Portland 2010: Five Albums You Shouldn't Sleep On
December 16th, 2010
As you know, it’s not “All Seattle, All The Time” here on Seattle Subsonic. We broaden (and shrink) our palettes like any other discerning, in-the-know music fan. Lucky for us here in Worshington, 180 miles downward is the perfect excuse to test our tastes. It’s no secret that Portland (the OREGON one) is a hip, emerging town with more to offer than bicycle lanes and breakfast spots. A vibrant music scene is a keystone to any desirable city, and our sister town to the south has one of the best. If you slept on the Rose City this year, here are 5 albums to get you back up to speed, without, you know, actually TAKING SPEED. OH GOD DON’T DO (shitty) DRUGS.
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1. Dark Light – Lovers
Badman Recording Co. (10/12/2010)
“Shepherd of the Stray Hearts”
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This record is one of the best to come out of the Northwest this year, and KEXP-heads will recognize the art-electro balladeers from a recent in-studio session with John Richards. Crafty songsmith Cubby Berk floats her consciousness amongst digital magic-making mates Kerby Ferris and Emily Kingan to the tune of melting heartstrings and harmonized hooks. A video from their blood-rushing show at the Sorrento Hotel in October:
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2. Hard Dream – Copy
Audio Dregs (9/21/2010)
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Marius Libman has an alias. His alias is ‘Copy’. Do not copy his alias. That would be lame. Portland’s dancefloor answer to Truckasauras’ monster-sized jazz jams, Copy released his latest LP in September to little fanfare. Hard Dream, however, is full of smart, square-shaped beats and unwavering electricity, fist-pumping through 8-bit veins en route to some serious (nervous) breakdowns. These instrumental adventures are ripe for restless legs and wandering eyes.
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3. Hearts on Hold – Tu Fawning
Provenance Records (10/5/2010)
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Dismal, distant trumpets, a spooky, forlorn ghostliness, and tribal gypsy folk all define this bone-chilling debut album from Portland’s Tu Fawning. Led by Corrina Rep (who tours with Viva Voce) and Joe Haege (who tours with Menomena)—both profane multi-instrumentalists in this outfit—the quartet doesn’t so much write songs as exorcise them from the dark recesses of its soul. There are plenty of bands doing “eerie” and “macabre” these days, but this one actually sounds like it would have zero qualms about playing a creepy forest séance some day.
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4. American Gong – Quasi
Kill Rock Stars (2/23/2010)
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If there’s one veteran 90s band who deserves a bit more public attention, it’s Quasi. Are they bitter? Not likely, but the raw, rowdy piano-power-punk trio came back with some sort of vendetta, given the ravenous nature of American Gong. Oh sure, Sam Coomes is still gonna try his troubadour hat on and swoon you into the bottom of a bottle, but there’s an underlying ferociousness here that can’t be quelled. Janet Weiss’ ramblin’, rumblin’ skin torching only helps to feed the urgency and the result is a beautiful mess.
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5. Blue Giant (self-titled)
Vanguard Records (7/13/2010)
“Gone for Good [ft. Corin Tucker]“
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I know “southern rock” was a bit more trendy in, say, 2006, but Blue Giant has one distinct advantage here in 2010: the Robinsons. Kevin and Anita, to be specific, are terrific songwriters, excellent musicians and have been showcasing as much in their first band Viva Voce for years. On a lark, they decided to countrify their psychedelic tendencies and came up with some good ol’ fashioned guitar Americana. The native Alabamans just couldn’t hold their true colors back and the influences are easy to spot: boot-stomping rock rhythms, down-home lyrics and tart, twangy banjos.
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