Eleven PDX Magazine May 2016 by Eleven PDX

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ELEVEN PDX MAGAZINE VOLUME 5

THE USUAL 3 Letter from the Editor 3 Staff Credits

ISSUE NO. 12

FEATURES Local Feature 13 Animal Eyes

Cover Feature 17 NEW MUSIC

Autolux

4 Aural Fix TV Girl Boogarins Phases VÉRITÉ

COMMUNITY Neighborhood of the Month 24 NE Sandy Boulevard

7 Short List 7 Album Reviews Holy Fuck Twin Peaks Broncho Summer Cannibals

Literary Arts 25 Portland poet A.M. O'Malley

Visual Arts 27 Portland artist Jason Fischer

LIVE MUSIC 9 Know Your Venue Hawthorne Theatre

11 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.

more online at elevenpdx.com

HELLO PORTLAND! Thank you for grabbing your copy of Volume 5, Issue 12. This, our sixtieth issue, marks five full years of service from the monthly culture report known as ELEVEN PDX. It is difficult to convey the amount of gratitude that we have for this accomplishment. This project has always been based on a love of this city and everyone in it, especially the passionate artists and contributors who provide the diversity of thought and creativity in our fair home. So we will say thank you. A million times thank you, dear reader, for being a part of this with us. Please join us on Saturday, June 18 at the amazing arts space known as the Alberta Abbey (126 NE Alberta St, PDX, 97211) for a celebration of these five chapters past, a remembrance of the joys we've experienced together, and a toast to many more. Music, community, and culture: For you, Portland. Âť

- Ryan Dornfeld, Editor in Chief

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EXECUTIVE STAFF EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Dornfeld ryan@elevenpdx.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dustin Mills dustin@elevenpdx.com SECTION EDITORS LOCAL FEATURE: Ethan Martin LITERARY ARTS: Scott McHale VISUAL ARTS: Mercy McNab GRAPHIC DESIGN Dustin Mills Alex Combs CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brandy Crowe, Billy Dye, Sarah Eaton, Eric Evans, JP Kemmick, Kelly Kovl, Travis Leipzig, Samantha Lopez, Ethan Martin, Scott McHale, Lucia Ondruskova, Gina Pieracci, Tyler Sanford, Stephanie Scelza, Matthew Sweeney, Erin Treat, Charles Trowbridge PHOTOGRAPHERS Eric Evans, Alexa Lepisto, Mercy McNab, Andrew Roles, Todd Walberg, Caitlin M. Webb COVER PHOTO Elliot Lee Hazel

ONLINE Mark Dilson, Kim Lawson, Michael Reiersgaard, Chance Solem-Pfeifer GET INVOLVED getinvolved@elevenpdx.com www.elevenpdx.com twitter.com/elevenpdx facebook.com/elevenmagpdx MAILING ADRESS 126 NE Alberta Suite 211 Portland, OR. 97211 GENERAL INQUIRIES info@elevenpdx.com ADVERTISING sales@elevenpdx.com LOGISTICS Billy Dye ELEVEN WEST MEDIA GROUP, LLC Ryan Dornfeld Dustin Mills SPECIAL THANKS Our local business partners who make this project possible. Our friends, families, associates, lovers, creators and haters. And of course, our city!

new music aural fix

AURAL FIX

up and coming music from the national scene

TV GIRL MAY 8 | LIQUOR STORE

Consisting of Brad Petering, Jason Wyman and Wyatt Harmon, Los Angeles-based band TV Girl revel in the landscape that is pop, rock, rap, hip-hop and whatever else more—you haven’t heard this much exploration of different sounds since Beck’s Midnight Vultures. Other than an abandoned MySpace page, a Facebook page with little-to-no information and a Bandcamp profile, any history about the band on the internet is thin to nonexistent, and from what I gather, this isn’t the original lineup, but is the most up to date. They have two albums: French Exit, their debut album, was released in June 2014, and is self-described as “12 songs about lost lust, too much love and not enough, “ and a second album, Who Really Cares, that was released earlier this year. But however absent their social media presence is, I can tell you that TV Girl masterfully executes electro-bubblegum pop. They utilize analog synthesizers that boop and slide, guitars that wah-wah, and the rushing beat of a drum machine to transport us to a different time—a more carefree time in our lives. With hip-hop drum loops, folky guitars and a dizzying assortment of samples, TV Girl creates a discography that they

BOOGARINS

say is “about Sex, or lack thereof,” which is a fair assessment. When you listen to TV Girl you’re reminded of those years of mild, dry summers in your youth—the ones accompanied by a hazy atmosphere where you walked the fluorescent lit paths of downtown in your shorts, sneaking the 40 you asked your older brother to get you, and smoked too many cigarettes because you thought it was cool (or was that just me?). You would walk the streets; recite lyrics like Bible versus, hyped up on sexuality, and relish in the fact that you were just a stupid teenager. Each one of their songs plays onto our nostalgia for those carefree hot days in our adolescence, with fuzzy-toned riffs, deadpan rap, and tunes built on a dreamy, ethereal feeling. TV Girl is the perfect summer band. » - Samantha Lopez overlaying instrumental parts and song structures that allow for floating vocal lines. The laid back tones and simple hooks

MAY 9 | MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS Boogarins, a fourpiece psychedelic rock band, hails from Brazil. Since its inception in 2013 by Dinho Almeida and Benke Ferraz, the group has released two full-length albums that only hint at the possibilities of its dynamic sound. 2015’s Manual ou Guia Livre de Dissolução dos Sonhos (Manual, Or Free Guide to the Dissolution of Dreams) Photo by Beatriz Perini showcased a maturing instrumental control, while also highlighting the exploratory tones, sounds and structures that launched the band onto the scene. With moments that sound, instrumentally, like an edgier Buffalo Springfield, and strong vocals that feature prominently, the recipe for putting together great tracks seems set. Although Boogarins can be categorized as ‘psychedelic,’ the group’s sound is relatively stripped down. It relies more on

that lay the foundation of each track put off a bit of a ‘beach vibe’ that trickles out throughout Manual’s 43 minutes. “San Lorenzo” is an example of this surfer sound. As a straight instrumental, the soft melody that the guitar line provides lends an easy, dreamy aesthetic. The continued sense of exploration is pushed by the sense of floating forward motion that each track takes. “San Lorenzo,” with its floating melody and straight percussion line, still provides a sense of travel and growth. Boogarins’ projects are sung in Portuguese. For nonspeakers, we may lose some of the deeper meaning that the lyrics provide, especially on an album like Manual. But, treating the album as a free-thought roadmap through which one can tap into a dreamlike or otherworldly experience allows the listener to engage earnestly, language barrier or not. “6000 Dias” features the same smooth guitar work and definitive melodies that slither throughout the rest of the album. The song finds the band opening up its sound, with the guitar work of Ferraz featuring prominently throughout the second half of the track, blistering its way through a solo that wouldn’t sound out of place in the heydays of the psych rock explosion. Boogarins has certainly taken steps forward from its initial low-fi pop sound into a world of growing musical complexity and subtlety. » - Charles Trowbridge

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new music aural fix So Berg moved on to Nashville, leaving the rest of the group to mess around with new material. What came next was powerful enough to draw Berg back to L.A. and jump on the project that was producing what she referred to as “future spaceship music, from a very old spaceship.” That “future spaceship music” developed into a 2015 LP called For Life, two remix albums for their hit single, “I’m in Love with My Life,” and a recent EP called Afterparty. Their band name, Phases originally stemmed from the name of an '80s club from their manager’s past, though they jokingly explained it as an acronym for “Party Hard And Savor Every Second” in a Twitter Q&A session. The quartet’s lighthearted vibe translates well into the Photo by Julia Brokaw

PHASES

feel good electro-pop they’ve now attached themselves to. Berg’s declarations of unapologetic self-love and a care free lifestyle are placed over Greenwald’s bright and shimmering

MAY 28 | CRYSTAL BALLROOM If fresh starts and positive thinking were the secret to success, Phases tapped into that secret long ago–and made it look easy. Frontwoman Z Berg, with Alex Greenwald, Jason Boesel and Michael Runion formed their debut project, JJAMZ (ju-jamz), together back in 2009 as fragments of The Like, Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley and Phantom Planet. They made one album and quickly grew disillusioned with making a second one as an L.A. based indie-rock band.

匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㨀吀䠀䔀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀㨀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀匀䠀䄀一一䄀一䠀唀一吀 ☀ 䌀䠀刀䤀匀䬀䠀䄀吀䄀䴀䤀 ⴀ 㐀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㨀䬀倀匀唀倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀㨀䰀䤀嘀䔀䐀䨀✀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㨀䈀唀一䬀䔀刀匀䔀匀匀䤀伀一 ⬀ 伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀䨀伀匀䔀倀䠀圀䄀夀䄀㨀䨀䄀䌀䬀䴀䄀夀䈀䔀伀䘀 ∀䬀䤀一䜀䌀伀䰀唀䴀䈀䤀䄀∀ 䘀䔀䄀吀⸀ 䨀⸀ 䈀刀伀伀䬀匀 ☀ 䴀䤀䌀䠀䄀䔀䰀䈀伀一䠀䄀䴀 ⴀ 㜀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 ⴀ 㠀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀␀㌀吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㔀㨀堀刀䄀夀䘀䴀 ⬀ 圀䔀伀唀吀䠀䔀刀䔀䴀䄀䜀䄀娀䤀一䔀倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀㨀吀䠀䔀吀䠀䔀匀䤀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㘀㨀䜀刀䔀䔀一䰀唀䌀䬀䴀䔀䐀䤀䄀䜀刀伀唀倀倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㜀㨀匀䠀伀圀䐀䔀䔀刀倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀㨀䌀伀刀一䔀刀䜀伀匀倀䔀䰀䔀堀倀䰀伀匀䤀伀一簀倀伀一夀嘀䤀䰀䰀䄀䜀䔀簀䘀䄀一一伀䌀刀䔀䔀䬀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㜀㨀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㠀㨀吀䠀䔀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀㨀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀匀䠀䄀一一䄀一䠀唀一吀 ☀ 䌀䠀刀䤀匀䬀䠀䄀吀䄀䴀䤀 ⴀ 㐀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㠀㨀倀䄀唀匀䔀㐀㔀㘀簀吀䠀䔀匀吀䔀䤀一倀刀伀䨀䔀䌀吀簀䘀䰀䄀䴀䔀匀伀䘀䐀唀刀䜀䄀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㤀㨀䈀唀一䬀䔀刀匀䔀匀匀䤀伀一 ⬀ 伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀䨀伀匀䔀倀䠀圀䄀夀䄀㨀娀䄀䌀䠀䈀刀夀匀伀一䄀一䐀吀䠀䔀䴀䔀䄀吀刀䄀䌀䬀䘀䔀䄀吀⸀ 匀䔀儀唀伀䤀䄀Ⰰ 䬀䄀匀匀䤀嘀䄀䰀䄀娀娀䄀䄀一䐀吀䄀夀䰀伀刀䬀䤀一䜀䴀䄀一 ⴀ 㜀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 ⴀ 㠀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀␀㌀圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㄀㨀刀䄀䌀䠀䄀䔀䰀䴀䤀䰀䔀匀簀匀䠀伀伀吀䐀䄀一䜀簀䨀䔀一夀伀唀一䜀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㌀㨀䈀䄀䈀夀䬀䔀吀吀䔀一䬀䄀刀䄀伀䬀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㐀㨀匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㐀㨀倀䠀䤀䰀䄀䨀䨀䄀刀䄀倀唀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㔀㨀吀䠀䔀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀㨀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀匀䠀䄀一一䄀一䠀唀一吀 ☀ 䌀䠀刀䤀匀䬀䠀䄀吀䄀䴀䤀 ⴀ 㐀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㔀㨀匀䰀䔀䔀倀䤀一䜀圀䤀吀䠀吀䠀䔀䔀䄀刀吀䠀簀伀䤀䰀吀䠀䤀䔀䘀簀䠀䤀嘀䔀䴀䤀一䐀簀䴀䄀堀一伀䤀䴀䄀䌀䠀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㜀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㘀㨀䈀唀一䬀䔀刀匀䔀匀匀䤀伀一 ⬀ 伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀䨀伀匀䔀倀䠀圀䄀夀䄀㨀刀䄀䴀䈀唀匀䠀䘀䔀䄀吀⸀ 吀伀䴀䴀夀䌀䔀䰀吀Ⰰ 䨀伀刀䐀䄀一䰀嘀Ⰰ 匀吀䔀倀䠀䄀一䤀䔀䴀䄀䔀䄀一䐀䌀伀倀䄀一䐀匀倀䔀䔀䐀䔀刀 ⴀ 㜀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 ⴀ 㠀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀␀㌀吀唀䔀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㜀㨀䐀䨀䜀刀䄀夀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㠀㨀䄀䐀嘀䔀一吀唀刀䔀䜀䄀䰀䰀䔀夀簀伀䠀䴀䄀䰀伀簀䰀䔀匀倀刀䤀一吀䔀䴀倀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㤀㨀匀唀一䴀䄀䌀䠀䤀一䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㄀㤀㨀䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㨀匀䴀䄀䰀䰀倀䰀䄀䌀䔀匀簀䐀䔀䔀刀匀伀唀䰀匀簀䴀伀嘀䤀一䜀倀䄀一伀刀䄀䴀䄀匀 ⠀䄀唀匀吀䤀一Ⰰ 吀堀⤀簀䐀䄀一吀䔀䐀䔀匀䌀伀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㄀㨀匀䠀伀圀䐀䔀䔀刀倀刀䔀匀䔀一吀匀㨀䐀刀䔀䄀䴀倀䄀刀䄀䐀䔀簀匀䔀堀夀䨀唀䰀䤀䄀一 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㈀㨀吀䠀䔀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀㨀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀匀䠀䄀一一䄀一䠀唀一吀 ☀ 䌀䠀刀䤀匀䬀䠀䄀吀䄀䴀䤀 ⴀ 㐀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㌀㨀䈀唀一䬀䔀刀匀䔀匀匀䤀伀一 ⬀ 伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀䨀伀匀䔀倀䠀圀䄀夀䄀㨀䘀䄀刀刀䤀䔀刀䘀䔀䄀吀⸀ 伀吀䠀䔀刀䄀刀吀䤀匀吀匀吀䈀䄀 ⴀ 㜀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 ⴀ 㠀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀␀㌀圀䔀䐀一䔀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㔀㨀䌀伀伀䌀伀伀䈀䤀刀䐀匀 ⠀匀䄀一䘀刀䄀一䌀䤀匀䌀伀Ⰰ 䌀䄀⤀ ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㘀㨀吀䄀䨀䤀簀䌀伀䄀匀吀䄀䰀䌀䄀匀䌀䄀䐀䔀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀吀䠀唀刀匀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㘀㨀䘀刀䤀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㜀㨀匀倀䔀䄀䬀䔀刀䴀䤀一䐀匀簀䘀刀䔀䔀吀䠀伀唀䜀䠀吀吀䄀䬀䔀伀嘀䔀刀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀匀䄀吀唀刀䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㠀㨀匀䄀一䰀伀刀䔀一娀伀簀吀䠀䔀圀䤀䰀䐀圀䄀刀簀吀䠀䔀圀䤀䰀䐀䔀刀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㤀㨀吀䠀䔀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䔀䄀刀䰀夀䌀伀䴀䔀䐀夀伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀㨀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀匀䠀䄀一一䄀一䠀唀一吀 ☀ 䌀䠀刀䤀匀䬀䠀䄀吀䄀䴀䤀 ⴀ 㐀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀匀唀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㈀㤀㨀嘀䤀䄀䰀唀一䄀簀刀䤀䄀䰀䄀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀␀㔀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀㔀⸀㌀㨀䈀唀一䬀䔀刀匀䔀匀匀䤀伀一 ⬀ 伀倀䔀一䴀䤀䌀䠀伀匀吀䔀䐀䈀夀䨀伀匀䔀倀䠀圀䄀夀䄀㨀䬀䤀䬀䤀䄀一䐀吀䠀䔀䐀伀圀刀夀 ⴀ 㜀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀 ⴀ 㠀㨀㌀倀䴀⼀␀㌀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀䔀夀䔀䌀䄀一䐀夀嘀䨀匀 ⴀ 㤀倀䴀⼀䘀刀䔀䔀䴀伀一䐀䄀夀匀㨀䴀唀匀䤀䌀嘀䤀䐀䔀伀刀䔀儀唀䔀匀吀匀䘀伀刀吀䠀䔀匀伀唀䰀

