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Review: These United States at Silver Moon

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

(Sorry, folks, wanted to get this up yesterday, but life got in the way.)

Bend got a brief, crisp set Tuesday night at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom by These United States, a band from Washington, D.C. and Lexington, Ky., that has been picking up buzz around the release of its new album “Everything Touches Everything.”

I don’t even know what to write about the quintet’s 45-minute set, honestly. It was solid. It wasn’t amazing, but it was far from bad. These guys are tight, and their grasp on the wide-open world of twangy rock is impressive. These United States’ album is firmly indie-rock in nature — almost poppy — but live, the band finds a ramshackle groove that veers more toward a 1970s country feel.

That’s not to say this is tear-in-my-beer stuff. No, These United States’ music is punchy, propelled by drummer Robby Cosenza’s heavy-handed work on the skins. The band exudes a sort of throwback exuberance when they play; lots of “ooohs” and “aaahs” and the occasionally a joyous “whoa!” jump out from behind the long hair in their faces. On slower songs especially, frontman Jesse Elliott’s voice creaks a lot like Dinosaur Jr’s J. Mascis. It all has the feel of a jam from another era.

These United States played a few great tunes — “Get Yourself Home” and the seductively catchy “First Sight” among them — and a whole bunch of songs that grabbed me, but really didn’t hang on that tight. Perhaps they’re growers, or perhaps this hard-touring band purposely makes music for the moment, so when they pile in the van and head for the next town, their audience is left wanting more.

Tags: These United States
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MusicfestNW: Day 2

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

(Each of the last three years, I’ve traveled over to Portland for MusicfestNW, a multi-day, multi-venue music festival that features some of the best bands from around the world. With a roster nearly 200 acts deep, MFNW 2009′s schedule included rock, punk, metal, hip-hop, jazz, Americana, electronica, and who knows what else. One thing’s for sure: You can’t get to every show. But I saw my share of them, and here’s my report on the second night, Friday. My Thursday report is here, and my Saturday report will come in the next couple days.)

Already tuckered out from a late night with Frightened Rabbit, I took it a little easy on ~~Saturday~~ Friday, the second day of my MusicfestNW experience. ~~I slept in late, then walked down to the Cheerful Tortoise to watch my alma mater hold on for a win over their in-state rival.~~ (Oops. I got my days confused. The bar and the football game happened on Saturday, but day two was Friday, and all the music covered from here down happened Friday. Except maybe the Voodoo Doughnuts thing. That might have been Saturday. I can’t remember for sure. What can I say? It was all a blur.)

In the afternoon, though, I was ready for some music.

(more…)

Tags: Derby, Grey Anne, Mudhoney, MusicfestNW, MusicfestNW 2009, Sunny Day Real Estate, Two Cow Garage
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Tonight: Deer Tick at McMenamins

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Occasionally, a band gets booked for McMenamins’ monthly Great Northwest Music tour and then becomes a much bigger deal, and those of us who live near a McMenamins get a serious bargain. Tonight is one of those nights, when the Providence, R.I., country-rock band Deer Tick plays a free show at Old St. Francis School at 7 p.m.

You can download an MP3 from Deer Tick’s new album “Born on Flag Day” right here. And you can watch them do an awkward interview with NBC News anchor Brian Williams here. You can read my short story about them from last week’s GO! Magazine by clicking here. And if you’d like yet another Deer Tick tune, just click the link below.

Download Deer Tick, “Easy”

It’s a Deer Tick-a-palooza! Again: 7 p.m. at McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond St., in downtown Bend.

(Photo courtesy Kendall Pavan)

Tags: Deer Tick
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MusicfestNW: Day 1

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

(Each of the last three years, I’ve traveled over to Portland for MusicfestNW, a multi-day, multi-venue music festival that features some of the best bands from around the world. With a roster nearly 200 acts deep, MFNW 2009′s schedule included rock, punk, metal, hip-hop, jazz, Americana, electronica, and who knows what else. One thing’s for sure: You can’t get to every show. But I saw my share of them, and here’s my report on the first night, Thursday. My Friday and Saturday reports will come in the next couple days.)

Festivals are supposed to build from no-name acts to those you anticipate the most.

But the 2009 version of MusicfestNW didn’t work that way for me. I started out with the anticipation, and ended with a whimper, quite frankly.

When we left Bend around noon on Thursday, Sept. 17, the show I was most excited about seeing was that night. It was the second show we – that’s me and the lovely Mrs. Feedback – would see all weekend.

