Tuesday Doube Feature: Fall Out Boys "The Phoenix" & Yeah,Yeah,Yeahs "Sacrilege"

For this weeks Tuesday Double Feature we have two videos that are a little more mainstream and have a darkly noir twist.

Fall Out Boys - "The Phoenix"


Current rock n roll darlings, the Fall Out Boys have made a career out of bringing their rock style to radios and arenas across the globe. Touring in support of their latest album Save Rock and Roll, the band will be playing a sold out show at the Roseland Theater Tuesday, June 18th. Part of the Save Rock and Roll: The Young Blood Chronicles, this video is the second in an eleven part video series, so make sure you see them all to catch the whole story.


Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs - "Sacrilege"


The artfully seductive style of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs is wonderfully sinful. A trait that's highly evident on their latest release Mosquito.  Currently touring in support of the new record,the band has a busy summer ahead of them but unfortunately the closest they'll come to our neck of the wood is Seattle in August. Even so, their show is sure to be worth a road trip.So get your tickets now and pick up the album to hold your over until then.

Cure for the Mondays: Youthbitch - "I'm In Love With Girls"

Youthbitch - "I'm In Love With Girls"

I'm not confirming anything, but there might be too many pictures of me in drag to run for public office.



The raunch-rock of Youthbitch is ripe with gain distorted guitars and bare bone rhythms. Their latest 7" I'm in Love With Girls was released on Dirtnap Records, the same label that brought us the immortal Exploding Hearts. Luckily, we won't have to wait long to see their lusciously fuzz-drenched garage madness in person as they will be playing Dante's this Friday for the triumphant return of My Life in Black and White.Check out the details in the Triple Crown and make sure you get their early because this show is sure to sell out.

The Triple Crown: 06/03 - 06/16

This installment of The Triple Crown is stuffed full of goodies including some wonderfully potent outlaw country, the celebrated return of one amazing Portland band, and the release of another local act's latest EP.. No matter how you line it up, it won't be hard to earn your triple crown if you don't mind missing a little sleep to catch some great  music. So cheers and have at it.

Tuesday, June 4th
The Parson Red Heads
Desert Noises / Said The Whale
Doug Fir Lounge
830 E Burnside St
Doors: 8PM / Show: 9PM
Adv.: $8 / Day Of: $10
21 & Over

The urban folk of Portland's Parson Red Heads is rich with a rustic sound. Acoustically masterful in their instrumentation  this band skirts the boundaries between pleasantly spars and perfectly layered. Vocally their lyrics are delivered in a warmly comforting manner that has the feel of a late summer evening. Refreshing in a  classical style this band and their wonderful sound are a joy to experience both recorded and live. A fact made sweeter by the celebration of the release of  their latest E.P. "6."
Just as exciting is the return of Desert Noises to Portland. Boldly powerful, this band 's music wonderfully pieces together grand elements of sound to form awesomely unforgettable songs. I had the pleasure of catching them last time they were in town and their performance blew me away. Also on the bill is the vibrant rock energy of Said the Whale making for a great night of music.    

Friday, June 7th
My Life in Black and White
Youthbitch
Dante's
350 W Burnside St
Show: 9PM
Adv.: $7 / Day Of: $7
21 & Over

This show at Dante's marks the triumphant return of Portland's blue collar punk band My Life In Black and White. This isn't the adolescent angst of your run of the mill mall punk .With a working class ethic, Dylan Summers' lyrics are the anthems of the hardworking masses with dirt beneath their nails and hearts filled with calloused handed dreams. This is the kind of rock n roll that makes you feel alive played by some of the best guitar slinging bastards that this town has to offer. This band could smoke a long list of internationally touring and radio played acts all without breaking a sweat. In my opinion this group is one of strongest bands to ever play this rainy city our. If you've ever seen them you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't and are reading this preview then trust my eleven years of musical coverage.
After a two year hiatus, this show is a must. Come and watch them shake off the cobwebs because it sure to be a joy to see. Sharing the stage is the is the rambunctious Youthbitch and their wild rocking energy.    


Saturday, June 15th
Whitey Morgan & the 78's
Denver
Dante's
350 W Burnside St
Show: 9PM
Adv.: $7 / Day Of: $7
21 & Over

Like the rebirth of outlaw country, Whitey Morgan digs deep from the influences of Haggard and Jennings. Rejecting the deluded travesty of the current CMT hick pop sound, Morgan plays true honky-tonk Country. Best heard in bars where the smells of cigarettes, whiskey and blood mix into a potent bouquet that is uniquely American in nature. This is the soundtrack to hard living, hard drinking and hard luck. Filled with heart ache and the wreckage of broken promises and dead dreams these songs still hold hope for the hard headed working class dreamers that make this country strong.
Opening the night is Portland's own Denver who's haunting petal steel and mournful vocals are the perfect musical companion to Morgan's headlining set. So order up some whiskey for you and your friends and chase it with a pitcher of beer or a bottle of wine. If you got it in you, take them both and earn your own triple crown.

Double Shot: Lana Del Rey - "Born To Die" (2012) & "Paradise"(2013)

Lana Del Rey

Born To Die / Paradise

Polydor / Interscope

Lusciously meticulous, Lana Del Rey's Born To Die is a hypnotic masterpiece. Ripe with silky vocals and a boldly symphonic instrumentation that seductively caresses the songs' raw subject matter like a high-class escort in a dive bar bathroom. Populated with songs that saunter with back ally magic and sexual energy that borders on crass. Del Rey has given a musical voice to the muses of Bukowski poems and David Lynch films. It's been years since an album has made me ache this bad.

