Just announced this morning, the initial list of artists performing at MusicFestNW is below. I have put in bold the artists I am most excited about...what about you?
A Storm of Light
Akimbo
Alela Diane
Anais Mitchell
And And And
Archers
Archers of Loaf
Avi Buffalo
Band of Horses
Bare Wires
Beat Connection
Big Freedia
Black Prairie
Blind Pilot
Blitzen Trapper
Blouse
Boat
Bobby Bare Jr.
Butthole Surfers
Caleb Klauder
Cass McCombs
Celilo
Centro-Matic
Charles Bradley
Climber
Crooked Fingers
Crypts
Dam-Funk & Master Blaster
Dangerous Boys Club
Death Songs
Dennis Coffey
Diesto
Dirty Beaches
Dirty Mittens
DJ Anjali
Dolorean
E*Rock
E3
Elitist
EMA
Emily Wells
Eternal Tapestry
Explosions in the Sky
Fernando
GIVERS
Glass Candy
GRAILS
Hammerhead
Handsome Furs
Heavy Cream
Holcombe Waller
Horse Feathers
Iron & Wine
Jared Mees & the Grown Children
Jeffrey Jerusalem
Joe Pug
Kelly Blair Bauman
Kylesa
Lifesavas
Little Dragon
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Mad Rad
Marius Libman
Mnemonic Sounds
Monarques
Morning Teleportation
Natasha Kmeto
Nether Regions
Neurosis
Old Light
Olivia Tremor Control
Operative
Phantogram
Pierced Arrows
Pig Destroyer
Portland Cello Project
PS I Love You
Purple & Green
Quiet Life
Rabbits
Rebecca Gates
Reporter
Rhett Miller
Richmond Fontaine
RTX
Sean Flinn & the Royal We
Sebadoh
Shabazz Palaces
Sharon Van Etten
Sleepy Sun
Soft Kill
Talkdemonic
Ted Leo
Tennis
The Angry Orts
The Antlers
The Dimes
The Gaslamp Killer
The Globes
The Hood Internet
The Horrors
The Incredible Kid
The Joy Formidable
The Kills
The Ladybug Transistor
The Minders
The Miracles Club
The Moondoggies
The Needful Longings
The Soft Moon
The Thermals
The Vaccines
The Wizard Rifle
Thee Oh Sees
Thornes
Thrones
Thousands
Transient
Twin Sister
TxE
Ty Segall
Typhoon
UME
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Violet Isle
Viva Voce
WEINLAND
White Hills
Wild Ones
Witch Mountain
Y La Bamba
Yacht
YOB
You Am I
Zuzuka Poderos
MusicfestNW runs from September 7-11 at various venues around Portland. www.musicfestnw.com
Showing posts with label Portland Music Scene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Portland Music Scene. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Archers In Studio at OPB
I recently had the pleasure of watching and interviewing Archers in studio at OPB. I've been spinning Brussels Truffles and listening to their 7" for a few weeks now, and I am hooked on the fast-paced, on-the-brink-of-losing it sound they rock so hard.
In the studio, just as in their lives shows, they were loud, chaotic and totally exciting to watch. With their five distinct personalities shining through musically, Archers whipped through 6 songs, an interview, station IDs and a few re-takes in just under an hour. Impressive.
If you want a free sample, head over to their Bandcamp site where they've made a track available for free. And while you're there, grab a copy of the 7" that slams 4 songs into two sides. You won't even know what hit you.
Guaranteed these guys continue to make waves in the Portland music scene, and hopefully they can start gaining some traction outside the Pacific Northwest because they truly are one of the most entertaining bands in town.
The opbmusic session should be up on the website in the next few weeks.
Archers headline Mississippi Studios this Sunday, April 3rd.
opbmusic
In the studio, just as in their lives shows, they were loud, chaotic and totally exciting to watch. With their five distinct personalities shining through musically, Archers whipped through 6 songs, an interview, station IDs and a few re-takes in just under an hour. Impressive.