5 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

synth beats. It’s music you put on in the mornings while dancing with a hairdryer in front of your mirror, what you can’t help bobbing your head to, and what you jump to yelling along with Berg. “I’m seeking trouble in the palm trees and the glitter and sky” comes from their song "Betty Blue," a summery call to let loose that’s hard to ignore. Phases comes from the spark ignited while creating something fresh and the power of turning a daydream into a reality. » - Gina Pieracci

new music aural fix

Photo by Chad Kamenshine

VÉRITÉ MAY 29 | DOUG FIR

It's the classic story: Boy tweets girl, girl tweets back song lyrics, the two exchange ideas and build pieces of tracks over a course of a few months, and then naturally this leads to girl, known (almost exclusively) as VÉRITÉ to tickle the top of HypeMachine, get picked up by one of the largest national booking agencies, and launch a nationwide tour. While drawing comparisons to electro-pop darlings like Ellie Goulding, MS MR, and Lana Del Ray, VÉRITÉ sports a lyrical twang more reminiscent of Pure Bathing Culture's Sarah Versprille. However, the vox are supported by a good bit of electro-bass in your face, first produced by Elliot Jacobson (aforementioned boy) and later arranged with the help of an all-star cast of guest producers. VÉRITÉ's third EP in as many years, titled Living, drops on May 6. A full length album hasn't shown itself to be a necessity, at least not yet. Why should she bother? Her singles and EP's have been bread and butter for the unsigned artist, including twelve million streams on Spotify. So why haven't you heard of her yet? Though the opportunities have presented themselves,

VÉRITÉ has insisted on self-funding her career and opted to skip some of the restriction that comes with living under the umbrella of a major label system. In an age of speedy social celebrities with hype and publicity based in Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram, VÉRITÉ sort of fits right in as a nice blend of broad youth appeal and rebellious talent. » - Richard Lime

QUICK TRACKS A “UNDERDRESSED” This is the showstopper. Playful, pretty electronic rain notes dance behind VÉRITÉ's request to be taken "to a different view," preferably the roof, though all she ever wants to do is "stay here." A bit confused, but aren't we all?

B “CONSTANT CRUSH” A more melodic dance anthem, or danthem, "Crush" retains the punching electronic beat found on all of the tracks of the upcoming EP, and also holds the highest replay value of the five.

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new music album reviews

ALBUM REVIEWS THIS MONTH’S BEST R REISSUE

L LOCAL RELEASE

Short List Cyndi Lauper Detour JMSN It Is White Lung Paradise Goo Goo Dolls Boxes Head Wound City A New Wave Of Violence Hooded Fang Venus On Edge

Holy Fuck Congrats Innovative Leisure Holy Fuck has been absent from music since 2010. Their last album, Latin, featured a strange but enticing mix of live instrumentation with electronic sounds. Their goal has always been to create electronic music without using traditional electronic techniques such as looping. A notable trend across their discography has been an increase in polish. They aren’t as noisy or eclectic as

Car Seat Headrest Teens Of Denial Tim Heidecker In Glendale Gold Panda Good Luck And Do Your Best Pup The Dream Is Over Band of Skulls By Default Catfish and the Bottlemen The Ride Muscle & Marrow Love

L Buy it

Steal it

Toss it

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Twin Peaks Down In Heaven Grand Jury On their third album, Down in Heaven, Twin Peaks have done many of the things expected of a band alight with buzz. They spent more time recording the album at a friend's studio in Massachusetts. They added new instrumentation in the form of keyboardist Colin Croom, as well as a smattering of horns throughout the album. And, of course, they hired a veteran engineer–John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Dinosaur Jr.)–to give the new songs that special sheen. The resulting album is considerably less boisterous than

they once were, while still maintaining their ability to create the raw, emotive electro-pop music that they’ve become known for. One change in Congrats is the use of vocals that add a completely new layer to their work. Sometimes muddy and distant, and sometimes close and pretty. It almost feels as though a lot of their old discography was absent of a key piece they’ve just discovered (not to diminish their old works at all). Holy Fuck comes across as completely reanimated after their six-year hiatus. Lead single “Tom Tom” is a great example of this. It features a droning drum and bass opener that crawls through flashes of heavily distorted guitars and vocals only to arrive at a loud, beautiful climax that they rip off immediately only to tease back in. They’ve proven throughout Congrats that they don’t need to rely on distortion and noise to create interesting art. They groove hard when they want to, and the bass work is excellent throughout. What they’ve done is refine what they are already great at, and bring in new dimensions with their voices. » - Tyler Sanford 2014's breakout Wild Onion, offering the quintet a chance to showcase more than wild exuberance and a deep indebtedness to a certain hazy era of rock 'n' roll. Mostly what they bring to the table is a poppier vibe, a little more lovelorn jangle and a decidedly intense focus on recreating the sound of The Rolling Stones. How well they succeed is up for some debate, but it's not fair to the band to say that their best effort at recreating a seminal rock 'n' roll band falls short. Of course it does. They are not The Rolling Stones, or The Beatles, or The Kinks. They are Twin Peaks, five dudes out to pay homage to some of their favorite oldschool records in the year 2016, and they do so with a sincere love for the era. It's hard to say what their shelf life might be should they stay the course for a fourth album, but certain signs, like the offkilter psych break downs of “Stain,” hint at something beyond homage. If a lyrical theme runs throughout the album, it is that it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all, and the band's love for the good old times, and the women they may have contained, is palpable, even if the morning after is a little foggy. Someone has to keep the past alive after all, and Twin Peaks are doing an amiable job as real-time historians. » - JP Kemmick

new music album reviews driving, steady beats keep the listener

Enough Hip to Be Woman from 2014.

grounded in the Earth we all know

It’s hard to imagine how Ryan Lindsey,

and sometimes love. Songs "All Time,"

Nathan Price, Ben King, and Penny

"Fantasy Boys" and "I Know You" would

Pitchlynn found time to record a

be a dangerous soundtrack for a long

third album after seeing moderate

drive, taking the spacier sound to

commercial success when multiple

its extreme. (I accidentally left their

songs were picked up for use by HBO,

single "Fantasy Boys" on repeat while

Cartoon Network, and Kate Hudson’s

cleaning my house and was left to

clothing brand.

wonder if the tingling in my chest was

Broncho Double Vanity Dine Alone

Broncho has graduated from the

the unsurprising onset of synesthesia

more simple, angst-driven rock of

or reason for a trip to the doctor).

their first album, Can’t Get Past The

Once you get halfway through the

Lips, to a subtle dance between spacey,

album, into "Jenny Loves Jenae" and

dreamy and dark. They are still true

"Señora Borealis," you’ve got yourself

to their indie-rock roots and carry

into the kind of indie/punk rock

punk elements into Double Vanity, but

territory that would carry you through

it’s clear that the quartet is maturing

would be the jock rock anthem to an

the first leg of any good road trip.

as the world takes notice. You know

extreme sports competition. In this

Snarky, and at times, disconcertingly

what they say, “Is big crime to make

world, Clark Kent is still a mild-

sexy vocals from Ryan Lindsay tie in

anything perfect in Bizarro World!”

mannered reporter, and Oklahoma-

the angst that fans of the first two

but Double Vanity is a step in the

based indie-rock band Broncho’s

albums might be seeking from Double

right, er, wrong direction. »

third release is destined for repeated

Vanity.

