Here is the copy of my published piece in the Portland Mercury (circa May 2008 – February 2009)
VAGINALS
San Diego’s Vaginals are plowing through town to bring a whole new meaning to our Keep Portland Weird schtick. Some might equate their unpredictable havoc with overindulgent noisemaking, while others have crowned them living legends in the underground West Coast avant-garde music scene. Lead visionary La Cochina pounds the drums looking like a crazed Latina Amy Sedaris, adding quirky humor throughout—song titles include “I Like Cuddle Boner” and “Top 40 vs. Top Ramen.” Meanwhile, rotating members of the group mutilate homemade keyboards. Though their setup time usually surpasses the standard 10-minute grace period, stand patiently, for their aftermath will surely give you something to talk about. EM BROWNLOWE
THEE HEADLINERS
My friend once brilliantly described Thee Headliners as a garage band who should have performed at the Lobo Lounge—the fictional small-town dive bar from the hit ’90s sitcom Roseanne. Imagine Thee Headliners’ star rising amid a sea of blow-dried bangs, handlebar mustaches, plenty of flannel, and only two types of domestic beer in brown bottles. However, from a musical standpoint, such an association between Roseanne’s theme song and Thee Headliners has probably been heavily influenced by member Hamburger Chubs’ unruly use of a harmonica. Meanwhile, Holly Morgan and Jeremy Terry sound like a whiskey bar waltz between Johnny Cash and June Carter as they double-fist their vice of heartache while crooning lines like: “You gotta be shit-faced/When you tell me you love me.” EM BROWNLOWE
SYMMETRY/SYMMETRY
I hate to sound clichéd but I have a hunch you will enjoy symmetry/symmetry if you think OK Computer is one of the best modern rock albums ever recorded. Explicit comparisons to Thom Yorke set aside, symmetry/symmetry maintains emotional sincerity by exploring spacious musical territories through the cavernous realms of human expressionism. This past year, the trio have been priming their debut, Love Breaks Light, due in February. Their masterpiece is “Le Fin,” which begins with an isolated guitar played sullenly underneath Daniel B. Jones’ falsetto warning: “Prepare for the war/The storm is at your door.” This quickly morphs into an Armageddon of heavy-hitting drums and a spree of electronic mutilation professing the one truth you do not want to hear: “Everyone will die.” EM BROWNLOWE
GREY ANNE, SNEAKIN OUT
Southeast Belmont’s Muddy Waters Coffeehouse is morphing into a nonprofit music venue that will donate proceeds to local community shelters, artistic programs for at-risk youth, drug rehab clinics, and low-income health centers. In support of Muddy Waters’ humanistic approach and generosity, a handful of Portland notables will perform to raise funds for the café’s federal nonprofit application fee. Bands include Sneakin’ Out, who will reinterpret your favorite ’80s radio hits with their unique blend of instrumental gypsy-jazz grooves, and Grey Anne, who will keep you guessing with quirky serenades masked behind unpredictable costumes and audience-participatory percussion.
SIREN NATION MUSIC FESTIVAL (Nov 7/8, 2008)
Outside of Portland’s reasonably gender-inclusive music scene, women in music are either a novelty or just few and far between. Simply open any mainstream music publication and compare the coverage of female performers to their male counterparts.
Siren Nation organizer Natalia Kay agrees. “I think there is something threatening about women creating art, or they wouldn’t be so marginalized.” In the fight to shatter the glass ceiling, Siren Nation’s hope is to create an artistic nation where gender roles and sex do not inhibit opportunities for visibility and success.
Siren Nation was the brainchild of Kay and Tamara J. Brown, who had previously worked together promoting events geared towards the queer women’s community. This complex new venture would require support from a team of organizers including December Carson, whom Natalia met while working as a booking agent for the Siren Music Company. Since its humble beginnings, Siren Nation has grown into an esteemed nonprofit organization with year-round support of creative exhibitions made by women musicians, artists, and filmmakers.
Musically, Siren Nation is the answer to those who think Lilith Fair-esque women’s music festivals are a big yawn. Following in the footsteps of the revolutionary Ladyfest, Siren Nation’s organizers are dedicated to recognizing a diverse selection of lady-made music on an independent scale.
“We knew we wanted Siren Nation to include all works of art by women including all genres,” says Carson. She goes on to suggest Siren Nation’s curators are “continually pushing to expand our views of what art is.” That goal has been demonstrated in this year’s music roster, which includes a variety of genres: folk, hiphop, jazz, rock, pop, and more.
