New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Sunset (Chris Broach of Braid and Steve Znavor of Life at Sea) have released a video for their track “Maybe We’ve Got It”. The song is taken from their debut LP, Turn Out The Lights, which is due out April 7th.
You can catch Sunset at Chop Shop on March 10th.
Deli Portlanders,
It’s been a months long road in the process of nominating and voting on who all of you feel are the city’s best musicians for the year. After thinking back on all the shows played and albums released from 2016, we’ve finally got a solid list of Portland’s finest. Take a gander at who you all fell for (and just how much you fell for them), while also showing some love to yourselves and the lovely jurors that participated.
Thanks to our jurors: Linneas Boland-Godbey (Next Northwest), Aaron Sharpsteen (Photographer), Tony Prato (Bunk Bar), Duffy Rongiiland (Gnar Tapes), Rob Cullivan (Portland Tribune), Leigh Belacic (PDX Pop Now), Jeni Wren Stottrup (Gritty Birds Podcast), Annie Ostrowski (Riot Act Media), Blake Hickman (Good Cheer Records), Clifford Prince King (Photographer), Mo Troper (Impose Magazine/Portland Mercury), Chad Davis (Musician), Jordan Stamm (Drunk Dial Records), Hunter Skowron (Dazzleships Records), Todd Walberg (Photographer), Yousef Hatlani (Faces on the Radio), Corbin Corbinn (Crush House/Photographer), and Andrew Olson (dr0ne PR).
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what you all have been waiting for…
Lithics exude mystery. From their experimental punk drone to their intentional lack of an internet presence, they’re the band you may not have known existed until you saw them accidentally. They’ve been coasting in Portland’s formerly under-appreciated but always DIY post/art punk scene for almost three years now with just two releases under their belt. Their three track, self-titled tape from 2015 gave us a taste, but it was their 2016 release Borrowed Floors that helped propel them into being Portland’s best band of the year.
—
2. Cat Hoch
This isn’t the first success Cat Hoch and her band have experienced with the Deli. She came out on top entirely in 2015, when she was voted the Best Emerging Artist of that year and was the readers’ choice for best in shoegaze and psych rock for this year. From opening up for Ride to commanding even bigger stages, Cat Hoch and her talented group of musicians aren’t stopping anytime soon.
—
3. Abronia
Ambiently soft yet broodingly heavy, Abronia have expanded their lineup to match their beautifully atmospheric and expansive sound. Our overall pick for best in electronic and experimental and perfect for moments of mental reflection (but easy to enjoy in damn near every other scenario), Abronia’s dominanation of the experimental side of the poll makes total sense, and we can’t wait to hear new releases from them.
—
4. Ice Queens (Alt Rock/Metal, 7pts)
5. Fur Coats (Hip Hop/R&B, 6pts)
6. The Toads (Indie Rock/Post-Punk, 6pts)
7. Mr. Wrong (Punk/Garage, 6pts)
8. Shrine of the Serpent (Alt Rock/Metal, 5.5pts)
9. A Volcano (Alt Rock/Metal, 5pts)
10. dolphin midwives (Electronic/Experimental, 5pts)
11. Gold Casio (Electronic/Experimental, 5pts)
12. Chanti Darling (Hip Hop/R&B, 5pts)
13. Lola Buzzkill (Hip Hop/R&B, 5pts)
14. Laura Palmer’s Death Parade (Psych/Shoegaze, 5pts)
15. Wave Action (Punk/Garage, 5pts)
16. Donte Thomas (Hip Hop/R&B, 4pts)
17. Little Star (Indie Pop, 4pts)
18. Candace (Psych/Shoegaze, 4pts)
19. Zozma (Psych/Shoegaze, 4pts)
20. On drugs (Punk/Garage, 4pts)
21. James Curry IV (Electronic/Experimental, 3.5pts)
22. Mini Blinds (Indie Pop, 3.5pts)
We are proud to premiere the lead track from Liz and the Lovelies‘ debut EP, Progress Into Simplicity. The EP will be released tomorrow, March 7th.
You can catch Liz and The Lovelies at North Bar on April 4th.
