Posts from — April 2012

4/30 – James Morrison

5/4 – Zoe Keating

5/5 – Natasha Leggero

5/6 – Katie Herzig

5/9 – BRE presents The Priests Live In Concert

5/11 – Kina Grannis

5/12 – The Tubes

5/17 – U.K.

5/18 – Lindsey Buckingham

5/19 – Herb Ohta Jr “Ukulele Master”

5/21 – Best Coast

5/22 – Bodeans

5/23 – Loudon Wainwright III

5/24 – Greg Lake “Songs of A Lifetime”

5/25 – Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires

5/26 – John C Reilly and Friends (featuring Becky Stark and Tom Brosseau)

5/27 – Dita Von Teese “Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray” Variety Show”

5/28 – Dita Von Teese “Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray” Variety Show”

6/2 – JD McPherson @ Bunk Bar

6/3 – Chickenfoot – Different Devil Tour 2012 (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall)

6/3 – Asleep At The Wheel

6/4 – Destroyer

6/9 – Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks

6/11 – Tinariwen

6/17 – John Fogerty @ Edgefield

6/17 – KIN – Rodney Crowell & Mary Karr w/ Special Guest Steuart Smith

6/19 – Spectrum Road – Jack Bruce / Vernon Reid / John Medeski / Cindy Blackman Santana

6/21 – Jonathan Coulton

7/3 – Justin Townes Earle

7/5 – Ben Harper @ Edgefield

7/13 – Marina & The Diamonds

7/15 – Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band @ Edgefield

7/25 – Dirty Projectors @ Crystal Ballroom

7/26 – Emmylou Harris/Steve Martin @ Edgefield

8/1 – Sarah Jarosz

8/3 – Hot Tuna

8/17 – Norah Jones @ Edgefield

8/25 – The Avett Brothers @ Edgefield

8/26 – The Avett Brothers @ Edgefield

URL: http://www.aladdin-theater.com/

Recording engineer: Jonathan Newsome
Audio mixing: Steven Kray
Video production: Jarratt Taylor
Video shooters:Jarratt Taylor / Nate Sjol / Neil Maknarakham
Photos: Nathan Quigley– see the full photo set
Interview: Jeremy Petersen

You’d be forgiven if you were to think that Johanna and Klara Söderberg, the sisters that make up Swedish duoFirst Aid Kit, emerged from a mossy forest strumming a guitar, soaring harmonies in tow. There’s a certain organic magic about their music that makes such a myth entirely believable, passed down from forebearers like Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan and Karen Dalton. It was their forest-set take on Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” that became a YouTube sensation while introducing them to scores of new fans, after all, and it’s hard to shake such a first impression.

The truth is slightly more mundane and therefore a bit more believable: a teenage girl is introduced by her friends to the music of Bright Eyes, which in turn introduces her to the music of masters like those mentioned above, which in turn inspires her to write her own music, which becomes First Aid Kit when she’s joined by the harmonies and playing of her slightly older sister. That the music ends up exhibiting a rare mysticism and wisdom seemingly beyond the sisters’ years is one extraordinary part of the equation.

The Söderberg sisters join us for performances of songs from their second full-length release, this year’s The Lion’s Roar, a record that features some stunning moments (the title track and “Emmylou” feature two of the most re-listenable choruses you’ll hear all year) and is bolstered by the production of Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis, who brought a fuller band sound to the their songs while not sacrificing that organic quality that is key to their sound. First Aid Kit also talks about their early listening habits (they’re not above a Christina or Britney track), family life and their retreat to Joshua Tree for the filming of the video for “Emmylou” (on Gram Parsons’ birthday, no less).

The duo plays a couple of west coast dates this week before spending a second straight weekend at Coachella this weekend.

upcoming in-store performances & events:

All in-store performances are at Music Millennium 32nd & E Burnside, 503-231-8926.

THE NORTHSTAR SESSION
Monday, 4/23 – 6 PM
You may recognize their music from film and TV, or their recent live performance on NBC’s Parenthood this Fall (Season 2; Ep. 2). Yep! They’re the band in the studio with Music Producer Crosby Braverman (Dax Shepard). Most recently called a “combination of CSN and Ryan Adams,” by their fans, The Northstar Session “displays vocal harmonies so tight, you’ll swear they can’t be doing it live!”

