Lawz Spoken’s CHRON: Legacy

A weed-scented, hip-hop crime drama, with an ’80s sound and a ’90s soul.

Music Stories A suburban upbringing leaves lasting and vivid impressions that rival those produced by even the dankest of joints. Matthew Gonzales can testify. The Portland producer, known as both Lawz Spoken   More

 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 MARK STOCK

Primer: The Residents

Music Stories Formed: In 1969 in San Mateo, Calif. Sounds like: The history of popular music and modern art as viewed through a funhouse mirror, with aspects coming into focus then warping out of proportion.&n   More

 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 ROBERT HAM

The A/V Club

Eight Portland music video directors you need to know.

Music Stories Twenty years ago, it used to be that only Axl Rose and Michael Jackson could afford to make music videos that looked like glorified short films. Now, with the advent of the Internet and affordab   More

 

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 MATTHEW SINGER

Kenny Fresh (FRSH SLCTS)

How to blog Portland hip-hop and occasionally alienate people.

Music Stories A lot of people have heard of 25-year-old Portlander Kenny Fresh. Most don’t know why. The New Jersey transplant, creator of music blog FRSH SLCTS, has become a significant fixture in the Nort   More

 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 REED JACKSON

Tomahawk: Wednesday, Feb. 13

When weird goes pop.

Music Stories [PATTON POP] Kristen Mystirie Calderon, a club hostess and makeup artist from Los Angeles, does not like Tomahawk’s new single.  “Tomahawk, your music made me wet—juicy even!” she wro   More

 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 RUTH BROWN

Primer: The Presidents of the United States of America

Music Stories Formed: In 1993, in Seattle. Sounds like: Early Green Day without the fat basslines or affected accents; the Cars without synthesizers; Cheap Trick without all the heavy sociopolitical commentary   More

 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 MARTIN CIZMAR

Peer Reviews

Four Portland artists critique each other’s new albums.

Music Stories Everyone’s a critic—even artists, who are predisposed to hating critics. So, with several major Portland albums dropping Feb. 19, we let the artists do our jobs for us and take a shot at rev   More

 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 MATTHEW SINGER

Black Hole Son

A conversation with Portland’s foremost Soundgarden expert.

Music Stories If music fandom is measured by the number of times people have seen their favorite band live, then Matt Reeder is a lousy Soundgarden fan. He owns 250 bootlegs, all the band’s official releases    More

 

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 MATTHEW SINGER

Primer: Pallbearer

Music Stories Formed: In Little Rock, Ark., in 2008.  Sounds like: A slow march through brimstone fields at the end of time. For fans of: Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Electric Wizard, Burning Witch, funerals,    More

 

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 NATHAN CARSON

Kingdom Crumbs: Wednesday, Feb. 6

The future of hip-hop is living in Seattle. And no, it’s not Macklemore.

Music Stories [TOMORROW’S HIP-HOP] Like an increasing number of rappers these days, Tay Sean Brown of Seattle’s Kingdom Crumbs doesn’t listen to much hip-hop. Not as much as he used to, anyway. Growing up   More

 

Wednesday, February 6, 2013 MATTHEW SINGER