contents
ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE ISSUE NO. 7
THE USUAL 3 Letter from the Editor 3 Staff Credits Columns
VOLUME 2
FEATURES National Scene 13 ELEVEN cozies up with local rockers And And And to find meaning behind the music — the Ho Ho Ho’s and Ha Ha Ha’s surrounding their new EP, No Party.
5 Aural Fix How To Dress Well ALT-J Saint Motel
new music 7 Short List 7 Album Reviews Michele Wylen Scott Walker And And And El Perro Del Mar
LIVE MUSIC 9 Musicalendar An encompassing overview of concerts in PDX for the upcoming month. But that’s not all - the Musicalendar is complete with a venue map to help get you around town.
Local Local Hero 15 Hollywood Theatre director Doug Whyte
PDX Paragons 16 Luck-One Woolen Men
Visual Arts 17 Portland painter Tripper Dungan
The Local Biz 18 ELEVEN’s favorite local business directory
11 Previews
more online at elevenpdx.com
HELLO PORTLAND! Happy Holidays, Portland! I will now provide, as a holiday present for you, our readers, a very personal countdown of my ELEVEN most-listened-to albums of 2012. This does not necessarily mean the album was released in 2012, just that I listened to it this year. A lot. On vinyl. Because I’m a music snob. And I’m okay with that. Oh, the list already? Yip yip, away we gooooooooooooo! 11. CSS - La Liberación 10. Air - Moon Safari 9. Dr. Dog - Be The Void 8. Yacht - Shangri-La 7. Radiation City - The Hands That Take You 6. Other Lives - Tamer Animals 5. Blouse - Blouse 4. Typhoon - A New Kind of House 3. Tycho -Dive 2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs 1. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest Well, there you have it, Portland! Hope it was insightful. Yes, I listen to a lot of indie rock. Yes, I’m okay with that too. Remember to experience and give the gift of music on a regular (read: daily) basis. It’s here for you. It’ll make you feel right. XOXO »
- Ryan Dornfeld, Editor in Chief
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SENIOR STAFF Ryan Dornfeld EDITOR IN CHIEF Dustin Mills CREATIVE DIRECTOR senior writer Wendy Worzalla GRAPHIC DESIGN Dustin Mills Cover design DjM cover PHOTO Mercy McNab COPY EDITORS Charles Trowbridge Dane Johnson FILM EDITOR Bex Silver CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Billy Dye, Kelly Kovl, Richard Lime, Rachel Milbauer, Aaron Mills, Kela Parker, Eric Tegethoff, Rob de la Teja, Morgan Troper, Charles Trowbridge
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P.O. Box 16488 Portland, OR. 97292 get involved getinvolved@elevenpdx.com
GENERAL INQUIRIES info@elevenpdx.com ADVERTISING sales@elevenpdx.com SOCIAL MEDIA GURU Kim Lawson kim@elevenpdx.com online www.elevenpdx.com twitter.com/elevenpdx facebook.com/elevenmagpdx eleven west media group, llc Ryan Dornfeld Dustin Mills
SPECIAL THANKS Kev, Jim, Steph, Matt, Tali, photographers Vargas fam, EastBurn fam, M.W., Justin Cate, Michael Herman, Amy Kettenburg, Mercy McNab, Aa Mills Tixie fam, Meeses, Pub Dom fam, Vincente’s championship softball, Skot and Karla, our research assistant partners, families and friends! Katherine Benedict
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columns
AURAL FIX
(Every month, our expert team seeks out the newest and most exciting musicians in the world. After searching high and low, we’re proud to bring you the result of our concentrated efforts.)
1
HOW TO DRESS WELL
Not only can Colorado boast as one of the first states to legalize marijuana, but the Centennial State can also claim Tom Krell as their own. Better known by his stage name, How to Dress Well, this experimental pop producer and singer struck a chord with music lovers around the world with his ethereal vibes on his acclaimed 2010 debut album. Love Remains took listeners back to the ‘90s with his evocative songs reminiscent of R&B acts like Shai and TLC. Following up with his sophomore effort in September of this year, Total Loss nods to the likes of Stevie Wonder and Prince (think “Purple Rain” harmonies). It starts with the lyrics – “You were there for me when I was in trouble” – and sets the deeply personal tone as he opens his heart and pours out droves of sadness, troubles of loss and loneliness. Leaving behind the blissfully disorienting fuzz from Love Remains, Krell deals with very real and grave themes. Total Loss, as the title suggests, is about the struggle to cope with the life-shattering and crushing effects of losing a loved one (whether it be a lover, friend, or family member). It’s serious with bass lines as heavy as the emotional struggle. Krell takes you down a dark path, but he’s holding your hand the whole way. » - Wendy Worzalla
2
ALT-J
Their name is derived from the keyboard shortcut used to produce the Delta (∆) symbol, the mathematical symbol for change. Formed in 2007 by Joel Newman and Gwil Sainsbury, Alt-J has been quietly forging their unique sound and cultivating a respectable U.K. fan base. Their debut album, An Awesome Wave, was released in May on the Infectious Music label to mostly favorable reviews being dubbed, “the most successful new British band of the year” by The Guardian, and it eventually went on to win the Mercury Prize for best album of the year to come out of the U.K. and Ireland. Their next move is a short West Coast U.S. tour starting this month, including a stop in Portland on the itinerary. The sound the band has crafted is wholly unique in its strangely twisted web of folk, pop, hip hop, and electronic. Throw in just a hint of what I would call zydeco, for lack of a more clever description, and you’ve really only just begun to scratch the surface. Their upbeat yet moody methodologies are reminiscent of Radiohead and Pinback but they keep it fresh and original with a stylish flare that is all their own. Eerie harmonizing leaps into hectic drum and bass breakdowns, and yet lands in your ear somehow smoothly balanced and with cat-like agility. This is the new era of genre smashing, and Alt-J are definitely at the heart of it. » - Aaron Mills
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columns
3
Photo courtesey of Mitch Schneider Organization
SAINT MOTEL
Saint Motel’s A/J Jackson, Aaron Sharp, Dak, and Greg Erwin got together to play music when they were supposed to be studying. The group met in 2009 in L.A., where they were attending film school, and have been gaining notoriety around that area since. Their music is catchy and undeniably upbeat. It is indicative of a generation who grew up on 90’s radio. Their live shows are known for carefully planned visual and interactive elements, such light shows, stage sets and coordinated costumes. Saint Motel have been called everything from “garageglam” to “indie-prog”, but when you get down to it, they write bubblegum poppin’ songs with a twist of the serious. Their first full length, Voyeur, was released earlier this year. This diverse mix of tracks ranges from be-bop to classic rock, to swing, with one of the tracks aptly titled, “Benny Goodman.” It is clear that the group has a wide index of musical influences, so much so that each song stands somewhat separately from
the others. The album opens with “Feed Me Now,” a track drenched in horns, and puts you in the mood to join a conga-line. Saint Motel’s music is energetic, with clear, polished vocals and sharp guitar riffs that would translate seamlessly into a Top 40 spot. Their playful lyrics often give way to richer meaning, such as in, “At Least I Have Nothing,” when the chorus croons, “I had such high hopes for our generation/If we had some goals we could reach out and take them.” Lead singer A/J Smith’s vocals bring to mind artists such as Muse and Local Natives, blended with the swagger and style of David Bowie. Smith’s lyrics are the key element in allowing Saint Motel stand out in the crowded realm of “indie-pop.” The band dances a fine line between mainstream pop and music that is memorable and distinctive. Voyeur achieves this delicate balance by offering a high-energy progression of songs that are sugarysweet, and slightly offbeat. » - Rachel Milbauer
QUICK TRACKS A “DAYDREAM/WETDREAM/NIGHTMARE” This is the most fun track on the album, where you truly get to experience the range of Smith’s vocals. The three parts of the song go from rock jam to falsetto harmonies, to choral chanting.
