting on my lap and banging on the MIDI controller like a big girl. She seems to really enjoy the fact that she's producing crazy prog rock noodling, and I had the great idea of recording her stuff and looping it. So, this music is all her playing, I just set up the virtual instruments and looped them together. Then I set it to some videos for awesomeness. Enjoy!

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 24th to July 26th

Hello Dear Readers,

Holy Crap Guys! My favorite weekend of the year has arrived. Glorious glorious PDX Pop NOW! 2009 will begin by the end of tonight. There are other shows happening this weekend, but I wouldn't bank on my being at them. However, in the spirit of this blog's usually decent coverage, I will list them.

Friday, July 24rd

Jack Pot Records (Downtown) i shaving an in-store with The Thermals! I do love me some Thermals. Yes they are three chord pop punk, but they some how manage to get me hooked every time. It is FREE and starts at 6 PM.

Rotture is having Day one of three of the PDX Pop Now! 2009 Festival. So I cannot write about every one of these bands for the festival, so I will just leave it up to you to click on the links I have provided. Today will feature performances by:

INSIDE
6:00-6:30 Dirty Mittens
6:40-7:10 The Estranged
OUTSIDE
7:25-7:55 Chamber of Commerce (Blue Cranes + Paxselin Quartet)
8:05-8:35 Don Hellions
INSIDE
8:50-9:20 Fear No Music
9:30-10:00 Peter Broderick
10:10-10:40 The Mint Chicks
OUTSIDE
10:55-11:25 Animal Farm
11:35-12:05 Explode Into Colors
12:15-12:45 The Minus 5

Though, I won't write about every band. I do want to say that Dirty Mittens and Peter Broderick are not to be missed. The show is ALL AGES and FREE. It starts at 6 PM.

Laurelthirst is having a show with The Physical Hearts, Run On Sentence, Black Heart Moon. I have not heard of the The Physical Hearts which surprises me because they sound pretty good. I have not seen Run On Sentence. But I have seen Black Heart Moon and I love them. They make warm and sad music.

The Woods is having it's first official show tonight. They will have Ages, Golden Holy, and Garrett Pierce (Davis, CA). Pretty good. I mean I personally might have waited a week and not gone up against PDX Pop. But Whatevs. I saw Ages play last Sunday at Rontom's and it was good. It is kind of Pseudosix, the band that preceded Ages, but less rock and with more vocal parts (it should be noted that Pseudosix already had a lot of vocal parts). I had not heart of Golden Holy before, but it seems pretty good. The recordings I heard sounded a bit like it was epic music on a lo-fi scale. I want to hear them live to see what their music sounds like in real life. Garret Pierce sounds like a indie crooner. I like crooning. I guess they are doing their best to compete, because the show is FREE and the doors open at 8 PM.

Doug Fir is having a show with Themselves (Oakland, CA), Cars & Trains and Hostile Tapeover. Themselves is two of the three guys responsible for the seminal anticon group Cloudead The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.

East Burn is having Good Will River. They kind of make music that is like slowly going down a stream. But I kind of get that feeling from any music that features a full time harmonica player (Blues Traveler excluded). The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.

Saturday, July 25th

Rotture is having day two of three of the PDX Pop Now! 2009 Festival. here is the line up:

INSIDE
12:00-12:30 Teeath
12:40-1:10 White Hinterland
1:20-1:50 Morning Teleportation
OUTSIDE
2:05-2:35 Magic Johnson
2:45-3:15 Rob Walmart
3:25-3:55 Fist Fite
INSIDE
4:10-4:40 Benoit Pioulard
4:50-5:20 Breakfast Mountain
5:30-6:00 Nucular Aminals
OUTSIDE
6:15-6:45 Luck-One
6:55-7:25 Inside Voices
7:35-8:05 Red Fang
INSIDE
8:20-8:50 Church
9:00-9:30 Tara Jane O'Neil
9:40-10:10 Deelay Ceelay
OUTSIDE
10:25-10:55 Laura Gibson
11:05-11:35 Nice Nice
11:45-12:15 Pierced Arrows
12:25-12:55 Strength

I am looking forward to this day of the festival. I think that Inside Voices, Church, and Laura Gibson are not to be missed, but there ate loads of bands that I want to see Saturday. I am bummed because I am missing a large chunk of the day due to stupid stupid work. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at noon.

Slabtown is having a Patti Smith tribute night with: Swallows, Reina Collins, Grey Anne, Karamy M, The I's, Heather Perkins, Silk & Olive, Teri Untalan, Marie Black. The whole thing is a benefit for Siren Nation. I think what Siren Nation is doing is important. Though most of these artists are not my cup of tea, I am very happy to see that Grey Anne is a part of it. She has consistently supported the nation. The show is $7 and starts sometime after 9 PM.

