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/.