UP&COMING
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THIS WEEK’S MUSIC PREVIEWS
tion, takes its name from Material Issue’s excellent debut LP—began in 1998 as a means of showcasing up-and-coming Los Angeles-based power-pop artists. Over the years it has gradually expanded to multiple other big(gish) cities, including Portland. And while it’s an overlooked facet of this city’s music scene (why wouldn’t it be?), PDX definitely has its fair share of stellar Beatles-influenced pop acts. Saturday night’s lineup looks particularly killer: there are PDX pure pop mainstays Blue Skies for Black Hearts, whose most recent LP Embracing the Modern Age was one of the most significant contributions to the genre in recent memory, the irresistibly retro Queued Up, and Exploding Hearts holograms the Cry. Prepare to meet a lot of weirdoes who claim the best band to ever come out of Portland was the Hudson Brothers. (Elliott Who?) MT
JEL, DJ ABILITIES, TOPE, CLOUDY OCTOBER, STEWART VILLAIN, VOID PEDAL, ZAVALA, CRUSHCON7 (Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) DJ Abilities and Jel are two prominent hiphop producers (of Rhymesayers and Anticon, respectively) who emphasize performance and live production. These button-pushing, samplescratching, fader-fl apping geniuses come together again—after their short-lived Deep Puddle Dynamics stint—to tour together doing solo and collaborative sets. Get there early enough for great local emcees Tope and Cloudy October, and a beat set by Stewart Villain. This guy has a beautiful style, especially the ambient, laidback beats on his instrumental album Leftovers. RH
KAYO DOT, THRONES, HANG THE OLD YEAR (Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Kayo Dot is a band of multi-instrumentalists led by accomplished experimental musician Toby Driver. The ever-changing Brooklyn-based band has evolved over the last decade to release six studio albums, and while band members have come and gone, the progressive aesthetic that underlies the band’s philosophy has always been present. Self-described as “dark, cinematic, and dream-like,” their style gives the listener ample opportunity to fall into a kaleidoscopic world of sound that, via reinterpretation, ends up quite far from where it began. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
POLIÇA, SUPREME CUTS (Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Poliça make grooving downtempo tunes with singer Channy Leaneagh’s woozy Auto-Tuned vocals as the central focus. Like Leaneagh and band co-founder Ryan Olson’s previous stuff with Minneapolis slowdance “supergroup”/collective Gayngs, it’s formulaic and at times repetitive, but executed well enough to be mostly enjoyable. Openers Supreme Cuts get the edge here, though, for their moody, chopped-sample beats that constantly shift tempos and textures. Though their recent debut LP Whispers in the Dark is getting most of the (deserved) attention, the Chicago duo’s previous Trouble 10-inch, remixes, and forays into rap production—see their upcoming collaborative album with Barbadian rapper Haleek Maul, Chrome Lips—show that their sound goes even deeper than that. MIKE RAMOS
SUNDAY 8/19 KISS, MÖTLEY CRÜE
(Sleep Country Amphitheater, 17200 NE Delfel, Ridgefield, WA) There aren’t many bands in the world more divisive than KISS. Those who love the band do so with religious zealotry; those on the other side look at the band with the same derision as Nickelback. But almost 40 years in, KISS’ place in American music (and pop culture) is secure. They’re consummate underdogs, businessmen, and survivors. And despite what you think, they’re also a rock and roll b®and. Get past Gene Simmons’ massive ego/codpiece. Pass up “Beth” and “Rock and Roll All Nite” for the deep cuts. Know that—with all the makeup and schlock and bombs—these are just four guys from New York that were reared on the best British bands from the ’60s. Simmons and his longtime partner Paul Stanley are all that remain of the original lineup, but there’s still not a better/louder show in town. And they still champion rock ’n’ roll like it’s 1975. It’s big, dumb fun—just like their no-brainer choice for co-headliners, Mötley Crüe. ML Also see My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 15.
