Tuesday Double Feature: Red Fang "Wires" & The Foo Fighters "White Limo"

I think it's fitting that the day after the Fourth of July we have a duo of videos that are a bit destructive in nature. Just remember, these individuals are professionals rock-stars and what you see should not be attempted at home.

Red Fang -"Wires"

Be honest, we'd all love to blow a huge wad of cash this way.



Red Fang is a metal band that heralds from our fair city of Portland Oregon. They're heading out for a summer of touring the US, so catch them when they come to your town.


The Foo Fighters-"White Limo"

(The Foo Fighters + Lemmy of Motorhead) + 80's Camcorder = Pure Genius!



If you don't know Lemmy and the Foo Fighters you have bigger issues than we can fix on this website.

Tuesday Double Feature:The Grates "Turn Me On" & Florence and the Machine "Not Fade Away"

I've always been a fan of Black and White photography and film, so this week's Double Feature includes two videos shot in the stark duel shaded medium.

The Grates - "Turn Me On"

An conceptually abstract video from one of the most awesome art-rock bands from Australia.



The Grates are an amazing act from Australia who have just released their third full-length album Secret Rituals on which you can find "Turn Me On".


Florence and the Machine - "Not Fade Away"

A haunting rendition of Buddy Holly classic, that evokes the magic of New Orleans.



High art and beautiful music Florence and the Machine are a new find for myself and I hope you can enjoy them too.

The Triple Crown: 06/28 - 07/11

As June gives way to July this Triple Crown has a bit of everything to make this summer a little more enjoyable. So head out and have some fun cause summer might not be the same since the day you started working but it doesn't mean we can't put up a fight to enjoy ourselves.


Friday, July 1st
Truckstop Darlin'
The Tumblers/McDougall
Doug Fir Lounge
830 East Brunside
Doors:8PM / Show:9PM
Adv.:$8 / Day Of:$8
21 & Over

Take cheap cigarettes, bad coffee, and the open road and mix in enough Old #7 to raise Jack Daniels himself from the grave and you'll have the sweet gravel sound of Truckstop Dralin'. Balancing the powerful growl of rock'n'roll with the country wail of Telecasters and the petal Steel makes this band, in my opinion, one of the premier country-rock acts of the Northwest.
Storyteller songwriting that drips of blue collar honesty, this is the music of the rough handed underdogs and the blessed losers we all love to rout for.
Having caught the band several times as the opening act, I'm excited about seeing what the guys will do with a headlining slot. Joining them is the strutting groove of the The Tumblers' dust bowl country swing. Their swaying twang feels like listening to old Hank Sr. 45s on a Wurlitzer jukebox. Finishing out the line up is the train yard folk of McDougall. All dust and gravel his songs have the chugging power of a steam locomotive and sometimes strike you like a steel spike through the heart. I can't think of a better way to start this Triple Crown so grab a friend and make your way to the Doug Fir for a great night of music.


Saturday July 2nd
Thundering Asteroids!
Abolitionist / No More Train Ghosts
Ash Street Saloon
225 SW Ash St
Show: 9:30PM
Cover:$5
21 & Over

Between all the political posturing and teen angst, sometimes we forget that punk music can be about having fun. Thankfully the Thundering Asteroids! haven't forgotten.With songs about classic video games and Rowdy Roddy Piper movies, this is music you don't have to anguish over or heavily ponder to enjoy. Energetic and wildly fun this band is a true joy to see live. Led by the bouncing hyper-power of Minn and backed by three of the tightest punk rockers to grace the dim neon of some of Portland seedier bars.I doubt you can find a better formula for a good time. I'm certain that three chords into the second song you'll find yourself bouncing off the walls of the Ash Street and is the reason that this band has quickly climbed to the top of my list of favorite live bands in Portland.
Also on the bill is the primal echo of No More Train Ghosts who's thunderous punk rock is powerfully aggressive and forcefully accurate. While the molodic punk of Corvallis' Abolitionist is catchy enough to be enjoyable and political enough to be relevant. No matter how you stack it this should be a great night at the Ash Street and with their normally low cover it makes it easy on the pocket book. So shake off the week and claim this second jewel of your Triple Crown.

