Living With Music

The Poison Control Center Comes To Bend

2010-07-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

This coming Thursday... the music calendar in Bend, Oregon is packed. The White Buffalo plays with a full band at Silver Moon Tap Room, The Aggrolites are set to knock down listeners at The Domino Room, and it's the town's second week of Munch N Music in Drake Park.

I'm gonna tell you to skip all of that.

WHAT!?!

You read me right. Skip it. (I suppose if you want to see some pretty standard Afro Beat Reggae at Munch N Music you can stroll through the park without sacrificing plans for live music later in the night)

The White Buffalo is completely awesome and with a full band in town for the first time, the chances that he will be even more awesome are pretty good. But it's still this artist's 3rd trip to Bend in the first half of 2010, with all shows performed at Silver Moon. Add to that Silver Moon's lack of air conditioning... and you could be in for a very uncomfortable evening as SM is one of the worst summertime venues in Bend. You will have a pretty good chance of seeing him come round this way again when the mercury isn't so high... so my recommendation is to hold off on seeing him this visit.

And for one of the same reasons... I say skip the Aggrolites. While easily more hip than the reggae that will be performed at Munch N Music that same night, The Aggrolites are not strangers to Bend. They've been here before and they will be here again. There isn't too much new that they are doing with their music, aside from their Yo Gabba Gabba contribution. Nothing new... with great potential to see them in town again down the road... means... skip it.

Now what does that leave us? A great Indie Rock performance at Bend's Mountain's Edge Bar by Iowa band, The Poison Control Center. This is where you should be on July 15th if you want to see some great new wave, 90's style, powerpop rock. At only $3 for admission to the show it's also the best bargain in town. They will be arriving fresh off performances at KEXP's studios and The High Dive in Seattle, and Portland's Doug Fir Lounge. So we are quite lucky to have them choose Bend as a stop on their tour. Check out four songs from this band below and make your way over to the South end of town by 9pm on Thursday. You will be glad you did.

Sasquatch 2010 Re-Cap

2010-06-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

This year's Sasquatch festival made me wish a few things. First... that I had brought a megaphone to use, then lose, then find, then be able to run around the campground with the found megaphone informing everyone that all previous announcements regarding a lost megaphone were null and void. Second... that I had known, prior to setting up my tent, I was erecting it on top of a dried up river bed, soon to see it's water supply replenished. And third... that Bon Iver had once again been one of the performing bands.

Since I just touched on them a bit, it makes sense to expand on a few of the disappointments from this years premier Pacific Northwest outdoor music festival first, and then get to the good stuff.

As mentioned, this year's lineup lacked a band capable of spurring an entire audience into heavy hearts and quiet thought, as Bon Iver did a year ago. There simply wasn't one on the schedule. Not to say that Sasquatch 2010 didn't have special moments... but that type of moment was sadly... not to be found.

Another disappointment... 16oz Pabst are still $9. Should anyone from Live Nation see this (and I'm quite sure I don't have that kind of readership)... If you're not going to have your gate staff check bags thoroughly enough to prevent people from sneaking in all kinds of alcohol and drugs... then what's the point of $9 beers? If you checked the bags and then charged $5-$6 per beer (still a rip off)... you'd sell a ton of them! Certainly more than you do to those of us who don't attempt to sneak stuff in (zero purchased by this writer). One additional point... Alcohol shouldn't be your only worry when considering how your staff examines bags. On all three days, the type of search rendered to my backpack meant that I could have brought in at least one if not two 9mm pistols or perhaps even a "dirty bomb" (that's for you Mike). Seriously, Live Nation... just search the bags a bit better and lower the price of beer. Do that next year, and I guarantee I will buy a sixer. Even shotgun one with you. (I like to pretend Live Nation is just one guy... named Larry... and he forgot how to have fun)

Now to the good stuff.

31 bands in 3 days... and I even left early. What this year's festival lacked in emotional gravity (see previous comment about Bon Iver), it made up for in fun! With bands like Edward Sharpe, Passion Pit, and LCD Soundsystem, how could it not?

Teetering on the threat of rain the entire weekend but never quite fully realizing that threat (save for an overnight pour on the second night well after lights out), Sasquatch 2010 delivered with great style. Honorable mentions from the festival include a performance by eclectic singer, tUnE yArDs (who autographed her vinyl album for me) as she used looped vocal chants to create deep landscapes behind minimal instrumentation and divine drum beats inspired by other continents. Broken Social Scene also returned to support their new album (Forgiveness Rock Record), and showed all goers why they remain one of Canada's premier collective rock efforts. Queens, NY group Freelance Whales, shined as best they could from the small and set aside Yeti stage, belting out their East Coast style pop (believe me... there is a distinctive sound to pop from the other side of the country). And while not drumming up a stellar performance... Tegan & Sara still manged to do their fans proud and even capture some new ones with their daylight show on the Sasquatch main stage. Seattle's Fresh Espresso lit up the Yeti stage on day three with their Oreo branded hip hop and Passion Pit topped their 2009 Wookie stage performance with a much grander show from the main stage.

3rd place awards for the weekend went to great rock band Dr. Dog (a must see) and beat savvy Kid Cudi; who dropped so much bounce worthy music on the Sasquatch stage (had it been an after dark performance) would have easily brought the house down. Dinosaur Feathers took care of business as the opening 2nd day performers and L.A.'s Local Natives provided an epic 1:30 show on day two, spilling story telling song after story telling song with brilliant Pacific Coast, sugar coated, sunny rock style. Ok Go maintained their quirky and lovable selves with a solid main stage performance the first day and Laura Marling's haunting vocals eased everyone into the weekend on Saturday afternoon with hints of self reflection.

Near top nods were earned by a pleasing number of groups during the festival, including Ohio/NY band, The National. Remember all those scenes in 80's and 90's movies where the main character hits rock bottom and then finally starts putting together a series of events to right their situation? (NOT to be confused with a training montage). Every song by The National could be used to define those scenes. Triumphant in nature and struggling in substance, The National worked through each song during their first day set and saw each of them through to their anthem like finishes. Mumford & Sons' performance was inspired, Portugal, The Man, blazed through guitar solos and edgy vocals, while The Tallest Man On Earth, showered 21st Century folk rock on a giant Bigfoot stage afternoon crowd and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, turned an abbreviated set into a modern day Woodstock, delivering 1960's psych/bohemian rock in classic sing along style.

And now... the favorites.

Australia supplied some great music this year, and while The Middle East's performance butted up against Portugal, The Man and Edward Sharpe, The Temper Trap's strong 3rd day main stage show was free and clear to be witnessed. Finding success by having their song "Sweet Disposition" show up on the soundtrack to arguably 2009's best relationship movie "500 Days Of Summer" (which featured as an actress, one of Sasquatch 2010's top performers), TTT dove right into a crowd waiting to be shook up by their new favorite pop rock band. The group's lead singer Dougy Mandagi, even poured his bottled water on the surface of a stand alone drum he was using in order create a slow-mo worthy spray.

Based upon the performance by former Hip Hop producer turned R&B vocalist, Mayer Hawthorne... I finally bought his album. Transforming himself via live show, from douche to douchetastic... his fun and smile bearing early 70's Motown sound was wildly entertaining. Vampire Weekend also gave everyone something to smile about as they handed the Sasquatch crowd their most polished show of the festival; and polished or not... it worked. Surely a must see at Edgefield in Troutdale, OR later this summer for those of you who missed Sasquatch, Vampire Weekend look like ivy league pop rockers and after seeing them live for the first time... I couldn't care less. They are energy.

My Morning Jacket gave the best rock performance of the festival this year. Languishing over his guitar, Jim James lead the rest of the band into Sasquatch legend. A set filled with both deep soulful rock and the kind of stuff that could materialize as a stone skipping across a flat pond, MMJ, took a cool May evening and turned up the heat. Reunited band Pavement, fought through (literally) the beginning of their set (no doubt as the result of heavily celebrating Steve Malkmus' birthday). However, it didn't take long for the group to rebound and deliver a solid performance that probably baffled some of the under 18 crowd but had the rest of us giddy with nineties joy. British duo Massive Attack, turned in a performance using the stuff dreams are made of. A breezy and flowing assault on a crowd determined to get riled up, Massive Attack turned operatic at times and became one of two brilliant surprise performances of the weekend.

And then... there were four. Four Sasquatch performances that topped all others. Completely different and substantial in their own right... sets by LCD Soundsystem, Band Of Horses, She & Him, and Deadmau5 were this year's 'reasons for going'.

Destroying mundane dance beats that permeate top 40 music, James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, screamed, jerked, and actually sang a giant crowd into unified rhythm. Having attended multiple shows at The Gorge... I can't recall any show, where one band... during daylight hours... had everyone in the front of the stage and as far up the hill as eyes could see, executing a singular dance move without even asking them to do so. It just happened. As did LCD Soundsystem's new album This Is Happening. Quite possibly their best effort to date, the album played a major part in their Sasquatch performance. I was pleased to see the crowd not get so lost in their crazy punk dance moves they forgot to yell out the re verb chants in Pow Pow, "Advantages To Both!" and "Advantages!, Advantages!", key audience participation lyrics to be sure.

What can be said about a talent like M. Ward paring with the vocal abilities of Zooey Deschanel? Not much that hasn't already been said. Probably the best lineup decision for 2010 made by festival creator Adam Zachs, She And Him flawlessly performed their contemporary brand of country/folk rock with a doo-wop twist. Fans of M. Ward, (who showcased his own work in 2009 at Sasquatch), were satiated by his featured vocals on songs from the duo's new album Volume Two.

Band Of Horses launched the Sasquatch crowd into the final night of shows with BIG melancholy rock. Surprisingly filling their set with a large portion of songs from the band's second album, Cease To Begin, BOH enlightened the crowd to just enough of the group's third installment, Infinite Arms to entice purchasing. Epic delivery on songs Like The Funeral and No One's Gonna Love You left the Sasquatch main stage dripping with emotion and was probably the closest this year's festival came to a "Bon Iver" moment.

Finally... a unique... in your face... dance till your feet are bloody, late night performance by Toronto based DJ, Deadmau5 (dead mouse) at the newly named Bigfoot stage , provided the biggest reason to rejoice for having a pass to the fastest sell out year in Sasquatch history (see article picture). The best light show ever witnessed, along with the vibrant energy flowing from the DJ as he (Joel Thomas Zimmerman), bounced around in the middle of his cube cut out with his lit up mouse head, combined to send excitement boiling over long into the first night of the festival. House music wrought with unique vocals and bold genre challenging beats, put what probably would have been a very good second night performance by Booka Shade, to shame.

Sasquatch 2010 was a wild success despite the disappointments mentioned at the beginning of the recap. And next year I plan to complete my experience by bringing along... a megaphone.

Summer Concerts 2010 (so far)

2010-05-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

In this post you will find the current available selection of Oregon area shows for the upcoming summer months that we think deserve special attention. More shows will be announced all the time, so check back for updates! Hope you find something you like!

