The Choir "Burning Like The Midnight Sun" album review

Release Date: June 29, 2010

The Choir's 12th release, Burning Like The Midnight Sun, finds them continuing to mine similar sonic textures as The Church and Cocteau Twins. The band has always had a knack for creating soaring, ethereal music, but on this release they take things even higher. Part of this may be due to guitarist Marc Byrd (from instrumental/atmospheric duo Hammock) being a full-fledged member. The interplay between Byrd and Derri Daugherty (lead vocals, guitars) is oftentimes magical and practically lyrical. With a sturdy foundation from Steve Hindalong (drums, percussion, lyricist) and Tim Chandler (bass), the guitars are free to float around the structure of the songs. Add Dan Michaels (saxophone, lyricon) to the mix and you've got something beautiful.

The title track is also the opener and it sets up the rest of the album nicely. Near the last half of the song, guest Christine Glass Byrd (Marc's wife) makes her first appearance. Her haunting vocals bring to mind Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. Glass Byrd's voice makes a number of appearances throughout the album and is always a gorgeous thing to hear. "That Melancholy Ghost" starts with the guitar panning around the anchor of the rhythm section fitting the lyrical subject matter nicely. The panning is like the unsettling feelings of a young broken heart, but there is a core in the drums and bass that lend a semblance of stability in the pain. Michaels' haunting saxophone dances around the corners of the track like the title suggests. There are numerous lovely moments on Burning Like The Midnight Sun. Sometimes it's easy to take it all for granted and get lulled into a trance, then something even more beautiful shakes you. An example of this would be the very brief appearance on "Mr. Chandler" when Christine Glass Byrd sings the line 'I cannot let you fly'. It's a part so small but the song wouldn't be exactly right without it.

Lyrically much of Burning Like The Midnight Sun is about relationships, friendships, trials, triumphs, loss and rebirth. Hindalong has always had an artistic way of making a simple sentiment sound poignant. In "A Friend So Kind", about the death of a longtime friend, he writes "So now you've gone away/In a sudden gust of wind/And we're sadder than hell/'Cause we miss you, dear friend". Daugherty delivers the words as if they are his own. It's easy to forget he didn't actually write them, but on record, he owns them. The album closes with the lovely, sparse "Say Goodbye to Neverland" with it's theme of the loss of innocence, growing up, and moving on with your life.

Hindalong has noted that for this release the musical personalities of all five individuals integrated just right. Adding Marc Byrd as a full member makes this very apparent. It also might be time to make Christine Glass Byrd member number six. The contributions the Byrd's make to The Choirs' sound is immeasurable. That's not to say The Choir lacked anything sonically on previous releases, but it's as if all the pieces came together this time. On this record, The Choir soars with two Byrds.

We Are Scientists - LIVE - July 28, 2010 - Portland, OR

Touring behind the recently released Barbara, We Are Scientists stopped by Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, OR on Monday, July 26th and delivered a tight set that was interspersed with their well-known stage banter. On this night however, they did away with the banter to start and jumped right into a triple whammy of songs, beginning with "Nice Guys" from the new album. It was as if they had something to prove to American audiences and that wouldn't seem much of a stretch since the New York band has had greater success overseas. Whatever the reason, they definitely showed they meant business more with their songs than their sense of humor.

After "The Scene Is Dead" and "Inaction" from their 2006 album With Love And Squalor, the band took a quick breather to mention that they had spent the last three days in Portland. And somehow they had missed the hugely attended annual beer festival "Brewfest". This may have been partly due to them having their own beverage festival, which they dubbed "Greenfest" because of their mass consumption of margaritas.

Prior to the audience sing-along of "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt", bassist Chris Cain reported his intention to play a solo tonight, which brought a smattering of applause. At the end of the song Cain delivered on his promise introducing the solo with "I'll go you one better. I'm not going to use this stupid amplifier," and proceeded to unplug. Due to that, the solo was completely silent which brought roars from everyone. As he descended from the stage and into the crowd while soloing, vocalist Keith Murray pointed out, "For the people over here, he's really shredding right now!"