The Laurelthirst is having a show with Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Audie Darling, Leviethan and Brian Bixler. The show starts at 9:30 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a DEMOCRACYLAB BENEFIT featuring musical performances by Dolorean, Celilo, and Dave McCraw and Crow Wing (Flagstaff, AZ). "DemocracyLab is an experiment in direct democracy, powered by open source software, and built on the idea that technology can empower us to harness freedom of speech and the power of the vote to solve today’s most challenging problems." Does this sound interesting to you? It does me. Plus, Dolorean and Celilo are both excellent Americana bands. I have not heard of Dave McGraw before but it seems to be in the same vein. The show is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The music starts at 8 PM.

Sunday, July 26th

Rotture is having say three of three of the PDX Pop Now! 2009 Festival. Sunday the line up is this:

INSIDE
12:00-12:30 Ah Holly Famíly
12:40-1:10 DASH!
1:20-1:50 Guidance Counselor
OUTSIDE
2:05-2:35 The Andrew Oliver Sextet
2:45-3:15 The Quick & Easy Boys
3:25-3:55 Purple Rhinestone Eagle
INSIDE
4:10-4:40 Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
4:50-5:20 Daniel Menche
5:30-6:00 Jeffrey Jerusalem
OUTSIDE
6:15-6:45 The Old Believers
6:55-7:25 MY-G
7:35-8:05 Cull
INSIDE
8:20-8:50 Grouper
9:00-9:30 Nurses
9:40-10:10 Thrones
OUTSIDE
10:25-10:55 The Shaky Hands
11:05-11:35 Lightheaded
11:45-12:15 Au
12:25-12:55 Menomena

In my opinion the must see acts for Sunday include, Sallie Ford and the Outside Sound, Nurses, Thrones, The Shaky Hands and...well actually you should just show up before 9 and then stay because it is all amazing. Also Menomena is playing and good lord do I love that band. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at noon.

Valentine's is having show with Brave Priest, Dark Lingo (Pittsburgh) and Bird Costumes. This is all kind on the weirder side of things. I mostly write about the show because I want to see Bird Costumes. He incorporates two things that I very much enjoy. Experimental music and costumes (check out his pictures and see how rad his bird head thing is). The show is by donation and starts at 9 PM.

Ducketts Public House is having a show with Wah Wah Exit Wound (Seattle), Bury My Teeth (Chicago), and Air War. These bands are rock. Not light rock or indie rock or anything like that. They are for real. I have been meaning to catch Air War for a while. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.


Please say "Hi" to me if you see me at The PDX Pop Now! 2009 fest. I am going to be there a whole lot. You will have ample opportunity. I am just saying.

-Ben


Nurses will be one of the many must see's at PDX Pop Now! 2009. See you there?

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 21st and 22nd

Hello Dear Readers

Wednesday is a pretty good day. It is generally my "Saturday". The new Willamette Week comes out. I sleep in until noon or whatever. For the rest of you guys it is "hump day". The rest of the week is down hill from here, right? Good times. And to make things even better, there are shows to got to. Here is what is looking good to me.

Wednesday, July 22nd

On Main St. (Between SW Broadway & Park) there will be a show with Portland Cello Project. It will be part of the The PCPAís Music On Main Street Series. They will have special guest Mirah, Justin Power, Weinland, and maybe more with them, which should be very cool. I have not seen Mirah play in years. I think FREE and in the company of such other notable Portland acts in the special context that is The Portland Cello Project is the perfect way to reintroduce myself to her music. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 5 PM.

Roadside Attraction is having a show with Y La Bamaba and Sean Flinn. I play bass and sing in Y La Bmaba, so I cannot be trusted to have an unbiased opinion. But that being said I think we are pretty good. There are a lot of three part harmonies and accordion, and our singer Luz Elena has probably the best voice in Portland. Sean Flinn is someone who I had not really heard until recently, but he is really good. His song "Patient Heart" has my my list on Jamz for the summer. You may have seen him play guitar in Nick Jaina's band. The show is FREE and starts at 9-ish PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with Jackie-O Motherfucker and Dragging an Ox Through Water. There is an $8 cover in advance and $10 at the door. Who likes experimental music? I do. While I cannot make this show, I highly recommend anyone with any interest in interesting music, check i out. Brian Mumford of Dragging an Ox often builds his own noise makers to make his highly experimental folk music. Last time I saw him play he had built an oscillator that incorporated the use of a lit candle. The show starts at 9 PM.