B “1997” The keys start this song off with a cheerful melody, but the lyrics suggest a brooding son and concerned mother, and the video is even more eerie.
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reviews
NEW MUSIC This Month’s best R Reissue
L Local release
L Michele Wylen
Short List Ke$ha Warrior Olly Murs Right Place, Right Time Bruno Mars Unorthodox Jukebox Big Boi Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors Green Day Tres! The Twilight Sad No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes Tiger House L Live From The Banana Stand The Game Jesus Piece Angels and Airwaves Stomping The Phantom Brake Pedal Memory Tapes Grace/Confusion Brandon Michael Williams All Folked Up
Buy it
Steal it
Welcom To Human Nature Self-released
The intrigue in listening to the preview for Michele Wylen’s new EP, Welcome To Human Nature, increased exponentially until the moment I pressed play. The local producer, performance artist and singer has been busy making new music videos and beats for this release. What is amazing is that the overachiever is already working on the
Toss it
Scott Walker Bish Bosch 4AD
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Scott Walker. Do you know Scott Walker? Well, let me put it this way; are you familiar with The Walker Brothers? My roommate was always a fan, and last year on a road trip to Chicago we listened to a few tunes. Needless to say,
next album, enlisting help from L.A. producers. A break will be required for the album release extravaganza at Someday Lounge. According to some reviewers her shows are off the chain. Expect expert choreography, lots of energy and even more heart. Not familiar with her music, my eyebrows did furrow more than once as some songs sounded like Cassie and others sounded like M.I.A. I was personally interested in the more pulse heavy songs like “We Will Be Heard” and “Trouble.” I like that she is the total package: designing costumes, writing, producing, composing, singing and dancing to her own version of pop interjected by homemade beats and guest rappers. You can tell that Michele is going to go as far as she wants to. Up the ante on your playlist with this versatile Portland flavor. » - Kelly Kovl
Don’t miss Michele Wylen’s album release show December 15 @ Someday Lounge
I was looking forward to this album review, but I guess I should have caught the hint of sarcasm in my roommate’s voice when he said, “Good luck.” Nothing I heard on those albums could prepare me for Bish Bosch. Well, maybe Frank Zappa and The Frogs at their weirdest and craziest, but even then there’s still a novelty factor to their tunes. After I struggled through a few tracks, I just didn’t know where to begin! He sings, “the sphincter’s tooting at you,” followed by a slew of fart noises. Perhaps Mr. Walker just doesn’t give a damn anymore, and he’s simply making an album for the sake of making an album. There comes a time you have done something for so long that you just don’t know what else to do. I think even the weirdoes and recluses would have to agree with me on this one: it’s time to call it a day. » - Wendy Worzalla
reviews
L And And And
No Party Thing Thing Thing Records
Since forming approximately three years ago, And And And’s industriousness has gone pretty much unrivaled in the Portland music scene. Although the band hit its first notable (and only, so far) snag in the summer of last year when co-songwriter Tyler Keene quit the group, his departure,
El Perro Del Mar Pale Fire The Control Group
Though not necessarily an “electronic” artist, El Perro Del Mar, the performing name of Swedish Sarah Assbring, has moved in that direction for a while now. Her music
maybe somewhat surprisingly, hardly had an effect on the group’s music (not to mention its work ethic). The 4-track No Party is the group’s second post-Keene release, and it’s more of the glorious same. It clocks in at about ten minutes, but it’s meaty -- No Party at once feels brusque yet filled with enough substance to warrant repeated listens, an inexplicable characteristic shared by the best and most infectious pop music. EP opener “The Joy of Cooking” contains one of the group’s most memorable vocal hooks to date: the signature horns are more present and identifiable than ever before, without oppressing the song or lead singer Nathan Baumgartner’s voice. “Holy Fucking Matrimony” vacillates between two distinct chunks: a frantic punk rollick and a fragile waltz guided by Beatles-esque chord changes and honky-tonk piano. Like slacker antecedents Stephen Malkmus and Paul Westerberg,
the effortless impassivity in Baumgartner’s performances suggests that he may have merely scribbled some words on the back of a receipt he found in his pocket before recording vocals, but that’s a good thing -- the best pop is also spontaneous. If anything, with only a single, dominant voice now, And And And seems more focused than ever before. Aside from that, No Party isn’t really a progression in any regard, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. In the present landscape, there’s a weighty expectation attached to artists to “evolve” either musically or stylistically with each successive release, but I personally don’t expect, or want, that from And And And. Like Guided By Voices, they’ve conquered a specific formula that works for them and appears to consistently satisfy everyone else. In that case, then, No Party is a triumph. » - Morgan Troper
always had that loop-based sound combined with ambient vocals, but previous albums (Love Is Not Pop, From The Valley To The Stars and El Perro Del Mar) relied a bit more on piano riffs – or “real” sounding instrumentals. Pale Fire (Nov. 2012) simply takes the next logical step into airy, lo-fi electronic dance pop. The result of Assbring’s foray into the completely electronic realm is simply even, if not unpronounced. The album has flow but there are times throughout when it seems like the same song has been playing for a little too long, only to find out it’s a new track. “Walk On By” is the standout track on Pale Fire. It has a catchy beat, featuring a steady bass line and some pitched percussion. The track, much like the album as a whole, maintains an even keel from end to end, but it’s