BILL RHOADES’ RETIREMENT BASH: FREE LIVE MUSIC AND REFRESHMENTS
Tuesday, 4/24 – 6 PM
Join us as we celebrate Bill Rhoades’ 19 years working at Music Millennium, with free refreshments and live performances by Henry Cooper, Alan Hager, Michael Osborn, and more to be announced. Bill Rhoades has been called the “Godfather” of the Northwest Blues scene. He will continue playing music and turning people on to great blues on the radio.

LIJIE
Friday, 4/27 – 6 PM
With performances on Fox 25 Boston and King 5′s New Day Show (Seattle), as well as shows at colleges, clubs, coffee shops, living rooms and street corners, in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Austin, London, Taipei, and China, Lijie followed her heart and chose music. She has also established herself as an exceptional songwriter, and the Seattle Weekly blog writes that the Music Maker is an “…ambitious effort that demonstrates both her impressive vocal range and disciplined focus on her own ideas…”

HONKY TONK UNION
Saturday, 4/28 – 5 PM
Honky Tonk Union draws influence from the ’60s Bakersfield sound of Merle Haggard & Buck Owens, the classic Nashville recordings of Loretta Lynn & George Jones, and the ’50s rockabilly of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Wanda Jackson. In 2012, the band released their debut album, Paintin’ the Town Again. The album features 11 original songs and 6 covers of classic honky tonk, country, and rockabilly hits.

DEATHTRAP AMERICA
Monday, 4/30 – 6 PM
On Deathtrap America’s debut self-titled album, they have blended the styles of rock, metal, pop, punk and prog rock to result in a sound of heavy, catchy rock and roll they call “Boutique Punk”. The self-titled album offers up an inspiring chance for awareness of the world around us, as well as thoughts of a better day. The balls-out riffs of Queens of the Stone Age and the Wildhearts can be heard throughout the album, as well as the catchy melodies and cleverly insightful lyrics of Butch Walker. The heavy rockin’ of the Sword and Helmet are scattered throughout, The Ramones have also left their mark here, and let’s not let the song structure of the purveyors of prog-rock, Rush, go unnoticed.

RAMONA FALLS
Tuesday, 5/1 – 6 PM
Last year, Brent Knopf decided to quit the acclaimed art rock trio Menomena and devote his time to one epic, personal vision. Prophet, the second Ramona Falls album, is sonically, lyrically and thematically brighter. It’s also more organic and personal than anything he ever contributed to Menomena, or as the singer/multi-instrumentalist explains, “it’s more of a rapid transit line between my sleeve and my heart.” The 11 tracks are not all exercises in introspective fragility; “Brevony” is Knopf’s most unleashed moment, with gnarling guitars ambushing the listener at the chorus on all sides.

MICHAEL SHOUP
Friday, 5/4 – 6 PM
“Personally, I like to think of my music as one part Jackson Browne, one part Hall & Oates, two big scoops of everything I heard from my stereo in the ’90s, and a sprinkling of Sesame Street optimism,” Shoup says of his songwriting. Whether from his own life or taken directly from a fan suggestion, few artists’ songs can connect directly with their fans as much as Michael Shoup’s. After releasing his debut solo album, Learning How To Live, he’s launched multiple songwriting campaigns which allow readers of his blog to submit ideas that may inspire a song including lyrics, photos, videos, stories and more.

SOPHIE BARKER (from Zero 7)
Saturday, 5/5 – 5 PM
You may know Sophie Barker as one of the vocalists on Zero 7′s Simple Things, that luscious, sweeping vocal at the forefront of the album’s breakaway hit, ‘In The Waiting Line’. You may also know her for her work with Groove Armada, The Egg, Grooverider, Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) and Muki, or maybe for her previous solo album Earthbound. She also worked on The Rainbow Collections, a series of children’s music. It’s been a packed 10 years, that’s for sure – but with the release of her new album, Seagull, comes the chance to get to know the real Sophie.

