Lover! - No Dreams Please EP (2009)

I'm kind of bummed that this is the first I've heard of Lover! At least I rectified that mistake before the Scion Garage Fest. Now I just have to figure how to work them into my schedule.

Although frontman Rich Crook was in the Reatards and Lost Sounds, Lover's music is more akin to 60's nuggets and power pop than the blistering punk and keyboard-driven new wave of those two bands. "Let's Play A Game" is snotty, "Goodbye" layers distortion over Plimsoul-style hooks, and "Fell In Love" snarls over crunchy riffs. The flute blowing over big muff fuzz on "Downstairs To Hell" sounds like a rare psychedelic pop classic. The EP whips by fast, but all seven songs are great. Looks like I'll have to catch the Mojomatics next time.

And if I miss them on the 17th, they'll be back in November at the East End.

Scion Garage Rock Festival

I just picked up my wristband for the Scion Garage Rock Festival and I am getting excited. The venues are all pretty close together so jumping from one to the other is going to depend more on how crowded it is and less on the time it takes to get there. As the day goes on I'll probably just ending up hanging out at Dantes's at the cost of missing some likely killer sets by bands I've been loving pretty hard lately. Then again, I just saw Jay Reatard and Jack-O will be back in Portland a month later with Lucero, so... Suffice to say it is going to be awesome endurance regardless of which bands I see.

Here's my optimal line up:
3:00 The Dirtbombs (Berbati's Pan)
3:45 Almighty Defenders (Dante's)
4:30 Brimstone Howl (Someday)
5:00 Intelligence (Berbati's Pan)
6:00 Thomas Function (Dante's)
6:45 Cheap Time (Someday)/Davila 666 (Sayricon)
7:30 Fresh & Onlys (Someday)/Mannequin Men (Satyricon)/Strange Boys (Dante's)
8:15 Mojomatics (Dantes)/Lover! (Satyricon)
9:15 Jay Reatard (Dante's)/Goodnight Loving (Satyricon)
10:15 Jack-O & The Tearjerkers (Dante's)/Demon Claws (Satyricon)
11:30 King Khan & BBQ (Dante's)