Aan released their latest album, Losing My Shadow, last month via Fresh Selects. Losing Shadow is frontman Bud Wilson’s way of recreating the mental and emotional spaces created by grief, and what purposes these new spaces can serve. The album has clean percussive hits, accented by syncopations that throw the song off just enough to make you really appreciate the way the music shapes itself. The album’s first single, "Truly Massive" is the sort of mournful, space-cowboy ballad that could only be made by a psych band. It’s hard to explain the feelings that the song evokes, a shadowy combination of pain, longing, and the hope for a reunion. Wilson’s voice carries all of these emotions and more. It is touching and sentimental but retains the sort of wistful aloofness that leaves you feeling like something important is just barely out of your reach. The album is an incredibly impressive emotional project, one for which Wilson should be commended.
Melt has just released their latest album, Sour Fruit, via Halfshell Records. The album is freaky, earnest fun. The band’s burn out aesthetic doesn’t slow down the energy and enthusiasm they put into playing. Songs like “Snow” are jazzy and psychedelic, but they don’t fall into the expected rhythms we usually get from psych songs. The band twists when you think they’ll turn. They introduce a high note when you think a low one is coming, or slow the beat down at moments where it traditionally picks up. The change is very welcome. Other songs are faster, more surf-punk oriented. “Catch Me” is a great example, with laggy vocal distortion and passionate guitar riffs chords. “Catch Me” has the kind of tongue-twisting lyrics that are are a lot of fun to sing along to.
If you want a chance to sing the lyrics along with the band, Melt’s tour kickoff will be taking place July 20th at the Ladd taphouse. Scott Yoder, Cry Babe and !mindparade will also be playing sets. You can find out more information on the facebook page here.
Just in time for the last weekend in June, Jame Doe has partnered with the Deli to premiere his song “Garden With No Water” and the accompanying music video. The song is motivational pop without being too cloying. It delivers the right amount of sweetness tinged with an underlying darkness, though the two do not work as opposite forces. Instead, it gives you something to ponder as you dance. The video is charming, full of abstractly animated flowers that bloom and decay as Jame sings. He delivers a beautiful and simple performance. We talked to Jame about the inspiration behind his musical style, and what you can find in a “Garden With No Water.”
The Deli: Tell us a little about yourself
Jame Doe: When I was five or six my parents bought “Spice World” on VHS, and they’d put this shimmery, tinsel wig on me and film me singing every word to every song. Those were really my first performances. I had no siblings, and that’s kind of what only children do when they don’t know they’re deeply in the closet… they belt Spice Girls in a rainbow wig. My parents definitely knew I was gay by this point, we fondly look back on this time.
I’m 25 now and that little boy who just loved to sing at his imaginary audience and make them feel something they didn’t know they wanted to feel still drives me. I’ve been performing for about a year and a half as Jame. My real name is Jake, but my initials are JM.. thus Jame. Also rhymes with fame, shame, lame.. my favorite words. I sing about the boys I’ve lusted after, getting older, feeling lost in the big blue sea, and crippling self-doubt. I’m pretty dark pop-oriented but definitely vocally lean towards the big greats that inspire me (Celine Dion, Elton John, Adele, London Grammar.)
Where do you draw inspiration from as an artist?
Drama. I love dramatic and contrasting proportions. In my apartment I have chairs that are three inches wide that have little plants on them. There is a spoon and fork set on my walls in the dining room that are four feet tall. I’m constantly wearing oversized cloaks that drape to the floor. There’s something about distorted proportions I’ve always loved and I like to think that way in my music. I’m inspired by presenting the unexpected.
At the core of my songs I always want there to be beauty.. whether it’s the notes, the lyrics, the instrumentation, the harmonies, something in it should always feel beautiful because I try to find the beauty in every situation I tangle myself in.
Any specific influences we can hear in Garden w/no Water?
Last May, in the middle of the night my longtime music collaborator called me and told me she wouldn’t be working with me anymore because she was moving back to Georgia. I was devastated, really heartbroken to lose a friend in such a bizarre way. I hold onto my friends so deeply. It made sense, deep down why she needed to go, but I play no instruments and I thought to myself, ‘how am I going to write music without her?’
I was just beginning to get good gigs and I thought, shit I can’t make new music. The next day I stood at my boyfriend’s keyboard and wrote this song, including all the piano. Just by figuring it out with some little chord app on my phone. But yeah, she left me feeling like a garden with no water. Here I am with my voice and my lyrics (that I think are beautiful) and no way to cultivate them. The water was in me all along I guess.
I wanted the video to be this fun representation of myself. I’m so inspired by clunky + clashy fashion, and I’ve always loved animations when placed on top of real performances. Two amazing PNCA students, Brian Baird Asiata and Monica McGrane animated the video that Sam Gehrke shot.
What do you hope the audience takes away?
That friends can break your heart in ways you didn’t think they had the power to. But the beauty and the water has been in you the whole time, and if you’re feeling low then dance it out and make a harmony to get over it.
Jame Doe will be playing a show at Holocene on July 3rd with Colin Jenkins and Charts
Wet Dream just premiered their song “See Foam Run,” off their upcoming album Future Nostalgic. The dream-pop band manages to peacefully blend the more wistful elements of their music with the more upbeat backing. “See Foam Run” creates a unique and lovely combination of moods. It feels lost but not lonely, guided by an earnest desire to explore the darkness it finds itself in. Listening to the song feels like looking at yourself in the mirror surrounded by shadowy neon lighting. It’s a beautiful piece of exploration.