If you want a free sample, head over to their Bandcamp site where they've made a track available for free. And while you're there, grab a copy of the 7" that slams 4 songs into two sides. You won't even know what hit you.
Guaranteed these guys continue to make waves in the Portland music scene, and hopefully they can start gaining some traction outside the Pacific Northwest because they truly are one of the most entertaining bands in town.
The opbmusic session should be up on the website in the next few weeks.
Archers headline Mississippi Studios this Sunday, April 3rd.
opbmusic
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Tame Impala: Doug Fir Lounge, 12/11/10
For those who haven't heard Tame Impala, they are a fuzzed out, psychedelic rock band from Australia with atmospheric effects and dream-like vocal melodies. Their debut album, InnerSpeaker, was released earlier this year and it immediately drew me in. Seeing them live became the next test, and, after a bit of a slow start, they passed it successfully on Saturday night at Doug Fir. Some of the best shows I've seen this year - Delta Spirit, Jamie Lidell - have been at Doug Fir, and Tame Impala is now among them. Playing a majority of InnerSpeaker plus a totally rad cover of Massive Attack's "Angel" (see a decent YouTube clip here), the band sounded terrific and were musically completely satisfying.
I say "after a bit of a slow start" because the Aussie four-piece literally started the set a little slow. The first track from the album was the first song they played, but the tempo was about 2 clicks too slow; however, my worry that they would maintain the weed/beer-induced pace was quickly erased when they launched into Solitude Is Bliss. Immediately, the band was right in the pocket and kept the energy up through the rest of the hour and twenty minute set. Clearly impressed by the massive turnout - it was nearly sold out - the group constantly thanked the crowd and, once they were comfortable, looked like they were having a great time.
Lead singer Kevin Parker was even-keeled throughout the show except for a few drops to his knees to fiddle with pedals and a couple of guitar chops to accent some drum hits during Lucidity. Lead guitarist Dominic Simper had the mop-headed look of Jonny Greenwood and added lovely bits of flavor with his lead lines and effects. The drummer is aptly nicknamed "Gumby" due to the ease with which he finds his way around the drum kit. And the bass player looked a bit like Michael Cera, who just happened to be at the show.
The band didn't do much on stage, which would normally be frustrating for me, but the energy they put out fit perfectly with the attitude of the album. And sometimes it's just nice to hear the songs played perfectly, only with more energy and extending some bridges. All of the carefully crafted nuances from InnerSpeaker came through at Doug Fir, and, despite this being a relatively new band, these guys played like pros.
InnerSpeaker came in at #4 on my Favorites of 2010 list this year, and their show at Doug Fir only solidified that choice. Do yourself a favor and give Tame Impala a listen.
It should also be noted that Portland's Brainstorm opened the night, and easily won over the audience with their eclectic mix of raw indie rock and tuba. Yes, tuba. Brainstorm consists of two multi-instrumentalists: the drummer sings with a headset and plays synth on some tunes while the guitar player handles bass with the help of effects pedals, sings and also plays a tuba on a few tunes. They have a few shows coming up, and they are definitely worth checking out.
I say "after a bit of a slow start" because the Aussie four-piece literally started the set a little slow. The first track from the album was the first song they played, but the tempo was about 2 clicks too slow; however, my worry that they would maintain the weed/beer-induced pace was quickly erased when they launched into Solitude Is Bliss. Immediately, the band was right in the pocket and kept the energy up through the rest of the hour and twenty minute set. Clearly impressed by the massive turnout - it was nearly sold out - the group constantly thanked the crowd and, once they were comfortable, looked like they were having a great time.