Doug Fir Lounge:
May 22nd- Derby
May 23rd- Landon Pigg
May 28th- Patrick Watson
May 29th- The Minus 5
June 2nd- Isis
June 7th- Kurt Vile
June 10th- Delta Spirit
June 13th- Matt Pond PA
June 19th- Wang Chung
July 2nd- The Submarines
July 10th- Fol Chen w/Grand Hallway
July 15th- Ben Taylor
July 23rd- Here We Go Magic
Sept 7th- The Clientele

Mississippi Studios
May 21st- Plants & Animals
May 24th- Broken Bells (just announced afternoon show tix on sale tomorrow 10am)
May 27th- Local Natives
May 28th- Vetiver
May 29th- tUnE yArDs
June 1st- Sera Cahoone
June 4th- Samantha Crain
June 5th- Themselves
June 9th- Delorean
June 10th- Loch Lomond
June 17th- Kelli Schaefer
July 2nd- The Moondoggies
July 7th- Sleepy Sun
July 10th Mirah

Wonder Ballroom
May 28th- Why?
June 24th- Rooney

Hawthorne Theater
May 26th- Caribou
May 28th- Ok Go
June 8th- mewithoutyou & David Bazan

The Woods
June 7th- The White Buffalo

Crystal Ballroom
May 26th & 27th- John Butler Trio with State Radio
June 1st & 2nd- MGMT
June 16th- Cage The Elephant
June 22nd- Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
July 16th- New Pornographers
July 23rd- Blitzen Trapper
July 27th- Wolf Parade
July 28th- Toad The Wet Sprocket

SPECIAL ADVANCE NOTICE: October 16th- Broken Social Scene

Aladdin Theater
June 4th- Crash Test Dummies
June 17th- Stars
June 18th- Melody Gardot
July 15th- Carbon Leaf
August 6th & 7th- Joanna Newsom
August 27th- Mat Kearney

Backspace
May 22nd- The Ascetic Junkies
June 5th- Jared Mees & The Grown Children

Dante's
June 4th- Jesse Malin

Berbati's Pan
May 28th- The Long Winters

Oregon Zoo
June 25th- Jewel
August 20th- The Swell Season

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
June 16th- Imogen Heap

Roseland Theater
May 28th- Minus The Bear
May 29th- LCD Soundsystem
June 26th- Portugal The Man

Edgefield
June 10th- Norman
July 17th- The Avett Brothers with Thao & The Get Down Stay Down
August 11th- The Builders & The Butchers
August 14th- Rodrigo Y Gabriela
September 3rd- Pavement

Sleep Country Amphitheater
July 2nd- Lilith Fair
October 3rd- Jack Johnson

Maryhill Winery
July 31st- Jackson Browne
August 7th- Natalie Merchant

Wow Hall
May 22nd- YACHT
May 27th- The Long Winters
May 29th- Isis
May 30th- Why?
June 4th- Jaguar Love
August 1st- Nappy Roots
August 25th- Mat Kearney

The Cuthbert
July 27th- Jackson Browne
August 1st- Ringo Starr Band
August 6th- Michael Franti

The Gorge Amphitheater
July 3rd- Lilith Fair
July 17th- Kings Of Leon
Sept 3rd-5th- Dave Mathews Band
October 2nd- Jack Johnson

Britt Pavilion
June 26th- Jewel
June 27th- Brandi Carlile
July 2nd- Black Crowes
July 15th- Michael Franti with Brett Dennen
July 17th- New Pornographers with The Dodos
July 20th- The Swell Season
July 26th- Jackson Browne

Boondocks
May 20th- Erin Cole-Baker, Eric Tollefson

Silvermoon Tap Room
May 27th- Yenn Family Acoustic Project

Domino Room
July 8th- Pinback
Aug 24th- Mat Kearney

The Annex
June 5th- The White Buffalo

Les Schwab Amphitheater
May 30th- Band Of Horses
August 1st- Stolen Sweets
August 5th- Michael Franti

Old St. Francis
June 23rd- Stephanie Schneiderman
August 18th- The Builders & The Butchers

Tower Theater
May 25th- Horse Feathers
June 3rd- Helio Sequence
August 5th- Dar Williams

Dom: Sun Bronzed Greek Gods

2010-05-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

If you’ve got 60 minutes to listen to some new music, you’ll be able to blaze through Dom’s 19 minute long, debut EP “Sun Bronzed Greek Gods” three times. It’s probably a good idea you do just that. The first time will serve to get you hooked on the dance rock beats and youthful melodies, the subsequent listen will force you to take notice of the lyrics, and the third will wrap it all up nicely in one completely enjoyable package.

For lovers of Passion Pit and Metric, this electric rock EP starts off with the seemingly patriotic anthem “Living In America” and declares “…forget all you haters, U.S.A. is for lovers!” What follows the first track are 6 more anthems with great lo-fi vocals covering mostly stories about relationships and some ecstasy use. Except for a beach inspired guitar interlude toward the end of the EP’s 5th track :”Rude As Jude”, much of Sun Bronzed Greek Gods unfolds using garage rock greatness and polished drum driven bridges.

Dom is a band from Massachusetts, and also the name of the elusive lead singer (who refused to give his last name to an interviewer from Pitchfork last month). However, with the success this EP is likely to bring the band, it’s unlikely the mystique surrounding the 22 year old will last long. The album is sure to become a summertime staple and supporters will eventually root out more info about him. For now be content with knowing him through his music… it’s not a bad insight at all.

Marshall McLean & Chris Chabot

2010-04-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick blog post with video of two performances by great acoustic artists at a coffee shop here in Bend.

Marshall McLean is from Spokane and has a voice that mirrors the strength of Joshua James almost perfectly and here he is performing a song titled Jericho.

This next video is of Bend artist and dear friend of mine, Chris Chabot. One of the most honest songwriters I know... Chris has no fear when it comes to sharing his past and current life with people through song. As a result you feel comforted during his performances... Here he is singing a song to one of his sons.

The Besnard Lakes Release A Roar

2010-04-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

And on their latest album, it’s a roar that lasts over 46 minutes. “The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night”, is a record dripping in Shoegaze sweetness and songs that build anticipation. Montreal couple Jake Lasek and Olga Goreas, like to spread themselves all over the musical landscape and return on their third album to do just that. The first track (really just an intro for the first song) “Like The Ocean, Like The Innocent Pt. 1: The Ocean”, is in itself, a sea of sound, featuring long shaky guitar notes layered with ambient synth noise that lead the listener into the inner sanctuary of the continued movement on “Pt 2: The Innocent” and then the rest of the album. The fourth track, “Albatross” a love song just as flowing as the first track, gets a smile added to the music by The Besnard Lakes introducing some rhythmic drum beats and guitar melodies.

Other reviews of this work compare the vocals to Brian Wilson and Roger Walters, and while definite Beach Boys and Pink Floyd sounds exist, (especially on the climactic psychedelic rock track “Light Up The Night”), there is something else to “Roaring Night”. Something that tugs at the listeners’ heart strings a little more than works by those two bands. It’s a safe album without a lot of boldness, yet it spins around your mind creating mystic dreamscapes and grinds against your afternoon releasing you from your troubles.

Ignite Bend 4

2010-03-03T14:48:00.001-08:00

Last week I welcomed the humbling opportunity to deliver an IgniteBend presentation at Bend's Tower Theater. The topic I spoke on? The experience of seeing one hundred different bands perform live in 2009. The Ignite format consists of a five minute PowerPoint presentation with 20 slides that change automatically every 15 seconds whether the presenter is ready for it or not. No animation... no gimmicks... just quick bits of information displayed on creative slides with verbal skills that hopefully do the topic justice.

Once news came at around 2pm the day of the show, that the Theater had sold out the event... the desire to puke set in. Holding only a little more than 400 people, the Tower Theater doesn't fill up with what one might call a giant crowd. Still, a bunch of people ready to react to any mistake in your presentation can jostle the nerves a bit. Practicing the Apollo Ono stress relieving yawn for most of the afternoon and evening was a surprise help in getting my lunch to stay in its intended location. For most of the two weeks leading up to the event, I had pictured myself getting completely psyched out for the necessary five minutes and letting my pumped up nerves take over. The puking feeling was not initially something I had prepared for.

The first step up to the stage must have been sprinkled with magic dust as stepping on it erased all nausea and the energy of the crowd pushed out all nervousness. Before I knew it... the five minutes were up and I was Dirk Diggler karate kicking and bowing to thank the audience for listening. Having covered topics ranging from average price per performance to favorite venues and falling in Love with Emily Haines... one topic came up unintentionally and I'd like to clarify it.

Early in the presentation I mentioned that rather than sit here in Bend, Oregon and see whatever bands happened to come through town as my avenue to 100 bands in 2009, I did some traveling to assure that my goal was met by seeing bands of a certain quality. In doing so, I may have inadvertently insulted the local brew pub, Silver Moon. Becoming Bend's only consistent venue for quality live music, Silver Moon utilizes a makeshift stage in the corner of the somewhat tiny establishment to lure such acts as Amber Rubarth, Vetiver, The White Buffalo, and Igor & The Red Elvises to town. While some shows can be down right uncomfortable because of the space limitations (summer shows are the worst as Silver Moon lacks sufficient air conditioning and can be completely miserable), others feature performances by some of the brilliant and aforementioned artists. Yet there are still shows with just your typical run of the mill local bands that don't really inspire me to go downtown and pay the typical $5+ cover required to catch a glimpse of someone who sounds like a million better and similar artists available. Not all places that book live music can expect to hit home runs with every act they put on the calendar and certainly not a place that struggles to find room for a full band and concert goers. Even the prominent Portland venue Doug Fir Lounge has brought in bands I certainly could have gone without seeing, but sat through in order to get to the pay off main act. Let's face it... even the Rose Garden brings in acts like The Jonas Brothers, who you couldn't pay me to go see.

What made maters worse regarding my Silver Moon statement was that they were a sponsor of the Ignite Bend event and the owners may have been in the audience. I attempted to reel back in my borderline slam of their establishment and even pointed out some of the great shows I've been to there. But bottom line... music and especially live music is about personal taste. I wouldn't expect Silver Moon to provide our town with bands or artists that entice me to remove money from my wallet 100% of the time and I certainly don't expect it from venues that are designed for the sole purpose of facilitating live performances. I do believe that Silver Moon continues to be the best beacon for live music lovers in Bend and I commend them for their effort in sustaining that. But I will probably never buy in to every show they schedule. A stance I take with every venue in the Pacific Northwest.

If you would like to watch myself and all of the presenters from Ignite Bend 4, travel over to www.ignitebend.com and follow the link on the homepage or click "Watch Ignite Bend" from the menu. Several 'burning' ideas from Central Oregon were shared as Ignites all over the country continue to serve as a place for people to spill their passions out for all to see.

Broken Bells- In Charge of TwentyTen

2010-01-18T18:34:00.000-08:00

Oxygen: check, Rocket Fuel: check, Ray Gun: check, Space Traveling Music: Double check! Easily a collection of self contained and expansive stories set in space... Broken Bells debut and self-titled album conjures up images of everything from Flash Gordon to Buck Rogers, and even Pigs In Space (without the comedic genius). This music is what 1950's outer space movies would have had in the background had they been serious ventures into the genre.

A collaborative effort between super stellar artist and producer Danger Mouse and The Shins front man James Mercer, Broken Bells might just be the best musical venture launched in 2010. Early it is to make such a prediction... yet layered in all ten tracks might just be the proof. One can't help but start seeing visions of their own music videos for each song (usually animated in my head), as they float easily from melodic electronica to orchestral rock. The experimental production genius of Danger is blatantly evident, while the smooth song writing talents of Mercer require an honest listen. Thank your lucky stars that a preview of this unreleased album accompanies this article!