certainly danceable, which seems to be the point this time around. As a friend of mine put it, “Someone should take that beat and make an awesome song.” The penultimate track, “I Was A Boy,” is notable for containing a melody. Of all the 10 tracks, this one sounds the most like a “song.” The vocals are clearer here than on other tracks, and the melody itself rises and falls like an actual vocal line, rather than fitting in as another layer of a beat. It’s a little bit of a cop-out to end a review with a shoulder shrug, but this album does well swimming in the background, and, as a result, it is neither dislikable nor rave-worthy. Pale Fire floats along as ambiguously as its title. » - Charles Trowbridge
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live Want to have your show listed? E-mail listings@elevenpdx.com
DECEMBER crystal ballroom
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1332 w burnside
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Passion Pit | Onuinu Grouplove | The Joy Formidable Atlas Genius | Sheppard The Shins Fun | Family Of The Year Boys Noize | American Girls 27-28 Beats Antique 29-31 Railroad Earth
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830 e burnside
mississippi studios 3939 n mississippi
Lawrence Arabia | Andrew Keoghan The Moondoggies | The Maldives Scott Law Reunion Band The Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola Duo Sara Watkins | Aoife O’Donovan Shy Girls | Social Studies | Hosannas Lost Bayou Ramblers | Albatross Pinehurst Kids | Empire Rocket Machine | Charts
The Dimes | Holiday Friends | Northeast Northwest
David Bazan | Stagnant Pools Corey Smith | Henry At War El Vez Mex-Mas | Fur Coats Queer Quistmas The Druthers | Sneakin’ Out | Will West Tango Alpha Tango | Minden Petunia And The Vipers | What Hearts
Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons | Truckstop Darlin Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons | Polyrhythmics
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Doug fir
Brainstorm | Hosannas | Grandparents Whitehorse Wovenhand | 1939 Ensemble The Cave Singers | Poor Moon | Rose Windows How To Dress Well | Beacon | Hustle & Drone Trixie Whitley King Tuff | White Fang | Mean Jeans Astronautalis | Busdriver | Jel The We Shared Milk | The Lower 48 | Spirit Lake Lavender Diamond | Calico Rose The Mother Hips | Parson Red Heads | Aina Haina The Dandy Warhols Tiger House | Liquidlight | Here Come Dots Water & Bodies | Frame By Frame | Mosby Kelli Schaefer | Tope Reva DeVito | Natasha Kmeto Supersuckers Radiation City | Ancient Heat Weinland’s NYE Supergroup | The Minus 5
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8 nw 6th
Metric Kix Brooks | Uncle Kracker | Parmalee Kreayshawn | Rye Rye | Honey Cocaine Sunn O))) | Dead In The Dirt | Loincloth Blind Pilot | Allen Stone | JD McPherson 2 Chainz | Cap 1
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Roseland Theater
wonder ballroom 128 ne russell
Simian Mobile Disco | Fixed NYC Blood On The Dance Floor The Tragically Hip Krewella Con Bro Chill NYE 80s Video Dance Attack
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live
DECEMBER holocene
1001 se morrison
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David Wax Museum | Vikesh Kapoor | Barna Howard Moon Duo | Life Coach | White Rainbow | DJ E*Rock Eliot Lipp | Grenier | Philip Grass Sex Life DJs DJ Beyondadoubt | DJ Primo The Soft Moon | Group Rhoda | We Are Like The Spider
rontoms
600 e burnside
bunk bar
1028 se water
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Turbo Fruits | Hurry Up No Kind Of Rider | By Sunlight Lindi Ortega | Nathan Trueb Social Studies | Genders Stay Calm
dantes
330 w burnside
426 sw washington
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Cherry Poppin’ Daddies Hillstomp Corrosion Of Conformity High On Fire Wayne “The Train” Hancock Monsters Of Rock End Of The World Party
kelly’s olympian
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Eye Candy VJ’s (every Monday)
Rare Monk | Hopeless Jack & The Handsome Devil
The Choices Showdeer Presents Angry Moofah & The Joints | Donovan Breakwater The Phoenix Variety Revue Stepkid Baby Ketten karaoke The Greater Midwest | Johnny & The Bells Baby Soft The Hugs | Lick | The Blacklights 42 Ford Prefect | The Vacillators Damn Divas Showdeer Presents Swing Time PDX Presents Water & Bodies | Violet Isle | Symmetry/Symmetry
eastburn
1800 e burnside
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Irish Jam and Whiskey (Wednesdays) Live Bluegrass (Thursdays) DJ Gray Matter Andrews Ave | Cascadia Soul-Alliance DJ Symbolism Closely Watched Trains
THE KNOW
2026 NE ALBERTA
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Eight Bells | Space Bag | IX | DJ Nate C Dust Bowl Howl Thedowngoing | Cloud Rat | Black Hole Of Calcutta Disable | Gag | Organized Sports | White Wards White Lung | Dead Cult | Industrial Park Minot | Ghost To Falco | Excuses Big Eyes | The Cry | Hornet Leg Woolen Men | Still Caves | Hooded Hags Pissheads | Frenzy | Silencer Lopez | Glose | The Opposition Party
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live DECEMBER ella street social club
13 714 sw 20th place
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Butt 2 Butt | Ramune Rocket 3 | Vices Year Of The Rabbit | Bevelers | Cober Hannah Glavor | Steven Roth | Josh Hoke
PREVIEWS The Joy Formidable - Photo by James Minchin
The Groundblooms | Mufasa | The Fontaine Classic
The Be Good Tanyas | Huck Notari 1-2 Charles Bradley & The Menahan Street Band 5 Surfjohn Stevens | Sheila Saputo 6 Holidays With The Trail Band 7-9 Portland Cello Project 13-14 Horse Feathers | Frank Fairfield | Ezza Rose 15 The Mountain Goats | Matthew E. White 16 Pentatonix 18 Kinky Friedman | Brian Molnar 19 Storm Large 30-31
14 115 nw 5th
backspace
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Sunderland | The Ecstatics | Noah Tauscher The Dangerous Summer | Young London Saint Motel Deep Fried Boogie Band | Thollem Electric | RLLRBLL
The Shivas | The Hoot Hoots | Tianamen Bear No More Parachutes Haste | Sun + Fun | Grrlfriend Luck-One | Big Mo | J Burns Rock Camp For Girls Showcase The Sorry Devils
east end
203 se grand
15 836 n russell
1. THE JOY FORMIDABLE
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DECEMBER 6 | CRYSTAL BALLROOM
white eagle
Garcia Birthday Band Brad Parsons Sidestreet Reny How Long Jug Band The Sorry Devils | Right On John | Jennie Wayne The Flurries | Andrew Paul Woodward Renegade Stringband | Warren G Hardings The Sale Sidestreet Reny Like Years The Brad Parsons Band Reign The Arcade Stan McMahon Band | Counterfeit Cash | Duover Basin & Range | Outpost | Palace Fiction Satori Bob | Dave Lindenbaum Sidestreet Reny Justin Jude | Amaya Villazan | Patti King The Magic Beets | BilgeRats & Pyrettes Big Big Love | Wild Bells | Lone Madrone Welfare The Student Loan Steve Hale Garcia Birthday Band Justin Rayfield Open Mic/Songwriter Showcase The Parson Red Heads | Ozarks | Josh And Mer
