Welcome to CLUBLAND!

Hi, and welcome to Clubland, a bi-monthly (or so) post covering some of the amazing live music happening around town. Portland has one of the most vibrant local club scenes in the country, which means two things for the purposes of this blog: 1) there will never be a shortage of exciting, curious, passionate and at times just outright crazy shows to report on, and 2) What I'm able to cover here will be but a small sampling. If this blog accomplishes nothing else, I hope it inspires KZME listeners to get out there and support live music, support the musicians and venues that bring it to you, and, perhaps most important, experience as much music live as you can. Music is a lifeblood to me, as I'm sure it is to anyone reading this, and though I love little more than hearing that new album I've been reading about, heard a sampling from etc, there's nothing to compare to the experience of seeing/hearing it live. The odd irony to live shows is that they're as common as dirt yet wholly singular, no two are alike, the setlists differ, the energy in the room varies night to night, you never know what you're going to get. I promise to do my best to capture at least a bit of that lightning in a bottle but the best thing by far, of course, is to be there. So, to paraphrase that age-old saying, on with the blog!

San Francisco, in the past 10 years or so, has (re)attained a reputation for various stripes of psych, from the likes of Devendra Banhart at the more fried-folk end of the spectrum to Wooden Shjips and Comets On Fire pushing the heavier, more garagey textures of the form. But, ever the restless city, the two SF bands that bookended my week proved that change waits for no genre.

First up on Monday, Feb. 20th at the Doug Fir, the Fresh & Onlys. Besides displaying some astonishing growth in their sound - less of the somewhat thinner indie sound I'd heard on 2009's Grey-Eyed Girls, more dynamic immensity that's ready to take over the world - the band carved a sonic path out of any stylistic cul-de-sacs their regional cohorts may ever find themselves stuck in. If you've ever asked yourself: is it possible to bring a post-punk electricity to a sunny pop-sike sensibility, the Fresh & Onlys are here to emphatically say, 'No problem.'

Love & Kindness, from their 2010 self-titled release was a case in point, lead singer/rhythm guitarist Tim Cohen - who bears no small resemblance to a young Lowell George, by the way - asking "Why are we here/Why are we there/Why the world isn't always there" over both the background responses of 'love me dear' and a rather stomping Mekons-like beat and you can't get much more post-punk/pop-sike than that.

Fresh & Onlys are one of those bands that are sufficiently good live to become your favorite band on the spot. From opener "D.Y." to encore "Peacock And Wing" there was highlight after highlight, not least the bass-thrummed wonder of "Invisible Forces," somehow ominous and joyous at the same time, though, judging by their reaction, I'd have to say the crowd came down on the joyous side of that equation.

As for that crowd, it should be noted that I was at first a bit worried for opening band Disappears. I arrived at the Doug Fir at 8:40, with the show scheduled to begin at 9:00, and I was only the sixth person there. Chalk it up to a rainy Monday night, I suppose, as it was scarcely better come showtime and the band wisely waited until 9:45 or so to start. Still, those that came in late missed quite a spellbinding set. Disappears is a Chicago band that was joined in 2011 by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley, who was clearly enjoying himself, which makes sense since Disappears themselves aren't shy about toying with guitar wig-outs but instead of extending out into jagged, near-free jazz improvs a la SY, these jams seldom crossed the 5-minute mark while maintaining a wicked tight rhythmic structure, allowing Shelley to wail away with a disciplined glee. Great band, with flavors of Can, Nuggets-era garage (The Sonics, let's say) and not a small dollop of shoegaze. If that sounds like a mesmerizing, high-octane trance, you're right.

And speaking of shoegaze, Friday found me in the company of Young Prisms, another promising (and yes, young) San Francisco band playing the middle set between new (and yes, also very promising) Portland band Stay Calm - I expect I'll be covering them in an upcoming blog if Friday's show was any indication - and legendary local darlings Quasi at Mississippi Studios. The presence of that last guaranteed that there wouldn't be any issues about attendance that evening. Place was pretty well packed from the moment that Stay Calm took the, umm, carpet (in front of the stage), and by the time it was Young Prisms' turn (up on the actual stage) I'd guess the place was at capacity. Which is good, as the foursome deserve a wide hearing.

