Justin Royce's Uber Pretentious Top 5 Indie Albums of 2008 List - #3

#3: Blind Pilot 3 Rounds And A Sound

Could Blind Pilot be Portland's next big thing, following in the footsteps of the Decemberists and The Shins? The signs seem to point to yes as in the past year this duo has been the iTunes' "Single Of The Week" and Starbucks' "Pick Of The Week." Israel and Ryan keep things beautifully simple on 3 Rounds And A Sound with just an acoustic guitar and brushed drums, with the occasional horns and strings sprinkled throughout. Israel sings sweetly and with convincing honesty. Blind Pilot is also notable for their bike tours, carrying all of their equipment on their bicycles as they travel up and down the west coast. Fans of Sufjan Stevens and Iron And Wine would certainly enjoy this album as much as I have. I am really excited to see what 2009 has in store for these guys.

Petey 2006-2008

Petey was a gift to my girlfriend at the time, Bonnie. She had talked about she wanted a little bunny and I always told her I thought it was a stupid idea. But eventually I gave in, and on April 2, 2006, we headed to the pet store. We went to the Scamps at the Valley River Center in Eugene. Bonnie had a hard time picking between two different bunnies, a male and a female. The store clerk recommended we go with the female because she would be less aggressive. However, Bonnie picked up the male and connected with him immediately, but I think at the time she was trying to convince herself to get the female. A small child walked in and grabbed the male, while Bonnie was holding the female. She commented to me that the child was "holding my bunny!" Upon getting the male rabbit out of the small child's hands, he was soon in Bonnie's arms. She called him 'Petey.' I'm not sure why, even the store clerk remarked that it wasn't a good name. Bonnie didn't care. She was in love and Petey was soon in the car and headed to his new home.

Even though I wasn't sold on the idea of having a pet at first, I fell in love with the little guy rather quickly. For the first month we had him, I couldn't wait to get home from school or work to play with him. I would spend hours watching him explore Bonnie's apartment, doing figure-eights around her dining room table and random hops straight into the air for no apparent reason.

Bonnie and I eventually went our separate ways; Bonnie to her mother's in Beaverton and me to an apartment in Clackamas. She asked me if I would watch Petey as she was afraid that he might not last at her mother's place (a former rabbit pet of Bonnie's had disappeared while she was growing up under mysterious circumstances). I reluctantly agreed. I was new to Portland and a bit lonely and Petey offered me companionship during those first few months. I worked a very stressful job at the time and the highlight of many of my days was heading home and having that him run around the house. If I lay down on the ground at his level, he would come up to me and start nipping at my hair. His whiskers would tickle me. He was a great friend.

Bonnie was a great mother. Despite the proximity difference between the two of us, she always made a point to come out and visit Petey whenever she could, bringing him treats such as carrots and yogurt chips. He loved visits from his mom since he knew he was going to get a lot of attention and presents. It was incredibly cute to watch the two of them together.

Petey was sick over this past summer, some sort of digestive problems. He required regular medicine which was a pain in the ass for me to give to him, twice a day to boot. He hated me for those couple of weeks. He also could no longer have carrots or other treats that his mother and I were used to spoiling him with. Just a strict diet of hay, pellets, and leafy vegetables. He was not such a fan of that.

This past Thursday night, Petey and I watched the Blazer game together as we normally do (to be fair, I watch the game while he runs around). He was in desperate need of a bath as it had been awhile since his last one; he has the softest fur after a bath. After finishing up, I set him down to continue running around. He sat underneath a side table in the basement instead. After the game, I went and lay on the ground to have him nip at my hair since I knew he wasn't a fan of the bath earlier. He didn't come up to me. I was disappointed at the time, but didn't think any more of it. I put him to bed for the night and went to sleep myself.

The next morning I woke for my Friday-off routine which consists of making pancakes and coffee, then heading downstairs to feed Petey and let him run around while I catch up on the Tivo. This Friday morning though, when I went to open his cage, he didn't get up. I tried petting his soft fur to stir him, but he still didn't move. I started to shake him, my heart racing, while I begged him to wake up, but he was already gone. I sat there in front of his cage in disbelief as my special little guy lay in front of me.

I don't remember crying so much as I have this past weekend. I used to think it was weird that people got so attached to their animals. Now I understand. Every time I think of Petey, I tear up. Those of you that had the chance to meet Petey know what a special guy he was. He was such a ladies man. He got to meet a bunch of Portland musicians. He was always Mr. Popular at the parties. I like to think he lived a fulfilling life.

I miss him. I can't believe he's gone. I love that furry little guy so much. He will always have a special place in my heart.

Ghosts Of Blazers Past

So great! (Click picture to enlarge)

Justin Royce's Uber Pretentious Top 5 Indie Albums of 2008 List - #4

#4: Ehren Ebbage Ten Cent Souvenir

After years playing second fiddle (or guitar) to such front men as John Shipe and Justin King, Ehren finally steps out on his own. In additional to being a phenominal guitar player, including lap steel, Ehren is an exceptional lyricist and his words tell the tales of women who can't commit and men not worth committing to. Like Tom Petty's music, this CD would be perfect for a summer road trip with plenty of great sing-along songs such as the title track, "The Way She Does It" and "Bottlerocket." There are also some really pretty tracks like "Earthquakes" and my personal favorite "Snakes" which subtly discusses Ehren's decision to leave the very popular Justin King Band. Admittedly, it took me some time to get into this album; it's not flashy and doesn't really stand out in the first listen. But after a couple spins, you will find yourself singing along until Ten Cent Souvenir is on a regular rotation on your iPod.

Justin Royce's Uber Pretentious Top 5 Indie Albums of 2008 List - #5

It's December, so that means it's prematurely time for all of us who think our opinion matters more than everyone else's to put together our "Best Of..." lists for the year and amaze others with our knowledge in our area of expertise.

I won't pretend to have better music taste than anyone else, but the following five albums (to be listed, in order, in the coming days) made more of an impression on me than the other albums I listened to in 2008 (and there were quite a few). Of course, qualifying albums had to be independently released, no major labels, and all artists need to Northwest represent. One band does hail from the Bay Area, but makes frequent trips north. One Eugene artist and three Portland bands also make the cut. Oddly enough, Seattle/Washington aren't represented on my list in a year where both Pac-10 Washington college football teams went a combined 2-23 for the season, the Seahawks are 2-11 and the Supersonics no longer exist; coincidence?