March 9th, 2010 is the date you need to mark on your calendar if this album does to you what it has done to me. Or go ahead and travel (preferably by rocket ship) over to the band's website and pre-order a copy or a deluxe copy (including a case that plays music when you open it up!), or even get yourself a vinyl LP with a downloadable digital copy. Either way, the gravitational pull of Broken Bells will be very difficult for any serious music lover to escape. Those of you with Brittany Spears and Kris Allen in your CD player today or who only listen to your local Z100 radio station might just find that none of Newton's laws apply to you.

Concert Update!

2010-01-08T22:46:00.000-08:00

The wintery end and Spring start have more promising live music in the PacNW than I can remember in the last couple of years! And that includes We Were Promised Jet Packs, playing a March show at the Doug Fir Lounge! Their full debut album These Four Walls, can be heard by pressing play on the widget just below this introduction. A rocking Scottish effort, WWPJP zoom above the atmosphere with the rumble of those packs and leave thumping happiness in their wake. Many other opportunities to see great music await... so check out this list and get that tax return back as quickly as possible!

Doug Fir Lounge:
Jan 22nd: White Denim
Jan 29th: Trevor Hall
Feb 5th: The Album Leaf
Feb 6th: St. Vincent
Feb 13th: Wild Beasts
Mar 2nd: Evan Dand & Headlights
Mar 3rd: We Were Promised Jetpacks
Mar 11th: The Clientele & The Woodenbirds
Mar 13th: Efterklang & Balmorhea
Mar 14th: The Big Pink
Mar 20th & 21st: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Apr 24th: Norfolk & Western

The Aladdin Theater:
Jan 26th: Mindy Smith & Landon Pigg
Feb 5th: Crazy 8's & Derby

The Crystal Ballroom:
Jan 24th: Phoenix *SOLD OUT* (tickets at StubHub)
Apr 14th: The XX & jj

Wow Hall:
Jan 30th: The Fruit Bats & Tu Fawning
Feb 9th: The Album Leaf
Feb 25th: G. Love & The Special Sauce

Wonder Ballroom:
Jan 22nd: Horse Feathers & The Oregon Ballet
Jan 23rd: Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard
Feb 18th: Dashboard Confessional
Mar 15th: Gomez
Apr 9th: Rogue Wave

Silver Moon Brewery:
Jan 22nd: The Ascetic Junkies
Jan 26th: The White Buffalo

The Hawthorne Theater:
Mar 12th: Manchester Orchestra
Mar 23rd: Copeland
Apr 1st: Nevershoutnever!
Apr 14th: Miike Snow & Delorean

The Woods:
Jan 16th: The Robinson & Y La Bamba
Jan 2nd: Hey Marseilles
Jan 29th: Oh Captain, My Captain
Feb 11th: Dolorean
Feb 26th: Y La Bamba & Fences

Roseland Theater:
Feb 6th: Jack's Mannequin & fun.
Feb 28th: 311
Mar 31st: Citizen Cope
Apr 3rd: Owl City, Lights, & Paper Route
Apr 12th: Passion Pit & Mayer Hawthorne

And lastly... don't forget the premier music event of the Spring... SASQUATCH! With extended discounts on 3 Day passes through Feb 16th... there is still time to make sure you won't miss out!

Jack Penate: Everything Is New

2009-12-02T17:56:00.000-08:00

Need a stocking stuffer for the music lover in your life this Christmas? Look no further than the 2009 release of Jack Penate's second album Everything Is New. This London born singer continues to set the music scene ablaze with his fully functioning pop dance tracks and his tightly delivered live performances. At a recent Doug Fir Lounge show, Penate didn't skip a beat during his entire set by hooking together the beginning and end to each song with genius ease. Quaintly making use of the world music sound, Penate creates near dance anthems with the likability of the best British pop around.

The entire album is featured below and the nine tracks will only be hampered by the small delay between songs. Otherwise you will probably not stop moving and may quickly find yourself learning the words to the choruses even as you hear each song for the first time.

The next Living With Music article will be our end of the year feature. Last year we were able to supply you with a link to a completely free album by fantastic traditional alt rock band Empires. This year, we will summarize the year of 100 live performances and try to dig up some free music again too!

Music News

2009-11-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

Sound the horn! There are some great new updates for all you music lovers out there, and we don't want you falling behind and getting lost! From album releases to ticket sales to things you just plain oughta know... Living With Music is here to make sure you remain as relevant to conversations about music as the Samba and Chuck Taylor have been to footwear.

*JUST ANNOUNCED SHOWS*

Living With Music is busy watching the updated calendars at several live music venues, and here is the best of what we've found listed by venue.

Wonder Ballroom:
STATE RADIO: Jan. 17th, 2010

Doug Fir Lounge:
FANFARLO: Nov. 19th, 2009

DEASTRO: Nov. 26th, 2009

TEN OUT OF TENN: Dec. 6th, 2009

ST. VINCENT: Feb. 6th & 7th, 2010

Crystal Ballroom:
PASSION PIT: Dec. 7th, 2009

METRIC: Dec. 8th, 2009

THE BRAVERY & AIR BORNE TOXIC EVENT: Dec. 9th, 2009

VAMPIRE WEEKEND: Dec. 10th, 2009

SPOON: Dec. 11th, 2009

The Crown Room:
TYCHO: Dec. 4th, 2009

Wow Hall:
THE FRUIT BATS: Jan. 30th, 2010

Berbati's Pan:
THE THERMALS: Dec. 11th, 2009

The Hawthorne Theatre:
MIIKE SNOW: Apr. 14th, 2010

Other Concert Notes:
Get your tickets before they are gone to see Wilco perform Feb. 9th at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall and tickets go on sale soon for John Mayer's Mar. 30th show at The Rose Garden. If you are in Bend... don't forget about The Ascetic Junkies, Nov. 21st performance at Silvermoon Brewery.

Album Releases~

Out NOW from Portland greats Loch Lomond is their new EP "Night Bats". Pick it up at Everyday Music or order it from Hush Records. Also with a November release date is John Mayer's "Battle Studies". In December expect albums from The Bravery, Animal Collective, & Shiny Toy Guns. While looking even further ahead to January, reveals expected releases from Vampire Weekend, OkGo, and Spoon.

Must Checkout WEB~

eMusic- Don't forget about this great music subscription site. Specializing in independent music, eMusic also has thousands albums by your favorite big label artists as well. With subscription prices as low as HALF the cost per song of i-tunes, eMusic is a must for all music lovers! This site typically has a great deal with free music for new subscribers and even a free trial if you're not sure about joining!

Pitchfork- Packed full of album reviews, special videos and exclusive information; Pitchfork is one of the premier websites delivering music news to a hungry connoisseurs.

Melophobe- One of Portland's best websites dedicated to great NW concerts and music reviews; Melophobe has content that compliments Living With Music nicely.

Who To Follow On Twitter #musicnews~

AND OF COURSE FOLLOW US! @ethos83 Or check out APPROVED music by clicking this link to us on Blip.fm!

Don't Feed The Wildlife of Headlights, (let it feed you)

2009-11-03T18:21:00.001-08:00

The second full album listening experience brought to you by Living With Music, is sure to supply you with all the whimsical indie rock you are hungry for on a fall afternoon. The 2009 release Wildlife, by uber talented Illinois band Headlights, drops you right into the middle of life's struggles without you even knowing it. Spend some time getting lost in the lyrics framed by the spiraling rock and drowning melodies, and you will find that much of what is discussed, involves the sometimes impossible tasks of finding love... happiness... and moments of successful bliss. Oddly enough... these elusive feelings can be found within most tracks on the album. The struggling lyrics in songs like Love Song For Buddy, Dead Ends, & We're All Animals are still able to offer a somewhat haunting notion that even within the undeniable difficulties present... hope exists and everything is going to be okay.

This album completely rocks and the entire thing is just a click away... However, I'm willing to guess it will take more than one click for you to be satisfied.

Emmy The Great's First Love

2009-10-30T21:58:00.000-07:00

The geniuses over at Grooveshark have made it possible for the review of Emmy The Great's debut album First Love, to be the complete album review it should be. For the first time on Living With Music... the entire album is available for you to listen to in the colorful widget below this article.

No longer limited by what is available on other websites, we are now able to share this album with you straight from our i-tunes library! It's a good thing too, because First Love is quite possibly the best debut album of 2009. Emmy The Great (London via Hong Kong singer, Emma-Lee Moss), deconstructs everything from Jesus to abortion with a sweet flowing sound that doesn't at all succeed in masking the giant lump choking her throat as she sings her stories. Most likely, it's not supposed to. As you make your way through her album... the pretty banjo, violin, and piano (among other instruments), serve more to wrap up all of life's heartache in the beauty that overrides all we go through and that delivers the hope that we all must cling to in order to survive, than to make you feel good about the events in the songs.

The use of complex lyrics and tangible meaning behind the stories told by Emmy The Great, are probably what has kept this album from becoming a top 40 pop sensation. An industry obsessed with the mechanical and superficial, doesn't really have room for the type of presentation that exists on First Love. A serious album that wrestles with a young girl's first pregnancy and questionable experiences with religion and does so with power and grace, just doesn't fit the mold of most local radio stations. Since the entire album is here for you to listen to... it doesn't really need to.

Press play below (if you haven't already), and walk the streets, cross the hallways, and stroll through the parks in all 17 tracks of Emmy The Great's triumphant debut release. In First Love, you will learn another person.

Let us know what you're thinking when you're done by leaving a comment.

The Woods

2009-10-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Former funeral parlour finds resting peace in downtown Sellwood, as a hip new live music venue.

A recent trip to Portland's newest and possibly 'coolest' music venue was an absolute treat. Rarely has a venue been able to inspire as much excitement upon entry as was The Woods. Prior to performances by The Golden Bears and Norflolk & Western, an exploration of the space served to monumentally increase the night's level of anticipation. As important to the evening as the decor (we'll get to that in a second), were the friendly souls involved with all aspects of operation. From the foxy retro LaCoste dress wearing girl, stamping beautiful blue owls on wrists at the front door to Ritchie Young (one of the brains behind the venue and front man for one of Portland's most talented bands, Loch Lomond), everyone working that night were shining examples of what makes Portland a great place to be. Honestly engaging and fun to be around, they were as important to the experience as the atmosphere.

And how about that atmosphere!?! A tiny maze of lounging nooks including an outdoor seating area, were decorated in vintage extravagance. Survivors of eras past, mismatched pieces of furniture were used in brilliant fashion to create the perfect live music mood. Candle light mixed throughout the rooms begged the question, "is electricity obsolete?", and art featuring owls, cougars, and bare trees, prowled on eyes and softened the walls above the comfortable furniture and hardwood floors. Even a hardback copy of Carl Sagan's Cosmos adorned a shelf in one of the rooms as a possible homage to an inspired Loch Lomond song. The Woods served up a very accessible and quaint bar . Currently featuring some great and nicely priced wine and beer, along with some tasty edible treats... The Woods will soon offer cocktails as well.

The night's music was as special as the space (possibly made so by the venue), as Portland bands, The Golden Bears and Norfolk & Western left all they had to give on the small intimate stage. Blazing keyboard slash trumpet playing by Norfolk & Western contributor Cory Gray, was one of the more impressive side notes to the night. In all, one of the best shows of the year.

