Another week, another Mercury music section to read while you return those clown figurines you took from a house in NE Portland. Come on! Give back the clown heirlooms!!
Kids. They like their skateboards, their video game machines, and hanging out on my goddamn lawn all day long. They also like former National Geographic editor Melville Bell Grosvenor. I assume that is why Bark Hide and Horn penned an entire album in his honor. It’s vaguely conceptual, mostly fictional, and 100% amazing. Also, despite what WW says, this show is happening on Saturday August 16th, not “Friday August 13th.” That’s not a real day. At least, not this year. But it is in 2010! To the time machine…
LISTEN:
Bark Hide and Horn – “Ham The Astrochimp”
The first ever emcee to act in a film (no need to fact check this, I’m pretty sure there has never been another rapper with an interest in film), Mos Def is our very own Rock the Bells trickle down show. It’s not Tribe, but we’ll take it.
LISTEN:
<param name=”FlashVars” value=”autostart=no&bg=0xCCCCCC&leftbg=0x0056A5&lefticon=0xFFFFFF&rightbg=0x0056A5&
‘rightbghover=0xE87217&righticon=0xEEEEEE&righticonhover=0xffffff&text=0x666666&slider=0x666666&
‘track=0xFFFFFF&border=0x666666&loader=0x6CB112&soundFile=http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2008/08/14/1218734741_0814-md.mp3″ />
Mos Def – “Universal Magnetic”
We wrote an article about Jack Johnson. I have nothing else to add to that.
WATCH:
Jack Johnson & CGI Curious George – “Upside Down”
Sam Amidon collaborates with his pals in creating the old timey charm of All is Well.
LISTEN:
Sam Amidon – “Little Johnny Brown”
<param name=”FlashVars” value=”autostart=no&bg=0xCCCCCC&leftbg=0x0056A5&lefticon=0xFFFFFF&rightbg=0x0056A5&
‘rightbghover=0xE87217&righticon=0xEEEEEE&righticonhover=0xffffff&text=0x666666&slider=0x666666&
‘track=0xFFFFFF&border=0x666666&loader=0x6CB112&soundFile=http://www.portlandmercury.com/images/blogimages/2008/08/14/1218735163_0814-sa.mp3″ />
Hey, what are this week’s music columns about? Glad you asked. Cary talks about the CD Baby buyout from Disc Makers. Are they an evil company from outside Portland with bad intentions? Or just some CD lovers who want a piece of the Baby? Meanwhile I talk to Larry Crane about his new book, Tape Op: The Book about Creative Music Recording, Vol. II. Too bad all my hilarious jokes about ribbon mics were edited out. That shit was comedy gold.
End Hits: We’re just jealous because we can’t afford a time machine.
What the hell happened to Ben Harper? Was it Jack Johnson or Laura Dern (and resulting offspring) that gave him a botched vasectomy? It’s become the Mom and Pop Rock respite for casual music consumers… Something to play for a couple of weeks before retreating to familiar soft rock radio standards. Ladies, tonight will it be Nora Jones or Coleen Baily Rae with that bottle of Yellow Tail chardonnay?
It’s not hipster elitism, it’s fucking taste. I know people aren’t going to agree on everything, but goddamn… is being a fan of good music that much work? It IS too boring to waste time on…
” The first ever emcee to act in a film (no need to fact check this, I’m pretty sure there has never been another rapper with an interest in film)”
Now that is hipster elitism and the typical attitude towards hip hop in Portland.
I am in great control of my “hipster elitism,” and that was not it. It was a joke. One that I could very well make for most any genre (from country music and Toby Keith’s “Beer for My Horses” to the thespian skills of indie icon Will Oldham).