There should be a reasonable explanation for the sharp musical turn found on Portugal The Man’s eighth studio album, “Woodstock”. After the release of the Danger Mouse-produced Evil Friends in 2013, the Portland-based outfit retreated again to the studio with Beastie Boys’ Mike D for three years to worry over the purported follow up Gloomin + Doomin. This record, though, was ultimately scratched very near its completion, and a fateful reassessment of the band’s musical message lead to the revolutionary-minded street-pop of Woodstock after vocalist/guitarist John Gourley came upon his dad’s ticket stub from the original 1969 Woodstock Festival.
The arrival of new album “Woodstock” (via Atlantic Records ) the longest wait between albums of their career. But it seems to have paid off, as current single “Feel It Still” has done extremely well, landing a top spot placement on the Billboard charts.
Moon Duo is a project of Wooden Shjips guitarist and singer Ripley Johnson. Under the Moon Duo moniker, Johnson and collaborator Sanae Yamada create expansive Krautrock influenced tapestries of warm cascading fuzz and controlled feedback, organ, and accenting keyboard. This Reissued vinyl from 2009 features four song 12-inch is the second release and incorporates a much more concise, composed and driving sound than before. The Duo expand on ideas only hinted at on the Sick Thirst 12-inch (which is already long gone) adding a driving drum machine beat behind the thick walls of layered sound.
Following the release of Moon Duo’s wonderful recordings two-volume Occult Architecture suite, the Portland-based band are reissuing their 2009 Killing Time EP as a deluxe expanded edition with three extra bonus tracks.
Those bonus tracks, ‘Bopper’s Hat’, ‘Run Around’ and ‘Dead West Pt. II’ have never been widely available on vinyl before. The newly expanded release is also available digitally.
Moon Duo return to the road next week, kicking off a European tour including festival stops at Beaches Brew in Ravenna and Roskilde Festival.
Meaning all things magick and supernatural, the root of the word occult is that which is hidden, concealed, beyond the limits of our minds. If this is occult, then the Occult Architecture of Moon Duo’s fourth album – a psychedelic opus in two separate volumes released in 2017 – is an intricately woven hymn to the invisible structures found in the cycle of seasons and the journey of day into night, dark into light.
Offering a cosmic glimpse into the hidden patterning embedded in everything, Occult Architecture reflects the harmonious duality of these light and dark energies through the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang. Following the Yin (feminine, darkness, night, earth) represented on Occult Architecture Vol. 1, Vol. 2 presents the Yang.
Yang means “the bright side of the hill” and is associated with the male, sun, light and the spirit of heaven, and as such Vol. 2 explores the light and airy elements of Moon Duo’s complex psyche.
“In production we referred to Vol. 1 as the fuzz dungeon, and Vol. 2 as the crystal palace,” guitarist Ripley Johnson explains. “The darkness of Vol. 1 gave birth to the light of Vol. 2. We had to have both elements in order to complete the cycle. We’re releasing them separately to allow them their own space, and to ensure clarity of vision. To that end we also mixed Vol. 2 separately, in the height of Portland summer, focusing on its sonic qualities of lightness, air, and sun. Listeners can ultimately use the two volumes individually or together, depending on circumstance or the desired effect.”
Vol. 2 was mixed in Portland by the band’s longtime collaborator Jonas Verwijnen.
The Shivas are a rock and roll band from Portland, Oregon formed in 2006. In the 10 years since forming they have brought their raucous dance party to almost all 50 United States and over 20 countries worldwide, meanwhile releasing 5 full-length albums and two 7″ EPs, on labels such as K and Burger Records. 2016 saw the release of the long-player Better Off Dead (K Records LP/CD, Burger Records CASS – 2/16/2016) recorded by Calvin Johnson at Dub Narcotic Studio. Shortly thereafter came the I’ve Had Enough b/w So It Goes 45rpm on Casino Trash. These releases were followed by full North American and European tours, including The Shivas first trip to Mexico, where they headlined Festival The End at Foro Indie Rocks in Mexico City. November 2016 marks the start of recording for their 6th studio album, the release of which will be followed by extensive tours in Spring and Summer of 2017. Keep an eye out for an upcoming Shivas show in your town. Chances are no matter where you may live, they will be coming through soon.
