AltWeeklies Wire
Jessica Lea Mayfield Has a Lifetime of Experiencenew
Jessica Lea Mayfield can sound as old as the earth, bearing the wisdom of generations in her placid voice. But like the very best pop music, Mayfield's songs are motored by the hopes and desperation of adolescence, which stands to reason: She's only 19.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
02-19-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Chomp and Circumstance: Crocodiles Escape Their Pastnew
If there is hope of getting the elusive second chance that so few performers ever do, Crocodiles might have a shot. The deconstructed punk duo parlays their newfound appreciation for melody into a kind of modern-day Suicide, complete with a minimalist rock sound saddled with doomed electronics.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
01-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Our Troubles Are Over: The Tender Punches of the Walkmennew
When you hear that your favorite band is using strings and horns on their new album, you can pretty much assume the salad days are over. But when the Walkmen employed strings and horns on last fall's remarkable You & Me, they did it in the most subtle way conceivable, and it seemed to open up a door to a warmer and fuller sound.
The Portland Mercury |
Nick Jaina |
01-22-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Rise of Blind Pilotnew
To think, less than six months ago most of us were unaware of Blind Pilot. There was no 3 Rounds and a Sound (their staggeringly gorgeous debut, which is primed to top many a year-end best-of list), no bike lanes traversed by their peddle-powered tours, and no ensemble cast of musicians.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
12-12-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: 3 Rounds and a Sound, Blind Pilot
Blitzen Trapper Refines its Sound and Garners National Attentionnew
Furr is the most straightforward release yet from the Portland band that marries spindly Appalachian folk, blitzkrieg synth explosions, and riff-tastic Southern rock.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
12-04-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Blitzen Trapper, Furr
Army of One: The Coup's Frontman Goes Solonew
How does one emcee lead the revolution without a DJ, his fellow rappers, and backing band? With an acoustic guitar.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
10-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Coup, Boots Riley
Randy Newman: Reinvigorated, Satirical, and Not a Fan of McCainnew
On his most recent release, Harps and Angels, Newman's political satire is filtered through the narration of a plaintive observer, a practice that Newman fans are accustomed to, and something he feels he's improved upon over his 30-plus years as a songwriter and composer.
The Portland Mercury |
Ryan J. Prado |
10-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Harps and Angels, Randy Newman
The Prids Crash. The Prids Survive.new
"We were driving and a tire blew. I struggled to correct it and the van started fishtailing. I just couldn't get it."
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
07-31-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: The Prids
1988: The Year in Portland Musicnew
Like most significant moments in any local music scene--the grand occurrences of life-changing music that changed everything--they happen on someone else's watch.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
07-24-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Ray Davies is a Big Deal, Peoplenew
There's plenty of good pop music out there (too much, perhaps), but there's a very small amount of perfect pop songs--and Raymond Douglas Davies is responsible for about 40 of them.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-17-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Grouper Dials Down the Dronenew
And then I realized that Dragging a Dead Deer was reminding me not of another album, but of an experience; waking up in my own bedroom in the middle of the night and not knowing where I am for a brief, disturbing instant.
The Portland Mercury |
Cary Clarke |
07-10-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
The Constantines Get Older, and Betternew
Kensington Heights, their new album, is still rigidly post-punk and sharp as a shimmering blade, but the pace of the record is deliberately restrained and the band's gnashed-teeth anger is more focused, and less wild, than ever before.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
06-27-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
No One Does It Better Than Spinderellanew
She's uncharacteristically humble in light of her membership in the iconic rap group Salt-n-Pepa, whose relevance has possibly been overshadowed by Cheryl "Salt" Wray and Sandra "Pepa" Denton's recent reality TV appearances.
The Portland Mercury |
Jalylah Burrell |
06-27-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Animal Farm Won't Be Unknown For Longnew
Diverse beats and easy mic-sharing make for a solid debut on Animal Farm's The Unknown.
The Portland Mercury |
Graham Barey |
06-05-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
Chaucer Barnes Creates Big Expectationsnew
As he describes himself while fronting the live hip-hop band Copacrescent, on their new release So Selective, "Chaucer Barnes is the new truth."
The Portland Mercury |
Graham Barey |
05-23-2008 |
Profiles & Interviews
