Tuesday, July 14, 2009

popwreckoning updates

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Azure Ray Back with New Tour and New Tunes

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 01:11 PM PDT

Since their break in 2004 to pursue solo and other projects, is finally back with new music and .azureray

’s is comprised of Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. During the off time, Fink worked on , O+S and solo projects. Taylor released three solo records.

The new tour has recently started in Portland. After the tour wraps up in the hometown of Records in Omaha, will begin working on writing and recording their fourth album for a tentative 2010 release.

:
Jul 14 – Nickel City Arcade / San Jose
Jul 16 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisc
Jul 17 – Velvet Jones / Santa Barbara
Jul 18 – Glasshouse / Pomona
Jul 24 -  Slowdown/Filmstreams Backlot / Omaha, NE*

*Wild About Omaha at Slowdown/Film Streams free show with Flowers Forever and Cursive headlining.

: website | myspace

Hold on Love
Price: USD 23.98
14 used & new available from USD 16.00

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Win $100 and More in Stacy*Clark Contest

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 11:57 AM PDT

Not only is Stacy*Clark a talented artist and hard at work creating her second album, but she wants to encourage you to get creative yourself and create some art of your own.stacyclark

From now until Sept. 21, 2009, Clark wants fans to submit a piece of artwork of her via myspace message. Her favorite piece wins.

The grand prize is $100 and a personal lyric/art book created by Clark. You also get a chance to get your artwork featured in her next cd artwork or her website. So get crafting!

Allowed mediums include: charcoal, pastels, pen & ink, pencil, oil, acrylic, and illustration.

Look for winners October 1.

GOOD LUCK!

Stacky*Clark: website | myspace

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Carrie Clark and Her Lonesome Lovers @ West Seattle Summer Fest

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 11:45 AM PDT

The endeavor was simple, get to the "California Stage" at the end of the West Seattle Summer Fest free fair. In its 27th year, it was like a well oiled machine of vendors and restaurants, all working together to bring the community its best for three simple days.

My Staffordshire Terrier on leash, my laptop and materials in my bag, and my intent all attempting to work together, we set out from one end of California Ave to get to the other side. That's when it happened, the rain that had not reared itself for two days had finally decided to say hello, and mightily it did.

Uncomfortable as I was, I knew the payoff would be well worth it, and there it was deep in my ears: Carrie Clark and her Lonesome Lovers beckoning us home. Her voice a beacon–the sounds of the shore. Drenched and weary, I immediately asked someone if she has a rep so as not to disturb her fluid motion of song. To no avail I stood and listened.carrie clark 4

Suddenly, it’s like I'm awake. I had forgotten the cold. The little girl dancing in front of the stage was giving immediate sunlight. It's difficult to not immediately fall in love with Clark’s melodic and tragic wordsmithing. She questions herself in song and at the same time, grabs you by the reins and makes you do the same. It starts to rain again, Carrie knows this, so she does what any great showman would do: gives the people what they want. She sets the stage and sings one from her new works. "Let It Rain" digs into the heart of Seattle like a shovel and it was as if Carrie Clark and her Lovers were daring you to simply enjoy yourself, despite the rain, despite the trauma of cold, despite it all. And that's when it hits you, that sometimes we need to just "Let it rain" come what may, we will be OK.

Her newest LP Seems So Civilized is a simple education on life, love, and the rain in which we feel submersed in all too often, but don't know how to say anything about it. With hints of vocals past like Shakespeare’s Sister and having an equal stage presence, Carrie Clark and her Lonesome Lovers have delivered on a promise they seem to make with every performance. The promise that we get a chance to see, hear, and feel something outside of just chords and drumbeats. We hear pieces of ourselves intertwined with the ethereal, and permission to get outside and let it rain.

Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers: website | myspace

Seems So Civilized
Price: USD 17.49
11 used & new available from USD 1.81

Photos by: Jennifer Starks

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The PDX Pop Now! Schedule Released

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 10:15 AM PDT

This year’s PDX Pop Now! schedule has been announced. PDX Pop Now! is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating, promoting, and enhancing Portland's vital and diverse music community.pdx pop now

This year, PDX Pop Now! will again be held at Rotture (formerly Loveland) on 315 SE 3rd Avenue in Portland, Oregon. Check out the schedule here:

Friday, July 24

INSIDE
6:00-6:30
Dirty Mittens		 6:40-7:10
The Estranged		 8:50-9:20
Fear No Music		 9:30-10:00
Peter Broderick		 10:10-10:40
OUTSIDE
7:25-7:55
 8:05-8:35
Don Hellions		 10:55-11:25
Animal Farm		 11:35-12:05
Explode Into Colors		 12:15-12:45
The Minus 5

Saturday, July 25

INSIDE
12:00-12:30
Teeath		 12:40-1:10
White Hinterland		 1:20-1:50
Morning Teleportation		 4:10-4:40
Benoit Pioulard		 4:50-5:20
Breakfast Mountain		 5:30-6:00
Nucular Aminals		 8:20-8:50
Church		 9:00-9:30
Tara Jane O'Neil		 9:40-10:10
Deelay Ceelay
OUTSIDE
2:05-2:35
Magic Johnson		 2:45-3:15
Rob Walmart		 3:25-3:55
Fist Fite		 6:15-6:45
Luck-One		 6:55-7:25
Inside Voices		 7:35-8:05
Red Fang		 10:25-10:55
Laura Gibson		 11:05-11:35
Nice Nice		 11:45-12:15
Pierced Arrows		 12:25-12:55
Strength

Sunday, July 26

INSIDE
12:00-12:30
Ah Holly Fam'ly		 12:40-1:10
DASH!		 1:20-1:50
Guidance Counselor		 4:10-4:40
Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside		 4:50-5:20
Daniel Menche		 5:30-6:00
Jeffrey Jerusalem		 8:20-8:50
Grouper		 9:00-9:30
Nurses		 9:40-10:10
Thrones
OUTSIDE
2:05-2:35
The Andrew Oliver Sextet		 2:45-3:15
The Quick & Easy Boys		 3:25-3:55
Purple Rhinestone Eagle		 6:15-6:45
The Old Believers		 6:55-7:25
MY-G		 7:35-8:05
Cull		 10:25-10:55
The Shaky Hands		 11:05-11:35
Lightheaded		 11:45-12:15
Au		 12:25-12:55
Menomena

PDX Pop Now!: website

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ROTHBURY, Day 2

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 09:15 AM PDT

read ROTHBURY, Day 1

After a somewhat sleepless night — one must grow accustomed to sleeping on the bumpy ground surrounded by bongos, fireworks and crazy people — I awoke Friday morning…afternoon about 12:45-ish…stoked to catch , local Philly guys I adore, Broken Social Scene who I’d never seen live before and Girl Talk, another act I’d never previously had the fortune of catching in the flesh, among others.

Brett Dennen //  Ranch Arena
After managing to get my ass in gear, Jon and I made out way onto the festival grounds to catch the barefooted, ginger headed Californian known as Brett Dennen. Dennen has been all over the place all year long and it’s no surprise he’s garnering critical praise. His happy folk pop is crowd friendly and fun. Catch Dennen opening for O.A.R. later this summer.
brett dennenbrett dennen

// Sherwood Court
The before their scheduled performance at Rothbury, front man Honus Honus (nee Ryan Kattel) tweeted, “Heading to Rothbury fest to freak out some jam heads. We WILL be giving some poor fucker a terrible trip. Hehe…” Just one reason to love this mischievous quintet, who sported a new member at Rothbury.

is a wonderful cacophony of sound and a party on stage all dressed in white with war paint on their , jumping and running around throughout their set. Though tighter recorded, it’s nothing short of a treat to join the party as the fellas pound on a the stage, bang on an upside-down and hollowed out fire extinguisher, blow a duck call, or pour water into a bowl as if they were your everyday instruments.
man manman man 2

Set List:
Hurly / Burly
Top Drawer
The Ballad of Butterbeans
Against the Peruvian Monster
Harpoon Fever (Queequeg’s Playhouse)
I, Manface
Mister Jung Stuffed
Big Trouble
Rabbit Habits
Black Mission Goggles