slabtown 16 1033 nw 16th 1 6 7 8 15 20
Hexane Whales | The Robinson Age Hot VictoryHelms Alee | Kowloon Wall City | The Body Lydian Gray | Iceland | Ever So Android | Sad Little Men Nuggets Night! (13+ Bands) Crop Circles DJ Night
17 4811 SE HAWTHORNE
mt tabor theater
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Krampus Nacht Ball Current Swell | Jacob Miller & Bridge City Crooners Grant Farm & Huckle | Sag Gala VI Cats Under The Stars Pigs On The Wing | System And Station
HAWTHORNE THEATRE 18 1507 SE 39TH
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Eluveltle | Wintersun | Varg 3 Inchs Of Blood | Huntress | The Hookers | Weresquatch Blue Scholars | Brothers From Another | On Enemy Soil The Grouch & Eligh | Mistah F.A.B. | Prof | DJ Fresh The Sword | Gypsyhawk | American Sharks Antibalas | Stay Calm Dance Gavin Dance | A Lot Like Birds | The Mighty Sundowner
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19 aladdin theater 3017 se milwaukie 20 VALENTINES
232 SW ANKENY
WITH
GROUPLOVE
Give The Joy Formidable a show to remember when they play in promotion for their upcoming album Wolf’s Law. This trio from North Wales will get you back by jamming extra hard to their interpretation of dreamy alternative indie pop rock. Fans of 2011’s The Big Roar will appreciate the new material, which includes a new “sonic palette,” according to Ritzy Bryan, lead vocals/guitar. New listeners will admire the fresh approach on how not to be just a “guitar band.” » - Kelly Kovl
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Ultra Goat | Ride Or Die Lucky Punks | Thorntown Tallboys | Sugar Tits The Dirty Rubbers | The Dandelions | Piss Test | Roxy Moon Loose Fit Baggy Manchester Night Light House | Deathcharge Souvenier Driver | Outer Space Heaters Horus | Black Pussy | Antikithera The Fallmen | Metropolitan Farms She Preaches Mayhem | The Restitution Psychonaut | Orchids | Loose Values Gorgon Stares | DJ Old Man Stares | DJ Nasty Nate Manx | Denizenz | Bonneville Power | The Bloodtypes Austin Cook | Lovesores | Tanya | Gun Party | Defect Defect No Sweat With Noah Sweat Ion Storm No Tomorrow Boys | The Cry | Don Juan Y Los Blancos
NYE (Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie And The Banshees cover bands)
The Goodfoot 2845 se stark
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Sonic Forum Open Mic (every Monday) Shafty (every Wednesday) Soul Stew w/DJ Aquaman (every Friday) The Monophonics | Brownish Black 2. GENDERS The True Spokes WITH SOCIAL STUDIES Philly’s Phunkestra DECEMBER 12 | BUNK BAR DJ Magneto and Friends The Mike Dillon Band | The Unsinkable Heavies This four piece grew from the The Roseland Hunters ashes of YOUTH, when that group split Paa Kow’s By All Means Band earlier this year. “Golden State” opens Jujuba Genders’ freshly released EP with The True Spokes a feel-good, wailing, summerscape Industrial Revelation | Jeni Wren Band track. The three songs are a small The Waydowns | Erotic City
taste of what the band describes as “psych-pop-mope-dance,” and delivers a seamless West Coast soundtrack. » - Rachel Milbauer
3. DAVID BAZAN
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The Quick & Easy Boys | Eldridge Gravy | The Court Supreme 29-30
Scott Pemberton Trio 31
SOMEDAY LOUNGE 125 NW 5TH
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Hive (every Sunday) WITH STAGNANT POOLS Cracks In The Ivory Tower Giraffe Dodgers | Oreganic DECEMBER 14 | MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS Tony Ozier’s Famous Dookie Jam It’s been 10 years since Pedro Blue Skies For Black Hearts the Lion released the album Control. PGC3 Epic Winter Formal Singer, songwriter, and, oh what the Lift | Twitch Doktor heck, poet David Bazan wrote the Holiday Songwriter Showcase Super Duper Fun Gun | Child Children | Exotic Club album, with the help of bandmate The Sindicate Casey Foubert, about domestic Michele Wylen | Thee Mike B | DJ Blvd Nights betrayal and the only act of revenge Folding Space for a broken heart: murder. Now, after
Cool Nutz | Illmaculate | Beejan | DJ OG One | DJ Fatboy
years of solo material and tours, the Just Lions grungy Northwest rocker Bazan will be Classical Revolution PDX performing the album in its entirety in Happy Hour w/ DJ Mr. Romo | DJ Michael Grimes honor of Control’s vinyl reissue. » City Squirrel - Eric Tegethoff
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live
24 13 nw 6th
PREVIEWS
star theater
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Death Grips World/Inferno Friendship Society | O’Death Fruition School Of Rock Kopecky Family Band Ty Segall Alt-J Snow Angel
4. SPEAKER MINDS WITH
PAA KOW’S BY ALL MEANS BAND
DECEMBER 14 | MT. TABOR THEATER
One of the notable qualities of the Northwest hip hop scene is the exuberant energy that all the groups seem to maintain. Speaker Minds is no exception. This Portland group dabbles ash street saloon in everything from hip hop to jazz to 225 sw ash reggae to soul, making it one of the Open Mic (every Monday) more eclectic groups out there today. The Slants | Splintered In Her Head | Demain | XUOSOUX They have a polished sound, somehow Ion Storm | Dreizehn | Myselfdestruct | Brandon Stills managing to convey a laid-back feel Disenchanter | Die Like Gentlemen | Mammoth Salmon while simultaneously being tight Fang Moon | Better Beings | Mechlo and cohesive. It’s easy enough to find The Bogdown | The Modern Golem | King Ghidora downer tunes – or at least music with theGoodSons | Knox Harrington | Mothers Whiskey less substance – so this is the perfect Lost City | Growler | Members Only opportunity to get some positivity in Synesthesia | Fluid Spill | Stepper your life! » - Charles Trowbridge The Magic Beets | Sloe Loris | Homunculust
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The Blood | Shock Troops | Terokal Vises | RAKSHA! | No More Parachutes Find Your Smile | System & Station | The Greater Midwest Hema | Gasoline Kings | Assisted Living | Veio Solid Gold Balls | Drawing Files | Young Splendor Mohawk Yard | The Blackout Dates | The Gates Alabama Black Snake | Objects In Space | Machine Stonecreep | Dirtnap | Goddamned Animals | Gas Giant Public Drunken Sex | Delaney & Paris | Reign Pro | K-Dizzy Ditch Digger | Kingdom Under Fire | Earth To Ashes Give It FM Eastern Sunz | Siren’s Echo | Monster’s Ink | Powell Blood Owl | A Killing Dove Shelter Red | Ancient Warlocks | Spatia Jibstick | Good Wolf |
5. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS WITH
MATTHEW E. WHITE
DECEMBER 16 | ALADDIN THEATER
Adding Transcendental Youth to their lengthy discography, the ofttouring Mountain Goats are enjoying sold out shows on both coasts and into Canada. Lead songwriter John Darnielle reliably delivers familiar themes of survival through postrelationship-ruin and post-modern disorientation. This time around, though, horns and drums push the Raise The Bridges | Goodyear | Drawback | Rendered Useless introspective and folksy feel into a more up-tempo, hey-maybe-whorotture/branx cares-what-the-meaning-of-life-is315 se 3rd 1 I Reckon | Into The Flood | We Rise The Tides | Subtle City anyway vibe. » - Kela Parker 6 Erick Flood | Nicholas Hanson 6. THE SOFT MOON 8 Guilty Simpson | House Shoes | Samiyam | Knxweldge WITH GROUP RHODA, WE ARE LIKE THE SPIDER 9 Ritual Necromancy | Tormentium | Dead Conspiracy (R) DECEMBER 18 | HOLOCENE 9 Betrayed By Weakness | Chronological Injustice (B) 13 Cattle Decapitation | Theories | Kill On Site | Only Zuul This show will be a stimulating 15 Bondax (R) adventure on all three fronts: audibly, 15 Mellowhype | Trash Talk (B) visually, and intellectually. One 18 Kommandant | Sanguis Imperem | Weregoat would be wise to fortify the noggin21 Lassi | Gang$ign$ | Adventure Galley | ASW | Quarry vessel with plenty of vitamins and 28 Blown (R) water before submerging into the 28 Larry And His Flask (B) dark depths. Vasquez’s post-punk/ tonic lounge darkwave songwriting is derived from 3100 ne sandy his personal conquest of undefined 1 Lydian Gray | Glassbones | Nice Shootin’ Tex concepts like death and spirituality 7 The Flailing Inhalers | Ambush Party | Idiot Science while Robinson’s visual art permits the 8 The Rodeo Clowns | Mohawk Yard | Chaotic Karisma transcendental entry by breaking down 15 Matthew Lindley | Brad Parsons | The Oh My Mys empirical familiarities with the use of 21 Kiss Kill | Furniture Girls | In Cahoots light and video. Should be an enriching trip. » - Billy Dye tIGER Bar 317 nw broadway
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DECEMBER red room 2350 se 82nd
30
Embrace The Kill | Resistant Culture | Verbal Abuse | CBK Abash’t
the waypost 2120 n williams
1 6
31
Drunk On Pines | Nervous & The Kid Classical Revolution Eric Vanderwall | George Coleman Mikah Sykes Presents The Tony Green Orchestra | Awkward Energy Lone Madrone | Small Souls | Paul Basile Sunday Music & Good Spirits Inspirational Beets
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32 LAURELTHIRST PUB 2958 NE GLISAN 33 berbati’s
221 sw ankeny
James Low Western Front | Joe McMurrian Freak Mountain Ramblers | Dan Haley & Tim Acott Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw Don Of Division Street | Drunken Prayer The Barkers | Anna Tivel | Tuker Drez Sassparilla | Baby Gramps The Nutmeggers | Payne And Money Freak Mountain Ramblers | Dan Haley & Tim Acott Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw Lone Madrone | Patchy Sanders Jim Boyer | Lynn Conover | Dan Haley & Tim Acott Woodbrain | Ruby Feathers | Jake Ray | Michael Hurley James Low Western Front | Everyday Prophets Freak Mountain Ramblers | Dan Haley & Tim Acott Portland Country Underground | Kung Pao Chickens Jackstraw Orphan Train | Separation State The Resolectrics | Brad Creel Countrified Xmas The Old Flames | Lynn Conover & Gravel James Low Western Front | Medicine Family Freak Mountain Ramblers | Dan Haley & Tim Acott Mary Flower Trio Jimmy Boyer Band Alice Stuart | Garcia Birthday Band James Low Western Front | Pagan Jug Band Freak Mountain Ramblers | Dan Haley & Tim Acott Two Beers’ Veirs’ New Years
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Blues Tuesdays (every Tuesday) Karaoke From Hell (Every Thursday) 7 Dimefest
29 2239 SE HAWTHORNE
JAM ON HAWTHORNE
1 6 8 13
Family Fun w/The Alphabeticians Gypsy Jazz Robots vs. Monsters w/Mo Phillips Gypsy Jazz
7. WATER & BODIES
WITH VIOLET ISLE, SYMMETRY/SYMMETRY, DJ VINYL BLOWS
DECEMBER 31 | KELLY’S OLYMPIAN There will be plenty of ways to get faced this NYE, and this musical menagerie may just be the one to melt them all. Also, it’s wundercompany Octopus Entertainment’s 3rd bday partay. Best part yet, it’s frikkin free! » - Richard Lime
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features national scene
ELEVEN: Where did the band come together? Nathan Baumgartner: In the beginning of time... [laughs] I don’t know. We all had lived in Eugene, three of us grew up together on the coast and we’d been in various different projects in Euegene and then all kind of randomly found ourselves up in Portland without really having the intention of starting a band together. Then Tyler Keene who does Log Across The Washer, I met him up here in Portland and we formed the band with all of my friends, and then Tyler left about a year and a half ago and now it’s just us and we’ve just been... Berg Radin: Killin’ the game… Bim Ditson: I’ve been pregnant three times since we started. 11: What’s the inspiration or emotion behind the music? Ryan Wiggans: Nathan’s sad a lot. Nathan: Super sad. Moody boy. Berg: Anxiety and depression. [all laugh] Nathan: I don’t know. The songwriting process, I write all the lyrics and usually the general chord progressions of the song, and then we just get together and develop and kind of orchestrate it. That’s one of the things that, we’re like a rock and roll band, but it’s a little more orchestrated. Not to a huge degree but we’ll have a few different things like a trumpet or clarinet but it’s not on that large scale kind of thing. 11: Not scheduling a show with the Portland Symphony? Ryan: I could do it. Berg: The thing is, it could work, we could do that, but that’s not what we sound like. Bim: We could do it in the same way that Shaq has conducted orchestras before. It’s a little weird to see. Ryan: Shaq’s rap album was pretty sweet... Bim: And his Attack at Burger King was the best meal ever. Nacho cheese stuff on everything. The Shaq Attack. [editors note: Shaq Pack] 11: Is And And And’s music sort of like the Shaq Attack? Bim: It’s a lot like that. Your burger and fries, plus nacho cheese. Ryan: With a locos taco mixed in. Nathan: You’re obsessed. Ryan loves the locos taco. Ryan: It’s just a good idea. Bim: It is a good idea. 11: Tell me about the new EP you’re working on.