JOVANOTTI (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) The words “Italian pop star” bring to mind a terrifying vision of an Il Divo-like belter, emitting sweat and schmaltzy dreck for the pleasure of enthusiastic, possibly horny crowds of elderly women. What a surprise it is, then, to listen to Jovanotti’s new Italia 1988-2012 compilation album, which remixes and re-contextualizes some of the Italian pop star’s recordings over his near-25-year career. He started off heavily infl uenced
by the Beastie Boys, then embraced global pop and collaborated with acts like Sérgio Mendes, TV on the Radio, and Luciano Pavarotti. I don’t understand his lyrics, of course, but Jovanotti’s music sounds subtle, diverse, and classy. He recently moved to New York and is trying his hand at the American market, and though I can’t imagine him becoming the kind of sensation he is in Italy, fans of smart pop (who don’t mind lyrics not sung in English) will defi nitely get something out of Jovanotti. NL
MONDAY 8/20 THE CULT, MURDER OF CROWS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 15.
TENEMENT, BIG EYES, CRYPTIES, DJ J-ONE ILL (The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Seattle trio Big Eyes play with the sort of sincerity typically lacking from most ’77 punk-infl uenced bands these days. Their debut LP Hard Life, released last summer, contains 12 tracks of exquisite, jagged Jam-esque powerpop (standout cuts are the hit-worthy “Pretend to Care” and far-too-relatable closer “Tired All the Time”), and their latest 7-inch “Back from the Moon” sounds like a lost Muffs classic. It’s the band stepping even further in the right direction and branching out stylistically (lead vocalist Kate Eldridge is starting to really “push it” to great effect). This is like a badass Best Coast. MT
503.288.3895 info@mississippistudios.com 3939 N. Mississippi
8pm Doors, 9pm Show Unless otherwise noted
Seattle based group of intricate and well-orchestrated psych-pop full of catchy hooks and symphonic complexity
KAY KAY RAGS & RIBBONS & HIS WEATHERED UNDERGROUND FICTIONIST FICTIONIST
HUSTLE AND DRONE +THE WE SHARED MILK
THUR AUG 16th
LOVE SONGS FOR LAMPS: CALVIN JOHNSON, BROKEN WATER, THE SHIVAS, THE MEMORIES, WHITE RAINBOW & MORE (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 15.
INCREDIBLE YACHT CONTROL, PIGEONS, CHARTS, SLEEPY VILLAIN (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music, pg. 17.
ZZ TOP, NASHVILLE PUSSY (Edgefi eld, 2126 SW Halsey, Troudale) ZZ Top has always been a slave to the production value and pop sensibility of the time. In the ’70s, it was beerdrenched, bitchin’ Southern rock ’n’ roll and livestock on stage. In the ’80s, it was over-production and music videos with furry guitars and leggy chicks. The ’90s, well... let’s skip that period. Thankfully, the recent trend for resurfacing rockers is a return to form. Top’s Texicali EP, the band’s fi rst release since 2003, has four good, old-fashioned American cruising cuts that could probably make your sideburns grow faster. It’s no Fandango!, but it’s stacked with swagger and stomp-ability. Also, to display their ever-present savviness, the EP was released digitally only. Even though they’re at the end of the alphabet, ZZ Top knows how to, well, stay on top. ARIS WALES Also see My, What a Busy Week! , pg. 15.
