AltWeeklies Wire
Jesse Sandoval Discusses His Forced Exit from the Shinsnew
On May 2, without a formal announcement or press release, the band that "will change your life" performed for the first time without longtime drummer Jesse Sandoval and keyboardist/bassist Marty Crandall.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
08-06-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Japandroids Escape Vancouver and Invade Americanew
It's easy to pin their heavy style as garage rock, but despite the abbreviated guitar-and-drums lineup, Japandroids' sound is anything but minimalist.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
07-24-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Japandroids, Post-Nothing
Music's Biggest Party Reflects a Shifting Music Industrynew
The music industry is shrinking, but there are more bands than ever before, and more ways to hear them. A report from the frontlines of SXSW.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
03-26-2009 |
Music
Tags: music industry, SXSW
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
Magic Marker Records Celebrates Year Number Tennew
Over the past decade Magic Marker Records has established a legacy whose impact resonates far beyond the Portland city limits.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
02-05-2009 |
Music
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
Vivian Girls Keep it Simple and Spectacularnew
Though the equation that vocal harmonies plus reverb plus jangly punk equals greatness doesn't seem that tricky, nobody seems to capture it the way Vivian Girls have.
The Portland Mercury |
Rob Simonsen |
11-20-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Vivian Girls
The Spinto Band Prepares to Soarnew
Moonwink starts a few miles high and stays elevated, its tone shifting into progressively brighter colors.
The Portland Mercury |
Tobias Carroll |
10-31-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Moonwink, The Spinto Band
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