A favor must be done for yourself by checking out this venue. The Woods are alive with the sound of music and the invitation has been extended. So catch one of these shows in 2009. Or visit The Woods site for other fantastic offerings.

Saturday November 7th:
Kelli Schaefer, Telegraph Canyon, & Leonard Mynx

Tuesday November 11th:
Loch Lomond (EP release) with Tu Fawning

Saturday November 14th:
Erin McKeown with Sonja Kitchell

Thursday December 3rd:
Weinland with Garrett Pierce

Friday December 11th:
Norfolk & Western, Carcrashlander, & Grand Hallway (Bumbershoot top 10 performer)

A Season To Behold

2009-09-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

There is no question that the live music line-up for the Pacific Northwest this summer, was an amazing one. But brace yourself... the last months of 2009 might just prove to be even better.

An astonishing number of the best Indie artists and bands, including Over The Rhine (pictured), are headed our way. So many in fact, that unless you have the powers of Hiro Nakamura and the bank roll of a government concert going subsidy, you probably won't be able to attend all of them. "MUST SEE", shows are highlighted in green. Performances like a special night with Blitzten Trapper and superb opener Wye Oak, a rocking Thanksgiving kick-off with Friendly Fires, and the final show in support of Blind Pilot's critically acclaimed album "Three Rounds And A Sound" are perfect compliments to the season.

With all the needed information, including music posted from many of the featured artists... let ethos83 help you decide which of them you will add to your calendar and which ones you will spend the winter desperately trying to forget you missed.

Let the planning madness begin...

Oct. 3rd
Loney, Dear (Doug Fir Lounge)

Oct. 4th
Sleepy Sun (Doug Fir Lounge)

Oct. 6th
Mute Math (Doug Fir Lounge)
Aimee Mann (Aladdin Theater)

Oct. 7th
Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers (McMenamins Old St. Francis)

Oct. 11th
Ingrid Michaelson (Wonder Ballroom)
The Janks (Silvermoon Brewery)

Oct. 15th
Blue Giant (Doug Fir Lounge)
Grizzly Bear (Crystal Ballroom)

Oct. 17th
Great Lake Swimmers (Doug Fir Lounge)

Oct. 18th
The Low Anthem (Crystal Ballroom)

Oct. 19th
Matisyahu (McDonald Theater)
Blind Pilot (Wow Hall)

Oct. 21st
The Wood Brothers (Wonder Ballroom)

Oct. 22nd
Brandi Carlile (Arelene Schnitzer Concert Hall)

Oct. 23rd
Blitzen Trapper (Doug Fir Lounge)
Ani Difranco (Crystal Ballroom)

Oct. 24th
Blitzen Trapper (Doug Fir Lounge)
The Gossip (Wonder Ballroom)

Oct. 25th
The Dodos (Aladdin Theater)

Oct. 30th
Joshua Radin (Aladdin Theater)

Nov. 3rd
Matt Kearney (Roseland Theater)
Dirty Projectors (Aladdin Theater)

Nov. 5th
White Rabbits (Wonder Ballroom)

Nov. 6th
Mother Hips (Doug Fir Lounge)

Nov. 8th
Bishop Allen (Doug Fir Lounge)

Nov. 10th
A Fine Frenzy (Wonder Ballroom)

Nov. 11th
Pinback (Doug Fir Lounge)
They Might Be Giants (Crystal Ballroom)

Nov. 12th
Over The Rhine (Doug Fir Lounge)

Nov. 13th
Over The Rhine (Doug Fir Lounge)
Built To Spill (Wonder Ballroom)

Nov. 14th
The Big Pink (Doug Fir Lounge)
Built To Spill (Wonder Ballroom)

Nov. 17th
Julian Plenti (Wonder Ballroom)

Nov. 18th
Girls (Doug Fir Lounge)

Nov. 21st
The Ascetic Junkies (Silvermoon Brewery)

Nov. 25th
Friendly Fires & The XX (Doug Fir Lounge)

Nov. 28th
The Helio Sequence (Crystal Ballroom)

Dec. 2nd
Justin Nozuka (Wonder Ballroom)

Dec. 4th
Blind Pilot (Wonder Ballroom)

Dec. 5th
Blind Pilot (Wonder Ballroom)
Brett Dennen (Crystal Ballroom)

Got deep pockets? You'll need them!

Bumbershooting Review

2009-09-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Bumbershoot 2009 has been over for nearly a week now. Below is a summation of all the wonderful music the 3 day arts festival had to offer... as well as a few other fun tidbits about the experience.

First... since most of you are dying to know... here's how the bands viewed shaped up in the post Bumbershoot ranking based on the live performance of their music.

1. Michael Franti & Spearhead
2. Akron/Family
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4. Eric Hutchinson
5. Metric
6. Natalie Portman's Shaved Head
7. The Long Winters
8. Jason Mraz
9. Grand Hallway
10. U.S.E. (United States of Electronica)
11. UH HUH HER
12. Cold War Kids
13. Say Hi
14. Low vs. Diamond
15. Soul Savers featuring Mark Lanegon
16. Oren Lavie
17. Carrie Rodriguez
18. Everest
19. Visqueen
20. Sera Cahoone
21. The Honey Brothers
22. Matt & Kim
23. Massy Ferguson
24. Black Joe Lews & The Honey Bears
25. The Minus 5
26. Kim Fields & The Mighty Titans of Tone

It could not have been predicted that Michael Franti would have topped this list prior to attending his performance. However, what followed the hour plus crowd sandwich waiting session was nothing short of energy packed brilliance. Spearhead backed up Franti with such success, it was very evident without them, Michael Franti is just a talented guy with a guitar and no real punch. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but doubtful a performance without Spearhead would have boosted Franti to the Bumbershoot top spot. The one song featured in this article's playlist (Franti's first top 40 hit), enjoyed the on stage collaboration of Jason Mraz, as he appeared in a preview of his upcoming performance to sing and riff with Franti.

Akron/Family, in the second slot was only slightly edged out by Franti and Spearhead. This trio delivers a magical performance in the most prolific and overstated way. Delving into a variety of sounds, loops, and imagination, Akron/Family takes thoughtful ideas and weaves them into a creative array of delicious and sometimes dance worthy rock. Capable of slowing things down and connecting with the audience in a slightly more silent way (as evidenced by the song on this article's playlist), Akron/Family truly reaches into all sub-genre's of contemporary rock.

The rest of the list filled out quite nicely for the remainder of the 3 day festival. While all bands desired to be seen, could not be, these 26 were definitely among the best. Other surprises that garner MUST CHECK OUT status are Grand Hallway, U.S.E., UH HUH HER, Low vs. Diamond, & Everest. You can use Playlist or Grooveshark to listen to these groups before purchasing.

Bumbershoot remains the premier way to catch the last bit of summer in a fantastic city, and the views of the Space Needle while listening to some amazing music can't be beat for a wildly genius Labor Day weekend.

BUMBERSHOOT NUMBERS:

1: disappointments
(Matt & Kim failed miserably to provide anything other than a standard performance)

20+: number of people I threw into the crowd for surfing
(save for Natalie Portman's Shaved Head's performance, it was simply the easiest way for people to exit the crowd and not for fun.

34: hours spent standing during the 3 day festival
(If you want to hang in the back for all the shows you can sit a lot more. But with bands like Metric, NPSH, U.S.E., & Yeah Yeah Yeahs... who would want to!?!)

560: total dollar cost of attending Bumbershoot
(hotel 1 1/2 blocks from the festival, groceries from Safeway, ticket, gas, & parking... a total bargain)

3.28: total dollar cost to see each band based on ticket price.
(where else are you ever going to see some of the bands on this list in the Pacific Northwest for under $4? NO WHERE!)

MOST AMUSING MOMENT:

Standing at the very front of the stage, awaiting a performance by The Long Winters I met a man who works for MSNBC.com. Discussing a band I had never hear of, I was told to "Google" them. I didn't have the heart to call him out on telling me to 'Google' this band rather than "Bing" them, which should have been the response from someone working for MSNBC.

FAVORITE TWEETS FROM BUMBERSHOOT:

No longer a Yeah Yeah Yeahs virgin. And I'm happy about it! (Sept. 6, 2:52pm)

@shanlee @BendChick let's be clear on this... Are we talkin' poo and vomit? (Sept. 6, 6:03pm)

Michael Franti is like Shaggy... But for real. (Sept. 6, 6:24pm)

Dang. I was gonna stop by the Bumbershoot Alzheimer's booth... But I forgot. (Sept. 7, 2:35pm)

Front row for the next band. Can't remember who it is. Don't care... Not moving. Metric is afterward and that will be AH-mazing! (Sept. 7, 6:04pm)

2009 Rewind

2009-08-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

There has been an explosion of great music so far this year. With new releases from mega band U2, the tenth album from Wilco, and the super punchy 4th album from Phoenix... 2009 has been better for most music libraries than expected. Fall and winter promise to deliver even more of the best and excitement abounds over what hidden gems await!

In a year dripping with a bountiful flow of heavily reviewed albums and muted successes... here are ten albums that you may have easily overlooked. Before continuing down the trail of 2009 and forgetting what was behind, shore up your collection with something from this list.

Fanfarlo: Reservoir (release date June 1st, 2009) After tempting all of us with a handful of singles released over the last two years, London's Fanfarlo finally delivered their debut LP in June. Reservoir is easily summed up with two words "repeat button". Fanfarlo has succeeded in writing music with layered lyrics and layered instruments in a way slightly more accessible than New Mexico's Zach Condon. Similarities between Condon's Beruit and Fanfarlo are easy to come by, but Fanfarlo's sound is just a touch more fun and sounds more like the "band next door".

Deastro: Moondagger (release date June 2nd, 2009) A very young talent from Michigan, with tons of music in store for the future, Richard Chabot's project Deastro jumped at the chance to share a quirky yet smooth blend of electro alt-rock with all of us in 2009. Moondagger is the perfect soundtrack for traveling the stars... in style.

Antony & The Johnsons: The Crying Light (release date January 20th, 2009) A slightly shaky voice, drenched with sincerity, backed up against an orchestral sound, stabs at hearts from behind the tracks on The Crying Light. A nearly experimental sound, Antony & The Johnsons draws upon blues and alt-pop to secure a spot among one of the best albums of 2009.

Foreign Born: Person To Person (release date June 23rd, 2009) The first appearance by an Indie Rock band in this list is, L.A.'s Foreign Born. The band's name more aptly describes their sound, than where they currently call home does. Person To Person, a European natured album, should please Indie Rock fans track after track.

The Generationals: Con Law (release date July 21st, 2009) New Orleans' based band that tripped into some early 60's rock on their way to Indie glory and then didn't wipe themselves off before cutting an album. Works out great for us that they lack a bit of musical hygiene.

The Mummers: Tale To Tell (release date April 6th, 2009) An English version of Portland, Oregon's Pink Martini, The Mummers provide traditional & classical music with a slight twist and deeply beautiful arrangements.

Telekinesis: Telekinesis! (release date April 7th, 2009) More than grunge and dark rock comes from Seattle Washington, as evidenced by the hip sound of Telekinesis. Perky and scratchy sounds are used to bottle this extremely effective Indie Pop-Rock album.