Following Thursday’s opening night soirée, the first night of this year’s stellar music lineup includes East Coast hiphop mouth-offs Northern State, the lusty soul-cryin’ mama Tahoe Jackson, the electro pulse of the Trucks, the frazzled post-punk of the New Bloods, and the lucid dream ballads of Lisa Papineau. On Saturday evening one can expect the grim howls of Scout Niblett, local indie-folk songstress Laura Gibson, the intoxicating and sullen waltz of Felina’s Arrow, indie-pop darling Laura Veirs, and the eclectic gypsy-folk storyteller Amelia.
UH HUH HER, THE FASHION
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Tonight, the queer folk of Portland will receive a post-Halloween treat from The L Word cast member Leisha Hailey, showing off the musical side of her celebrity coin with Uh Huh Her. UHH’s musical partnership is shared with lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Camila Grey, who has collaborated with a diverse demographic ranging from film composer Hans Zimmer to Busta Rhymes. Rather than taking a gritty influence from the carnal PJ Harvey record of the same title, Uh Huh Her can be equated to a sultry blended Goldfrappuccino: sickly sweet yet possessing the ability to energize a dance floor. The Los Angeles band combines minimal organic sounds muddled with overtly mainstream studio production to churn out glittery pop gems suitable for The L Word soundtrack itself. Regardless, I’ll bet you that an L Word fanatic will yell out “I love you, Alice!” without thinking twice.
MATTRESS (Oct 23, Twilight)
Watching Rex Marshall perform in his one man band, Mattress, sort of feels like watching someone try to pull off their favorite Joy Division tune at karaoke towards the brink of last call. This comparison isn’t to suggest that Marshall’s stage persona isn’t entertaining. His reckless flail certainly invites voyeuristic eyes. It’s just that occasionally the lines are blurred between his own innovation and paying musical homage to his idols and their legacy. Luckily, Marshall’s desperate baritone howl signals sincerity in his effective hair raising mantras. In a captivating tune called “El Dorado”, Marshall’s emotional authenticy reaches a resonant peak as he passionately blows into a discordant harmonica. Overall, I would definitely recommend a Mattress show over the karaoke underworld any day.
ALINA SIMONE (Sept 13th, Funky Church) Siberian cult icon Yanka Dyagileva was a folk-punk-poet whose underground status rivals Nico or Patti Smith in her barren homeland; after her mysterious death in 1991, Yanka’s music continued to be distributed non-commercially through dubbed mix tapes. While walking in New York City’s Brighton Beach neighborhood, Alina Simone happened upon one of these rare tapes. Born in the Ukraine and fluent in Russian, Simone was touched by Yanka’s poetic recounts of Cold War-era Soviet life and the raw simplicity found in her primitive works. Paying homage, Simone released a collection of Yanka covers entitled Everyone Is Crying Out to Me, Beware. Championed for her breathy, decadent vocal range, Simone transforms Yanka’s lo-fi originals into modern indie rock ballads with an Eastern European flair. Sung entirely in Russian, Simone’s potent emotive voice surpasses language barriers, carrying Yanka’s story straight through the soul. EM BROWNLOW
KUSIKIA (Aug 21, Mississippi Pizza w/ Minerva + Banners)
Over the past two years, Tacoma duo Kusikia has further explored the areas of suspense and relief through shattering drum/guitar breakdowns. Once a whispering crooner, Nsayi Matingou has transformed into a malignant viper spitting out emotive confidence while bandmate Peter Ryan’s effortless drums trip under fervent guitar work. Tonight, Kusikia will play songs off their upcoming sophomore album, Turtle Wars, which they will self-release in October. Compared to their self-titled debut, these songs are untamed experiments with free noise dabbling in unconventional song structure. While Kusikia often relies on melodic thrashing, they occasionally calm it down for moody ballads strung along with realist lyric work that could have been the result of an imaginary sonic team-up of Myra Lee-era Chan Marshall with the wall of sound instrumentation of Sonic Youth. EM BROWNLOWE
PRIDS BENEFIT (Aug 16, The Know w/ Bumtech, We’re From Japan, Reverse Dotty & The Candy Cane Shivs)
Last month the Prids experienced a band’s worst nightmare when a tire on their tour van blew, causing them to lose control and flip several times. While all members of the band and their traveling companions escaped the tragic scene alive, they’re still experiencing the devastating repercussions of the accident with severe injuries—including a disturbing list of broken bones, concussions, stitches, and staples to the head. Guitarist/vocalist David Frederickson had to be airlifted from the crash in what was not exactly a rock star’s dream of a private plane. This benefit show is to help alleviate the Prids’ mountain of uninsured medical bills. In addition to attending the show, you can help the Prids by going to theprids.com and donating via PayPal. EM BROWNLOWE
