Jim Jones Revue - Burning Your House Down (US 2011)

Within any established genre, I'm always impressed when a new band comes along and makes it feel vital again. It's been a long time since I listened to much rockabilly, but the Jim Jones Revue may make me revisit that stance. Then again, they aren't so much rockabillies as a garage rock and punk band that incorporates honky tonk piano and blues chords. From the first track, it's clear that Jim Jones is a a wild and charismatic frontman. "High Horse" matches Jerry Lee Lewis sized carnal swagger with his ferocious key pummeling. Little Richard. On "Premeditated" his voice shifts between a guttural growl and a needle-in-the-red howl. It injects the songs with power and energy that evokes images of them thrashing about chaotically on stage. "Elemental" updates Little Richards' unhinged delivery for the 4 Loco age with a breakneck pace and blistering guitar riffs. Overall, it's a wild and fun album and is guaranteed to be amazing live.

Come on out and see them blow the roof off  Doug Fir Lounge on Saturday, September 3rd. Hell, if you consider the album cover a warning, it might be the last show that log basement ever hosts.

Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain In The Cloud (2011)

In The Mountain In The Clouds opens with the super catchy “So American” -- a blast of falsetto driven psychedelic rock n’ roll announcing that Portugal. The Man is back. They may now be on Atlantic Records, after stints with Equal Vision and Fearless Records, but the major label hasn’t disrupted the quality of their songwriting that made them a QuickCrit favorite. As with all of their recent albums, their sound continues to evolve. In The Mountain is not as sexy or funky as last year’s American Ghetto, ditching its glitchy electronic buzz and replacing the psychedelic soul of the Satanic Satanist, with cosmic glam. It all makes for even greater sonic grandeur on songs like the anthemic “Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)" or the soaring “Everything You See (Kids Count Hallelujahs).” Guitars swirl and ring while the vocals alter pitch and pace. Lyrically, singer/guitarist John Gourley is still grappling with life in 21st century America. He seems to accept that we may all be fucked, but that’s just fate, and we might as well “be cool with it.” The songs build, crash and flow together nicely, closing with the "Sleep Forever", which escalates slowly into a wonderfully epic ballad -- a perfect closer to a fantastic album.

The Features - Wilderness (2011)

Simply put, The Features’ Wilderness is a fantastic rock n’ roll album. One of the best that I’ve heard all year. The standout single "Rambo" kicks off with cinematic humming before launching into a charging rhythm and swirling keyboard, the song marching forward over the cries of singer Matt Pelham. The darker “Kids” rides a 70s metal bass line and kick drum through a cloud of heavy riffs. The album is solid from start to finish, subtly shifting from psychedelic pop to prog to garage rock, often multiple times within a song. If it wasn’t clear from the album’s diverse (if classic) influences, the sweet and steady “Fats Domino” is the ballad for a record collector: “You can have everything, except my rock n’ roll, my love / Put down Fats Domino.” It’s right up there with Ryan Adam’s “Come Pick Me Up” in terms of capturing the state of a relationship relative to a mans’ vinyl.

You can bet I'll be there when they play at Bunk Bar on September 17th.

Awmercy's Summer Short List

Light for Fire
Even six months later, I still can't stop listening to their tales of love and drinking, and perhaps love of drinking.

Black Joe Lewis Mixtape
Oh shit. Just when you thought you couldn’t shake any lower, flip on “Mustang Ranch (featuring Project Pat and Juicy J)” and the party will really start getting sweaty.

U.S. Royalty @ Mississippi Studios
With giant bluesy riffs exploded over a pounding drums, it was a fantastic display of what rock 'n roll can be. A perfect example of how a great performance can improve upon and make you like an album even more.

The Complete Stax-Volt Soul Singles 1972-1975
I’ve owned volume 1 for probably 15 years, but just picked up volume 3 this spring. No idea why I waited so long. The 10 discs packed with soul and funk jams have sent me on a serious Southern soul bender. Recovery unlikely.

Rock n’ Roll Breakfast with Miles
Each morning Miles and I get up together at the crack of dawn. While I make coffee and he eats a Cheerios and a banana, we welcome the sun with a mix of garage thumpers and soul shakers. He starts bobbing and rocking as soon as the music starts and I crack up every time.