Sin Fang Bous: Clangour (release date December 31st, 2008) Okay... so we are fudging the 2009 release date a bit on this one. But if you were knee deep in New Year festivities like we were, than you probably failed to notice the debut solo release Clangour from Seabear's front man Sindri Sigfusson until after the clock stuck midnight. Shrouded in flowing Icelandic Indie Pop, Sing Fan Bous flirts with the quited sounds of Sufjan Stevens and The Shins and frames that sound with an array of instrumentation.

Kurt Vile: God Is Saying This To You? (release date March 3rd, 2009) Probably the most unpolished artist on this list, Kurt Vile's 2009 album, God Is Saying This To You? is the easiest of the list to lose yourself in. A drifting incense of acoustic and electric guitar, Vile's music captures the essence of the 70's while preserving a relevant place among the 21st century elite alt-rock talents.

The Rural Alberta Advantage: Hometowns (release date May 26th, 2009) Lost in the May hoopla surrounding the release of the new Phoenix album, The Rural Alberta Advantage released a completely successful Indie Pop effort with Hometowns. Pairing seemingly off-tempo drum beats with cello and melodic vocals, Alberta Advantage finds a winning combo for a great end of summer album.

Catch The Last Rays

2009-07-20T20:38:00.001-07:00

If you are still looking for that live music experience to change the landscape of your semi-mundane summer. Or if a concert is the only thing that your jam packed summer of 2009 is missing in order to be complete. There are still some great tickets that can be purchased and some outstanding shows to be seen.

Match up some of these dates with your calendar and see if you can't be part of the summer music scene. Not all are outdoors... but all are sure to provide heat.

PICKATHON

July 31st-Aug. 2nd

Pendarvis Farm: Portland, OR

featuring: BLITZEN TRAPPER, VETIVER, ALELA DIANE, HORSE FEATHERS, AND MANY MORE!

VETIVER

July 31st

Silvermoon Brewery: Bend, OR

STELLASTAR, WILD LIGHT, & MASON PROPER

Aug. 3rd

Doug Fir Lounge: Portland, OR

PRISCILLA AHN & ROBERT FRANCIS

Aug. 7th

Doug Fir Lounge: Portland, OR

MONTE MONTGOMERY

Aug. 14th

The Aladdin Theater: Portland, OR

FLAMING LIPS, BUILT TO SPILL, & WHITE DWARFS

Aug. 20th

McMeniman's Edgefield: Troutdale, OR

THE FRUIT BATS

Aug. 22nd

Doug Fir Lounge: Portland, OR

PETE YORN

Aug. 22nd

The Roseland Theatre: Portland, OR

BAT FOR LASHES

Aug. 27th

Wonder Ballroom: Portland, OR

AMOS LEE

Aug. 28th

Oregon Zoo: Portland, OR

THE AVETT BROTHERS & THE HEARTLESS BASTARDS

Aug. 29th

Britt Pavilion: Jacksonville, OR

WORLD PARTY

Sept. 6th

Doug Fir Lounge: Portland, OR

FLOGGING MOLLY

Sept. 15th

The Roseland Theater: Portland, OR

BLIND PILOT

Sept. 12th & 13th

Sisters' Folk Festival: Sisters, OR

MODEST MOUSE

Sept. 21st, 22nd, 23rd

Crystal Ballroom: Portland, OR

MASON JENNINGS & CRASH KINGS

Sept. 27th

Wonder Ballroom: Portland, OR

DEER TICK

Sept. 27th

McMeniman's Edgefield: Troutdale, OR

SONDRE LERCHE

Sept. 28th

Doug Fir Lounge: Portland, OR

GLANCE TO THE AUTUMN:

Look for shows coming this fall from Ingrid Michaelson, Miike Snow, Mute Math, The Dodos, Airborne Toxic Event, Snow Patrol, Grizzly Bear, Brandi Carlile, and two performances by Over The Rhine!

Tickets for most are on sale now!

My Man Michael...

2009-07-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

With some dust settling over the death of one of our country's most tremendously talented sons, and some dust just beginning to be stirred up... I feel the time is finally right for me to weigh in on the life and music of Michael Jackson.

Dropped and then firmly planted into the world of music by the time I was six. Michael Jackson served as much a purpose for shaping my early love of beautiful sound as did The Beatles, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Prince. Easily noticed by me, Michael's never ending charisma and enchantment drew me in with undeniable gravity to see him as the true embodiment of "captivation" that he was. My love of his music, dance, and presentation of both was not special from the same love shared by others all over the world... but it did at times seem that it was. Hidden behind my bedroom door, volume cranked up on the record player, practicing Michael Jackson dance steps, I became a part of the MJ experience. Billie Jean, P.Y.T., The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal, Jam, Who Is It, and virtually every other Michael Jackson song triumphed over my much of my music listening for over 15 years. Nothing that has happened in the subsequent years has ever eliminated that past from relevancy.

There will always be cynics who take cheap jabs at the deceased King Of Pop. There will always be those who work to discredit Jackson as a kook or diminish his contributions by overshadowing them with allegations of questionable character. I will continue in the future, as I have in the past, to attribute only one descriptive word to him... Love. Michael Jackson existed as the person he was, solely because of Love. Whether it was his love for children and the fans of the world or the absence of love from his father and mother; love played a critical role in shaping this man into who the rest of us got to know through his interviews, music, and most of all his treatment of other people. Jackson created whole worlds where children could feel safe. I doubt that he ever said a cruel word to a child or anyone else for that matter.

Michael remained a child himself until the day he died. It isn't a joke or a forced self characterization for him to say (as he did several times) that he was Peter Pan. Never really allowed to grow up, Michael spent his entire life, from cradle to grave, surrounded by people who exploited him in ways completely similar to those found in third world countries, but made commercially lucrative by the rest of the world. Not one single person ever looked out for Michael Jackson. The fans who loved him more than any blood relative ever seemed to, were never granted the type of access needed in order to actually help him and it's quite possible that even some who said they loved Michael, would have continued to see him merely as personal entertainment had they been granted that access.

I for one have spent the last decade dealing with a heart that ached for the man each time some news tidbit surfaced or each time he came on television and tried to be himself. I would whisper under my breath "they won't understand you Michael". When the final blow came, and he was actually charged and put on trial for the molestation of children, it was difficult for me to comprehend guilt or innocence. I could easily see him as someone who would non-maliciously conduct himself inappropriately with children but I could also see him as someone who was capable only of loving a child without inhibition and in a completely non-sexual way. Almost loving them the way I believe God loves us. Either way... Michael loved people and his ability to love others with such foreign brashness is ultimately what led him to become the naive wreck we saw over the last ten years.

Michael Jackson NEVER lived in the same world as you and I. He NEVER learned to look at things and people the way we do. Jackson NEVER had a practical approach to survival because his life was never practical. He didn't become famous as an adult and he wasn't one of those child stars that burn bright, then fade in their twenties, left to find a new path of survival that forces a reality check. This man grew up in a fantasy, matured (if you can call it that), in a fantasy, and perished... still very much immersed in a fantasy. How can our understanding of life possibly be used to decipher the behavior and conduct of Michael Jackson?

I choose to stay grounded in what I did know of the man. His known actions displayed incredible love. His known actions displayed incredible childishness. His known actions produced incredible and historical catalogues of music, dance, and life to the fullest. In many ways I've been mourning this man for the last ten years. Now... because of his death, I finally have the contented and quieted heart necessary to say... rest in peace Michael... and I am completely confident that God is providing that for him.

Greg Laswell: 2nd Time Around

2009-06-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

The previous blurb review of a Greg Laswell performance posted by our sister site, more than adequately defines what it is to see Greg Laswell live. Listening to his music is sufficient in leading the listener into the heart of a Laswell show, and most words that can be rendered by a writer are left grasping to lead a reader into the presence of such an experience. This was true after the quieted set delivered by Greg and his guitar player, Brandon at Portland's Doug Fir Lounge in February and in most ways, continues to be true when attempting to paint a picture of Greg's performance at Eugene's Wow Hall this past weekend. Though this time, it was a bit different.

A full band accompanied Greg and Brandon, transforming his songs from subtly sinking, into hard hitting expressions of emotion. Not able to label one show better than the other... only the word 'different' can be used, and only in its strongest sense. Allowing for moments of the earlier performance's grace by dropping in a few songs played solo by Greg, this Wow Hall set featured drums and bass guitar on many of the songs that made each one more of a journey than in the previous show, culminating in a fantastically varied version of Greg's friendship song 'Comes And Goes (In Waves)'. Beginning the song very much like the Doug Fir performance with only Greg and Brandon; this song transitioned into an anthem by the end, with help from some of the most powerful vocals ever delivered by Greg.

As with his Doug Fir show, Greg continued to connect with the audience through his song descriptions and smartly positioned witticisms. He seemed to feed off the listeners' reactions to his heart filled music. Much evidence derived from the night indicates that Greg seems to show up for life with a great ability to simplify what the masses would complicate. His story telling sums up turmoil in wonderfully impactful lines like "I like how the day sounds through this new song" or " I searched high and low for you and I". His lullaby love song, "Sweet Dream" does so, not with just a singular line, but with everything the song became during Greg's abbreviated writing of the song.

Seven of Greg's songs are featured along with this article and should not be looked upon as a 'best of', but rather a lure into his library which promises to connect with you in one fashion or another. Treat yourself to the exploration.

RTL Gets A Stamp!

2009-06-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

The word "Approved" is stamped all over this talent from Bend, Oregon! It is one of the rarest labels given to artists and bands from Central Oregon by this site. In fact, in this site's opinion, only the smallest handful have qualified for it so far... but Reed Thomas Lawrence was the first.

Finding wisdom for music design through collaboration with other great talents, RTL has blossomed into a great story telling lyricist. Fun and upbeat tracks? Yes. But puff pieces? No. Even early on, Reed was writing songs that traced emotions through events very effectively. This talent only gained strength through the years and took it's most defined shape with last year's release of Reed's self titled LP. Supported by great videos by Rage Films, Reed is launching himself into success and maintaining a childlike exuberance that makes watching him climb through the ranks of artistry so enjoyable.

Reed's first ventures into a recording studio in 2005 produced some great pop songs with an almost jazz feel to them (and if you were lucky enough to have some of this early unreleased music you knew it was the beginning of something special). Since then, RTL has incorporated a fantastic reggae sound into the music that frames his words. The track "Music" even contains elements of that great mid 90's SKA sound and all but demands that you start to move to the beat. His lyrics are accessible and flowing, lacking nothing and are the perfect compliment to the music.

Recently added to the line-up for the gigantic music festival in Rothbury, Michigan in July, RTL will be previewing his outdoor set here in Bend on Sunday June 14th at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre as part of the free summer concert series. This is a must see show for all Central Oregon music lovers and a chance to see Bend's fastest rising star perform for all the people that have helped him achieve so much. PHOTO BY BEN MOON

i-tunes Killer?

2009-05-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

Murderous for the casual music, top 40, or legendary band listeners? No. But for those steeped in the glory of independent music and the wonderment of the unknown, emusic is as dangerous to i-tunes as television viewers with good taste are to the Tyra Banks Show (see: "things on tv in hell" for more).

