Posts from — October 2008

Two emerging bands played to an intimate yet excitable crowd earlier this month at Portland’s East End. Backyard Tire Fire, hailing out of Bloomington, Illinois got things going with a great mix of alt-country originals with blistering guitar solos from Ed Anderson combined with some great covers. Evoking such luminaries as Neil Young and Gram Parsons with contemporaries like Patterson Hood, Anderson stole the show with his expressive lyrics on songs like “Lightning”, and “Piss and Moan” before busting into the Dire Straits classic “So Far Away From Me”.

The last time we saw Rose Hill Drive, they took the stage in the cavernous Rose Garden Arena opening for The Who, (a gig they famously landed after Pete Townsend saw them play in Chicago) and played a lackluster set to an older crowd who seemed indifferent to the young power trio. On this night at the East End however, the brothers Sproul and Nathan Barnes proceeded to deliver a set that will ultimately land in the B.O.O.B. top ten shows for 2008. Mostly drawing from their new record Moon is the New Earth, RHD has definitely progressed with a maturing sound that is more Jimi Hendrix and Vanilla Fudge than Led Zeppelin. Originals such as “Trans Am” and “Sneak Out” show that the band is becoming what all great power trios should be: the sum of their parts and a well oiled machine. In addition to the new songs the band debuted some new covers to the Portland crowd, the Jimi Hendrix classic “Communication Breakdown” and Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”. The approximately 100 people in attendance were treated to what Daniel Sproul proclaimed was their “best Portland gig ever” and left everyone blown away by something special.

Pictures: Rose Hill Drive/Backyard Tire Fire, October 11, 2008 @ East End:

Thanks to Candise Kola for the great pictures!

True Lies in Song Unearthed from Lone Fir Cemetery

What do an axe murderess, a beloved physician, a successful crimper, a poet with a hankering for drowning, and a French prostitute with a heart of gold have in common?

They are all permanent residents of historic Lone Fir cemetery, one of Portland’s historical, architectural, and horticultural gems. And now, they come to life in a new collection of original songs by some the city’s best musicians.

(D)early Departed: True Lies Unearthed from Lone Fir Cemetery pays tribute to some of Portland’s most colorful deceased citizens. Proceeds from the benefit CD support upcoming restoration projects for Lone Fir Cemetery.

Musicians on the CD include: Adam Shearer & Adam Selzer, Al James, Amelia, Chris Robley & The Fear of Heights, Holcombe Waller, James Beaton, Jesse Emerson, Jim Brunberg, Leigh Marble, Matt Sheehy, Nick Jaina, Pete Krebs, Ritchie Young, Storm Large, The Taciturns. Musicians playing at the CD release are listed below!

THE LONE FIR CEMETERY featuring performances by…
STORM & THE BALLS
AMELIA
JIM BRUNBERG
RITCHIE YOUNG (LOCH LOMOND)
AL JAMES (DOLOREAN)
TACTITURNS
ADAM SHEARER (WEINLAND)
ADAM SELZER (NORFOLK & WESTERN)
MATT SHEEHY
HOLCOMBE WALLER
CHRIS ROBLEY
NICK JAINA
PETE KREBS
LEIGH MARBLE
plus TRUE STORIES with COURTENAY HAMEISTER

Friday October 24
Doug Fir Lounge
Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm
$15 advance, $15 day of show

The Felice Brothers will finally make a stop in Portland this Friday night at the Mission Theater. The three brothers with a wild story have been wow~ing audiences in Europe & the east coast for a few years now. Finally, the west coast gets a taste!

In the spring of ‘07, The Felice Brothers released their first recording “Tonight at the Arizona” on Loose Records in the UK. They WOW-ed ‘em across the pond playing festivals and gigs throughout the UK and Europe with the likes of the Waterboys, Blanche and David Grey. After making their way across America this summer for their first tour, they band hooked up with Bright Eyes for a string of rousing dates on the East Coast —culminating in a performance on the venerated stage at Radio City Music Hall. The Felice Brothers also kicked it with Levon Helms for one of his classic Midnight Rambles upstate. Along they way, fans at shows were introduced to “The Adventures of the Felice Brothers Vol 1?, only available at live dates..

The sound that emerges from their instruments is seeped with an instinctive authenticity that’s rooted in tradition. While busking and impromptu subway performances filled their bellies, now their recordings and live performances brings the backwoods to the cities and concert Halls of America and Europe. Starting off ‘08 on the right foot, The Felice Brothers proudly announce their signing to Team Love Records.

Simone, Ian and James Felice are the three eldest boys from a family of seven, born carpenter’s sons in the wilds of New York’s Catskill Mountains. Less than a year ago, the Brothers adopted a runaway dice-thrower and chancer, a 19 year old called Christmas. They convinced him to quit his job and the motley quartet forsook all else but song and moved their Sunday BBQ sing-alongs from their dad’s upstate house out onto the streets and subways of NYC.

After months of toil, living in a 1987 special education bus, with arrests, and genuine panhandler fun, a free-lance music writer named Gabe Soria (Mojo, Vice) stumbled upon the boys singing and barking their wares at a farmers market in Brooklyn and one thing led to another.

Now The Felice Brothers and blood brother Christmas all live, tour, sing, write and gamble together on their little bus. Their distinct brand of songwriting and the lawless sound they’ve forged has earned them comparisons to Woodie Guthrie, a young Springsteen to the Scorsese film Gangs of New York. The boys now travel the world performing homegrown and gritty Americana on the city stages as if they were hosting a sing-along on their own front porch surrounded by family and friends or playing the backroom of a dusty tavern.