And without further adieu, my uber pretentious Top 5 Indie albums of 2008:

#5: Tea For Julie The Sense In Tying Knots

At 17 tracks, it is the meatiest of the winning albums, but Tea For Julie keeps it all killer, no filler, on their second album. The idea of 'home' is a central theme throughout the album, and Tea For Julie makes their second album as warm and inviting as my mom's home in Central Oregon. The album is chock full of great tracks, from the opener "Tying Knots" to the dirty bass riff of "Pollyanna" to the drum machine beat of "Snow Globe." TFJ reminds me a lot of one of my favorite major label bands, Athlete, and fans of that band, or even U2 or Coldplay would do well to check out "...Tying Knots." A good mix of fast and slow songs and a final piano and vocals track, "Day and Age" should keep listeners entertained for some time. Hopefully it won't be another 4 years before we hear from Tea For Julie again.

News From The Darling Camp

While it also serves as an excuse for me to post another pic of Jasmine Ash, there is some cool news to report about Portland band Oh Darling. Although their album Nice Nice was just released in September, the Darlings are heading down to L.A. next month to record some brand new music. How the music will eventually make its way to our ears remains to be seen, or heard, but I did get a chance to hear a few of the tracks at their in-store performance at Music Millenium last week and the new material is solid. It's right up there with the ten tracks on Nice Nice, an album that I love.

The Darlings post regular updates on their blog here. I'm sure they will keep us posted on their L.A. experience while they are there via their site.

My most favorite Darlings of Portland band Oh Darling will be playing a free all ages show at Music Millenium tonight at 7:00pm. If you have not yet seen these amazing musicians perform yet, take my advice and do so.

You can read my album review of their CD Nice Nice here.

I Finally Took Ryan Wines Advice

...and ordered the nachos at Casa de Matador. They were every bit as good as he said they were.

http://www.petmarmoset.net/blog/2008/08/26/best-nachos-in-portland/

New England EP

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending time with my friend, Johnny Clay, lead singer of The Dimes, to preview new tracks from the band’s upcoming New England-themed second album, due early next year. By far, this is one of the coolest experiences I’ve had since getting involved with the Portland music scene. What a huge honor to be invited into the studio of one of your favorite bands and listen to music that the general public is still months from hearing. I can’t thank Johnny enough for the opportunity.

I had the chance to hear demos of songs that The Dimes have been playing at their shows the past spring/summer, including “Robert Goddard,” “Paul Revere,” and “Mary Dyer.” Johnny has also been working on some new material that has yet to be played live. “Celia’s Garden” is an up-tempo tune that gets its lyrics from the artwork of Childe Hassam. “Damrell’s Fire” tells the tale of the great Boston fire of 1872 a features some of Johnny’s best lyrical wordplay. And perhaps the prettiest song the band has written, “Trinkets” starts with a beautiful guitar melody that echoes Toad the Wet Sprocket’s “Windmills” while weaving imagery of New England inventors and authors. It is my new favorite Dimes tune and I can’t wait to hear it in its completed form.


Of course, The Dimes will be sharing with their fans a few of the new tracks on the New England EP, due out this Saturday. As mentioned previously here, the New England EP will feature a new mix of “The Liberator,” originally available on an EP released earlier this year, “The Ballad of Winslow Homer,” a newer demo, and the band’s cover of John Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels.” Most exciting about this release, at least to me, is the band’s decision to include “Clara” on the album. The song is about American Red Cross organizer Clara Barton and is one of my favorites from the new material. I had emailed Johnny last month about including the track on the CD and I’m glad he did (though I’m sure my begging had nothing to do with it).

The Dimes will celebrate the release of the EP with a show at the Doug Fir Lounge on Sat. Nov. 1. Derby and Matt Sheehy are also on the bill, ensuring an awesome night of music as you recover from the Halloween debauchery of the night prior. The NW Noise Boys will be there for an interview with Derby (excited about that) and to check out some of Portland’s best live music. See you at the show.

Weekend Recap

First, the low point of the weekend. I hate the NW part of Portland. Not so much the area itself; there are some nice shops, some great restaurants, and the Mission Theatre is close. No, what I really hate about NW is the parking, or lack thereof. Oh, how I loath the parking situation. I spent 45 minutes driving around looking for a spot, finally settling on one all the way out in the Pearl. I’m not gonna lie, there was a significant amount of cursing involved with my frustration. I also fear I may have scared my friend who called to find out where I was, as I was close to an hour late for our scheduled meet time. Luckily, the rest of the weekend was filled with highlights.


Friday was spent with Portland band Wow & Flutter, a "three-piece hot-shit rock combo" (as Tim likes to refer to them). The band met with us for an interview on the night of their show at the Towne Lounge and a couple weeks before their new album Golden Touch is released. It took me a couple of listens, but I’m digging on the album. Very Sonic Youth-esque, arguably a few touches of The Cure as well. These guys also had a sense of humor all their own. I’m interested in hearing how the interview turns out. In an hour and a half of drinks and conversation, there was not one honest answer that came from the band. Not one. I did, however, learn more about Italian Mormons than I ever thought I would.

Saturday we celebrated the day of birth of our good friend, Leslie. Leslie is a Guitar Hero master so we partied in style with a little Rock Band 2 (same difference). Between bottles of Sessions and St. Paulie Girl and blueberry-flavored shisha, Tim beat the skins like he was Phil Collins and the ladies sang their pretty little hearts out. It was an enjoyable evening and I hope Leslie had a special time; she deserves it.


After a day spent lying on the couch watching football (and sadly watching my Niners lose once again), Gus, Nikki, Paul, and I headed to the Mission Theatre for a showing of Tropic Thunder. The Mission is great for those kinds of movies: good food (well, my food was good; Gus ordered a Canadian bacon sandwich that he was not too impressed with), good beer, and a great atmosphere. The movie was enjoyable. Not great by any means, but worth the $3 admission. There were quite a few big names stars in it, certainly more than I was expecting. And it served as a good close to the weekend. Bonus, on a Sunday night, magically there is plenty of parking in NW. Oh parking, where were you on Friday when I needed you most?