With a story full of buyouts, pioneering marketing, and growth, emusic has continued to adapt into the triumphant site it is today. Primarily a music store, but including so much more, emusic.com is unmatched by i-tunes in many ways. Unable to secure the rights to make artists recording on the four big record labels available, emusic has found its niche by offering music from artists found on the world's best independent labels. As a result they have realized very unique and affordable ways to bring music to the masses. A subscription service with varying levels of commitment. Here's what you will experience should you choose to partner with emusic in your quest to find great music.

Affordable music: You can choose the level at which you would like to subscribe and by doing so choose how much you would like to pay per song. With monthly subscriptions ranging from $11.99 to $19.99 and song prices from .40 per song to .25 per song, anyone can find a comfortable price point. Subscriptions are month to month and you can cancel at anytime. Right now signing up comes with a bonus 50 downloads, which means you can get your first months' songs for as low as .13 each. Head to www.emusic.com/paste and check out a 25 free download/7 day trial offer with no obligation.

Music Exploration: emusic brings the best of the web to one convenient site. Once on an artist's/band's page, you will find Youtube videos, flickr pictures, reviews, and wikipedia articles all imported and available for you to check out without doing the surfing yourself. Also, and in a very i-tunes 'genius' type way, emusic uses your own tastes in music, including your download information, to suggest new artist and albums for your collection. And while i-tunes may offer a free download only once a week, emusic offers a free download every single day! With special emusic links to Pandora, KEXP, and more... emusic is THE total package when it comes to discovering your music in more meaningful ways.

DRM Free: That's right! All of the music offered on emusic is DRM free (one of the reason why the big four record labels won't do business with them). When you get started you will choose which library you would like your files downloaded to and organized in. All songs are completely compatible with i-pods and Zunes.

Selection: emusic has a library chalk full of the worlds' best independent indie rock, pop, jazz, classical, alt rock, and more. You can find fresh artists like The Decemberists, Stars, Camera Obscura, The Dodos, and many greats like Al Green, Creedence Clearwater and even Nine Inch Nails. In all 4.5million songs can be found on emusic.com, and with emusic's ability to suggest music to you based on your previous selections, their library comes to your doorstep with minimal searching required.

Extras: With user profiles and a vast online community of other music lovers, emusic allows you to share your tastes and glean knowledge from others. emusic also offers audio book subscriptions at very affordable prices with a great selection of top authors.

The ultimate music exploration and music owning experience awaits you at emusic.com!

Music Mirror

2009-04-12T17:37:00.001-07:00

Even as the journey to Portland to see Alexi Murdoch began, it was evident that music would play a big part in the weekend. Certain songs played for the first time in the car while driving through the snow would forever be etched into my memory as instant links to the trip. Without ever really forming the concrete thought prior to the trip, but realizing it early in the drive... music's ability to shape our memories is one of the more beautiful things about it. More so than a new song's ability to remind us of days gone by, its true triumph is found when a song can define what's happening to us today and then serve as a means to recall those memories and emotions when we hear that music later in life. With the music of The Lighthouse & The Whaler providing that future connection on the drive over the mountain, Alexi Murdoch's performance at the Doug Fir Lounge and his album Time Without Consequence served to frame the rest of the weekend and subsequent drive back to Central Oregon.

Alexi found a packed Doug Fir Lounge awaiting to hear his quieted and deep voice drench us with his rich emotion filled songs. Camping out in seemingly singular chords, his sound became increasingly complex as it entered the ear. Surprisingly, without literal story telling... stories were told none the less. Songs like "Wait" and "All My Days", were shells of stories that the listener was able to fill in with his or her own specifics.

As Alexi performed "Song For You" (his sympathetic ode to trying times), he plucked tears out of his guitar and drew us into thoughts of those in our lives who need to know we get what they are going through. "You think no one understands... listen to my hands..." is evidence that his guitar playing is much more than merely a nice sounding background for his lyrics. The music is just as much a part of the story as the words.

The best performance of the night wasn't one of his more popular songs "All My Days" or "Orange Sky", but his uplifting spring song "Blue Mind". A tale of breaking free from the shackles of past oppression, Blue Mind, served as the largest source of reflection on the drive home (meaning the repeat button was pressed several times). A true poet and talent, Scotland's Alexi Murdoch will be a welcome visitor to Oregon and a must see artist for those of you yet to see yourselves in the mirror of his music.

The Sultry Sounds Of Spring

2009-04-02T20:00:00.001-07:00

Before the free reign of sunshine and just prior to the rise in the mercury, the Pacific Northwest will provide some of the best indoor Spring concerts you can find. Until the giant summer sounds of U2, Coldplay, Tom Petty, & Dave Matthews flood the great outdoor venues, some wonderfully thoughtful and stormy sounds can be heard coming from performances at The Doug Fir Lounge, The Aladdin Theatre, The Crystal Ballroom, and The Wonder Ballroom in Portland, Oregon; and will typically cost only a fraction of admission to those mega summer attractions. With smaller venues and amazing line-ups, pre-sale ticket offers become more important than ever; regardless of the absence of reserved seating. So sign up for email updates from www.livenation.com, www.ticketswest.com, and www.ticketmaster.com. That way you can be one of the first to catch a ticket to some great shows like...

Thursday April 9th
The Friendly Fires
Doug Fir Lounge

Sunday April 12th
Fleet Foxes w/Blitzen Trapper
Crystal Ballroom *SOLD OUT*

Friday April 17th
Vetiver
Doug Fir Lounge

Sunday April 19th
Mates Of State
Wonder Ballroom

Monday April 20th
Noah & The Whale
Doug Fir Lounge

Wednesday May 6th
Rocco Deluca & The Burden w/Joshua James
The Aladdin Theatre

Wednesday May 6th & Thursday May 7th
The Shins
Crystal Ballroom

Thursday May 14th
Flight Of The Conchords
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Saturday May 17th
The Kills
Wonder Ballroom

Wednesday May 27th
Meiko
Doug Fir Lounge

Thursday June 4th
Camera Obscura
Wonder Ballroom

Friday June 5th
Metric
Wonder Ballroom

Friday June 5th & Saturday June 6th
Neko Case
The Aladdin Theatre

Thursday June 11th
Brandi Carlile
The Aladdin Theatre

(sounds of Spring playing @ the bottom of this page courtesy of www.playlist.com)

COMING LATER THIS MONTH: Look for reviews of some great ways to discover new music, listen for free, and even own some music for free!

Sasquatch Support

2009-03-11T19:14:00.001-07:00

What makes the Sasquatch Music Festival (held every Memorial Day weekend @ The Gorge Amphitheatre) deserving of Must See status, is more than the headlining acts of the three day event. The bands and artists that make the trek up to Central Washington in order to fill the all day schedule in support of those main acts, typically end up being the bands people talk about on the drive home or when back at camp waiting for the next day's lineup. These 'opening acts' can also be the main draw for ticket buyers who are plugged into the the music world 365 days a year.

This week's article will expose you to a few of the groups you can expect to see at Sasquatch this year. Providing support for the likes of Kings Of Leon, Jane's Addicition, and Ben Harper is a quaint disguise for the fact that these bands could easily headline their own tours and in most cases are.

PASSION PIT: Electro Pop dripping with sincerity and fun. Passion Pit delivers a sound more complex than The Postal Service and deeper than Ratatat. Filled with rocking synth and thumping beats, this Cambridge artist and helpers deliver an uplifting and fanciful sound sure to rock those in attendance at The Gorge. Chunk of Change is the band's EP and precursor to their upcoming full album. Tracks like "I've Got Your Number" and "Better Things" show the thoughtful side of the band's front man and writer, Michael Angelakos. While "Sleepyhead" grabs you by the lapel and throws you instantly into the middle of a swanky dance club in London.

VIVA VOCE: Latin for 'live voice'... Viva Voce is that voice from the seventies, still flourishing today. Formed in 1998 and now, in a round about way, from Portland Oregon, Viva Voce drives away all doubting that drawing on sounds from the past is one of the best ways to be relevant today. With many indie rock bands calling in a little help from the 80's, Viva Voce has dipped their pen in ink a little older and added their own style of folk music to the mix. Not even shy to use bass beats mixed with banjo, Viva Voce is the epitome of indie music. (Check them out early with a show at Portland's Aladdin Theatre on March 28th)

AA BONDY: A sound saturated with the roots of life, AA Bondy and his acoustic guitar tell stories you can lose yourself in. His life is rich and he shares it. For more on this Alabama native you can read his posted Biography @ http://www.fatpossum.com/media_kits/aabondy/bio.html This is an elegantly written bio and will immediately pluck the reader from their own reality.

There is much more music posted to play along with this article at the bottom of the page. Great intricate sounds from Santogold, wonderful orchestral indie folk pieces from another Portland Oregon favorite, Loch Lomond, and melancholy rock from Sun Kil Moon. In all Sasquatch will provide 3 full days of music that will tempt even those only looking for a good time to fall in love with music in new and meaningful ways. For more on how you can become a part of the landscape painted by the music on this page and a possible life changing concert experience visit http://www.sasquatchfestival.com/.

Beirut, America

2009-02-25T19:12:00.000-08:00

A common theme one might notice take shape at the beginning of many articles written regarding the band Beirut, is that this music, isn't for everyone. That while brilliant, unique, and talented, this band fronted by Sante Fe native Zach Condon, is for a certain kind of music listener. That his voice won't find favor with some and that the lyrical content of his music will be lost to others. From the first moment the sweet sounds of Beirut poured from my mid 1990's Altec Lansing PC speakers... I would have taken issue with those prior assessments, had I known they existed.

It is quite a statement of fact to say that the product of Beirut is going to be different for the average music listener. But to say that this music isn't for everyone, should actually just be a nice way of saying spoon fed top 40 listeners will find the quality of Beirut elusive. Not because of what this music is... but rather because of their own lack of discernment regarding what really makes great music.

With Beirut, a variety of sounds clash resulting in something magically difficult to slap a label on. Never a fan of using mixtures of other bands or artists to describe a new group to someone who hasn't heard their music before; I don't think it could be done for Beirut even if I attempted. Certainly not by using any American bands available. The most likely reason for this is the traveling of young Zach and the timing of those travels. Condon experienced late in his teen years the wonders of Europe and European folk music. Lucky for us it happened to shape his future explorations.

Strings, horns, accordions, tambourines, electronic beats, and an array of other instruments I won't even pretend to know the names of, are somehow blended together as if each one of them were invented solely as the perfect compliment to each other. While it is true some songs will take time to understand the occasionally complex lyrics, the feelings inspired by this music are instant and aggressive. The places the music will take you to are foreign and yet also home. Probably because a foreign land was the birth place of Condon's genius and yet most of what ends up being shared with us on Beirut's albums is produced in Brooklyn.

Beirut's third and latest completed work, March of the Zapotec/Holland, a double EP, shows Condon's growing depth of understanding. Not only depth in understanding what his soul wants to say through music but also the depth of possibilities involved with the kind of music he is creating. The first released single from the album, "My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille" triumphs in realizing that depth while keeping Condon's story accessible to the listener. Simple electro pop is all he needs to relate a complex series of events. Yet Condon can still drum up musical epics like "Postcards From Italy" and "The Concubine".

Currently touring through Europe one can remain hopeful that Beirut will be supporting their new double EP album in the states either late this summer or in the fall. Until we are blessed with such an announcement, the entire Beirut collection is available at i-tunes. Give the 10 songs on this page a listen and take a vacation to Europe, or to Mexico, but definitely into the heart of Zach Condon and Beirut.