$10 ADV
Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp For Girls Presents:
Pop influenced duo of bedroom turntablists who make dream-disco that feels like a hazy assembly of chart hits heard last thing at night
TEENGIRL FANTASY
THREE MILE PILOT, DRAMADY
WEDNESDAY 8/22
+VIOLET ISLE
FRI AUG 17th
$8 ADV
TUESDAY 8/21 (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) It’s surprising to see Three Mile Pilot back on the touring circuit, but any activity at all is surprising after a decade or so of immobility. I’m pretty damn confident that old listeners love the familiar sound of their 2010 release The Inevitable Past Is the Future Forgotten, but that observation always kinda begs the question: Did the group’s inactivity foster an acceptance of a single rooted sound, or did it only marinate them in the character of their 1997 full-length Another Desert, Another Ocean? Fuck it. They’re a great rock band through and through, with a genealogy that deserves nods from anyone who remembers the premainstream era of indie rock. JM
Melodic rock anthems driven by classically-inspired piano. Check out their latest album The Glass Masses
GATEKEEPER
+THUNDER HORSE
SAT AUG 18th
$12 ADV
2:30 Doors 3:00 Show Mostly Standing Seated Balcony
SUN AUG 19th
“Eleni Mandell is perhaps L.A.‘s best kept secret. She’s impressively quaint and her tracks are laden stripped down and soulful—yielding an unapologetic sensibility.” -Paste Magazine
ELENI
Mississippi Summer Sessions Presents: Striking songs from a notable folk artist whose live performances are touching. Check our her latest self-titled debut album
MANDELL TUES AUG 21st
SARAH GWEN PETERS SUN AUGUST 19th
TUESDAYS
QUIZZY
ALL AGES 3:00-7:00pm
FREE 6:30-8:30
FREE - PRIZES!
at Bar Bar w/ Quizmaster ROY SMALLWOOD
$7 ADV
+DAVID DONDERO $8 ADV
NPR brings All Songs Considered to Mississippi Studios for a live listening party with Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton & More
ALL SONGS CONSIDERED
LISTENING PARTY
WED AUG 22nd
SOLD OUT
Mississippi Studios and opbmusic present PDX/Rx:
Musician, songwriter and author well known for her famed projects with the alt rock band Throwing Muses and punk-influenced band 50 Foot Wave
KRISTIN
RAYMOND
BYRON & THE WHITE FREIGHTER
HERSH 7:00 Doors, 8:00 Show Mostly Seated
+MBILLY
THUR AUG 23rd
$18 ADV
HOUNDSTOOTH +AL JAMES
FRI AUG 24th
FREE
An inspiring and fresh organ trio lineup of dark funky rhythms and blues lick solos
Americana rock ‘n’ roll from Texas favorites
BAND OF HEATHENS
ALAN EVANS TRIO THE
THE LOWER 48, OH DARLING, SEAN SPELLMAN (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Who knows when the Lower 48 will exhaust their penchant for geography, but let’s hope it carries them through another album at least. Like a good map, the Portland-by-way-of-Minnesota trio brims with possibility, even at their most utilitarian. With only an EP and an album—last fall’s Where All Maps End—in their knapsacks, they have reached a maturity, a gravitas, that coexists surprisingly well with their warmth. A lot of this is the product of Sarah Parson, whose singular voice comes from deep within her throat, providing aural texture to cling to, even when the band is at their most mellow. Parson’s voice is in direct contrast to that of Jasmine Ash, the ethereal lady who fronts LA-based Oh Darling. Her voice is so sweet that, no joke, a chocolate company used one of her solo songs in an international advertising campaign. Classic rocker Sean Spellman of Quiet Life will open the eccentric lineup. RW
+LERA LYNN
SAT AUG 25th
$13 ADV
SUN AUG 26th
+EXCELLENT GENTLEMEN $12 ADV
Coming Soon: 8/27 - MOUNT EERIE 8/28 - ADAM ARCURAGI & THE LUPINE CHORALE SOCIETY 8/29 - GREYLAG 8/30 - VEKTOR 8/31 - JC BROOKS & THE UPTOWN SOUND 9/2 - BRENT AMAKER & THE RODEO 9/4 - THE SALE 9/5 - SUPERHUMANOIDS 9/6 - POKEY LAFARGE & THE SOUTH CITY THREE 9/7 - JOE PUG 9/8 - DEEP SEA DIVER
9/8 - MILO GREENE 9/9 - SCHOOL OF ROCK SUMMER MIX TAPE 9/10 - BRIAN BLADE 9/12 - THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR 9/13 - THE FRESH & ONLYS 9/14 - JUNO WHAT?! 9/15 - NURSES 9/16 - SCHOOL OF ROCK 9/16 - ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST 50th ANNIVERSARY 9/18 - THE DEFIBRULATORS 9/19 - HOLOGRAMS
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& free music
www.mississippistudios.com August 16, 2012 Portland Mercury 23