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Photo by Mercy McNab
Bim: It’s done! Nathan: It’s been done for a while. 11: What’s different about this EP, No Party? [all:] Recording quality. Bim: It sounds good. [all laugh] Berg: This is our first recording that we haven’t done ourselves. Nathan: No, well, we did work with Eric [Early], but we’re actually in a studio for the first time ever. Which is great. 11: What has touring been like for you guys? Ryan: It’s so much fun. It’s the best fun ever. Jonathan Sallas: The cooler gets pretty gross. Nathan: We always have a big plan that we’re gonna buy all our food with our food stamps before we leave, then we just leave it full of mayonnaise and shit. [all laugh] Bim: Ryan doesn’t just buy milk for the tour, he brings the half gallon that he has in his house at the time. [more laughs] Ryan: Tip for new bands on tour, don’t buy milk. 11: What’s the most enjoyable show environment for you? [All:] Treefort was amazing. Bim: It was so awesome. We were in a packed-out punk bar. Nathan: Every band had a good time at that. Treefort Festival was created by Eric Gilbert, who books us, and books Aan as well and a bunch of other groups. Bim: Duck Club Booking is the new name [previously Helibase Booking]. I feel like Boise and Portland have very shared music scenes, they’re really connected for some reason. That made it super fun for us, because there’s tons of rad Portland bands, plus Boise bands that knew about them. Nathan: Good chances to meet people and help each other out. 11: What’s each of your favorite current PDX bands? John: The We Shared Milk. Bim: Uncle Funkle. Ryan: Aan. Berg: This might not be my favorite for sure, but The Shivas. Nathan: I’d probably go along with The We Shared Milk and Aan are my two favorites. Bim: And those are really close seconds and thirds for me too.
features national scene Nathan: Uncle Funkle is unbelievable. The new Aan album, I got to sneak a listen to some of the rough recordings of it, but it’s really good and really well recorded. 11: Favorite local venue? Nathan: Mississippi Studios. We’ve always had good shows there. Bim: For me, I don’t think it gets better than Mississippi. Berg: I’d rather play Wonder than Crystal, honestly. Aladdin Theater was great. Nathan: It’d be fun to play those places. I always liked playing Berbati’s back in the day, that was my favorite. 11: Let’s talk about Rigesketball. What is it and how did it begin? Bim: It’s a band basketball tournament that’s played on the hoop that’s on our van. Berg: That’s ridiculous. [giggling] Bim: I think originally, Berg challenged me to put a hoop on the [old] van. It was the old aerostar that I bought for like six hundred bucks — total piece of crap, plastic car and I had this basketball hoop that I got at goodwill for no reason whatsoever, and Berg was like, “I’ll bet you can’t put that on the back of the van so we can shoot hoops.” Berg: Because there was nowhere at the house to hang it up, we were walking around like, “Where can we hang this?” Bim: Yeah! That’s what it was! We were trying to figure out where to put it, and there was nowhere cool to put it on my house, and then we were like, “the van is cool!” and we thought of it and we didn’t do it, and then Berg came over early to help load gear before we went down to play Salem at the Rack’N’Cue with Archers, which was the worst best show ever, we were wearing these tiny kids masks, like the batman mask and stuff, anyway, Berg and I built it so that when everybody else got there, there was a hoop on the van. But then it got knocked off because I broke my wrist skateboarding and went bowling that night, and then during bowling we met this crazy hobo with a catheter and he smoked us out and then I tried to drive out of the parking lot in the van and it knocked off the hoop and I was too paranoid to go pick [it up] so I just drove home. And then after that we thought it’d be funny to make it regulation, and then once it was regulation, Archers challenged us to a band basketball-off and that started the whole Rigsketball thing. 11: Back to the music, what is it about music? Why do it? Ryan: For me it’s always come kind of naturally. [All laugh] Not to sound full of myself... I can’t draw, I can’t paint, I can’t sculpt. Playing music—there’s something about it being time based art too, where it’s in the moment, that’s special. It’s easy to catch on. Berg: [Laughing. Sarcastically:] It’s special. Ryan: It is! Bim: I just like hearing Ryan talk about music, because he loves music so much that when he talks about it, it just sounds like… What The Fuck?! [Laughing. Mockingly:] The first moment a trumpet touched my lips... 11: And you, Berg? Berg: [Jokingly:] Money! Just getting rich. I’ve never been more successful in my life, because of it. [Seriously:] I don’t know. These guys kind of got me into playing music as a group and writing and recording. Playing with these three dudes. Superdream, in Eugene... Nathan was full of music but never did a whole lot before that, and then [we all] started recording and creating shit together. I work well with certain people. Bim: I think on that note, there’s a good thing that I always felt
with And And And about not focusing on musical capabilities as much as creative capabilities which is why I was really drawn to it. It wasn’t about technically being good, it’s about creatively being good. Having those limitations be your strength. Berg: We work really well together. As soon as Nathan just has part of a riff going, we all latch onto it. We learn songs extremely fast. Bim: I think it’s that freedom of not being pretentious and we also get saved because Ryan is actually a really great musician so he makes it all sound good. He basically produces our failure. 11: How do you define success? Ryan: [jokingly:] YouTube hits. Berg: I would definitely define, for me personally, this band has been extremely successful for what I was wanting out of it. Bim: I would say that success is being able to foresee sustaining what you’re doing in the future, or better, with a band. It’s not about the money thing or being able to live off of it, or being able to produce more stuff or whatever. It’s just being able to be doing what you want to do with it and be able to see that in the future that you’re gonna be able to keep doing what you want to do with it. And that can grow. 11: How much of it is for you guys, and how much is for the audience? John: All of it is for me. Nathan: It’s all for John, and we all do it, systemically for John. Bim: It’s all for John, and the funny thing is, he’s actually our biggest fan, too. He’s our only real one. John: I’m at every show. Nathan: I don’t know why we do it, I just do it for the sake of doing it. I can make this pop song, why not make the pop song. It could either exist or not exist. Bim: I guess, honestly, I don’t do any of it for the fans. I cannot think of one person, any more than like my mom. I do it for my mom. 11: Beyond making the next album, what’s the drive? [All:] Win the day. It’s mostly about winning the day. [all laugh] Berg: I think we put as much effort as… no that’s not true, we don’t put as much effort as we individually can. Nobody puts as much effort as they individually can, but we do what we can and still maintain normal lives, in a way. John: I just want to not work. Ryan: It’d be nice to do this full time. Berg: And have a beautiful lady take care of me. 11: Readers take note! Bim: Berg is out there for a tall-ass woman. Amazonian. [laughs] I don’t know, I do it for no reason other than making music. That’s way plenty of a reason to make music, is just to make music. Nathan: That’s the heart of it right there. Bim: Making a badass song that you actually really like — the fuck else are you going to do with your life? Come on. Berg: If I’m going to take time off work to go on vacation and sit in a van with some dudes, and not make any money — I’m definitely enjoying this. Bim: Clearly there is something else going on! 11: Parting thoughts? Bim: Donate to Rigsketball 2013. [all laugh] Ryan: Donate to our recording fund. Bim: We’re going to go record a really expensive album that we can’t afford, on credit. We’re going to get some credit cards. Ryan: And then file for bankruptcy. »