DF News... A Glance Ahead.

2009-02-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

There are many shows at The Doug Fir Lounge remaining over the next three months that would be fantastic ways to spend your tax return. Luckily with shows at the DF costing on average 12 bones... you won't have to shell out much of that return and can easily use the bulk of it to buy tickets to see Coldplay at the Gorge in July. (@ nearly $127 a pop... that's no exaggeration)

The music playing on this page comes from each of the 3 featured bands/artists

Feb 24th: RA RA RIOT

This indie power rock quintet from Syracuse NY, has been speeding though the music scene and experiencing success doing it! Touring last year with Vampire Weekend, Ra Ra Riot has been spreading their brand of energy through the States and Europe. Continuing on after their drummer died in 2007... Riot has been able to recover and release their debut album "The Rhumb Line". A triumphant debut and tribute to the contributions of their late drummer, Rhumb Line delivers track after track of road trip worthy songs. Check out the two songs posted here for but a taste of why you will see more of them in the future.

March 5th: NEIL HALSTEAD

Current front man from Mojave 3 and former front man of Slowdive, Neil Halstead has found new life recording a solo album for Brushfire records. Halstead's blend of acoustic guitar and thoughtful lyrics will have you eagerly straining to figure out his heart and his connection to his songs. Originally from England, this bearded wonder is fully integrated into the American music scene and isn't going anywhere for a long time. Be sure and check out these two songs here plus find some more great tracks from Mojave 3 and Slowdive at http://www.grooveshark.com/

April 23rd: COLD WAR KIDS

This California rock quartet has been around for nearly 5 years and yet you might not have heard of them. Just into their 2nd Album, Cold War Kids are a critically acclaimed band working hard to forge their way into land occupied by Radiohead and The White Stripes. While only one of several great shows available at DF in April, Cold War Kids promises to be the best because of the ability to see such a great rising talent in such a small intimate venue. Not that your heart will be moved by the powerful rock of CWK... but you will for sure find your soul jump started.

Cheque out these other great DF shows in the days to come:

Feb. 20th: THE MOTHER HIPS w/local favorites DERBY

Feb. 21st: STEPHANIE SCHNEIDERMAN

Mar. 2nd: MATT WERTZ

Mar. 28th: TEN OUT OF TENNESSEE

Apr. 13th: THE TING TINGS

Just to name a few...

Future Faces Of Music

2009-02-02T19:55:00.000-08:00

It's cutting edge music at it's sharpest! Noisetrade offers the patient listener the best of tomorrow's musicians. If you are at all like me... you'll want to get in on them now via http://www.noisetrade.com/ before you get annoyed by hearing their songs in commercials or drifting from the next cubicle over; played by the person who has no idea what good music is until it's on the radio and then acts like they were the first to know about them... even though it's the band's third album.

Noisetrade is a sharing site for artists trying to increase awareness of their music. Downloads of entire albums, EP's, and song samplers are made available through this unique and very "Radioheadesque" way. Artists join the community... post their music... and then offer it to listeners by download one of two ways. Visitors may choose to retrieve their music for free, by providing email addresses to five friends OR choose to pay whatever they would like for the music (minimum one dollar) and help out a budding talent.

There are a variety of genres and varying levels of brilliance. A gem is nothing near as hard to find as a needle in a haystack... but you will definitely need to put forth some effort to find something you will want to either add to your collection or pass on to friends. The site only offers 30 second clips of the available songs but provides links to artists' Facebook and Myspace pages for concert dates and complete song recordings. Featured on this blog are songs from 6 of the bands/artists found on Noisetrade, that I will be watching in 2009. Katie Herzig and Jessica Lee Mayfield have already been to Portland's Doug Fir Lounge this year and I am hoping for return visits in the future.

A special offer available now on Noisetrade, is a great subscription price to PASTE Magazine. As with the available songs, you can choose to pay whatever you want for a one year, 11 issue/11 CD subscription to PASTE (minimum one dollar). I went ahead and kicked them 5 bones for what I am sure will be a year's worth of solid music recommendations and reading/listening material. (special note: the deal does require an automatic renewal for $19.95 at the end of the year unless you cancel your subscription prior to... so watch for it).

Regardless of how much you choose to experience this great website with the freshest music around... I am sure you will find something you will be excited to bring up at the water cooler or turn the volume up on when you have friends in your car.

Portland Radio Authority = Broadcast Genius

2009-01-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

There is no specific music to accompany this article. What you will hear playing are the brilliant tunes of Greg Laswell, Newton Faulkner, & Justin Nozuka. Brilliant in the exact same way that the Internet broadcast of Portland Radio Authority is brilliant. Though I was brand new to this listening experience just tonight... it did not take long for me to realize it was shooting right to the top of my music life.

Portland Radio Authority (found at www.praradio.org on your world wide web dial) is a volunteer based Internet radio station that is as diverse as the city of Portland itself. A variety of personalities and music genres can be found here. The freedom the volunteer DJ's have to play great music is unmatched on your, (dare I say) obsolete FM radio. I stumbled across this station because an old friend of mine is the proud owner of the 4pm to 6pm slot on Sunday evenings. Matt Neff runs a show called "Fanfare" and he plays some of the best rock around. Artists that I'm sure most of you have never heard before but will desperately want the names of when you tune in next week. (something else I am sure you will do)

Even in the hour of radio I am currently listening to I have heard Marvin Gaye and now Styx. Proof positive that this radio station will give you the new music you have been longing to impress your friends with knowledge of and the old classics that your heart yearns for. I have a feeling that you... like me... will not be turning this station off. Other than when your boss nears your cubicle and the appearance of productivity takes priority over your daily vacations into great music.

So when you are done listening to the music posted on this page... and if you feel you have exhausted the current music Que on this sites sister blog www.ethos83radio.blogspot.com, head over to Portland Radio Authority and set up camp. Only.. this wilderness campground will have no signs posted thwarting your happiness by requiring all loud music to be turned off at 10pm. And the only wildlife around will be the burly rock and the vicious soul spun by Matt Neff, etal.

KaiserCartel in Review

2009-01-17T10:39:00.001-08:00

The first concert of 2009 for me featured in the second slot, this wonderful duo from Brooklyn NY. Genuine personality and sound that can best be described as "pure". Other then utilizing a guitarist from the main act of the night to play some tambourine on "Okay", all singing and instrumentation for their performance at the Doug Fir Lounge last night came from Courtney Kaiser and Benjamin Cartel.

Courtney's voice rang out strong in the small and terrific basement of the Doug Fir. We were treated to a very intimate performance of virtually every song on their debut album "March Forth". Benjamin is a true master of the percussion. By himself he was able to simulate an entire group of performers and change the dynamics of a song by lowering or raising his energy level while playing.

A true sweetheart, Courtney was very pleasant to talk with after the show and I could tell she was thoroughly enjoying the praise from all of us that she got a chance to talk to. Yet she remained humble and had a child like twinkle in her eyes.

The set was capped off with the duo hushing the audience and leaving the stage to come out to us. Courtney's sang a beautiful song and Benjamin backed her up while playing acoustic guitar. Courtney made eye contact with nearly each of us as they did this. And for a second or two... she was singing to each of us individually. A truly unique finish to a wonderful show.

Two of their songs are featured below.

The Best Of PDX

2009-01-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

This coming weekend, I will realize an opportunity to see first hand, in concert, a true musical gem. Blind Pilot will be performing at The Aladdin theatre in the band's home town of Portland, Oregon on January 17th and I cannot imagine anything that could possibly keep me from this show. Living in Bend typically presents a problem for seeing Portland bands as many of them perfom on weeknights. This had made it impossible for me to see Blind Pilot up unitl this point. The day this Saturday show was announced... tickets were in my hand.

As I prepared to write this article about (in my opinion) the best band in Portland today... I read a few things that other people had written just to make sure that I wasn't alone in my complete love of their music. I was surprised to read many of the same thoughts that have been running through my head since last summer. When I purchased their first album "Three Rounds And A Sound", it literally did not leave my car CD player for a month. Thrice shortly after purchasing the album did I make the three hour trip from Bend to the valley and each drive and subsequent return trip, the smooth and quiet yet wildly charasmatic music of Israel Nebeker & Ryan Dobrowski continued to play over and over and over. I memorized every voice influction, every word, every story recounted by these two... dare I say... geniuses.

The first song "Oviedo" (featured below) is by far my favorite as my i-tunes counter will easily show (currently listed at some 67 plays). The clearly personal nature of the lyrics coupled with the soft sullen drums and guitar are a mixture dripping with sincerety. When the horns come in to the song it becomes a triumphant deconstruction of feelings. Only a talented lyrisist could take a typical bar scene containing an intoxicated female and her gin breath and turn that image into something beautiful. "There were nights in bars that I recall, your breath was courage laced with alcohol" is by far my favorite line in the song. It paints a picture of a guy and girl feeling like they are the only two people in the bar. A familiar exchange that most of us have no doubt experienced at some point in our lives.

And just before that line...

"Maybe somethings are better left unsaid, but if you wanted to test that out, well... I guess you could have said."

I can't say for sure just how deep the emotions really run with these two. But their lyrics drop me into a large tub of reality everytime I listen to their music.

This band has also garnered themselves quite the reputation for live perfomances after completing a very unique tour last year of the West Coast. The two member band, Blind Pilot toured small towns and did it all on their bicycles. No help toting around their instruments and equipment by following vehicles, just what they could pull/carry with themselves on bicycles. A crazy indication that this band is not sapped with the average "let's make it huge" hollywood mentality.

If anyone has the means to get themselves to this show on the 17th. You must. The two other bands playing that night will not be anything even close to disappointing and will add to a great experience. After this show and one in Astoria, Blind Pilot will not be in Oregon again for a very long time, as their tour takes them to the East Coast through the end of the Spring. If nothing else... buy... the... album. I dare you to hit eject on your CD player once it's in. Even if you succeed in doing so... it won't last long. I guarantee it.

My Christmas Present 2 U

2008-12-11T19:53:00.000-08:00

This will most likely be my last post of the year 2008, so I wanted to leave you all with a nice little Christmas present. The band featured this week is called Empires. They are a fantastic traditional rock band from Chi-town. After forming in 2006 and then spending all of 2007 writing and recording. 2008 saw the release of their labor in the completed album "Howl". Howl delivers rock tracks with varying influences and styles. From the obvious rock style of Duran Duran on "Valmont" to the acoustic softness of the album's final track "Hayley". For those that would like to discover a rock band so unknown you can't even find them on i-tunes... this is the group for you.

And now the best part and my present to you... head on over to http://www.weareempires.com/ and you can download this album FOR FREE! That's right... Empires is putting themselves out there to be noticed by making their first album available at no cost to you. So go download this album and give it a listen while you are driving to your holiday destinations. Merry Christmas and I will return after the first of the year with new music to get you going!

Blessings,
Ethos83

Tycho Music Provides

2008-12-03T19:53:00.000-08:00

Tycho, the music project by iso50's Scott Hansen, is capable of providing that necessary disconnet from your crazy thoughts provoked by a crazy day at the office. It is also capable of providing wonderful background music for school work, book reading, and for sure blog writing.