In Bizarro World, Double Vanity

play in opium dens around the world.

The record is an extremely mellow

Elements of punk and dream-pop

and somewhat more complex follow

intertwine to befuddle the senses, and

up to their sophomore release, Just It’s easy to compare Summer

- Stephanie Scelza BRONCHO PLAYS IN PORTLAND NEXT MONTH JUNE 9 AT MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS open response track filled with all

Cannibals to early Sleater-Kinney or

sorts of raw emotion. “Say My Name”

Bratmobile, particularly because of the

starts off particularly calm compared

beautiful female energy coming out

to their usual tunes but by the end

of this album, but they’ve established

it’s back to the regularly scheduled

themselves far more than the easy

thrashing guitar and inexhaustible

comparisons. This album solidifies

energy. You can’t help but want to

their place in the indie-rock scene,

headbang along while they do their

and it’s an album that represents them

thing.

well.

“Simple Life” is a beautifully

Their first two albums were

philosophical song to end Full Of It. It’s

released under their own label, New

about questioning. Boudreaux chants,

Moss Records, in 2013 and 2015

“I question everything I’ve fought

respectively. They’ve since signed

for,” and it’s a wonderful allegory

with the legendary independent label

for the album itself. It’s an album

Kill Rock Stars, which are known for

of questioning, while in a way also

signing other amazing alternative rock

remaining confident in their sound and

vocals and guitar paired with the

groups in the Pacific Northwest such as

structure as a group. We can only hope

tenacious drum beat on “Go Home,”

The Thermals and The Decemberists.

they continue in the direction they

kicks off Summer Cannibals’

Signing with a label like Kill Rock

are headed, making saucy rock 'n' roll

upcoming album Full Of It with a

Stars has allowed Summer Cannibals to

and playing their signature energetic

bang. The band was right to start

continue building their sound on this

live shows along the way. Summer

out with such intensity; it preludes

album in an organic way.

Cannibals are currently on tour with

L Summer Cannibals

Full Of It Kill Rock Stars

Jessica Boudreaux’s hard-hitting

the rest of the 11-track album that

Standout tracks include “I Wanna

fellow Portland natives The Thermals,

holds an incredible amount of depth

Believe” and “Say My Name.” The

and will be stopping by Portland’s

and emotion in both songwriting and

former is sassy and witty, while the

Wonder Ballroom on May 13. »

sound.

latter feels like a more honest and

- Erin Treat

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 8

live music dense residential area. Like many of Portland’s beautiful old buildings, it has gone through many incarnations through the generations. Yet the building still holds some mysterious air of its original purpose, the home of the Sunnyside Masonic Lodge. The red bricks provide awareness of the masonry, and there is the Northeastern cornerstone engraved with the compass, square, and “G” for geometry. There are esoteric pillars at the entrance. The many rooms within were once meeting rooms involving “lamps of wisdom” and other Masonic customs and rituals, but through time changed hands to Irish pubs, a comedy Photo by Andrew Roles

KNOW YOUR VENUE Hawthorne Theatre

club, and some of Portland’s best Chinese cuisine. They have all come

and gone, but the main tenant has always been in the largest room in the house, what is now The Hawthorne Theatre. In 2005 local events mogul Mike Thrasher took over, continuously booking the venue with metal, pop punk, hiphop and throwback acts. It’s intimate, the sound and lights are decent (read: loud), and there’s a balcony lounge and a new menu. More people should be aware of the side lounge–a

t’s inevitable that things will change.

swankier setting for smaller acoustic and literary events

Neighborhoods are in constant metamorphosis in

that features specialty cocktails and floor to ceiling windows

reaction to their populations, bringing constant

lined with velvet.

shifts in businesses and trends. We hope there are cornerstones of an area's beginnings that can

Some shows are only 21 and over (particularly stand up comedy sets), but The Hawthorne is one of the city’s last

remain even as they meld into the everyday scenery changing around them. When thinking about inflation, it’s to be noted that in 1917, the land at the corner of SE 39th and Hawthorne Boulevard was acquired for $4,250. The building that was planned for the site, designed by Norwegian architect Olaf Frank Sunde, was constructed for around $25,000. The threestory neoclassical revival has casement windows, beautiful symmetry, and is still standing strong as a registered historic building on the same corner, which is now a bustling, scenic strip adorned with shops and cafes backed by a

9 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

Wolf Alice playing the main theatre stage. Photo by Eric Evans

live music

Local band The Verner Pantons playing the lounge stage. Photo by Eric Evans

remaining and busiest all-ages venues. Upcoming shows will likely cater to the kids that often line up outside to see anything from ICP to Otep to Swedish rapper Yung Lean. Many may have noticed the big “For Sale” sign on top of this historic building, and yes, as originally reported by The Portland Business Journal, it recently sold to California buyer Pandion Investments LLC and Pandion manager Cyrus G. Etemad for $3 million. With several years left on The Hawthorne Theatre’s lease, Mike Thrasher Presents’s marketing manager Sarah Kinney says there’s not a lot of worry concerning the sale: “We have had a lot of meetings with them, and really like them and look forward to working with them to continue to develop the theatre.” There are also still a few vacant spaces for rent upstairs (like the old “Lamp Room”). We hope something exciting can arrive from the inevitable. » - Brandy Crowe

Local band The Shy Seasons playing the lounge stage. Photo by Eric Evans

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 10

live music MAY

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A Special Night with Andy Mineo Steel Panther Santigold | Leileki47 Battle of the Bands Violent Femmes Charles Bradley The Expendables Saint Motel | Phases Matt Corby

MLK BLVD.

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features MAY

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Photo by Mercy McNab

LOCAL FEATURE

Animal Eyes

here lies in music a precious gift

ELEVEN: What was it like growing up playing music in Alaska?

serving human understanding, a

Haven Multz Matthews: Definitely

looking glass. Animal

very limited. Homer (Alaska) for

Eyes has so many

instance was a great place for playing

tints and lens’ hues that when they bring them all to bear, the viewer feels awash and dazzled. Their latest album, Where We Go, is of the many shades of life; at least regarding their friends, lovers and family there have been few emotions with which it has not been closely colored. Its complexity mirrors ours. The album turns out to be a personal and multi-voiced diary, and the listener learns from the entries that Animal Eyes have something to share, a vision, that they are storytellers, that they have struggled

music and being a young kid because there was so much community support, but it was still very limited as far as seeing live bands and going to shows. Tyler Langham: Yeah that wasn’t a part of our experience at all growing up. You didn’t see live music other than a dad bar band. HM: We had to make the live music happen. Sam Tenhoff: It was kinda like being on a deserted island, and being like “we’re gonna do what we see other rock bands do in movies” but with no influence from any other bigger bands

through their memories to bring us

coming through town. Just kind of

now some portraits of the human

making it up. Totally DIY.

experience and that the world’s face is a kaleidoscope.

HM: The biggest show I ever saw growing up was Bela Fleck and the Flecktones at the high school

auditorium when I was 18. That was the

guitar player and a singer it could still be

big whoop-di-doo. I remember my mom

played around a campfire and be a song.

bought me tickets to see Blink-182 in

So I guess we’re somewhat rooted in folk

Anchorage and then they canceled.

in that aspect. I feel like the toughest

TL: Anchorage, which would be a four-hour drive to see a rock band. Colin McArthur: But it was great.

thing is not necessarily the fan base but a lot of the people who want to review it, or industry looking at what we’re doing

I’d come into town and hang out at

and discarding us, just because it’s not as

Sam’s loft and play bass for a few hours

cohesive.

and then we’d have a band practice

ST: Also, I feel like it’s less with the

somewhere. We organized a lot of

band than this particular album. It’s

shows. It was really insulated in that

kind of the theme: the places we go and

respect, it was just us playing with all

the places we’ve been in our heads with

the other kid bands in town.

our emotions and our relationships.