It was the pairing at the Crystal Ballroom of Portland-based, one-man ambient noisemaker Eluvium and Texas post-rock kingpins Explosions In The Sky (aka the “Friday Night Lights” film score band).

First things first, though.

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Tags: Dr. Dog, Eluvium, Explosions In The Sky, Frightened Rabbit, Music, MusicfestNW, MusicfestNW 2009
Posted in live review, out of town | No Comments »

Autumn brings a bevy of great music to Bend

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Today feels like a summer day, but it is, in fact, the first day of autumn.

It’s also the first day in a stretch of live-music options that I think, collectively, is probably Bend’s best of 2009 so far. Just look at what’s coming up over the next couple weeks (and click the artists’ names to check out their Web sites!):

Tonight: These United States at Silver Moon
Wednesday: Deer Tick at McMenamins
Thursday: Finn Riggins/Church at Silver Moon and Top Shelf/Mosley Wotta/Cloaked Characters at Boondock’s
Friday: Bend Roots Revival at Parrilla Grill and the Victorian Cafe, plus Raquay & The Cavemen at Silver Moon
Saturday: Bend Roots Revival
Sunday: Bend Roots Revival
(Monday and Tuesday you get a breather)
Wednesday, Sept. 30: The Staxx Brothers at Silver Moon and Yard Dogs Road Show at the Domino Room
Thursday, Oct. 1: Clumsy Lovers at Silver Moon and Pepper at the Domino Room
Friday, Oct. 2: Knobody (of Hieroglyphics) at The Underground
Saturday, Oct. 3: Bend Fall Festival (BeauSoleil, Shawn Mullins, Flowmotion)
Sunday, Oct. 4: Bend Fall Festival (Curtis Salgado, Tom Grant, Moon Mountain Ramblers), plus Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe at the Domino Room
(Another breather on Monday and Tuesday)
Wednesday, Oct. 7: Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers at McMenamins

I’d say that’s going out far enough, though the rest of the fall isn’t too shabby either, with The Janks, Afro Classics, Leo Kottke, Poor Man’s Whiskey, Dropkick Murphys, The Pink Snowflakes and GWAR on the way. And we haven’t even begun to talk about all the smaller and more local stuff that’s happening around town. (You can always find all that in GO! Magazine or on the calendar at The Bulletin’s Web site.)

But seriously, these next two weeks are going to be nuts! I’m going to be at as many of these shows as I can.

How about you? Which of these shows are you excited about? Which are you definitely going to attend, and which are you on the fence about? Let me know in the comments … maybe I’ll try to convince you to jump off that fence and catch the show.

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Tonight: These United States at Silver Moon (with MP3 download)

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

These United States is a fast-rising band from Washington, D.C. and Lexington, Ky., that makes a vibrant and rollicking pop/rock/twang racket. They chose the direction of their new album, “Everything Touches Everything,” based on the outcome of the 2008 presidential election; read more about that in my article on the band.

Here’s the opening track from the album. Feel free to download it:

Download These United States, “I Want You To Keep Everything”

These United States plays tonight at Silver Moon Brewing & Taproom, located at 24 N.W. Greenwood Ave., in Bend. Local rockers Goodbye Dyna will open the show, which begins around 9 p.m. Cover is $5.

(Photo courtesy Sarah Law)

Tags: These United States
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Music by former Bendites

Monday, September 21st, 2009

By chance, I guess, I’ve got a handful of links here that’ll let you hear what some former Bend residents are up to these days. Think of it kind of like a high school reunion, except you (likely) didn’t go to high school with these folks, and Mike McShanahan isn’t dunking your head in the toilet and giving you a swirlie just like the old days. That’s what everyone’s old days were like … right?

-Perhaps the most famous recent musician to have called Bend home, Hasidic rapper Matisyahu is back with his much-anticipated third album of reggae-flavored hip-hop. It’s called “Light” and you can listen to the whole thing, at least for now, on this nifty little widget:

A couple years ago, I wrote an article that will tell you all about the dude’s time in Bend, and you can find that right here.

-Near/Far alum Wildbleedingheart now goes by Daniel Michael Miller. He lives in Portland and still makes woozy, lo-fi pop-rock that fits in much more snugly in his new hometown than his old one. It’s also pretty darn good. He’s just put up several songs for stream/download, which you can find over here. And if you want to read more about him, click here to find my story from 2007.