We Are Scientists' first single from Barbara, "Rules Don't Stop", received a warm reaction and the band ended up playing six of the eleven songs from the new record. But this was far from a show where people leave during new songs for a drink. Instead this crowd stayed and seemed genuinely enthusiastic throughout. In fact, midway through their set, they played the slow-paced (and gorgeous) new tune "Pittsburgh" that had people breaking out their cell phones to wave in the air. Other highlights of the night were "Let's See It" and "After Hours" from their 2008 release Brain Thrust Mastery. Finishing with "After Hours", the band left for a quick break and returned to knock out a rocking "Cash Cow" from the same album.

On this night, We Are Scientists proved to this American audience that you can craft and deliver catchy songs all while retaining a sense of humor. And in these times, that might be what everyone needs, to see a band that makes you sing along with a sly smile.

Set list

Nice Guys

The Scene Is Dead

Inaction

I Don't Bite

Let's See It

Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt

Rules Don't Stop

Chick Lit

Pittsburgh

Ambition

It's A Hit

Dinosaur

The Great Escape

Jack and Ginger

After Hours

Encore

Cash Cow

New Band Alert: Hurts

Hurts are an electronic Manchester duo comprised of vocalist Theo Hutchcraft and keyboardist Adam Anderson. They first started getting some buzz near the end of 2009 when their song "Wonderful Life" (along with an Arthur Baker remix) leaked. Other great (and as of now, unreleased songs) that resonate for electro fans are "Blood, Tears, and Gold" and "Illuminated." Hurts are similar to underrated '80's acts the Lotus Eaters and Ultravox with an image that is sleek and stylish. Their videos are striking and this is definitely a band to keep an eye on if this sounds like your style.

Their first single "Better Than Love" was released in the UK May 2010. The follow-up single "Wonderful Life" was released in the UK August 2010. Their debut album Happiness is scheduled to be out September 2010. Hopefully by then they will be available on the US i-Tunes.

As of this post, they are giving away a free download of "Better Than Love" here:

Hurts

New Band Alert: Mirrors

First reaction to Mirrors is that they sound much like OMD. Ironically, they are opening for the reformed OMD this fall. One of my favorite tracks is "Searching the Wilderness." This has elements of Vitamin Z ("Burning Flame"). I'm looking forward to hearing more from this band. Right now they have only released a few singles.

Hear more:

Mirrors

State of the industry...

‎"Scouring average music for hidden value used to be pretty necessary, but those days are gone. When we had to pay for physical albums, we forgave them more and were willing to work to get our money's worth. Now that people often download them for free, they expect deeper and more immediate gratification. The new currency is time, and we're stingier with it than cash." Brian Howe at Pitchfork

Colin Hay (Men At Work) - LIVE - July 15, 2010 - Portland, OR

Colin Hay was scheduled to perform a solo acoustic concert but what transpired was a hilarious evening of storytelling, interspersed with songs. The former lead singer of Men At Work has struck upon a concept that really connects with his audience and, in turn, finds him in the midst of a career resurgence. After the break up of Men At Work in the mid-Eighties, Hay embarked on a solo career that has had it's ups and downs. But starting with his inclusion on the 2004 Grammy-winning soundtrack Garden State, he has seen his profile increase. In fact, later in the evening he profusely thanked Zack Braff for including his song "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" on the soundtrack.

He began the night talking for the first 15 minutes before playing a single note and immediately had the audience in stitches. Sprinkling in stories of being paid to sing and dance to Kool and the Gang's "Celebrate," to Paul McCartney doing dishes at his house between songs enlivened the night. Hay playing solo also showcased his excellent guitar work that wasn't as evident when he was in Men At Work. Speaking of Men At Work, his versions of "Who Can It Be Now, "Down Under," and "Overkill" gave the songs a fresh re-working that was brilliant. Another story he told was of an audience member asking him to play the song with the line "Goats appear and fade away." This of course was "Overkill" with the actual lyric being "Ghosts appear and fade away."

Other highlights were songs from his solo output including "Waiting for My Real Life to Begin," "Beautiful World," and "Oh California" from his 2009 album American Sunshine. Truthfully, the entire night was a revelation of a veteran musician stripping things back in order to take his songs to even greater heights.

Photos by Alicia Epperly

Nada Surf - LIVE - May 30, 2010 - Portland, OR

Welcome to rainy Portland, Nada Surf. Before their set began, the left side of the Wonder Ballroom stage was beginning to look like the title of their song "Treading Water." Rain began dripping through the roof as touring guitarist Doug Gillard (from both Guidedby Voices and Death of Samantha) was trying to set up his pedals. A bit of chaos ensued as opener Telekinesis! was attempting to get their gear off stage at the same time. The drops were hitting the stage and spraying the equipment until staff put what looked like a busboy's tray filled with towels down to collect the rain. Before leading off with "Weightless," bassist Daniel Lorca looked at the puddle, then to the crowd and exclaimed "I love Portland!"