Lead singer Kevin Parker was even-keeled throughout the show except for a few drops to his knees to fiddle with pedals and a couple of guitar chops to accent some drum hits during Lucidity. Lead guitarist Dominic Simper had the mop-headed look of Jonny Greenwood and added lovely bits of flavor with his lead lines and effects. The drummer is aptly nicknamed "Gumby" due to the ease with which he finds his way around the drum kit. And the bass player looked a bit like Michael Cera, who just happened to be at the show.
The band didn't do much on stage, which would normally be frustrating for me, but the energy they put out fit perfectly with the attitude of the album. And sometimes it's just nice to hear the songs played perfectly, only with more energy and extending some bridges. All of the carefully crafted nuances from InnerSpeaker came through at Doug Fir, and, despite this being a relatively new band, these guys played like pros.
InnerSpeaker came in at #4 on my Favorites of 2010 list this year, and their show at Doug Fir only solidified that choice. Do yourself a favor and give Tame Impala a listen.
It should also be noted that Portland's Brainstorm opened the night, and easily won over the audience with their eclectic mix of raw indie rock and tuba. Yes, tuba. Brainstorm consists of two multi-instrumentalists: the drummer sings with a headset and plays synth on some tunes while the guitar player handles bass with the help of effects pedals, sings and also plays a tuba on a few tunes. They have a few shows coming up, and they are definitely worth checking out.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Portland Radio: opbmusic
I love radio. But I think most of all I love the idea of radio. Most of my listening these days is in the form of online streams or podcasts; however, none of this would be possible without the basic radio stations to program and broadcast the content.
Ever since high school I wanted to work at a radio station, and 94.7 NRK was the Portland station that sucked me in and made radio exciting. The music on the radio at that time (the late nineties) seemed fresh, and I was actually discovering new bands via the airwaves. I thought I would never find anything better.
Since that time my musical palette has expanded along with my radio taste and knowledge, and I realized my initial love for 94.7 was premature. There are much better radio stations out there, specifically two: KCRW in Los Angeles & opbmusic in Portland.
KCRW
I lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and worked for college, corporate and non-profit radio stations. I played in bands and discovered a lot of great music beyond the scope of what would normally be played on traditional terrestrial radio. And then I found KCRW. KCRW is easily the most innovative, cutting-edge, forward-thinking radio station in the country. They have found a way to balance eclectic music, NPR and original talk programming in a way that is interesting and constantly entertaining. (There is also a 24-hour music stream: Eclectic24.) No city will ever have what KCRW is to Los Angeles or the music industry in general, but Portland is getting close with opbmusic.
opbmusic
When it comes to local Portland radio, opbmusic is setting the standard. Started by David Christensen and Jeremy Petersen a little more than three years ago, opbmusic does a terrific job of balancing local music with national acts on the weekly In House radio program (Saturday & Sunday nights from 8-11pm on 91.5FM). The only disadvantage is that they are on terrestrial radio for those 6 measly hours a week; everything else is broadcast online at opbmusic.org or via HD radio at 91.5-2. Portland needs opbmusic to be more of a presence in the local music scene. Everyone in or around music in Portland knows how amazing the scene is, but the way to promote it is lost.
There are many other local stations playing local music (see Local Cut’s extensive look at Portland radio), but opbmusic has the potential to become more. The balance of playing new, recent and upcoming releases among national and local artists alongside music relating to the thousands of shows that are coming to town is tough, but opbmusic is doing it. Their music library includes an amazing variety of music with a strong focus on local talent, and they have recently been expanding their online broadcast to include new volunteer hosts. These new hosts will bring their own distinct voice to opbmusic, which will keep the content unique. On top of that, opbmusic.org includes over 100 in-studio performances ranging from internationally known artists like Sloan to local up-and-comers such as Mimicking Birds. The foundation is solid; opbmusic just needs a bigger and more exposed platform.
I don’t believe a station has to be exclusively local to be a great local radio station. I am a fan of (and play keyboards in) a lot of local bands, but there are other bands I want to hear on the radio. This format – if you want to call it that – is exactly what opbmusic is all about: they support all things local while remaining relevant on a national level. This is the progressive, all-encompassing frame of mind that sets them apart from every other station in town.