Holocene is having a show with Jared Mees & The Grown Children, Blue Horns, Inside Voices and Pony Village. I am so bummed I am going to miss this show. Jared Mees and his band are really a joy to see. This will be a particularly joyous show as it is the welcome home show for The Grown Children after weeks on the road. Plus Blue Horns are pretty great. I still have not seen Pony Village. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

Berbati's is having Nucular Aminals play as part of their month long Wednesday Residency. Mark Mallman will also be playing this one. Nucular Aminals have a fresh pop sound that would be fun to "move around" to. Mark Mallman has a reputation of putting on a show. I think I have read somewhere that he once performed for over 48 hours. Crazy. The show is FREE and starts at 10 PM.

Thursday, July 23nd

Holocene is having an IPRC Benefit show with:Ah Holly Fam'ly, Arrington de Dionyso (of Old Time Relijun, Alex Wrekk (zinester, Stolen Sharpie Revolution), DJ Vic Alfonzo and Colin Jones. IPRC is the organization that helps make Portland one of the best zine towns in the country. I guess this weekend is also the Zine Symposium. Not to mention that Ah Holly Fam'ly is also pretty cool. I only saw them once, and they were short one member and therefore short one vocal harmony. I feel I might have been jipped. Do not repeat my misfortune. Go see them as the full band. There is a sliding scale for a cover, specifically a suggested $5-$20.

The Waypost is having a show with Andy Moth and the Combs, and Dayton Dean. Andy Combs is a pretty cool. His songs get kinda crazy, he has a lot percussion in the band. When he plays solo he makes heavy use of a looping pedal. I am not at all familiar with Dayton Dean. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

The Red Room is having a show with Little Czar & The Psalmist, Problems? and Crook & Whistle. I remember really ling what I heard of Little Czar & The Psalmist. My friend David Kyle has told me on a number of occasions that he likes the band Problems?. They look to be pretty interesting with their unique take on pop. The show is $3-$5 and starts at 8 PM.

Hotel Deluxe is having a screening of The Wild One. But before that they will have a performance by The Old Believers. I only saw one of these series of summer concert series and it was last year when Eskimo and Sons played before Flight of the Navigator. This is interesting because I think that many of the members of that band currently play with The Old Believers. It will cost you $8. The show starts at 8 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows, give me a shout out. A "Hi" would suffice, though.

-Ben


Ah Holly Fam'ly in their practice space. I wish that I could see more bands in this setting. In the meantime, I can go to actual venues. The Holocene is having them play on Thursday.

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What's a Portland hipster?

From the site Portland Hipster:

DEFINTION OF HIPSTER?
Webster's definition: Hip-ster (-ster) n. [Slang]
1. a hip person, esp. a devote of modern jazz
2. same as BEATNIK: a term of the 1950's and early 1960's: cf. HIPPIE

Wikepedias definition: Those individuals devoted to retro fashions, independent music and film, "alternative comics", and other forms of expression that are popular in hipster subculture. The term is sometimes used as a blanket descriptor for fans of indie rock music. More generally, trendsetter's in fashion are sometimes called hipsters.

Hipsters Handbook definition: One who possesses tastes, social attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by the cool. (Note: it is no longer recommended that one use the term "cool"; a Hipster would instead say "deck.") The Hipster walks among the masses in daily life but is not a part of them and shuns or reduces to kitsch anything held dear by the mainstream. A Hipster ideally possesses no more than 2% body fat.

Portlandhipsters.com definition: Non-individuals clone posers fucks with low-self esteem and cocky attitudes who try to look the look (ironic t-shirts, super tight pants, converse, truckerhat) but don't walk the walk (being actual musicians).

image from http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 20th and 21st

Hello Dear Readers,

How's it hanging? Is that an inapproprate question? Perhaps. Anyway, last night I finally got to see Justin Power play. He was really good. He plays on an interesting stringed instrument. Is it a bass? Is it a guitar? It is actually somewhere in between. It is a bass with some guitar strings and some bass strings mostly capoed. It sounded really full. His current band is himself and Matt Berger from Musee Mecanique on a very minmal drum set up. I think he had a floor tom with a wrapped cymbal on top, a cymbal on a stand, mallets and a shaker. It was awesome. Then a totally different kind of band took the stage in the form of The Angry Orts. They are a female led kind of dancey kind of rock group. I saw them play with Alan Singley and Day of Lions almost five years ago at a place called Davey Jones Locker. They had gotten a lot better (not to say that they were bad). Ages finished the night out. They are a seven membered group that at times reminded me of CCR and ohter times reminded me of the kind of hippy group vocals of "The Age of Aquarius". They did some cool vocal stuff that other bands that don't have seven people sing couldn't do. Afterwards I was talked into going to Karaoke at Dunes for Baby Ketten Karoake run by Musee Mecanique's Brian Perez (who sang almost exactly like Roy Orbison). Good times. Here are some more good times.

