Homeless youths don’t get a lot of chances to build self-esteem and express themselves creatively, but hrough programs educational and artistic, p:ear helps about 350 young people each year free themselves from the often isolating and degrading metal/emotional state of homelessness—one of the first steps toward becoming a fully contributing member of the community. Local […]

When Greg Oldson sings the words, “Pleasure is a pain in many ways,” on “The Prophet”—one of the more eerie songs from his most recent recording, Leaving Open Fields—it doesn’t rattle your bones because what he’s saying is news to you. It hits you because the way those words resonate in his cracked hickory voice […]

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Those of you who missed M. Ward’s performance on the Late Show with David Letterman last Thursday night are in luck. Thank YouTube, here it is for your enjoyment. Ward is looking wonderfully spooky while he plays “Chinese Translation” with the help of those crazy kids in Norfolk & Western and our very own […]

Me: Wait! Before you press play, think of the dumbest thing that has ever come to pass in the history of mankind.
You: “Paris Hilton?”
Me: No, dumber!
You: “George W’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech?”
Me: Even dumber than that!
You: “The movie Wild Things?”
Me: Okay, that was pretty fucking dumb. I guess you can press play now.
You: I don’t […]

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If you’ve been following my local hip-hop coverage, you probably know by now that I’ve been excited lately by a rejuvinated Cool Nutz, both at his shows and on the material I’ve heard from his upcoming album, formerly known as Guerilla in the Trunk. Nutz is excited, too, which is why he’s renamed the project […]

Something about Horse Feathers’ vocalist/songwriter Justin Ringle heavily reminds me of not only more obvious male singer comparisons like the Shins’ James Mercer or Holopaw’s John Orth, but he almost constantly brings to my mind Tracy Chapman, as well. It’s a breathy, strategically paused male version of Chapman—which sounds pretty damn different than Chapman now […]

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When I reviewed Good World a while back, I made a heavy reference to Peter and the Wolf, a 1930’s childrens tale where the characters, save for the narrator, communicate only through instruments, mostly clarinets and oboes. The original was “commissioned” by Stalin, but you probably only know the Disney version. Anyhow, while the entire […]

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Well, one day into tour and we’re already working on the van.
After tearing it up in Bend last night with Drag The River, our brosephs from Colorado and tourmates for this run, we high tailed it to Eugene. Our long standing desire to eliminate our late night driving is already out the window, but we […]

If anyone had any doubts, Satyricon really is reopening. Fresh from co-owner, and booker Jeff Urquhart, King of the Banana people himself, is the schedule for the first month of shows, starting tomorrow. I’m pretty impressed by how packed it is—I expected there to be some holes, but things seem to really get rolling around […]

In the interest of full disclosure, I ought to let you know that the guys in Ferocious Eagle are friends of mine. They also happen to be a really rockin’ three-piece all-star band (featuring members of Tractor Operator, Pellet Gun and The Maybe Happening). “Rape Whistle” is as good a place as any to start […]

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