Download audio file (pmm7.mp3)

Alan Singley
Gnomenclature
Jack Lewis
The Soft Tags
Gabe Hascall
Michael Dean Damron
Dirty Mittens
Leonard Mynx (and friends)
Grey Anne
The Rainy States
Typhoon

If you have photos from the evening, please send a link our way! All I got were these two:

Thanks to Abe (theloftrecordings.com) for doing sound on such a hectic evening.

Related posts:

1. MJ Tribute Progress Grey Anne
2. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 1 January 4,
3. Portland Makes Music Tonight with Gabe Hascall and Vibrant Neutrals It’s

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Oh my, this should have gone up weeks ago!
The June 7 installment of Portland Makes Music featured Portland pop trio Lovers playing a special acoustic set and longtime Portland (recently relocated back East; we’ll miss ya, Mike!) songwriter Michael Johnson/Reclinerland. Both were really, really fun and sweet and it was one of my all-time favorite shows we’ve ever put on. But don’t take my word for it…

Lovers
Interview:
Download audio file (loversinterview.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (loversset.mp3)

Reclinerland
Interview:
Download audio file (reclinerlandinterview.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (reclinerlandset.mp3)

Links:
LoverSpace
ReclinerlandSpace

These audio bits were recorded by Someday Lounge’s Ryan Olson. Find out more about Ryan at morphedproductions.com. Image is Casey’s PMM logo, made using the Mac program Scribbles, which he loves.

Related posts:

1. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 1 January 4,
2. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 3 March 1, 2
3. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 2 February 1

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Yeah, I know, this is almost three weeks late. Shoot me. Despite the lengthy wait, I couldn’t resist posting the audio files from the April Portland Makes Music for a few reasons: A) We had a record turnout of over 150 people and B) The show was amazing. When I decided to ask Nurses to play, I figured it would also be fun to ask Inside Voices—who just happen to be good friends with the Nurses dudes—to open up, and it was a good call. Both sets featured an awesome, totally not-hippie collaboration/jam session at the end, and Nurses even agreed to help me out with the interview part by asking a few questions to Inside Voices. Pay special attention to the last 10 minutes of the set, where IV play personal favorite “How Is Your Was?” before the super jam.

Inside Voices
Interview:
Download audio file (Insidevinterview.mp3)

Set:
Download audio file (InsideV.mp3)

After Inside Voices, Nurses came out and absolutely killed it. I expect nothing but big things from these guys, and they have such a rewarding, nuanced sound—catchy and bouncy pop songs with just the right amount of weird noises, gurgles and hiccups. Nurses playful, vibrant pop has an almost childlike quality to it, like a sunbaked teenager discovering Brian Wilson for the first time. And when they hit those vocal harmonies, it’s over.

Nurses
Interview:
Download audio file (Nursesinterview.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (Nurses.mp3)

The next edition of Portland Makes Music is on Sunday, May 3, and wow, the lineup is incredible. The show will mark the official debut of Congratulations (the new name for Eskimo & Sons) and features opening act the Old Believers. More info coming soon.

Links:
Inside VoiceSpace
NurseSpace

Photos by Michael Mannheimer

Related posts:

1. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 2 February 1
2. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 3 March 1, 2
3. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 1 January 4,

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Sunday night was a much different version of Portland Makes Music, the music-and-interview series we host every month. First: We had a guest host! And most importantly, it was loud. Really fucking loud.

For installment number three, Casey decided to ask Pure Country Gold—Portland’s most kickass garage/soul/blues duo—to play, which led, inevitably, to the show’s defining (and deafening) volume. Once it was confirmed that Rapids would open, we also made another really smart move and asked PBR’s Matt Slessler to act as the MC for the night. The dude knows a thing or two about garage rock, and since he considers PCG his favorite local band, and we figured he’d be a good bet to conduct the interview.

In part one, Slessler talks to Rapid’s Sean Croghan (former frontman for Crackerbash, Jr. High and so many others) about growing up in Gresham, the Portland music scene in the ’80s and ’90s, and his legacy in the Northwest. It’s truly a pleasure. In part two, Rapid’s filthy half-hour set.

Rapids
Interview:
Download audio file (croghan.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (Rapids.mp3)

After a quick break, Patrick “Petey” Foss and Jake Welliver take the stage (about 3 minutes in) and field Slessler’s questions about playing drunken ’50s covers, recording a new EP for a big label, and playing a blues festival in Minnesota. After that, the most raucous set PMM has ever seen:

Pure Country Gold
Interview:
Download audio file (pcginterview.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (pcg.mp3)

As always, thanks to everyone for coming out. The next Portland Makes Music is on Sunday, April 5. It’s always free, always awesome, and will get you home before midnight. Now that’s a deal.

Links:
RapidSpace
Pure Country GoldSpace

Photo courtesy of Rapids. It’s not from Sunday night—we were too giddy/drunk to take any.