The Features - "Rambo"

As a longtime fan, I can't wait until The Features release their new album, Wilderness. Lucky for me, they've released a sweet two song 7 inch to tide me over. "Rambo" kicks off cinematic humming before launching into some fantastic rock n' roll, driven by a charging rhythm and swirling keyboard. Seriously, this album sounds like it is going to kick ass.

I hope they build a tour off their one West Coast date at the Bottom of the Hill on September 19th and make their way up to Portland. They put on a amazing performance last time I saw them.

Also, fans need to check out the treasure trove of long lost Features tracks on The Damage Is Done blog. There are a ton of songs I'd heard before.

Rambo 7 inch by The Features

U.S. Royalty @ Mississippi Studios

Last night at the U.S. Royalty show, it quickly became clear that as good as their album, Mirrors, was, the band was even better live. Songs like the opening "Monte Carlo" (mp3) rocked harder and the overall set sounded more cohesive, with their varied influences blending together into some fantastic rock 'n roll. It's as if they took their album and just cranked the dials. The songs seemed to pop and sparkle. Heavy rockers like "Hollywood Hollows" and "The Desert Won't Save You" were particularly exciting, as the giant riffs exploded over a pounding back end. It was a pleasure to watch a true lead guitarist step into a blistering yet retained solo and see a singer own the stage, his soaring howl hitting the high notes like a young Roger Daltrey. To top it off, they nailed a cover of Stevie Nicks' "Wild Heart," providing proof that the Fleetwood Mac comparisons were justified.


Sofar DC: U.S. Royalty - Wild Heart from Nick Fitzhugh on Vimeo.

Slabtown Bender 2011 Lineup

Slabtown has just released the line up for their 2011 Bender with Paul Collins, Nobunny, and Holly Golightly headlining. The 2010 Bender was awesome and I expect nothing less than that this year.

I've got a month to familiarize myself with the lineup and plan my weekend. Like last year, it's a mix of old favorites (Pure Country Gold, Pity Fucks, etc.) and bands I've never heard of, so once again I've hunted down most of their homepages and included the band's rough genre based on the few songs I heard. By the 4th I should be ready.

Friday 2/4
The Paul Collins Beat (New York) original power popper
Head (Seattle) pop punk
The Tranzmitors (Vancouver, BC) power pop, garage rock
Apache (San Francisco) punk rock
The Mean Jeans (Portland) Ramones-style punk rock
The Blind Shake (Minneapolis) garage rock
Pure Country Gold (Portland) garage blues
The Wrong Words (San Francisco)
Welcome Home Walker (Portland) pop punk, garage rock
Sons of Bitches (Portland) country punk

Saturday 2/5
Nobunny (Oakland) garage rock
Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders (Los Angeles) roots rock, garage rock
Liquorball (Bay Area?) psychedelic rock?
Hank IV (San Francisco) punk rock
James Arthur's Manhunt (Texas) psychedelic rock
Unnatural Helpers (Seattle) garage rock, punk rock
Spencey Dude & The Doodles (San Francisco) garage pop, indie pop
Dreamdate (San Francisco) indie pop
Pity Fucks (Portland) garage rock, punk rock
Flash Flood & The Dikes (Portland) off-kilter country

Saturday 2/5 Matinee
Spider Babies (Portland) punk rock
Bad Trips (Ventura) garage rock, psychedelic
Uzi Trash
Knifey Spoony (Oakland) psychedelic rock
Trash TV (Portland)

Sunday 2/6
Holly Golightly (UK) garage rock, country, soul
The Rantouls (San Jose?) garage pop, retro pop
The Royal Baths (San Francisco) garage rock, psychedelic
The Courtney Crusher Band (Portland) garage rock, retro pop
Thee Headliners (Portland) garage blues
Chemicals (Champaign) indie rock
G Green (Sacramento) punk
The Night Beats (Seattle) garage rock
Primitive Hearts (Oakland) garage rock
Therapists (Portland) punk

Sunday 2/6 Matinee
Pataha Hiss
The Bugs (Portland) garage rock
Orca Team (Portland) retro pop, indie rock, surf
The English Singles (Sacramento) retro pop, indie rock
The Summer Twins (Riverside) dreamy indie pop

The Dandy Warhols - "This Is The Tide"

I've been a fan of The Dandy Warhols for a long time. Although I definitely loved and listened to Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia the most, every album has a couple songs I latch onto. Although I've seen them a couple times, I've actually never seen them in Portland. Lucky for me, they are playing the Crystal Ballroom on Sunday with Blue Giant. It should be a great show, especially since they are out on tour promoting their recently released greatest hits album, which actually does actually contain many of my favorite songs. Of course, being the Dandies you can expect them find plenty of room to jam and bliss out on hypnotic rhythms.