Friday, July 8th
Neko Case
Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St.
Doors:5PM /Show:6:30PM
Adv.:$35/Day Of:$38
General Admission
All Ages

Neko Case, no matter where she calls home, will always be a Northwest darling. Raised in Tacoma Washington, the high mournful pitch of her voice is the wind off the Puget Sound whispering through a stand of Fir trees. Through it she channels the spirits of some of the best musical matriarchs to ever walk this earth. Eerily beautiful, the music of Neko Case has been skirting the line between classic and timeless since her first album hit the shelves. Wonderful in recording, she is even more amazing live, and this concert at McMenamins historic Edgefield is a wonderful chance to see her in the purest form. This in fact might be one of the first not-miss concerts of the summer. We can only hope that the weather will cooperate but you might want to pack a poncho, cause this girl is use to the rain and I doubt it will deter her one bit if we are blessed with a little bit of the Northwest sunshine. If you have kids this might be a great opportunity to introduce them to some great music, and with the hotel right there you could make a little vacation out of it. Or leave the kids at home and make it a romantic get away for the two of you. Either way, make sure you don't miss this great opportunity to give Case a warm welcome home and to finish off your Triple Crown with a bang.

10 Questions: Brian Venable of Lucero

1) Lucero's been around almost 13 years now, what would you say is the key element to your survival as a band?

B.V.:Not Breaking up. Not Quitting. I don't know if it's every band or just us but pretty much,we don't have anything else to do. We love playing music but it's not like I put my law degree aside to play music . I'm going to wash dishes or I'm going to play rock'n'roll and I love playing Rock'n'roll and I hate doing dishes. This is what we do. I think we've done it so long, we don't know how to do anything else.

2) Lucero is known as one of the hardest touring bands on the road today, is there a secret to spending all that time on the road with out killing each other.

B.V.:You have your out bursts. It's like a family, there's always going to be "that person is driving me nuts right now." But underneath it all you love each other or you wouldn't spend so long with that group of people. You are 4, 6, 12 people crammed in to a box 9 to 10 weeks at a time. Basically, you can't get rid of your family and you can't get rid of your band. It's that kind of attitude where "we're going to do this forever and to think that your going to be together forever and not fight . . . you know what I mean. Understanding and a lot of ignoring.

3) How was it opening for Social Distortion?

B.V.:It's a Blast! We did 6 weeks with them before Christmas. So this is like a family reunion. Like schools back in. Sometimes it's tough just doing 40 minutes a night, but getting to hang out with Mike(Ness) and the boys is like a touring summer camp, with Chuck Ragan especially.
Also, as a punk rock kid growing up listening to social distortion, I'm still pinching myself. If you would have told me when I was 16 and skateboarding, that 20,30 years later I'd be playing with them I would have said you were crazy.

4) Of all the bands that you've played with, what has been the band that you like the most opening for and which band did you like opening for you?

B.V.:Each experience is different, you can't really rate them. We kind of made a pact that we wouldn't open up for, or take anyone to open up with us that we didn't like. We've never had any real surprises, never opened up for anybody that were complete dicks about it. We Looked into it. Opening bands are all different and fun. We've taken out all kinds of Memphis bands, like the (North Mississippi) Allstars did for us, so you're hanging out with your friends. We've gone out with Drag the River and bands like that, pretty much family. That's a blast too, but it's all different experiences. We've turned down, not substantial but bigger bands because we've heard they're crazy and because we rather take out this other band. It's a determent career/business wise but if you're going to spend 6 weeks with someone we'd rather take out our friends than the flavor of the week. So sometimes we'll take the hit.

5) I read an interview in which you mentioned that the two albums whose songs most excited you were Tennessee and the latest 1372 Overton Park. Both of these albums have uniquely different flavors so what is it that excites you so much about their songs?

B.V.: At each of those places it was a leap of some sort. If you look back now, Tennessee doesn't sound that crazy because it's 10 years old. We were moving from twangy alt-country to a new sound. Tennessee was our indi-rock album. You get so excited about something that's so different. When Tennessee came out nobody liked it. Now out of the whole catalog Tennessee is everybody's favorite. Ben was going through some crazy girlfriend drama and it was showing. The songs were about that. It was like catching fish and eating them fresh. You were getting the fucking heartbreak right there. "Sweet Little Thing" has 20 guitar tracks on it. We were trying stuff just to see.
The same is with 1372. We had made so many records just to make records, but with the addition of the horns and a new producer that was actually pushing us. Once again it was something different. We were trying things that weren't traditional. With the horns you're pushing it and you don't know how the kids are going to take it because some people don't know soul music. It came out so amazing though, that you get so excited you don't care. You think obviously people are going to love this record because I love it so much. Which isn't always true, but it gets you to a point of saying "I don't care, we love this record."
Those were both situations(Tennessee & 1372) where we were trying something new and it worked successfully. Sometimes your excited about something it translates to tape and that would be those situations. Not that every record we don't love, but some of them you have these song so you make a record versus those where you're taking a step into something you don't know, a leap of faith. Hopefully they're (the fans)going to like it and we're going to like it too.