Alialujah Choir recorded 3-9-12 at Type Foundry studios
Audio recording/mixing: Steven Kray
Video production: Nate Sjol / David Christensen
Video shooters: Nate Sjol / Jarratt Taylor / David Christensen
Photos and interview: Jeremy Petersen

It began with a song– the roots of Portland’s Alialujah Choir go back to the collaboration between Adam Selzer and Adam Shearer found on 2008′s rather interesting all-Portland charity compilation (D)early Departed. It seemed a natural choice to pair the Adams, the former well known for his work both as a producer at Type Foundry studios and as part of the band Norfolk & Western; the latter the affable and increasingly visible frontman of the fast-rising band Weinland. “A House, A Home” was the result, a song that builds a fictionalized doomed romance into the real life historical backdrop of Dr. James Hawthorne’s psychiatric hospital (and makes for stunning video, which we recently premiered).

Selzer and Shearer felt like they were on to something in the recording’s aftermath, and a late-night text message or two later (which may or may not have also been drunken), the Alialujah Choir was born with the piano and vocals of Alia Farah (a sometime member of Weinland) rounding out the trio. They set about establishing what might might be called rules of creative conduct for the project– the first being that it remain something enjoyable, the second being that it’s all about the voices. You’ll notice the sparse nature of the arrangements, purposely throwing the trio’s harmonies into the spotlight. Indeed, it’s a rare moment anywhere on the record where you’ll hear a lone voice singing.

We joined the Alialujah Choir in the same Type Foundry studio space where they created their debut for live versions of the songs, and also talked with the trio about the specifics of their formation, the reasoning behind their “rules,” and their extremely long-term plan moving forward.

Spring has finally started to arrive in Portland, and with it we have tons of news to bring you.

First, we’ve added all sorts of new shows for this summer across the United States and Canada. These include a trek across the Midwest and back through the familiar stomping grounds of California; supporting Wilco for a stretch across the mountain states and Minnesota; heading off on a series of headline dates across the country; then finally meeting up with Wilco again for a special Friday night show at the venerable Newport Folk Festival. Check the full dates here to find out more and get tickets. If, tragically, you don’t see your hometown on the list, don’t fear – there will be many more dates announced to close out 2012 in the next couple months.

In the immediate future, we have a sweet special edition exclusive 7” vinyl release coming out for Record Store Day – which is tomorrow! This release is limited to 1800 copies and was pressed on yellow vinyl. One side has a special Trapper twist on the classic “Hey Joe” while the other has a previously unreleased BT original, “Skirts on Fire.” Check out the list of participating stores and pick up your copy.

In addition, our good friend Luke Norby composed a gorgeous video for American Goldwing track “Stranger In A Strange Land,” which you can see here. It features landscapes found in Nome, Alaska, where there are no indigenous trees or mountains within plain sight, interspersing footage of the Iditarod finish line, the Bering Sea, and singer Eric Earley with shivery hand-held pans in 20 below zero conditions.
Lastly, many thanks to everyone who made it out to shows in March & April. If you weren’t there, we played all sorts of sessions and parties at SXSW that you can still check out, including exclusive performances of “Fletcher” & “American Goldwing,” as well as an entire set at the Hype Hotel.
We will see you soon!

BT

Upcoming Shows

Apr. 28 – Silverton, OR – Oregon Garden Brewfest

May 26 – George, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival

May 29 – Denver, CO – Bluebird

May 30 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre

May 31 – Kansas City, MO – Riot Room

Jun.  01 – Ozark, AR – Wakarusa Festival

Jun.  02  - Oklahoma City, OK – ACM@UCO Performance Lab

Jun.  04 – Santa Fe, NM – Sol Santa Fe

Jun.  05 – Flagstaff, AZ – The Green Room

Jun.  06 – Pioneertown, CA –  Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown

Jun.  09 – Petaluma, CA – Mystic Theatre

Jun.  25 – Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre*

Jun.  26 – Boise, ID – Idaho Botanical Garden Outlaw Field*

Jun.  28 – Missoula, MT – Big Sky Brewing Company*

Jul. 01 – Duluth, MN – Bayfront Festival Park*

Jul. 02 – Rochester, MN – Mayo Civic Center Auditorium*

Jul. 05 – Victor, ID – Victor City Park Thursday “Music on Main Series” FREE SHOW

Jul 07 – Winnipeg, MB – Folk Festival

Jul 08 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue

Jul 09 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall

Jul 13 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

Jul 14 – New York, NY  - Stuyvesant Town Oval “Music On The Oval Series” FREE SHOW

Jul 15 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

Jul 17 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere

Jul 27 – Newport, RI – Newport Folk Festival

Aug. 03-05 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon Festival

*w/ Wilco

3939 N. Mississippi Ave. – Portland, OR 97227 (between Failing & Shaver St.)
All shows have 8pm Doors, 9pm Show unless otherwise noted.