Monday, July 20th

The Together Gallery is having a benefit show or celebration of its latest project called Free Life Project. Basically it is a mobile art gallery that will be touring this great nation of ours. They will be launching tonight, so to celbrate (and maybe get some donation money?) they will be having a BBQ starting at around 6 PM. Around 7 PM there will be start to be musical performances by Black Heart Moon and Ivy Ross. This looks to be a good time. They galleries website has pictures of the current, past, and future instalations of the gallery, so you should check it out. The event is set to last from 6 PM to 10 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Pirate Radio, Quiet Countries and Team Evil. Though I am not familiar with Private Radio, I know that both Quiet Countires and Team Evil are rad. Team Evil features several members of Point Juncture, WA including front man Skyler Norwood. I have yet to catch Tema Evil, but I hear that I need to. Quiet Countries is the one man band of Leb Borgerson (who also plays guitar in Alan Singley's band PAnts Machine) which largely produces cool looped guitar and beat driven music. Though I have read that he sometimes ofther musicians play with him. I would not be surprised if that were the case tonight as a lot of said musicians play in Team Evil. This show is by donations and starts at 9 PM.


Tuesday, July 21st

Ella Street Social Club is having a show with Vs. the Sea and The Charts. I know not of The Charts but they seem to be friends of Vs. The Sea. I am friends with Vs.The Sea, so by associaton. Shows with friends are by and large fun to attend. Plus Jarred for Vs. The Sea is one fine songwriter. The show is a mere $2 and starts at 9 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Greenladies, The Woolen Men, and Hello Loneliness!. It blows my mind how many bands I have not seen that there is absolutely no excuse for missing. Hello Loneliness! is near the top of that list. I really loved Justin Folwer's music in Wooden Indian Burial Ground and really like what I have heard of his latest project. I might have to see this show. The cover is by donation and starts at 9 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows, please say "Hi" and I will do my best not to punch you in the arm as that is and sometimes isn't an acceptable greeting.

-Ben


Team Evil will make noise in the form of songs tonight at Valentine's

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MCA has a tumor

MCA talks about treatment and apologizes for canceling shows:



subscribe to The Beastie Boy's YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeastieBoys


photo from http://www.portroids.com/

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Turn this thing around, I'm going home. Lozen show preview 8/5

Now, not to date myself, if it isn't already painfully obvious that I am old and uncool, but I went to high school in the first half of the nineties. This was good for me in many respects, as I had moved from a small town in the rural south and shed my school brain image by growing very long hair and developing a habit of inappropriately wearing bathrobes long before "Pulp Fiction" of "The Big Lebowski" were a gleam in either creator's respective eyes. That was fine. This brief window of respectability enabled me to do a number of important things. One of them was to date beautiful girls in Doc Martens who listened to Bauhaus. That's not what I came here to talk about, though. The single most important thing from back then: the concerts.

Yes, the glorious shows. I think the very first show I saw when I first moved out here was GWAR, in some warehouse. I don't think they even had an opening band. There were so many shows after that with something about the sound of them that concerts now (or before, even) don't have. The Melvins, White Zombie, Slayer, Voivod, Blackhappy, Babes In Toyland, Anthrax, Prong, The Obsessed, Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, The Misfits... not to mention all the great local bands (such as Wartime Chocolate, source of the title quote). Mind you, I've mentioned pretty much all metal bands, but that's germane.

I'm not sure what it is exactly about that sound. Was it hearing those bands at the Pine St. or the Roseland, or was it me being 14? Are we talking zeitgeist? On to brass tacks. Lozen's bio page mentions that the members, Hozoji and Justine, met when in '96, and while they started playing music much later, I have a feeling their musical synergy arose from the earlier millennium. What are their influences? I don't know. I'd like to. Yes, I know they list them on their myspace. No, it doesn't count.

When I first heard of Lozen, they had played Bob's Java Jive the night before Coeur Machant did, and my interest was definitely piqued. As far as what they sound like, on their music sampled here: well, in a refreshing counterexample to my usual method, I can't compare them to a single group. Instead they evoke that '90s sound that I have been trying to present above. Most people think grunge when you say "nineties sound," and that is why I went to such and elaborate and roundabout way of getting to it. Lozen is heavy. They thunder. Gracefully. They stomp all over shit, beautifully, and now that I have heard their music I am grateful their peeps notified us of the show, because I will be there to see them rip it up live.

Pretending that I am 14 again.

Lozen plays the East End August 5th.

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best mash-up ever?

You be the judge! I vote yes.



