Adrian Orange and Her Band w/ Calvin Johnson
Sunday, September 30th @ 6pm
The Metropolis
$3-5
K Recs in Walla Walla? Count me in.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Adrian Orange & Calvin Johnson
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sigur Ros - Heima
also from iceland:
"On November 5th 'Heima' will be released as a Special Edition double DVD package with a 104-page book containing stunning photos from the tour. It will also be released as a standard 2-DVD set."
Monday, September 17, 2007
Mum - Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
Mum has been putting out consistantly good records for the past seven years and part of that has had to do with the fact that they are always expanding their range of sounds. Unlike their former fat-cat counterparts, Sigur Ros(now EMI), they are not afraid to try new things with their sounds. The sampling for one is so seamlessly integrated on this album that you might forget that what you are hearing are samples or field recordings. On GGSP Mum have created somewhat of a collage of themselves at various parts in their career. It feels like past, present, and future mum are all here on this album, each version chiming in its own tasteful aspect. Where this is most present is probably halfway through the album on Marmalade Fires. What starts out as a rather unassuming mess of harplike strings and other random strings and bells with a droning bass behind it soon blossoms into a full-fledged warmth spewing song about who knows what.
As they continue to release solid albums like this one in which they push their own limits but maintain a clear idea of what makes them so likable (the skittering percussion, wacked out vocals, and an amazing understanding of melody) they will undoubtedly be on of the most popular bands to ever have been labeled "experimental".
Caribou - Andorra
Dan Snaith is an extraordinary human being. This is the guy whose moniker “Caribou” was the product of an acid-induced vision quest in the wildest of Canadian backwoods. This is the same guy who earned his Ph.D. in algebraic number theory, just to belittle academics everywhere with claims of making gold records in his spare time. Snaith’s fascination with nature and foreign countries continues on the remarkably lush “Andorra”, but this time he’s thrown people into the equation; girl people, specifically. However, don’t mistake his transition from hammerhead sharks to women named Desiree as losing his edge. These are some of his fiercest songs to date.
There are some humble artists out there that never want to admit that they knew which of their songs would be the hit single. Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses thought people would really dig “Wicked Gil”, but the captivating crescendos of “The Funeral” have become their calling-card. I can’t imagine this naiveté would be possible with the lead track “Melody Day” on “Andorra”. The pulsing, infectious ditty is unmistakably a hit. It’s the aural equivalent of playing the Rainbow Road level in MarioKart64 well into the early hours of the morning. I challenge you to avoid imagining butterflies, birds, or some other cute shit when you hear the twittering flutes and jangling guitars. Snaith has really hit his stride with his vocals too; his voice gently reverberates across each sonic landscape he constructs. And he seems to be inviting the awkward concert round-of-applause-before-the-song-is-actually-over with a late-song lull only to return more ferociously than before. Suffice to say, goodness gracious.
Andorra is one of the sunniest albums you’ll hear all year. Snaith takes the best parts of every post 60’s musical era, and condenses them into roughly four and a half minute audio collages. There are elements of the Beatles (imagine ?uestlove on the drums instead of Mr. Conductor from Shining Time Station) and a heavy dose of psychedelic influences. The rampant use of heavy reverb lends an eerie, ethereal tone that can only described as a true stardust fantasy. Each meticulous arrangement is entirely his own, as Snaith notoriously maintains a death-grip on the production of each song, start to finish. Surprisingly absent are the drums on one of the album’s finest tracks “Desiree”. Barring a few clangs of a triangle, Snaith’s complex, signature drumming is replaced by strings and a hypnotic chant of the stripper-esque moniker. The percussion on “Irene” is entirely drum machine and coupled with the slightly off-kilter melody, it is enjoyably haunting.
It’s remarkable to think that the man formerly known as Manitoba has been able to produce such a consistently excellent level of music on each of his albums. It seems as if he uses any instrument he can get his hands on and seamlessly incorporates it into a distinctly Caribou song. As an album, “Andorra” does not disappoint. Each song seems to exist naturally and cohesively with the rest. My only advice is to play this record before summer’s end for maximum effect.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Gwizski
i was just over at analog giant and came across an artist by the name of Gwizski. this is portland hip-hop at its smoothest.
crack a pabst and bump this track.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Old News
there's a nice little article over on slate.com about the music scene in portland. in addition to being self-congratulatory, the writer maintains an air of indifference that i can appreciate. get too excited and people might actually start to suspect it doesn't rain as much as we claim.
click here!