The Liquor Store’s throwing a birthday party for the lovely Heavenli, and they were generous enough to open it to the public. It’s going to have an eclectic group of artists playing, making for one sick lineup. Four great acts will be playing; dynamic power-pop group Ex-Kids, Portland’s dreamiest punks Cry Babe, queer and feminist punk rockers Cockeye, and experimental hip hop group Sumalienz. Plus, all proceeds go to Planned Parenthood so it’s a great night for a good cause.
The show will be this Thursday, June 20th at the Liquor Store. Tickets are $7, and doors open at 9.
Cape Chacon’s first release, Doing My Best, is endearing and relatable in the best way possible. Listening to it reminds you of every skinned knee you got during the summer as a kid. The vocals are beautiful, grounded firmly in each note sung. It has the feel of young adults shaking off the skin of teenage apathy, realizing that feeling earnest and genuine isn’t a bad thing.
It isn’t all sweet either, despite the upbeat pop style. The album is full of a uniquely gentle resentment. Do you remember the first time you tried to eat a bubble, only to discover that the incredibly tempting shine was really just bitter and soapy? That’s the feeling Cape Chacon is singing about, especially in songs like “save me 4 l8r.” However, there is hope in the album as well. After all, the band describes their music as “indie rock that’s kind of like when you forgot your pencil in sixth grade but ur bff had an extra.” Sure, there’s panic and despair, but there’s also a friendly hand there to help you out.
Juniper Purr is releasing a new album, Galaxy Radio, this Friday via Godyssey Music. The Deli is lucky to premiere the album’s final track, “Goldie Waits.” “Goldie Waits” starts off cheerful and charming. The song’s mellow blend of surf and psych is lulling but never dull. The upbeat surf riffs and falsetto vocals are the perfect entrance to vocalist’s Bo Olivieri’s smoother sound. His voice is warm and meditative, like the sunshine resting on your shoulders during a day at the beach. It takes the listener on a journey through summery, thoughtful days with the promise of more to come.
Last week, Blossom released her newest LP, Maybe. It’s a beautiful reflection on what the mind can do when left alone. Blossom makes fever dreams feel spine-tingling and sultry. She has great command over her voice, delivering each word succinctly and powerfully. As the months get hotter, we’re all going to get more and more grateful that she’s released this album in time for summer. “Betty Rizzo” is an especially alluring song, which makes sense given its namesake. It’s one that will probably bring more than a few bodies to the dance floor.
Blossom will be having an album release party for Maybe next Monday, June 10th at the Armory. She will be joined by Butter Baby, DJ Dubblife, Fountaine, KayelaJ and Bocha.
Post-math rock band Childspeak released their latest album Indulgent Endeavors last March, and it’s dreamy instrumentalist really speaks to the ways the band has grown. The album is mature and thoughtful. Indulgent is an apt name, as the band really takes the time to steep in every emotion instrumentals can produce. The band also plays around with the subjectivity that controls these emotions. As guitarist Bri Haber explains, “Reality is sculpted by a person’s individual experience and is intrinsically subjective.” Childspeak makes room in its music, not only for their own individual realities but for the realities of their listeners as well.
Childspeak is playing a show this Friday, June 7th at Sessions Music Lounge. Long Hallways and Gazelle(s) will also be playing.
Tonight, you can catch the first of the Ladd Circle Outdoor Concert Series. Presented by Common Bones Production and Ladd Taphouse, the show will feature Dirty Revival, White Lotus, and HEREISGOOD. All proceeds from the event will go to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco. The ILRC is a is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, and the legal sector to create a fair and democratic community for all. It’s a great chance to listen to some good tunes and support a great cause, which is always something to appreciate.
The show starts at 5, at Ladd Taphouse. Tickets are $15. There’s also going to be an after party, featuring Jen Siren.
Portland indie folk-pop artist Tara Velarde is playing a local release show for her new EP this Friday. The album, titled Rise, is thoughtful and sensitive. It has some wonderful pop ballads, such as "Touch You." Velarde’s voice is rich, but light and airy at the same time. She has a unique and subtle twang in her voice, imbuing each song with traditional folk sound. At the heart of her sound, and appeal, is soft folk-pop done beautifully. Of course, Velarde isn’t just soft corners, and songs like "Such an Island" bring out her grittier, tougher side. It’s a nice balance, and shows the depth of Velarde’s country-music chops. Check out "Touch You" below.
The release show is this Friday, May 17th. It’ll be at Secret Society. There Is No Mountain and Far Out West will also be playing.
Instrumentalist and composer Caroline Mason has an EP coming out this fall, and she released a new single this past March. The song is called “Floating”, and that’s exactly the headspace the song takes you too. Sometimes it can be hard to maintain an ethereal, enigmatic space in a song with a faster pace. That doesn’t seem to be a problem Mason faces. Her voice echoes and floats above the percussion. Fittingly, this effect happens most noticeably as she sings about her feet being on the ground. It’s very easy to connect with the song. Mason is able to control the flow of both your mental intake of the song, and the physical responses your body has to her instrumentals.
Mason is responsible for all the instrumentation on this track. This becomes incredibly clear in the songs music video. The video consists of very close up shots of each instrument – her hands on the keyboard, her fingers on the guitar, her mouth as she sings. Occasionally we get wider shots of Mason, standing on a rocky dessert playing a single drum set, or the camera panning farther away as she strums on her guitar. It’s intimate and disconnecting, without feeling jarring. Check it out below.