Touring behind their latest release, the covers album if i had a hi-fi, Nada Surf seemed to be in a playful mood despite the wet stage. Their set featured five hi-fi cover tunes and two surprise covers along with originals from 2002's Lucky onward. In addition to Gillard,hi-fi producer Louie Lino played keyboards to round out the Nada Surf trio of Lorca, Matthew Caws (Vocals, Guitar) and Ira Elliot (Drums).

Main set highlights of the 18 songs played were "Whose Authority," "Enjoy The Silence" (Depeche Mode), the rocking version of the aforementioned "Treading Water," "Blizzard of '77" played by Caws and Elliot, and "Electrocution" (Bill Fox). Lorca's cigarette smoke and dreadlocks silhouetted by the lights only added to the spectacle of water dripping from the roof.

The encore started with a cover of "I Am A Tree" (Guided By Voices), followed by "Always Love" whose opening notes elicited screams from the audience. "Blankest Year" turned into a raucous sing-along and the band ended the night with another cover, The Clash's "I Fought The Law." Perhaps it was only fitting that, as the audience filed out of the venue, it was still raining.

Photos by Alicia Epperly

The Prids "Chronosynclastic" album review

Release Date: July 10, 2010

Nearly two years after a serious highway accident that could have ended the band, The Prids make a triumphant return with their new full-length release Chronosynclastic(Velvet Blue Music). The Prids have a compelling history of overcoming the odds while continuing to make great music. In fact, they should have their own Behind The Music episode. Here's the short version: founded in St. Joseph, Missouri in 1995 by David Frederickson and Mistina La Fave; Frederickson and La Fave marry, divorce and remain roommates as well as band-mates; move to Portland, OR; release nine singles, EPs and albums; due to a blown-out tire while driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles their van rolls multiple times severely injuring everyone and destroying their equipment and van; devoted fans raise more than $16,000 for medical bills, equipment and a van; and seemingly from the wreckage they return with their first full-length release in four years.

On Chronosynclastic, Frederickson (guitars/vocals), La Fave (bass/vocals), Maile Arruda (keys) and Lee Zeman (drums) continue to mine the depths of their melodically dark template. What really sets them apart from contemporaries like The Cinematics or Interpol is the male/female vocal interplay. La Fave's voice adds a touch of sweetness to the songs, not unlike Hope Sandoval with Jesus and Mary Chain. And that sweetness delivers some heartbreaking lyrics that are enveloped in a dramatically sweeping sound.

"Hide Your Thoughts" opens Chronosynclastic with guitar that has a distinct shoegaze feel. Arruda's atmospheric keyboards soar as Frederickson and La Fave sing great lines like, "Touch you until it hurts my hands." On "Waste Our Time", Zeman lays down a tight groove that the rest of the band locks into. A standout here is La Fave's voice. When she sings, "Raise up your hands / Hold them high / Or die where you stand," listen for her subtle vibrato on the word "stand." She nearly sounds like Siouxsie Sioux and it's these little things that make you listen intently to their music.

"Break" sounds like Head On The Door-era Cure morphing into My Bloody Valentine. The uh-huhs and yeahs set up some great lines like, "Spending my life getting good at goodbye." Frederickson takes sole vocal duty on "Desolate", a somber song with guest Ryan Lynn on lap-steel. The highlight of Chronosynclastic is "I'll Wait". Arruda's Cure-like keys and Zeman's perfectly simple percussion lay a beautiful platform for Frederickson and La Fave vocals. This song really shows how great their singing works together.

Built to Spill's Doug Martsch guests on "In The Fall", another pretty song that you wish lasted longer than just barely two minutes. Chronosynclastic closes with "Tonight, October". Sounding a bit like Slowdive with lap-steel guitar, they sing, "Dreaming my life away," and for a moment it feels like all the difficulties they've had in the past never happened. Then again, it's those things that have shaped The Prids, made them survivors in so many ways, and perhaps Chronosynclastic will bring them the wider recognition they deserve.