Listen to In House and the online stream and see for yourself.
In House airs on OPB (91.5 FM) from 8-11pm on Saturday and Sundays nights. The online stream can be found anytime at www.opbmusic.org.
(Full disclosure: I was recently hired as a volunteer host for opbmusic. My show airs on Tuesdays online. Also, I worked as a volunteer at KCRW for a few years, but I can guarantee my opinion will be echoed if you give them a listen.)
Ever since high school I wanted to work at a radio station, and 94.7 NRK was the Portland station that sucked me in and made radio exciting. The music on the radio at that time (the late nineties) seemed fresh, and I was actually discovering new bands via the airwaves. I thought I would never find anything better.
Since that time my musical palette has expanded along with my radio taste and knowledge, and I realized my initial love for 94.7 was premature. There are much better radio stations out there, specifically two: KCRW in Los Angeles & opbmusic in Portland.
KCRW
I lived in Los Angeles for 10 years and worked for college, corporate and non-profit radio stations. I played in bands and discovered a lot of great music beyond the scope of what would normally be played on traditional terrestrial radio. And then I found KCRW. KCRW is easily the most innovative, cutting-edge, forward-thinking radio station in the country. They have found a way to balance eclectic music, NPR and original talk programming in a way that is interesting and constantly entertaining. (There is also a 24-hour music stream: Eclectic24.) No city will ever have what KCRW is to Los Angeles or the music industry in general, but Portland is getting close with opbmusic.
opbmusic
When it comes to local Portland radio, opbmusic is setting the standard. Started by David Christensen and Jeremy Petersen a little more than three years ago, opbmusic does a terrific job of balancing local music with national acts on the weekly In House radio program (Saturday & Sunday nights from 8-11pm on 91.5FM). The only disadvantage is that they are on terrestrial radio for those 6 measly hours a week; everything else is broadcast online at opbmusic.org or via HD radio at 91.5-2. Portland needs opbmusic to be more of a presence in the local music scene. Everyone in or around music in Portland knows how amazing the scene is, but the way to promote it is lost.
There are many other local stations playing local music (see Local Cut’s extensive look at Portland radio), but opbmusic has the potential to become more. The balance of playing new, recent and upcoming releases among national and local artists alongside music relating to the thousands of shows that are coming to town is tough, but opbmusic is doing it. Their music library includes an amazing variety of music with a strong focus on local talent, and they have recently been expanding their online broadcast to include new volunteer hosts. These new hosts will bring their own distinct voice to opbmusic, which will keep the content unique. On top of that, opbmusic.org includes over 100 in-studio performances ranging from internationally known artists like Sloan to local up-and-comers such as Mimicking Birds. The foundation is solid; opbmusic just needs a bigger and more exposed platform.
I don’t believe a station has to be exclusively local to be a great local radio station. I am a fan of (and play keyboards in) a lot of local bands, but there are other bands I want to hear on the radio. This format – if you want to call it that – is exactly what opbmusic is all about: they support all things local while remaining relevant on a national level. This is the progressive, all-encompassing frame of mind that sets them apart from every other station in town.
Listen to In House and the online stream and see for yourself.
In House airs on OPB (91.5 FM) from 8-11pm on Saturday and Sundays nights. The online stream can be found anytime at www.opbmusic.org.
(Full disclosure: I was recently hired as a volunteer host for opbmusic. My show airs on Tuesdays online. Also, I worked as a volunteer at KCRW for a few years, but I can guarantee my opinion will be echoed if you give them a listen.)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
iTunes OCD
When I am home, I always have music playing - via iTunes - through our home stereo. I utilize iTunes DJ to get a decent mix, but I am a little crazy and particular about the order in which songs are played.