6) Speaking of the latest album, there was a decisive move toward Memphis Soul with the addition of horns. Was there anything that you did to your guitar parts to adapt to the new sound?

B.V.:Not really. With that many people I actually work less. So I have to make my parts count more. That's something that Ted Hudson who produced us, worked on. He just ground me. He told me "you have to do this" and I'd fight him. It was definitely drinking in anger. In the end though, with the petal steel taking up this register, the piano here, and the horns, it slowly shrinks my workspace down. Some songs I might just pluck a note or two, but it fits. Other songs I do a blazing-ass solo and you pad my way around it. When they take away stuff, what you play means more. That was a good lesson to learn. I really didn't change my guitar parts, not that I don't pay attention to it, but you have to pay more attention to things because you got a lot of shit going on. Everyone has got to stay out of everybody's way and they got to make it count.

7) I read that your father was a Beale Street musician. Do you find there is a legacy of musicianship that runs through your family and do you ever use him as a resource?

B.V.: Oh yeah. He's a great guitar player. My dad still plays on Beale Street. We're shoe repairmen. He's a shoe repairman and owns a shop; I grew up fixing them here and there. I was raised to be a shoe repairman to some degree. He loves the fact that I'm playing music. He's been trying to push me since I was a child. Then it was something I didn't want to do. Then when I decided to do it he got real excited. The Attic Tapes were recorded in his attic. For years I'd wouldn't know how to do something or go to him when my guitar would break. He'd always be my dad about it. Loaning me stuff and not really expecting it back.
He's the guy I can go and talk to about anything when there's no one else. I can talk to him about business or personal stuff and he'll tell me the truth because he's living vicariously. My son's two and a half now and he's bought him a full sized guitar he can't even play yet. He doesn't care if he's a doctor or a lawyer, but he knows he's going to play music. For me not wanting to do it for so long and him wanting me to do it. He gets excited.
He's definitely a resource. I'll go over and we'll pick a little bit together, but we've never actually played out together. We'll just hang out and go to the music room and he'll show me something or I'll do something. I'm actually learning enough now that I can swap with him. He'll ask me where I learned something or how I did it while when I was young I didn't know anything

8) In your arsenal of instruments do you have any special Guitars?

B.V.: I have a Flying V that I played for a while but that I need to work on. I have a friend Travis Perkins that builds guitars. I got hammered drunk one night and and don't remember the conversation we had about this perfect guitar. He went home and started building it. A year later he shows up and it's a Flying V, Burstbuckers, my name on it, and a leather pickgaurd. He built everything from scratch. I play that a lot. I don't like to take it out because it's one of a kind, but then he gets mad. He says I need to tear it up and play it. But if it breaks or is stolen it's not like I can go to Guitar Center. It's gone.

9) Your home base is Memphis so take a second and play tour guide. Where is the best place to:

Get a Tattoo?
B.V.: Underground Art -It's won all the awards and we know Angela who owns it. It's like BBQ sometimes. If you say you like just one, you get in trouble. But I know Angela so I always vote for Underground Art.

Play a show?
B.V.: The Hi-tone Cafe

Buy a record?
B.V.: Goner Records - Is the best used record store with new stuff in it. It mostly caters to us(Vinyl lovers).

10)Name 5 bands you love but who few people have heard of?

B.V.:
The Dexateens

Black Tusk

Hearts of Palm

Glossary

William Elliot Whitmore

Tuesday Double Feature: The Funhouse Strippers "Murderer's Thumb" & The Big John Bates' Grindshow "Bad Pussy"

This weeks Double Feature is all about fun. If you're board at your desk or just can't sleep, press play and enjoy. With video's from two of my favorite bands. I hope you like them as much as I.

The Funhouse Strippers "Murderer's Thumb"

Punk rock + Femme Fatal = Awesome !!

Like most writers I hate the town I grew up in, but knowing that The Funhouse Strippers are from Salem Oregon too makes me hate it just a little bit less.

Big John Bates' Grindshow " Bad Pussy"

There's no real rhyme or reason to this video, it's just fun.



Big John Bates and his grind show are in the lab mixing up a new kind of musical madness which they're dubbing "rustic Punk" which melds the best elements of Americana and garage rock.

10 Questions: Kasey Anderson

1) What excites you the most about your new album Heart of a Dog?