Nada Surf "if i had a hi-fi" album review

Release Date: June 8, 2010

Starting with the title of their covers album (a palindrome), you know Nada Surf's intentions with this release are to have fun. Kicking off with "Electrocution" from semi-obscure artist Bill Fox, they add more power to this infectious pop song. Their take on Depeche Mode's universal hit "Enjoy the Silence" is sunny and a blast. Matthew Caws adds a nice touch in his delivery especially on the line "Oh my little girl" and there is no reason why this shouldn't be a big song for summer 2010.

"Love Goes On" from The Go-Betweens is lovingly covered and it's hard to wonder if this is a tribute to the late Grant McLennan who passed away unexpectedly in 2006. With "Janine" (Arthur Russell), Nada Surf cut the original version in half and end the song with the line "You were so warm" which lead right into a cover of a song with the same name. Clever. Dwight Twilley's "You Were So Warm" is a virtual note for note rendering of a severely underrated artist. Next, they take on Kate Bush's only chart-topper on any U.S. chart, "Love and Anger". It's a nice updated version of the 1990 original. On "The Agony of Laffitte", Nada Surf cover one of their contemporaries, Spoon. They make a song Spoon wrote about getting screwed in a record deal sound pretty and maybe even sweet (until you listen closely to the lyrics).

At this point in the album, the band goes a bit schizophrenic. They cover French chanteuse Coralie Clément's "Bye Bye Beauté" (sung in French) then head into "Question" by British prog/pop/art/rock band The Moody Blues. Nada Surf stretch this one out nearly one minute longer than the original and though it rocks harder, it feels a bit uninspired. Perhaps it was meant as a launching pad for the next up-beat track, The Soft Pack's "Bright Side". It is similar to the original and is probably better as well. Now it's time to sing in Spanish while covering "Evolución" by Spanish pop-rock band Mercromina. Five minutes of somberness ensue. Nada Surf end with "I Remembered What I Was Going to Say" by The Silly Pillows, an instrumental that just so happens to be by Caws' sister's band. Overall this is a fun record. Which is what the band intended. Perfect? No. But if fun were perfect, well, it wouldn't really be fun now would it?

Hello Morning - LIVE - May 7, 2010 - Portland, OR

While Hello Morning is a relatively new band on the Portland scene, the members have quite a lineage. Ben Sims of Sappo (guitar and keyboard) and Kevin Breuner (guitar) of Smalltown Poets started a new project in 2007 and shortly added Peter Swenson (drums) of Boy Eats Drum Machine. Enter Henry Curl of Jonah to fill the lead vocal position and Hello Morning is born. They started playing live in late 2008 and just recently released their self-titled debut EP. Praise for their live shows has netted them some nice gigs including the opener slot for Irish buzz band Two Door Cinema Club on Friday, May 7th at Doug Fir Lounge.

Despite being a bit cramped due to Two Door Cinema Club havingsome of their gear on stage, Hello Morning made the most of their space. Kicking off with "The Lucky One", the band showed that they could work a much larger stage if given the chance. Their sound quickly fills up a room. Press have thrown around U2 and Muse as examples of Hello Morning's sound, and while there are some similarities, the main fact is that this band deserves to fill the same size arenas.

Their second song of the night, "Coldbreakers", isreminiscent of Muse both musically and in Curl's vocals, yet without the bombast Muse can be known for. "Mercury (Once Again)" acts as a great showcase for the three chiming guitarists (Sims, Breuner, and Curl) each playing their particular notes to great effect. It also must be said that many guitarists in the crowd were envious of Curl's lovely blood red Gretsch. Instead of enlisting a bass player, Sims plays the lines on a Moog synthesizer that is run through a bass amp. Add Swenson's steady drumming and there is a deep beat throughout these songs pounding the audience in their chests.

"Everything Is You" is a simply gorgeous song that really showcases the beauty of Curl's voice, which sounds similar to Jimmy Gnecco of Ours. Continuing to show his versatility as a vocalist in "Letters," Curl comes across as a bit less ragged Neil Young. They end their main set with "Come Home," the opening track of their EP, with Sims again alternating between his guitar and keys. Though Curl is fairly sedate in his approach as a frontman, he's book ended by the more animated Sims and Breuner.