TL: It was fun growing up in Alaska because we were at a stage in music experience where jamming was still really fun and we did it all the time. Just get stoned and jam. It didn’t matter what we were jamming on or with, or whether we knew what we were doing, but that really hooked me to music, the amount of silly jamming I did as a 15-year-old kid. CM: It felt like it had a lot of meaning to stay up late and play music for hours in Haven’s basement. TL: This feels important. “I will not try to go hang out with a girl because I’m jamming.” 11: The album is diverse; it’s not like you’re using one song format and switching up the lyrics or the melody. There’s different instrumentation, polyrhythm, and weird time signatures like on "Mushroom Hunter." It’s complex. Do you worry sometimes that complexity might scare away fans looking for easy digestion? HM: Maybe with the singing and the vibe of the songs it’s pretty different, but I’m not worried about the instrumentation scaring people away. I don’t think it’s too out there. It’s what we like to do, and it’s what we want to do. I think we still make it pretty pop sensible. TL: I love pop music, I love catchy hooks, I feel like that’s a part of good songwriting. I don’t really listen to noise music; most of the stuff I listen

The songs are just a collection of our experiences that we’ve had over the years that have moved us to the point of wanting to make a song about it, as opposed to sitting down and writing a whole batch of songs together. TL: I always look at it like a series of journal entries. 11: You have three different songwriters, and each one of you sings lead on different tracks. But sometimes you guys have this trio of lead vocal parts on the same song, like “Alligator

features MAY SECRET SOCIETY (CONTINUED) The Weather Machine | Bart Budwig | Brad Parsons The Git Rights Gospel Review | The Low Bones | Rakes

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Sex,” where there are a couple different vocal parts, but towards the end of the song all those parts start to collapse in on top of each other and it’s totally unclear who’s the lead singer in the song. It reminds me of Menomena, who had three primary songwriters, but it’s uncommon. What drew you to that? HM: Coming from my perspective I don’t think any of them want to be the lead singer or lead songwriter, so they kind of fleece each other into writing songs. TL: Fleece? [laughing] Definitely no one wants to be the lead singer. I think growing up listening to so much Menomena, and also Figley and I and Sam have been making music off and on since we were in eighth grade in a very communal writing fashion so it was just natural for us to do. ST: We’ve been writing together for so long, it’s hard for any of us to think of it as lead singing. Before I started singing

to I enjoy for the song craft. Keeping

I was still helping Tyler write lyrics and

it still a song in itself so that if you

melodies, I was still a part of the writing

strip everything away and there’s just a

process.

HAWTHORNE THEATRE 1507 SE 39TH

VALENTINES

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DJ Arya Imig | DJ Modernbrit Mod Fodder Field Agent | Asss | Apartment Fox Machine Devils Pie | DJ Wicked

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features MAY VALENTINES (CONTINUED) 16 21 24 25 26 31

Cult of Orpheus Signal 15 Danna Nieto Friends In Love A Certain Smile | Airport | Brakemouth Husky Boys | Super Moon

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Zoe Keating BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet Leon Russell | Jefferson Grizzard Kinan Azmeh & Kevork Mourad Roy Orbison Returns

THEATER 19 ALADDIN 3017 SE MILWAUKIE

Photo by Todd Walberg

GOODFOOT 20 THE 2845 SE STARK 4 5 11 12 18 19 25 28

Tommy Alexander | Kent Smith The Last Revel | Cascade Crescendo Timberline Effect Klozd Sirkut | Dove Driver The Magic Beans Paa Kow | Popgoji Ramblin' Rose Happy Orchestra | Erskine/Abouzied/Clark/Balmer THE FIRKIN TAVERN Located on the west side of Ladd’s, the Firkin Tavern features an astounding selection of craft beers to enjoy inside or on our patio. Art enthusiasts will enjoy a variety of local artwork on display and sold comission-free! SE LADD'S 1937 SE 11th Ave (97214) 503.206.7552 | thefirkintavern.com

21 2035 NE GLISAN THEATER 22 STAR 13 NW 6TH CLUB 21

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ASH STREET SALOON

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TL: A lot of times those communal singing ones are also written based around a drumbeat. Haven will map out a full structure on the drums, the verse beat, the chorus beat, the bridge beat and this is how they all interact with each other. Because the other times one of us will just write a song in our bedroom and then take it to each other and say "hey what do you guys think?" But the other kind of way that Animal Eyes writes music is when Haven brings a drumbeat to the table and then we’re all in the jam room. ST: I feel like those songs are the most Animal Eyes of songs, like “Alligator Sex” or “Mushroom Hunter.” It’s like we actually made it while we were playing music and jamming. But we’re not a jam band!

kinda has its own story and own life that

11: How do you feel about the genre title art-pop or art-rock being attached to you?

fundamentally Animal Eyes position

ST: I think art-pop is a good way to put it, because when we write a song it’s not like we’re following a formula, it’s

close friends most of your lives

like each song is its own portrait, and it

it hard or easy?

Photo by Todd Walberg

we give it. TL: But I feel art-pop is a little misleading. We were kind of labeled as art-pop when we released Found in the Forest because there were a lot of ambient sounds, like interludes in the album with people running through the woods in the forest, and that was more like you’re doing art with music, but I think now it’s more just experimental pop. Because that’s one thing we like to do, is keep it poppy but try to get as fucked with it as we can. I want to confuse people but then make them think, “oh I can’t help to sing along,” or “I don’t know why I’m dancing to this beat because it doesn’t make sense, but it makes my knees bend and it feels good…” I guess that for me is a towards our songwriting. 11: You guys have all been super growing up together. How does being really tight with your bandmates make

HM: I’d say it’s somewhere in the middle. You know they say being in a band is like having a bunch of girlfriends. It’s like a real serious intimate relationship. TL: We also don’t have a lot of boundaries with each other because we’ve all been friends for 15 years, so I feel like that can also make it difficult sometimes, because with other people you haven’t known forever there are boundaries there you don’t cross. And with us we are so comfortable... it’s like family, you fight with your brothers the most, and you love your brothers the most. So it’s awesome, we get along really good and then have awesome fucking violent blowouts and it always feels better afterwards. ST: I feel like we graduated from girlfriend level and now we’re straight married. Because as hard as we fight, all of us know that we’re not gonna get a divorce because that would suck so fucking bad. That would be the worst thing in the whole world, as opposed to

L Animal Eyes

Where We Go Self-released

Portland earth warriors Animal Eyes have harnessed the power of gypsy rock, the musical nuance of genre-averse instrumental projection, and the élan of a group very comfortable in its own skin to put out the stellar Where We Go. Although the group’s typical robust sound is still on full display, Where We Go has added true instrumental complexity and an even greater understanding and awareness of song structure and dynamics. Some

the lighter situation where you can just break up. TL: We can really abuse each other and continue. 11: What bands in Portland do you really love right now that you want to give a shout out to? HM: I really like this band Wishyunu, they’re a cool two-piece. Figley: Fog Father. For sure. But there’s a big list. TL: A super new band called Each Both is popping up on the scene. ST: Sama Dams is one of the best Portland bands, along with Chanti Darling and Yeah Great Fine. » - Ethan Martin

ANIMAL EYES CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF WHERE WE GO MAY 12 AT MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS

might bridle against the descriptor of 'polished,' especially a group whose rawness has such strong appeal, but the polish on Where We Go falls more in the interplay between the hooks, the rhythm section and the vocal explorations that the group has continued to play around with. The vocal lines on “Mushroom Hunter” stand out for their ebb and flow, and the playful exchanges belie a strong rhythm section anchored by creative bass runs and steady percussion. “Guava” is an up-tempo, rollicking track that allows the guitar to really dig in and flex its muscles with light and quick licks, and the title track brings forward the band’s knack for crafting unique melodies and sound experimentation. From top to bottom, the true highlights of Where We Go pop up on nearly every track. This is not a straightforward album, and the delight apparent within the group throughout each song means that the listener is free to come along for a ride of crafted touch and effervescent songwriting that have been hallmarks of Animal Eyes. » - Charles Trowbridge

