Wye Oak - Civilian (2011)

Tex says: I came across Wye Oak's 2009 album, The Knot on a Most-Underrated-Of-The-Year list. The talented duo of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack make a lot of sound for two people, with Wasner strumming and belting while Stack covers both bass and drums simultaneously. Together they create powerful, noisy, folk-tinged rock songs that are entrancing and interesting. The Knot certainly grabbed my attention, and their 2010 EP, My Neighbor/ My Creator, cemented them as a band I'd be watching closely. I got the chance to preview their newest effort Civilian this week, and at first listen or two, I was a bit disappointed. From their sound on last year's EP, I was kind of expecting some more up-tempo songs, which Civilian does not provide. However, I found myself compelled to play it again... and again... and now my play count for the week is 8 times. I'm now hearing a lot more complexity than I initially did, in both instrumentation and song-writing. Wasner's vocal character continues to deepen and expand with each new song I hear from them, and I can't get her voice out of my head. It's a wonderful kind of haunting. Let Wye Oak in and they'll find a place in your head to set up shop.

Dolorean - The Unfazed (2011)

Dolorean's The Unfazed is so goddamn beautiful. It’s the kind of music that’s perfect for slow mornings or late nights or really anytime during these long gray winter months in Portland. Suffice to say, it’s been on heavy rotation lately. And with uncertainty looming at work, the strolling “The Unfazed” (mp3) has become my mantra. I find comfort in singer-songwriter Al James’ hush tones and numb perseverance to life's obstacles and opportunities: “Unfazed by pain, unfazed by love, unfazed by rain that won’t let up”. The album is rich with lush and gentle harmonies, like on two of my favorites: “Country Clutter” or “Thin Skinned.” But it hard choosing favorites when the songwriting is this good. It also is worth picking up the Anticipation Blues EP because two of the four songs are great and somehow not on the album.


Dolorean - The Unfazed (Live at OPB) from opbmusic.org on Vimeo.

McDougall - Our New Histories (2010)

McDougall is folk-singing hurricane of a one-man band, pounding out the bottom end on a kick drum and high hat as he powerfully strums his guitar. Our New Histories is full of tales of traveling, colorful characters and their lives. This is music for and about people. McDougall's lyrics have a confident stride and almost sound like a preacher's parables. When the songs build they gain a sense of foreboding urgency, as if fire and brimstone might rain down at any minute. Like the Builders and the Butchers, the impending doom on "Around This Fire" and "18 Days Of Rain" (mp3) sounds like a celebration. More upbeat songs, like "Line By Line" and "Time To Move" seem ready to hop off the boxcar and lead the crowd to the dance hall. He commanded the stage when I saw him open for Hillstomp a couple weeks ago, and the album captures that same excitement and devilish glee that made me a fan.

Ray LaMontagne - "For The Summer" & "Beg Steal or Borrow"

Hello. My name is Mona and I'm a pogonophile. I think the only thing better than a 5 o'clock shadow is an 11 o'clock one... preferably from the night before. In fact, I prefer my musicians the way I prefer my men: scruffy as hell. If you can shower daily yet still manage to look like you haven't showered in a week, things will be explosive between us. Or at the very least, I will laugh at all your jokes, bake you cookies, and/or check out your band. Pleased to meet you. In the immortal words of Bob Slydell, "...the pleasure is all on this side of the table. Trust me."

Enter Ray LaMontagne and his lovely beard that inspired my little musical due diligence. All silliness aside, I always assumed he was just some Starbucks pick of the week and never bothered to do the research. On second thought, he probably is and I would never truly know because I rarely patronize the establishment let alone even drink coffee. Regardless, I heard "For The Summer" off of God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise (2010) and it definitely piqued my curiosity for other aurally pleasing, non-beard-related reasons. Who knew he was legitimately talented? And if you did in fact know, how come no one told me? I feel like I'm listening to snippets of my favorite Van Morrison, Ryan Adams, Stephen Stills, and Nick Drake elements all at once. Ahh, it's essentially one-stop shopping for the ears... and I don't even like shopping!

Well hey hey, my my! I also love another track: "Beg Steal or Borrow." I really dig this guy's voice and his folk leanings. So much so, his music makes me want to get a spread of land with him, buy some chickens and tend to them. Then, I would bake us a fresh apple pie and leave it on the kitchen window sill to cool as I adoringly watch him from the porch wrangle horses out back just before sunset. There's something to be said about artists who can borrow from their influences without complete and utter replication, put out something relatively watered-down in comparison yet still respectable in its own right. Case in point: here LaMontagne demonstrates that he knows how to channel his inner Neil Young without going too overly Neil Young on your ass. And hey, I love my nasaly Neil Young just as much as the next guy but sometimes I feel like even he himself needs to tone down the Neilness a smidge when he's rocking the mic. No disrespect intended of course, Mr. Young. I am loving that sexy rasp in LaMontagne's voice, it's almost slightly more pleasurable to me than the tiny joy and actual sensation of going in for a nuzzle and feeling that nice, sharp stubble against your nose, lips and cheeks*. But as far as knowing for sure if it really is "better to burn out than to fade away?" ... Neil Young, that one is still very much all you.