Wednesday April 18 (FREE!) – Animal Eyes / The Dig / The We Shared Milk

Thursday April 19 – Pontiak / Eternal Tapestry / Mike Scheidt (of YOB)

Friday April 20 – YOB / Nether Regions / Diesto / Norska / White Orange

Saturday April 21 – Stephen Ashbrook / Special Guests

Saturday April 21 (10pm – 2am) – The Do Right Saturday Night Soul Party with DJ Beyonda

Sunday April 22 – Caveman / Aan / Pure Bathing Culture

Monday April 23 (7:30 Doors, 8:30 Show) – Soul’d Out Festival Presents: Dr. Lonnie Smith / KMHD’s Lord Smithingham

Tuesday April 24 – Bright Light Social Hour / Otis Heat / Beisbol

Wednesday April 25 – Rosie Thomas / Ivan & Alyosha / Comedy by Shelia Saputo

Thursday April 26 – Chain & The Gang / Guantanamo Baywatch / Reynosa

Friday April 27 (Seated Event) – Michelle Shocked / Jimmy Cabeza DeVaca (of Dios Malos)

* Saturday April 28 (1pm Doors, 2pm Show, ALL AGES) – School of Rock Season Preview Show

Saturday April 28 – Dolorean / The Parson Red Heads / Aaron Embry

Sunday April 29 – The Asian Hip Hop Summit: Yellow Boyz / Lyricks / Smokes

Monday April 30 – Brave Chandeliers (Record Release) / Josh And Mer

Wednesday May 2- Rocky Votolato / Kevin Long

Thursday May 3 – Colin Stetson / Sarah Neufeld (of Arcade Fire) / Gregory Rogove (of Devendra Banhart)

Friday May 4 – The Jezabels / Imagine Dragons / Benjamin Francis Leftwich

Saturday May 5 – Black Prairie / Perhapst

Monday May 7 – AgesandAges / Sun Angle / Death Songs

Wednesday May 9 – Roane Namuh & Reva DeVito (Cloudshine Release Party) / TxE / DJ KEZ

Thursday May 10- Allo Darlin’ / The Wave Pictures / Special Guests

Friday May 11 (FREE!) – Willamette Week Presents Best New Band 2012

Sunday May 13 – Sleepy Sun / The Upsidedown

Tuesday May 15 – White Hills / Kinski

Wednesday May 16 – Mimicking Birds / When The Broken Bow / Special Guests

Thursday May 17- Celilo / Ghost To Falco / You Are Plural

Friday May 18 – Bear & Moose / PWR HAUS / Here Come Dots

Saturday May 19 (6:30 Doors, 7pm Show; ALL AGES!) – Rachel Platten / Madi Diaz

Saturday May 19 (FREE!) – Wild Ones / Youth / My Body

Sunday May 20 – What Hearts (Record Release) / Houndstooth / Calico Rose

Monday May 21 (Seated Show) – Freedy Johnston / Special Guests

Tuesday May 22 (Partially Seated) – Jon Lee Graham / Special Guests

Wednesday May 23 – The Ascetic Junkies / Fanno Creek / The We Shared Milk

Friday May 25 – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / The Darcys

Saturday May 26 – Boat / The Angry Orts / Special Guests

Sunday May 27 – Soul’d Out Productions Presents: Electric Guest / Special Guests

Tuesday May 29 – The Moondoggies / Gold Leaves

Wednesday May 30 – Cass McCombs Band / Michael Hurley

Thursday May 31 – Deer Or The Doe (Record Release) / Radiation City / Point Juncture, WA

Friday June 1 – Ray Wylie Hubbard / Special Guests

Saturday June 2 – Greg Laswell / Elizabeth Ziman (of Elizabeth & The Catapult

* Thursday June 7 – Pheasant / Tiger House (EP Release) / Charts

Friday June 8 – The Deer Tracks / The Cabin Project / Noulea

* Thursday June 14 – Will West & The Friendly Strangers (Record Release) / The Druthers / DJ Atom13

