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.