Krust Toons: "Not My Resident" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.
“Home (Where She Wanted To Be),” the title track from Night Windows forthcoming EP, thrusts assertively forward, propelled by bass and the sly addition of synth. While the percussive, spacey thud sets the tone, harmonized vocals iron the production out. Home will be released on March 31 via Black Rd Records. However, the band’s release show is slated for Tuesday, March 28 at Boot & Saddle, and the bill will also include co-producer Fred Thomas as well as HLEP & Maxwell Stern.
While the current presidential administration might bode poorly for minorities, women, and maybe the way we look at Twitter, we can at least rejoice that the next four years will show a defiant uptick in relevant punk music. And man, is the United Nations doing the lord’s work. The Brooklyn-based band–that may/may not be a supergroup–recently released "Stairway to Mar-a-Lago," a single whose release coincided with the recent inaugural ceremony and features the band’s signature blend of unhinged, frenetic instrumentals, screeching vocals, and sweepingly anthemic breakdowns. The group is kind of everything you’d want out of a 2017 punk band: killer tunes are matched with headstrong messages, angst and an appetite for the controversial. Check out the band’s latest single, streaming below. – Olivia Sisinni
In advance of the May 5 debut album release “Olden Goldies,” Argentinian-born Queens resident Tall Juan (profiled in the Summer 2016 Deli Print Issue 47) has released first single “Getting Cold” (streaming below). Using his nylon-stringed classical guitar, deliberately strummed, unaccompanied chords introduce the track slowly at first, before building in speed. That intro serves as segue for the full stomping progression where Juan wails “I was all alone, I even wanted to try and kill myself.” Channeling original punkers Joey Ramone and Richard Hell’s vocal stylings in tone and delivery, an instant connection is made with fans of early NYC punk and garage rock. Despite the relative structural simplicity (something punk rock is celebrated for) there are enough chord changes and rhythmic turns to keep it all careening forward. The upbeat progression lightens angst filled lyrics like “all I ever wanted was some love, but all I got was my body getting cold.” Olden Goldies is available for pre-order via BUFU Records now. – Dave Cromwell
Secret Nudist Friends is made up of Matty Klauser, Andy Slepman and Brian Hullihen, who craft jaunty pop creations that draw upon elements of surf, psychedelic, and contemporary indie rock. Klauser’s background in opera and musical theatre allows him to deliver compelling vocal performances, while providing catchy guitar hooks. The band just released its new four-song EP Susan, which you can stream and purchase below. Secret Nudist Friends will also be celebrating the album’s arrival with a performance tonight at Tralfamadore, where they’ll be supported by Honeytiger, Psychiatric Metaphors, The Off White, and The Vernes, before heading on tour down south to SXSW. (Photo by Jeanette D. Moses)
Despite the late announcement, we’ve got the winners of our "Best Of" poll ripe and ready for their Deli Portland chart debut. In who all of you considered to be the best in local offerings of metal and alternative rock, let’s say a big ol’ congratulations to Shrine of the Serpent and Ice Queens.
Tallying the most adoration from both our jurors and our readers, Shrine of the Serpent melds death and black metal with all the gloom of sludgey doom that anyone could ever ask for. Though they’ve only one self-titled EP under their belt, Shrine of the Serpent has reaped much deserved acclaim from labels like Parasitic Records and Memento Mori. It makes sense, given their triad of members boast resumes including Tenspeed Warlock, Graves at Sea and Sod Hauler as past projects. Let’s hope we see a new release from them soon.
Locals’ hearts are filled with love for Ice Queens, who won our Deli readers’ poll by a landslide. It was just over two years ago when an admiration for rambling ’90s rock brought Minden‘s Evan Houston (guitar) and James Taylor (bass) together with the bearded force of Brandon Nikola on drums and vocalist/guitarist Edgar McRae, eventually breeding their sound salute to the style. Their celebration of syncopation of that decade makes for a captivating performance, with their next one being next month at the Turn Turn Turn.