Plus! A prize for whoever can identify the subjects in the photo above.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Musicfest Nw - Holy Fuck
(thanks pitchfork)
A little while ago I posted a video clip of Holy Fuck on the surface, sadly, I was missing the big picture. Their live show is nothing short of amazing. What is really incredible about their set is that it is extremely tight and loose simultaneously. Everyone in that band knows exactly whats going on and at the same time, you wonder if any of them besides the motorik-esque drummer has a clue. The raw power that spilled forth onto the crowd (that was one of the liveliest I have seen at the crystal ballroom) was fantastic. Crowd surfing, everyone jumping around n shit. I can't wait fo a full-length.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Mum - "They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded"
This video has been floating around for a little bit now but thats okay its still worth writing about even if we here at audiosurface aren't able to be the ones that "broke the story of the new mum video omigosh." Anyways, it is pretty crazy, the animation in it is very cool but our main concern is the song. This new mum stuff smells like what critics like to refer to as a "grower"... I dont have time for that these days. I need quick instant satisfaction. Like that new spoon album. oh well here's the video.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Menomena - Video for Evil Bee
So,
If you are one of the best bands currently assembling songs and albums and such for people to put in their ears, you might be asking yourself (as a band) how do we take it to that next level shit?
Have another awesome video for you. fuckin duh.
I cant directly link the player, because pf flyer wants you to buy fall season gear but whatever, just watch the video.
http://pfflyers.com/culture.html
click on the link that says "Play the Video". duh.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Musicfest NW + Nike
wow. nike, you've really impressed me this time. no, it's not a new pair of super-limited edition hi-top gold-plated dunks, but rather a trio of exciting shows made possible by a partnership between the mega-corporation and willamette week.
all shows at audio cinema:
Thursday September 6th, 2007 @ 3:30
Cat Power, Bobby Bare Jr.
Friday September 7th, 2007 @ 5:30
Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter
Saturday September 8th, 2007 @ 5:30
Ghostface Killah, The Bronx
if there was any question that the pacific northwest runs this music shit, this (musicfest nw) should set things right again.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
typhoon
it's been on the internet for a while now, but if you haven't seen it yet, here's a great little video put together by none other than jimmy drunksweat.
TYPHOON
Show Review - 2mex
"this is the second show i've been to this summer that i've felt really bad for the performers"
the first was jana hunter. loud, hostile crowd members peppered her with insults as she morosely plucked and hummed her way through a half hour set. on that night, portland, you embarrassed me.
the second show was last night. clockwerk (gold and iame of sandpeople) kicked shit off to a crowd of about 15 people. c'mon berbati's pan, really? they even delayed the start time a good half hour just so more people could show up. those dudes brought it official anyway, even if people were sparse, sober, and bored. it turns out that demanding people "to throw yer mutherfuckin hands in the air" is a lot easier when they can blend anonymously into the crowd. instead of hands they just got a bunch of sore thumbs. the separation that generally exists between larger-than-life rap persona/bravado and the casual portland hip-hop show attendee was lacking.
but, as the openers came and went, the crowd grew and grew. 2mex was the main event and by the time he took the stage i didn't feel nearly as awkward or guilty. it was my first 2mex experience and he made me an instant fan. dancing and sweating as much as he was rhyming, he displayed moments of real emotion and personality. i realized that maybe it was his honest, "fuck it" attitude that made up of for the night's eariler misfortunes. word to the openers for taking the brunt of the bullshit and trying to warm up our cold northwest hearts for that underground california heat.
Metro Area - Dance Reaction
I was just snoopin around on bleep.com and found this:
Perfect for dance offs and lounging somehow.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Holy Fuck
Every now and again, I'll be minding my own business, checking my e-mail, checking the news, maybe surfin' craigslist when out of nowhere I'll find a band that makes me go... "wait just a minute!" (actually I was checking the schedule for musicfest nw but whatever...) Anyways, this band called "Holy Fuck" is really great. I am very excited to see them open for Wolf Parade on the last day of the festival.
Other highlights of the festivities include:
Spoon
Girl Talk+Clipse+Cool Kids+More
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Kickball - Everythingisamiraclenothingisamiracle
Kickball is easily one of the best bands in the northwest right now. When one is critiquing art its hard to feign objectivity but thats okay because this album doesnt want that. It wants you to get to know it. read: grower. Unlike most albums that grow on you though this one starts out good already and just keeps getting better the better you know it. read: good friend. When Jacob sings "You're a sunset sometimes pretty, oh my god" on 'sometimes' its probably the closest you can get to perfection. Everything on this album feels right, the length (songwise and albumwise) the parts in the songs everything. This far into kickballs existence they have got their un-formulaic formula down pat. On Orion they skate back and forth between breakdowns and something I guess you could call a verse covering similar ground but doing it differently every time, an aspect of kickball that makes them so loveable.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Video: Menomena - "Rotten Hell"
food fights and super slow motion. it's menomena with a new music video and there are some absolutely priceless facial expressions.
for my money, matt and kim did messy food & unrestrained childhood exuberance better in their video for "yea yeah."
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Freeway feat. Jay Z - Big Spender
HOTTT NEW TRAXXXXXX!!!!!!! (seriously, guyz!)
here's one to bump in your rides, bump it outside, Freeway feat. Jay Z - "Big Spender":
and new CARIBOU. from the forthcoming "Andorra," this track pulls no punches, makes no false claims, takes no prisoners, etc...
Caribou - Melody Day
DOWNLOAD THESE TRACKXXX, KIDSZ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
