End Hits, Portland Mercury

Tonight in Music: Witchburn, Alela Diane, Speck Mountain & More

Ned Lannamann — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:20:35 -0700

HURT, WITCHBURN, CELLAR DOOR, ELEMENT 57, MOHAWK YARD
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Read our article on Witchburn.

ALELA DIANE, VIKESH KAPOOR, BARNA HOWARD
(Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott) Churches are an entirely appropriate place to experience the tears-inducing loveliness of Alela Diane's ever-so-slightly-trance folk, replete with poignant lyrics about family, nature, and lovers. It's the latter that's the focus of the forthcoming About Farewell, due out next month. Here's your chance to preview it in the formerly holy confines of Portland Playhouse. MARJORIE SKINNER

SPECK MOUNTAIN, ANDREW GRAHAM AND THE SWARMING BRANCH, THE SLIDELLS
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Fans of Opal, Kendra Smith, Mazzy Star, and Hope Sandoval should devote some quality headphone time to Speck Mountain. The Chicago band's lazed, glazed rock locks into the same time-stopping beauty-mongering of those artists' mellowest meanderings. On albums like Summer Above, Some Sweet Relief, and Badwater, Speck Mountain eke out gorgeous, laidback melodies marked by Marie-Claire Balabanian's consolingly downcast vocals and her and Karl Briedrick's dewy, bejeweled guitar textures. Easy does it, over and over, for Speck Mountain—who are promising a cover of Alex Chilton's jaunty "Hey! Little Child" on this tour. DAVE SEGAL

The Art of Being Pulled Apart by Jellyfish Brigade

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIP-HOP: LUCAS DIX, EVVNFLOW, RUFUS SMALLTOWNZ
(Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi) Hungry Hungry Hip-Hop is a free monthly event created and hosted by Portland native Elan Eichler, AKA rapper Mighty Misc. That he's been doing this monthly since September 2011 speaks volumes in illustrating how much he cares about the local hiphop community. In addition to his infectious perseverance and tenacity, Eichler also has a great ear for talent, giving unproven up-and-coming artists the chance to perform alongside some hiphop heavyweights. Tonight's headliner is Lucas Dix, formerly of Hives Inquiry Squad and currently of Jellyfish Brigade. Dix's day job as an elementary school teacher prevents him from performing around town as often as he'd like, so this glimpse into his new project Diving Lessons is a rare treat. The fact that this month's show is part of the canned food drive Food Wars is all the more reason to attend. RYAN FEIGH

BRAHMS' FIRST SYMPHONY: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Achtung, procrastinators: Did you promise yourself you'd finally catch at least one Oregon Symphony concert this classical season? If so, heads up that tonight, tomorrow, and Monday mark the very last shows of 2012/2013, so get your skinny-jeaned asses in gear and grab some tix before the band embarks on their richly deserved summer vacay. Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the gang kick off this glorious program with a rousing seven-minute overture from Franz von Suppé before turning things over to guest soloist Jennifer Koh—a globally acclaimed fiddler who I guarantee will dazzle the crowd with a brilliant Hungarian violin concerto by Béla Bartók. Following Ms. Koh's gypsy virtuosity, Stumplandia's ultimate cover band will soar with the old-school sounds of Brahms' massive Symphony No. 1. Jesus H. Christ, people, pass up the PlayStation and nix the Netflix for just one goddamn night. It's high time for some fucking culture... unplug and get you some at the Schnitz! ANGRY SYMPHONY GUY

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Tonight in Music: I Can Lick Any SOB, Mic Crenshaw, Fruit of the Legion of Loom & More

Ned Lannamann — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:05:47 -0700

I CAN LICK ANY SONOFABITCH IN THE HOUSE, SEPARATION OF SANITY, JACKRABBIT, MATT WOODS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) "They don't make men like Andy Griffith anymore," sings I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House's grizzled frontman Mike Damron on his band's new LP, Mayberry. It could be argued that they don't make guys like Damron anymore either. The band's long been a staple of the Northwest's Southern-fried punk underground, sharing stages with such touring acts as Drag the River, Two Cow Garage, and more. On their new album, ICLASOBITH treads familiar territory: Mike D's ongoing fuck you to conformity, spliced with tender, anthemic diatribes on family values, government, and religion. The energy of the band's beginning stages remains very much alive, which you can chalk up to the consistency in their lineup, from the rhythm section of Mole Harris and Flapjack Texas, to the fantastic harpist Dave Lipkind, to lead guitarist Handsome Jon. This release show will be a rocker. RYAN J. PRADO

MIC CRENSHAW, REDRAY FRAZIER, FINGERPAINT AFRO JAZZ, DJ DEFF RO
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Local emcee Mic Crenshaw may choose to call Portland home, but it's abundantly clear that his musical influence extends far beyond the borders of our town. A recent trip to six cities in Africa as part of the Afrikan Hiphop Caravan found him touring with the likes of political rappers Dead Prez, who then found time to record the track "Superheros" with Crenshaw, featuring production by Maestro of D-12. Tonight marks the release of a new EP for Crenshaw, titled Bionic Metal. The resulting effort is an ode to his Midwestern roots, with prominent shoutouts to Minneapolis. It also finds him in the precarious position of rapping over rock production, a move which thankfully ends up sounding more like the Judgment Night soundtrack than it does Limp Bizkit. RYAN FEIGH

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

DON AND THE QUIXOTES, FRUIT OF THE LEGION OF LOOM, THEE HEADLINERS, GHOST TRAIN
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) It took 10 years for Portland's own Fruit of the Legion of Loom to release its first album, but Humandatory Genocide is now an actual thing, and one that will surely burn up the hit parade. After all, nothing says chart success like "instrumental concept album," and Legion of Loom's zooming, gonzo shredding is the sort of thing that makes music writers type words that wouldn't otherwise exist in the English language, like "frenetic" and "skronk." There are three acts to the sci-fi themed Humandatory Genocide, and the story itself is all laid out inside the CD booklet, although I doubt it will help much to get your bearings. Instead, sit back and let the instru-mental (sorry, another bullshit music critic tactic) trio's mathy, metal-tinged, progressive delirium work you over. Tonight's CD release is also the release show for Teflon Don, album number two from surf-rockers Don and the Quixotes. NED LANNAMANN