Rachel Goodrich // Tripolee
During sunlight hours, Tripolee was reserved mainly for greening efforts, panels and the occasional artist. I was lucky enough to walk by when Miami Beach darling Rachel Goodrich graced the stage with her bouncy indie pop. Goodrich has a sweet voice yet commands the full band that backs her. And they all play kazoo! Definitely someone I’d like to hear more from and encourage you to hear any of.Rothbury Lebowski Fest 031

Broken Social Scene // Ranch Arena
Broken Social Scene kicked off their set with an Allman Brothers Band cover, and informed the audience of the fact just to make sure we all knew. Front man Kevin Drew then announced that they weren’t going to play any love songs, but would rather jam out instead, fitting for a festival like Rothbury. BSS played a mix of old and new, jammy but tight, and created a dance party for a very interactive crowd. ‘ Amy Millan joined Broken Social Scene on stage, lending her lovely vocals to the set. I spent the majority of the set transfixed by the band and wondering how this could possibly be my very first time seeing them.
broken social scenebroken social scene 4broken social scene 2Amy Millan performs with Broken Social SceneBroken Social Scene 11

Damian ‘Jr .Gong’ Marley & NAS // The Odeum
I unfortunately missed Damian and NAS, due to being occupied by Broken Social Scene and then probably finding some dinner before the main act. Jon took some awesome pictures, though, and promises me that this set was awesome.
nasDamian Marley 5Nas 3Damian Marley 4Nas 2Damian Marley 2

Flogging Molly // Ranch Arena
I never ended up getting over to Ranch Arena to check out Flogging Molly, but Jon took some pictures as the fellas no doubt let loose some good ol’ Irish punk rock hell.
flogging molly 5Flogging Molly 3flogging molly 2

// The Odeum
As the headliners of Friday night, had no direct competition whilst they played, so needless to say, the lawn at the Odeum was packed. It wasn’t until this night that I decided that , who played Rothbury the previous year and jumped at the chance to come back, are awesome. I’ve never really been into jam bands, but String Cheese’s great beats and jammy piano melodies got me into the mood to twirl around to their mesmerizing sound.
(no Popwreckoning photos available)

Chromeo // Sherwood Court
I don’t doubt I’m going to catch a bit of flack for this, but Chromeo is totaly overrated. Had Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk, not been up next, I would’ve promptly headed back to my tent for some shut eye. While I had a bit of fun getting dancing with the Chromeo fanatics would chanted “Chromeo, Oh-oh” in hopes they’d come on despite running 20 minutes over, it’s really lame to name drop your band in all of your own songs. I appreciate P-Thugg donning a Phillies hat, but Chromeo’s novelty wore off rather quickly and I bided my time waiting for Girl Talk.
ChromeoChromeo 3Chromeo 2

Girl Talk
It almost seems ridiculous to try to capture a Girl Talk set in words. Gregg Gillis’ energy is a force to be reckoned with. It’s obvious he loves what he does, despite the fact he arrived at 8PM, mixed from 2AM to 3AM and bolted almost immediately thereafter. His energy was off the charts as he was allowed to have 50 members of the audience join him on stage (though I suspect many more ended up dancing around him) and had the rest of us on the lawn cheered him on as we were possessed into frantic movement by the beats of his mash-up magic.
Girl TalkGirl Talk 5Girl Talk 4Girl Talk 3Dancing around like a nutter to Girl Talk was the perfect end to the night. I made my way out just a touch before the set was over so I could see how things looked 100 yards back, then 200 yards back. As I lingered on the edges of Sherwood Forest, I thought that Girl Talk would have no problems properly playing a major arena. Hopefully that will keep him in the game longer if the aforementioned rumor is true.

Stay tuned for Rothbury, Days 3 & 4

Photos: Jon Gitchoff
except Rachel Goodrich photo by Jessica McGinley

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Interview with: The Lonely H

Posted: 14 Jul 2009 07:15 AM PDT

If you grew up listening to classic rock and wishing you were born a decade or three earlier, you should head on down to the bar when the Lonely H roll through. They’re on a massive tour and there’s a 50-50 chance they are coming to your town, if they haven’t been there already. They may be young, but they’re earning their stripes by logging some serious miles in the van and playing almost every night.LonelyH_300dpi

Eric Whitman, the Lonely H’s lead guitarist, probably described their music best when he took a couple minutes between towns answer a few questions via email: it’s as if “, The Band, and Mott the Hoople all got in a station wagon and blew the fucker to pieces. We are the wreckage.”

