Hello, fellow music geeks! Back with another edition of our weekly news blast Press Play and... well... there ain't a lot going on right now. In this dead zone between Thanksgiving and Christmas, there's not a lot of news dropping, especially news that affects the local scene. But we did find a few choice tidbits to share with our loyal readers. So put down that plate of Thanksgiving leftovers and let's. do. this.
If youâre reading this, hopefully youâve already hit your favorite record shop for RSD Black Friday, that other special day of the year when labels truck out limited edition wax for collectors and music heads.
If you havenât done any shopping yet today⊠thereâs still time! If youâre lucky, you can still snag one of the records landing on shelves today. As for suggestions, I would defer to Dave Segal, my colleague at The Stranger, for his picks. And if youâre wondering what local shops are participating in RSD Black Friday, hereâs a full list of the Oregon stores getting in on the fun.
Speaking of record shops, as you may or may not already know, Beacon Sound, one of the city's finest outposts for experimental music and beat-heavy tunes, recently relocated to a storefront on 207 SE Grand. After a couple of months of building up their stock and hosting a few events at the new space, owner Andrew Neeman is finally getting around to holding a little party to celebrate their grand re-opening.
Kicking off at 8 pm on December 7, this little shindig will feature live performances from vocal dynamo Amenta Abioto, harp spiritualist Dolphin Midwives, downbeat/hip-hop producer Omari Jazz, and experimental electronic project Location Services. Also on tap is a mini-fashion show featuring the first line of clothing designed for Faro Fabrics, an "anti-colonialist fashion label and retailer of original and sourced products" that will be sharing the Beacon Sound space.
Gaining entry to the party will only set you back $5 but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. And all the money collected will be split among the four artists. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening.
Speaking of record sales, Billboard has announced a change in its rules regarding âbundling,â the practice of including a digital download of an album along with a piece of merchandise like a t-shirt or, in the case of DJ Khaled, energy drinks.
The new rule, which goes into effect in January, means that any bundle must cost at least $3.49 more than the price of the merchandise item alone to qualify as an album sale. $3.49 is, according to Billboard, the minimum amount that album should cost to be counted for the charts. As well, the bundle can only be sold through an artistâs official web store and not through a third-party retailer, and the merchandise item must be available on its own.
This change in policy seems to be to deal with issues like the one that caused Khaledâs album Father of Ashad to debut at #2 on the album charts after many of his bundle deals were invalidated due to being sold through Shop.com.
On December 2, Music Portland will hold its regular First Monday hangout/networking opportunity at Holocene. This time around, the discussion will center on healthcare for musicians and independent contractors in the music industry.
There will be a panel of local healthcare providers, and talks from the President of MusiCares, an âorganization that provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need,â especially those artists struggling with drug and alcohol issues, and the Jeremy Wilson Foundation, which helps provide financial assistance for musicians and their families who are dealing with ongoing medical crises.
The 21+ event kicks off at 7pm and is free to anyone who has created a profile through MusicPortlandâs website.
How powerful is the singing and songwriting of singer/songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler? Powerful enough to inspire Slim Moon to want to return to the music industry after a 12 year break.
The founder of local label Kill Rock Stars (home of Horse Feathers, Kinski, and many others) was so moved by what he heard in Best Wishes, the debut project by Maita-Keppelerâs band MAITA, that he decided to take back the reins of KRS (his wife, Portia Sabin, had been in charge since his departure). As he says in a press release announcing the release of this new albumâout on February 1ââMy love of MAITA, and my belief in Maria's songwriting, pulled me back into the record business.â
Makes perfect sense to us after listening to âCanât Blame the Kid,â the lead single from Best Wishes, a few dozen times. Itâs a corker, all new wave nastiness and open hearted lyricism. Check out the newly-released video for this tune, and keep an eye out for Maita-Keppeler on January 10 when she performs at the Crystal Ballroom as part of Portlandâs Folk Festival along with Anna Tivel, Haley Johnsen, and Nick Delffs.
That's what we got and that's what it is. Have a good weekend!