I Won't Be Attending But...

If you haven't already made your Friday evening plans for this week, you really should consider heading over to McMenamins Mission Theatre for a performance from The Minus 5. Scott McCaughey, guitarist for R.E.M., leads a rotating cast of talented Northwest musicians, including the "other" guitarist from R.E.M., Mr. Peter Buck, who plays bass in The Minus 5.

I had the opportunity to interview Scott last April when he played as part of an amazing line-up of The Dimes, The Heavenly States, and his own band. Scott is a great guy, a huge fan of baseball, and just finished a world-wide tour with R.E.M. You can check out the interview here.

The concert celebrates the relaunch of NoDepression.com and also features the band Weinland. More info about the show can be found here.

I will not be at the Mission that night as I will be with my good friend, Leslie, hanging with Wow & Flutter before their show at the Towne Lounge. More info from that adventure to follow...

Crossroads

I generally don’t like to get too personal on my blog. It seems overly cheesy and cliché and just not something that I am a fan of doing. However, I’m finding that many of the people close to me don’t know a lot about the real me. This post is my attempt to remedy that somewhat, but I reserve the right to remove it at any time.

I wonder how many people can point to a specific moment in life when a decision needed to be made that would determine the rest of their life. Choosing one option would lead them down one path and the other option would take them on a completely different road. I know that one moment for me, at least as it relates to love and relationships.

About six years ago, I was head over heels for a girl. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and had the most stunning eyes I have ever seen. She quickly became my best friend. She was also unavailable, having been in a relationship for a couple of years. Despite that, we spent much of our free time together. My feelings for her grew stronger and I believe she felt the same for me.

After a night out, I walked her back to her place. I remember walking up the steps to her apartment and standing in front of her door. We embraced each other. Then she looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes and I knew she wanted me to kiss her. I did not.

I can’t say why I didn’t. Maybe I was scared. Maybe I knew I was too immature at the time to pursue something with her. Maybe it’s because her boyfriend was waiting for her inside the apartment while we had our moment outside. Whatever the reason, I made a decision. I’ve regretted it ever since.

Our friendship became less intense after that. I avoided her as much as I could. She ended up marrying her boyfriend, though they divorced later. I always knew he wasn’t the right person for her. She remarried. We saw each other for the first time in many years recently. It felt good to be around her again.

It’s her birthday today, which is probably why I’m thinking of her. I hope she’s happy. She really deserves it. She’s an amazing person and I have an incredible amount of respect for her.

Life is about making mistakes and learning from them. I regret my decision that night, but I hope to say I’ve learned from it and am able to move on. Of course, I found myself in an eerily similar situation last year and I can’t say I really handled it with the maturity of someone who has learned any sort of lesson. Hopefully by writing about it, I can put the issue to rest.

Thanks for reading.

Gus Greif at Vicinato

Some may not find the ukulele particularly sexy, but those people have not seen singer/songwriter Gus Greif, a musician that oozes sexuality from each of his pores while rocking a mean tiny lute (he ain't too shabby on the guitar either). Gus' music reflects the laid-back attitude of the small country town near Eugene where he grew up, with hints of Jack Johnson and John Mayer thrown in the mix. Recently relocating from Los Angeles to Portland, Gus brings his vocal stylings and guitar playing to the Vicinato Wine Bar on 46th and Freemont at 8PM. Come check out this talented artist in his second performance since moving back to the Northwest.

November EPs

Got news of a couple of EPs coming out next month that I am excited about and I wanted to pass the word along. I’m a fan of EPs; they are a good way to tide fans over between full-length albums. I always appreciate bands that get their music out to their fans as frequently as they can, without sacrificing the quality of the music. I wouldn’t expect any band to record a great full length album every year, but every two or three years, with an EP in-between is gold. Of course, these days there are a multitude of ways to get music out to fans. Ryan of Pet Marmoset recently wrote an excellent article on the benefits of bands releasing new music to their fans consistently, which you can read here.


On Nov. 1st The Dimes celebrate their EP release at the Doug Fir Lounge. The EP will reflect the New England-themed material the band has been working on for their second album, the follow-up to the delightful The Silent Generation, and is the second EP the band has released this year (I’m sure music marketing guru Ryan played some role in getting the band to release some new music as soon as it was recorded). Lead singer Johnny Clay has confirmed that “Winslow Homer” and a new mix of “The Liberator” will be on the release, as well as the band’s cover of John Lennon’s “Watching The Wheels” and at least one more track. I suggested to Johnny that “Clara Barton” make the cut, but we’ll see what the band ultimately decides. Of the new music Johnny has been writing the past year, the band really can’t go wrong whatever they put on the record; the material is even stronger than that of their debut album, an album that I love. Local band Derby and Matt Sheehy are also on the bill for the evening.

On the not-so-indie-music end of the spectrum, Coldplay will also release an eight song EP Prospekt’s March in November. The album will include six new songs, plus a new version of “Lost” featuring Jay-Z and a remix of “Lovers In Japan” (the original version of both songs appear on Coldplay’s latest album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends). I’m not gonna lie, I’m a fan of Coldplay and am looking forward to some new material from them, even though their album was just released a few months ago. However, as much as I love the Jigga Man, I'm not so sure about the two artists on the same track. I will try to keep an open mind though.

Weekend Recap

In this busy past weekend of mine, let me express just how great it was. Certainly a good time was needed by myself to make up for the week I had leading up to the weekend. And the action and excitement thankfully did not disappoint.


Friday night was the Oh Darling CD Release at the Doug Fir Lounge. My friend, Bryan, describes the Doug Fir as "Twin Peaks meets The Jetsons." Being a huge Twin Peaks fan, that probably explains why I love the place so much (though admittedly, I never really got into The Jetsons). The show was incredible, as is the debut CD from the Darlings, Nice Nice. Oh Darling truly represents some of the best talent Portland has to offer and this concert proved it once again. As an added bonus, I got to hang with lead singer Jasmine Ash after the show, which made my weekend. Fellow Noise Boy Tim wrote a brief review on the Northwest Noise website about the show that you can view here.