*Who are we kidding. Nothing feels better than that... unless maybe it's with Ray LaMontagne after he sings these songs, perhaps.

McDougall - "48 Reasons" Video

If you dig Hillstomp, there's a good chance you'll like McDougall's back porch tales. "48 Reasons" off Ramble should convince you to show up for an early beer when he opens for Hillstomp at Dante's on Saturday night. "18 Days of Rain" (mp3) from his upcoming album is also worth checking out. Plus, he comes highly recommended by Hillstomp's Henry Krammer:

"He is unbelievable. We actually travel with him whenever we can. He is one of the best songwriters I’ve ever met in my life. He’s a singer-songwriter but he uses a kick drum and a high hat and plays banjo and guitar and he screams his head off and he makes you a believer after about 30 seconds. I would recommend showing up early."

J. Tillman @ Doug Fir

J. Tillman shuffled on stage, grabbed his guitar, said a few pleasantries and began. The place went immediately dead silent once he started singing "Three Sisters". The parable's story and imagery delivered in alternating resonating strength and delicate whisper. His captivating performance even held the bar in the back silent for 3 or 4 songs.

The Doug Fir was the perfect venue for Tillman, with the acoustics capturing the clarity and sharpness of his vocal. His songs, although quiet and beautiful, they never lulled the audience, but held them rapt and attentive as he played songs from his upcoming album, Singing Ax, due out sometime in September. He wasn't sure or seemed to care about those details, but if that night was any indication, it will be worth seeking out.

Austin Lucas @ Hawthorne Theater

I caught Austin Lucas' set in the lounge at the Hawthorne Theater on Sunday. Although he tours with a band, this was his final show in town before heading down to South by Southwest, and it was just him and his guitar. It'd been a while since I went to an acoustic one mic show, but his charisma filled the room, as he bantered with the audience between songs and even interjected humorous antidotes into the middle of a couple of them.

As you can tell from his press shot, his roots aren't purely country and folk. However, little of his hardcore roots are present in his current songs. They range from the lovelorn to barroom rave up, strummed with an intensity that'll fire up your drinking but not quite get you off the bar stool. He's got a good voice, and while he'd likely admit to stumbling a bit, he plays well too. I look forward to catching him next time he passes through, with or without his band in tow.

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.

Birds Fled From Me & John Houx @ The Crepe Place

As John Houx sat on the floor of The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz, CA, playing his song "Born in 1984", a painting of a grinning Bob Dylan circa 1969 looked down on him. The uncanny resemblance between the two went further than looks, and to Houx's credit, he doesn't shy away from a songwriting style that owes a lot to the august folk singer. That is good because his songwriting is strong enough to carry past comparisons, and his easygoing presence kept any hokeyness at bay. He ran through a strong set of songs that were witty and sharp, personal but not overtly political. Houx was opening for Birds Fled From Me, solo project of local artist Rachel Williams, who performed admirably with an impromptu band and a case of jet lag. But it was the first songs in her set, performed solo using a tape delay, that were most captivating. Her lilting, alluring voice accompanying itself on songs about love lost or found. She has a endearing skittishness onstage, seemingly unable to stop herself from telling her audience how nervous she is in between songs, or declaring "I'm a really self-conscious person. Seriously." In front of an enthusiastic crowd in her hometown, she seemed at ease in her awkwardness.

Don Of Division Street - Animals In Love (2009)

It's kind of amazing that Don of Division Street's mostly known for being one of Portland's in demand drummers. Maybe that will change with Animals In Love, an album full of engaging Americana songwriting. It ebbs and flows from mid tempo alt. country pop to slower folk to plugged in roots rock, like on "You're Gone". Regardless of the style, Matt Cadenelli's voice rich vocals that adds depth to the songs. The two standouts are the beautiful and rolling "Mina Bird" and "I Never Crawled", which, with its Memphis-style horns and backup singers, reminds me a little of Tift Merritt's forays into blue-eyed soul on Tambourine. While the album lags a bit in the middle with three back to back slower tracks, most of the songs pleasantly accessible, like the warm and yearning "When I Release Me" or the loping "Mourning Light".