For the encore, Nathaniel Merrill of Charmparticles joined Swenson on drums for the tribal "Everglades." Clocking in at 5:38 on their EP, played live, Hello Morning gives it the longer workout it just begs for. Curl's vocals soar, Breuner strangles every last note out of his guitar, all while Sims is down on the floor abusing his effects pedals and spinning the knobs to gloriously dirty effect. Now, if only they had a bigger stage to showcase such a large sound. For Hello Morning, that time will probably come sooner than later.

SET LIST
The Lucky One
Coldbreakers
Mercury (Once Again)

Simple as You Said
Everything Is You
A Good Year
Letters
Come Home

Encore

Everglades

Photos by Alicia Epperly

Miike Snow - LIVE - April 14, 2010 - Portland, OR

Wearing their trademark white masks, Miike Snow came out and immediately launched into their set with "Cult Logic." The crowd was bouncing and singing along from the first beat and never let up until the end. Miike Snow delivered the songs with much heavier beats than on their CD and the white smoke and lights turned the show into a sweaty dance club.

Whether it was the masks or the workman-like performance, the band came across a quite detached from the audience (not that the screaming audience noticed). Their show was extremely good, yet singer Andrew Wyatt never spoke a word. On the fifth song of the night, "Silvia," the band took their masks off near the end which made the crowd go wild. "Animal" was the song everyone was waiting for and the band delivered a very techno version before leaving the stage. They returned with "In Search Of" and then left the stage. It’s possible that Miike Snow purposely does not speak to the audience or engage them as part of their act. Add the masks and there is a level of mystery and detachment. The audience however didn’t seem to mind. They just came to dance.

SET LIST
"Cult Logic"
"Burial"
"Black & Blue"
"A Horse Is Not a Home"
"Silvia"
"Plastic Jungle"
"Sans Soleil"
"Animal"

Encore
"In Search Of"

Photos by Alicia Epperly

Nico Vega - LIVE - March 22, 2010 - Portland, OR

When you’re the first act of a 3 band show (with Codeine Velvet Club and Metric) you’ve got a very short amount of time to grab the audience’s attention. Nico Vega is one of those rare bands that can make a career out of being an opening act. Not that they can’t headline (and should at some point), but they have the intensity and passion to immediately make an impact. Let’s just say they come out with an explosion.

Touring behind their self-titled debut, Nico Vega played only 5 songs but they surely left an impression on an audience that was primarily there to see Metric. The three piece band (Aja Volkman –vocals, Rich Koehler –guitarist, Dan Epand -drums) kicked off their set with “Living Underground.” This launched the band into about 45 minutes of nonstop energy. Maybe playing in Portland felt like a sort of homecoming for Volkman (she is originally from Eugene, Oregon). Maybe it was the addition of family members at the show that contributed to her performance. Whatever it was, she exuded a sensual fierceness throughout the band’s set. This was most notable during “So So Fresh” with her soft, breathy intro before careening into the chorus. The interplay between Volkman and Koehler on stage simply added to the spectacle.

Nico Vega ended the night with “Beast,” with Volkman’s yelp and her exhortation of “come on people” whipping up the crowd. Not only did they do their job as an opening act of warming up the audience, they certainly grabbed some Metric fans by the throats and made them Nico Vega fans.

SET LIST
“Living Underground”
“So So Fresh”
“Gravity”
“Maggot Brain”
“Beast”

Photos by Alicia Epperly

Temper Trap - LIVE - March 14, 2010 - Portland, OR

Early last week Temper Trap’s first US headlining tour began showing indications this trek may be successful. Their first show at The Music Box in Los Angeles sold out. Then the third stop in Portland was moved from the smaller venue, Peter’s Room (capacity 400), to the 1,410 capacity Roseland Theater upstairs “due to demand.” Not a bad way to start their tour at all.

While the Roseland Theater was not sold out, there were nearly 1,000 fans anxiously waiting to see them. The band (Dougie Mandagi – lead vocals, guitar, Toby Dundas – drums, Jonathon Aherne – bass, and Lorenzo Sillitto – lead guitar) came out to thunderous applause and quickly broke into an extended intro to "Rest," from their full-length debut Conditions. Mandagi stood center stage with his back to the crowd, arms upraised. This was an audience who definitely knew the band’s songs. People were singing along and when the band stopped playing for the break in “Soldier On,” the crowd began yelling “do it do it do it” until the band resumed the remainder of the song.