Saturday night I attended my first Soju Party. Many of you may not know what soju is, so let me enlighten you as I recently received my honorary Asian card (which is totally legit since it was given to me by real Asians!). Soju is a Korean distilled beverage made from rice or some other starch (or so Wikipedia tells me...) that is traditionally drank in a group. The taste is similar to vodka, meaning I really didn't enjoy it, even when mixed with fruit and yogurt, resulting in a sort of alcohol smoothie taken as a shot. The etiquette regarding drinking it is quite complicated, though our group neglected to observe most of those rules. It certainly was an interesting experience to say the least and a different way to watch the Ducks get killed by USC in football (the low point of the weekend).


After the soju, I headed out to watch my friends, Tea For Julie (who also opened for the Oh Darling CD Release Show) at a house party. Their set was being filmed for a Live From Portland concert DVD featuring about 30 local bands. Who exactly was filming the DVD or what exactly it was for, I cannot tell you. I can, however, tell you that the bands were filmed in a room with banana yellow walls and a bright pink hardwood floor. It looked like something out of a Bjork video. I'm curious to see how it turns out. While they were crammed into the filming room and had to deal with lackluster acoustics, Tea For Julie had a great set, playing seven songs, mostly from their latest release, The Sense In Tying Knots.

Sunday I attended a going away BBQ for my friend Amanda, who is heading back East to Washington DC. I wish her all the best in her latest adventure. Also, Debra Arlyn's feature on PDXposed aired, with me in a very brief appearance. The actual interview that took place was significantly longer, but watching the segment, I realized that John, the host, asked myself and Debra almost identical questions and becoming such close friends with Debra over the past year, we had nearly identical answers. And let's be honest, Debra is going to be far more entertaining to watch and listen to than me. Paul Creighton, the lead singer from Intervision, was also interviewed for the piece. You can watch the show below; Debra's segment is the last few minutes of the clip.

Shameless Self Promotion

There was a lot of me to be found this week in the local media, which is fine by me since, as my good friend, Matt, puts it, I have a gigantic ego.

First, I was interviewed for the Flying V and the Lost Secretarial Arts website. I had the opportunity to discuss topics such as my involvement with Northwest Noise and my rabbit, Petey. Here is just a taste from the interview:

So JP, I hear you have a super cute bunny named Petey. Would you care to tell me more about your precious little guy and how he came to love the ladies so much?

You heard correctly, my bunny is super cute. Petey is definitely his father's son: he has big ears, no chin, is kind of hairy, and he loves beautiful women. Of course, he has a much easier time getting them to rub his belly. He certainly has good taste in ladies; he adores my friend, Clarissa, and is a big fan of singer/songwriter Jasmine Ash. I feel very blessed to have the little guy in my life, though I had to promise him that I would cease to eat rabbit meat. He really hates when I joke about throwing him in a crock pot, which I tease him about often. That little guy always puts a smile on my face.

If you want to read more (and I know that you do) , you can check the rest of the interview here.


I was also interviewed for a segment featuring my good friend, singer/songwriter Debra Arlyn, for the show PDXposed, filmed at the Bite of Oregon over the summer. PDXposed is a local arts, travel and entertainment TV show, featuring the Portland metropolitan area and beyond and was recently nominated for two Northwest Regional Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

You can catch the show on KGW Newschannel 8 (local NBC affiliate) on Sat. Oct. 4 at 7PM and again Sun. Oct. 5 at 9:30PM. You can also watch at their website here and as soon as the clip is online, I will post it on here.

Finally, I was invited to participate in the filming of a Live From PDX DVD tonight featuring my friends, Tea For Julie. TFJ put on a great set last night for the Oh Darling CD Release show (the Darlings were, needless to say, amazing as well). If you are interested in joining me this evening, please send me a message so I can get you all the details.

Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone, and Go Ducks!

Oh Darling CD Release Tonight

I really dropped the ball on posting this earlier, but should anyone read this within the next few hours, I highly recommend you get yourself to the Doug Fir Lounge this evening for Oh Darling's CD release. Any avid reader of my blog knows that I am a huge fan of Oh Darling and their debut album Nice Nice. I have been looking forward to this show for awhile, not only for Oh Darling, but for our friends Tea For Julie. UHF is also on the bill and I hear they are solid. Cover is only $8; show starts at 9PM.

Say Anything (Not The Sweet John Cusack Movie...)

Acknowledging that people will just get their music for free on the internet if they want, Los Angeles band Say Anything has thought of a brilliant way to address the issue of illegal downloading. For a fee of $150, you can submit a short scenario of a situation that you think there should be a song about (your relationship, your mom's mac and cheese, your awesome rabbit) and lead singer, Max Bemis, will take a week and turn it into a personalized acoustic song. He'll even name the tune after you.


Admittedly, Say Anything is not my cup of tea. But I have to give them respect for coming up with such an innovative idea. You can order your song here. The store is currently not taking orders as the response has been overwhelming, but you can sign up for an email notification when they are ready to start recording the personalized songs again. Very cool.

Live Music Sept. 24-26

There are lots of great shows that I'm excited about coming up. Oh Darling, Tea For Julie, The Minus 5, and Floydian Slips all have big shows in the next few weeks. There's just too much music goodness to talk about it all right now. However, this week, two of Portland's best acts will play in two of Portland's best venues.

The Dimes open for Liam Finn (son of Crowded House's Neil Finn) at the Doug Fir Lounge tonight. The Doug Fir is my favorite place to catch a show in Portland (be sure to try a Fir Burger before heading downstairs for the show) and as everyone knows by now, I am borderline obsessed with the music of The Dimes (Johnny posted on his blog that we may be expecting an EP of new material in the not-so-distant future: http://www.thedimes.com/blog/). Sadly, I will not be in attendance at the show, but if you can make it, I know you will not be disappointed. Show starts at 9PM and tickets are just $10.


