In the hustle and bustle of putting this week’s paper together, we forgot to add a very special show. Tonight at Rotture (S.E. 3rd and Pine), some of Portland’s finest—post-punkers Reporter (ex-Wet Confetti), experimental folky Dragging an Ox Through Water, nearly broken-up Bjork-inspired pop outfit Sukey Tawdry, plus singer/songwriters Justin King and Louis Soto—join together […]

On Friday night, Brendan Fowler—the Los Angeles lad that takes stages as BARR—performed his insightful-spoken-word-over-iPod-music at Backspace. Fowler smiled through out, whether he was immersed in a long verse or just playing with the lighting that flashed on and off in step with his voice. Missed out on the adventure? Take a journey into the […]

One can imagine that the uninitiated, stumbling upon an Inca Ore performance for the first time—witnessing a pixielike young woman hunched over a keyboard, crooning unintelligible, sing-songy poetry into a pedal-treated microphone—might have the old “My kid could do this” reaction usually reserved for paint-splattered postmodern art. However, a more apt reaction might be, […]

[ELECTRO-POP] With its elaborate makeup and custom-made sexed-up costumes, Fleshtone has always put its own twist on the rock opera. Past shows have included softcore porn-ish hot-dog outfits, jungle gyms and grown men in diapers—all of which has made the troupe one of Portland’s more controversial, not to mention polarizing. But, considering a recent […]

Ambient music is a lot of things for a lot of different people: A bedtime treat for indie rockers, fodder for art installations, a refuge for otherwise nonmusicians to dabble in making their own music. To E*Rock, from the sound of “Exexpat,” ambient music is an opportunity to play with soundscapes and mood music, moving […]

Portland/Las Vegas MC Meezilini bills himself as the Voice of The Streets. Now, I’m not in a position to verify that claim. Sure, occasionally, when streets is talkin’, I hear them. But it’s usually because streets is talkin’ really loud. When they’re just talkin’ at a normal volume, I may or may not hear streets. […]

Miss Massive Snowflake
Queen’s Headache European Tour
April 9, 2008
on train to Graz, Austria

I wasn’t going to write anything today, but I have been riding on the train for around 8 hours and I have been alternately sleeping and reading 20,000 Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne and need a new diversion.
I just transferred in Bischoffhofen […]

Mantis’ aesthetic is sorta all-encompassing, and manifests itself in laid back electronic sonatas to sample-packed sensory overloaders. “Feels Good,” the opening track, has hip-hop spirit with some dreamy trance minimalism on top and plenty of room left to breathe. But over the course of the album, Travis Smith (the man in this Man-tis) moves more […]

Yet another East Ender: Cityrocker. Let’s meet him, shall we?
How did you decide on your DJ name? What’s your real name?
Cityrocker was the name of a Japanese punk record label in the 80’s. I’m sure they took it from a Clash song however. Real name is Adam.
As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, […]

We’re here, Wednesday, the day after Earth Day, at a round-table music discussion set up by The Recording Academy, because we all care. These are the people who, for better or worse, make the Grammys, that purest travesty of taste and spectacle that somehow still comes around every year and lets Amy Winehouse heartbreakingly, tear-streamed, […]