Andrew W.K.: Monday, March 5

The world’s foremost party expert stops in Portland.

Music Stories [PARTY MUSIC] Who could have predicted the longevity of Andrew W.K.’s career? He sprung into the world a decade ago fully formed, clad in white T-shirt and white jeans and heartily urging us to    More

 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 ROBERT HAM

W.C. Beck: Friday, March 2

W.C. Beck’s roaring 20s were filled with fireworks and funerals.

Music Stories In 2009, W.C. Beck’s life got complicated. All three of his bands imploded within a month of each other. Then he broke up with his girlfriend. Then his grandparents died. Then a close childhoo   More

 

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 MATTHEW SINGER

Mic Check: Craig Finn

Music Stories Because frontman Craig Finn’s voice is the most easily identified part of his band the Hold Steady’s sound, one might assume Finn’s new solo debut, Clear Heart Full Eyes, would sound like    More

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 CASEY JARMAN

Here’s Where the Strings Come In

A survey of jazz guitar from Django to the Portland Jazz Festival.

Music Stories There’s no official theme for this year’s Portland Jazz Festival. That’s fine: They’re often contrived anyway. Still, the presence of Seattle’s Bill Frisell and Berkeleyite-turned-Brookl   More

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 BRETT CAMPBELL

The Darkness: Thursday, Feb. 23

The Darkness is back...and cleaner than ever.

Music Stories America never really understood the Darkness. In fairness, when the band hit stateside in the early 2000s, the country hadn’t seen a frontman regularly wear spandex unitards since David Lee Roth   More

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 MATTHEW SINGER

The James Low Western Front: Saturday, Feb. 25

Like whiskey, Portland’s James Low is getting better with age.

Music Stories [COUNTRY] James Low has his proverbial shit together. After years without inspiration—his 2009 The Blackguard’s Waltz EP was the first release since what Low calls an “awful” 2004 live alb   More

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2012 CASEY JARMAN

Beauty In Pain

There’s one song Lincoln Crockett can’t bring himself to sing.

Music Stories Alicia Crockett knew something was wrong with her pregnancy. All the tests said otherwise, that everything was fine, but she couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of unease.  “I could   More

 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 MATTHEW SINGER

Cursive: Sunday, Feb. 19, Bunk Bar

One of indie rock’s stalwart acts finds a rather Grimm calling.

Music Stories [CONCEPTUAL ROCK] Broken homes are one of Tim Kasher’s favorite subjects. From the arguments and broken dishes strewn across Cursive’s masterful 2000 relationship epic, Domestica, to the claus   More

 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 CASEY JARMAN

Songs To Seal The V-Day Deal

Portland musicians present and defend their favorite sex jams.

Music Stories Most Portland musicians don’t want to talk about doing it. Or so it seemed when we asked dozens of Portland musicians about their favorite sex songs. Like with so many other topics, it’s all i   More

 

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 CASEY JARMAN

Drunken Prayer: Friday, Feb. 10

Tom Waits gives great advice—if you can understand what he’s saying.

Music Stories [RELUCTANT POP] When it comes to sagelike figures in rock ’n’ roll, few give off the aura of a bourbon-drunk Dalai Lama more than Tom Waits. Morgan Geer knows this personally. In 2006, when th   More

 

Wednesday, February 8, 2012 MATTHEW SINGER