Posts from — March 2010

Portland alt-folk bandleader Nick Jaina and his band (featuring members of Jolie Holland, Loch Lomond, and Laura Gibson) will celebrate the Hush Records release of A Bird In The Opera House with show at Doug Fir this Friday April 2nd.

A Bird In The Opera House is a carefully crafted studio album that was recorded after Jaina moved into his friend Lee Howard’s house, having been offered the opportunity to record in his new basement studio. Nick settled into the lupstairs bedroom and started playing some of the guitars lying around the house which ultimately led to the tracks on A Bird In The Opera House.. It was a gradual process, but the result is an intimate album that is positive and upbeat but also rich and dark. It adventures, endeavors, reflects and drifts just like any great story.

Check out the first single entitled “Sleep Child” HERE

Info:
Nick Jaina
with Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside & Future Historians
Friday, April 2, 2010
Doug Fir Lounge
Doors at 8; Show at 9 / Tix: $10

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEg49dPRQas]

Black Prairie, the acoustic brainchild of The Decemberists Chris Funk and Nate Query will make its Portland live debut this Thursday at The Woods in Sellwood. At first listen, Black Praire’s sound evokes images from a Charles Frazier novel with its old timey sound and bluegrass flavor but also includes some eastern European influence and deeper complexities as the listener digs deeper into their sound. The group is primarily instrumental but does feature some gorgeous vocals from Annalisa Tornfelt who also contributes on violin. Rounding out the lineup is fellow Decemberist Jenny Conlee on accordion and Portland guitarist Jon Neufeld.

Black Prairie’s first release entitled Feast of the Hunter’s Moon will be available on April 6th (and likely at Thursday’s show) but you can stream it in its entirety starting today on NPR’s First Listen

Show Info:

Black Prairie with Special Guests Alialujah Choir
Thursday, April 1st
The Woods
$12 advance Buy Tickets Here

We’ve always been a fan of local keyboard wiz Asher Fulero and his variety of projects ranging from his channeling of Richard Wright in The Floydian Slips to his engaging duo Surrounded By Ninjas. His latest release is his first ever album of solo piano music, an intimately gorgeous and emotionally captivating record released on his 33rd birthday and dedicated to his late brother. ‘The Green Piano‘ is now available for online streaming and download in multiple formats with plans for a physical release later this Spring. Asher was kind enough to elaborate a little more on The Green Piano concept and fill us in on what else he has going on:

Dead Meadow is a heavy psychedlelic band based in L.A. that was produced (& discovered) by Fugazi bass player Joe Lally in 2000. Since then the band has honed their craft & the most recent release, Three Kings, is a live record of the band’s back catalog and a few new studio songs, and it’s accompanied by a DVD of concert footage combined with short vignettes that follow a storyline throughout.

BIO: With The Three Kings, the trio set out again, and this time around they’ve got it. Presented as a DVD and soundtrack set, the film mixes fantasy sequences with live footage (only the soundtrack was provided for review so I can’t comment on the visuals except to admit that, yes, that sounds like a potentially fatal notion). As for the music, though, the band added a handful of new studio tracks to the live material, and thankfully the latter recordings are extremely well-done, with the energy of the live setting coming through loud and clear. When the band reaches a peak and the audience can be heard cheering, it feels just right.

The trio’s formula is pretty consistent throughout — a strong, steady rhythm from drummer Stephen McCarty and bassist Steve Kille that provides a foundation for thick, distorted riffs from guitarist-singer Jason Simon. Simon’s stoned vocals are often just another layer, but at times he approaches a pop sensibility that’s almost pretty. “At Her Open Door” stands out for its spacious opening segment, until it dives cathartically into an intense pedal-driven freakout that gets the audience whistling.

“Seven Seers,” one of the few songs that stays (for the most part) away from the heavy fuzz riffage, is also one of the strongest. Its droning 12-string strumming follows an eastern mode over drums that convey a slow and steady tribal feel, and the atmosphere evokes the hash-soaked grogginess that the band surely intends.

URL: http://deadmeadow.com/

PRESS: Spinner / Brooklyn Vegan / Dusted Reviews

MP3/Downloads: Dead Meadow – I’m Gone
MP3/Downloads: Dead Meadow – What Needs Must Be

Doug Fir
Thursday April 01, 2010
Dead Meadow
w/ Imaad Wasif
w/ The Upsidedown
Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm
$10 advance, $12 day of show
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTXf0Rtp98s]

Brad and Andrew Barr, best known as founding members of revered rock bands The Slip and Surprise Me Mr. Davis, are adding a third act to their repertoire. The Barr Brothers introduce themselves with a string of dates opening for The Low Anthem. The tour stops in Portland this Sunday, March 28 at Doug Fir Lounge.