As Sillitto broke into the opening chords of “Sweet Disposition” the audience erupted. Some fans had even hung an Australian flag from the balcony to honor the Melbourne band. Before heading for a quick break, the band took about ten minutes to storm through "Resurrection" and "Drum Song." Mandagi set a drum near the edge of the stage, poured water on it and began pounding along to the beat spraying water up into the lights. When they came back for their encore, Mandagi yelled “Portland, where you been all my life?!” The band never got caught up in all the adulation and seemed genuinely thankful for the cheers. They closed the night with "Science of Fear" and if this night is any indication of the rest of their tour, they should own the US by the end of it.

SET LIST
"Rest"
"Fader"
"Fools"

"Down River"
"Love Lost"
"Soldier On"
"Sweet Disposition"
"Resurrection"/"Drum Song"

ENCORE

"Rabbit Hole" (New Song)
"Science of Fear"

Photos by Alicia Epperly

More photos

The Future Of Music Business Models (And Those Who Are Already There)

There is an absolutely fascinating article by Mike Masnick of TechDirt.com on the future of Music's business model. It is very in-depth and he shows various examples of how artists are making the model work for them and why labels should consider is this. The simple equation is:
Connect with Fans (CwF) + Reason to Buy (RtB) = The Business Model.

One hilarious excerpt from Masnick is how Josh Freese, a session drummer who has played for countless acts, connected with fans and made money by making his music free. "There were cheap options to get the music and CDs, but at $50, you would also get a personal 5 minute "thank you" phone call, where he said you could ask anything you wanted (his suggestion: "Which one of Sting's mansions has the comfiest beds.") There was a limited $250 option to get lunch with Freese at a PF Changs or a $500 chance to get dinner with him at Sizzler. The lunches sold out in about a week.

Then Freese took the model to a different level altogether. At $2,500 (limit of 5 available), he would provide a drum lesson, where you'd get to keep one of Freese's snare drums. You'd also visit the Hollywood Wax Museum with Josh and one of a rotating list of his rockstar friends (depending on who was available). Finally, you'd get to take and keep any three items from Josh's closet.

At $10,000, you'd get dinner with Josh and a rockstar friend, before hanging out at Disneyland (where Josh's father worked for many years, and where Josh got his start as a professional drummer) with Josh. And at the end of the day, you would get to keep Josh's Volvo station wagon -- after dropping him off at home. Obviously, there was only one of those available."

http://techdirt.com/articles/20091119/1634117011.shtml

The Church: a short documentary

Matt Hopper recently shot a short documentary on The Church. It features a great interview with Marty at Melbourne's Greville Records & some of their performance at The Corner Hotel in December '09.

http://www.inframe.tv/filmproject.aspx?id=23

LIVE: Phoenix, January 24, 2010, Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR

Crystal Ballroom’s historic floating floor was already bouncing well before Phoenix hit the stage, with 1,500 people buzzing with anticipation. It had been nearly 4 years and one huge breakthrough album, 2009’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, since they had played Portland. That show was at the Wonder Ballroom, with a capacity of 700. Phoenix had easily doubled its audience since then.

From the opening notes of “Lisztomania,” the band was on fire and the crowd was in a rapturous frenzy. Phoenix had a punch to them that just doesn’t come across in any other medium but a live show. Even their quieter songs had an extra energy to them. The band had pulsating rectangular white lights behind them that, at times, made them look like black shadowy figures on stage. Combining infectious beats, catchy songs, throbbing lights and the bouncing floor, and you have all the ingredients for a memorable night. “Lasso,” the third song of their set, was a catchy sing-along and it really ought to be their next single. For a generation of people that have almost no attention span for full albums any more, this audience was singing along to even the more obscure tracks. It shows how blogs and downloading (legal and illegal) have become the medium by which people discover bands. In early 2009, Phoenix had made their track “1901” a free download on their website, and by summer it was a hit. Of course, it probably didn’t hurt to also have the song in a Cadillac commercial either.

Phoenix’s set list covered all 4 of their releases, but well over half the set was dedicated to their most recent release. About the midway point of their show they played the gorgeous, nearly 8 minute “Love Like a Sunset.” Ironically (or probably not), this is also the centerpiece of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. This was a concert that could have kept going and the audience would have stayed all night. The band stepped off for a brief break, and then came back with “Playground Love” that was accompanied with just guitar. With their final song, Phoenix stormed through an absolutely raucous version of “1901” that left everyone hoping it’s not another 4 years before they play Portland again.