Cory Chisel - Death Won't Send a Letter (2009)

When a song like "Born Again" (mp3) (video) kicks off an album, it does not take much more to get people buzzing. While "Born Again" makes its case as one of the singles of the year, the rest of the tracks dabble less in noticeable pop hooks and more in throwback southern-rock roots, such as on "My Heart Would Be There" (great song) and "What Do You Need," and singer-songwriter folk-rocky acoustic, such as on "Tennessee," "So Wrong for Me," (another great song) "Mockingbird" and "Calm Down." The backing band and vocalists (the full name of the band is "Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons") are excellent throughout, and all the tracks are soulful and make for good listening; however, the overall feeling of the songs following "Born Again" seem to lack the same shoot-for-the-stars ambition and calculation. In fact, I enjoyed the songs not called "Born Again" more when I first heard them live, than when I later listened to the recorded versions. Perhaps the curse of writing a truly fantastically catchy song is that it leaves people wanting, but I think in light of witnessing Chisel's stellar live performance, the songs on the album just seem to be much more subdued and bottled than they needed to be. This is not to say that Death Won't Send a Letter is anything less than commendable, and it certainly adds to my anticipation of what will come next from Mr. Chisel.

Elvis Perkins In Dearland - Elvis Perkins In Dearland (2009)

Perkins deserves all the praise and lofty comparisons that he receives. For his sophomore release, Perkins assembled a talented backing band to fill-out his folky, singer-songwriter approach, and the rounded-out sound could not be better crafted. From start to finish, Elvis Perkins In Dearland's diverse, acoustic rock and folk influences meld into catchy—sometimes touching, sometimes uplifting—musical story pieces. Perkins' voice is both melodically endearing, like on the slow and sentimental "Hours Last Stand," and enthusiastically jumpy, like on the upbeat "I Heard Your Voice In Dresden." The assorted instrumentation stays in step with the tone of the vocals, and the poetic lyrics exemplify why Perkins is one of the more well regarded song writers over the past few years. Elvis Perkins In Dearland is worth both a purchase and a listen. He is currently on tour now, so plan accordingly.

For a taste of my favorite song off the album, watch this studio video for "Shampoo."

Pete Doherty - Grace / Wasteland (2009)

I loved the two Libertines albums and Pete Doherty's contributions to their shambling, boys-on-the-brink sound, and so I've continued to follow him through his various groups and headlines. With Grace / Wasteland, it appears Dohetry's days of sloshing through sloppy garage rock are behind him. The album is mellow and mature, probably closest in tone to the "For Lovers" single he released as Wolfman. The album starts out strong, with the casual "Arcady" and "Last of the English Roses", the most fully developed and single worthy track. Other songs have their moments - some well place oh oh ohs on "I Am The Rain" and the moody strings on "A Little Death Around The Eyes" - but overall, most of the hooks seem to have been stripped away with the energy and mystique.

M. Ward - Hold Time (2009)

I didn't love Hold Time until after I saw M. Ward live. While the guest spots are generally nice additions - especially by Zooey Deschanel and Jason Lytle - it wasn't until all the production was stripped down to just him and his band that I realized just how good the songs were. I think it took longer to sink in because this is his poppiest sounding album and some of the weird little moments that made his music more unique were polished over. It may not feel as old timey, but the songs still feel timeless and earthy. Plus, "Never Had Nobody Like You" and "To Save Me" rank up there with his best songs.

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone (2009)

As far as I'm concerned, Neko Case shouldn't be new to anyone who has even a relatively loose grasp on what's "hot" in the world of female singer-songwriters, because she has one of the most astounding set of pipes in the business. Everything, from soft and soothing, to puissant and commanding, is within Case's vocal range, and she knows how to exploit her ability. Long before Starbucks peddled Fox Confessor Brings the Flood to the masses and made Neko Case an alt. country, indy-labeled chart buster, she was enhancing the sound of The New Pornographers, and cutting her own piece of immortality out of the music industry with her independent releases and intimate live performances. So, how does one follow up an album as excellent and acclaimed as Fox Confessor Brings the Flood? By conjuring up some of the most awesome album art I've seen in days, and by sticking to what works and featuring Ms. Case's most dynamic attribute—her powerful vocals. That is exactly what Middle Cyclone does, and what makes it so enchanting. Subtly and consistently Case continues to deliver tracks of quality and class that seem beyond the attainability of many pop-country divas and big label darlings. My favorites are "This Tornado Loves You," "Red Tide," "I'm An Animal," & "People Got A Lotta Nerve," but really, all the tracks are damn good (especially for those currently omnipresent rainy days), with the 31 minutes of birds chirping on "Marais La Nuit," being the non-song exception. Listen and love.