Luckily, I will be at Jimmy Mak's this coming Friday night for a set from Debra Arlyn and her band. Debra is simply amazing; her voice is incredible and her live show focuses on her more jazzy side, as opposed to the pop sound of her records. As an added bonus, Debra will be dueting with singer Liv Warfield for a tune, which will make the whole night worth it right there. Debra has also promised to debut a few new tracks that night, a couple of which I have heard and they are solid. Debra's sax player, Dave Milne, and his band will open the show, starting at 8PM (Debra starts playing at 10PM). Cover is $10.

Debra Arlyn will also be featured on the Oct. 4th episode of PDXposed. Yours truly was interviewed for the show as well, which was filmed at the Bite of Oregon over the summer, and got to brag about this talented singer/songwriter. PDXposed airs on the local NBC affiliate or you can watch online at http://www.pdxposed.com/. Intervision was recently featured on the show and their segment is also worth checking out.

Oh Darling: Nice Nice

Oh Darling Video6 from Dummy Id on Vimeo.

Alright, I'll admit it, a have a bit of a thing for Portland singer/songwriter Jasmine Ash. Yes, every time I talk to her, I turn into a 14 year old girl flipping through the pages of Tiger Beat looking at pictures of Orlando Bloom. But what's not to like about her: she's a pretty girl, with a great sense of fashion (along with band mate J. Marie), and she loves bunnies. However, this post is not about my admittedly borderline-concerning crush for Jasmine. Nay, it is about the debut album Nice Nice from Jasmine's band, Oh Darling.

I was first introduced to Jasmine on her solo album Shine. I was drawn to her Lisa Loeb-esque vocals and her solid songwriting. I knew that she was also in a band which I had been told was quite different from her solo stuff. I was anxious to hear how that material would sound, though I did have concerns that a band might distract from all of the things I liked about Jasmine's solo work. A few months later, a copy of Nice Nice was sitting on my desk. I couldn't have been more wrong about my concerns...

Oh Darling is no mere backing band for Jasmine. Each band member contributes heavily to the final project, resulting in ten tracks of beautiful indie pop rock. The album opens with a simple guitar riff on "Shoulda Never" before the rest of the band kicks in, leading to a rocking chorus. Guitarist Daven is actually new to the instrument, having played bass in previous bands and being told he would need to learn a new instrument in order to join Oh Darling (bassist J. Marie had that role locked down already). Whether the simplicity in his playing is due to his lack of experience or intentional is not important. It works. In fact, the strength of the whole band lies in its unassumingness. Nobody is trying to outshine one another in their playing. Most songs last no longer than three minutes, leaving the listener begging for more. However, it would be unfair to say that what Oh Darling does on Nice Nice is simple. There isn't anything conventional about putting together an album this good.

It's hard to pick a favorite track since they are all solid, but "Blindspot" is certainly a highlight for me; three beautiful minutes of Jasmine's voice over a killer bass line from J. Marie, highlighted at the end by Jasmine's synth. However, "Electrocute," "Hey.Stay.Wait.Explode," and "Against A Skyline" have all been favorites at one time or another since I received a copy of the album. The music is happy, fun, danceable and although just released this past week, was a perfect summer album for those of us that were lucky enough to get a copy before the release date. There are even a couple videos to promote the album, filmed by Kyle Oddson; the video for "Waking Up On A Train" was filmed at the Secret Society Ballroom and the streets of Portland.

Oh Darling celebrates their CD release in Portland at the Doug Fir Lounge on Oct. 3rd. I've caught them in concert a couple of times already and they put on an excellent show (new drummer Jake adds quite a bit of energy to the live experience). UHF and friends of Northwest Noise, Tea For Julie, are also on the bill. Be sure to check out some of the best live music Portland has to offer. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and pick up your own copy of Nice Nice; you can preview it here. You can also listen to the Oh Darling interview on NW Noise here.

Happy Anniversary To Me

One year today. I did not achieve the goal I set for myself at the one year mark (mo' money), so it's time to hit the pavement and begin the job search again in this oh-so-thriving economy. Wish me luck.

My Favorist Little Guy

My good friend, Leslie, posted this on her blog about me and my bunny, Petey. I thought it was cute, so I'm posting it here so you all can enjoy.

"Pet Survey

People get nuts about their pets. In America it seems at times that pets are more revered than kids, and why not, they’re cuter and cry less often. I just thought for fun I’d do a little census of the types of pets of the people I know.

Justin and Petey:

Petey is Justin’s fluffy orange-and-white lop bunny. He has an entire carpeted basement to himself to hop around in. Likes girls, hiding in dark corners, and being picked up by his scruff. Apparently doesn’t like carrots and is potty trained. Rank of pampering: High"

It's true. The little guy does get ridiculously spoiled. And like his dad, he LOVES the ladies (also, like his dad, he has large ears and no chin, but is still quite handsome and charming).

If you get a chance, you should check out Leslie's blog. She focuses a lot on media in the news and her own personal struggles in the "secretarial arts." She is also an exceptional artist. Link is to the right, under the "Respect" column or click here.

Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts

I reviewed the debut album from Portland's own Chinatown Dance Rock band, The Slants, and posted it on NW Noise about a week ago. I was pleased with how the review turned out and got some great feedback from it (including from the band) so I decided to post on my personal blog. Enjoy and be sure to check out the cd.


"Being the chief resident “Asian expert” of NW Noise, it only makes sense for me to review the debut album Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts from Portland-based Chinatown dance rock band, The Slants. While the band’s name may raise a few eyebrows, their music is sure to gain attention based its own merit. Living in a town where “everyone is in a band”, it can be difficult to find a lot of diversity within the local music community. However, The Slants are unlike anything I have heard in the Portland scene, and as much as I love the “Portland sound,” in this case, that’s a good thing.

Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts opens with traditional Asian music, kicking into “Sakura Sakura” in which lead singer Aron proclaims “We sing for the Japanese and the Chinese and all the dirty knees.” Band founder Simon Young’s bass skills shine on “Love Within My Sins” and Jonathan plays some tasty riffs on “I Want Everything.” Jen Cho and Gaijin ensure there’s plenty of rocking synth goodness throughout to keep all the New Order fans in the house very happy and AC keeps the beats coming. Aron’s vocals reminded me quite a bit of Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode and even Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran, a big plus. Jen Cho adds her lovely backing vocals to a couple of tracks as well (admittedly, I am a sucker for a girl with a beautiful voice). Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts gets you dancing from the opening track and keeps you moving until the closing “Vice Versus Virtue.”