First off, let me say that Matt Allen has the hardest working bassline in shoegaze. While the band overall turned in a bruisingly lovely set, with melodic squall chasing melodic squall, it was Allen's bass that kept its feet on the floor. Not that those feet would in any way be standing still. Not funk, exactly, not New Order, exactly, but close enough to steady the sheets of noise around it. The other calming influence is the almost serene voice of main singer Ashley (can't locate her last name on Kanine Records website), floating and circling above and throwing Pale Saint shapes over the proceedings. At a couple of points guitarist Stef Hodapp joined in with a flat near-baritone harmony and the effect was a little startling but ultimately necessary, helping anchor Ashley's eerie angelic lilt. I copied down their setlist before the show - Sharpied on a towel, I might add, which I found charming - but it ended up not doing me a lot of good, most of the songs consisting of multiple parts and/or blending seamlessly into each other but it hardly matters, as it wasn't long I just gave up trying to figure all that out and let their sound wash over me, surely their intention. This is a band that named themselves wisely, as that sound, wah-wah washing over you like that, does so with multiple refractions and the sonic equivalent of shards of light. Young Prisms know their influences well, and the Slowdive/MBV comparisons are inevitable, but it was clear that it won't be long before they outgrow those lengthy, ricocheting shadows of their forebears - impressive as they are - and emerge as a major force in their own right. I can hardly wait, and I wanna be there to see it happen.

As for Quasi, well, Quasi were Quasi, always on the verge of falling apart which is exactly the place their utter charm originates. They had a warm, accepting crowd and they could do no wrong, and that, as well, is exactly as it should be. Their set, in fact, often sounded more like a party than a show folks had paid to get in to, so glib and jokey were the exchanges with the audience. Everyone knows their story - Sam Coomes, once in Heatmiser with Elliott Smith, with his ex-wife Janet Weiss, who really requires no bio - everyone knows their music, and everyone knows that what you get live is not the same as what you get on record. Their sound Friday night was no different, it had an impromptu nature to it to go with the convivial atmosphere. It felt as if we were being given an intimate sneak peak at a rehearsal, with Sam making musical mayhem at the piano like a skinny blond Lurch, playing his stock barrelhouse/nickolodean melody lines while Janet banged away at the drums with the same authority that'll help bring down the Crystal with Wild Flag come May. When Sam switches to guitar for Never Coming Back Again and others, things get a little more focused musically but the pull-out-the-stops antics, if anything, get crazier, as he stands half on the wobbly electric piano and just generally caroms about the stage like a man being electrocuted and liking it. For me the highlight was Bye Bye Blackbird off of last year's American Gong, it had a prodigal taste to it, noise merchants come home to roost on an irresistible hook, which is Quasi in a nutshell. This is Portland, this is our band and we love them.

So OK, that's it for me from Clubland for this week. Hope you enjoyed your stay and tune in next week as I report back from the Doug Fir and Toronto band Elliott BROOD's show (with Vancouver BC's Pack AD back in town, what a show, GO!). Elliott BROOD fall under many headings - alt.country, death country (a favorite) whatever - but I just see them as being among the premier tunesmiths around, absolute kings of aching melody. See you there!

three7: DJ Klyph presents: DJ O.G. One Interview pt1 (Audio)

Earlier this month, I had the great opportunity to interview a staple in the Portland music scene DJ O.G. One. Besides having opened for hip hop greats Run-DMC, Naughty by Nature, being the official DJ for the Portland Trailblazers, O.G. One has been an activist in the Portland community mentoring youth and building as a positive influence and being recognized for these acts just recently by the Trailblazers.

Check out part one of the interview here and be on the look for parts 2-4 as well. Also see the fan page DJ O.G. One on Facebook and follow him on twitter @djogone

Blessings,

Klyph

Common - Sweet (Official Parody Video)

Put A Blog On It: The Introductory Post

Flight: TICKETS PURCHASED
Hotel: RESERVATIONS CONFIRMED
Walking Shoes: BROKEN IN
SxSW Apps: DOWNLOADED
Sunglasses: MISPLACED (of course...)
It is official, I'm headed to SxSW 2012! It's a trip two years in the making, when my friend Michael and I first conspired to visit this musical Mecca.

I've heard and read about it for years and years, but have never experienced it for myself...until now! I've been telling friends and family that it sounds to me like "the Disneyworld of all conference/festivals."
I'm looking forward to taking it all in, but
I'm also looking forward to telling you
all about it!

I'll be blogging here on the KZME site, I'll be tweeting
from my Hello Cruel World twitter account, and I'll even be
phoning into the "Lunchbox" show (weekdays 12noon - 1pm) for some live updates.

Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading,

JBJ

three7: Welcome to the Neighborhood is back - LIVE!

It's been a minute, but I'm back LIVE on 107.1FM KZME with Welcome to the Neighborhood, still on Tuesday nights, but now airing from 7-9pm pacific and still bring you that local, local. One of the greatest advantage of airing live is better opportunities to interact with you, the listeners. But even better than that, it's I get the chance to invite many of the artists you've been hearing on the show to come and hang out at the station. That way you get a peak behind the music, a look into the writing process, the production, how an artists prepares for performing, and a lot of times just some real cool stories.

I've been blessed to have local talent like Animal Farm, SlimKid3, Tony Ozier as well as folk just passing through like Spice1, Kev Brown and LMNO. Label owners like Kenny Fresh of Fresh Selects, promoters like Anthony Sanchez of Runaway Productions, Magazine owner The Kid Espi, record store owner DJ KEZ - the list goes on. I'm looking forward to inviting more artists on to share with you there music and their stories.