KA: The fact that it sounds like a band, not a "singer-songwriter" backed by studio musicians. Making the record was a collaborative effort, and I think that comes across clearly. This is not to say that the previous records weren't also collaborative efforts - they were, very much so - but Heart of a Dog sounds like four guys in a room playing, because that's exactly how it got made.

2) What is the significance to the album title, if any?

KA: The album's title is taken from the title of a novella by Mikhail Bulgakov, which contains a passage I really love:

"By kindness. The only method possible in dealing with living creatures. By terror you cannot get anywhere with an animal, no matter what its stage of development. I’ve always asserted this, I assert it today, and I shall go on asserting it. They are wrong thinking that terror will help them."*

*That sums up my general worldview pretty well.

3) In Heart of a Dog I can hear the influences of electrified Bob Dylan and the blues of The Rolling stones. Do you have any musicians that inspire your work but with whom your music shares no resemblance?

KA: Plenty. Mos Def, Thelonious Monk, Slayer, The Runaways. There are too many to name.

4) The past three years you’ve been consistently productive, releasing an album a year. Do you foresee a continuation of this momentum or are you ready for a break?

KA: I think I'll probably slow that pace down a bit over the next few years so I can catch my breath.
On the other hand, given the way I lived for most of my young adulthood, I'm pretty fortunate to be alive. I'm also very lucky to have this job. I'd rather not take either of those things for granted.

5) Name 3 locations in the Portland Area that can be or have been the best inspiration for a song?

KA: I think the city of Portland is inspiring in general, in that than the weather keeps people inside for the majority of the year, which gave me an excuse to hole up and write for weeks at a time without feeling like a recluse.
Aside from Nowhere Nights, my records are largely works of fiction. There hasn't really been a lot of, "Here's a number about the ol' neighborhood," and I'm not sure there ever will be. I'm not typically compelled to write that way.

6) If it was just you and your guitar in what Portland venue would you enjoy playing the most?

KA: I love Mississippi Studios, Doug Fir, and the Aladdin Theater.

7) So what happens to the materials that do find their way into songs? Having a storyteller’s style to your song writing, dose it find its way into different formats like prose and poetry? Or is it the other way around?

KA: Plenty of influences work their way in, sure. But I think that's just the nature of writing; it's difficult not to have the things you take in influence the things you put out. Nobody's writing in a vacuum. The hope is that you're able to find your own voice and filter those influences through that, instead of letting them dictate your voice.

8) In your arsenal of instruments, do you have favorite Guitar? If so, what brand is it? Dose it have a name? What’s the story behind it?

KA: I've got a 1964 Gibson J-45 I play at home; it's never seen the stage. I just bought a Rickenbacker 330 that I like a lot. I don't name my guitars, no. I had another J-45 - one that was given to me by one of my closest friends - that I left at an ex-girlfriend's house while I was on tour and she sold it, so I try not to get too sentimental about instruments.

9) The summer touring season it coming upon us quickly and I see that you’re playing several festivals including Bumbershoot and the Slowroots Music Festival. What it is the music festival you’ve enjoyed playing the most and what festival would you like to play in but haven’t had the chance to yet?

KA: We had fun at SXSW this year, the most fun I've had out there, anyway. Festivals can be tough because there are so many moving parts. I know for people who attend, the festivals are supposed to be an orgy of music and debauchery but, for bands, that's not the case. We played nine times in three days at SXSW this year; it was exhausting.

10) Name 5 bands you love but who few people have heard of?

KA: There's a band from Bellingham, Washington called Federation X;

Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs from Seattle;

70 Proof, also from Seattle;

Then there's Radiohead and The Beatles. I think those last two bands are from Germany.

Tuesday Double Feature: The Civil Wars "Poison & Wine" & Sarah Black wood "Lonely Parade"

Welcome again to another installment of Tuesday Double Feature.
This week we have two amazing songs by performers that couldn't be more different.
But differences matter little when the art created is this beautiful.

So take a gander and then share it with all your friends.

The Civil Wars "Poison & Wine"

Simple and lovely, the imagery of this video is a perfect compliment to this devastatingly beautiful song.



The Civil War will be playing the Aladdine Theater on June 21, check out the Triple Crown to read all about it.

Sarah Blackwood "Lonely Parade"

As for video's, I've seen better but this song will haunt you in ways the dead or regrets never could.



The lead singer of the rockabilly band The Creepshow, Sarah Blackwood has an amazing voice and once I heard this song I knew I wanted to share it with everyone who would listen.