Vote on one more thing. Notice the "reaction buttons" at the bottom of our posts. Is there one you want to add? Do you like one of them? Do we get rid of any of them?

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CD Review : (Destroy) Nate Allen Double CD - Perfect Recipe For A Smile\Don't Let This Smile Fool You

In a Slide @ The Metreon. Take By Cody @ www.rasimage.com

I’ll admit, I’m not much of a folk punk fan. That said, Portlanders Destroy Nate Allen totally charmed me. Well, technically, “Perfect Recipe for a Smile” is Destroy Nate Allen, written & performed by Nate and his wife Tessa, and “Don’t Let This Smile Fool You” is Nate Allen alone.

“Perfect Recipe..” has very sparse instrumentation – guitar, male & female vocals, and the occasional shaken percussion. The aesthetics are straight up punk rock, while the lyrics mix introspective, personal storytelling in the vein of Olympia acoustic pop with the charm and humour of Jonathan Richman. In a few instances, “Recipe” and “His Lips Are Sealed Hallelujah” specifically, there’s an infusion of wacky radio theatre.

The opener, “Anchors Away”, and “White Flag” later on, are fairly simple, fun songs. I can’t quite guess whether the lyrics hint at a bigger story or were simply fun to say, but it doesn’t really matter.

The majority of the songs on “Perfect Recipe..” are super cute duets describing the story (real or fictionalized, I don’t know) of Nate and Tessa’s relationship, or Nate’s feelings about life. “Turns Out Your Perfect For Me” “Loving You”, “His Lips Are Sealed Hallelujah” , “Despite It All”. Destroy Nate Allen have a good way of capturing the victories and challenges of loving someone. My favourite is “Loving You”, which depicts the difficulties of loving someone even though “she likes the songs that I don’t like.” Nate and Tessa have amazing chemistry – I feel almost like an eavesdropper listening to them sing about their love. “Recipe” is a song I’m really sorry my old band Project Casserole didn’t write. It’s a theatrical, poppy instruction to cooking – “Follow the recipe the first time that you do it, after you do that you can add things to it.” And hey, that’s really good advice.

“Don’t Let This Smile Fool You”, is even simpler in instrumentation – just Nate and a banjo. It’s also a quick one – the longest song is 2:48. Track 1, “Phil Collins” has that purposely-fuzzy, ancient wax cylinder microphone sound. “35, 35, 35” is a great song. I can’t explain exactly way – it’s just fun and poppy and makes me feel really good.

The next three, “Guitar Strings”, “Glow in the Dark”, and “How To Make a Girl Cry”, are love songs. And for the record, “How To Make a Girl Cry” is so sweet that I did start to cry a little while I was listening to it. All Allen’s love songs contain the kind of sweet, emotional things that most guys won’t hardly admit to saying to the person they’re saying it about, much less tell the whole world – I give him double kudos for that.

The next two songs, “Grandpa”, and “Ain’t Gonna Rain no More” are something completely different, but related to eachother. The first is Nate asking his grandparents what life and his history is about, and the second is a goofy song his grandpa supposedly taught him – “How the heck gonna wash my neck if it ain’t gonna rain no more?”

“Suffer” is about the necessity of dealing with things you don’t want to deal with, with a little bit of political commentary mixed in.

The pair of records end with “Pardon Song” which reminds us that

“In the end it doesn’t matter, in the end we are just fools – if we haven’t made a lot of friends and broken a few rules.”

I know I’ve thrown a lot of lyric quotes in here, but for this sort of music, that’s the best way to explain it. Actually, the second best way. The first best way is for you to go listen to it yourself.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Muisc Picks for July 18th and 19th

Hello Dear Readers,

I want to remind people that I sometimes (often?) miss shows in my listings. For Example, I meant to mention that Y La Bamba played on KPSU yesterday. Whoops. Right after we played a girl who plays under the name Dusty Highway played. She had our friend James (the drummer from Nurses) with her so both Luz Elena and I stayed to watch a couple songs. It was cool the girl rocked out in a somewhat bluesy experimental way. Sometimes I even attend shows that I have not listed. Last night I went to a show at Melody Ballroom and saw Audie Darling play at the CD release party for relatively newcomer Ezza Rose. It was kinda a bummer because I missed Shoeshine Blue. It was a cool show. There was cake and pretzels and chips and salsa and sour cream. Pretty sweet especially considering I skipped dinner. I left after one song of Ezza Rose's, which included a typewriter as a percussion instrument and a cello backing her, to go see Westfold. Sadly, I forgot that it was Friday night in downtown. I could not find parking and missed the show. Can't win them all, but you can try. Here are some shows that I am interested in for the next few days.