On February 7th, Destro Destructo of Oldominion is scheduled to stop by as we continue to showcase the monthly offering of the project produced by CashFlow (R.I.P). Then on February 21st, a special guest will be stopping by to share a new project that has the potential to take this NW movement to a whole-notha-level. On February, local MC and producer Tope of Living Proof and TxE will be by to talk about his upcoming release and his new label, then the following week Epp, a second 1/3 of TxE will be by to talk about his next project. And that's only the beginning. I'm also looking forward to having J-Ritz and Saywords, Cool Nutz, DJ O.G. One and so many more.

Welcome to the Neighborhood on KZME is a show about local artists for the entire community, so hit me up on the Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/WTTNRadio of on Twitter @djklyph and let me know who you'd like to hear from.

If you are local artist looking for airplay, check out the KZME website for info on how to submit music at http://www.kzme.fm/musician-info/.

Until next time, be blessed.

Klyph

Music Break

Last night (Thursday, 19th) at the Doug Fir, I got the chance to see the hard rockin' duo, The Pack A.D. Thanks to drummer Maya Miller and guitarist/vocalist Becky Black, I was able to forget about the past week of dismal weather and get a much needed energy boost.

Originally from Vancouver, B.C., this show was the first time The Pack A.D. has played in Portland in over a year. It was also their first concert of '12, and they made it a great one. With a polished garage rock feel, they sound a bit like Sleater-Kinney meets the White Stripes. They flowed from one high energy song to the next seamlessly and kept the crowd in a frenzy from beginning to end. A song to note was "Sirens" off of their latest record, Unpersons. A juxtaposition of heavier guitar sounds and the haunting voice of Becky Black, this song is one of their more popular ones for a reason.

In between songs, drummer Maya Miller kept us entertained with funny stories of Justin Bieber toothbrushes and almost having to cancel the show due to the freak weather. ( Their original opening band was snowed in in Seattle.)

I'm sure we will be hearing more and more from the Pack A.D.
-Andrea

Music with Lisa

Today is the official release of Pancake Breakfast’s new single, “PortlandtownUSA.” This past Friday (January 13), I had the opportunity to attend the sold out Pancake Breakfast Record Release Party at Jimmy Mak’s in downtown Portland. This was an amazing evening that showcased the band’s infectious feel good music they have become so well known. So good in fact, the crowd couldn’t help but to dance and whoop it up a bit. Just in case you’ve never heard of Pancake Breakfast, they are an amazing roots, rock, knee slapping, foot stomping, band from Portland Oregon that puts on one of the most enjoyable live performances you’ll see around town. I had a chance to catch up with Pancake Breakfast front man, Mike Midlo, to ask him a few questions about the new song and his current tour by train:

Can you tell me a little about your new single “PortlandtownUSA” and how you came to write this sort of love song to Portland?

PortlandtownUSA. It wasn't on purpose. This song just spilled-out one day while sitting at my kitchen table, looking out the window at my drippy neighborhood. "Ha, it's a polka!" I thought. In essence, it's a song about learning to appreciate the place you are. I just happened to be in Portland, it could have just as easily been called "VancouvertownUSA" or "FargotownUSA" (which the train is fast approaching as I write). There's a long tradition of love songs dedicated to hometowns. Portland is all part of that heritage. Ramblin' Jack Eliott's road buddy (and native Oregonian) Derroll Adams wrote the very sad war ballad, "Portland Town." You can find it on YouTube. There are a bunch of Portland songs. Our tune is just the latest in the line.

What do you love about the Portland music scene?

Here's what I love about the Portland music scene; Everyone supports each other. KZME is part of that!

How long have you been involved in the P-Town music scene and how has it changed since you first started playing here?

The first Pancake Breakfast show was November 2007 at the World Famous Kenton Club. I was horrible. Told myself I'd never play live again. The music scene is constantly changing and evolving. Bands come and go, venues come and go but, Portland continues to thrive and produce a cornucopia of interesting and challenging new music. We're a generator of culture rather than a promoter of pop culture I think. Also, I see a trend for shows to start earlier, which I think is good for everyone ... especially the day job crowd.

Tell me a little about you upcoming train tour and why you choose to travel by train?

I'm riding from sea to shining sea! Touring is expensive. I wanted to bring the whole band on tour (they wanted to come too!) but I couldn't figure-out how to feed them all. So, I'm treating this tour like shoveling the driveway for the first time. I'll do it solo. I'll play these shows back east, and if goes well, maybe next time will be easier. Besides the train sounded like fun. Plus, I wouldn't have to sleep in my car in January. Brrr.

To learn more about Pancake Breakfast and to hear their new release, visit their website at www.pancakebreakfastmusic.com.

- Lisa Avena