New Shows: Feist, Odd Future (OFWGKTA), Leftover Salmon (Two Shows), Minus The Bear, The Radio Dept

Feist

Arlene Schnitzer, Portland
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
No ticket information available

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Odd Future (OFWGKTA)

One of the worst performances of the weekend at Coachella. Read the review of their show here. I'm still a sucker for hype, so I'll probably go.

Roseland, Portland
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
$25
Tickets on sale Wednesday, August 3rd, at 10:00 a.m.

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Leftover Salmon (Two Shows)

Roseland, Portland
Friday, December 30th and Saturday, December 31st, 2011
$25 first night, $40 second night, $55 for two night pass
Tickets go on sale Friday, August 5th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Minus The Bear

Doug Fir, Portland
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
$19.50 advance, $20 day of the show

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The Radio Dept.

Love, love, love their music. Hate, hate, hated their live performance.

Doug Fir, Portland
Friday, November 11th, 2011
$15 advance, $18 day of the show

New Shows: Bush, VNV Nation, Mac Miller, Boris, Peaches

Bush

Can I get a "Fuck Yes?"

Roseland, Portland
Sunday, September 18th, 2011
$25
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 29th, at 10:00 a.m.

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VNV Nation

Hawthorne Theatre, Portland
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
$20

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Mac Miller

Roseland, Portland
Saturday, October 29th, 2011
$20

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Boris

Hawthorne Theatre, Portland
Monday, October 10th, 2011
$16

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Peaches

Roseland, Portland
Sunday, September 4th, 2011
$19

New Shows: Groundation, Trentemoller, Thrice, Hank III, Junior Boys

Groundation

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
$20 advance, $25 day of the show
Tickets on sale Friday, July 29th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Trentemoller

Roseland, Portland
Monday, October 31st, 2011
$17

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Thrice

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Friday, November 4th, 2011
$19 advance, $22 day of the show
Tickets on sale Monday, August 1st, at 10:00 a.m.

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Hank III

Hank Williams Jr.'s son.

Roseland, Portland
Friday, September 30th, 2011
$20

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Junior Boys

Doug Fir, Portland
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
$16
Tickets on sale Wednesday, July 27th, at 10:00 a.m.

New Shows: Skrillex, Blue Scholars, Neon Indian/Com Truise, English Beat, Sean Hayes

Skrillex

Roseland, Portland
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
$25
Tickets go on sale Monday, July 25th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Blue Scholars

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
$15 advance, $18 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 22nd, at 10:00 a.m.

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Neon Indian (w/Com Truise)

Doug Fir, Portland
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
$15 advance, $17 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 22nd, at 10:00 a.m.

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English Beat

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Friday, August 12th, 2011
$20 advance, $23 day of the show

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Sean Hayes

Doug Fir, Portland
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
$15

New Shows: Colin Meloy/Carson Ellis, Reverand Peyton's Big Damn Band, Tune-Yards, Alpha Rev, Sage Francis

Colin Meloy (w/Carson Ellis)

Lead singer of the Decemberists.

Bagdad Theater, Portland
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
$17.99

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Reverand Peyton's Big Damn Band

Mr. Peyton has returned to pummel me for hitting on his wife in my review of their latest Portland show.

Dante's, Portland
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
No ticket information available

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Tune-Yards

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Monday, November 21st, 2011
$15
Tickets on sale Friday, July 22nd, at 10:00 a.m.

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Alpha Rev

Aladdin, Portland
Wednesday, September 14th, 2011
$15
Tickets on sale Saturday, July 23rd, at 11:00 a.m.

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Sage Francis

Roseland, Portland
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
$18

New Shows: Why?, St. Vincent, The Head And The Heart/Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, NoMeansNo, Dan Reed

Why?

Alberta Rose Theater, Portland
Friday, October 7th, 2011
No ticket information available

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St. Vincent

Crystal Ballroom, Portland
Friday, October 14th, 2011
No ticket information available

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The Head And The Heart (w/Thao With The Get Down Stay Down)

Crystal Ballroom, Portland
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
$18

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NoMeansNo

Hawthorne Theatre, Portland
Saturday, October 1st, 2011
$15
Tickets on sale Wednesday, July 20th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Dan Reed

Star Theater, Portland
Saturday, November 19th, 2011
$15

MusicFestNW 2011 Schedule Announced

Check out all the bands you won't be able to see, because [fill in the blank band you can't miss] is playing at the same time. There won't be any conflicts Sunday at least. The Pioneer Square shows start and end early, which means you should be able to catch several bands after the headliners end, which is fucking fantastic. There are only a couple bands I would enjoy seeing that seem improbable, and that is only because their shows are not within walking distance to all the downtown venues. I'm extremely excited about the layout. Check it out at the link below:

http://musicfestnw2011.sched.org/

New Shows: The Flaming Lips, Lotus, POGO/That 1 Guy, Firewind, The Wombats

The Flaming Lips

Keller Auditorium, Portland
Tuesday, September 20th, 2011
$41 to $55
Tickets on sale Friday, July 15th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Lotus