I decided a few years ago I wanted to make sure I listen to every song in my Music Library, so I took steps to make that happen. This is how I organized the listening experience:
Goal 1: Listen to every song (11,000+) in iTunes Music Library.
-Step 1: Make sure the Play Count column is showing in the iTunes DJ window.
-Step 2: Using iTunes DJ, pull songs from the general Music Library and allow for 50 upcoming songs.
-Step 3: When a new song loads into the bottom of iTunes DJ, make sure it is a song that has never been played. If the song has been played previously, delete it from the playlist and see what comes up next.
-Step 4: If a song plays that you do not like and will probably never listen to again, delete it from your Music Library entirely. (That's right, the concept of an album just went out the window.*)
-Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until the Play Count on all songs in Music Library is 1 or greater.
After I completed Goal 1, I needed a new project. Because Goal 1 spanned a year or so and some songs were listened to as far back as 2005, I decided to tackle the songs by year. Hence, Goal 2.
Goal 2: Listen to every song in 200_, starting with the oldest year.
-Step 1: See Step 1 from Goal 1
-Step 2: Make sure the Last Played column is showing in the iTunes DJ window.
-Step 3: Go into Music Library window and arrange all songs by Last Played. Highlight all songs from whatever year you are working on and make that into a playlist, naming it the year in question.
-Step 4: In iTunes DJ, change your Source to songs from the just-made playlist.
-Step 5: As songs are played in iTunes DJ, delete them from the playlist so you can keep track of what has been listened to.
-Step 6: Repeat Steps 1-5 for subsequent years.
I currently have 3,803 songs left to listen to from 2008. That's 10 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes and 9 seconds, but we'll see how long it actually takes. After that, who knows...
What about you? Any unique music arranging habits?
*I do honor some entire albums even if I don't like a song, but I'm sorry - I don't like every song on Bleach, nor do I feel the need to keep every one of those songs in my Library if I'm never going to listen to them. But that's me. You might be different.
I decided a few years ago I wanted to make sure I listen to every song in my Music Library, so I took steps to make that happen. This is how I organized the listening experience:
Goal 1: Listen to every song (11,000+) in iTunes Music Library.
-Step 1: Make sure the Play Count column is showing in the iTunes DJ window.
-Step 2: Using iTunes DJ, pull songs from the general Music Library and allow for 50 upcoming songs.
-Step 3: When a new song loads into the bottom of iTunes DJ, make sure it is a song that has never been played. If the song has been played previously, delete it from the playlist and see what comes up next.
-Step 4: If a song plays that you do not like and will probably never listen to again, delete it from your Music Library entirely. (That's right, the concept of an album just went out the window.*)
-Step 4: Repeat Step 3 until the Play Count on all songs in Music Library is 1 or greater.
After I completed Goal 1, I needed a new project. Because Goal 1 spanned a year or so and some songs were listened to as far back as 2005, I decided to tackle the songs by year. Hence, Goal 2.
Goal 2: Listen to every song in 200_, starting with the oldest year.
-Step 1: See Step 1 from Goal 1
-Step 2: Make sure the Last Played column is showing in the iTunes DJ window.
-Step 3: Go into Music Library window and arrange all songs by Last Played. Highlight all songs from whatever year you are working on and make that into a playlist, naming it the year in question.
-Step 4: In iTunes DJ, change your Source to songs from the just-made playlist.
-Step 5: As songs are played in iTunes DJ, delete them from the playlist so you can keep track of what has been listened to.
-Step 6: Repeat Steps 1-5 for subsequent years.
I currently have 3,803 songs left to listen to from 2008. That's 10 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes and 9 seconds, but we'll see how long it actually takes. After that, who knows...
What about you? Any unique music arranging habits?
*I do honor some entire albums even if I don't like a song, but I'm sorry - I don't like every song on Bleach, nor do I feel the need to keep every one of those songs in my Library if I'm never going to listen to them. But that's me. You might be different.
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