The band’s originality receives much appreciation from this reviewer and the strength of the music proves that this is more than just some novelty band. Though the music is promoted as having an “Asian twist,” with the exception of the opening track and a few song titles, the Asian themes are subtle. Many of the lyrics focus on the challenges and identity issues an Asian growing up in American society faces, but they could be adopted by anyone who at one time or another has felt slightly out of place in this world. Heartache and heartbreak also are prevalent themes of the music. My only complaint with the album is the songs don’t differ too much from themselves, but overall this is a solid debut from a talented group of musicians.

The Slants have received press from multiple sources, including NPR, MSNBC, and The Asian Reporter. They also have shows booked across the globe in the coming months, including a few anime conventions, not too shabby for a band that celebrated their first birthday just a little while ago. There are still opportunities to catch them here in Portland though, including a “Welcome Home Show” at the Mt. Tabor Legacy on Sept. 19. I hear these guys put on an exceptional concert and I’m looking forward to checking them out.

Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts will be available nationwide on Sept 16, 2008."

Oktoberfest!

Widmer Brothers celebrates its 4th annual Oktoberfest tomorrow (Sat. Sept. 6) at their Portland brewery. I went to last year's event with my roomie and had a great time and this year promises to be even better. Great beer, great food, and an excellent music line-up. The lovely Debra Arlyn will perform, as well as new friends of Northwest Noise, Tea For Julie (check out the TFJ audio interview that took place in my basement here). This will be my first time watching the guys perform and I'm stoked to see them. TFJ takes the stage at 8pm; still waiting on a time for Debra. Also performing are Keegan Smith and the Fam, Those Darn Accordions, and Colin Lake and Wellbottom.


Admission is free this year! Though sadly the beer is not. The brewery is located at 929 N. Russell St. and there is a Max stop within walking distance. Stop by, get your beer and brat on, and enjoy some tasty music.

More info at www.widmer.com.

Update: Debra Arlyn starts playing at 6pm. Also, the pictured hookah above is only used for smoking flavored tobacco and not illicit or illegal substances.

Way To Normal

Much respect to Ben Folds. Rather than have someone leak his new album Way To Normal online before its release, he decided to leak it himself. Only it isn't the actual album, rather a "fake version" of the new release.

Recorded in one night in Dublin, the fake version of Way To Normal contains 6 songs that will not be on the actual album, and three songs that will, albeit in a different form, including the first single "You Don't Know Me" with Regina Spektor. Although much more foul-mouthed and slightly more goofy than a typical Ben Folds release, the songs don't feel too far off from the real thing (this is the guy that told an ex to "give me my money back, you bitch" on "Song For The Dumped", after all). The tracks are quite enjoyable. My favorite of the fake tracks is the piano ballad "Cologne", which briefly discusses the crazy female astronaut in diapers driving to kill a lover's new girlfriend incident. Other than the overly cheesy background choir (which gives this version away as the fake), it is a great song with a beautiful melody.

The songs are so well done that it passed for the real album online for some time, until Folds last month gave the real scoop to the media. Bravo to Folds for combating internet piracy in a truly unique way and giving his fans more music for free. Even more kudos in that the fake release has got me excited for the real album, out later this month; I haven't been this excited for a Ben Folds album since he was still with the Ben Folds Five.

You can check out the fake version of Way To Normal yourself here. He is also releasing one song for download per week on his MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/benfolds.

Feed The Animals

With all of the entertaining I've been doing at the new place, one album has received a good amount of play time on the ol' iPod, Girl Talk's Feed The Animals. I am constantly asked who the artist is or where one can pick up the CD. Well, it's time for me to give the artist and the album the credit they both deserve.

Girl Talk is Pittsburgh mash-up DJ, Gregg Gillis. Feed The Animals is his latest creation, over 300 music samples condensed into 54 minutes of danceable music. Highlights for me include Eminem's "Shake That" over the piano melody of Yael Naim's "New Soul", Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" over the opening guitar riff of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under The Bridge", and in the closing minutes of the album, Huey's "Pop, Lock, and Drop It" over one of the 80's ultimate power ballads, Journey's "Faithfully". The music serves as a hip hop history course, using rap from the past three decades and mixing it with various rock and pop songs. Gillis does an exceptional job blending the samples together and, as mentioned, it always gets a response from its listeners.


Gillis received much attention from the distribution of the album as well. Like Radiohead's In Rainbows, Feed The Animals is available through a "pay what you want" system. You head to the website, type in a price you are willing to pay, click, and the album begins downloading. Those opting not to pay anything need to select a reason, which include "I can't afford to pay", "I don't really like Girl Talk" and "I don't value music made from sampling". As a member of Northwest Noise, I selected the "I am part of the press, radio, or music industry" option.

Being someone that is fascinated with new marketing strategies related to music distribution, I'm willing to give music marketing pioneers a chance on their music. Lucky for me, most of these new strategies come from my some of my favorite bands: the already mentioned Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails (who released their latest album The Slip online for no charge), and The Smashing Pumpkins, who announced today that they are releasing their new single "G.L.O.W." on the new Guitar Hero game. But I'm also willing to take a chance on artists I am unfamiliar with that chart new terrain in promoting their albums. Girl Talk is one of those artists and the risk, although free for me, has paid off. And I've introduced Girl Talk to at least a dozen of my friends, getting the music out there, which hopefully in the end will pay off for Gillis as well.

Quick plug: anyone interested in new marketing strategies in music should check out my friend Ryan's blog at http://www.petmarmoset.net/blog/. He does an excellent job discussing new ideas and being as he is someone heavily involved in both marketing and music, I highly respect his opinions and ideas. It's definitely worth taking a look. Bonus, he tells you where to find the best nachos in town!

You can download the Girl Talk album yourself at http://74.124.198.47/illegal-art.net/.

So Effing Cool, I Had To Share

Anyone looking for someone to do graphic design for them really should check out the work of my good friend, Leslie. Simply put, she is incredibly talented. Here is an amazing drawing she did for some party invites, featuring yours truly (I'm in the middle and look far more bad-ass in the pic than I do in real life).