Saturday, July 18th

The Big Busk is a festival celebrating the art of busking. It will feature many artists in many parts of town performing for whatever donations you want to give them. I think this is a cool idea. I guess the following people do too cause they are participating: Amy Bleu, Andy Frost, Bobbilynn, Cuntagious, Dave Lautaret, Disfiction, Flöte Gumar and H!ss Mag!cal M!d! Band, Hollywood Africans, Jen Youngs, Joe Destroy and The Mincing Prissies, Lee Corey Oswald, Lumberjack, Rainstick Cowbell, Sound Semantics, Tex Winters, The Krebsic Orkestar, The Martyrs and more. The only person I am familiar with is Tex Winters, whom I think makes really interesting and cool music. Check the website for the locations and times of the various artists It will last from 2 PM to 8 PM.

The Waypost is having a show with John Vecchiarelli and Nick Jaina. I have still yet to see John Vecchiarelli play. I hear he is really good and a nice guy to boot. I saw Nick Jaina play the other week after not having him seen him play in a while. His current lineup is great. Worth seeing for sure. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Ash Street Saloon is having a show with Metal Shakespeare Co., The Valkyries (Seattle), Hairspray Blues, Junkface and Miss Meghan. This is a split 7" release between Metal Shakespeare Co. and The Valkyries. But I mostly write about this show because it seems like it has been forever since Junkface has played a show. The show is $6 and starts at 9:30 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with The Blakes (Seattle), The Mint Chicks and Greenladies. This is a show put on by Pamplelmoose and WOXY.com and it will be a series called "The Rumble". All of these bands are form the North West and are probably all in the indie ballpark of genres. Though it should be noted that the indie pop rock of The Mint Chicks is Portland by way of Australia. I saw the Greenladies play a while back at Valentine's. They were pretty good. Anyway, the show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Slabtown is having a show with Wax Fingers, Elba and Swim Swam Swum. This is a night of guitar centric indie pop rock bands. All of these bands seem to spend a lot of time coming up with cool guitar parts which I think is awesome. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

Ella Street Social Club is having s how with The Minor Canon (LA), Deer or the Doe and ioa. I don't know nothing much about the headliner but they sound good and soul-y at parts and super pop at others. Deer and the Dow is a band that I have been meaning to check out what I have heard has been better than average. Ioa is the girl from Point Juncture, WA new project. It sounds very promising and I bet show will have some of her other band's band mates help her out tonight. The show is $5 and the show starts at 8 PM.

Backspace is having a show with We're from Japan!, Gifts from Enola (VA) and Nanda Devi. All of these bands have post-rock tendencies. Some are heavier than others, namely Nanda. Butall of them are pretty rad. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.


Sunday, July 19

Rontoms is having a show with Ages, The Angry Orts and Justin Power. I will probably be at this show. I have wanted to see Justin Power forever but keep missing the opportunity. I have also been meaning to see Ages for a while. I can't seem to ever find any info on them, but I know some of the members and they assure me that it is pretty good. I saw The Angry Orts a looooong time ago when I first moved here. It will be interesting to see them after the four or five years since I first saw them play. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Doug Fir is Jon Garcia and Celilo. All I am going to say is that Celilo is one of the best Americana bands Portland has to offer. I think people are starting to recognize. I know I am. The show is FREE and starts at 3 PM.

Valentine's is having a show with Steve Gunn (of magik markers and NY), Heidi Deil (of wooden wand), Ilyas Ahmed. I honestly don't listen to Magik Markers or Wooden Wands, though I have heard the names a lot. I think that this will be a good show though since Ilyas Ahmed is pretty good and I hear about the other guys bands names in circles of people whose music tastes tend to be on the good side. The show is by donations and starts at 9 PM.

So if you see me at one of these shows, give a boy some love. And by that I mean please say "Hi" of course.

-Ben


Justin Power will be perform sans the PCP on Sunday. I am stoked.

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Kid Tyger's Photo/Video Journalism: PDX Pop Now! kick off at City Hall.

This is what it looked like when I first got there.

Seriously. Kind of looks familiar. Y La Bamba had just finished their soundcheck and I believe the drummer had to re-park his vehicle prior to the full set starting, so I decided to roll down the block for a quick beer and some air-conditioning as a brief respite from the heat.

Indeed.

*drinks ipa faster than normally would so as not to miss Y La Bamba*

By the time I rushed back to City Hall Y La Bamba was already playing, but according to a friend I ran into it was only the beginning of their 2nd song of the set. I perched upon the stone railing. That is - stood up on the thing you see both in the first picture of this post as well as the first picture in Goldie's previous post, to get a higher vantage shot of the crowd and possibly a good way to catch the entire stage on video.