"This Is The Tide" is the only new song off The Capitol Years 1995-2007.

Mikey Jukebox - Mikey Jukebox (2010)

Mikey Jukebox's self-titled debut is a pretty fun album. The clean production and electronic beats on songs like "Come Along" (mp3) and "American Noise" recall the shiny pop rock of the 80's, when New Wave and power pop went mainstream. It's easy to imagine the video for "New Radio" involving lots of dancing and smiling. Suffice to say it's feel good rock n' roll. In fact, the album feel a bit like a celebration of the topic, as it and its history is referenced throughout the album. Overall, the album is a little front loaded, but still has a good single to filler ratio.

Apparently, Mikey James played in Longwave. I don't really hear their shoegazing mope here — the tone is way more upbeat — but it is nice to know that members of a favorite band of mine are still recording.

The Henry Clay People - Somewhere On The Golden Coast

The Henry Clay People rank right up there with Free Energy as this summer's go-to for good timing rock n' roll. With their amps turned up and drums pounding, they channel that timeless sound of parties, bars, driving fast, and sleeping on couches. The songs are jam packed with sweet riffs, sing-along choruses, tinkling keys, and bashed cymbals. While the Replacements, Sam Roberts and many more have been there before, their youthful exuberance keeps it fresh and fun. I love the live-in-the-moment anthem of "End Of An Empire". It charges and soars with nicely-timed phrasing."Your Famous Friends" (mp3) ratchets it up with a chorus perfectly punctuated with barroom cheers. While those two are the standout tracks, the whole album is great, solid throughout.

They are playing the Crystal Ballroom on July 29th. You can bet I'll be there with a beer in hand ready to cheer them on.

Danny Echo - Danny Echo (2009)

Vancouver's Danny Echo play rock and roll that reminds me of the days when Brit pop ruled my roommates stereos -- when bands on both sides of the Atlantic were looking back to the Rolling Stones and Faces for inspiration. In the Bay Area it was Brian Jonestown Massacre and Mover. "Killing Me" expertly lifts a handful of who-who-who's from "Sympathy for the Devil". At times the lead singer's voice sounds a lot like Liam Gallagher's, especially on big dramatic ballads like "Tomorrow Today", which could be a (What's The Story) Morning Glory? B-side. All of which isn't to call them derivative. The songs are catchy, melodic, and generally a good time. In addition to the above songs, I like testy "I Can't Take It Anymore" and the twangy "Natural Disaster".

Never Mind the Pollacks: A Rock and Roll Novel (2004)

More rock fiction! I think as a general rule satires are hit and miss. Neal Pollack does a decent job at skewering rock critics and rock mythology, but sometimes it reminds me a little too much of Forrest Gump, as the main character (a fictional Neal Pollack) influences the careers of Elvis, Dylan, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Kurt Cobain. At its worst it reminds me of one of those Not Another (Teen/Scary/Date/Superhero) Movies where all the clichés, jokes and riffs are smashed up together in more or less a jumbled mess. But just as with Forrest Gump, sometimes it's fun to imagine the little behind-the-scenes moments surrounding historical (and musical) events.

The Fratellis - Here We Stand (2008)

Costello Music was catchy, immature and a lot of fun. Here We Stand is just a little less than more of the same. They still can write a revved up pop song, but they've replaced some of the spunk with lazy classic rock influences and end up sounding more like the Redwalls, a good but not great Nuggets-style garage rock band. Although the songs are generally good, without as many standout singles, the album starts to feel a little repetitive. However, if you rocked out to them last time, you'll probably like, but maybe not love, this album. "Mistress Mabel" and "My Friend John" are pretty sweet singles for spirited sing alongs.