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local
LOCAL HERO
Hollywood Theatre executive director Doug Whyte
Photo by Mercy McNab
From glorious Vaudeville hall to second run and second rate, the historic Hollywood Theatre has seen its fair share of the changing times since 1926. Now a nonprofit, the Hollywood Theatre is being revived in the spirt of a new era of cinema that must compete with HD TV’s and Netflix. To do so, executive director Doug Whyte is coming up with new ways to excite audiences and redefine the modern movie going experience. This local hero sat down with ELEVEN to share how Hollywood Theatre is part of the glue that holds the Portland filmmaking and film viewing community together. ELEVEN: How did you get involved with the Hollywood Theatre? Doug White: I was originally on the board. I moved to Portland a little over 5 years ago, and when I got here I noticed The Hollywood Theatre as a place I wanted to get involved in. So, I joined the board, and not long after that there was a lot of internal changes, and then next thing I know, about six months later, I was the new executive director. 11: What was your prior experience in filmmaking/exhibiting? DW: I have about 17 years experience in all sorts of aspects of film. I ran the Webster Film series in St. Louis, I was the program coordinator for a couple years. I founded a media arts department at KDHX in St. Louis. We were a filmmaking resource center, ran classes. There I started the International Documentary Challenge, which was an event sort of like the 48 Hour Film Project, but it’s for documentary. That took off and that’s what brought me to Portland. We were expanding that, and that’s something I was just doing in St. Louis and then Hot Docs, from Toronto came on as a partner to premier the films and we got POV and the Documentary Channel and all these other broadcasters and distributors to come onboard, and it blew up. So I decided to move to the west coast to help continue to grow it. I’ve also been a filmmaker for many years. I still dabble in that, I don’t get to spend quite as much time doing that with this job. 11: The Hollywood Theatre is more than just a place to see films. What kind of outreach does the theater do to filmmakers? DW: We have a fiscal sponsorship program here, which allows filmmakers to apply, and if they are approved they can use our non-profit umbrella to raise funds for their film.They can get taxdeductible donations, grants, ect. Also as part of that sponsorship
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we donate the theater for a night to the filmmaker to either do a fundraiser to raise money for their film or to hold the premier of their film, and then they get all the money from whatever happens that night. That’s probably the easiest way we can give back. We also do education programs for youth. We just got a big grant of $118,000 to create a media lab over at Grant High School. So we set up 10 stations there with HD cameras and Macs. They had a film and literature program and the instructor there always wanted to make production a part of it. It was always just theory and criticism, they never had the money or funds to do production. We have been running a program called Project Youth Doc for about 8 years, which is a summer program for 4 weeks where kids come in and are here every day and start from concept to finishing a complete documentary then screen it at the theater. But we wanted to expand that and we thought it would be better to take the program to the kids instead of trying to get them here, now we still do Project Youth Doc, but we can reach a whole lot more kids by actually getting into the schools. With all the cuts in the schools they really needed it, so it was a perfect fit, and then we got the funding to do it. It just started, but it’s been hugely successful already. 11: Speaking of funding, Hollywood Theatre is raising money to replace the current marquee with a newly fabricated one based on the original 1926 design, how is that effort going? DW: We’re in the middle of the Kickstarter right now just over $30,000 for the $55,000 goal, so we are hoping we will make it. It’s nerve racking watching it everyday, knowing that if we don’t hit the goal, we get nothing. But before the Kickstarter started we raised about 50k from grants and individual donations but we really need some sort of tool to help us get all the way there so that’s where we’re at with the Kickstarter. 11: With the new year right around the corner, what are some of the to-do’s on your list for the theater? DW: I think it’s a never ending project, so a couple things. One, always looking at the building and there is actually a $12 million restoration plan for the theater that was developed a number of years ago, right before the economy crashed, so the idea of doing a $12 million campaign had to be looked at in a different way. Since I’ve come in we’ve been doing it in chunks, first do the seats, then the marquee. After that we want to re-do our box office, we want to re-do the upstairs lobby into more of a lounge, we need to re-do the bathrooms, it still has original electric and pluming. We’d like to do more lighting for the stage, and then be able to do more live performances things, and continue to do that, a better sound system and board for live music, it is really never ending for the theater. It’s interesting and exciting, but as soon as we are done with one, we will basically move on to the next one. The programming we are just really excited about, actually Portland has really responded to it. Our ticket sales went up 48% this last year so that was a good sign that we are doing something right and our concession sales went up about 108%, and now we’re going to add pizza. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun too, so we are just trying to continue to push the boundaries of what a movie theater can be. I think you will see some interesting things coming out of the theater that aren’t happening anywhere else in the country that we are going to try here, sort of reinventing the idea of what a modern movie theater really is. » - Bex Silver Find more about the Hollywood Theatre, including how to help contribute to the “Historic Marquee Revival” at www.hollywoodtheatre.org
local
PDX PARAGONS Local bands on the radar
Photo by Rodrigo Melgarejo
LUCK-ONE