Wackenhut wasn't having it.

Seriously, I did not make this up! Q: Where do you work? A: Wackenhut!

This lady in particular Was. Not. Feeling. Me. The feeling was mutual. In retrospect I place some blame on myself. These security people were just trying to do their job and get through a day of work without any hassles like everybody else. I am usually a very peaceful and understanding person although I sometimes have beef with authority figures that use their position of power to enforce, in my humble opinion, meaningless rules. That kind of sounds like a weird Facebook quiz result, "You are usually a peaceful and understanding person, although you sometimes have beef with authority figures that use their position of power to enforce, in your humble opinion, meaningless rules." Whatever though, I've since learned from my younger days that the judicial branch of government doesn't quite see eye to eye with me on that. So my older wiser self said, you got to get. That. Dirt off your shoulder. Take a walk around the block, cool off, and make sure you don't miss getting some Y La Bamba video footage. And luckily I didn't.

Kinda bummed I missed more of the set than I wanted to, and wasn't able to get the full band on video. But also glad to get up even closer than I would've otherwise and get what I got. Also for the rest of the night I wasn't as uptight about capturing as much as possible like I usually do. Briefly had a conversation with my boy Michael Mannheimer upon leaving about this. It was too nice of a day and a vibe to stress getting footage at the expense of having a good time. So instead I hung with some homies I hadn't seen in awhile and still managed to get some decent video. Here's a little PJ, WA....



Good friends, or at least good acquaintances with this whole crew from way back. Helped them put out their first EP back in the day and my boy Skyler Norwood is, even though someone I don't see very often these days, a dear dear friend from way back who has helped me and Lucky Madison out in innumerable ways. So, good to catch their set and they seemed pretty tight and a little more "rock" than I'd seen them in the past after recently coming off the tour with the Thermals.

Lastly was YACHT who I was psyched to see, and I think most people there were too. As evidenced by the masses swarming the stage as soon as they appeared. Although, I'm not gonna lie, there was definitely a small but strong contingent of people I talked to who were passive-aggressively dismissing them because of their live set-up including new technology rather than just old school instruments.

To which I officially call bullshit on right here and now. "That's not REAL music". Give me a break. That's what the Sinatra lovers said about Elvis/Beatles. That's what the Baby-Boomers said about Hip-Hop. That's what 80's Satriani-worshipping guitar shop assholes said about The Ramones. That's what the Washington Post says about non-classical music virtuosos. I know from experience that running DI's and dealing with backing tracks live is twice as hard as plugging into amps and just rocking out. But I'll save that diatribe for another time. Particularly since some of the lyrics of this YACHT song I caught on video is as succinct response to the naysayers as any I could have come up with on my own....



"No I won't be your slave. No matter how much I'm paid. Your darkness will catch up with you and you will not escape. No I don't want to fight [wackenhut]. 'Cause you're not worth my time. And you can only put up with so much [stuff] in this life."


Looking forward to the PDX-POP Now Fest next weekend. Holla back surgery.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 17th

Hello Dear Readers,

Yesterday at City Hall was fun. I thought all the bands were great. I want to thank St. Goldie and Kid Tyger for their posts. Anyway, here are some musical events you might be into.

Friday, July 17th

Dunes is having show with Breakfast Mountain, Serious Business and Lactacious. ALl of these groups make awesome electronic music and hard beats. I saw Breakfast Mountain last week. It was rad. I think that this will be a really fun show. The show is $3 and starts at 9 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with Laura Veirs, The Old Believers and Cataldo (Seatalle). This will be a really good show. Dare I say worth the slightly higher cover charge. I have yet to see Laura play despite my having enjoyed her albums for a while now. But I mostly write about this show because I think The Old Believers are sooo good. The last several times that The Old Believers have played it has been with a larger band. Which is cool. I am not to fam The show is $15 and starts at 9 PM.

Ash Street Saloon is ahving show with The Ex-Girlfriends Club, Westfold, Black Market Sunday and The Oblik. Okay let me saw this first. I can not vouch for any of these bands except one. Westfold is bomb. Their performances are passionate and a fun thing to be a part of. They seem to have new songs every time I see them and they have a habit of constantly getting better. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows, then please say"Hi". I would like to try to make it worth your while. But in all honesty, I will fail. Whatevs.

-Ben



The sound quality on this is pretty awful but I just want to give you an idea of what THe Old Believers may sound like tonight.

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Goldie's Photo Journalism: PDX Pop Now! kick off at City Hall

This is what it looked like when I first got there.


I always get Casey Kasem, Casey Jarmen and Cary Clarke mixed up.


Lynn is quoted as saying that there were roughly 200 people watching Y La Bamba


Sound guy! Sounded great!