And another drawing from the same invites featuring Portland musician, Brandon Chandler.

I can't recommend her enough. If you need some design work done, message me and I will forward on to her. She ain't so bad on the eyes, either. :)

Winslow Homer

While I was bumming about the biggest musical loss in my life since Kurt Cobain passed, The Dimes quietly posted a brand new demo via their MySpace page. The track is called "Winslow Homer" and it once again shows why they are one of my favorite bands.

The track can be streamed here: http://www.thedimes.com/music/Winslow_Homer.m3u

Click and enjoy.

Leroi Moore 1961-2008

Yesterday, Leroi Moore of the Dave Matthews Band passed away. He was 46.

I met Leroi in the late 90's after my first DMB concert. He was a shy, quiet person, but very nice. The music he created with DMB has meant so much to me. I will miss him very much, as will thousands of other fans. The music will not be the same with him gone.

Defeated By The Heat

Anyone in Portland this past weekend knows how unbelievably hot it was. Too, too hot. It was difficult to find the motivation to do anything but sit in my slightly-cooler-than-the-100-degrees-outside basement and try not to move. Sadly as I sat in the sweltering heat, pissing and moaning, I realized the Las Vegas-ian in me may be completely gone. It's been a long time since I lived in the desert and already my immunity to the blazing sun has left my body.


Luckily, a couple of friends played shows that helped serve as a distraction from the extreme warmth. Ehren Ebbage played another happy hour show at the Alberta St. Pub on Thurs. There's not a whole hell of a lot more I can say about Ehren; every one of my friends know that I think he is an incredibly talented musician. I was fortunate enough to introduce him and his music to a few of my friends at this show. Once again, Ehren played a solid set and even threw in a cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U" for good measure (my friends also know I love my Prince...). Nice thing about Alberta St. Pub, in addition to the talent, is that their happy hour runs until 7:45pm and the food is actually pretty decent. Unfortunately, the staff is less than accommodating. They were rude to some of my friends and, in an unforgivable move, were rude to the evening's talent. Online reviews also note the same thing: good food, horrible service. One would assume in a service industry this is something they would address. However, one would assume incorrectly in this instance. I'll give them one more shot, but treating an artist that brought in the majority of their patrons for that evening with any disrespect at all is unacceptable.


On the other end of the spectrum, the Buffalo Gap has always provided me exceptional service. They have a late night happy hour menu every night with good food for $2.95, including some killer BBQ pork tacos that I highly recommend. On their musical menu last Saturday evening was a new friend of mine, Brandon Chandler and his band The Revival. I've really been getting into his first album After All This Time (Leslie writes a great review of the album at http://deludedsecretary.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-brandon-chandler-revival.html) and I'm looking forward to the release of his second album later this year. Brandon and his band played an excellent set and I am looking forward to seeing them again in a month at a very special gig that some of you will also join me for.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you have an opportunity to catch a live show from either of these artists, jump on it.

Madison Mercy

Many congrats to my step-brother, Justin (yes, I have a brother whose name is also Justin; my folks were highly unoriginal), and his wife, Cara, on the birth of their daughter, Madison Mercy. Madison was born at 3:45am on 8/4/8 weighing in at 7lbs 12oz. She is a beautiful girl and a very welcome addition to the family.

Casa de Bondioli, Greif, y Pederson

Finally got moved into the new place. The whole process has kept me quite busy over the last week, but it has been well worth it.


The house is in the Hollywood District and is massive; way more space than my two roommates and I can reasonably justify having. Four bedrooms, a few bonus rooms, 2700 square feet plus a giant basement.


It is the perfect house for entertaining. We've already had a ton of people stop by to visit. It's what I've always wanted, especially after being in West Linn for a year and a half where no one wants to drive all the way out.


Petey has a ton of room to run around and play. That should help him get some exercise in and lose some of this extra baggage he's been carrying around. People probably think I've been trying to fatten him up for a meal this coming holiday season.


I feel incredibly blessed to call this place my home with two exceptional roommates, and one slightly overweight rabbit. I'm already looking forward to all of the good times that we will host within these walls.

Ehren Ebbage Interview And Album Review

Anyone who I have a had a conversation about music with in the past few months has heard me mention Ehren Ebbage. Ehren is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter that just released his debut full-length album Ten Cent Souvenir. He also just happens to be a member of my favorite Portland band, The Dimes. Before that, he was in Justin King's band, my favorite Eugene artist.


A couple of weeks ago I finally had the opportunity to interview Ehren at the Doug Fir with Gears and Leslie. We discussed his new album, his time with The Dimes, his experience with Epic Records, and his other band, The Floydian Slips. Johnny Clay of The Dimes also joined us to ask his band mate a couple of questions. The interview can be found on the Northwest Noise page at http://www.northwestnoise.com/interviews/ehren-ebbage-interview.

Leslie also reviewed Ten Cent Souvenir for the website. However, I have to say that I disagree with her on the song "Snakes," which happens to be one of my favorite tracks on the album. It's a beautiful track and I love the honestly in Ehren's voice. It's her first review for the site, so I can't give her too hard a time about it. :) http://www.northwestnoise.com/reviews/ehren-ebbage-ten-cent-souvenir

Ehren plays regular solo gigs at the Alberta St. Pub and the Buffalo Gap. If you haven't seen him yet, do yourself a big favor and check him out. He is also an active blogger and writes about his experiences as a struggling musician. The link is to the right in the "Respect" column, or you can link to it here: http://ehrenwords.blogspot.com/.

Brandon Chandler & The Revival

While at the Debra Arlyn show at the Doug Fir this past week, I had the opportunity to meet another talented musician, Mr. Brandon Chandler of Brandon Chandler & The Revival.

Gears actually bumped into Brandon in the bathroom of the Doug Fir and convinced him to meet the rest of the Noise Boys. That certainly brings a lot of concern for Mr. Chandler's decision making abilities, but he had just given an amazing performance, so I decided to let it slide, this time.