SAD HORSE
(Valentine’s, 232 SW Ankeny) If it is unjust to judge a book by its cover, is it equally unfair to judge a band by their name? Solely based on the name Sad Horse, I assumed their set would entail sullen downer music. However, after a bit of research and investigation, I realized Sad Horse makes anything but the sad bastard music I anticipated from their moniker. In fact, rather than being gloomy, the local band seems downright pissed off as they trot along with hammering garage punk that is both guttural and rebellious. This month, the duo will release a 7-inch featuring six short-lived, crazed anthems on Mississippi Records as part of their Music from North Portland series. EM BROWNLOWE
SUMMER BUMMER: Cafeteria Dance Fever
(7/25/08, Twilight Café and Bar, 1420 SE Powell) In its essence, Cafeteria Dance Fever is a garage noise fest featuring the catchy pop-punk songwriting of lanky frontman Cain Hendricks. Standing firm, he strums his fuzzed-out guitar while singing monotone melodies about rotten hot dogs, ripping out eyeballs, and plague-infested rats. Meanwhile, brothers Tim and Mark Janchar (who, besides rocking out in CDF, founded local garage-pop label Hovercraft and curate venue/art space Worksound) fuse in feedback-pierced guitar riffs fueled by intense, pants-splitting high kicks and guitar mutilation that often ends in broken necks and splinters. They’re just one of many acts taking part in the Summer Bummer event, which begins in the afternoon in the parking lot of BC’s American Saloon (2433 SE Powell); at 6:30 pm, the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers will lead a procession down SE Powell to the Twilight, where the Bummer continues. EM BROWNLOWE
ANNIE & THE DREAMBOATS (July, 2008)
Reminiscent of the legendary riot grrrl movement, Annie & the Dreamboats are shimmying into the underground scene with songs promoting big-girl love. Sounding like a young Kathleen Hanna, adorable size queen Annie Maribona belts out a declaration of self-acceptance in the crowd-pleasing anthem, “I’m Awesome,” chanting out sassy lyrics: “What do you think when you’re walking down the street?/I don’t care/’Cause I’m awesome!” Their message: Have fun and love yourself for who you are, regardless of what all those silly fashion magazines think. Speaking of fashion, this show is a benefit for the Dreamboats frontwoman’s big entrepreneurial vision, Fat Fancy!, a clothing depot specializing in cute vintage and modern attire for people of size. EM BROWNLOWE
YELLOW FEVER (July, 2008)
YellowFever’s driving, post-alterna-rock sound makes me nostalgic for the idealism found in a mid-’90s summer road trip—when gas was affordable and your friend’s mixtape blasted over America’s barren landscapes rushing by your window. On their latest EP, Cats and Rats, frontwoman Jennifer Moore’s croon is sweeter than honeycomb as it floats above her wandering minimalist guitar and the committed backbone of Adam Jones’ drums. After a 2,273 mile journey from Austin, Texas, YellowFever plays a free show at the Twilight Café tonight. Please put a sweet tip in the donation cap for these talented travelers. EM BROWNLOWE
LKN, MINERVA, ROSE CITY SIRENS (July, 2008)
America’s birthday isn’t the only one worth celebrating this week. Tonight, Portland’s own guitar legend, Lauren Kathryn Newman, will rock into the third decade of her life. Similar to Fourth of July fireworks, LKN performances are loud, explosive, and mesmerizing to watch. Whipping long black hair through a cyclone of convoluted guitar work atop the thunderous mountain of her committed rhythm section (who learn their parts based on recordings in which Newman herself plays all the instruments), LKN is one of the fiercest bands in town. To help celebrate, Minerva will be mixing up an intoxicating potion combining Lilith Fair-esque folk melodies with intricate instrumentation that is both moody and dissonant, while the Rose City Sirens will present a sweltering burlesque performance that is sure to work you into a fever. EM BROWNLOWE
Come as You Are : Sluts and Squares for All
BY EM BROWNLOWE
Chris Massey titled his dance night Sluts and Squares after a cartoon depicting a woman wearing a swishing cocktail dress with knee-high boots, her gloved hands hanging upon a nerdy, androgynous figure sporting thick glasses, beige slacks, and a necktie. Scrawled at the top were the words “Sluts and Squares.” Immediately, Massey fell in love with the title; he felt it was the perfect moniker and “represented inclusion and unity, the Slut and the Square, two ends of a continuum coming together.”