The Decemberists, The Minus 5, Guided By Voices. Those are just some of the bands that the members of Eyelids have played in. Their first album was an outstanding collection of pop tinged psych rock, and with Peter Buck behind the production on this one I think that we can expect much of the same.
This album is a veritable Portland all star game minus Damian Lillard.
Portland native Alexandra Savior has shared both the album artwork for her forthcoming debut album, as well as a new song, “Vanishing Point”. The new track is taken from Savior’s new record, “Belladonna Of Sadness”, which is set for release on April 7th, 2017 through Columbia Records.
Alexandra Savior is also planning stops at summer festivals Boston Calling and Primavera Sound in Spain. Alexandra will also return to Europe this spring, with performances lined up in Paris, Berlin and 2 dates in London. After her first London date sold out in one day, a second one has been announced for May 30th, 2017 at Scala. Tickets on sale March 17th, 2017. Alexandra Savior made her mark last summer, following the release of debut single “Shades,” which left us completely hooked on the 21-year old singer/songwriter. Now, with a string of releases under her belt, including “M.T.M.E.” , Mystery Girl and the track “Mirage”.
Not only does she write music and perform live, Savior also paints her own artwork and writes, directs and edits her own music videos. Belladonna of Sadness was co-written by Alexandra and British rock frontman Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys/Last Shadow Puppets) and co-produced by James Ford (Haim/Florence and the Machine) and Alex Turner.
‘Belladonna of Sadness’ now. After what was, very much a breakthrough year for the young singer in 2016, Alexandra Savior will surely be the name on everybody’s lips this year, especially following her hotly tipped SXSW appearances, Alexandra is also excited to return to Europe this Spring, with performances lined up in Paris, Berlin and 2 sold out dates in London. After her first London date sold out in one day, a second one has been announced for May 30th 2017 at Scala
The Portland native is treating fans to a slew of new this week! , today, both the official album artwork, which she painted herself for her upcoming debut album, as well as a new song, “Vanishing Point.” The hypnotic new track is lifted from Savior’s new record, Belladonna Of Sadness, which is due out April 7th 2017 via Columbia Records. Alexandra’s unique sound and style first caught the attention of several creative forces including T. Bone Burnett who placed her song, “Risk,” in the most recent season of HBO’s cult series, “True Detective.” In addition to that track, Alexandra also co-wrote the most recent Last Shadow Puppets’ single, “Miracle Aligner” along with the erstwhile Arctic Monkey, Alex Turner.
Mirroring the expansive noise and incisive shadow of PJ Harvey, with the fearless abandon of Nick Cave and vocal play ofBjork, Schaefer travels at light speed through the American landscape so many left and forgot to examine. It’s art-pop with depth and vision, the product of an artist who not only carved out a space for herself but has grown into a voice with the potential to shape a landscape. It is a genesis story marked with resolve and technical prowess – muscular guitar, rumbling bass, and vocals that bend over themselves and spring back to shape.
The melodies are pop with meat on their bones, robust and full, unafraid to stick in your head and to your ribs. It is art-pop with depth and vision, the product of an artist who not only carved out a space for herself, but has grown into a voice that has the potential to reshape a well-worn world.
Like the wild geese that the Portland-based trio are named after, the members of Greylag have all undertaken amazing journeys, migrating as if by homing instinct from different parts of the US, Greylag rich in melody, mood and detail embracing electric and acoustic with a sound that’s both subtle and forceful. Andrew Stonestreet (lead vocal, acoustic guitar, originally from West Virginia), Daniel Dixon (lead guitar and other stringed things, keyboards, from Northern California) and Brady Swan (drums, from Texas). The venerated Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, The Shins) produced the album at Seattle’s Avast! Studio, who clearly knows a sublime enterprising combination of roots and rock music when he hears it.
The name Greylag looks and sounds strong but has developed more meaning for the band – It’s a wild goose, from which all domestic geese originate, so it’s the first survivor, and it’s still wild, and doing things its own way – the ‘lag’ part refers to it being the last bird to migrate. It sits back and watches. We love the connotation.”
