I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but sometimes when the strain and over-stimulation of our 21st-century world gets me down, the thought of spiriting off to some cave dwelling in the far and distant past seems downright appealing. True, such an archaic lifestyle would be plagued with little inconveniences like feral beasts […]
Josh Blanchard
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The USA Is a Monster
No Shit, Sherlock!
I’ve become increasingly convinced of late that the influence of art and music on our current political rat’s nest is pretty much nil. Our country’s administration has shown us that even legitimate grass-roots organizations don’t have a prayer of challenging the status quo, let alone a bunch of stoned literature majors singing ’bout “revolution.” Its […]
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No Really—Why?
I Was About to Ask You the Same Thing
Whatever happened to indierock anyway? Like most semi-progressive folks my age, I grew up under indierock’s looming cultural shadow. Somewhere along the way however, indierock screwed the pooch—as thrift-store finds, zines, and Yo La Tengo became appropriated and retooled by successors like Urban Outfitters, shitty blogs, and Death Cab for Cutie. Where does it leave all […]
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Total Eclipse
The Black-Magic Rituals of Sunn 0)))
You’re standing in a great, smoky hall. A procession of hooded figures slowly glides toward the stage. They lurk menacingly behind a barricade of amplifiers like a counsel of warlocks in wait. There are a few long moments of tense, tangible silence until suddenly, BRMMMMM!—seismic waves of the most pulverizing, sub-sonic guitar sludge ever heard. […]
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Darkness Falls
Kayo Dot Relieves Your Seasonal Slump
Kayo Dot Thurs Oct 20 Berbati’s Pan 10 SW 3rd Fri Oct 21 Food Hole 20 NW 3rd It’s become pretty obvious over the last couple weeks that fall is upon us. Our brief window of opportunity for backyard barbeques and day trips to the river has officially closed, and now we’re back to hoodies […]
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Unlikely Bedfellows
13 & God’s Brotherly Love
It’s not just politics that make unlikely bedfellows—often musicians open their sleepy eyes to the shock of a strange, doe-eyed
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Seeds of Discontent
The Triumphant(?) Return of Sky Saxon
Sky Saxon & The Seeds Thurs August 11 Sabala’s Mt Tabor 4811 SE Hawthorne Despite almost 40 intermittent years of activity, Sky Saxon and his Seeds seem doomed to be mislabeled as one-hit wonders for their driving 1966 hit “Pushin’ Too Hard.” Not too shabby a tune to be remembered by though, as the simple, […]
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The Sacrament
Old Time Relijun Will Convert You
Old Time Relijun Thurs Aug 4 Berbati’s Pan 10 SW 3rd A biblical oldster once prayed, “God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights with stringed instruments.” It seems to me that Old Time Relijun’s founder Arrington de Dionyso may […]
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Metaphorical Blowjobs
Nice Nice Makes Us All Look Bad
Nice Nice Sun July 31 Holocene 1001 SE Morrison Back in the golden days of the Mercury, I recall more than a few disgruntled rocker types complaining about the heaps of praise former music editor Julianne Shepherd slathered on local duo, Nice Nice. I can even recall colorful metaphors involving the kissing of ass and […]
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Like Her Lungs Are On Fire
Made Out Of Babies Release the Demons
Made Out of Babies Thurs June 16 Sabala’s Mt Tabor 4811 SE Hawthorne We don’t need to be clinging to more clichés about women in rock these days, but there are a couple that usually seem to hold true. A general rule of thumb, for example, is that the harder the rock show, the more […]
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The Lucksmiths
Why I Love and Hate Pop Music
The Lucksmiths Tues May 3 Berbati’s Pan 10 SW 3rd I’ve had years of flack given to me by my metalhead and noise-lovin’ friends for my weakness for sugary, ’60s pop. Regardless of any new, edgy trends, bands like the Left Banke and Love are my bread and butter, and the Free Design and Brasil […]
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Understanding Ulrich
The New Kraut Electronic
Ulrich Schnauss Holocene 1001 SE Morrison Wed April 27 The Krauts’ musical style–usually characterized by stiff rhythms and college degrees rather than gusto or romanticism–is usually an acquired taste. But love ’em or hate ’em, they’ve made a big mark on popular music, especially of the electronic variety. While to the unfamiliar his name may […]