DEC 14 | BACKSPACE We are lucky a lot of great hip hop artists call Portland home. Luck-One Conscious is a fine example, and here is why: His parents keep a strict Muslim home, and he received a six year jail sentence for a crime committed as a teenager. The artist, who is known in real life as Hanif Collins, reveals these influences on perspective through lyrical
WOOLEN MEN
mastery. Other notable talent has been capitalizing on this all year: Dekk collaborated with him on Beautiful Music Part 2, which came out in February, and Critical Mass, an album with Dizz, which was released in October. Both are on the Architect Entertainment label, owned by Luck himself. All that hard work for a self-proclaimed “retired” guy. The latest album brings this classically trained musician’s “A” game with producer/ songwriter Dizz, layering his silky, mature, enunciated rap over beats that could stand on their own. I like that he keeps the record clean; my mom wouldn’t be offended. The release show for Critical Mass will be at Backspace, and if you like socially powerful rap, then witnessing Luck-One’s intellect revealed via verbal rhyming is a must. » - Kelly Kovl
Photo by Yoni Kiffle
DECEMBER 13 | THE KNOW Blatant Flying Nun fetishists The Woolen Men sound so uncannily like Kiwi Pop forebears The Clean and Sneaky Feelings that you’d almost believe they were from that era and region (it’s no secret: these guys have a track on one of their records entitled “New Zealand” which is the best, if not only, ode-withina-pop song to the country I’ve ever heard). This isn’t mere trendy revivalism, however. It’s clear just from listening to the Woolies (as they’re affectionately referred to by their friends and fans) just how
genuinely passionate they are about this extremely peculiar offshoot of indie pop -- and more power to them. Last year’s How I Learned to Shave was one of the best local releases of last year, and managed to sound homespun without also sounding totally gnarly. » - Morgan Troper
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local
VISUAL ARTS Portland painter Tripper Dungan
Photo by Mercy McNab
When I arrive to the Cartoon Bungalow, I am greeted at the door by a wonderful woman who I later find out to be Tripper’s fiancé. Behind her I notice painted vibrant walls, shelves decorated with plentiful funland knickknacks and figurines. Hanging amongst a healthy collection of paintings are peculiarly shaped instruments I imagine are played by talking animals and, oh yes, a cuckoo clock collection. She tells me Tripper is out back, so I circle around the house to find a man in a cozy studio filled with works that could only be products of a magical imagination. Tripper shakes my hand with a kind smile, invites me to sit and we begin to chat. Eleven: What is “Number Star?” Tripper Dungan: I haven’t been asked that in a long time. It’s about polarization of being an awesome person amongst a group of awesome beings like the stars in the sky. Each one is beautiful in its own way. There are a lot of other philosophies tied to it but that’s the one that resonates with me right now. 11: What inspires you? TD: Well, stuff in my life inspires me. But music definitely inspires me.One album that always sticks out as a bit of inspiration is Beck’s Odelay. There is just so much, you know, cartoony psychedelic lyrics he throws in there. 11: What’s your connection to cartoons? TD: I’ve loved them all my life. Never stopped watching them. You know, I started watching Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Popeye, Betty Boop and all that. That is still the apex for me. That is, I guess it’s the Silver Age, but it is the Golden Age for me. In them, it is about what’s possible, and in those worlds it is really fun: bananas talking to you or little people crawling out of big mountain men’s beards. It’s not restricted by physics, but it makes sense even though they are super wacky. There is something there that connects with reality, but it’s still in this playful way. And a lot of those old cartoons weren’t made for kids; a lot of them were made explicitly for adults. They were shown before movies and news reels. There is something pretty magical about them for sure. 11: What’s the “Cartoon Bungalow?” TD: Oh, it’s this house. We used to have this basement – it’s an apartment now – that used to hold puppet shows and people would
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come and play music. It still is what it is, just less parties. Mostly now it’s just my own personal museum. I have a cuckoo clock collection that’s pretty nice. 11: Seems like all your characters are having a great time, what’s their secret? TD: Vitamins. They’re fortified. No one wants to see sad food. 11: What does your use of color tell us about your work? TD: I guess I am just attracted to more colorful stuff. I’m in love with the cereal and soap aisles at the grocery stores. I’m generally coming from a happy place and part of my aim is to make other people happy. Seems to be working so far. People seem to be really happy when they see my work or if they aren’t they aren’t telling me about it. 11: Why be an artist and not a lawyer? TD: I was thinking about this recently. When I was a kid I either wanted to be a banker, a beach bum or an artist. I think I was just better at being an artist. Everyone told me it would probably be the hardest thing to do, but it is satisfying. And sure, it is hard but it makes me happy. Everytime I finish a painting, I’m like, “Yeah! I’m digging it.” 11: Do you have any big projects or events coming up? TD: Next week I will be up in Seattle for Urban Craft Uprising and the second weekend in December I will be doing the Crafty Wonderland at the Convention Center in Portland. » - Billy Dye
Please enjoy a detail of one of Tripper’s pieces decorating our front inside cover. See more at www.numberstar.com
THE LOCAL BIZ TENDER LOVING EMPIRE
The TLE shop houses handmade gifts from Portland’s thriving DIY scene. It is also the record label headquarters, a screen printing studio and art gallery—fostering TLE’s love of art and music through community exchange and good ol’ conversation. DOWNTOWN 412 SW 10th Ave (97205) 503.243.5859 | tenderlovingempire.com
HOVERCRAFT AMPS
Unused, unloved music gear with great potential, rebuilt into ICONS OF TONE. Available at Old Town Music for a lot less than you’d think! Each amp is uniquely tailored with components and cosmetics to make them very special. No two are alike! SE PORTLAND hovercraftamps.com info@hovercraftamps.com
BEACON SOUND
Carrying a broad spectrum of new and used vinyl including classical, folk, soul, jazz, indie rock, psych, as well as an excellent selection of contemporary electronic music. They pay well for your used vinyl (cash or trade), host in-stores, and generally rule. MAGIC CORNER 1465 NE Prescott (97211) 503.360.1268 | beconsound.net
MOLOKO
Taste the nightlife of Mississippi. Over 40 house infused liquors. Specialty absinthe cocktails. Open until 2am every day.
N PORTLAND 3967 N Mississippi (97227) 503.288.6272 | molokopdx.com
BEECH STREET PARLOR
Offers a cozy environment, tasty drinks, nightly DJs, an amazing selection of beers, delicious food, a lovely porch, The New York Times... and allows minors until 9pm. Open Monday-Saturday, 5-Late Happy Hour 5-7pm NE PORTLAND 412 NE Beech St (97212) 503.946.8184 | beechstreetparlor.com Paid Advertising
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