Crystal Ballroom, Portland
Friday, November 11th, 2011
No ticket information available

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POGO (w/That 1 Guy)

Dante's, Portland
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
$15

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Firewind

Hawthorne Theatre, Portland
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
$14

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The Wombats

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Thursday, November 1oth, 2011
$11 advance, $13 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 15th, at 10:00 a.m.

Holy Shit: Portishead (Seattle)

Portishead

I recently made a list of the top ten bands/acts I have never seen live. Portishead ranked number five. I don't remember the last time they played a show in the NW, so it's been a while. Not only is Portishead worthy of a road trip, it's worthy of a "Holy Shit."

WaMu Theater, Seattle (WA)
Sunday, October 23rd, 2011
$48
Tickets on sale Friday, July 15th, at 10:00 a.m.

New Shows: Starfucker, Girls, Megafun, We Were Promised Jetpacks, The Supersuckers

Starfucker (w/The Pains of Being Pure At Heart)

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Wednesdady, October 5th, 2011
$15
Tickets on sale Friday, July 15th, at 10:00 a.m..

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Girls

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
$13 advance, $14 day of the show
Tickets on sale Friday, July 15th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Megafun

Doug Fir, Portland
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
$12

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We Were Promised Jetpacks

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Sunday, November 13th, 2011
$14 advance, $16 day of the show
Tickets on sale Friday, July 15th, at 10:00 a.m.

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The Supersuckers

Hawthorne Theatre, Portland
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
$13

Top 50 Albums of 2010 (40-31)

(50-41)




40. High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine: I have a difficult time understanding the lyrics on this album, even though the lead singer is one of the more legible in metal, but that is one of the reasons I enjoy the genre. Lyrics don't make the songs for me. I'm sure he's singing about lightning, and skulls, and scorpions, and death, and monsters, and Charlie Sheen, and all sorts of fucked up shit. As many times as I've listened to this album, no song really shines, except the title track. That might be a good place to start if you want a sample. It is nearly nine minutes of goodness.

I didn't listen to every metal album that came out in 2010, not even close. I mostly listened to suggestions from friends, and a lot of those I didn't care for. Snakes For the Divine is one of the few metal albums in 2010 that I really liked. It's not groundbreaking, so if that's what you're looking for, maybe the genre of metal isn't for you. When is a metal album really groundbreaking? It does however do what metal albums are supposed to do, it kicks ass.

39. Drive By Truckers - The Big To-Do: The lyrics take center stage when listening to the Truckers. There is the song about the guy getting drunk for four days, the one about the prostitute banging the birthday boy, the one where the wife of the horny preacher accidentally murders him, and the one about the chick with the cheating fling. And who doesn't like a song about hating your job, the aptly named "This Fucking Job."

There is some great guitar work on this album as well, such as the first song, "Daddy Learned To Fly," and the catchy as hell riff on "Drag The Lake Charlie." The pedal steel guitar which is used often always gets me, and two proficient song writers is never a bad thing. This album has White Trash written all over it, but in a good way. Heck, I like White Trash, you don't?


38. The Black Keys - Brothers: I don't feel like writing about this band. I listened to this album a lot, more than most of the albums on this list, but I'm not sure I want to hear it again. My live review explains why. I'm not being unfair, I liked this album way too much when I first heard it. It's not that great. It belongs in the 30s.

37. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: I loved this album the first time I heard it. I think I got caught up in all the hype. After three or four listens, I was over it. A couple months later, I started digging it again, which is why it made the top 50. Just like every above average album, there are some really good songs, but the songs I didn't like were boarderline annoying.

My opinion of Big Boi isn't as high as his celebrity status. Sure, I love Outkast as much as the next person, but it is the other guy which makes Outkast for me. The reason I've never been a huge fan of Big Boi is because his flow is a bit too fast for my comfort level, yet not fast enough to be truly impressive. His lyrics are can be great, but they are more like, "here are a bunch of words I'm going to link together in a clever way," instead of "here is a story I'm going to cleverly tell you." I respect his ability, but don't care for his flow.

The first track, "Daddy Fat Sax," gets the album started on the right foot, but it slouches to a halt over the next couple tracks. It peaks with "General Patton" and "Tangerine." "General Patton" was one of my favorite songs of the year mostly because of the production. Rapping over a choir is something I don't recall hearing before this year. The remainder of the album is mostly average, except one of my favorites, "Shine Blockas." The album is worth listening to for the highlights, but I don't get why it is so highly respected by credible sources.




