Nick Jaina - "Days In My Room" Video

Portland troubadour Nick Jaina is holding his record release show tomorrow at the Doug Fir, a perfect setting for the lush and quiet folk on A Bird In The Opera House. The soft focus on the video for "Days In My Room" captures the songs reflective tone as he rides across the Steel Bridge around the city, the nostalgic imagery appearing as if the footage was decades old. As I previously noted, "Sleep Child" (mp3) is also worth checking out.

Friday Night Beer Pairing: Upright Brewing & Nick Jaina

Tonight I'm pairing two regional adaptations of traditionally rustic genres.

Any beer lover visiting Portland will notice the abundance of pale ales; every brewery seems to have at least three kinds. So the founding of Upright Brewing and its experimental, loosely Belgian-style beers was great news for Brasilliant and me, who were forced to fly to Germany and Belgium to satisfy our thirst for doppelbocks and tripels. Upright uses a Belgian-based brewing process, but are not beholden to any one recipe, which makes a visit to Upright's tasting room so much fun. They are still playing around with their beers, so while you may not love every sip, the flavors are bold and unique. My favorite is the Upright 7, their version of a farmhouse Saison. It's dry, aromatic, and just slightly spicy. Even at 8% it goes down easy.

I'm not sure which Portland loves more, beer or folk music. Probably beer, but judging from the abundance of good singer-songwriters, indie folk isn't far behind. Nick Jaina is one of my favorites and is set to release his new album, A Bird In The Opera House, next month. "Sleep Child" (mp3) captures the album's warm vocals and rhythmic strumming that gently pushes the songs forward. The album incorporates bits of Portland into the lyrics along with subtle layers of strings. It's comfortable, catchy, and perfect for kicking back at home.