Related posts:

1. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 2 February 1
2. LC RADIO: Portland Makes Music, Episode 6 June 7, 20
3. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 1 January 4,

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Where were all the dancers on Sunday night? I know, you were probably still marveling at the site of The Boss’ crotch coming right atcha. But still, eating too much guacamole during the Super Bowl is kind of a lame excuse for missing the second installment of our monthly music and interview series, Portland Makes Music.

Way back in October, when we were brainstorming ideas for PMM, the one main issue we wanted to address was diversity. While the Lounge Series kicked a lot of ass, most of the shows centered on quiet, acoutic-based singer-songwriters. It made sense (how would you fit a hip-hop crew on stage at the Towne Lounge?) but with the new series we wanted to strive for something bigger. And for those who attended, the night was epic. What else do you expect with the Someday Lounge offering 50 cent PBR’s?

Sunday was E*Rock’s first solo show in months, and dude didn’t disappoint. It’s too bad that the Someday’s video camera was stolen in January, because his crazy, trippy videos really need to be seen. In part one, WW Music Editor Casey Jarman talks to Eric Mast about his long-delayed new record and what the word “explode” means to him. In part two, E*Rock’s rad 30 minute set.

E*Rock
Interview:
Download audio file (ERock interview.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (ERock.mp3)

After a brief break, Atole took the stage to field my hardball questions about the band’s “krautrock disco” sound and plans for 2009. Since we’d already tackled most of the serious questions a few weeks ago, we kept things short and a bit silly. Aren’t the best interviews usually that way? Atole then invited the crowd up to the stage, moved the tables, and set the floor on fire.

Atole
Interview:
Download audio file (Atoleinterview.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (Atoleset.mp3)

Atole Tracklist:
1- Voices
2- Satyricow
3- Tonya’s Song
4- Taco Tuesday
5- Strike Zone

Note from Manny: “Voices” is a cover of a seminal Tribal House track same name by K.C. Flight that our friend Arya pointed out borrows lyrics from the Police’s 1980 track “Voices Inside My Head”—but we rewrote all the music and I added new lyrics.

Wahoo! Thanks again to Atole and E*Rock for playing and the Someday Lounge for being such a gracious host. The next installment of Portland Makes Music is on Sunday, Mar. 1. Pure Country Gold are playing, and we’ll flesh out the rest of the details soon. This much we do know: All shows are free and get over well before bedtime.

Links:
AtoleSpace
E*RockSpace

Photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Related posts:

1. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 3 March 1, 2
2. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 4 April 5, 2
3. LC RADIO: Portland Makes Music, Episode 6 June 7, 20

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Where were you Sunday night? Pfff, lame. We were at Someday Lounge, enjoying the music of our new concert series’—Portland Makes Music—first two bands, the Alialujah Choir and Old Growth.

Sunday was the Alialujah Choir’s first show, though you would never have known it from the trio’s performance. The band’s three-part harmonies sounded slick, soulful and slightly southern, and co-captain Adam Shearer cracked jokes to keep the mood light. In part one, a short interview with WW’s Michael Mannheimer about how the Alialujah Choir got started. In part two, five glorious songs. You’ll be seeing the name around, and you best follow-up, as this was the most impressive debut I’ve seen in a long, long time.

Alilujah Choir
Interview:
Download audio file (Ali_intro.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (Alialujah_set.mp3)

Part two of the series featured Old Growth, who released my favorite local record this year, Under The Sun. I had a couple of whisky shots before mentioning this onstage in what hardly qualifies as an “interview” in the classic sense of the word. The trio was a man shorthanded due to a death in the family, but soldiered on admirably as an acoustic two-piece. We recommend you check out the group’s rowdier trio tunes as well.

Old Growth
Interview:
Download audio file (Oldgrowth_intro.mp3)
Set:
Download audio file (Oldgrowth_set.mp3)

There you have it! You can attend the next installment of Portland Makes Music at Someday Lounge on Sunday, Feb. 1. The guests for that show are TBA very, very soon. All shows are free and get over well before bedtime.

Addendum: We never said a proper goodbye to the Towne Lounge, home of our previous series, the Portland Lounge Series. I regret that. We’ll never forget the good times we had at Towne, nor the smiling staff of that establishment. There’s a much different feel at the Someday Lounge than Towne, and the name “lounge series” just didn’t seem right anymore. Not saying one venue is better than the other, but they are certainly different. The Towne Lounge was my home away from home for quite some time, and whenever I think about it I get a little stinging pain in my side. Good times, good times.

Links:
Alialujah ChoirSpace
Alialujah Choir has no Myspace, so you get THIS!
Old Growth

These audio bits were recorded by Someday Lounge’s Ryan Olson. Find out more about Ryan at morphedproductions.com. Image is Casey’s PMM logo, made using the Mac program Scribbles, which he loves.

Related posts:

1. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 3 March 1, 2
2. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 2 February 1
3. LC Radio: Portland Makes Music, Episode 4 April 5, 2

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