Brandon Chandler & The Revival reminded me a lot of Jason Mraz, only with a lot more soul (and a lot less annoying, IMO). I really enjoyed his set, as well as the tracks he has posted on MySpace. He is in the process of recording his second album, to be released later this year. In the meantime, his first album is available on iTunes and CDBaby and his song "Until The Whiskey Wears Off" can be found on the just released Kink FM Plug In Portland Local CD Sampler.

NW Noise plans to interview this talented artist upon the release of his second album, but you can check out some of his tunes now at http://www.myspace.com/brandonchandler.

I Bet I Could Get Petey To Do That

He already eats my books and my baseboards. Adorable.

Plug In Portland, Where Everyone Is In A Band

This week, Kink FM released their Plug In Portland Local CD Sampler and I have to say I am pretty excited about the track selection. Many of my favorite local bands are included on the CD, including The Dimes, Intervision, Oh Darling, Jasmine Ash, and Brandon Chandler, who I had the pleasure of meeting last night at Debra Arlyn's show at the Doug Fir.


The track list is as follows:

1. The Dimes * Paul Kern Can't Sleep
2. Dirty Martini * Waiting for Magic
3. Intervision * All I'm Thinkin About
4. Courtney Jones * Awake & Dreaming
5. Justin Klump * No More Decembers
6. Amelia * The Great Escape
7. Echo Heltrom * Davy Jones
8. Jasmine Ash * Fall (Hidden Fortress Remix)
9. Brandon Chandler * Until the Whiskey Wears Off
10. Breanna Paletta * Follow Me Home
11. Derby * All or Nothing
12. Julia Dawn * Beautiful Lie
13. Jacob Merlin * Donut
14. Oh Darling * Blind Spot
15. Stephen Ashbrook * 21 Young
16. Beth Willis * Nothing
17. Throwback Suburbia * Circles
18. Alex Arrowsmith * The Zaps
19. Lindsey Pool * Conversation
20. Cronin Tierney * Burning Bridges

The CD is available at no charge at all Kink FM events this summer, including Noon Tunes, Bridgeport Village Concert Series, and Kink Friday Early Escape Cruise (I will be picking up my copy when The Dimes play Bridgeport Village at the end of the month). Burgerville restaurants will also carry the CD starting next week, however I believe there will be a charge involved for those copies.

In other local music news, MTV gave Portland some love earlier this week when they ran a segment on the local music scene this week. As Mr. Wines noted in his blog, the news clip seems to focus on a certain niche within the Portland music scene, not entirely reflecting the immense musical talent we have in our fair city (http://www.petmarmoset.net/blog/2008/07/17/mtv-news-everyone-in-portland-is-in-a-band/). Anyone involved in local music scene knows there is much more to the Rose City than pop punk for jaded teenagers. Of course, MTV has been more focused on promoting Heidi and Spencer of The Hills than promoting actual music for a few years now, so I suppose I should be happy that they gave some local bands any attention at all. Though I would have loved to see some of my favorite local bands get some love as well.

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All Of The Hard Work Is About To Pay Off

For the past few weeks, the boys of Northwest Noise have been working diligently on a new project, our first CD release, a live album from the lovely Ms. Debra Arlyn recorded last December at the Doug Fir Lounge during the NW Girls Make Noise show.

To say the album has been a huge undertaking would be quite the understatement. However, we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and we are very excited to have this project available to everyone.

Debra Arlyn Live At The Doug Fir will be released this Friday. The initial run will be a limited edition release with each CD personally autographed by the 2008 Portland Female Artist of the Year winner herself. The album features tracks from all three of Debra's albums, as well as two covers, "Too Good To Be True" and "I Want You Back." Those of you at last Decemeber's show know that this was a truly memorable performance; Debra showcased exactly why she is one of the top live acts in the Northwest.

Debra Arlyn and her band are joined at the Doug Fir on Friday, July 18th by Scott Fisher & 1AM Approach and Brandon Chandler & The Revival. Show starts at 9PM and tickets are $15 ($12 if purchased in advance). The NW Noise Boys will be at the show with the new album, so stop by and join the party, complete with air conditioning, tasty beverages, and great local music.

At What Point Is It Considered "Obsessed"?

Saw The Dimes twice this past weekend. Two times in less than 24 hours. Once Friday at 9:30PM, then again Saturday at 4:30PM. I'm not ashamed to admit it, though I'm convinced the guys think that I'm stalking them ("Oh hey, it's you... again..."). I've seen them close to a couple dozen times in the last year and they have quickly became my favorite Portland band. The new music they are working on is incredible. Standout tracks for me include "Paul Revere", "Clara Barton", and "Evangeline". I wonder how I can obtain some of the new music. I'm not sure if I can wait until their new album is released, though the guys were nice enough to tide their fans over with an EP in April. Unfortunately, I'm an impatient person and the EP just fueled the fire even more for my need for the new tunes.

The Dimes played at the Doug Fir on Friday night. My favorite Portland band, my favorite Portland venue, double bonus for me. After enjoying a juicy Fir burger (I do mean that literally, and not as the obvious double entendre), I headed to the green room with Gears and Leslie to interview the newest addition to the band, Mr. Ehren Ebbage.


I've been a fan of Ehren's for awhile, since he was the guitarist in Justin King's band. He recently released his debut full-length album, Ten Cent Souvenir. I've really been digging the album the more I listen to it. I recommend checking it out. It's not flashy; it doesn't stand out right away. But it rewards repeated listening. Ehren is an exceptional story-teller in his songs and it's been very cool to get to know this talented musician over the last few months.

Johnny Clay of The Dimes joined us for a new segment that Gears and I refer to as "Hot Artist On Artist Action". You'll have to listen to the interview to get the scoop on that. It is hot action though; that's all I can say. I'll post a link to the interview as soon as it is up on NW Noise.


The Dimes are playing Bridgeport Village's Summer Concert Series on Thursday, July 31st. I was really impressed with the concert series when I checked out Intervision there last Thursday. In addition to being a free show with some of the area's best talent, there's plenty of free sample food and drink to enjoy from the mall's vendors. Show starts at 6:30 and goes until 8:30PM. You know I'll be there. I'll be the guy the band is desperately trying not to make eye contact with.