This is the place for any comments you have that don't relate to a specific post. This is a place where you can leave any requests, suggestions and opinions that you have about this blog. It will always remain at the top of the blog so that it is visible to everyone. We can use this as a forum for an open discussion on music in general, as well as just simply saying hi. Let's get the ball rolling.
This Halloween 2009 edition of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/, or streamed right here in the embedded Podomatic player.
I realize that this podcast is a day late, but hopefully it's not a dollar short. As I was facing numerous challenges over the past couple weeks, it was nearly impossible for me to find time to compile this year's Halloween mix. I worked on gathering the songs on Halloween during the day, and then I put the finishing touches in Audacity just before the clock struck midnight. I know there are plenty of dark souls who listen to this type of music throughout the year, so this one's for you. Then, next Halloween you can pull this one out and give it a proper spin during Halloween.
This one is an eclectic mix of soul, surf, experimental, hip-hop and electronic music that is sure to keep your interest. I would love to hear what any of you think about the podcast!
Until next time...
The fourteenth episode of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/
Wow! Two podcast posts within the same week. If I'm not careful, someone will accuse me of being prolific.
This is the long awaited second part to the KBOO Podcast. The songs featured on this podcast were originally intended to be played on KBOO radio, but there was only time for me to play a few songs that evening. Since I was really happy with the way the songs flowed on this one, I figured it would be a shame not to share this with all of you. This mix features everything under the sun including jazz, electronic, avant garde, folk and blues. Please contact me if you would like to know what the playlist is for this show. I hope you all enjoy this episode of I Hear a New World, and your comments are always welcomed and appreciated.
The Scion Garage Fest was pretty amazing, and I managed to catch the complete sets from ten bands. Simply Saucer was a huge disappointment, as their set was comprised of mostly watered down blues that sounded nothing like their sole album- Cyborgs Revisited. There were a couple of bands that I missed because the schedules didn't allow me to see everything I wanted to see. I opted to go to Black Lips instead of Gris Gris because I couldn't sit through any more of Simply Saucer's set, and I needed some sustenance from Dante's inferno. After spending half of Black Lips set outside due to Berbati's annoying 1 in= 1 out policy, I decided to stay there and check out Roky Erickson's set. Unfortunately, catching the King Khan & BBQ set at Dante's was not in the cards for me.
Quick recap:
The Dirtbombs- Killed it! My friend Dave said that they set the bar high for the rest of the bands, and I would have to agree with this statement. Classic garage with incendiary guitar solos and two drummers that can pound the skins like there is no tomorrow.
Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds- Performance of Gun Club's classic track "Sex Beat" made it well worth checking them out
Almighty Defenders- Black Lips and King Khan & BBQ together in a packed Dante's was so entertaining that I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.
Intelligence- I only caught four songs, but what I heard was pretty cool. They even did a cover of Thee Oh Sees "Block of Ice".
Jacuzzi Boys- These boys from Miami, FL proved that it doesn't matter where you come from as long as you bring your A-game. One of the best performances at the festival from a relatively unknown band.
Davila 666- I have to admit that I wasn't really interested in seeing these guys, but my friend Dave was motivated to check them out. This show was the most packed of the day besides Almighty Defenders, and the crowd was definitely lovin' their set.
Cheap Time- Since the Someday Lounge was behind schedule I was able to check out Cheap Time. I liked them, but they were far from my favorite of the night.
Fresh & Only's- It seems like they were missing a key player in their band, because on record there is a female voice. I thought they were good, but not as amazing as the records I've heard. "Feelings In My Heart" was the highlight of their set for me.
Harlem- Buzz band on Matador that had a rough night with technical difficulties and false starts. I kept hearing someone yell for "South of France", and I have to admit that the live rendition of this song was the highlight of their set for me.
Simply Saucer- watered down blues rock from a band that is considered to be legendary based on one album.
Black Lips- Do I really need to say anything about this band? Well, they had a bevy of beauties jump on the stage for the last song, and the guitar player was playing on the bar. 'Nuff said!
Roky Erickson- I'm not a huge fan of Roky's solo stuff as it always reminds me of the music from bad 80's movies, but closing with with the 13th Floor Elevator's classic "You're Gonna Miss Me" was an ace move.
