Music Blog
A diverse slate of shows in Portland this week begins Monday night at the Doug Fir with The Gourds, touring behind their latest effort entitled Haymaker!. Self-described "music for the unwashed and well-read," it's the Austin, TX-based outfit's first performance in the area since last summer's Pickathon. It's as good an entry way as any into a week that also features the likes of The Bird & the Bee (Wed., Doug Fir), Lykke Li with Wildbirds & Peacedrums (Thurs., Hawthorne Theater), Greg Laswell and Jesca Hoop (Thurs., Doug Fir), The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Fri., Roseland Theater), and The Gutter Twins (Fri., Doug Fir). among others.
Argentinian singer Juana Molina comes to Lola's Room on Wednesday in support of her fifth album, Un Dia, released last year. Over the course of her career, Molina has become a measured musical study in the balance between the organic and the synthetic in her airy, atmospheric songs, in the process displaying an experimental spirit that often seems lacking in what the western world has come to call "world music." Oh, the opener's no slouch either: get there early to catch Laura Gibson's set, coming just a couple of weeks in front of the release of her much anticipated second album Beasts of Seasons. She's currently debuting a song per day from the album at her myspace.
MP3: Juana Molina, from Un Dia- "Un Dia"
MP3: Laura Gibson, from Beasts of Seasons- "Spirited"
Also this week, the CD release show for Portland's own Fernando, the near-eponymous band fronted by Fernando Viciconte. True Instigator is the seventh release from Viciconte in one form or another, and it combines the elements of alt-country, straight ahead roots-rock, and Beatlesesque power pop he's been known for in the past. It doesn't hurt that he assembled an impressive cadre of musicians for the recording-- names like Mike Coykendall, Lewi Longmire, Paul Brainard, and Adam Selzer, among others, all played a role, and it might be said that the resulting work is the sum of its parts.
Want to hear it? Viciconte is giving it away-- no, really, giving it away-- right now at his website for ninety days. Friday's show at Dante's also features Jim Boyer and Michael Dean Damron & Thee Loyal Bastards.
The thread is open-- questions, comments, requests, reactions, criticisms all welcome. What's on your minds?
Tagged: mp3
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Archived Comments
gunky / February 8, 2009
Juana Molina - I'm liking that more every time I hear it. Unfortunately, making it to her show this week isn't going to happen. Liking Alela Diane too. Avett Bro's (At the beach) - Nice one. Do they have yet another new disc out or was that from an oldie?
Jeremy Petersen / February 8, 2009
Alela Diane's stuff is really timeless, I think. Word is she's a Portlander once again, too. That was a tune from the Avett's back catalog (2004's Mignonette), which is surprisingly large. Write May 22 and 23 down on your calendar-- the Avetts back to back at the Crystal Ballroom.
gunky / February 8, 2009
That's sufficient notice for the Avett's at Crystal that I don't have much excuse to not go. On the topic of shows this week, I just happened to check Mississippi Studio's web pages, having heard that the action was going to be starting up out there soon. Guess I'm not the first one. Dave Alvin, one of my hero's, is playing there on V-day but it's sold out. And I have a date anyway. But it should be first rate for those with tickets, and in the new space too. Lots of good looking stuff coming up there in the next month or two...
inmemoryofjohnpeel / February 9, 2009
I applaud your coverage of Juana Molina, unfortunately she's playing at Lola's room - a venue where, after entry cost, US "pints" cost $6 and noise from the Crystal Ballroom booms in above the singer...
Jeremy Petersen / February 9, 2009
True, but better than the Ballroom I say.