Music
I've listened to all sorts of music over the years, both for the purposes of writing for the Weekly Volcano, and on my own time. What I've discovered about myself, through years of dipping my toes into all sorts of genres, is that my ears can tune themselves to any
Music
"I was on a ship, in Croatia," says Stephanie Anne Johnson, "and I checked my email and saw a message that said, ‘Hi, my name is Dylan and I'm a producer for The Voice. We'd like you to come on the show.'" In the weeks leading up to local singer-songwriter Stephanie
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Perhaps Aan's best quality is that they hit you with big impressions right off the bat. My first exposure to them, "Mystery Life," bursts out of the gates with such impact that it's hard not to take notice. That the song never, ever lets up, is positively intoxicating. Pounding drums
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The kind of light psychedelic pop created by Fruit Juice is eminently invigorating in its giddy goofiness. With their glammy energy and commitment to sunny, falsetto harmonies, Fruit Juice at times resembles Of Montreal. Smack in the middle of a brightly poppy journey, an underwater spoken word interlude busts in
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Brakemouth bears certain similarities to fellow Portland artist, Hands In: Both are one-man bands, utilizing preprogrammed beats beefed up with live guitar, and both manage the plate-spinning of such an endeavor with admirable aplomb. But, while Hands In uses this technology to craft shambolic psych-pop, Brakemouth tends more toward the
Music
The first time I heard of Tangerine, it was from Jeff Southard over at Swoon Records. Southard was glowing over his experience with a Seattle band that had just come over to his studio to record their debut EP, which they cranked out over two days. This, mind you, from
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Combining angelic R&B-indebted vocals with muscular instrumentation and wistfully romantic lyrics, Tangerine sound like very little else on the market right now. Led by Marika Justad - along with drummer Miro Lion (Justad's sister), bassist Ryan Baker, and guitarist Toby Kuhn - Tangerine quickly began gaining traction and attention, aided
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Bay Area band One Hundred Percent channel the sort of guitar-driven alt-rock that dominated the '90s, calling to mind groups like Dinosaur Jr. and My Bloody Valentine. Angular guitars melt into fuzzy atmospherics before exploding into a squall of distortion, all the while accompanied by the sensitive lead vocals of
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I first wrote about Melanie Valera, aka Tender Forever, almost exactly two years ago. But, I never had the opportunity to catch her live until I booked her for my music festival, Squeak and Squawk. There, I finally saw what Tender Forever is all about. While all of the glossy,
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When I called up Scatter Gather, based out of Denver, they balked at my idea that their music was complicated. Maybe this is the moment that I realize that I am an old man that doesn't understand this new-fangled rock and roll music. But, when I
Music
There was a certain point in the '90s when terms like "progressive rock" and "math rock" stopped signaling quite the potent meaning that they possessed before. Turning rock music on its head had become a foregone conclusion, and the act of throwing befuddling elements into your music became not only
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Les Rhinoceros make experimental music that vacillates from the understatedly regal ("Seepy Seepy") to defiantly abrasive ("Brea Spiders") and everything in between. Incorporating elements of noise-rock, world music, progressive rock, and ambient electronica, Les Rhinoceros make for a difficult band to pin down. From song to song, or even moment
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In looking out for bands to cover, what usually draws me in first is not the music. Band names that catch the eye or make me laugh are usually shown preference. Well, Power Skeleton hit the holy trifecta. They have a great name, they have an intriguing way to describe
Music
It's no surprise that Rufus Wainwright should find himself years later to be a consummate showman. The son of folkies Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright grew up in a house of music, joining his mother's band at the age of 13. Even his sister, Martha, has a respectable