Until next time...
The thirteenth episode of I Hear a New World is available to be downloaded at: http://ihearanewworld.podomatic.com/
I know it's been awhile since I have uploaded a podcast on here, but I figured that it was the perfect time to showcase the talent from this weekend's garage rock extravaganza that is blowing up all over Downtown Portland.
This podcast features the best of the old and new garage rockers who are playing this year's Scion Garage Fest on Saturday, Oct 17th. Even though Geno Washington and Jay Reatard had to cancel their performances, there are plenty of great bands worth checking out at the festival. Among the heavy hitters are Black Lips, King Khan & BBQ, Roky Erickson, Simply Saucer and Gris Gris. That alone is enough to make the mouth of any garage rock fan drop to the floor in utter disbelief.
Please check Eclectic Grooves within the next couple days, as I will be posting the setlist for this podcast here.
I would love to hear what you guys think of the podcasts, and make sure to tell all your friends about the Scion Garage Rock festival if you live in the Portland area. It's happening on Oct 17th at Someday Lounge, Berbati's Pan, Satyricon and Dante's from 3:00-1:00.
Here is the official schedule with set times and venue information.
Until next time...
Since some of you have been patiently awaiting the answer to last week's Plain Brown Wrappers, I decided to reveal that for you today. Like I said before, those of you who guessed that this was not an American band were definitely on the right track. Nathan (N0) knew the answer right away, but was kind enough not to spoil the fun for the rest of the readers out there.
While perusing through a back-issue of Wire magazine from January 2006, I came across a fascinating article showcasing the artist-run record label Rat Drifting. Since then, I have been hard pressed to find any additional information about Rat Drifting or the artists featured on the label, short of the label's website and a few reviews scattered throughout the web. Therefore, I felt that it would be fitting to provide some more exposure to this enterprising label on Eclectic Grooves.
Rat Drifting is essentially the brainchild of Eric Chenaux, the singer and guitarist who plays in several of the bands on Rat Drifting while overseeing the operations of the label along with co-founder Martin Arnold. The seeds of Rat Drifting were planted when Arnold was visiting York University to collaborate with Casey Sokol on the production of Cornelius Cardew's The Great Learning. During this time, Arnold met up with two of Sokol's students, Ryan Driver and Doug Tielli, and eventually crossed paths with Eric Chenaux, the former bassist of indie pop band Crash Vegas. This friendship with Cheanux blossomed into the beginning of the formation of the Rat Drifting label in 2002.
This enigmatic collective of musicians from Toronto have started to make a name for themselves by way of a loyal underground following who eagerly await each live performance with bated breath. These performances are considered to be real "happenings," where a sense of community is established, and the crowd feel like they are an integral part of the performance.
The Reveries performances in particular are astoundingly original. Sketches of classic jazz standards are skewed by an interconnected set of cell phone speakers hung inside each member's mouth, thus projecting the sound of their instruments into each other's mouths via a contact mic. Since each member is using their mouth to play an instrument or sing, a series of psychedelic wah-wah effects are created when the mouth cavity changes shape. Those of you who are familiar with the "talk box" sound popularized by Peter Frampton and Sly Stone in the 70's will undoubtedly be intrigued by The Reveries.
Presently, Rat Drifting has been moderately successful with building a roster of like-minded musicians who have a community spirit reminiscent of the the late sixties "Jazz loft" scene. The label features a dizzying variety of music: from the improvisational vocal jazz excursions on the Reveries "You've Changed", to the straightforward melodic folk on The Silt's " Here We Go"; from the "slow waltz in a fever dream" sound of Michelle McAdorey and Eric Chenaux's "Amazing Backgrounds" to the hypnotic, mind altering aural tapestry that unfolds in Josh Thorpe's "Flocklight". There is literally something here for all types of music lovers to enjoy.
Since all of the recordings are available to be purchased via the Rat Drifting website, I am only featuring tracks from a few of the bands to give you an idea of what to expect. I hope you enjoy what you hear and are introduced to a new world of truly unique music.
The Reveries: You've Changed
The Silt- Here We Go
Michelle McAdorey and Eric Chenaux- Amazing Backgrounds
Josh Thorpe- Flocklight