THE LIQUOR STORE 3341 SE BELMONT

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HOLLYWOOD THEATRE A not-for-profit organization whose mission is to entertain, inspire, educate and connect the community through the art of film while preserving an historic Portland landmark. NE HOLLYWOOD 4122 NE Sandy Blvd (97212) 503.493.1128 | hollywoodtheatre.org

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Dartgun & The Vignettes | Gin & Tillyanna | Welfare State

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little more than 15 years ago, Los Angeles played matchmaker in the way that only a city so big and buzzing can, fating Eugene Goreshter and Carla Azar to meet, working on a movie score. Around that same time Azar met Greg Edwards while he was touring with his band Failure. Together, the three began writing and playing as Autolux, a band that has, for no good reason, flown mostly under the radar all these years. Perhaps it was the span between releases—six years between each fulllength—or a music scene so heavily influenced by fads that has kept Autolux out of the spotlight, but it seems that might be changing with their most recent release, Pussy’s Dead. Listening to their three full-lengths side-by-side, the evolution between each album is tangible. Beyond their

17 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

deftness as musicians, each successive release conveys a new level of depth, a better perception of audience, and an adeptness in layering sound that can only be achieved with time, curiosity and passion. As far as debut albums go, Future Perfect was as solid as anyone could ever hope for, with songs like “Turnstile Blues” still cropping up in the experimental playlists of your friends who know more about music than you do. But even “Turnstile Blues” compared to any song on Pussy’s Dead is missing the refinement Autolux have cultivated in the last ten years. The new album is filled with the unexpected: dominating synth melodies grinding up against addictive, aggressive rhythms that show a confidence and adventurousness not present on their prior releases. Maybe this attitude was born from their time spent apart; although Autolux stayed at the forefront of all their minds,

between 2012 and 2015 most of the group worked extensively on other projects. Drummer Carla Azar toured with Jack White during his Blunderbuss tour and acted in the movie Frank alongside Michael Fassbender. Meanwhile, Greg Edwards announced a reunion tour with Failure and released a new album with the group, their first since 1997. In Autolux’s time apart, all three members had an opportunity to flex their creativity outside of what they had established with the band. Additionally, Pussy’s Dead, unlike Transit, Transit, their sophomore album, benefited from the keen eye of a producer. Boots, who in the last year has almost become a household name, might have seemed an unlikely fit considering his track record of producing big-name radio stars like Beyoncé and FKA Twigs. But Boots’ hip-hop and R&B sensibility added a level of complexity to Pussy’s Dead that is ultimately unique and ingenious.

Autolux has never fit neatly within genre anyway, even though they are often presented that way, constantly compared to My Bloody Valentine and other shoegaze supergroups. But trying to characterize Autolux as any one genre is to cheapen their sound and deny their ability to subtly borrow from many different kinds of music. Boots seemed to truly understand this about Autolux and drew those influences out and highlighted them, blending hip-hop, dream-pop and psychedlia into a kind of rock music that doesn’t need to be categorized. Since the release of Pussy’s Dead at the start of April, Autolux have been touring the United States playing a variety of venue shows and festivals. Fortunately, drummer Carla Azar had time in between weekends at Coachella to chat with ELEVEN about working with Boots, the future of the band, and what inspires her most as an artist.

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 18

Photo by Elliot Lee Hazel

features national scene

Autolux live at Coachella, 2016. Photo by The1point8

ELEVEN: How was your first weekend at Coachella?

11: Were you still working on anything for Autolux while you were touring with Jack White or while you were filming

Carla Azar: It was pretty good. We actually had a good show. 11: You’ve been on tour for a month or so, what has been the most memorable moment so far? CA: There have been a couple. The Third Man Records show was a great show. It was our first really great show where

Frank, or did you let Autolux go in that time to focus on your other projects? CA: Always thinking about it. Never really a break from Autolux, no matter what it feels like. It’s my main love. 11: After this tour do you have plans to work on other projects or are you going to keep your focus on Autolux?

everything came together. It was within the first six shows of our tour and I think that was the first one where we really

CA: We’re gonna stay focused on Autolux. We want to keep

felt confident after we played and like we were pulling off

writing right now. Get ahead of the game. We want new music

the material. And then playing [The Late Show with Stephen

to come out.

Colbert] was another great show; we all really enjoyed that. 11: Your previous album was self-produced and this new 11: Your new album just came out, Pussy’s Dead, and some of the songs on that album you wrote a long time ago, how does it feel to be able to finally play those songs live? CA: “Change My Head” and “Reappearing” are the two older songs on the album. The other songs were written after my tour with Jack White. I guess that was still a while ago. We started really writing for this record in 2013, a little bit in 2012.

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one you had produced by Boots. Comparatively, what were some of the benefits of having it produced by someone else? CA: With our last album, if we had met him at that point, we would have had him produce that record. It’s nice to have another person who isn’t in the band, someone that we respect, have another viewpoint. Someone, when we are doubting ourselves, to reassure us or to push us. Having another opinion, especially if it’s someone you trust and

features national scene respect, is really necessary, especially with a band like us. We’re really hard on ourselves and we can end up having a lot of self doubt at times. And it takes a lot of pressure off. Especially somebody that brings something to the table like he did. He had a lot of incredible ideas as well. He operated almost like an invisible fourth member and it’s incredible to have that. Especially when a lot of producers don’t even play an instrument. He was a huge fan of ours, he knew all of our material, it was so effortless to work with him. 11: Do you think you’ll work with him on your next album? CA: I would have to say yes. 11: Yeah. I totally get why, I just thought maybe if your new writing was going to go in a different direction you might want to work with someone else. CA: The thing that’s interesting about Boots is that he is all of the directions. I mean, he produces Beyoncé records, which is an incredible feat and something I wouldn’t normally gravitate toward to produce us. But he’s also worked with Run The Jewels who are hip-hop. He’s worked with FKA Twigs who is experimental but still in that sort of dancey realm. And when we met him, we realized his upbringing was with a hardcore band and that he comes from all these experimental rock bands, so he has all of these different elements in him. He’s not just one kind of producer. I wish I had known that when I met him because I thought “Ok, it’s just gonna be an R&B guy, who is a fan of ours, let’s see what happens.” And when we started working with him, he brought out some of the best, most interesting, more futuristic rock elements. He also added another level—he has this whole dark hip-hop side of him, as well as electronic. He’s the best of all the worlds. There’s no label to put on him. It’s exactly what we are. We don’t set out to make a record and go, “This is the kind of record and genre of music.” We don’t have that. We’re just trying to do something that we think is different. I mean, the press loves to categorize us. They pick out one song on a record and go “They’re shoegaze.” It just baffles me. It’s ridiculous. That word at this point in time is a joke. 11: When you were putting this album together was there a narrative or a theme running through it, or was it just an amalgamation of songs you really liked? CA: It was the latter. We picked the best songs we could put together on the record and they ended up on there. I know some people do this and I would like to do it someday, where we set out to make a certain kind of record. The one thing we did know was that we wanted to make a shorter album. We wanted to make a classic length album, no more than 40 minutes long, instead of something really drawn out. But that was the only limitation we put on ourselves. We wanted to do something short and sweet.

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features national scene 11: What was the writing and collaboration process like

CA: There were a couple inspiring things. When that music

as a group? Especially if length was the only limitation, it

idea happened, there was this weird drum pattern thing

seems like you’d all have a lot of freedom, so what does that

that we looped to demo it. And I was really into—and I still

look like for you?

am—there was a bass sound, I don’t know what record it was, but the song is this bass thing that just pumps and throbs, it’s

CA: It’s always an interesting question because every

incredible. And I remember calling Greg and saying, “I want to

record has been different. We don’t have any rules for writing.

have a bass thing that just pulsates. I love the way this sounds.”