BRAHMS' FIRST SYMPHONY: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Achtung, procrastinators: Did you promise yourself you'd finally catch at least one Oregon Symphony concert this classical season? If so, heads up that tonight, tomorrow, and Monday mark the very last shows of 2012/2013, so get your skinny-jeaned asses in gear and grab some tix before the band embarks on their richly deserved summer vacay. Maestro Carlos Kalmar and the gang kick off this glorious program with a rousing seven-minute overture from Franz von Suppé before turning things over to guest soloist Jennifer Koh—a globally acclaimed fiddler who I guarantee will dazzle the crowd with a brilliant Hungarian violin concerto by Béla Bartók. Following Ms. Koh's gypsy virtuosity, Stumplandia's ultimate cover band will soar with the old-school sounds of Brahms' massive Symphony No. 1. Jesus H. Christ, people, pass up the PlayStation and nix the Netflix for just one goddamn night. It's high time for some fucking culture... unplug and get you some at the Schnitz! ANGRY SYMPHONY GUY

HARRY SMITH TRIBUTE
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Music archivist Harry Smith—responsible for Folkways' classic Anthology of American Folk Music—was born in Portland almost 90 years ago. Tonight Portland musicians (Ural Thomas, MidLo, W.C. Beck, more) pay homage with covers of songs from Anthology. Need more Smith? On Thursday, there's a screening of his animated films at the Hollywood—along with a séance to speak with Smith's ghost... ooooookay. NED LANNAMANN

PAINTED PALMS, PHONE CALL, BEAT CONNECTION
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme grew up on the same block in Lafayette, Louisiana, but didn't start making music together until they were separated by a few thousand miles in college. That sweetly Southern origin story belies the brainy complexity of Painted Palms' two efforts so far—their Canopy EP and the more recent "Carousel" 7-inch. Resounding vocals set against transcendent electronic textures make their music as pleasurable as it is interesting and even, yes, uplifting. Phone Call, the improbably handsome offshoot of local dance outfit Strength, will likely strike a more decadent note as they nail the atmosphere of a sexually aggressive '80s disco. Both of these bands will benefit from a crowd primed by a DJ set from Seattle's lauded Beat Connection. They are that unicorn of a synth band that inspires uncontrollable dancing while resisting every temptation to be campy. REBECCA WILSON

New Light by Little Sue.

LITTLE SUE (3 PM); RADIATION CITY (7 PM)
(Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside) New Light, the new album from longtime Portland songwriter Little Sue, summons an impressive lineup of collaborators to flesh out her equally impressive quiver of folky tunes. Produced and recorded by Mike Coykendall, Sue's saloon-steeped compositions bounce with peppy pianos, ukulele, and an especially unusual addition of clarinet, courtesy of Jill Coykendall. Guest musicians include Decemberists/Black Prairie accordionist Jenny Conlee-Drizos, as well as fellow Black Prairie member Annalisa Tornfelt on vocals/violin for the excellent "Energy: Love Song for West Virginia." This afternoon show at Music Millennium is totally free, as are downloads of Sue's album from Bandcamp. In lieu of charging for the record, Sue is requesting that people contribute to various Portland charitable organizations; a list of Sue's recommendations can be found on her Bandcamp page as well. RYAN J. PRADO Later this evening at Music Millennium, Radiation City also do an in-store performance, anticipating the Tuesday release of their excellent new Animals in the Median album.

CANNIBAL CORPSE, NAPALM DEATH, IMMOLATION, CRETIN, WORLD OF LIES
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) The first time I saw the cover of Cannibal Corpse's debut album Eaten Back to Life—which shows a zombie feasting on its own intestines—I thought it was a joke. Song titles like "Bloody Chunks" and "Scattered Remains, Splattered Brains" added to that notion. Of course I wanted to hear it. That was 23 years ago. Since then the band has successfully topped itself with each release, writing songs whose titles I'm even afraid to print here... in the Mercury... okay, they have a song called "I Cum Blood." It's silly stuff. But Cannibal Corpse's B-movie horror metal has outlived many of its contemporaries, proving they've probably eaten themselves back to life on more than one occasion. MARK LORE

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Friday Cheer with Janelle Monáe

Courtney Ferguson — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:11 -0700

Sigh. Everyone went to see Star Trek into Darkness and I'm stuck Googling the correct spellings of various dried Italian meats. I'm going to watch my own futuristic space opera with Janelle Monáe's new song "Q.U.E.E.N." from her upcoming album Electric Lady. That'll cheer me up. It'll work for you too, I bet. She has that effect.

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Video Vriday! Scout Niblett, Wampire, the Parson Red Heads, Youthbitch & More

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:35:13 -0700

Oy vey, it's Video Vriday!

Just in time for the upcoming Rose Festival, here's a new video from Scout Niblett, which must have been filmed at last year's Rose Fest. Niblett is no stranger to wearing wigs, but here she goes one step further with full Snow White regalia. She fits right in, while the slow-burning, seething undercurrents of the track "Gun" provide a bizarre and hilarious counterpoint. Scout Niblett's new album, It's Up to Emma (her first name is indeed Emma), comes out this Tuesday, May 21, on Drag City.

• • •

Here's Wampire, whose new album just came out on Tuesday. This video for "Orchards" shows the two fellows on a long drive through what looks like Eastern Oregon. Naturally, a little hot-boxing is bound to happen, but then of course shit gets weird. This same exact thing has happened to me on every single road trip I've taken. Wampire just played their record release show, but they'll play a hometown show again at Holocene on July 3.

• • •

The Parson Red Heads have a new EP coming! It's called 6, can you guess how many songs are on it? It comes out June 4, and here's the video for "Times," which was shot while the band recorded the track at Type Foundry Studios with Scott McCaughey and Adam Selzer in spring of last year. The EP is just a taster of the Red Heads' forthcoming full-length, Orb Weaver, which will come out in the fall. The group has two upcoming shows scheduled for the Doug Fir: Saturday, May 26 in which they open for Beachwood Sparks, and the EP's release show on Tuesday, June 4.