LINKS: http://www.thefelicebrothers.com/ & http://www.myspace.com/thefelicebrothers

Friday, October 24
THE FELICE BROTHERS
Mission Theater
Deer Tick
7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show | $12 advance/day of show | 21+
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WU9CYc8Q2w]

During the 2004 Presidential Election, Gov’t Mule gathered some of their friends together for a very special Benefit for Headcount at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado. This version of “Masters of War” from that epic concert features performances by Warren Haynes, Ray LaMontagne, Ben Ottewell and Jerry Joseph. Head to MuleTracks or iTunes to download the track.

All proceeds from the sale of this download will go to benefit HeadCount, a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to voter registration and inspiring participation in democracy through the power of music. For more info, and to register to vote (which it is not too late to do in some states), head to www.headcount.org.

Regular readers may remember our in depth interview with the ubiquitous Scott McCaughey earlier this year where he spoke about his passion for his ongoing musical project The Minus 5. Scott and his The Minus 5 cohort Peter Buck have been hard at work touring the world with R.E.M. most of this year, so they are excited to play to their hometown friends and family and celebrate the release of Sad Hasselhoff, the 12 inch 45 RPM six song EP. The disc includes a few songs from 2009′s forthcoming full-length CD, plus ultra-exclusive tracks, including the band’s version of the Neil Young/Buffalo Springfield gem “Burned”. Many of Portland’s finest musicians grace the EP, including members of the Decemberists and Norfolk & Western, on tracks recorded by Tucker Martine, Adam Selzer, and Mike Coykendall.

In addition, this gig is supporting the launch of the new No Depression web zine, MusiCares, and Vote For Jeff Merkley, and No On 64.

Info:
The Minus 5
Weinland
Friday, October 18, 2008
Mission Theater
1624 N.W. Glisan
Portland, OR 97209
Doors @ 7 / Show @ 8

LINKS: http://www.minus5.com

Caleb Klauder of Foghorn Stringband has reported some sad news:

My 1939 Martin 0-17 all mahogany guitar was stolen from my car on Friday Oct 10th. My John Sullivan F-5 Mandolin (#79) was taken also. The car was located in NE Portland on Going street near 50th.

These two instruments are my life and my workhorses, I use them every day to make my living. Obviously these two instruments are very very dear to me, not just any old guitar and mandolin.

Please call if anyone has any information.

Caleb Klauder 971-242-9140
you might know me from the Foghorn Stringband. I live in Portland OR.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

————————————

Unfortunately, this is an all too common trend these days. Lets hope that this incident has a happy ending with the instruments being returned to their rightful owner.

On Sunday, October 12th, Doug Fir will host an all day extravaganza that will culminate in a star studded concert to benefit Oregon Democrat and Senate candidate Jeff Merkley in the Lounge.

The Portland “super” group Blue Giant kicked off their 3 show Portland tour last night with a kick-ass show at the Holocene. Blue Giant is the the latest project from Viva Voce’s Kevin and Anita Robinson & they have recently been joined by the multi-instrumental wonder and Decemberists bandmember, Chris Funk. Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker was the special guest for the evening & ran through 3 or 4 tunes with Blue Giant that including a song that she recorded with the band followed by a few of Corin’s tunes. The next few nights promise to be interesting with Quasi’s Sam Coomes, Tu Fawning’s Corrina Repp and Norfolk & Western’s Rachel Blumberg all planning to make appearances with the band. In addition, there will be a digital single given away to ticket holders each night.

Here are the details on the remaining shows this “tour”:

Oct.8 – Blue Giant & Norfolk & Western @ Backspace (w/ special guest)
Oct.9 – Blue Giant (performing an all organic collaborative set with) Portland Cello Project ( w/ special guest) @ Doug Fir

LINKS: http://www.bluegiantland.com & http://www.myspace.com/bluegiantland

MP3/Downloads: KEXP Live Studio Session (6/27/2008)

Fat Possum Records is excited to announce that the Heartless Bastards are set to release their third record on January 20, 2009. The record is called The Mountain and was produced by Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead, Patty Griffin). The Mountain delivers the swamped-up rock howl that fans have come to love from the critically acclaimed Heartless Bastards, but it also weaves in an adventurous sonic evolution, expanding their three-piece rock palate by adding pedal steel, mandolin, banjo and strings, all in support of Erika Wennerstrom’s transcendent voice that Rolling Stone once described as “channeling all the swagger and spit of a young Robert Plant.”

In October 2007, Wennerstrom packed her bags and moved to Austin, TX, to write her new record, and work with producer McCarthy. In true ascetic discipline, she rented a meager apartment, locked herself inside, wrote for six months straight and came out with 11 songs that represent the evolution critics and fans have been anticipating for years. Once the album was finished, she immediately got to work on assembling a new band, searching for musicians who would help take her live show to a whole new level. After weeks of auditions, a serendipitous alignment of stars occurred, and she found what she was looking for. The two new members aren’t Texas ringers, but fellow Dayton brethren Dave Colvin on drums, and Jesse Ebaugh on bass, who actually played on the original demo that hooked Fat Possum in the first place. The line up this fall will also include Bill Elm on lap steel, and occasionally Zy O.Lyn on violin. The new and improved Heartless Bastards are sure to leave fans reeling and wanting more.