A similar spectrum extends itself over the rainbow, as Sluts and Squares attracts a beautiful GLBTQ population. As a straight man, Massey was inspired by legendary queer spinner DJ Puppet, who shared his vision of seeing the queer community and hetero folks alike mingling and getting down on a dance floor. In the beginning, Sluts and Squares featured live music to rile up a modest crowd in preparation for the DJ’s set. However, over several months, it became too difficult to transition between a band’s set and the discotheque vibe Chris had envisioned.
With live burlesque shows (some of the most notable acts have included the voluptuous Sahara Dunes, the Rose City Sirens, and acrobatic wonder boys Burlesquire), go-go dancers, and driving, electro house music, Sluts and Squares proves itself to be a unique spectacle. While it is likely you will hear some of your favorite ’80s hits, Sluts and Squares’ spinsters—DJs Shimmy, Corban, and Verse—are sure to turn you on to an eclectic range of underground electronic pulses, with a focus on lady-led remixes from around the world. Unlike other “queer positive” nights—which oftentimes translates to “queer meat market”—Sluts and Squares has achieved its goal in creating an all-inclusive dance night, which Massey describes as a “party for people of any gender, sexuality, size, or race who know how to have a good time.” In other words, come as you are. Whether you’re a slut or a square, you will be happy to be there.
THE SNAKEBITES (June, 2008)
The Snakebites’ main man, Skky Phoenix, restlessly fled his dreary Northwest home on a one-way ticket to New Mexico. If old-fashioned luck, charm, and good looks pay off, he’ll soon be pursuing a lucrative musical career performing AM oldies at weddings and casinos. Yet apparently this endeavor can’t keep him from the Northwest’s shy sun for too long. Less than a year after his departure, his old band is already playing their first handful of reunion shows. For old time’s sake, the rest of the Snakebites will slither down from Seattle to join Skky and rock ‘n’ rattle your eardrums with their playful garage rock sound. Of course, I can totally see the whole casino gig shining bright in Skky’s future—that is, if a few Elvis numbers were thrown into the mix as well. EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 06/21/08
KIKI (June 2008)
Kiki’s music sounds like it could have warmed a spot on a mid-’90s motion picture soundtrack geared toward teenagers. Those saccharine-sweet power pop arrangements recall imagery of girls gathering at a slumber party, spinning old Bangles records while they hysterically suck helium from birthday balloons and do Cyndi Lauper impersonations. Then, as they talk shit about all their ex-boyfriends, one girl accidentally confesses to another that she made out with the birthday girl’s lover while they were “technically broken up.” Hair pulling and scratches ensue. To complement such a storyline, Kiki’s music would appear toward the end when best friends reunite after resolving that the betrayal was a farce and the one to blame was their shared boy-toy for temporarily sabotaging their friendship.
EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 6/13/08
THE OVULATORS (June, 2008)
I’m totally stoked for the inevitable resurgence of mid-’90s alternative power-pop. For this revival, the Ovulators will ride through town upon a sparkling horse of fun, their sound recalling a fuzz-soaked Hole mixed with the piercing sass of the Lunachicks. Post-riot grrrl popsters unite! Between sucking down bubblegum cigarettes, the Ovulators take back the night with “Masturbation Nation,” an anthem encouraging women to take matters of sexuality into their own hands, and “2,” to which vocalist Dori Prange lends some empowering one-liners: “Too much to do to be distracted by you!/Too much to do to let you destroy me!,” liberating those imprisoned by social constraints. Best of all: Their secret weapon is glitter! EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 6/7/08
GAY DECEIVERS (June, 2008)
As an “andro-fagette,” I am all about supporting “gay deceiving” ladies who boldly redefine the rainbow-colored spectrum of gender expression and sexual orientation. The ladies of art-pop duo Gay Deceivers make especially queer music in the original dictionary definition of the term: “Strange or odd from a conventional viewpoint.” Thus, if you are a person who prefers Yoko Ono to the Beatles, you will surely snap your headband to the peculiar pop rendering of Gay Deceivers.
EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 6/27/08
MORGAN GRACE (June, 2008)
Remember your first band crush? You know, the one you would listen to over and over until the CD scratched, the cassette tape ripped, or the record skipped? Or the first time you had an intense emotional connection to someone’s music and felt they were channeling a special message just for you? No, you weren’t an obsessive freak. You were just in love. For all the Morgan Grace “super fans” who fell captive to her creative prowess, Ms. Grace will release a collection of demos entitled Valentine. To a super fan, demos are some of the most precious recordings an artist can give. The songs have a raw urgency, allowing us to join Ms. Grace on her journey through an intimate world of creation. She delivers an alternate version of “Drive Past Your House,” proving a haunting piano is more emotionally resonate than the juicy power-pop original found on The Rules of Dating.
EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 6/1/08
SLUTTY HEARTS (May, 2008)
With the slew of heterosexual band members copulating beyond their indie rock relationships, it is refreshing to hear a guy and girl making music together without pulling at each other’s heartstrings. Slutty Hearts take such emotional hot topics and infuse them into ghostly anti-folk ballads that are reminiscent of the charming unisex vocal melodies of the Moldy Peaches or the enchanting moodiness of Mazzy Star. Plus, they both play the drums while they gently strum the guitar, sing, or pound upon a keyboard. If such admirable extension of talent doesn’t make you want to do something slutty, you probably have a heart that reeks of moldy prunes. EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 5/22/08
PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE (May, 2008)
(Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington) After crowning themselves Purple Rhinestone Eagle, there is little doubt these women possess an epic sense of humor. In their recent music video, PRE execute their heavy serenade, “In the Shelter of Your Love,” in the presence of a spastic wizard puppet whose eyes shed bloody tears from smoking too much ganja. Don’t be fooled though, these girls can rock. Purple Rhinestone Eagle stirs up a black cauldron, mixing obscure psyche bands from the ’60s with sexed-up call-and-response vocals similar to the Third Sex or The Woods-era Sleater-Kinney. In an attempt to demystify their highly decorative band name, PRE’s bassist, Morgan R.D., addresses its theoretical context: “Sometimes certain images or phrases need to be recaptured, casting aside preconceptions and arbitrary values… Why should the eagle be resigned to a cartoonish emblem for capitalism or a rhinestone seen as worthless? The eagle is majestic and fierce and I’ll take a rhinestone over a diamond any day.” EB
BARACK THE VOTE: JUNKFACE, ALAN SINGLEY & PANTS MACHINE, ANDY COMBS & THE MOTH (May 2008)
There’s no doubt the outcome of this year’s national Democratic primary will rely heavily on every Oregon voter’s decision. With only a few days until your ballot’s deadline, three bands will rock in support of Barack. Andy Combs & the Moth will circle around Barack’s proposed light of “change” with his (err… their?) multi-personality driven melodies. The boys of Junkface will put down their side projects to come together and deliver their sexy angular jives with plenty of style. Alan Singley & Pants Machine will sing what feels like a declaration of solidarity with lyrics like “The World Was Made for Everyone” and “A Change Is Possible with You and Me.” Repeat after me: Yes we can!
EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury;
5/15/08
TEA COZIES (May 2008)
Naming themselves after a British tea insulator, Tea Cozies play frantic guitar-centric pop that reminds me of what Deerhoof would sound like if they popped a chill pill and started hanging out with the Rondelles. Hailing from Seattle, Tea Cozies transform the gray days of their city into a hologram of sunshine-soaked, jangly art-rock with sweet-as-a-lollipop girl-on-girl vocal harmonies. While their fingers are sticky from borrowing influence from Britpop and ’60s-era American underground icons, Tea Cozies successfully transform their inspirations into arrangements that sound completely fresh and new. Post-post-modernism, anyone? EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 5/10/08
HAIRSPRAY BLUES (May 2008)
Hairspray Blues is a sonic hailstorm comprised of two star-studded lovers, Kyle and Leslie Stabile, destined for open sky and city lights. Legend has it that the pair met in a doughnut shop, fell in love, married, and then split the backwoods of Pennsylvania for an affair with the Wild West. The duo puts on a fierce performance, combining retro-blues with black metal and thundering drums. Sitting high upon her throne, Leslie Stabile’s ebony hair lashes around her face as she venomously strikes upon the percussive head of her prey. Meanwhile, Kyle Stabile creates a whirlwind of guitars around his bride while spitting out words like, “I’ve got a woman mean as she can be/Sometimes I think she’s almost mean as me.” A match made in hell. EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 5/9/08
WANDA JACKSON (May 2008)
Last time I saw Wanda Jackson live, she blew through this rainy town like a hurricane. I felt like I was in a time capsule that flashed back to the days of swing dancing and beer that could be traded for pocket change—an era where pin-up girls revealing their garter belts was considered controversial and sexually defiant. Wanda Jackson was singing at those parties back then and still has the same spitfire prowess to get a party started in the new millennium. As she enters her 70s, it’s refreshing to see a woman rocking past retirement and warming her throne as the “Queen of Rockabilly.” Take her advice and “Rock Your Baby All Night Long,” because you don’t want to miss your chance before Ms. Jackson takes a one-way ticket to the eternal rock ‘n’ roll party in the sky. EM BROWNLOWE, Portland Mercury; 5/3/08
