Election night also marked the last stop on Sophie Barker’s West Coast tour at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR. Amongst the cheers and boos in the next room, Barker and her band played a deliciously down tempo show for a captivated, albeit small audience. As the media confirmed Obama’s re-election, Barker played a lovely variety
Remember “In the Waiting Line,” that down-tempo hit by Zero 7 from way back in 2001. Of course you do. Featured in movies like Garden State and TV shows like House, the song was everywhere. Much of its success was owed to the vocalist Sophie Barker, whose silky smooth delivery and desperate timbre made the
I’m sad and slightly ashamed to admit that Matt Bauer hasn’t been on my musical radar in the past few years. Despite his release of two well-received albums (The Island Moved In The Storm and The Jessamine County Book Of The Living), I was never privy to the unique brand of orchestral pop Bauer has
Radiation City: Retro Delight! Band: Radiation City www.radiationcity.muxtape.com Origin: Portland, OR! Label: Tender Loving Empire www.tenderlovingempire.com (Typhoon www.myspace.com/wearetyphoon, Y La Bamba www.myspace.com/ylabamba) Album: The Hands That Take You Release date: Already out on cassette through Radiation City’s own Apes Tapes www.apestapes.com, on CD and vinyl September 27. Sounds like: ‘50s doo-wop swirled with indie dream
This month saw a double album release from Portland’s Redwood Son, a self-described ‘West Coast Americana’ band. New Beautiful Day and Summer of ’77 are, admittedly, somewhat minimal and lyrically simplistic, but isn’t that kind of the point? Filled with songs of love, loss and redemption, Redwood Son’s albums are highly personal and filled with
OK, all you folkies in Portland- listen good. If you want a new bluegrass singer to love, look no further. Sarah Jarosz is “Gillian Welch‘s long-lost daughter,” according to Rolling Stone. Not sure yet? Download and listen to this- “Annabelle Lee,” a haunting bluegrass ballad that features Jarosz’s lovely voice and some serious fiddling.
For someone like me, who pays close attention to lyrics, at times even before the music, Ryan Driver’s album Who’s Breathing? is pure perfection. It’s a blissful frolic through fields of contradiction and beauty, where one can bask in the loveliness of the English language. Too flowery? Maybe. But for a word nerd like me,
Portlanders (and anyone who wants to come to Portland), clear your calendars! September 7-11 is Music Fest NorthWest, and it looks incredible this year. Aside from the amazing headliners like Band of Horses and Iron and Wine, MFNW has something for everyone from Portland’s diverse assortment of amazing music. Read on to check out the
The Shivers are the kind of band I feel like I should have heard about before now. Their Americana style of rock is so solid, it sounds like it could come from the ’70s (one of my favorite music decades). The Shivers’s latest album, More, released May 10, sounds like a jam session with greats
Listening to Fan Modine’s new album Gratitude For The Shipper is like floating through a dreamlike landscape of sound. Lush lyrics intertwine with melodies made by trombones, keyboards and euphoniums. Gordon Zacharias’s distinct voice sings of light and stars and love, making the record uplifting and completely enjoyable to hear.