However things happen, there’s no one way that we write. Our

And then we started learning about side-chaining, which

first record, we did a lot of jamming musically, and then vocals

means you take the bass sound and you link it to the bass drum

were put to the music last.

so that every time the bass drum hits, it makes the accents

On this record there might have been a couple songs

happen on the bass.

like that. But the star writer of this album is Greg. He wrote most of the demos—except for “Soft Scene” and anything I’m

11: Oh, cool.

singing, I wrote the vocals—even though we all had a lot to do with the album, everything with Greg singing, he demoed up

CA: Yeah! So that was the next thing that happened on that

the vocal ideas in advance. Even though the music might have

song. And then when we went to figure out actually making

changed and become 100% Autolux when we changed the

the album I didn’t want the live drum synced to that. I wanted

music and worked on it, but this album Greg is definitely my

to make it way more rhythmically modern. The one thing

hero. He is the hero of the album.

that inspired me, which was insane, was that Greg brought in a Beyoncé record and he said, “You’re never gonna believe

11: You mentioned that you write your own lyrics for the

this, but just listen to this record.” And I listened to it, and I

songs you sing, but I was struck by the song “Soft Scene,”

remember the first track, there was this percussive thing on

because it sounds pretty different sonically. What was some of the inspiration behind that song? It’s such a departure from many of the other songs on the album.

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there that sounded like live-players that they looped. Those percussive sounds changed my whole vibe. I wanted “Soft Scene” to at least have some rhythmic, percussive

features national scene elements that are at least on par with that. That was my goal. That really inspired me. And that was way before I met Boots. He contacted us nine or ten months later, I didn’t even know who he was at that point. Total coincidence. Incredible story. So, I re-thought all that. The bass drum of that song is actually a mallet on a bass drum stool and then a brush on a backwards upsidedown snare. And then we just mic’ed it and we tweaked it until it sounded like a machine. And when Boots came in he added all these crazy samples underneath the bass drum and made it really, really sound amazing. And you know, lyrically, honestly, that song was

Autolux live at Coachella, 2016. Photo by The1point8

really about the level of disappointment I’m feeling with music. The chorus was “soft

has a lot to say and he makes me want to listen to everything

scene”—people are always talking about scenes, and we just

he says, and want to understand what he’s saying and where

really thought that the music industry, where music was at

he’s coming from. There aren’t a lot of people doing that. And

in the whole scene or whatever that they’re in was just really

sonically, the style varies, you never know what he’s going to

fucking weak as hell.

do next and I love that.

There’s nothing that is really mind-blowing on any front. Especially at the time. I was like, “I don’t know where music

11: Deviating a little bit, we were talking about breaking

is.” I’m just talking about what was selling and what people are

the mold and as you guys start writing new music for

really into and what certain blogs and websites will promote

Autolux, is there a way that you want to do that for yourself

and then a year later they’re gone. No one cares because it

personally? How do you keep yourself engaged?

really wasn’t that good in the first place. It was a quick fix of trend-based stuff. That’s been the case for a while, hence “Soft Scene.”

CA: I was talking with someone about this today! And I can’t tell you the answer to that. I have a plan in my head, what my next move is and what I think we should do next, but it’s not as

11: That’s awesome.

specific of a thing as what we need to sound like. But there’s a direction I feel, and at least in my head, there are things I’ve

CA: And you know, hip infection... hipsters. I don’t know.

never heard that I think we should do. As a drummer, after I’ve put something on a record, I always ask myself what I’m

11: Who are some artists right now that you’re super into

going to do. I always want to at least have the next record

who defy the norm that we’ve gotten into? Bands who don’t

top that. I never want to be boring or do something that’s not

just release a few songs that do well and disappear?

innovative. I have a plan that came to me on this tour, at least the direction that I want that I haven’t done yet, so I’m really

CA: The one person that is breaking the mold, and millions

excited about that. »

of people agree because he’s huge, is Kendrick Lamar. He’s someone I have so much respect for, especially after his last release, the untitled unmastered, which is completely, unbelievably bold. Especially when there are people, a lot of hip-hop artists, spending months overdoing their album and

AUTOLUX PLAYS LIVE IN PORTLAND THIS MONTH MAY 27 AT DOUG FIR

they talk about it and kind of release it and take it back. And he just released his. It was a bold move. I love him because he

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CHAIN — M AILLE . c o m 23 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

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www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 24

community literary arts Photo by Erica J. Mitchell

memory. This arrangement between the writer and reader does not always take place, especially in poetry, where abstractions can get in the way of understanding. What O'Malley has done here is to bare her (and her mother’s) reality in a way that is almost tangible. When she describes her mother hearing the echo of her own head hitting the pavement after falling off a motorcycle, the image is striking, almost too real. The book is written in three parts marked by a series of asterisks–growing up, adolescence and “eloping,” and adulthood and loss. The segments are shuffled together but still cohesive, like the far-removed storytelling of a past life. This form of writing is what distinguishes it as both poetry and prose, but not the traditional memoir, or thinly veiled fiction. There are also visual poems, that are cut up from another work, and act as

LITERARY ARTS Portland poet A.M. O'Malley

chapter breaks. These days, A.M. O’Malley serves as Executive Director of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. Between running that non-profit organization, teaching at Portland Community College, and teaching creative writing to incarcerated men, she sat down with me for coffee at Ford Food and Drink. The first thing that struck me about her after reading Expecting Something Else was her amazing memory for detail. I learned that she could remember as far back

as age three, and always kept a diary. I found that I shared As afternoon turned into evening on April 15,

similar memories from the '80s–my mother also watched One

Mother Foucault’s Bookshop could barely contain

Life To Live while exercising, and drank Tab.

the massive crowd that assembled for the reading of A.M. O’Malley’s book Expecting Something Else

ELEVEN: So how did this book come to be?

(University of Hell Press). It was the place to be in Portland on that Friday night, with the anticipation spreading on social

A.M. O’Malley: The book really started as a traditional

media beyond the literary community. All the buzz was well

prose memoir. I had a complete draft of it finished and then

deserved as O'Malley delivered a wondrous reading from her

went on a writing residency in Wisconsin where I was able

new book, the first full length release from the local poet.

to put all the pages on the floor and on the walls and get the

The writing in Expecting Something Else is a poetry/prose

book’s scope. It was then and there I realized that the book

hybrid based mainly on the mother-daughter relationship.

needed to be in a different form, that I wasn't getting the

Without punctuation, the poems read in a stream of

emotional impact and narrative freedom I needed in a more

consciousness fashion, and flow without losing the reader in

traditional form.

the weeds. Because of their brevity and precision of imagery, the prose poems succeed in delivering you directly into

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11: Why did you choose to not use punctuation?

community literary arts AMO: The idea to take out the punctuation was that of my editor, John Barrios. John and I agree that the lack of punctuation gives the book more openness to lyricism and interpretation. It was a scary choice but I am happy with it now. 11: Your writing has such a lyrical, storytelling quality to it. Can you explain about how this form reveals emotional truths? AMO: I think that the form gets at emotional truths because I worked hard to come from the gut, to show as much as possible–rather than tell–and also allow the reader to have their own interpretation and hopefully their own connection to the work and the stories therein. 11: You use the not-so-common definition of eloping here. Where does this theme come from? AMO: I was in a writing group for many years, we called ourselves The Thank You Writers, and my friend from that group Thomas Mowe was the one who told me about the secondary definition of elopement–to run away with no destination in mind. That idea just struck me as true to my experience of leaving home when I was 17, I was just wandering with no destination and that part of the book explores that time in my life. 11: Can you tell us about those visual poems that appear every few pages? AMO: Those are erasure poems. They are all from the book My Mother/My Self by Nancy Friday. The book was published the year I was born and I started making erasure poems from it with no idea that they might be a good addition to Expecting Something Else, but in the editorial process I showed them to my editor and publisher and we decided they provided a nice compliment both thematically and visually. 11: The book is organized by a series of asterisks. Can you expound on this process a bit? AMO: There are essentially three long sequences, marked

