Sir Richard Bishop: Friday, Jan. 11

A former Sun City Girl gets in touch with his inner demons.

Music Stories [GENRELESS GUITARIST] Any list of the best guitarists of the last three decades will probably not include Sir Richard Bishop. Long-haired teens do not headbang in front of a poster depicting his   More

 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 MITCH LILLIE

Primer: RJD2

Music Stories Born: In 1976 in Eugene.  Sounds like: An extremely gifted beatmaker who has a love/hate relationship with his drum machine. For fans of: Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow, Elliott Smith. Latest release:   More

 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 REED JACKSON

Chelsea Wolfe: Sunday, Jan. 13

Ain’t no sunshine in this songwriter’s doom-y folk.

Music Stories [GOTHIC FOLK] It’s raining in Los Angeles, but Chelsea Wolfe doesn’t mind. “I kind of hate how it’s always sunny here,” says the lanky, darkly eyelined singer-songwriter, sitting in a co   More

 

Wednesday, January 9, 2013 JONATHAN FROCHTZWAJG

Man on the Run

For prolific experimentalist Pete Swanson, there’s no such thing as a vacation.

Music Stories Sitting down for coffee in the Ace Hotel lobby, Pete Swanson is quite a sight. He flew back to Portland the day before, returning home from New York, where the prolific experimental musician att   More

 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 ROBERT HAM

Danny Corn: Friday, Jan. 4

An EDM lifer talks the past, present and future of electronic music.

Music Stories [ELECTRONIC] In the past 20 years, there have been at least three upswings in the popularity of electronic music: the rave/ecstasy period of the early ’90s; the big-beat and trip-hop explosion   More

 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 ROBERT HAM

Primer: Keane

Music Stories Formed: In 1997 in Battle, East Sussex, England. Sounds like: A respectful embrace of modestly attractive thirtysomethings outside a well-scrubbed cafe in drizzling twilight as patrons mirthlessl   More

 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013 JAY HORTON

Portland Exceptionalism

The best local albums of 2012.

Music Stories Admit it: You love lists. C’mon, you know you’re reading every single “Best of 2012” piece, either nodding with the satisfaction of having your own opinions validated or boiling with anger   More

 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012 WW MUSIC STAFF

The Best From Everywhere Else 2012

Our music writers’ favorite albums of 2012 not made by their neighbors.

Music Stories Aesop Rock, Skelethon  The old-school indie MC breaks a five-year silence with a characteristic torrent of impassioned poetry over rock-influenced beats. JONATHAN FROCHTZWAJG.   Ava L   More

 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012 WW MUSIC STAFF

The Best of Everything Else 2012

We didn’t just sit around listening to records all year. Some of us actually left the house.

Music Stories Best Show Almost No One Saw: Matthew Shipp Trio It was quite a surprise to find Jimmy Mak’s not even one-third full for a rare Portland appearance by powerhouse pianist Matthew Shipp and his t   More

 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012 AP KRYZA

The Last of the Jewish Cowboys

The profanity and the profundity of Kinky Friedman.

Music Stories Remember Ann Richards? The former Texas governor, famous for the giant cotton ball on her head and for warning Girl Scouts about “Prince Charming on a motorcycle with a beer gut and a wandering    More

 

Wednesday, December 19, 2012 MARTIN CIZMAR