Peppered with stylistic elements that range from vocal jazz to the slightest smatterings of hip hop rhythm this album is able to keep your attention with a sweet auditor diversity. Revealing a richly talented artist who has a wide range of weapons in her arsenal. Through darkly seductive tracks like "Blue Jeans" and "Born to Die" her hauntingly smoky sirens call is arresting.

Unfortunately the follow up album, Paradise, pales in comparison to it's predecessor. Still retaining some of the crowning elements of Born To Die including the haunting vocal lament found in the opening track "Ride".This CD is certainly a lesser product.  Lacking the ground breaking awe factor of her first album. With songs that seem like the BTD studio session leftovers that had potential yet didn’t quite make the final cut. Ultimately rushing  these tracks to market might have robbed them of their greatness.

Also missing from this album is the subtle raw sexual sophistication of its predecessor. Exchanging it for a cheaper crassness that’s only worth seemed to be shock, epitomized in the opening line of “Coke.”

Comparably Born To Die is clearly a more sound collection of material, but I would be remissed if I didn't point out that both albums are clearly the work of an amazing artist and are both worth a listen.
 

Tuesday Double Feature: Ed Sheeran "Give Me Love" & The Back Keys "Tighten Up"

"I have, he went on, betrayed myself with belief, deluded myself with love tricked myself with sex." - Charles Bukowski - 5 dollars.

You have to wonder if Chuck was right, have we all got it messed up in our heads what love is really about. Maybe after years of listening to heartbreak on the radio and our stereos we don't know anymore. Either way this week's Tuesday Double Feature is all about the wonderful and maddening mess that love can be.

Ed Sheeran - "Give Me Love"


Personally I have to admit that, Uk based singer songwriter Ed Sheeran, has a few strikes against him. Having worked with Taylor Swift and written songs for One Direction, normally I wouldn't give him a second glance. Thankfully, I can look past most things if the music is good and there is no denying the true mastery of this young man's craft. June will see him playing a few select dates in US and Canada supporting Taylor Swift so unfortunately if you don't have tickets your out of luck but I'm hoping that sometime soon we'll catch hime playing some smaller venues on his own.

The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"



I know The Black Keys are now all over the radio but some of us have loved the band since their first release in 2002. If anything their success, gives me hope that so many other great independent bands will find their place among the mainstream. If those bands are smart, they should take notes from The Black Keys, and work hard and stay hungry because for all their fame and fortune you don't want to become out of touch like U2.

Cure for the Mondays: The Sheepdogs - "Feeling Good"

The Sheepdogs - "Feeling Good"

Ninjas, action figures and great music, what more can you ask for?


The crunchy guitar blues-rock of Canada's The Sheepdogs has the lost lovely sound of  60's and 70's groups like The Band. Having earned many honors and awards including 3 Juno Awards in 2012 (Canada's equivalent to the Grammy) and the rare opportunity of being the only unsigned band ever to grace the cover of Rollingstone Magazine these boys are on the fast-track to stardom. Having singed to Atlantic Records  the band released their self-titled album in September of last year. In doing so the band continues their momentous climb to greatness.  

About Last Night: Thundering Asteroids @ Katie O'Brein's 05/24

Last Night’s show at Katie O’Brien’s is a bit of a blur as I roll into work at 5:45 this morning. I’m pretty sure there was a wookiee there, maybe even a slave girl. But to be honest, in my current state of sleep deprivation the only thing I am certain of, is that the music was phenomenal.

Opening the night was the speed and aggression of the Vacillators. A little like angry sex this band’s set was fast, raw and mind blowing fun. Boldly gritty Camille leads this band with a street wise playfulness that’s both refreshing and seductive. Punching through their set with unrelenting focus her band mate were unstoppable work horses. Kids, this is what punk looks like beyond adolescent angst and man is it beautiful. Tempered and honed, the power of this band was undeniable. To all you youngsters out there, you can only hope that your band will grow up to be this good.

Playing next was the always awesome Pitchfork Motorway and if the Vacillators’ set was like going 65 in a 35 then watching these boys was like one of those car chases you see on CNN. As always the boys attacked their songs with a wild abandon without regards to the innocent bystanders in the audience and as one of them I can’t tell you how great that is. Dangerously fun you feel like the worlds going to hop the track at any second and at these speeds who knows what crazy damage might be done. This band knows how to play a boldly tight rock n roll that’s amazing to behold. The two guitar attack of Barry and Shiggy is bold and diverse while the rhythm section of Doug and The Swede impishly play like madmen with explosives. Hands down this band plays faster, harder and with a true grasp of punk rocks emotional fury.

Finally, the Thundering Asteroids! took the mic and went to town. What they lacked in speed they make up in fun. Always to bell of the ball this band played their nerdcore tunes with a playful joy that is highly intoxicating to an audience. Celebrating the addition of their latest drummer (a resource they seem to burn through faster than quarter in an arcade) this band had an amazing set. Playing all the favorites and a few new tracks, the band got us singing along and pumping our fists to all the nostalgia inducing pop references in punk form. Clearly one of my own personal favorite bands currently playing Portland, I was not disappointed. Wild, fun and able to make you feel that all that useless pop knowledge crammed in your head isn’t worthless; I hope this drummer sticks around a while so we can get a few more great shows out of this band this summer.

I’m telling you if your not currently supporting local music, you don’t know what you’re missing because they are the most loyal and appreciative group of people you’ll ever meet. So for those of you that didn’t make it to this show, remember there’s bands playing somewhere in town every night of the week. You just have to pick a show and go.