Videos from Youthbitch, Barry Brusseau, and Sara Jackson-Holman after the jump!

• • •

This new Youthbitch video for their super-duper "I Don't Mind Losing Mind" is packed with bright, flashy colors. Along with the band themselves, it stars Betsy Breakfast, and Latoya Johnson, and it was shot by Brian Echon and edited by the infamous Uncle Funkle. Forget the 5-Hour Energy Drink, this is the best damn way to kickstart this Friday night. It's like drinking 10 liters of soda all at once! You guyssss!!!!

• • •

If that clip got you all worked up, this video for Barry Brusseau's "Til the Wind Blows Everything" will cool you down. Like the song, it's a slow-moving, minimal piece in which images are drawn out to abstract extremes. The song comes from Brusseau's beautiful, overlooked 2012 album The Royal Violent Birds, about which I said: "With acoustic guitars, brushed drums, bowed strings, and Brusseau's hushed baritone (and his just-as-hushed falsetto), these watercolor tunes communicate in delicate, naturalistic patterns."

• • •

We'll end today with the new video from classically influenced singer/songwriter Sara Jackson-Holman, for her song "Freight Train," which was featured on the season finale of Grey's Anatomy earlier this week. Shot at Portland's Old Church and directed by Dawn Jones, it depicts the song's story—Jackson-Holman wrote it in memory of her grandfather, who was a big supporter of her musical endeavors while she was growing up. "Freight Train" appears on Jackson-Holman's recent second album Cardiology.

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Some Questions and Answers About the New Lord Dying Album

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:14:32 -0700

Who is Lord Dying?
They are the doomy Portland metal band who recently signed with Relapse Records.

When does their first full-length album come out?
July 9, 2013 in the year of our dark lord.

What is it called?
Summon the Faithless.

What does the cover look like?
Cast your eyes upward to the top of this post.

What are the titles of the eight tracks contained within?
1) In a Frightened State of Gnawed Dismemberment
2) Summoning the Faithless
3) Greed Is Your Horse
4) Descend Into External
5) Dreams of Mercy
6) Perverse Osmosis
7) Water Under a Burning Bridge
8) What Is Not... Is

What formats will the album take?
Long-playing vinyl record, compact disc, and digital download.

Is there a very short album trailer I can watch?
Yes.

Where can I pre-order the album?
From Relapse's site, or on Lord Dying's Bandcamp.

Will this album destroy us all?
Undoubtedly.

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Tonight in Music: Man or Astro-Man?, The Paul Collins Beat, A Simple Colony

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:14:37 -0700

MAN OR ASTRO-MAN?, AUDACITY
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) One of the most prolific bands of the '90s, Man or Astro-man? is still successfully blurring surf punk with spacey synth to produce an entirely original sound. Their latest release is called Defcon 5... 4... 3... 2... 1, and while still sporting their trademark space surf vibe, they seem to be heavier and goofier (in a good way) than ever. WM™ STEVEN HUMPHREY

THE PAUL COLLINS BEAT, BLUE SKIES FOR BLACK HEARTS, THE CRY, THEE FOUR TEENS
(East End, 203 SE Grand) Paul Collins recorded an album in 2010 called The King of Power Pop, a title that might come off as a bit ostentatious if there weren't some truth to it. Collins formed the Nerves—the short-lived LA power trio—back in the late '70s with Peter Case and Jack Lee. From there he formed the Beat, whose 1979 debut is still one of the catchiest slabs of power pop around. That was a long time ago, but good pop songs never go out of style. Over the past few years Collins has been pushing to turn "power pop" into a movement. I can't imagine that involves much, except some good ol'-fashioned gripping and ripping. I mean, everyone's a sucker for a good pop song, right? MARK LORE

A SIMPLE COLONY, SWANSEA,
RITCHIE YOUNG
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Michael Dodson and Lara Michell are A Simple Colony, and their first album Make It Start runs a wide gamut of styles, most falling into some category of careful, minor-key ballad. With acoustic and electronic textures and Dodson's pliable voice, the band escapes the trap of seeming scattered and unfocused—rather, A Simple Colony seem fully in command of all its various guises. The duo often performs acoustically on their own, but tonight's CD release show will likely see them in their full-band incarnation with bassist Nancy Hess, keyboardist Rebecca Sanborn, and drummer Ned Failing. NED LANNAMANN

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Win Tickets to See Sigur Rós in Bend!

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:59:17 -0700

Would you like your plans for Memorial Day weekend to involve an Icelandic band that makes the music of the spheres?

Good, you got here just in time. We're giving away TWO PAIRS of tickets to see unsurpassed, the inimitable, the unpronounceable Sigur Rós, who are playing the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, Oregon on Sunday, May 26. So if your holiday weekend plans already include a trip to Bend, this weekend just got bendier.... I'm sorry, I don't know what I meant by that.

Anyway, here's the deal! Very important: You MUST be able to swing by the Portland Mercury office (located in scenic downtown Portland) sometime next week to pick up the tickets, or have a trusted someone do it for you. If this isn't possible, please don't enter the giveaway, as these are physical tickets and you will need to come and get them.

So! If that's all in order, send an email to this address with "Sigur Ros" in the subject line, and please include your first and last name, along with the letter of the correct answer to this incredibly difficult Sigur Rós trivia question:

Which of these is NOT an actual Sigur Rós song title?
A. Rafstraumur
B. Svefn-g-englar
C. Ggyguffenflaghen yððöoooooooo
D. Fjögur píanó

Ready, steady, go! This contest will close Monday at 5 pm, so good luck!

Sigur Rós at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend, 344 SW Sevlin-Hixon, Sun May 26, 6:30 pm, all ages, $44-46, tickets here

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Pleased to Meet You, Episode 6: Goodwin

Nilina Mason-Campbell — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:09:00 -0700

Surrounded by the neon glow of arcade lights, we speak to Scott Goodwin this week about his new electronic music project. Formerly the frontman of noise meets techno four-piece Operative, Scott is now forging a solo path of his own under his last name Goodwin. While playing skeeball, shooting at robotic Star Trek mutants and even making it rain with tickets, we get the inside scoop on his sound, pop-culture interests and how Portland comes into play in defining his musical ambitions.