The influences range wildly – Dixon talks of Swan’s love of house music whilst Stonestreet grew up with folk and bluegrass. Other named influences that can be spied through those lenses are Led Zeppelin and Portland’s most famous son, the late Elliott Smith. Stonestreet also enthuses about Fleetwood Mac’s 1969 classic Then Play On, Bob Dylan, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Dixon says Neil Young more than CS&N, and also, more surprisingly, the other worldy-ness of Sigur Rós.
The new record is their first proper recording as a band. This can be sampled in the dynamic sway of “Mama”, “Kicking” and “One Foot” while “Black Sky” and “Walk The Night” illuminate that “spooky” Led Zep III/Buckley axis. “Yours To Shake” and Burn On”, meanwhile, connect the two poles, building from quiet to loud, as Greylag take flight, gloriously. It’s a selective journey, though: though up to 65 demos were recorded, the album is a modest, yet very complete, nine tracks and 37 minutes in length.
The album artwork is the final touch. It resembles an old hardbound book, with the name pressed into the surface and a symbol above it, roughed up on edges, like something you’d find in a grandfather’s attic, something a little dark and strange and mysterious. It feels modern but it’s inspired by something from an earlier era.
Taken from their forthcoming self titled album “Greylag” released late last year, this Portland trio has a folk Fleet Foxes type sound, the songs are catchy and briskly strummed epics with great vocals
Balto are set to release their latest effort in February via the fine folks at Total Reality Meltdown. The Portland 4-piece play a great brand of soulful Americana that is very infectious. Take a listen to a couple of tracks off the new album below. Recently returned from a grueling tour of Alaska’s interior, they found a farmhouse studio, located in the fields of an agricultural island in Oregon, and sojourned there for nine days— stocked with a generation of new songs, dozens of borrowed instruments, and several hundred tallboys.The loose, bucolic setting made for fertile developments.
Songs took on a backporch ease. Instrumentation got ad hoc, with a tuba loaned from a local middle school and an empty swimming pool serving as a reverb chamber. With the opportunity to become truly lost in their work, ideas and paint flew at the walls; yet the project stayed tight and bright through the discerning production of Phillipe Bronchtein, who balanced the looseness of the sessions with gentle rigor and clarity, welcoming Sheron’s penchant for bombast while bringing the razor to things whenever necessary. Consequently, the alloyed sounds on Strangers are uncluttered and weighted perfectly to the musical arcs they tender. In the final mix (courtesy of Jeff Saltzman), every note rings out and fades away in the expanse, revealing in full Balto’s luscious and impeccable songcraft.
EYELIDS have a collective history of creating music for some of the most legendary indie songwriters. These longtime Portland, Oregon collaborators were not only the principal instrumentalists for Robert Pollard’s post Guided By Voices band Boston Spaceships for over eight releases, but they have also worked with Stephen Malkmus, The Decemberists, Elliott Smith, Sam Coomes of Quasi, Black Prairie, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Loch Lomond, Damien Jurado and Peter Buck .
Principal songwriters John Moen and Chris Slusarenko have turned inwards to their loves of New Zealand/Flying Nun guitar buzz, their teenage L.A. Paisley Underground obsessions, haunts of early Athens and all things beautiful, lopsided and rock. Along with members Jonathan Drews (guitar), Jim Talstra (bass) and PauliePulvirenti (drums) they push and pull against each other’s songwriting, in a beautiful tension that just works. Their critically celebrated debut 7” “Seagulls Into Submission” got airplay everywhere from BBC Radio to WFMU and was also included in Mojo Magazine’s Editors Picks of The Month.
With 13 songs, most of them clocking in at less than 2 1/2 minutes, their debut album ‘854’ is full of what Eyelids describes as “sweet melodies and bummer vibes”. ‘854’ makes us remember when our favorite songs were both melancholy and buoyant—those same songs that could make you feel justifiably sad and later make you feel incredibly happy and empowered. That’s what these guys are onto. And, although they are on their own trip, they’ve been compared to Love, Dinosaur Jr., Big Star, and even early R.E.M. Good company. This is the spirit that comes alive in Eyelids songs: the Beatles meets Television jangle of “Psych #1,” the wistful pleas of “Abby’s Friends,” the beat-your-head-on-the-dashboard croon of “Forget About Tomorrow” and the deserted desperate cries that propel “Say It’s Alright”. And as you listen, you will soon find out that Eyelids’ music is seriously catchy, haunting and uniquely their own.
The Fat Angel Sings 