This triumphant ambient music has depth, soul, and promise. With shows typically perfomed in San Fransisco (the artists home), it is unlikely we will see Hansen bring Tycho up into the Pacific Northwest. But his music can definitely be enjoyed to it's fullest regardless of access to a live performance.

Life can be found in this music. It's amazing how sitting back and letting the sounds unfold will take your mind to different places each time you listen. One moment you might be driving on a coastal highway as the sun sets over the ocean and the next you will be soaking in a steaming spring. One might even lose themselves in a peaceful nap where worlds have a way of becoming much more than we could ever imagine while awake.

This music is available for purchase at http://www.tychomusic.com/ as are many of Scott Hansen's prints and t-shirts that were mentioned in a previous article. If this is the kind of music you like than this is a must own for your colleciton. It's also great music to show off to friends as most have probably not heard of Tycho before.

Room For One More?

2008-11-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

With Jack Johnson, Matt Costa, & G. Love dominating the sometimes sugary island pop rock scene... Another surfer turned rocker, Donavon Frankenreiter is making sure there is room enough for his own brand of soul & jazz infused feel good music on that island.

It's no surprise that he is friends with all of the above artists or that he often times plays with them in concert and on albums. What might surprise however is the different shape his music can take when performed live. While Jack Johnson typically remains true to his album recordings, Donavon is not afraid to explore the wonderful world of 70's soul and funk. Take a trip over to http://www.myspace.com/donavonfrankenreiter and settle into the complete live album "The Abbey Road Sessions". A rare treat to find an entire recording posted on Myspace. Abbey Road Sessions delivers a variety of musical treats including a shared performance with another little know music great, The White Buffalo.

Donavon's latest album "Pass It Around" has him on tour through the winter and continuing into the spring. His sunny music will be just the thing to warm up a Pacific Northwest winter and you can be part of that! Frankenreiter will be bringing his show to our area for two nights. The first will be Friday Feburary 26th at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland and the second will be the very next night in Eugene at the Wow Hall. Presale tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10am. This will be my first concert of 2009 and I suggest you make it yours as well! Give the music I have posted on here a listen and see if you don't make room for Donavon's music amongst your Jack Johnson and G. Love collection.

Best Of The Missed

2008-11-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately not every single concert worth attending can be attended by someone like myself who works for a living... I suppose if I were lucky enough to get a job writing artist reviews for a music magazine then going to concerts could be what I did for a living. But until that day comes, I will be forced to prioritize my concert experiences and limit myself to those I can attend without doing too much damage to my bank account and the rest of my social life.

Posted in the music player at the bottom of the page is music by some of the artists I really wanted to see this year and just couldn't make it happen. As a result they will be at the top of my list for shows next year if they happen to venture near the Pacific Northwest. Two of the artists featured actually have shows coming up very soon in Portland. The first will happen December 12th when Vampire Weekend takes the stage at the Crystal Ballroom and the second January 27th when Adele highlights the calendar at the Wonder Ballroom. The first show I already know I will not be attending, yet I continue to be hopeful for Adele.

The rest of the artists featured have no scheduled dates for this area that I can find at this time. All but Monte Montgomery were in Portland sometime in the last few months, so it is likely they will return. Especially Jeremy Fisher who just lives across the border in Vancouver B.C.. For those of you that stay long enough to listen to all of the music, there is a special acoustic treat in the last song. When Will I, by Monte Montgomery shows that this guy can play and he will be a can't miss show for 2009.

As the concert series unfolds for the next year, stay tuned to this blog for updates on great shows coming our way. I won't let you down with my recommendations.

Ray Lamontagne

2008-11-06T19:19:00.000-08:00

After three years of knowing who Ray was and waiting, waiting, waiting to see him in concert... I have finally accomplished just that. And in fine fashion.

I arrived at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland well before the doors were to open. I was extremely excited and couldn't believe I was only a couple of hours away from realizing my goal. I had a ticket in my pocket for a very decent seat and it was all mine. Then, to the right of the marquee, I noticed a man selling front row tickets. I told myself that my seat was good enough and that I really didn't need to spend the extra money. Nevertheless my curiosity got the better of me. I strolled over and asked the man if he would be willing to accept cash and my ticket for a front row seat. He declined my offer and suggested I try to find someone else to sell my ticket to. Just then a man walked over and wanted to know which seating section my ticket was for. I answered, he made me an offer, I sold, then I bought the front row seat. I felt like I wanted to treat myself to something special and I am so glad I did. The front row placed me right up against the stage and after scoping out my old seat prior to the beginning of the show I know my experience was changed greatly by my position at the head of the concert hall.

If you haven't been to the Schnitz in Portland you are missing out. It is a beautiful theatre that was built in 1929 and originally used for screening movies. Today it is fully restored with grand balconies and flowing architecture. The show began with a very good opening act, a treat since I had never heard of her before. Leona Ness delivered mild acoustic performances and powerful vocals. Her set didn't last long but was sufficient.

Now this is the point at which my words will fail to provide any kind of justice to describing the rest of the evening. Ray did something to all of us in that hall that few artists ever 'truly' pull off. Ray, shared himself with us. Most of the artists that I enjoy are very good at telling stories with lyrics and sound instrumentation. But the artist that spills his guts out for all to see is very rare. Ray even indicated to us that he has to reach deep inside and pull his songs out of his heart when he sings them. He is someone who has loved, been betrayed, given in to his faults, and resurrected himself while accepting his own darkness. He is tough, yet soft... elusive yet accessible.

It takes really hearing his music in order to understand this, and I have provided some of it on this page for you to listen to. When you are done with that there is also a video from a performance in Atlanta of a song from his newest album Gossip In The Grain. The song titled "Winter Birds" perfectly describes the shift from fall to winter and the closeness that a man and a woman feel during this time as they prepare to nest. A much more poetic endeavor into this time of year than John Mayer's attempt at it in his song "St. Patrick's Day" (although a good song), "Winter Birds" is classic Ray, and seeks to not just tell a story but actually transport you to those times in your life.

I will get off my soap box now... however... if there is one concert you attend during the rest of your life. Let it be a Ray Lamontagne concert. This experience is something I will never forget. The crowd became one. I could really feel the love in the room for Ray and his love for us. I can't really explain it any other way than that. It was electric and beautiful, stunning and soothing.
A heart shaping moment.

P.S. If you have someone in your life... grab onto them and listen to this music with them. Especially -You Are The Best Thing-Shelter-Hold You In My Arms. This music is meant to be enjoyed together.

Stretch Your $$$

2008-11-02T15:22:00.000-08:00

It's the time of year again when shopping deals abound! If you find it difficult to search through every retail website... If you have difficulties finding time on Thanksgiving to look through all of the black friday ads... If you just need more buying power out of your dollar... Then look no further than http://www.blackfriday.info/ This is a site that not only provides you with the newest black friday ad info BEFORE it reaches the newspapers. It also collects information on hot deals that are available right now!

The first page displayed contains the early released black friday ads. Currently Sears and Walgreens are the two big ones out. Each post will list the deals that will be available the day after Thanksgiving. Some items will have links to the store's website so you can get model numbers on electronics and search the web for reviews or actually see a picture of an ambiguous item description. Ads will continue to be posted as the month of November rolls on. Some retailers find out about the posting and force the site to remove their ad (as Big Lots has already done this year). But if you check it often enough you will catch a glimpse of pretty much everything that will be offered this year.

Clicking on the "Hot Deals" or "Coupons" tab at the top of the page will take you to great deals that you can take advantage of today! It is a collection from many different store websites and a wide variety of items. Clothing to jewelry and yes of course... home electronics. Much of what is offered this year including TVs from DellHome include FREE SHIPPING!

With consumer spending continuing to dip and inventories continuing to rise. Prices this year will tempt you like you have never been tempted before. The economy may be hurting some people but an economy like this might allow the rest of us the ability to deck out our theatre systems with state of the art components or purchase a plethora of toys for needy children. However you decide to use these great prices to your advantage... you can definitely bring a smile to some one's face.

Black Cab Sessions

2008-11-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

It's not that often that a music based website comes along that can be described simply as "brilliant", but that's exactly what http://www.blackcabsessions.com/ is. The brain child of Just So Films aided by Hidden Fruit, Sessions delivers stunning acoustic performance after stunning acoustic performance by some of today's most talented artists all from the back seat of a British cab. Unorthodox? Yes… Unforgettable? For sure!

In the back of a cab, these solo acts and groups alike, must deliver solid musical and singing performances while driving through city streets and without the comforts of large scale drum sets, pianos, and even some band members ( I should note that the occasional group does find a way to bring in a very small amp). The songs are all recorded in one take adding still more to experience. A good portion of today's studio music lacks much in the way of raw talent; this site refreshes by exposing artists that need not the use of voice enhancers and studio make-overs in order to sound pure… They merely are pure.

The Sessions are divided up into chapters, of which there are currently sixty four to delight your ears and soul. Performances range from the established Death Cab for Cutie to virtually unknown but crazy fun, Lykke Li (the video of which is featured in my first post below). In between are treats and delights for all. If you are serious about music, take a stroll, or ride rather with the artists featured on Black Cab Sessions. The videos do take a bit of time to buffer and that is the only draw back to the site. But the music is completely worth it. Make sure not to leave until you check out one of the best this site has to offer.

The Kooks: This British quartet is featured in chapter 25. A band that has experienced lightning success since the release of their first album in 2006, The Kooks are putting their own stamp on UK pop rock. The cab in this video only had room for two of the band's members, and they treat you with two great double acoustic guitar performaces.

Sample Below: UK's Badly Drawn Boy

iso50: Scott Hansen is Brilliant!

2008-10-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

Talk about some great graphic design and fantastic music! Scott Hansen delivers his creativity and so much more to the vistors of http://www.iso50.com/. The print to the left is his work "arbor" which I am now the new proud owner of. I have two other prints of his as well and will be putting together an awesome wall display of his work.

His website features more than great design work available by poster or t-shirt. Hansen is also a musician and once you enter his exhibit his music will start playing. What you will hear is his project known as Tycho. Ambient house music that ebbs and flows flawlessly with more depth than the ocean.

There is also a blog you can follow as well as posts of other artists work and even some vintage work that no doubt serves as an influence over Scott's creative process.

This is one website you will definitely want to check out. The prices for his work are affordable and if displayed correctly will give you that edge over your friends' decor that you may be looking for. Even if you aren't the competive type you will surely have a piece that will spark many converstions. The detail in his work and the fact that Hansen stays true to the retro seventies look in every print might make it difficult to choose which prints you will order... but I am sure you will want to order something.

The Doug Fir

2008-10-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

The music below is a collection of some of the best artists that will be performing at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland during the month of November. It's line-ups like this that make me wish Portland was sunny so that I could move there. The Doug Fir is absolutely one of the best places in Portland to catch small intimate shows where you can get right up to the stage and hear very diverse music on almost every night of the week. There is always a good mixture of up and coming artists as well as some of Portland's own finest. One great show there that I could not find music for is a Portland band named DERBY. You can find them on myspace or at http://www.derbyrock.com/ I will be seeing them in Corvallis at the Bombs Away Cafe on November 8th and I can't wait! So check out the Doug Fir website http://www.dougfirlounge.com/ and if you can, check out a show or two this month. (hint: Nov. 14th is probably the best of the bunch)

One of many: Lykke Li

2008-10-19T05:02:00.000-07:00