The Old Church is quite a beautiful venue. Sounds bounce of the historic Carpenter Gothic church’s walls with sonic ease, making it an ideal location for amplifying even the softest of tones. On Saturday, the Old Church will be host to a night of acoustics, meant to benefit a city-wide epidemic.

Spreading awareness acoustically, And And And, Ill Lucid Onset and Alyce Fernley will be gracing the Old Church’s large, organ-dominated stage to play sets for Human Solutions. The local nonprofit provides services to low-income and houseless individuals within Portland and granted the city’s current housing state of emergency, the nonprofit could use all the support it can get to help support those most in need.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here or at the door. For more information on how to volunteer with Human Solutions or other ways to help, visit their website at humansolutions.org.

 We premiered "Depth" by Sheers back in August and we’re pleased to be able to share the song’s coinciding video. Visually intriguing, the video for "Depth" artistically represents introspective acumen aesthetically demonstrated by a pinkish hue, beautiful interpretive dance and provocative actions by the video’s main character – Lily Breshears herself. 

The perfect effigy for such a deep gothic folk track, Sheers‘ new video will make you want to watch it over and over again.

For a band fairly recent in its development, Arrows in Orbit already have a good grasp on what it takes to blend prog rock with classic folk in an uniquely emotive way. The four-piece encompasses diverse members from assorted corners of the world, with each of their different backgrounds adding nonpareil factions to a musical style led by lead singer and songwriter Hunter Paye.

Arrows in Orbit’s definitive style is clearly expressed on the track we’re premiering today, "The New You." The first song Paye wrote upon acquiring his first electric guitar, "The New You" is refined, promising more solid releases from the rest of the Blueprints for Flight EP and the band in general.

The single release show for "The New You" will be November 16 at the Liquor Store as part of The Secret Sea‘s newest album release and an accompanying set from Glasys. Tickets are $7 with the show starting at 9pm. 

Arrows In Orbit – "The New You" from Jon Meyer on Vimeo.

We appreciate the talents of anyone that breaks through the typical mold of an art form. Our latest outside-of-the-music-box thinkers to praise come as a pair who takes two instruments predominately used as accents to the standard guitar/bass/drums format and make them the focus, in a way that can’t be ignored.

Crystal Cortez and Jess McFadden are Sea Charms, a duo that dynamically uses keys and a sax, respectively, to create large scapes blending jazz, electronic and hip hop. It’s nearly impossible not to get lost in McFadden’s sax tones, while Cortez’s slick moves on the keys lay the base for the grooves to move on.

The two started out mainly as a live act, procuring news fans with every set played. With the release of their official self-titled recorded debut last year and a live album documenting their tour of the Midwest, we just can’t get enough. 

And it’s with our insatiable desire for these two they’ve become our latest Artists of the Month and we congratulate them. Let’s hope there’s another chance to see them live again soon!

 *photo by Sean Gutierrez

Today we’re premiering the third single from The Secret Sea‘s U.S. debut and 7th album, Everest, which was recorded and mixed by Larry Crane of Jackpot! Studios.

His previous singles "Army of Souls" and "Canada" opened the door to the intimate confines of Amit Erez’s soft acoustic world, but it’s the thoughtful lyrics and imagery of "My Beautiful Hell" that takes us further and deeper into the revelation of his story.

Steadily rolling forward in a lush full-band arrangement, this song is the journey of a protagonist through his past and present, reflecting on events that shaped his life as an artist and as a person with haunting visuals and metaphors. Lyrically heavy, "My Beautiful Hell" pulls the listener into a hallucination, questioning the perceptions of home, happiness, and the endless chase after one’s own calling. 

The track also features guest musicians Gil Assayas of GLASYS on keys and former Elliott Smith and current Eyelids drummer Paul Pulvirenti. 

Amit will be joined by a full band for the first time onstage for the album release show for Everest, taking place at the Liquor Store on November 16th. The show will also be a single release for Arrows in Orbit, along with a performance from GLASYS.

Limited edition cassettes with download codes from Dazzleships Records will also be sold at the show and Everest will be digitally available on all known platforms on Nov 15th, with a pre-order on iTunes from Nov 12th.

In the first of what is sure to be a successful slew, KPSU has teamed up with McMenamins Lola’s Room for a series of all-ages shows that begins with a perfectly curated lineup promising strong hints of shoegaze, dream pop and a touch of 90’s revival.

We have no doubt in our minds that Lubec will bring yet another good set, since the Portland vets have played and shared consistently great music for the last five years. Cosmic Debt, their September release, continues on in that same vein, but the other bands on the bill add an extra bit of intrigue to the show.

Alien Boy has done a lot with their poppy post punk in the last year and it’s something that can’t be missed, while Helens take on the genre is a bit heavier and gazed out. Floating Room, the newest endeavor musically bringing together drowse‘s Kyle Bates and Maya Stoner of Sabonis, could not offer a better representation of both bands’ sound fused into one. Their debut Sunless is due out in just a couple weeks and sees the glum echo of comfort found in drowse’s production while giving another platform for the signature gossamer tone Stoner’s voice provides to Sabonis. 