Bonus GIF after the jump!

For past episodes of Pleased to Meet You, click here.

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New Camera Obscura!

Courtney Ferguson — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:27:47 -0700

It's kinda like the ever-so-lovely Camera Obscura is giving me an early birthday present this year with the release of their new album, Desire Lines, on June 4. I don't think there's a more gorgeous-sounding band on this whole wide earth—Tracyanne Campbell's bruised peach voice just kills me. Then they go and drop their new song "Fifth in Line to the Throne" and I'm sorta feeling guilty... I didn't get them anything. The Glasgow quintet recorded their newest with Portland's Tucker Martine here in ol' Sogtown.

LISTEN: Camera Obscura, "Fifth in Line to the Crown"

From the press release, Campbell explaining a bit about "Fifth in Line to the Throne":

[It's] a song about someone in a seemingly perfect relationship but there is a dark underside to it. We wanted to sound menacing and give folk the creeps. I believe Princess Beatrice is fifth in line by the way.

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XRAY Fest Is Coming

Ned Lannamann — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:43:15 -0700

For nine days in June, XRAY Fest will offer affordable—and in many cases, free—live music, DJ sets, and music-related films at various venues around town. It all happens June 8-16, and its purpose is two fold: to celebrate and explore Portland's DIY culture and music, and to raise awareness (and possibly a little cash) for the upcoming KXRY radio station, which'll be known as XRAY.FM. That station will launch on 91.1 on your radio dial, one of four new low-powered FM signals coming this fall to the Portland area, all to be helmed by nonprofits. So not only is a cool fest coming to town, but Portland radio is about to get a whole lot better.

XRAY.FM, named after the influential X-Ray Cafe venue from Portland's past, has been a long work in progress for the folks at the Cascade Educational Broadcast Service (CEBS). The station is hoping to offer true, listenable free-form radio, much in the manner of the influential New York-area WFMU station. The self-proclaimed mission is "to advance a new radio outlet focusing on the exposure of innovative recording artists, presented by music anoraks heavy-into collecting vinyl." So yeah, you'll be wanting to free up one of those preset buttons on your car stereo.

In the meantime, XRAY Fest has a lot to offer, including DJ sets from Mudhoney's Steve Turner, Voodoo Doughnuts' Tres Shannon, and former mayor Sam Adams, plus live shows from the Bats, Kelli Schaefer, and lots more—plus some cool film screenings as well. Check out all the goings-on after the jump, and hop over to XRAY Fest's site for more info.

Space Palace, Electric iLL, Fangmoon, DJ Dairy (Tres Shannon)
Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi
Sat June 8, 6 pm, FREE

FILM: Sublime Frequencies Presents Vodoun Gods on the Slave Coast, a film by Hisham Mayet
Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy
Sun June 9, 7 pm, $7

The Upsidedown, Paradise
Rontoms, 600 E Burnside
Sun June 9, 9 pm, FREE

Karaoke from Hell
Dante's, 350 W Burnside
Mon June 10, 9 pm

Rev, Shines Supper Set, DJ Sam Adams
Produce Row, 204 SE Oak
Tues June 11, 7 pm, FREE

The Bats, Eat Skull
Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water
Tues June 11, 9 pm, $12

Made for TV Movie, E*Rock
Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison
Wed June 12, 9 pm, $5

Kelli Schaefer, The Beauty, No More Train Ghosts
Union/Pine, 525 SE Pine
Thurs June 13, 6 pm, FREE

DJ Joe Preston, DJ Blackhawk
White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th
Thurs June 13, 9 pm, FREE

FILM: X-RAY Visions, 90-minute director's cut w/live performances from the Kurtz Project, Pete Krebs, Sean Croghan, the Tennesseans, Tony Green, Roger Nusic, members of No/New Bad Things
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan
Fri June 14, 5 & 7 pm, $7

FILM: Northwest Passage: The Birth of Portland's D.I.Y. Culture & 30-minute preview of Madness and Glory: The History of the Satyricon w/live performance by Dr. Amazon
Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan
Sat June 15, 5 & 8 pm, $7

DJ Dollar Bin (Steve Turner), DJ Hwy 7, DJ Ghost Train (Sean Croghan), DJ Monophonics, DJ Cecilia
Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan
Sun June 16, 6 pm, FREE

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Tonight in Music: Morning Ritual, Black Pus, Yo La Tengo, Mobb Deep & More

Ned Lannamann — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:39:00 -0700

MORNING RITUAL, DE LA WARR
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on Morning Ritual.

BLACK PUS, DEEP FRIED BOOGIE BAND
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Read our article on Black Pus.

YO LA TENGO
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Yo La Tengo's latest release Fade—the band's 13th—has been universally well received, not because the band is breaking new ground necessarily, but because it's a perfect extension of what's come before. The record—whose cover shot was taken at Portland's Overlook Park—proves that, some 30 years later, Yo La Tengo can do no wrong. The band's music has always incorporated just the right amount of noise and beauty. And their leisurely observations have made an impression on a number of artists, including Jeff Tweedy and Barbara Manning. The term "indie" has been grossly overused, but as long as Yo La Tengo keeps putting out records, it will always mean something to somebody. MARK LORE Also see My, What a Busy Week!

