quickcrit - music reviews

This was an insanely good year for Portland bands. Narrowing it down to just 10 albums is just stupid, but I am doing it anyway. Although some of these bands are obvious transplants, I considered them a Portland band if they self-identified as such on their MySpace page. Apologies to Hockey, whose Mind Chaos I still love, but it came out locally and topped the list last year.

1. Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist
2. The Builders And The Butchers - Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well
3. Nurses - Apple's Acre
4. The Mint Chicks - Screens
5. The Thermals - Now We Can See
6. Paula Sinclair - Steady Girl
7. M. Ward - Hold Time
8. New York Rifles - Make A Wish
9. Panther - Entropy
10. Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags - We Will Be Forgotten EP

These posts aren't quick, so I've included a one line summary.

Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags - We Will Be Forgotten EP (2009)
A beautiful and sentimental last EP.

Nurses @ Doug Fir
Shambling and psychedelic indie rock.

I just found out that local Portland musician, Scotland Barr passed away. Although I only met him once, I loved his music and was lucky enough to interview him a couple months back. It is interesting to go back and read over the transcript now. While his humor was dark, he was quite optimistic when he discussed his illness and recording his next album, We Will Be Forgotten. The urgency to record and perform is more obvious now. After seeing him live and hearing a couple of new songs, I was really looking forward to hearing the album and maybe conducting a follow up interview. He will be missed.

These posts aren't quick, so I've included a one line summary.

Bloc Party @ Roseland Theater
The return of an old favorite.

Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags Interview
Portland country rocker discusses life and his next album.

Scott Young Interview
Portland's New York Rifles front man explains their name.

Sam Roberts Band @ Berbati's Pan
I finally see Sam Roberts live.

The Builders & The Butchers @ Mississippi Studios
Caught B&B's early show with pops.

It's not often that I go to a show just dying to hear my favorite songs off the band's new album and not hear a single one... and walk away completely satisfied, if not loving the band even more. But that is exactly what happened last week when I caught Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags' opening set for Clem Snide. They only played one song off that album, an excellent version of "Heart Of Rome". The rest were new songs they are working on for their next album. The songs sounded great, so how could complain? And Scotland Barr promised a longer set when they return to the Doug Fir for a free show on May 2nd, so there is good chance I'll hear "Juanita" and "Fall Hard" next time.

These posts aren't quick, so I've included a one line summary.

The Weight - Are Men (2008)
Rollicking barroom country.

Broken Social Scene @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland
A mammoth show of indie rock jamming.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ Crystal Ballroom, Portland
A sold out funky dancefest.

The Walkmen @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland
Woozy and cool.

Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags - All The Great Aviators Agree (2008)
Good-timing country from Portland.

1. Hockey - Mind Chaos
   
2. The Builders & The Butchers - The Builders & The Butchers
3. Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds And A Sound
4. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
5. Blue Giant - Target Heart EP
6. Scotland Barr & The Slow Drags - All The Great Aviators Agree
7. The Dandy Warhols - Earth To The Dandy Warhols
8. The Shaky Hands - Lunglight
9. The Upsidedown - Human Destination
10. Horse Feathers - House With No Home