36. Avey Tare - Down There: Avey Tare is one of the lead singers of Animal Collective. I mention this because I know this isn't a well-known fact for many readers. First things first, he is really weird, and so is this album. He once put out an album with the music played backwards, so he delivers with what I anticipated, strangeness. "Glass Bottom Boat" followed by "Ghost Of Books" sounds like it's straight out of Animal Collective's Sung Tongs. The whole sound of the album has a Sung Tongs feel. It's pretty stripped down.

I've always enjoyed Avey's voice more than Panda Bear on the Animal Collective records. Nine of my top ten favorite Animal Collective songs are sung by Avey, and I especially dig the songs he screams on (he is a fantastic screamer). That is what makes this album a bit disappointing, there is a lot more weirdness than Avey actually singing, and he doesn't scream at all. In fact, the song that stands out the most is "Lucky 1," and that is sung by Panda Bear!

This album is a must for Animal Collective fans like myself. It gives a further understanding of which parts of Animal Collective Avey is responsible for, just like Panda Bear's solo albums give a better understanding of what he brings to the band. You also can feel what is missing compared to the Animals Collective albums, making Geologist's production that more obvious. I wouldn't recommend this album if you are not already an Animal Collective fan.

35. Fang Island - Fang Island: Classic rock is only classic when, you know, it's classic. That's why classic rock no longer exists. However, this band screams classic rock like no other in 2010. Queen harmonies, Lynyrd Skynyrd dueling guitars, hair metal Guns N' Roses, and a bit of Black Sabbath . I've never googled Fang Island to see what they look like, but if they look anything like Vampire Weekend, it would be a complete paradigm shift. I'm picturing something along the lines of Jerry Cantrell, Ted Nugget, and Tommy Lee, with maybe a bit of Tom Green.

At points, the music sounds cheezy as hell, but it's a go to when I want something new that sounds like the bands from the 70s. Check out the track "Davey Crockett," if you want to understand what I'm trying to say.



34. Horse Feathers - Thistled Spring: It took me a couple listens before I realized there isn't a lot of percussion on this album. I'm not a drum hater, I fully support those weird fuckers, but this mixture of acoustic guitar, cello, violin, banjo, piano, accordion, mandolin, and vocals doesn't need the drums to be successful. This album deserves to be ranked much higher on this top 50, but I locked my rankings in the dead of winter. This is very much a spring album, if the title didn't give it away.

"Belly of June" is my favorite track, with "The Drought" a close second. They sound beautiful, and that is not a description I use often. The overall sound on this ablum is so soothing, it became one of my favorites to listen to while working. It's similar to jazz and classical music, it doesn't demand my attention, but when I give it my attention I realize how great it is.



33. Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx - The Exxecution: Each style of music fits a certain mood. What do you listen to when you feel like hitting fools in the head with a shovel? You listen to gangsta rap, and this is about as hardcore as gangsta rap gets. It's not about getting tons of bitches and making lots of cash, it's about murder, plain and simple. Gangsta rap can be so flashy and cartoonish these days, which makes this album stand out. Ruste Juxx is an amazingly talented rapper, and keeps the execution theme thick in every verse. Lyrically, he might crack my top ten rappers.

Then there is the production of Marco Polo, rather simply done with heavy drums and catchy hooks, mixed with the occasional old skool scratching. When did scratching go out of style anyway? "Death Penalty" is one of the catchiest song on the album because of the foot tapping (thug killin) production, and includes plenty of scratching. The piano backing on "Nobody" is the other highlight of the album, due to the strength of the production. The lyrics are solid throughout, so the standouts tend to have the best beats. This album might be my go to hardcore gangsta album for years.



32. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II): This band has a reputation for making noise, not necessarily good noise. Some of their noise can be a annoying, but the contrast makes the mellow tracks stand out musically. Take the first four songs on the album, inaudible lyrics and a fuzzy beat on "Fainting Spells," followed by the trance like song "Celestica" with soothing 80s pop type vocals, followed by the distorted loudness with screeching vocals on "Doe Deer," followed by the most danceable track on the album, "Baptism" with crazy synth. Great stylistic intro.

I don't recall really liking this album after a couple listens, but each time I play it, I feel like I'm undervaluing its worth, even still. The vocal-less track "Intimate" was one of my favorite songs from 2010, which is me giving mad props to the dude behind the production. The face of the band might be the screaming chick, who at her worst is only bearable because of the production. At her best though, Crystal Castles shit is so good.