MOBB DEEP
(Alhambra Theatre, 4811 SE Hawthorne) To fans of classic '90s hiphop, the hardcore street duo of Albert "Prodigy" Johnson and Kejuan "Havoc" Muchita, together known as Mobb Deep, needs no introduction. They battled with Tupac, Snoop, and Jay-Z and collaborated with Q-Tip, Nas, and members of the Wu-Tang Clan. Their current tour coincides with the 20-year anniversary of their debut recording, Juvenile Hell, recorded when the two were still both in their teens. Even though that album didn't do well initially, the record paved the way for their second release, the golden-era classic The Infamous. This tour follows a very public and controversial falling out between the two founding members in spring of last year, so word of their reconciliation is a welcome one. RYAN FEIGH

China by Eidolons

EIDOLONS, BIKE THIEF, NOBLE FIRS
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) To say that Eidolons are influenced by Yo La Tengo [see above listing] is both an understatement and a generalization. Dan Byers' restrained, delicate vocals play off the band's cacophonously poppy instrumentation to form fully satisfying compositions. The band has had a busy year; they're getting ready to release a new album, did a live recording at Banana Stand, and have been consistently performing to growing crowds around Portland. Ferocious drums characterize the upbeat tracks, while slower ones boast dreamy slide guitar. They play with violin folk-rockers Bike Thief, and Noble Firs, a lively, surf rock-inspired project featuring members of Tigress. RACHEL MILBAUER

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This Week's Mercury Music Section

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:07:33 -0700

Another week, another Mercury music section to push aside as you collect your dollars and cents to purchase the musical equipment of Vancouver, Washington's finest talent. Priced to move! Everything must go!!!

For his first endeavor under the Morning Ritual moniker, keyboardist-about-town Ben Darwish recruited the Shook Twins for a conceptual piece about the search for water. Drinking water is a pretty good morning ritual. What's yours? (Mine involves some Carnation Instant Breakfast and Sugar Ray's "Every Morning" and I've already revealed too much.)

LISTEN: Morning Ritual - "The Search"

I know, I know, the name Black Pus is enough of a turn-on, but there's also plenty of legitimate exhilaration to be found in the warped spazz rock from Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt.

LISTEN: Black Pus - "1,000 Years"

The word "psychedelic" is officially meaningless. That said, the Black Angels are super psychedelic! Can we bring back the word phantasmagoric? Far out.

LISTEN: The Black Angels - "Evil Things"

With their second album Bathed in Blood on the way, the members of Witchburn still haven't taken advantage of their music-biz connections to make them stars. The Seattle metal band is quite capable of doing it on their own.

LISTEN: Witchburn - "Bleed the Stone"

And the Up & Comings you've grown accustomed to.

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Tonight in Music: The Black Angels, Colleen Green, Milk Carton Kids

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:29:00 -0700

THE BLACK ANGELS, HANNI EL KHATIB, WALL OF DEATH
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Read our article on the Black Angels.

WHITE FANG, COLLEEN GREEN, HEAVY HAWAII, COMASERFS
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Shooting pleasure levels rocket-high, Colleen Green's new album Sock It to Me dips sparkly mall pop in thick layers of guitar crunch, resulting in something like deep-fried ice cream—crispy, sweet, messy, and both hot and totally cool. Green shares the bill with heart-warmingly degenerate rockers White Fang, who really, really want to party with you. NED LANNAMANN

MILK CARTON KIDS, THE BAREFOOT MOVEMENT
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) The most successful folk duos have been one of three things: emotionally earnest, politically earnest, or earnestly satirical. The Milk Carton Kids are all of these things or, possibly, none. (Their satirical tendencies are reserved for onstage banter.) For people overcome with crushing nostalgia for the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, but who can no longer take the lyrics to, say, "Bridge over Troubled Water" seriously, the Milk Carton Kids fill an important, albeit specific, niche. With close harmonies and lyrics that don't seem to have been written by Holden Caulfield, the Milk Carton Kids make music that is pleasant and lovely and could potentially trick a boomer into thinking a few songs are long-lost S&G B-sides. Their second album, The Ash and Clay, is folk music for the masses, tiptoeing around themes of love and politics, but not in a way you'd really notice if you aren't looking for it. REBECCA WILSON

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Houndstooth's First Album Due in July

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:14:39 -0700

This has been a good week for album announcement news. Local jangle-jam-folk-Southern-krautrockers Houndstooth have announced their much-awaited debut album, Ride Out the Dark, is coming out July 16 on Philly/Brooklyn psych label No Quarter. That's the album cover up there (shades of Tango in the Night?), and below is the first single, "Canary Island," a splendid Crazy Horse-style chugger that opens up into guitar-spangled majesty, and has been a familiar staple of the band's great live show.

The 10 tracks on Ride Out the Dark also include favorites like "Francis" and "Bee Keeper," and while it doesn't include any 20-minute freakout jams, contains plenty of band fireworks from the ensemble of local all-stars: Katie Bernstein, John Gnorski, Courtney Sheedy, Mike Yun, and Graeme Gibson.

Houndstooth plays June 7 at the Doug Fir with Eyelids and Denim Wedding.

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Magic Mouth at Langano Lounge, Fri May 10

Nilina Mason-Campbell — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:14:00 -0700

All photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell.

Not every band can turn a concert into an impromptu underwear party, but Magic Mouth did just that as headliners of last Friday night's Langano Bash 2013. After performances from Smoke Rings, Tiny Knives, and Havania Whaal, the gritty and danceable four-piece took to the floor-level stage for a sweaty, kinetic performance that quickly led to the disrobing of audience and band members alike. After a full set full of throbbing baselines and crowd-surfing to boot, Magic Mouth closed out their midnight set with their soulful and smoky take on Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls," allowing everyone to catch their breath in the very humid air.

Lots more skin—I mean photos—after the jump!

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Sun Angle Album Release with Nice Nice and Like A Villain - Friday May 10 at Mississippi Studios

Katie Summer — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:58:31 -0700

Sun Angle held their debut album release party at Mississippi Studios last Friday. With Like a Villain and Nice Nice on the bill, there was plenty of celebration. I feel extremely lucky every time I get to see Holland Andrews play: her amazing solo project Like a Villain is a thing of power and beauty. Using a clarinet, glockenspiel, loop pedals, and her flawless voice, Andrews seems like a celestial being full of raw emotion one minute, and your most intimate friend the next. It's really quite magical. Nice Nice brought the dancing and carried the show into the much anticipated main event!

