New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Liz Harris of the solo project Grouper has done a fabulous job of writing and arranging a little score for Weston Currie’s weird and eerily shot film, Sputnik. Grouper’s last album, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, was met with great critical reviews, and was recognized on Pitchfork’s Best 50 albums of 2008.
Harris’ craft of spinning ethereal sounds continues to grow, as does her commercial success.
– Joel Sommer
How can this town possibly afford to give away anymore free music?
On Wednesday, January 27th, Holocene introduces their first edition of Carpet Culture where you can "get warm n fuzzy in the front lounge room with some of Portland’s greatest up-and-coming musical talents."
This week features electro-rock with Wampire, dark soundscapes from Tunnels, and some cozy and curly ambient like the fur of Golden Retriever Moody. Plus Wampire shows up again on the big screen in the premiere episode of Into the Woods, a new web series where Portland bands march out to a cabin in the wilderness of Mt. Hood to perform an intimate concert with their besties.
Check the trailer out here but show your face at Holocene at 8:30 p.m. for the real deal, for free!!! 21+
– Chris Young
Jim Newberry has directed a new video from the dynamic My Gold Mask. The track "Violet Eyes" comes from the bands ep A Thousand Voices.
Cambridge Singer-songwriter, Brendan Hogan will be playing at the Lizard Lounge on the 29th to celebrate the release of his first full-length album Long Night Coming.The Lizard Lounge is a very appropriate place to have the release party for Hogan, since it is the same venue he started up in, playing open-mics and sitting in with other bands.
If you like Bob Dylan you’ll love Long Night Coming The album is mostly soft and very pretty with light country and Celtic accents. Some songs like "Rock Cast in the Sea" and "Big Black Car" are larger and more swingin’. "Rock Cast into the Sea" is a fast, accordion-involved piece and really stands out on the album which shows Hogan’s versatility. All the lyrics are balladic or poetic and finely composed. The title track "Long Time Coming" is a beautiful and metaphoric piece, with soft but soulful vocals. The first line of the song explains the album cover, Hogan causally posed in front of the Somerville Theater.
The thing I like about this album is the dynamic of the lyrics and music. The lyrics are incredibly dire at times, but it doesn’t mater because the music that floats around the words is hopeful. (Think Dylan’s "It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue" or "Most of the Time")
Should be a great show and I bet you a million bucks there will be lots of special guests, local folks and lots of beer. A perfect show to see to top of the awesome month of January (honestly though, there have been some great shows this month.) Also a great album to get you through the epic awesomeness of February in New England.
–Meghan Chiampa
Third Border is the name of the band formed in 2003 by Ben Miller, a veteran of the alternative scene who pioneered psych-rock in the fecund late ’60s Ann Arbor scene, and later teamed up with Stooge Ron Asheton and Michael Davis of the MC5 in the seminal art punk outfit Destroy All Monsters. The band’s new album, Return Return, was recorded in 2008 at The Kennel Studio in East Williamsburg Brooklyn by NYC underground producer Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Helmet). Those who love noisy rock music shouldn’t miss their CD release party at Pianos on Saturday 01.30.
Did you ever watch Teen Wolf? You did? Remember that part when no one liked Scott, and then he turned into a wolf, and he was the bomb all of a sudden? And then he rode on top of that truck? Yeah, that was awesome. We’re like that in some ways. We like the 80’s, boogie boards, having a good times, smooth synth jams, and crowd surfing. We put out an EP last year, and we’re recording new stuff in February. We’ll be at SXSW and we play around Texas, although we just did our first east coast tour in January. If you ever get the itch to watch Teen Wolf 2, don’t, and come see us play instead. We’ll do our best to make sure you’re having a good time. And maybe afterwards we can go watch Teen Wolf.
(this post taken from Zlam Dunk’s post on our DIY Open Blog, check out other Open Blog posts in the Deli Kitchen)
Imaad Wasif | "Redeemer"
Acoustic psych-rock songwriter Imaad Wasif isn’t a stranger to success. After pairing up with Karen O, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, and Little Jack Lawrence on the score for the Spike Jonze adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are, momentum for the Wasif clan picked up fast enough for a spot a showcased artist spot at SXSW. Before Wasif makes a bigger name for himself at the infamous Texas music bender, he’ll be playing Thursdays at Spaceland in February, followed by a tour with Dead Meadow.
Imaad Wasif plays Spaceland February 4, 11 and 18.
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Singer/songwriter Beth Thornley has been a licensing monster — from television to films, you’ve probably already heard her brand of super sweet power pop tunes in some shape or form. To celebrate the release of her latest LP Wash U Clean, Thornley will play a set with "an x-tra large band" at the Hotel Cafe on February 6. For fans of Aimee Mann and Ben Folds, this will be a treat.
Red Sparowes | The Fear Is Excruciating, But Therein Lies The Answer (LP Teaser)
Red Sparowes have been gone for three years and are coming back with an apparent bang.
A few weeks I posted the new video from Charlie Deets, and this month Charlie sent me his new album, Power of Suggestion. It has been on repeat all month, and it is hard to explain why. Whether I am attempting to work out, driving to work, or just hanging out at home, this album has such an addictive collection of beats. It the comparisons that keep coming to mind are pieces of the more electronic side of Of Montreal mixed with newer Nine Inch Nails. Lyrically, Deets is closer to Reznor or Lady Gaga for that matter, as he obsesses about sex and clubs and the like. However, the nature his beats will overpower the distraction of his lyrics. It is typically not what I am looking for, Charlie has hooked me and will not let go.
Charlies Deets is have a listening party for Power of Suggestion on Feb. 12th at 10:00pm at The Gene Siskel Film Center where he will debut films by several talented filmakers for this album.