Revisiting: Love and Rockets "Hot Trip to Heaven"

Love and Rockets' Hot Trip to Heaven came out in 1994, four years after their breakout hit "So Alive." Instead of trying to build on their growth in popularity, they produced a house/ambient record that confused the bandwagon jumpers. Hot Trip didn't resonate for recent converts, but for longtime followers, it was a chance to hear the band grow. Arguably, this record derailed their career in regards to sales, but it didn't mean they quit producing some great music.

1994 saw the releases of Green Day's Dookie, and Soundgarden's Superunknown. It was also the year of Blur's Parklife and Oasis's debut Definitely Maybe. Dance/electronic music was going strong with Stereo MC's breaking out with "Connected" and M People winning the Mercury Prize (best album in the UK). What Stereo MC's and M People had though were catchy songs. Hot Trip took another path.

Whereas L&R's previous musical output was pretty immediate, Hot Trip required patience. Track one, "Body and Soul," is 14:16 in length and drums don't really kick in until the halfway mark. If anything, it was apparent this was indeed going to be a trip. Revisiting this record shows the band was ready for a change. Possibly, all the club-hopping during their world tours showed them the ecstasy of a blissed-out crowed. Or maybe it was just the ecstasy.

There is a lot to like about this record. The hypnotic, at times tribal drumming of Kevin Haskins is a welcome addition to the L&R sound. The electronic and ambient elements of the music swirls around the vocals of David J and Daniel Ash, yet never smothers them. A few of the songs do tend to meander or revisit the same sections over and over (of Hot Trip's 10 tracks, 7 clock in at over five minutes. Even the shorter songs are never really in a verse-chorus-verse format). Yet when listened as a whole it reveals itself as a cool trip to take with a band you already liked. This wasn't like U2 doing "Pop," thus becoming a bandwagon jumper of a genre. This was Love and Rockets embracing a genre, not losing their identity, and making it their own.

Take the time to revisit Love and Rockets' Hot Trip to Heaven.

Quick hits on '09 top albums: Bad Lieutenant

Bad Lieutenant - "Never Cry Another Tear"
Now that New Order are broken up (again), it's good to hear Bernard Sumner's voice. Also joining him are New Order drummer Stephen Morris and their latter-day touring guitarist Phil Cunningham. Comparisons to their past legendary band are inevitable especially since Bernie sings most tracks. This album is more guitar-based with a few electronics sprinkled in here and there. The most New Order-sounding track is "Poisonous Intent" which sounds like an outtake from Technique. Lead vocals on a couple songs are handled by Jake Evans (at times sounding like Noel Gallagher). A few lines by Bernie seem lazy, but that's always been the case. Though minus Peter Hook, Bad Lieutenant sound just fine.

Key Tracks:
Sink or Swim
Twist of Fate
Running out of Luck
Runaway
Higher Wider Deeper" (Japanese Bonus Track)

Bad Lieutenant - "Sink Or Swim" single (Official Video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQxdkvkPSuY

free new single from Boy Eats Drum Machine

Jon Ragel of Boy Eats Drum Machine is one of Portland's great artists.

http://boyeatsdrummachine.bandcamp.com/track/hoop-wire?autoplay=true

Top 15 Albums of 2009

welcome to "a year inside my head."

here are my top 15 albums of 2009 in alphabetical order:

*Bad Lieutenant - "Never Cry Another Tear" [good to hear Bernard Sumner & the rest of New Order again. minus Peter Hook though]
*Black Room - "Pop Noir"
*The Church - "Untitled #23" (+ "Coffee Hounds" EP & "Pangea" EP) [worked their tour in North America and Australia]
*Depeche Mode - "Sounds of the Universe" [saw them at Red Rocks in '09. amazing!]

*Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" [the dub release was great too]
*Friendly Fires - "Friendly Fires" (Deluxe Edition) [easily the best show i saw in '09 w/ The xx]

*The Mary Onettes - "Islands"
*Miike Snow - "Miike Snow"
*Phoenix - "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"
*Red Light Company - "Fine Fascination"
*stellastarr* - "Civilized"
*Tiger City - "Ancient Lover"
*White Lies - "To Lose My Life"
*The xx - "The xx"
*Zoot Woman - "Things Are What They Used To Be"