The men of Sun Angle are all extremely talented musicians with very broad musical tastes and influences. Mark Lore detailed the creation of their album Diamond Junk last week, and it's no secret how busy these guys are. I admit that Sun Angle is by far my favorite of Papi Fimbres projects—the energy that he brings to all his bands is mirrored in singer Charlie Salas Humara, and together they are electric. Marius Libman on bass is definitely the glue of the Sun Angle chaos, cutting through the frantic guitar and drums to keep everything grounded; grounded, but dancing. His bass lines have always reminded me of Mike Watt. I imagine that if the Minutemen had escaped tragedy, dropped some acid, and time traveled to 2013 they would sound like this album. Crazy good tunes from crazy good dudes, congrats!

Can't wait for the next show, and check out the new album! Lots more photos after the jump!

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Beth Ditto Gives Excellent Advice

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:46:03 -0700

The last time we mentioned Gossip lead singer Beth Ditto on the blog, it was not very flattering—no need to rehash, although feel free to search the archives if you want.

Which is why it's only fair to post this wonderful video of Beth Ditto, offering advice via the website Rookie, an online publication for teen girls. This is part of their "Ask a Grown Woman" advice series, kind of like Amy Poehler's "Ask Amy" video series, in which grownup ladies answer questions from the site's young readers.

In this lengthy and thoughtful video (~~sorry, I don't know how to adjust the aspect ratio~~ fixed!), Ditto answers questions like "Why do people ruin good things?"—in particular, a young girl's questions about coming out to her parents. What Ditto has to say is beautiful, and well worth a listen.

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Make It Pop! The Cleaners at the Ace Hotel, Thurs May 9

Nilina Mason-Campbell — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:08:00 -0700

All photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell.

On Thursday night, the Ace Hotel welcomed back PDX Pop Now! for the festival's annual Make It Pop! fundraiser at the hotel's corner spot the Cleaners. Boasting a sold-out attendance, the evening featured performances from Monarques, Grandparents, Kelli Schaefer, Ezza Rose, and OPB's Jeremy Petersen handling DJ duties. Also on hand? Delicious homemade ice cream from local brand 50 Licks; over the course of the night their unusual flavors developed a own fanbase equal to that of the bands. In between performances, board members made the special announcement that this year's festival will be entirely outdoors and will feature both a vendor market and the launch of this year's Rigsketball tournament.

Lots more photos after the jump!

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Tonight in Music: Wampire, Jim James, Yeah Great Fine & More

Ned Lannamann — Tue, 14 May 2013 09:41:20 -0700

WAMPIRE, WILD ONES, DJ PREACHER TEACHER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Wampire.

JIM JAMES, COLD SPECKS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) You know him as the singer of My Morning Jacket, or as one of the Monsters of Folk, or as Yim Yames... get to know the man behind that high lonesome voice, as Jim James hits the Crystal Ballroom in support of his first solo album, the majestic sounding and extravagantly titled Regions of Light and Sound of God. NED LANNAMANN

Circadian EP by Yeah Great Fine

YEAH GREAT FINE, HATS OFF, COUCHES
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) It's been a while since we've heard from Yeah Great Fine. After releasing their 2011 Circadian EP and a following tour, the band took a break as drummer Dave Hires entered rehab for alcoholism. He wrote this friendly note to the Mercury: "It was actually really great! After the dust settled, we were all still friends and I've been staying out of trouble (10 months sober as of a couple days ago), but the band seemed doomed to fade into the ether. Luckily happenstance intervened: Jake [Hershman, guitarist] decided he was moving to California, so it was now or never. We've been practicing hard for a couple of months and we sound fucking pretty rad. This will be our reunion and last show ever at the same time." A very big congrats to Hires for his sobriety, and now it's time to say a tearful farewell to Yeah Great Fine, an immensely gifted Portland band that balances tricky rhythms and techniques with catchy, feel-good sounds. NL

POKEY LAFARGE, THE LONESOME BILLIES
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Practitioners of old-timey music seem to embrace it full-on, and St. Louis musician Pokey LaFarge is no exception, with his sheik chic and a sound that will take you back to the Roaring '20s. He's already hep with the NPR crowd, and in June will release his next LP on Jack White's Third Man Records. Opening are Portland's Lonesome Billies, who embrace a less refined Grand Ole Opry-meets-outlaw country twanginess. Needless to say, the dance floor should showcase some serious moves tonight, and smartphones will likely remain in vest pockets. MARK LORE

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Music Monday! The Taxpayers, Carcrashlander, Alela Diane, Dust, the Ecstatics, Black Prairie

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:50:54 -0700

We already heard a new Typhoon song this morning, but there's much more Music Monday!

Cold Hearted Town by The Taxpayers
Local DIY punk-folk-goof-etc. band the Taxpayers have a new album on the way titled Cold Hearted Town, and and here's the opening title track, in two parts: "Cold Hearted Town Pt 1" and "Cold Hearted Town Pt 2." A rollicking, seasick-drunk jaunt with ragtime overtones, the two-parter is lively, dark, and immediately gripping—"Pt 2" in particular is really outstanding. The album comes out digitally on June 1, then June 15 on CD via the band's own Useless State Records, and will also be issued on vinyl in July. It's available for pre-order on Bandcamp, and those pre-sales will fund the physical release.

• • •

All My Light Begins To Dissipate by CARCRASHLANDER
Carcrashlander, the musical project of Portland's Cory Gray, has a new record on the way as well. A Plan to Tell the Future is slated for release on August 13, but things being what they are in this crazy computer age, you can hear all of it right now over on Bandcamp. Here's the album's second track, the spectacularly moody "All My Light Begins to Dissipate," a song that's thick with clattering boxcar percussion, rusty guitar moans, barroom piano, and Gray's own trumpet emitting golden shafts of light through the darkness. Go over to Bandcamp to hear and buy the whole thing; a vinyl edition will be available on local label Jealous Butcher, and cassettes to come via Curly Cassettes.

More Music Monday—with tracks from Alela Diane, Dust, the Ecstatics, and an EP stream from Black Prairie—after the jump!

• • •

The title track from Alela Diane's forthcoming album About Farewell appeared on Spin last week, and you can hear it here, too. It's a sad, winsome song that falls well within the album's reported theme of breakups and goodbyes. (More about the new album here.) With this heartbreaking track and the excellent "The Way We Fall," this new record could easily prove to be perhaps the best one from Diane yet. About Farewell comes out June 25, but meanwhile Diane performs this Sunday, May 19 at Portland Playhouse.

• • •

DUST vs. OP by dust
Local emcee Dust just put out a new mixtape with producer the Operator, called, naturally Dust vs. OP. The whole thing's worth a listen, a series of four musical/lyrical ideas reiterated over the course of 16 tracks—four a piece. Rather than function like a series of remixes or what have you, the pieces are developed over different musical backdrops, functioning like hiphop suites. In Dust's words, it's a mixtape "collaging whisky-soaked breakups, soul samples and the apathetic loss of loved ones." Listen above, starting with the relatively brief "Cobwebs I-IV" and work your way to the closing, 11-minute "Tel Aviv I-IV." You can also check it out on Bandcamp.

• • •

Local dance-poppers the Ecstatics have a new version of their song "Float," which premiered on Nylon Mag. I posted a video for an earlier version of the track a little while ago, but here's the newly recorded version all spiffed up, a taste of the band's upcoming debut EP. The song's so ridiculously catchy that having two versions of it is just fine. The Ecstatics perform Friday, June 7 at Burgerville in a fundraiser for KZME (Facebook event here).

• • •

We'll close today with the full EP/mini-album/whatchamacalit from Black Prairie. As iterated, Wild Ones is a soundtrack to a book about endangered species—the author Jon Mooallem has a piece over on Slate discussing the musical aspect of the project. I imagine most of the song titles come from material in the book, but that doesn't mean these aren't some fantastic song titles (I'm talking about you, "A Tranquilized Polar Bear Rising Through an Autumn Sky").

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KPSU Kruise with Onuinu and Grandparents, Fri May 10

Rachel Milbauer — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:33:00 -0700

All photos by Rachel Milbauer.

The KPSU Kruise took off around midnight on Friday to a series of cheers and whoops. It's safe to say that everyone had been imbibing for a few hours, enjoying the unseasonably warm evening breeze off the Willamette. The crowd was certainly celebratory, buying raffle tickets, drinking champagne, and hanging out on all decks of the boat.

Grandparents played to a packed room as the Portland Spirit lazily floated from St. Johns to Sellwood, under the bridges of Portland. Onuinu started close to 1 am, serenading his audience with his electronic disco-groove beats. Almost as soon as everyone found their sea legs, the boat docked, and the sailors left one buoyant party to find another.

More pics after the jump!

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New Typhoon Song! New Typhoon Album in August!

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:23:05 -0700

After many anxious sleepless months, we finally have some details about the new Typhoon album, which is titled White Lighter and will be released on August 20 on LA's Roll Call Records, also home to Rubblebucket, Army Navy, and On An On. A preview track appeared over at the Wall Street Journal, of all places, this morning. It's of course another stunner from the 11-piece local band, a swirling, rumbling mini-epic filled with all the drama and dynamics the band is so skilled at, making the most of the band's massed vocals and even expanding their instrumentation to include piano and pedal steel.

Typhoon singer Kyle Morton has a little bit to say about the new song, "Dreams of Cannibalism," over on WSJ, and the album, which was recorded at Pendarvis Farm (site of Pickathon) and other locations with longtime Typhoon collaborator Paul Laxer has a full track listing posted on Typhoon's site. (Interestingly, one of the 13 tracks is named "Hunger and Thirst," which was the title of Typhoon's 2010 full-length—shades of "Houses of the Holy.")

August 20 cannot get here soon enough, but in the meantime, take a listen to "Dreams of Cannibalism" above, and download it on Soundcloud.

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Tonight in Music: Big Boi, the Appleseed Cast

Ned Lannamann — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:39:07 -0700

BIG BOI, KILLER MIKE
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Outkast largely put itself on ice after 2006's Idlewild, but Big Boi has picked up the baton, releasing two high-powered albums that keep the group's signature Southern funk intact, and expanding. Like a hurricane. His latest, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, swirls punk and indie rock and pop rap into the fury. Someone keep an eye on the levies. DIRK VANDERHART

Illumination Ritual by The Appleseed Cast

THE APPLESEED CAST, HOSPITAL SHIPS, UGLY COLORS, FOR THE LIFE OF ME
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) When I think of Kansas, unpleasant things generally come to mind—those bigots in Topeka, that bigot in the governor's mansion. But that's not quite fair because, for the past 14 years, the Appleseed Cast have been continuously innovating rock, always slightly below the radar. Now they are touring behind their excellent seventh album, Illumination Ritual, along with fellow Lawrencians Hospital Ships. But the Appleseed Cast almost didn't make it out this time: A traffic accident in Kansas earlier this month destroyed a bunch of gear and did expensive damage to their tour van and trailer. Eight thousand dollars in damage, in fact. They've raised enough cash to continue the tour, but could still use your help; $15 on their Bandcamp will get you a copy of the new album, a moody, mathy rock composition. Frontman Chris Crisci switches up personnel with every album, and this one is no exception. The lyrics, written exclusively in the middle of the night, are the surreal accompaniment to ambient electronics and the complex rhythms of Nathan Wilder. REBECCA WILSON

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Tonight in Music: St. Johns Bizarre, Of Montreal, Denver & More

Ned Lannamann — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:28:28 -0700

ST. JOHNS BIZARRE: ANCIENT HEAT, BLUE CRANES, 1939 ENSEMBLE, KIM BAXTER, ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICAL
(St. Johns Plaza, N Lombard & Philadelphia) St. Johns has come a long way since weirdo writer Jim Goad luridly described it as the "glans" of North Portland. It's not as remote as anyone thinks. And, brace for it... maybe it's actually kind of cool now? See for yourself at the seventh annual St. Johns Bizarre and Parade, an homage to Americana (with better food and music). DENIS C. THERIAULT

OF MONTREAL, WILD MOCCASINS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Just knowing that Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes took refuge in a self-imposed "isolation experiment" in San Francisco, taking creative cues from Gram Parsons and Sylvia Plath, should be enough to make you excited about his band's upcoming album. The not-yet-released, and presumably less frenetic Lousy with Sylvianbriar (due out in the fall sometime) follows Of Montreal's 2012 freak-dance hodgepodge Paralytic Stalks, an album that saw the band's eclectic muses entrenched pretty deeply within disco-punk patterns, somehow still having enough energy left over to be creatively daring. The band's chameleonic bent is also the subject of a career-spanning Kickstarter-funded documentary called Song Dynasties, currently in post-production. You will not regret attending this show. RYAN J. PRADO

Reno by DENVER

DENVER, LEWI LONGMIRE
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Denver make a big deal of their drunkenness, but I don't know. It makes for a humorous press release, but I just can't imagine how perpetually intoxicated people could come up with arrangements as perfectly thrilling as those on, for example, "Reno," off their self-titled debut. And there is not even a hint of a slur or a quaver in the lyrical duties shared by songwriters Birger Olsen, Mike Elias, and Tom Bevitori. This is non-ironic country at its finest: steel guitar, mournful emotion, and tongues that could not be further from their cheeks. Their sound would be equally at home in a barn or a concert hall, which, given their connections, is probably where they will land. Contributing to their growing cred, they are about to open a string of dates for venerable folk rocker James McMurtry. REBECCA WILSON

ROTTEN SOUND, BLACK BREATH, BASTARD FEAST, NIGHT NURSE, EL CERDO
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) The Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal effect pedal aside, Rotten Sound and Black Breath share a crucial component that sets them apart from their peers: They both know how to groove. Granted, many a metal band has taken the groove too far, as evidenced by Max Cavalera's entire post-Chaos A.D. career. Groove can be dangerous. But even as Seattle's Black Breath migrated away from the Swedish-metal chug of Heavy Breathing into the thrash tactics of Sentenced to Life, they retained an infectious rhythmic foundation. Rotten Sound's formula hasn't changed over the course of their last several releases, but why fix it if it ain't broken? The Finnish grind band is one of the few bands of the genre to employ any sort of percussive dynamic; their ability to bury a sharp groove in their machine-gun tempos should serve as a template for all blast-beat enthusiasts. BRIAN COOK

DALAI LAMA, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
(Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way) Um... we don't really know what to say about this.

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Video Vriday! And And And, Wooden Indian Burial Ground, Cat Doorman, Interiors, Black Prairie, Love Cop

Ned Lannamann — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:01:52 -0700

Va va va voom, it's Video Vriday!

Fresh off their Arrested Development party at Holocene earlier this week, Banana Stand Media have announced their new live album—and this one's coming from And And And, who performed and recorded a show in the Banana Stand basement back in December. Here's a clip of the song "Bow Down" from that show (video by Collective-47); typically, it's great. The album will be released on Tuesday, May 21 and will include several new/unreleased songs from the band, and to celebrate, And And And is playing a show on the day of the album release at Bunk Bar with Sama Dams (click it to ticket!); meanwhile, they're about to hit the road with Sun Angle. And And And's Live from the Banana Stand is Banana Stand's first release since partnering with CD Baby, who have become an official sponsor of the live recordists—they'll manufacture and distribute this and other upcoming releases from Banana Stand.

• • •

Here's Wooden Indian Burial Ground's new video, for "Helicopter," the frenetic, hypnotic opening track from their excellent recent self-titled album. If you love ponies and lysergic, nightmarish psychedelia, this is the video for you, my friend. Wooden Indian Burial Ground just kicked off their current tour on Tuesday night with a show at the Know; right now they're somewhere in Idaho or Montana, and will cross this proud nation with nearly two months of shows before returning back to Portland for a homecoming show at the Star Theater on June 29. It has been great to witness this band—who've been around for a near half-decade or so, despite some inaccurate reports—hitting their stride in the past few months. They have been getting lots of new attention, and deserve every bit of it.

• • •

While that last video probably isn't too suitable for kids, this one definitely is. It's a lovely stop-motion clip from Cat Doorman, the kids'-and-parents'-music project of the Golden Bears' Julianna Bright. Bright made these illustrations based on drawings by her daughter, and she and collaborator Alexis Gideon animated this clip, which is totally magical and charming and heartwarming. Cat Doorman have several area performances scheduled, many at schools (go here to see them all), but notably there's a performance at 4 pm on Sunday afternoon (4 pm) at TaborSpace (5441 SE Belmont)—that's Mother's Day, in case you forgot, you monster.

• • •

Next up is the mysterious, moody video for Interiors' new song, "Standing on the Other Side," which appears on the forthcoming EP Real/Not Real, out on London-based label Mozart Kind. This track is in my opinion the best yet from Interiors, the electronic-art-pop project from Portland's Thomas Thorson—it uses the songwriting itself as the foundation for its slinky, involving sounds, which build upon themselves in a really rewarding way. Fittingly, the Portland-shot video is equally dramatic.

• • •

Here's a video (of sorts) for Black Prairie's new track "Dawn Departure, Jefferson County." The clip also doubles as a "book trailer" for Jon Mooallem's new book Wild Ones, which Black Prairie did the soundtrack for. A soundtrack for a book? You are thinking too hard, friend. Just go with it. The "extended EP" (yes, it is an extended EP, just let it go) comes out digitally this Tuesday on the band's own Captain Bluegrass Records, with a limited 10-inch vinyl and CD release coming in June. The book itself is about animals, and extinction, and environmentalism, and the video uses little tidbits from the book for an image-and-text based video that bests Van Halen's "Right Now" at its own game. All we need is some Crystal Pepsi.

• • •

I'll leave you today with Love Cop's new video "Hunger 4 Yr Heart." One of the many pretty ponies in the Gnar Tapes stable, Love Cop have a new tape out caled Eat Yr Heart Out (more info here), and this woozy, surely-not-at-all-influenced-by-narcotics song is given visual treatment via footage from a recent, surely-not-at-all-influenced-by-narcotics barbecue at Gnar headquarters (naturally dubbed Gnarnia). Springtime or no, it looks like we're in the middle of a full-fledged Portland summer, folks. Dig in.

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