I’m partial the gritty Faces-channeling vocals on “Phoenix” and “Right Down To Me”, but really you can’t go wrong if you stick their new album, Concrete Class, in your car stereo and turn it up loud. And if do catch their show, consider buying them a shot. Judging from Whitman’s road stories, it sounds like they could use it.

PW: How’s the tour going?
EW: It’s been great so far. Nobody has contracted any diseases or broken any bones, which is always a good. Then again, we’re only about a month into it. There’s still another month and a half of mayhem to come. The Minneapolis show was amazing as was the New Orleans show, but other than that they’ve been moderate to good.

PW: Which songs are getting the best response?
EW: It really depends night to night – on some nights the people dig the rockers, i.e. “Cold Blues” or “Other Side of the Water”. And then other nights they go for shit like the “Girl from Jersey” or “White Horse Tears”.

PW: Have you accumulated any crazy road stories?
EW: Oh God, there’s been some real benders. One night I got shitfaced and tried to bareback a pony outside a barn North Dakota. We ended up sleeping in the barn. Just a few nights ago in Charleston, South Carolina, Caleb (from Caleb Caudle and the Bayonets, who we’re touring with now) and I cleaned the bathrooms at the bar for some extra booze. They gave us Windex and some rubber gloves. As for food, we’ve just been eating at Cracker Barrels, all of which are amazing.

PW: What albums are on heavy rotation in your van this tour?
EW: We go in cycles in the van, occasionally we’ll listen to the absolute shittiest music possible – screamcore, modern country ballads, you know what I mean. But that makes good music even better, so then we’ll move onto stuff like Gram Parsons, Tom Petty, or The Eagles. We listen to a lot of old country too — Waylon & Willie, George Jones, good driving tunes.

thelonelyh_kirtreynolds

PW: Are there any artists that have had a greater influence on your music?
EW: Limp Bizkit, and anything . Kidding, obviously we love our classic rock, as for this album, we definitely channeled The Faces’ A Nod is as Good as Wink to a Blind Horse, The Eagles, The Band, and Bob Seger. We like to call it Denim Rock, and we copyrighted that, so don’t steal it.

PW: I read that Concrete Class was recorded on analog. What appealed to you about that recording process?
EW: Yes, all analog. Not a single computer was used in the process of making the album, until we transferred it to CD. I’d say it’s the same as any recording process, but you just have to perform better because you can’t punch in and and digitally chop your songs to pieces. In the end it sounds more human and warm.
Au natural, bitch.

PW: This album sounds like a couple steps forward from your last album, Hair. Were you trying for anything in particular?
EW: This album is more cohesive as a whole. With Hair we just wrote the songs and recorded them, not really considering the album as a single entity but rather each single song as its own entity. We moved more towards country and blues, rather than straight rock. There’s so many bands out there that think they can be Zeppelin, but there’s no way that can happen.

PW: Which comes first when you are writing: the lyrics, a riff, a melody, or something else?
EW: It depends. Say I’ll write the guitar part and then naturally it will progress with lyrics, drums, accordion, mandolin, harmonica (if applicable), bass, backing vocals. Whatever we want to put in the song. When recording, we just add more and more shit until we ruin the song.

PW: Finally, I’m always on the lookout for new rock and roll. Are there any bands you’ve played with, either on the road or here in the Northwest, that your fans would love?
EW: Oh definitely, our friends the Raggedy Anns and Doctor Doctor from Seattle are great. We toured with Dirty Sweet out of San Diego. The Parlor Mob out of Jersey is fucking incredible. We’re touring with Caleb Caudle and The Bayonets; they rip ass. And they’re nice people. We love the Wildbirds from Wisconsin.
Oh, and .

The Lonely H: myspace

Concrete Class
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at 5:53 PM