Today is the premiere of Portland band Menomena’s new video, for the song TAOS off their latest album, Mines.I’ve posted the video, along with an article about why & how director Alicia J. Rose made it. You can read it & watch it at my old stomping grounds, opbmusic.org. Go forth and be seduced!
Summer is a great time to not get things done. Time, I guess, to FALL BACK into a more regular release schedule.
Enjoy the Portland.
(artist - song - album + purchase link :: extra info)
The Ascetic Junkies - God/Devil/Gov’t - This Cage Has No Bottom :: out October 15
Gejius - Gridwalker - FREE :: seriously, the whole thing’s free!
Peter Broderick - Sideline - How They Are
Benoit Pioulard - RTO - Lasted :: out October 11
Little Beirut - Cosmic Waitress - Fear of Heaven
Boy Eats Drum Machine - Silverskate Gateway - 20 Beats
The Thermals - I Don’t Believe You - Personal Life
Blitzen Trapper - Dragons Song - Destroyer of the Void
Black Prairie - Blackest Crow - Feast of the Hunters’ Moon
Jared Mees & the Grown Children - Cockleburrs & Hay - 2010 Tour EP
Climber - I Have Seen Everything - The Mystic :: out October 12
Super XX Man - Peter and Paul - digital single
Tu Fawning - The Felt Sense - Hearts on Hold
Menomena - Taos - Mines
Blue Giant - Go On - Blue Giant
Sean Flinn & the Royal We - Patient Heart - Write Me a Novel :: out October 19
Horse Feathers - Belly of June - Thistled Spring
Reporter - Click Shaw - Time Incredible
Pancake Breakfast - The Ballad of Maynard Noe - Pancake Breakfast
Kele Goodwin - A Kiss for Your Eyes - Hymns :: feat. Laura Gibson
Starfucker - Julius - Julius 7″ out October 12
Alex Arrowsmith - Saving Up the World - Public Domain Rainbow
MP3s:
The Ascetic Junkies - God/Devil/Gov’t
Gejius - Gridwalker (plus whole album FREE!!!)
Peter Broderick - Sideline
Benoit Pioulard - RTO
Little Beirut - Cosmic Waitress (email required)
Boy Eats Drum Machine - Silverskate Gateway (via Bandcamp)
The Thermals - I Don’t Believe You
Blitzen Trapper - Dragons Song
Black Prairie - The Blackest Crow
Jared Mees & the Grown Children - Cockleburrs & Hay
Climber - I Have Seen Everything
Super XX Man - Peter and Paul
Tu Fawning - I Felt Sense (via RCRD LBL)
Menomena - TAOS
Sean Flinn & the Royal We - Patient Heart (via Bandcamp)
Horse Feathers - Belly of June
Reporter - Click Shaw
Pancake Breakfast - The Ballad of Maynard Noe
Kele Goodwin - A Kiss for Your Eyes
Starfucker - Julius
Alex Arrowsmith - Saving Up the World
As a new radio host eight years ago, when Portland three-piece Menomena came down to my station at the time for an interview, I learned a very important lesson: Just because a band or artist makes songs about heartbreak, regret, angst, that doesn’t mean they are heartbroken, regretful, or angsty to interact with. In fact, they likely won’t be, since they’re able to deal with or purge those feelings through their music. A few minutes into my interview with Danny, Justin and Brent, I put aside my notebook full of carefully crafted, What-Would-Terry-Gross-Ask questions and simply embraced our discussions of lactating males, “so…who likes potatoes,” and the band’s a capella rendition of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”*
In the intervening years, the band has also let their videos serve as a counterpoint to the emotion of their music, and this has continued through to Brent Knopf’s project Ramona Falls. Pitchfork just posted “Russia,” a follow-up to the first video from last year’s Intuit (which made my 2009 best-of list). It stars Matt Sheehy (who also joins the band for live shows) opposite a girl who I don’t know, though, she’s nearly the only part of the video I can’t place. (Fellow Portlanders will recognize scenes from First Thursday, Oaks Park, March Fourth Marching Band, Sam Barlow High School, the Springwater Corridor and The Old Church, where Knopf makes a split-second cameo.) It’s directed by Cullen Hoback. Update: The girl is Emily Galash. Thanks Mercury.
Menomena are releasing their fourth album, Mines, July 27 on Barsuk.
mp3s:
Ramona Falls - Russia
Ramona Falls - I Say Fever
Matt Sheehy - Go Missing
Matt Sheehy - About Piano
Matt Sheehy - Lunatics (remixed by Brent Knopf)
Matt Sheehy - Lunatics (album version, via Local Cut)
Menomena - Wet and Rusting
Menomena - Pilgrim’s Progress (stream at Pitchfork)
*Note to self: Find that tape in that one shoebox.
A preview of just some of the bands playing this weekend at the Pickathon festival in Portland.
(artist - song - album :: extra info)
Blitzen Trapper - Gold For Bread - Furr
Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys - You Don’t Know Me At All - Turntable Matinee
Seth Bernard and Daisy May - Song of the Burrowing Owl - The Copper Country Quintet
Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Bag of Hammers - We Brave Bee Stings and All
Horse Feathers with Portland Cello Project - Mother’s Sick - Limited Edition EP (PS - Check this out.)
The Wiyos - Side by Side - The Wiyos
Pancake Breakfast - Apple Wood - EP 3
Jaymay - Gray or Blue - Autumn Fallin’
Joe Pug - Hymn 35 - Nation of Heat EP
Dr Dog - The Old Days - Fate
CW Stoneking - Jungle Blues - Jungle Blues
Paleface - You Are The Girl - The Show Is On The Road
Ethan Rose & Laura Gibson - Sun - PDX POP NOW! 2009 :: fortcoming release later this year
Headless Heroes - Just Like Honey - he Silence Of Love
The Deep Dark Woods - All the Money I Had Is Gone - Winter Hours
Breathe Owl Breathe - Drop and Roll - Ghost Glacier
Frank Fairfield - Darling Corey - I’ve Always Been a Rambler
John Doe And The Sadies - (Now and Then) There’s a Fool Such as I - Country Club
Vetiver - Everyday - Tight Knit
