Music Like most of Myke Bogan’s music, “Get Lifted,” off his debut mixtape, So Long South Dakota, seems relatively innocent at first listen. Its laid-back guitar strums and references to Mary Jane give it the sound of a well-made weed anthem. And it is—sort of. But beneath the intoxication talk is a heavy tone of loneliness and contemplation. With lines like, “I’m hoping someone will ...   More

Music Here's what we know about new Portland band Slim Fortune: It's a group featuring Rex Marshall and Max Avalon of electro-R&B trio Mattress and Jay Winebrenner of 31Knots. It's making its debut performance this Wednesday at Holocene. And, according to the description accompanying the listing on the venue's Web site, the band plays "classic soul/rock'n'roll." That's about it. Well, ...   More

Music One my first memories of Soopah Eype was at a house party show in Eugene a few years ago.  He was performing in front of a dark living room full of tipsy college kids (not including myself, of course) and rapping out of a couple banged up, woodgrain speakers. From my understanding, it was one of his first shows. After only a few songs, Soop, adorned in a goofy silk collared shirt, told ...   More

Music Coming from a member of gentle Portland folkies Horse Feathers, it should be pretty easy to predict the sound of Sam Cooper's Long Lost Love. Your guess would probably be right: impeccably warm arrangements of acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, piano and mandolin; earnest, heart-swelling harmonies; lovesick lyrics referencing the weather and nature. "Bones," a particularly breezy track from the record, ...   More

Music I hope that in listening to this new track from garage-psych quartet Wooden Indian Burial Ground you have the same reaction I did. That around the halfway point, when the band dissolves into a fit of feedback and static, you think, "Well, it can't get any better than that." And that's when WIBG decides to pour it on. Thick sheets of reverb, and an acid freakout guitar solo. Absolutely glorious. And ...   More

Music As I said this week in my review of the new Mike Coykendall record, it is a bit of a shame that the initial focus  people have been directing towards Chasing Away The Dots is the big names associated with it. Take this track, for example, which features backing vocals from the queen of adorkability herself, Zooey Deschanel, and her now ex-husband Ben Gibbard, as well as some instrumental ...   More

Music Here's a cut from a band playing Dante's tonight with Michael Dean Damron (and not playing with the pulled-out Richmond Fontaine. Portland spaghetti westerners Federale brought out their second disc mere weeks ago, telling a whole new story in their inimitable soundtrack-without-a-film style. Enjoyed best while reading the plotline in the liner notes, you can still get the gist from song titles ...   More

Music There's a certain type of music that's hard to write about. I'm not complaining (I get paid to do this), but I mention this because last week I was asked to describe the sound of electronic act Operative, my new favorite Portland band. So what do I do? Try to explain the concept of a square wave? Name a bunch of house artists that I don't know that well? Or just describe how it makes me feel? "Pulse," ...   More