Doors for this KPSU/Lola’s Room show tomorrow open at 7pm, with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are only $5 will any Student ID and just $8. Get excited, there are a couple more KPSU and Lola’s Room shows this Fall that are just as promising.

On this morning of Halloween, where glum clouds mask our skies before we mask our faces at nightfall, we wake up immediately feeling the Halloween spirit. Especially after watching the new video for "Poor Thief of Hearts."

Coming to Portland by way of Austin, Tx. Silver Ships, the project name for the talented multi-instrumentalist Chazz Bessette, takes on folk pop, psych and straight up rock and roll in the style of the Beatles or Nilsson. He creates his sounds mixing conventional and unconventional instruments and tactics that add extra layers of texture to his fully at-home, analog recordings.

Let "Poor Thief of Hearts" serve as evidence of his talents, along with getting you in the mood for a day filled with all things cutely spooky. Silver Ships is having his tour kick off show this Thursday at the Liquor Store with The Reverberations and Hannah Yeun. 

 *poster by Jodie Beechem

How could this show not be on our radar? Lose Yr Mind Fest has killed it with this witchy presention of bands, with the theme being that of one of everyone’s favorite Halloween movies, Hocus Pocus. HoPo, or the Halloween Hocus Pocus Party will see the Liquor Store transform into its own Salem, Mass., with Cat Hoch, Fog Father and Wampire serving as our harmonious Sanderson Sisters.

As to which band correlates to Sarah, Winnie and Mary? That’s up to you, but Fog Father will be releasing a single this night as well, making the whole thing even more fun. 

To boot, Hocus Pocus will be playing on a projection screen behind the bands as they play and there will be a late night dance party following the sets. If you wear a costume, you’ll be entered to win some prizes! 

HoPo is 21+, $10 and a good mix of traditional Halloween celebrating (there will be candy, too!) and the way Portland celebrates – with music.

Tonight’s Saturday Night Sounds is based on an interesting but necessary show concept, taking place on Halloween proper. Elvis vs. Elvis – Sound Judgement Halloween is happening at Valentines Monday and will be a showdown between the music world’s two most famous (if not only) men named Elvis – Elvis Costello and Elvis Presley. Who’s representing each respective Elvis? 

Rentz Leinbach and Rambush.

The matchmaking on this bill is perfect, as Rentz Leinbach’s lo-fi country power pop and similar take on vocal play make him the esteemed man for the job. As far as Rambush doing Presley, their ability to blend various genres with an original approach make them just as good a choice to tackle the King’s inventiveness.

We’ve included a track from each act below so you can get a feel for the cover battle to be presented at the 21+ and free show.

Even though Halloween may be lacking in amount of days off from work and school, it’s still hands down the best holiday to celebrate with your homies. There are quite a few events going on this weekend that would allow for such activities, but they may not cater to them as much as Homieween ’16.

Dig A Pony’s night of costumed craziness will be hosted by everyone’s favorite funnyman drummer Papi Fimbres along with some commentary input from DJ T-Kray (Theo Craig), so we’ll definitely be entertained in between the evening’s stacked bill.

Indie rockers Months will share the stage with the funky punk of Bitch’n, the experimental alt-rock from Helvetia and a SUPER SECRET HEADLINER that’s leaving us all sorts of curious and intrigued. The mystery headliner is set to go on at midnight, truly bringing in Halloween official properly.

Homieween 16′ is TOMORROW and for $10 you’ll strut tough through the 8pm doors and subsequent laughs, with music kicking off at 9pm. 

 When it comes to bands that have done the most for modern day music, Depeche Mode and the Ramones definitely top that list. While their outputs appealed to different audiences, fusing them together to create one solidly awesome entity is one of the most genius things this Deli Portlander has every seen. Thank goodness Ramodes is actually a thing now.

Pulling punks from both Scourge of Ians and Chartbusters, along with some contributing minds from bedroom pop act PS-AX, Ramodes is exactly what you need out of a mashup cover band. It sets the brooding lyrics of Depeche Mode to the lighthearted punk of the Ramones, which is a must see for the Halloween cover band season and honestly, something we hope will stick around all year long.

Ramodes will be playing two cover sets – one tonight at Blackwater and one tomorrow at the Know. 

Halloween weekend technically kicked off yesterday, but in the spirit of keeping the party going, make sure you drop by the early set at Analog Cafe tonight. Presale tickets may not be available anymore, but seeing locals Shannon Entropy with New York’s Sunflower Bean and the Lemon Twigs is worth the $12 door price.

Things are kicking off early with doors at 6pm, but try not to miss Shannon Entropy’s indie meets psych-hop set. Their atypical approach to sonance was first shared with the world earlier this year through their debut The Tamale EP, which also helped them win one of our Artist of the Month polls back in September.

Shannon Entropy is truly unlike any other indie act in town so it makes sense they were asked to open for the poppy glam rock of the Lemon Twigs and bedroom rock of Sunflower Bean. It’ll be a lively evening performance worth checking out.