You have to be living under a rock to not have noticed that the greatest threat to the American public these past few years hasn’t come from ISIS, immigration policies, the hyperbolic ‘media’, or the increasingly polarized political climate. Rather, the most diabolical and deadliest threat originates from a deluge of cheap, and readily available heroin, that has percolated into every socioeconomical class, ruining lives and killing addicts indiscriminately. All the while being criminally underreported by the media.
Despite the rising body count, the stigma around addiction has stifled conversations around seeking solutions, and instead focused on shifting blame from Big Pharma, to lawmakers, to the addicts themselves. While the crisis is being co-opted by opportunists for political gain; addicts are dying, families are suffering, and drug traffickers are cashing in.
Barrett O’Donnell and his newly formed band, Bearoté, wrote "Memphis TN" as a response to the epidemic and also a personal tragedy. The name Bearoté is derived from an old Native American story where mythical coyote-bear hybrids would always be born in litters of three. The strongest two bearotés of the litter would then cannibalize the third, not out of pure brutality, but as to gain the third’s guidance in the spirit world. Barrett and his brother Thaddeus, along with bandmates Cale Kiffin and Hans Bohlmann, wrote "Memphis TN" after losing the third O’Donnell brother, Daniel, to a heroin overdose in 2012. The bearoté legend says that while the third bearoté no longer inhabits the physical world, he becomes a spiritual guide to the remaining two, protecting them while also pushing them towards enlightenment. Whereas Daniel may not maintain a physical presence on Earth, Barrett and Thaddeus have never ‘lost’ their brother, since Daniel’s presence reigns over them guiding them toward a higher earthly purpose and spiritual significance.
The song opens with distorted newscast soundbytes of opiate epidemic reports playing over a wonky, folk-styled melody. The lackadaisial progression has an intoxicated feel, while Barrett’s woozy yet comical vocals detail the brothers move to the ill-fated and drug-infested Memphis.
"If you dont want to have to deal with them heavy-hitting thugs/ Just cruise on out to the suburbs, find a highschool kid for your drugs/ Heroin and cocaine and methamphetamine/ It really ain’t that all hard to find for a Shelby county school teen"
The song, despite its playful analogies, has a melancholic undercurrent that tugs heart strings and has a gravitating effect . The guitar sounds of Cale and Thad intertwine seamlessly, while Barrett’s vocals oscillate between completely aloof to a focused and angry conviction. "Memphis TN" is the first single from the band’s upcoming yet-to-be-named debut album that was recorded by Sam Whips Allison in Bandera, TX as well as Austin.
It’s out of bottomless pain that some of the world’s best art is born, and the opiate edpidemic has created a surplus of agony that the O’Donnell brothers know all too well. Bearoté has already aligned itself with institutions that offer resources to battle addiction, including the Austin-based Infinite Recovery. Bearoté has begun playing more live shows around the Austin area and it’s evident that the spirit of the third brother is guiding this band in a positive direction.
"Memphis TN" is available for free on www.bearote.com
-Lee Ackerley
Earlier this year, experimental indie-rock trio XR Tabs was chosen by our panel of jurors as New England’s Best Emerging Indie Rock Act of 2016. Their unique, ambient soundscapes create a visceral response from the listener, fostering feelings of uncertainty and discovery. Their new material is a collection of lo-fi science experiments gone right. Experience them live at Aurora Providence on 3/22 with Jesse the Tree, featuring photography by Ky Van Seltzer and artwork by Madison Eva. -Brian Varneke
*photo by John Keel
MOGO Fest wouldn’t be a definitive Portland faction without a little bit of psychy garage. Veronica Booking is handing this arena for the festival, with one of her bills being one of our picks for today’s festivities.
On tonight’s bill at Dante’s, the self proclaimed dancey "trash jewel" output of ’60s throwback band The Pynnacles headlines this night of psychedelic pleasantry. This is also somewhat of a "welcome back" show for progressive stoner rock group Cambrian Explosion, who have been on the road for much of February. Rounding out this nod of a classic night is some space rock from LiquidLight, who came out on top in our Best of 2015 readers’ poll.
Dante’s is sure to transform into a land of trippy lights, so come prepared to be immersed in impressive soundscapes and colorful visuals. Music starts at 9pm, with tickets running $10.
