Local Music News
As the New Year rolls around, big changes come stomping in like demon Clydesdales. First off, some bad news for I Can Lick any SOB in the House fans. From the band: "Well, it's time for the news that we hoped we would never have to deliver. After five-plus years of touring, recording, and throwing our middle fingers at the powers that be, I Can Lick any Sonofabitch in the House is no more. Mike D has decided to focus on his family and his solo work, and we of course won't continue without our brother. We can't thank all of you who have supported us enough: for taking care of us on the road, letting us sleep on your floors and eat your food, sharing the stage with us, or just being the loyal fans that you have been. It is our great hope that we were able to bring to you even a fraction of the love and happiness that you brought to our lives." Word is band members Handsome Jon and Flapjack Texas will keep on with the Runaway Boys and Dave Lipkind will do his thing with Spigot. The band is also selling its 15-passenger 1997 Dodge Ram tour van. Go to myspace.com/icanlickanysonofabitchint to lay down your bid.
Also in the world of big changes and new things, Minmae is finishing up their ninth record, 835. Says an official dispatch from the band, "The album captures yet another step forward in the ever expansive Minmaeic trajectory. An end of an era and the beginning of the future, 835 straddles that definitive moment between the changing of the guard—the culminating moment of what was crafted and what became." The record will be out early next year on the Greyday label.
As 2006 fades out, so will a good bulk of the local music news coverage you see in this column every week—at least for the next two weeks. People leave for the holidays, bands stop booking shows, nobody checks their email or plans much of anything—it's definitely slow news time. So, as a preemptive strike, I'll be dedicating these next couple columns to year-end lists. Next week will be a list of the best local shows of 2006, and the week after that will be 2006's best local records. Keep checking out portlandmercury.com/blogtown, though, for any local music news that does come across our radar.
