Weâre almost to summer, music nerds! Whether youâre into rock, jazz, or pop, thereâs a little something for everyone this week, thanks to an increasing amount of genre-fluidity running rampant these days. Here are two shows and one new release to dig into this month and beyond... right Hear in Portland!
MUST SEE:
Upcoming local show(s) featuring local artist(s).
The PridsÂ
One of Portlandâs most enduringly epic rock groups, the Prids, will soon bring their atmospheric indie shoegaze to Lollipop Shoppe's intimate stage. While they haven't released a proper album since 2018âs Do I Look Like Iâm In Love, there were a number of worthwhile reissues in 2020 (a fine thing to do in 2020), and last spring the group put out a two-pack of singles, including âSmall Amounts,â and âLiar of My Dreams.â The former track features hushed vocals and an eerie energy, to compliment lyrics about emotional unavailability: âWe go through with it/ Half way out the door/ You want apologies/ Youâve given your last tour.â In keeping with this showâs dark-ish vibes, support comes in the form of gothic post-punk from fellow Portland bands Vueltas, as well as experimental/industrial trio Ism. (Lollipop Shoppe, 736 SE Grand, Fri June 9, 8:30 pm, $18, tickets here, 21+)Â
MUST LISTEN:Â
New release(s) from a Portland-relevant artist.Â
Self-Titled, Roman Norfleet and Be Present Art Group
Driven by Portland multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Roman Norfleet, Be Present Art Group just released a self-titled debut EP via Chicago's Portland's Mississippi Records. [Record label Mississippi Records thinks it lives in Chicago now, but the store and the SPIRIT remain in Portland. -eds.] âThe album emerged out of drum gatherings in Washington DCâs Malcolm X Parkâa pocket of freedom built on collective improvisation and shared rhythm,â the album's liner notes read. Norfleet assembled a collective of artists, in Portland channel the energy of those DC sessions, working with vocalists Jacque Hammond and Mia Raiah, percussionists Darian Anthony Patrick and Elijah Jamal Asani, and Brown Calculus members Andre Raiah (Brown Calvin) and Vaughn Kimmons (Brown Alice). The resulting album is earthy, cosmic, and transgenerational. Its inspirations span time and space, via the African diaspora from spirituals to the jazz era. âBrothers Gatheringâ is all chimes and bells. âCosmic Forces" leans into sax and percussion. âA Vesselâ and âFuture Ancestors/Awakenâ are each a whopping eleven minutes longâthe latter is exquisite, featuring lots of erratic saxophone over progressively jazz-informed organ, and ending with a bevy of guttural vocalizations. The upbeat track âJoyâ isnât a slow burn like the others, but rather a jam session named for its repeated mantra, one of the only constants in the song. The final track, âTuriya the Butterfly,â features vocals from the titular toddler Turiya, the daughter of band members Andre and Mia Raiah.
ADDED TO THE QUEUE:Â
Some upcoming music buzz to put on your radar.
Janelle Monae
On June 9, Janelle Monae fans finally receive her long-awaited fourth studio album, The Age of Pleasure, and the teaser album videoâwhich portrays Monaeâs naked chestâhas everyone beyond excited. I was obsessed with Monae's outstanding 2018 film and album, Dirty Computer, and Iâm looking forward to hearing her attempt to improve upon it, especially since lead single âLipstick Loverâ is absolutely ravishing. I want the Kris Bowers and Brian and Caleb Chanâthe orchestra behind Bridgerton's orchestral pop coversâto do an all-strings version of it for season three, and I want it to play while an epic love scene takes place. JUST AN IDEA! The singer and rapper returns to the Pacific Northwest with her âAge of Pleasure Tourâ on September 2, marking her first visit since slaying Edgefield in 2018. For some reason the show will be at RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater in Ridgefield, instead of literally any other place. Concertgoers should buckle up for some serious post-show parking lot traffic. (RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater, 17200 NE Delfel Rd, Ridgefield, WA, 8 pm, $124 and up, tickets here, all ages)