The seeds for The Barr Brothers were first sown five years ago when Brad and Andrew relocated to Montreal. Brad’s apartment shared an adjoining wall with harpist Sarah Page. The two would hear each other practicing through the cracks. Sarah’s gentle melodies began weaving their way into the music that Brad was writing. A friendship was struck and songs were born. This latest endeavor for Brad and Andrew finds them exploring sounds quieter and more ethereal than anything in their previous work. The finishing touches were just added to a debut studio album that will be available at the show.

Info: The Low Anthem
with The Barr Brothers and Timbre Timbre
Sunday March 28th
Doug Fir Lounge
Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm
$12 advance, $12 day of show

MP3/Download: The Low Anthem – Home I’ll Never Be Acoustic

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qkGoqAZrqI]

Mimicking Birds to play 2nd Annual PDX Food Cart Festival!

Today’s street scene is not limited to “roach coaches” but now revered as an industry to watch with gourmet food turned out by these mobile kitchens. From dutch tacos, to vegan milkshakes, Portland Food Carts allow anyone with $7 eat well. But, with more than 170 carts and counting in town it’s tough to test all your delicious options.

No worries, we’re here to help: Support Portland’s superb street food culture on Saturday, April 24 at Willamette Week’s Eat Mobile. The event allows attendees to sample from some of WW’s favorite food carts, drink BridgePort Beer and signature cocktails by House Spirits Distillery. There will also be live music by Portland’s up-and coming Mimicking Birds.

Al Forno Ferruzza, Altengartz Bratwurst, Cafe Velo, Fat Kitty Falafel, Flavour Spot , Garden State, Junior Ambassadors, Taqueria Los Gorditos, Leroy’s Familiar Vittles, Lulu’s Confections, Moxie Rx, Sip, Soup Cycle, Tabor, The Grilled Cheese Grill. Todbott’s Triangels and many more are all on hand! At a cost of only $5 at the door, Eat Mobile can’t be beaten. Also, if the cheap price doesn’t motivate you, all proceeds will benefit Mercy Corps NW.

Last year, EAT MOBILE raised almost $4,000 for the benefiting charities. This year the event is generously supported by BridgePort Brewing Company, House Spirits Distillery, Toyota Scion and 94.7.

“Food carts are Portland’s proletarian answer to eating well with limited funds.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKOJZsA4jhs]

It’s going to be weird seeing The Hold Steady without Franz Nicolay. Like most HS fans, i fell in love with them over the last 5 years with Franz behind the keys. We wish him the best of luck & are excited to catch his solo act coming to the Doug Fir!

PRESS RELEASE: Always a busy soul, former Hold Steady keyboardist and dapper gentleman FRANZ NICOLAY, has outlined some more plans for 2010 which includes a West Coast solo tour and a summer gig as a touring member of Against Me! starting in May.

In between, he’ll begin recording the follow-up to last year’s debut full-length Major General, working with producer Jim Keller (Muse, Laurie Anderson). The album is scheduled for a fall release. Demos of two new songs are at myspace.com/franznicolay.

In addition to last year’s Major General LP and St. Sebastian of the Short Stage EP, NICOLAY recently released his collection of short stories, Complicated Gardening Techniques, via Julius Singer Press (http://vol1brooklyn.com/shop/)

URL: http://www.franznicolay.com/

MP3/Downloads: Franz Nicolay – When the War Came

FRANZ NICOLAY On the Road!!!:
April 10 – Millenium Music (instore); Portland OR
April 10 – Cherry City Music Festival, Mission Hill Museum; Salem OR
(w/ Black Prairie (mem. of Decemberists))
April 11 – Sunset Tavern, Seattle WA
April 12 – Doug Fir Lounge, Portland OR
April 14 – Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA (w/ Frank Turner)
April 15 – The Cellar Door, Visalia CA
April 16 – Bootleg, Los Angeles CA (w/ Autolux)
April 17 – Home, Silverlake CA
April 23 – Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken NJ
May 14 – WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Rob Sheffield)

FRANZ NICOLAY AS TOURING MEMBER OF AGAINST ME!
June 1 – Garage; London UK
June 2 – Academy 3; Manchester UK
June 3 – Academy 2; Birmingham UK
June 13 – Bonnaroo; Manchester TN
August 13 – Oya Festival, Oslo Norway

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk73z21w6H4]