-The Portland chamber-folk combo Loch Lomond is led by Bend native Ritchie Young; member Dave Depper is also from here. (There may be others, I’m not sure.) The band has a new EP coming out this fall, and the Portland Mercury has all the details, plus a teaser medley of the record’s songs.

-V.E.R.A. Clique comprises three guys who got their start in Bend, but now make hip-hop in Oakland, Calif. They were just recently in town at the Silver Moon for a benefit show, but for the most part, they’re down there in the Bay Area working hard to get their music heard. Good for them. Let’s see if we can help them out. Here’s the title track from their most recent record, “Fresh Out The Box.” Download it and check out these local fellas done good.

Download V.E.R.A. Clique, “Fresh Out The Box”

Say … this brings up a fun question: What local musician or band do you think will be the next to make it big on the outside? Leave a comment and let me know who you think has star potential.

Tags: Daniel Michael Miller, Loch Lomond, Matisyahu, V.E.R.A. Clique
Posted in alum, mp3 download, music on the web | No Comments »

MP3 Download: Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound

Friday, September 18th, 2009

That’s right, Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound. The San Francisco band has a silly name, but a sweet aesthetic. Their music is a particularly mellow brand of sunny, psychedelic pop that sounds swiped from the Summer of Love and plunked down in 2009. Their album, “When Sweet Sleep Returned,” is one of my favorites of the year. Here’s a taste:

Download Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, “By The Rippling Green”

Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound is on tour now with Sleepy Sun. Both bands will play at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland on Oct. 4.

Tags: Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound
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September 18 in GO! Magazine

Friday, September 18th, 2009

The quiet week in between the Sisters Folk Festival and the Bend Roots Revival isn’t so quiet after all. You’ve got several options for hearing great music over the next seven days, and here are some of them:

Gimme Indie Rock, Part I: These United States roll into the Silver Moon with a punched-up sound and a new album that reflects the mood of post-election America.

Gimme Indie Rock, Part II: Memorable country-rock songs seem to pour naturally from the pen of John McCauley, the twentysomething driving force behind Deer Tick.

Gimme Indie Rock, Part III: The Northwest churns out more interesting, experimental pop bands than anywhere else, and two of them — Finn Riggins from Idaho, and Church from Portland — are heading this way.

Here is my review of Todd Snider, Peter Rowan and Kelly Joe Phelps at the Sisters Folk Festival.

Also, the Domino Room hosts gangster rappers Mr. Capone-E and Mr. Criminal, Bend’s Erin Cole-Baker and Elliot are playing a back to school concert, Blue Turtle Seduction returns to town, The Autonomics invade JC’s, and some of Bend’s best rappers (Top Shelf, Mosley Wotta, Cloaked Characters) will throw a free show Thursday at Boondock’s.

One thing that didn’t get much ink in the print version of GO! Magazine: The Bend Roots Revival will kick off Thursday night with a meet-and-greet and open mic at Parrilla Grill at 6 p.m., followed by some Grateful Dead cover action from Back From the Dead (5:30-7 p.m.) and Rising Tide (7-9 p.m.) over at the Victorian Cafe. You should check that out, and then pick up next Friday’s GO! Magazine for full coverage of the rest of the fest.

And pick up today’s GO! for access to all the articles linked above, or subscribe online, otherwise you may run into the paywall.

Tags: Bend Roots Revival, Blue Turtle Seduction, Church, Deer Tick, Elliot, Erin Cole-Baker, Finn Riggins, Mr. Capone-E, Sisters Folk Festival, The Autonomics, These United States, Todd Snider
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The Warped Tour on the big screen in Bend tonight

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

That’s right, the traveling mall-punk wonderland known as the Warped Tour will celebrate its 15th birthday by showing a special film tonight in a slew of movie theaters across the country, including Bend’s Old Mill Stadium 16.

The show will feature two hours of performances by big-name acts such as Blink-182, Katy Perry, the All-American Rejects, NOFX, Bad Religion and Ice T (plus the rad roots-reggae band The Aggrolites), all interspersed with behind-the-scenes footage and other junk. The performances were taped earlier this month in Los Angeles; Rolling Stone was there and filed this review.

The film begins at 8 p.m., and tickets cost $12.50, available at the box office. Again, that’s tonight.

Just do us all a favor: Before you spike up that 18-inch mohawk of yours, think long and hard about whether you’d want to sit behind that thing in a theater.