These kids came directly from target practice. He can't even hear that shoe!


Ben was there.

all photo's from PDX POP NOW! kick off party at Portland, Oregon City Hall 7-16-09 courtesy of Goldie Davich aka Ste. Goldie

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PDX-POP @ City Hall

In case you missed it, the PDX-POP kickoff at City Hall was a blast. I'm currently uploading videos and will have a full report posted tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some pictures I took. First the Glisan bus poetry and the rest at the actual event....

Oddly didn't snap any YACHT photos as I was strictly capturing video by the time they came on. So full report tomorrow with video of all three bands. And the full story behind why this security guard was not exactly my best friend.

I can't speak to the "enhut" part, but she was Wack indeed. All in all a great time was had nonetheless. Soon......

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for July 16th

Hello Dear Readers,

It is so nice out today. Nothing goes better with nice weather is live music. And living in the area of Portland, there is no shortage of that. Take for example this seeming ordinary Thursday we have the following shows:

Thursday, July 16

PDX Pop Now! 2009 is hosting a show at City Hall with YACHT, Point Juncture, WA and Y la Bamba. This is a pre-festival teaser of sorts. It is very similar to the festival but much much smaller. In full disclosure I play in Y La Bamba. I also think we are pretty good. We have a lot of three part harmonies and accordion and such. If you think this might interest you check it out. Point Juncture, WA are a very cool band that make very well arranges indie rock. They have vibes and switch instruments and who sings leads (they also have cool harmonies) several times during a set. YACHT is Jona Bechtolt who makes fun electronic based music with his cohort The show is of course ALL AGES and FREE. It will last from 5:30 to 8:30.

Music Millennium is having an in store performance by Hide & Go Hustle. Hide & Go Hustle features beats and guitar by Mike Moore and the Cello looping stylings of Catherine Odell (Black Heart Moon, Horse Feathers). Together they create music that is kind of classical, kinda post-rock, kinda beat driven. It is good. They also sometimes have Paper/Upper/Cuts aka David "Papi" Fimbres on drums. They have a new album out, which is why they are playing the instore. It sounds good, what I have heard of it. From What I understand it was actually recorded by Mike Moore as well. Talented fellow. The Show is FREE and ALL AGES.

Holocene is having a show with Papper/Upper/Cuts, Hide & Go Hustle, and Breakfast Mountain. Remember when I was talking about Hide and Go Hustle like just two seconds ago? Well it is because they have a new cd out. And they are playing with David on drums. David from the other band that is playing, Papper/Upper/Cuts which consists of him manning a sampler, laptop, and drum kit. It is probably what one would describe as phresh. Breakfast Mountain is pretty awesome. His beats are hard, his samples are recognizable. His energy is that of a dance party. This is a better than solid show. There is a $5 cover, and the show starts at 9 PM.

Laurelthirst is having a show with Leonard Mynx, Hello Lonliness!, and On The Stairs. These are some of the best Americana or Folk Rock or whatever you want to call this somewhat collective genre of music this city has to offer. I have seen Leonard Mynx several times and he never disappoints. He usually has a different line up every time he plays. Usually the people he plays with has a band too. Such is probably the case. I would bet that Leonard Mynx and On The Stairs is the same band but with different people writing the songs. On The Stairs is Nate Clark's vehicle (the myspace lists Leonard Mynx and main collaborator Audie Darling as being in the band). I suggest you go check it out to see if I am right. Either way it will sound good. The show is $4 and starts at 9 PM.


Rotture is having a show with Rafter (San Diego), Fleshtone and Jeffrey Jerusalem. I have never heard of rafter, but to me it sounds like the perfect mixture of post-Of Montreal pop and dance music. He releases records on Asmatic Kitty, Sujan Steven's label that is totally hit or miss. Fleshtone makes very sexually charged electro music. Jeremy Jerusalem is a one man disco show (he also plays drums in Inside Voices, crazy). The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.
Dunes is having a show with Sleepyhead, The Human Hand and Travis Wiggins. Do you like the place where kinda weird hip-hop meets kinda weird pop? Do you like DIY music? If yes, then check out the crazy jamz these artists are bringing. This show is 9 PM.

Mississippi Pizza is having Annie Bethancourt, Fred VanVactor and Archeology. I really like Annie's music and songs. I think she is pretty incredible. I am not familiar with Fred's music, but he seems like very sugary pop stuff. And I know that I have written about Archeology before. They make kinda of breathy twee-ish music. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows, give me a "Hi". I will then know that you have excellent taste in blogs.

-Ben


Leonard Mynx plays with a very similar band tonight at Laurelthirst Tonight.

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