LC News Roundup

Since Jay-Z isn't likely to make an appearance in town anytime soon, I figured it's the perfect time for another edition of the LocalCut roundup. Just because The Blueprint 3 leaked doesn't mean that some local bands don't need our attention. Here are a few of the biggest PDX-related news stories of the last few days.

- We've been pretty stoked on Nurses for a while now, but it's still exciting when they receive attention on a big national scale. Today NPR named the band's "Man at Arms" as its Song Of The Day, and Andy Young has a nice blurb that really captures just what these guys are all about:

Like the best old mix tapes, "Man at Arms" practically invites listeners to make up the words as they go along, picking up the discernible ones and making up the ones that can't be made out. The power of the melody is enticing enough to encourage a sing-along regardless, until the result stands as an alluring mixture of memory and myth.

- Apparently local agency Wieden + Kennedy is looking to branch out from advertising into the world of multimedia entertainment, and this afternoon it released a teaser trailer for a video project documenting the Portland community. Don't Move Here is a series that "focuses exclusively on the burgeoning underground music scene in Portland" and features interviews and performances clips from Adam Forkner of White Rainbow, YACHT, Grouper, Rev. Shines, Steve Schroeder of States Rights Records and more. Peep the clip below, and dig the rad Atole song they choose to score it:



- Weinland has a new video set for release next Wednesday at the Doug Fir, and there's a nice little teaser video available online for our viewing pleasure. What's up with teasers today? Just give us the whole thing! The Video for "I'm Sure it Helps" was filmed at the Crystal Ballroom, and the space was donated for just the fourth time after the Shins, Modest Mouse, and the Decemberists have already used it. The whole thing was filmed, produced and animated by Daniel Fickle, a new dude in town who runs Two Penguins production company.



- Are you a fan of Loch Lomond? Would you like a signed copy of the chamber poppers new EP Night Bats? Hush Records is offering a pre-order of Night Bats that features everyone's John Hancock on the cover plus an early copy of the record, which isn't set to drop until November 10. Here's what Hush has to say about the EP:

Having toured extensively this year with The Decemberists and Blitzen Trapper (among others), Loch Lomond now emphasizes in its new recorded output a directness and sharp pop sensibility that was only hinted at previously. Lead track “The Ghost of an Earthworm” is a shimmery, hooky gem devoid of much of the chamber instrumentation that peppers most of Loch Lomond's catalog (here, replaced with bright electric rhythms, making it perhaps the most straightforward song the band has ever recorded); they even cover the Bee Gees' “Holiday” (from Bee Gees 1st). “Spine (MMIX)” is a dramatically different reading of one of singer Ritchie Young's most-loved songs, highlighting the band's musical muscularity.

Title track “Night Bats” is as expansive as it is arresting, and is, along with “Ghost of an Earthworm”, one of the most shining examples of Young's exemplary ability to tell bizarre, often allegorical stories with stunning dry wit and biting precision. “Wax and Wire” is, simply, quite possibly the richest and most jaw-dropping track Loch Lomond has put to tape.

Masterfully mixed by producer-to-the-stars Tucker Martine (REM, Sufjan Stephens, Laura Viers), produced by the entire band collaboratively and recorded/engineered at Mystery Machine studios by Lee Howard (Nick Jaina, Run On Sentence), Night Bats showcases Loch Lomond at their strongest.

- Early this morning (or last night, if you were up late like me) Pitchfork debuted the new Panther video. It turns out that Gus Van Sant was not involved in the filming, but that didn't stop Vulture from panning the band as "mediocre indie rock" and making a lame crack at Charlie Salas-Humara's beard. Come on, guys, you can do better! For the record I love "Birds That Move" and all of Panther's new EP, Entropy, and I'm not just saying that cause I'm impartial to local rock bands.