What I really Wanted was a jean jacket with silver studs What I really wanted was Pony Boy Stay gold What I really wanted was to be older in the back of someone’s car The Baptists left a bag of clothes on the stoop The jean jacket you held up had puffed sleeves wrong You took my picture in front of the foam core door I could not possibly get what I wanted

by the asterisks, so you can read the book by the asterisk guide or straight through. The sequences are shuffled to get even farther away from a narrative. » - Scott McHale

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community visual arts I’m still developing that skill. In the meantime I’ve been putting out small books like Terra Flats #1, a 22 page comic which I put out last year. 11: There are so many amazing styles and variations of styles in the art that goes into your comics, is there any particular style you consider yourself to have? JF: I do feel like I have a pretty broad spectrum of inspirations. Ever since I was a little kid I've had introductions to a lot of interesting things, artistically or not. When I was a teenager I was the most obsessed with the Japanese Manga comics, and that obviously reflects in my work, but at Photo by Mercy McNab

VISUAL ARTS Portland artist Jason Fischer

the same time I enjoy the work of the underground comics scene that happened in San Francisco in the 1970s, and there was a huge boom of indie comics in the late 1990s and early 2000s that really gets me too. Beyond comics I have always been fascinated by fine art. I feel as though I have spent more time learning from fine art than comics, especially because I didn't really care for superhero

ith his charismatic characters and

comics, so the comics that I did enjoy were actually a little

adventurous plots, Jason Fischer is one of

more rare and hard to find. When we were younger it was kind

Portland’s most talented comic illustrators.

of difficult to find Manga comics, for example, until some of

His characters are just as adorable as

the more major titles like Dragon Ball Z came out, and it's

they are complex, and will keep you

crazy how now it is so much more prevalent nowadays.

captivated with each page. Don’t miss your next opportunity to be mesmerized by his work at Linework NW’s Illustration

11: For someone who doesn't understand much about

and Cartoonist Festival happening at Norse Hall on 11th and

comics, how would you explain the significance of comics to

Couch this May 21-22. The event will be free to the public, and

them?

will be celebrating its third year displaying small press and independent comics. Or if you will be adventuring north this

JF: There are the people that want to write–novels, short

May you can also catch this brilliant artist at Toronto Comic

stories, etc, and there are also the people that are fine artists,

Arts Festival on May 14 and 15 in Canada.

that aspire to show their work in galleries and have art shows. I feel like comics are in between, and include illustrative work

ELEVEN: How did you become interested in doing comics?

that can be as refined as revered masterpieces hanging up around the world, and then there can be comics that can also

Jason Fischer: When I first moved to Portland, I became a

be very low brow and crude. There is a huge range in styles of

part of the Pony Club Gallery in downtown, which is all about

comics, but these artists also get to tell a story, there gets to

the first Thursday art shows. I was focusing on making art at

be a huge drama or an action tale or a story that you can also

the time, painting and doing illustrations that were intended

read. It’s a very interesting medium because it includes some

for showing on a gallery wall. I’ve always been working

amount of artistic craftsmanship in it, but at the same time

on comics and thinking about making comics, and I had a

it’s also about cartooning and keeping things loose.

serialized web-comic going for the first two years of living in Portland that ran from 2008-2010, called, Jay Fish and the

11: I really enjoyed the nightmare comic that you made,

Dark Rainbow, then I stopped that and became more focused

is that based on a real dream that you had? What is going on

on the graphic novel that I have in the works. I’ve learned a lot

in that story?

only recently in my career about how to make a comic well and

27 | ELEVEN PORTLAND | www.elevenpdx.com

community visual arts JF: In my recollection of the nightmare, the story takes place in kind of a San Francisco-type city, with hills and row houses. The main character, who is me, finds out from a derelict newspaper that there is a serial killer character that was captured, but that his dumping grounds were still to be discovered. My character ends up kind of on the nightmarish path to finding those grounds, and on the way runs into several obstacles. The memory of the dream was strong enough that I had that dream back in 2007 and I wrote it down but never did anything with it or really thought about it until last year, when I released it for a special Halloween issue. 11: Do you always tend to place your character into your comics? JF: I have a history of doing that, early on my comics were about just what I was doing in the day, and wasn't really more thought provoking than that. It was what I called "hourly comics." My days are pretty routine though; I usually just wake up, make something to eat, make coffee and just try to work as much as possible for something like 14 hours a day. Only recently am I actually finally starting to get my head into really putting out comics that aren't about me. Though there is nothing wrong with comics that include stories about the artist, my bigger goal and dream is to have a bigger catalog of comics that are story-based and dialogue-based with fictional characters, like this newer issue one of Terra Flats. 11: Speaking of Terra Flats, one of the main

that little figure with my character Vee. The other main character is Pony short for Ponietta and she is this demon who brings this opposite contrast of character to Vee and is Vee’s best friend. The point of issue one, besides showing how Vee is a very captivating character, is also about friendship and how Pony has to learn that despite her love for Vee she also has to let Vee fight her own battles and let her deal with her own things. 11: Tell us about your work on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s graphic novel Seconds. JF: In 2013 I did my first really big job as a cartoonist and got hooked up with Bryan Lee O’Malley to do the background art on his graphic novel Seconds. He and I met in 2006 when he was still working on his Scott Pilgrim series, when he already had his idea for Seconds and was looking for an assistant to help him do the backgrounds for his images. I got to make a lot of design and administrative decisions with the restaurant scenes and included elements inspired by Portland restaurants. We inked Seconds from Summer 2013 to December 2013, about six months to ink 328 pages. The last five-and-a-half weeks we had before the deadline, I flew down to L.A. to work collaboratively with Bryan and I lived with him for that time rather than continuing to work remotely. That was a really cool and productive experience. In those five-and-a-half weeks we inked like 200 pages of the book and broke ourselves a little bit doing it, because it was so mentally

characters in it is named Drake, is his name based on the singer Drake? JF: The name Drake I wanted to stick with because I was trying to come up with a name for that character who is like this well-dressed vampire with big quaffed hair. Drake is a nickname for dragon, and dragons are also associated with vampires. Count Dracula and Vlad Tepes, whom historians believe to be one of the inspirations behind vampires, had a dragon for a family crest who was associated with the word drake. At the same time I did choose to make a character named Drake who is interested in a larger woman and that was an acknowledgement to Drake's seeming admiration toward curvy women. Vee, Drake’s love interest, is referenced after the Venus of Willendorf which is one of the oldest artifacts of human art ever found from like 27-30,000 BC and is a carving of a shapely woman. I wanted to personify

www.elevenpdx.com | ELEVEN PORTLAND | 28

community visual arts

and physically draining. Then I made Seconds Helping, a comic about my experience of those five-and-a-half weeks, which is not only about the process but also about little funny things that happened during that time. 11: What is some advice you can give to up-and-coming artists and comic book artists trying to make it in the Portland art scene or in general? JF: All I would really have to say is that the biggest thing I have learned is to finish what you start. It’s important to try not to get wrapped up in and getting too excited on working on too many new ideas mid-way through projects without being able to follow through. That being said, I admit that with the graphic novel I am working on, I also have Terra Flats and other short comics I work on simultaneously. The graphic novel takes more time and is a little bit more secret, and I am not telling people about it right now so if I wasn’t also working on shorter comics and publishing those myself I would kind of fall behind as far as visibility. I feel it’s good to work on at

FIND THIS ARTIST ONLINE STUDIOJFISH.ETSY.COM INSTAGRAM: STUDIOJFISH

least two things at a time because it’s a good exercise for the brain and keeps you able to work on several characters and story lines. » - Lucia Ondruskova Please enjoy the cover art from Jason's comic book Terra Flats decorating our inside back cover this month.

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