31. Quasi - American Gong: I listened to way too much sensitive indie rock this year. That's why it's refreshing to hear an indie rocker tearing it up on the guitar. It doesn't take Sam Coomes long to make this point, going off near the end of the opening track, "Repulsion." Thanks Sam, you are now forgiven for whatever sensitive indie tracks you want to throw out on the rest of the album, including the ultra sensitive "Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler," which ended up being one of the most recognizable songs on the album.

We again find Mr. Sam freaking out near the end of "Bye Bye Blackbird," the album's most interesting track. It's fun hearing his craziness, but even more fun witnessing it live. Also, the song ends, only to start back up and continue on, a feature I'm particularly fond of for some odd reason. "Ah, it's over, what a great tune, wait, it's still going, holy shit!" This isn't THE Quasi album to own if you are new to the band, but when compared to what else came out in 2010, it's pretty cool, even if the Quasi diehards don't care for it. Check out the riff on "Rockabilly Party," and try to get that out of your head.

As already mentioned, this is an indie album that rocks, which has made me rethink how great indie albums can really be if they are the same old melodic sensitive boring shit. Now that I got this Quasi review out of my way, stay tuned for my favorite 30 albums of 2010, a collection of mostly melodic sensitive boring shit indie rock albums.

(30-21)

New Shows: Young Jeezy/Freddie Gibbs, Hall & Oats, Kaiser Chiefs, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, The All Stars Tour, Braids

Young Jeezy (w/Freddie Gibbs)

I'm not a fan of Young Jeezy, but Freddie Gibbs makes this show a maybe.

Roseland, Portland
Thursday, September 1st, 2011
$25
Tickets on sale Wednesday, July 13th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Hall & Oats

I CAN go for that.

Arlene Schnitzer, Portland
Saturday, September 3rd, 2011
$70 to $95
Tickets go on sale Saturday, July 9th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Kaiser Chiefs

Crystal Ballroom, Portland
Friday, September 30th, 2011
$22

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The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
No ticket information available

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The All Stars Tour

Check out this list of All Stars; Emmure, Bless The Fall, Iwrestledabearonce, For Today, Born of Osiris, In This Moment, The Ghost Inside, Motionless In White, Chelsea Grin, Sleeping With Sirens, Attila, For All Those Sleeping, Upon A Burning Body, and Memphis May Fire. Yeah, I've never heard of them either.

Roseland, Portland
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
$25
Tickets on sale Wednesday, July 13th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Braids

Holocene, Portland
Sunday, September 25th, 2011
$10

New Shows: Blasters, Hanson, DJ Craze, Bring Me The Horizon, Kings Go Forth

Blasters

Dante's, Portland
Saturday, August 20th, 2011
$18

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Hanson

Oh fuck yes.

Aladdin, Portland
Monday, September 5th, 2011
$30
Tickets go on sale Saturday, July 9th, at 10:00 a.m.

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DJ Craze

Roseland, Portland
Friday, August 12th, 2011
$20

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Bring Me The Horizon

Roseland, Portland
Monday, September 5th, 2011
$20

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Kings Go Forth

Doug Fir, Portland
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
$13 advance, $15 day of the show
Tickets on sale Friday, July 8th, at 10:00 a.m.

New Shows: The Decemberists (Second Show), O.M.D., M83, Jonathan Coulton, Liam Finn

The Decemberists (Second Show)

Edgefield, Portland
Friday, August 26th, 2011
$37
Tickets not yet available

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O.M.D.

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Saturday, October 1st, 2011
$27 advance, $29 at the door
Tickets on sale Friday, July 8th, at 10:00 a.m.

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M83

So excited.

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
No ticket information available

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Jonathan Coulton (Opening for They Might Be Giants)

Best. Concert. Ever. Or so he says.

Crystal Ballroom, Portland
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
$20

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Liam Finn

He's like, the son of one of the dudes from Crowded House. Thats gotta be cool.

Doug Fir, Portland
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
$12 advance, $14 day of the show

New Shows: Cut Copy/Washed Out, Chromeo, Ladytron, Gomez, CSS

Cut Copy (w/Washed Out)

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Sunday, October 9th, 2011
$23 advance, $25 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 8th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Chromeo

Get them while they're hot. This will be three Portland shows in one year, and they've played just about every festival known to man. Keep it up, no one will care about you a year from now, and your next album will be a flop.

Roseland, Portland
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
$26
Tickets go on sale Thursday, July 7th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Ladytron

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
$20 advance, $23 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 8th, at 10:00 a.m.

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Gomez

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
$20 advance, $22 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 8th, at 10:00 a.m.

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CSS

I do not get this band, live or on album.

Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
$17 advance, $20 day of the show
Tickets go on sale Friday, July 8th, at 10:00 a.m.