Hoops, a Bloomington, Indiana based four-piece, conjures the idea of breezy afternoons and sticky summer nights - both in name and sound. Not named for the sweltering blacktop accompaniment, nor the waist- slinging hobby, but for hoop houses in the greenhouses where founding member Drew worked in high school. All told, Hoops began as Drew's solo ambient project. Over the course of 2014's (particularly sweltering) summer in Bloomington, Hoops naturally filled out into a four-piece lineup featuring; Drew Auscherman, Kevin Krauter, Keagan Beresford, and James Harris.
To date, Hoops has self-released three tapes which draw on influences such as Prefab Sprout and The Clientele. After playing occasional shows around Indiana, the guys slowly began taking weekend trips to nearby midwestern cities. Early adopters My Old Kentucky Blog and Gorilla vs. Bear were soon joined by the likes of FADER, Gold Flake Paint, NME and more in their praise of Hoops.
Still ingrained in the Bloomington music scene (Drew plays in Gum, Daguerreotype, Manneqin), their tapes are available to stream on YouTube - as well as other bands' tapes from around town. Hoops recently pressed "Tape #3" which contains all three tapes in one and is available to order by emailing the band.
Hoops self-titled EP is due out August 26th on Fat Possum.
THE FAMILY CREST
The brainchild of McCormick, The Family Crest was started as a recording project in 2009 with co-founder John Seeterlin (bass). “We were in another band and had become disillusioned about what that band had become about,” explains McCormick. “Everyone wanted to be rock stars at the expense of the music. John and I were actually planning on leaving music at that point because we wanted something that in ten years we could be proud of.”
Instead of leaving music, they set out to reinvent how it could be created, starting The Family Crest. “We always liked making music with people -- getting a bunch of people together and singing. So we put ads everywhere,” says McCormick. “We posted on Craigslist and emailed old friends from school.” The outcome was greater than the original duo imagined, with 80 people credited on the first recording the band produced. From that a band emerged, at the urging of the guest musicians, who wanted to hear the songs performed live. “We’ve worked with a lot of conservatory students as well as people who just sing in the shower,” McCormick adds. “It became a lot about giving these people a chance to express themselves without being locked into a commitment.”
Now a seven-piece core band, boasting over 400 “Extended Family” members, The Family Crest will release Beneath the Brine in February 2014 on Tender Loving Empire. Just with its previous recordings, the San Francisco band set out to capture a plethora of instruments -- including bassoon, vibraphone and French horn -- in unique places, such as living rooms, churches and cafes across the West Coast.
Following on the heels of last summer’s The Headwinds EP (which earned fans in WXPN and Paste), Beneath the Brine shows that McCormick’s ambition was well placed. The expansive breadth of arrangements – from dark, classical romanticism (“Beneath the Brine”) to horn-laden sounds akin to the Roaring 20s (“Howl”) -- are complemented by the incredible range of McCormick’s voice. Beneath the Brine also showcases The Family Crest’s ability to infuse pop into complex arrangements, with songs like “Love Don’t Go” and “The World.” The album is a sweeping soundscape befitting the oceanic theme of the title and what SPIN notes as “ambition wide enough to swallow you whole.”
It has also proven The Family Crest’s belief that anyone can be musical when given the opportunity. “We live in a very disconnected age,” notes Laura Bergmann (flute/keys), “so it’s a really special experience to have a recording session in a cafe that’s open to the public and to sing next to people you’ve never met before, doing something together that’s tangible and very meaningful.”
“When I listen to the record,” adds McCormick, “it’s like listening to the last two years of my life. All of my best friends that I’ve met are in one place, together.”
TREVOR SENSOR
The two began to fuse in his early songwriting, which was recorded between stints as a dish-washer in the local bar and grill ("you learn a lot from the ex-junkies who make up the kitchen staff," he says now). Among the early results are startling debut single 'The Reaper Man', an ambiguous encounter with death driven by Sensor's raw but soulful voice ("Oh here's the reaper man, he's looking after me / Oh here's the reaper man, he's coming to take me"). Coloured by local love affairs, 50s TV and the mysticism of the Midwest, flip-side 'Villains and Preachers' is a similarly outsider's vision of small-town suburbia, from which Trevor Sensor has emerged one of the most striking new finds of the year.
Portland’s newest (or oldest, depending on how you look at it) music festival has unveiled it’s first lineup. “What Was Sound” will take place May 27th at the Portland Waterfront, as part of the Portland Rose Festival’s music programming. The fest (put on by our own marketing wing, