What’s Going On: 12/28 – 01/04

1.  Gay Ghost w/ Pheasant & Towering Trees
Where:  Ella St. Social Club
How Much:  FREE!
When:  Thursday, December 29th –9pm
Why:  Emerging alt-rock pop trio Gay Ghost are currently working on their first proper release with producer/engineer Michael Miew and is due out sometime early next year. Show up early for Pheasant & Towering Trees!

2.  Log Across The Washer w/ The We Shared Milk
Where:  Kelly’s Olympian
How Much:  $5
When:  Friday, December 30th –9pm
Why:  You may have been lucky enough to catch them last month as one of Into The Woods’ quarterly featured artists. Multi-instrumentalist Tyler Keene (formerly of And And And) says this is the first time he’s tried making electronic music with complete sincerity.

3.  Nurses w/ Radiation City, Wild Ones & DJ Beyonda
Where:  Mississippi Studios
How Much:  $15/$17
When:  Saturday, December 31st –9pm
Why: Low ticket warning for the New Years Eve extravaganza! Get yours NOW! Grab some friends and head to the Studios for one heck of a line-up! As a special treat, Radiation City will be covering Andre 3000’s The Love Below. Holy moly!

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on December 29, 2011 at 6:08 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

From the Archives: Now Hear This

Jay-Z and Kayne West
Watch the Throne
Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam (August 2011)

Trust me, I was ready to hate this album before I even listened to it. To many just the mention of Jay-Z and Kanye West conjure negative thoughts. But if you put aside your biases long enough to just listen to their latest album Watch the Throne, your walls of prejudice may just come crashing down.
WTT was created by with one objective in mind…to raise the bar. Raise the bar they did, but even bigger than that, they created a modern hip-hop classic.
Its obvious even to most haters that these two rap kingpins are talented, but what stands out most on WTT is how well they work together! After repeated listens a deep synergy begins to emerge underneath the lyrics, where the two come together like never before, the track “Gotta have it” being the model.
“New day” represents Kayne’s best effort and the most candid verses on the album. “Who gon stop me” is hands down Jay-Z’s best effort, as the beat is maintained gutturally and from his very core. “Primetime” is surely the sleeper track. But “Illest Mutherfucker Alive” really sums up the essence of what WTT is all about though… two super-ego’s colliding like asteroids to create the banger of all bangers, backed by the best production team on the planet. Admittedly there are two duds in the mix of it all, one including Beyonce. Considering that there are 14 other on-point tracks to keep you interested, I’ll take that ratio any day.
Still havent heard WTT? Well get your weight up, not your hate up, because these heavy-hitters are making hip-hop history, whether your paying attention or not.

Written by Daniel Durham

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on at 5:50 am, filed under From the Archives and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 12/21-12/28

1.  Sons Of Huns w/ Mongoloid Village & The Ax
Where:  Doug Fir
How Much:  $6
When:  Wednesday, December 21st –9pm
Why:  A delicious mid-week treat! Emanating unabashedly raw energy and down right killer tunes is garage-accented rock’n’roll trio, Sons Of Huns. These dudes know how to bring it all the time, every time.  For a mere $6, come see what all the ruckus is about!

2.  Hawkeye w/ 1776 & The Shivas
Where:  Backspace
How Much:  $6
When:  Thursday, December 22nd –9pm
Why:  It’s time to let yourself fall down the rabbit hole and get lost in the psychedelic haze of not one, not two, but three fantastic bands!  Featuring swirling guitars, super-sonic fuzz, and 60s pop-infused riffs—you won’t know what hit you, but you’ll definitely dig it.

3.  Best Supporting Actress w/ Hooded Hags & Tiny Knives
Where:  Club 21
How Much:  Free!
When:  Friday, December 23rd –9pm
Why:  Starting as a duo in 2008, BSA self-recorded and self-released a few tapes while playing shows around town with the likes of Explode Into Colors and Guidance Counselor. This year they added bass into the mix and laid down some noisy bubblegum rock tracks with Kennel Jitters recordings.  Get there and buy it!

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on December 23, 2011 at 12:01 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 12/14 – 12/21

1. Y La Bamba w/ Sean Flinn & The Royal We, Rememory
Where: Holocene
How Much: $7
When: Thursday, December 15 –8:30pm
Why: It’s always an incredible evening with Portland sweethearts, Y La Bamba. Let Luz Elena Mendoza and company warm you up with wonderfully unique vocals and striking presence. Joining them are Sean Flinn & The Royal We whose folk-pop music is filling Al’s Den this month and is bound to fill your hearts.

2. Federale w/ The Soft White Sixties & Brush Prairie
Where: Mississippi Studios
How Much: $5/$7
When: Friday, December 16 –9pm
Why: Come witness the full orchestral sound and haunting 1960’s Italian Western-inspired music of Federale. Known for having more than a dozen musicians for their live performance—it’s truly a sonic treat for your ears. Starting the night off is Zia McCabe’s (Dandy Warhols) country side project featuring members of SexyWaterSpiders and The Shivas.

3. Spookies w/ Woolen Men & Paper Brain
Where: The Know
How Much: $5
When: Saturday, December 17 –8pm
Why: Ex-Shaky Hands members Alex Arrowsmith, Colin Anderson, and Mayhaw Hoons team up with bassist Mickey Rivers for a new pop-rock adventure. This will be Spookies debut show, so come out and show some love. Get there early (for real) and catch the head-bobbing, booty-shaking tunes of Woolen Men and Paper Brain.

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on December 14, 2011 at 6:58 pm, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The Devil Wears Prada w/ Whitechapel @ Roseland Theater 11/15/11

“End Of Flesh.” “Festering Fiesta.” “Prostatic Fluid Asphyxiation.” After a cursory once-over of Whitechapel’s albums and history, I have to admit being unsure as to how my evening was going to pan out. Track titles and lyrics that span the band’s three full-length releases since their inception in 2006 call to mind gory horror film scenes rather than anything aural.

But after watching openers For Today and Enter Shikari play enthusiastic, but somewhat droning sets (rife with fist pumping fans, dubstep breakdowns, and a smoking speaker being carried offstage) Whitechapel came to the stage and certainly set the room up with a change of pace. From the first song of their set to the very last, the Knoxville, Tennessee natives commanded attention from the audience with grinding metal riffs offset against chugging bass lines and heavy artillery drums that have helped in setting them apart from fellow bands who also play this kind of technical deathcore. With a total of six members, their stage show was engaging and well-received by an animated crowd.

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Senses Fail @ The Hawthorne Theatre 11/12/11

After catching Dawes, we headed to the Hawthorne Theatre to catch Senses Fail. We planned it out perfectly and arrived just in time to see the entire set.  This felt like a more intimate show for this particular tour. Front man Buddy Nielsen was very personable with the crowd and spent a fair amount of time interacting with the crowd.

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This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on December 12, 2011 at 11:00 pm, filed under Live and tagged , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Dawes w/ The Belle Brigade @ The Crystal Ballroom 11/12/11

On November 12, The Belle Brigade and Dawes hit up the Crystal Ballroom with Blitzen Trapper; this was the perfect example of another night in Portland, the kind of nights where you have to strategically plan to try to fit in as many shows as possible.

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This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on at 10:59 pm, filed under Live and tagged , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The Wombats w/ The Postelles @ Wonder Ballroom 11/10/11


The Wonder Ballroom is quickly becoming my favorite place to go to shows. Thursday November 10th was The Static Jacks, The Postelles, and The Wombats.

The Static Jacks opened up the show with an energetic set, yelling away teenage inhibition and angst on stage. The quartet from Jersey is slowly gaining momentum in the indie rock scene, newly signed to Fearless Records last summer, and their debut on Fuel TV’s The Daily Habit. The Static Jacks are catchy and full of aggression.

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This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on December 8, 2011 at 4:33 pm, filed under Live and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Dan Deacon @ Branx 12/03/2011

Describing a Dan Deacon show in 200 words or less is like trying to cram a brontosaurus into a Mini Cooper. There are literally too many words to describe the unabashed passion, joy, and positive energy that is created by the master showman that is Dan. I have experienced Dan’s electrifying harmonious cacophony many times in many locations (most of which were basement clubs and hole in the wall dives that reeked of quirk and PBR) but Saturday night he served up my favorite flavor of electro-dance-freak-pop to the Portland masses at Branx.

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This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on at 11:11 am, filed under Live and tagged , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 12/07 – 12/14

1. Other Lives w/ JBM
Where: Mississippi Studios
How Much: $10/$12
When: Thursday, December 8 –9pm
Why: After a stellar tour with Bon Iver, the Oklahoma nears closer to the verge of blowing up. Tamer Animals, the band’s latest album, is hauntingly gorgeous and begs to be played from beginning to end. It’s no wonder they were chosen to support Radiohead on their 2012 US tour early next year. Most likely they will play a larger venue next time around, so don’t miss out on this intimate evening!

2. Ty Segall (special performance) w/ Mikal Cronin
Where: East End (Happy Birthday, EE!)
How Much: $11
When: Friday, December 9 –9pm
Why: As part of the month-long birthday celebration, Ty Segall will play a special solo set. After a slew of releases this year, it surely will be a treat to hear what the Orange County native plays. Joining him is collaborator and best bud, Mikal Cronin. Cronin released his self-titled debut full of psychedelic pop and power chords in September. There’s no better place to spend your Friday night.

3. Papercuts w/ Tim Cohen’s Magic Trick
Where: Bunk Bar
How Much: $10
When: Saturday, December 10 –9pm
Why: Songwriter/producer, Jason Quever, is the man behind the indie-pop project, Papercuts. The 2011 release, Fading Parade, is atmospheric, lush, and wonderfully melodic. The comparisons to a lo-fi version of The Byrds are nearly dead-on with the warm and dreamy sounds emanating from Quever’s vocals and guitars. This show will sell out, so get there early!

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on December 7, 2011 at 8:01 pm, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

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