AltWeeklies Wire
The Thermals Write An Olympic Anthemnew
Well, isn’t this good timing. Just three days before the Winter Olympics start in Vancouver, BC, everyone’s favorite punk band the Thermals have penned an ode to the land of hockey, poutine, and mounties.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
02-10-2010 |
Reviews
Doubledutch Aims for Psychedelic Soulnew
While things never get too creepy, the mostly slow- to mid-tempo pace of the songs and warmth of the recordings definitely take Alicia Keys' catalog to heart.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
08-20-2008 |
Reviews
Bark Hide and Horn Debuts With Sprawling Sing-along Diary 'National Road'new
Inspired by singer Andy Fergeson's large collection of vintage National Geographic magazines, the record narrates the supposed adventures of Melville Bell Grosvenor, editor of the mag from 1957 to 1967 and grandson of Alexander Graham Bell.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
08-13-2008 |
Reviews
'Verbs' Shows Off Au's Compositionsnew
Beautiful and restrained instrumental passages lead into maniacal, choral group chants; vaudevillian theatrics nestle against almost-classical backdrops; accordions operate in waltz time.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
06-18-2008 |
Reviews
Pacific UV Flexes Its Growth on Sophomore Effortnew
The band isn't bashful of its myriad influences (Radiohead, Lamb, the Smiths, Spiritualized) when touted in interviews, but Longplay 2 not only mines rock touchstones, it does so damn well.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
04-23-2008 |
Reviews
Stephen Malkmus Lets the Guitar Do the Talkingnew
Real Emotional Trash sees Malkmus continuing the guitar wankery of 2003's Pig Lib, but while some of the longer tracks used to meander only to showcase his ever-increasing guitar vocabulary, Trash highlights his interplay with the rest of the band.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
02-27-2008 |
Reviews
The Maybe Happening Debut with Concept Albumnew
Recorded at Type Foundry by local troubadour Nick Jaina and loosely based on Martin Prechtel's modern epic The Toe Bone and the Tooth , Beyond the Bells tells the tale of an unnamed 17-year-old boy who sets off on a Joycean adventure across the city of Portland.
Willamette Week |
Michael Mannheimer |
01-30-2008 |
Reviews