* Friday June 15 – Lovers / Kaia Wilson / The Golden Bears

* Friday June 22 – Joey Porter’s Tribute To Sly & The Family Stone

Saturday June 23 – The Men / Hurry Up / Special Guests

* Thursday June 28 – Rabbits / Sons Of Huns / Towers / Turbo Perfecto

Saturday June 30 – Bass Drum Of Death / DZ Deathrays

* Saturday July 7 – Pierced Arrows / Special Guests

Wednesday July 11 – Bad Weather California / Jason Anderson / Special Guests

Thursday July 12 – Steve Poltz / Special Guests

* Thursday July 19 – Shearwater / Husky (Au) / Special Guests

URL: http://www.mississippistudios.com

Come down to the Doug Fir to help some of PDX’s finest ~ Blitzen Trapper ~ celebrate a dozen years as a band. CONGRATS boys…

Tuesday April 17

A special evening celebrating 12 years of Blitzen Trapper! Blitzen Trapper Yours Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm $20 advance, $20 day of show

upcoming in-store performances & events:

All in-store performances are at Music Millennium 32nd & E Burnside, 503-231-8926.

SINGING FOR DISCOUNTS
Sunday, 4/1 through Saturday, 4/14
In 2009, to do their part to help people stretch their money during the recession, Music Millennium gave their customers a chance to save money by ‘Singing For Discounts!’ It’s now 2012, and we’re still in a recession. Coming to the rescue, Music Millennium announces their 4th Annual ‘Singing For Discounts!’ event. All singers will be given the opportunity to be filmed, and the winner of the best/most entertaining performance will win a gift certificate good for a $250.00 shopping spree. Click here for details!

CURTIS SALGADO
Saturday, 4/14 – 2 PM
Winner of the 2010 Blues Music Award for Soul Blues Artist Of The Year, Salgado effortlessly mixes blues, funk and R&B with a delivery that is raw and heartfelt. He moves with ease from the tenderest ballads to the most full-throated stompers. Blues Revue says, “Salgado is one of the most down-to-earth, soulful, honest singers ever, and his harmonica work is smoking and thoroughly invigorating…rollicking, funky and electrifying.” With his Alligator Records debut, Soul Shot, Salgado is set to reach the largest audience of his career.

SOUL VACCINATION
Sunday, 4/15 – 3 PM
Soul Vaccination is one of the hottest funk bands in the Pacific Northwest. This great band infuses the stage with the greatest soul standards and has been a fixture in the Northwest music scene for over 14 years, bringing you tunes from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Earth Wind & Fire and Tower of Power.

DRY THE RIVER LISTENING PARTY
Tuesday, 4/17 – 5 PM
Free pizza and beverages! They might look like another 21st century folk group, with their beards and acoustic instrumentation (even a violin), but Liddle decribes Dry the River’s music as “folky gospel music played by a post-punk band.” Between their diverse list of influences–Leonard Cohen, Fugazi, Neil Young, Arlo Guthrie, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bruce Springsteen, Devendra Banhart–and their backgrounds in hardcore and emo bands, they stake out territory that is truly their own. (As Q put it, Dry the River is “the folk band that thinks it’s a rock band.”)

RECORD STORE DAY
Saturday, 4/21 – 8 AM to 10 PM
Special early opening – store opens at 8:00 AM! Coffee and donuts for everyone in line, starting at 7:00 AM.
Free gift bag to all customers (while they last)! Free coupon book for discounts in May! Over 300 limited edition vinyl releases. Listen to the new Jack White album at 8:00 AM and enter to win the test pressing! Click here for more info.

Register to vote at Music Millennium!
Meet mayoral candidate BILL DANT
Sunday, 4/22 – 3 PM
Come hear and meet singer/songwriter and now mayoral candidate Bill Dant musically celebrate the 2012 election season. Register to vote, talk about the issues important to your city. Hear songs classic and soon-to-be classic celebrating the sound of democracy in action at Music Millennium.

THE NORTHSTAR SESSION
Monday, 4/23 – 6 PM
You may recognize their music from film and TV, or their recent live performance on NBC’s Parenthood this Fall (Season 2; Ep. 2). Yep! They?re the band in the studio with Music Producer Crosby Braverman (Dax Shepard). Most recently called a “combination of CSN and Ryan Adams,” by their fans, The Northstar Session “displays vocal harmonies so tight, you’ll swear they can?t be doing it live!”