Horse Feathers - House With No Home (2008)

Do you like hushed, wavering male folk singers? Because if you do, you need to check out Portland's Horse Feathers. The delicate vocals are backed by warm and supportive acoustic guitar, banjo, and cello. Justin Ringle's voice falls somewhere between Sam Beam and Justin Vernon. House With No Home feels sparse, as the musicians allow the music to breathe and the instruments to become quiet for a cappella sections. It's a really quiet album. I kept turning it up. The music almost seems reluctant to come out of the speakers. It's also quite beautiful and restrained. Check out the album art, it is perfectly matched to the music. My favorite tracks are "Working Poor" and "Helen".

Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP (2009)

The track “Blood Bank,” both lyrically and musically, is an excellent piece of song-writing that would have been a welcome addition to For Emma, Forever Ago. Musical simplicity joins Justin Vernon's yearning vocals and continues that feeling of haunting solitude that For Emma established so well. “Beach Baby” features one of my favorite instruments of all time, the slide guitar, and although it is quite good, it is far too short.

Those two songs get my blessing, while the other two just bore the shit out of me. I keep listening to “Woods,” and think out loud, “Why the hell did he have to go a use Kanye West’s vocal machine and ruin his sound?” Damn, vocoders are so lame, unless they are being used to prank call people. And “Babys” is four and a half minutes of annoying plunky piano. Seriously, those two tracks will forever be skipped.

So really, this is like half an EP (maybe more like a Single with bonus tracks) and "Blood Bank" is the only feature that really continues Vernon’s efforts in solid fashion.

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast & Useless Creatures (2009)

Between Noble Beast and Useless Creatures, Andrew Bird is releasing nearly 2 hours of new music to kick off 2009. Not too surprisingly, Bird delivers excellence again with catchy & easy to listen to string ensambles, mellow vocals and carefree whistling throughout Noble Beast. Nothing crazy or cutting edge here, but consistent creative quality that both soothes and entertains—a stellar follow-up to Bird's captivating 2007 release Armchair Apocrypha. Useless Creatures, the accompanying "bonus EP," is all instrumental strangeness, albeit interesting and surprisingly listenable, that plays like the soundtrack to an artistic indie film. They may not be useless, but they certainly are odd creatures. All in all a must listen for this early year, and another feather in the cap of this extremely talented and creative multi-instrumentalist.

Grab a listen to: "Not a Robot, But a Ghost," "Fitz & Dizzyspells," and "Anonanimal" (especially after the jazzy snare drum interlude).

Leona Naess - Thirteens (2008)

I have literally been waiting years (five to be exact) for Leona Naess to release a new album. I first heard her play as an opener for Badly Drawn Boy in 2003. Immediately, I went home and had Awmercy purchase I Tried To Rock You But You Only Roll (2001) and Leona Naess (2003).

Her albums often unfold like a diary with each song playing candidly through the ups and downs of relationships and life. Thirteens, released this week, is the product of two years and thirteen albums worth of songs recorded while mourning her father's 2004 death. Naess calls her newest work a "mix-tape" of songs that express the emotions one would expect from a life-altering change. The album ranges in mood from the plaintive and sweet "Learning as We Go" and "Not the Same Girl" to a more upbeat "Un-Named" and "Leave Your Boyfriends Behind," which makes you want to grab a buddy and sing along drunkenly to the chorus.

At first listen, I fell in love with Thirteens and it only gets better the second and third (and thirteenth) time around. Her beautifully sad voice perfectly captures the sentiments conveyed through her lyrics. I am so excited that one of my favorite artists has produced another album that exceeds my expectations and was well worth the long wait.

Ben Arthur - Mouthfeel (2008)

After a four year hiatus from his 2004 (and one of my favorite albums), Edible Darling, I was excited to potentially add ten new songs to my Ben Arthur music playlist. When I heard the first song on Mouthfeel I thought ahh, he's back. Pairing up with Rachel Yamagata and DJ Big Wiz, there's an interesting mix of his "classic" stuff with some new sounds.

I don't want to say I was disappointed with the album, but when listening to it in the car I was bummed that there were a few songs that struck me as booor-ing. I think it would be fair to say that I'd definitely add six of the ten songs to my top list and see if the remaining four grow on me a little more.

With that said, I absolutely love three songs on the album: "Tattoo" (the first song), which sounds a lot like my favorites from Edible Darling; "Last Goodbye" which harks back to the glory days of Blink 182 (Ve1cro I'm sure he wrote this one for you); and "Beautiful Day in LA."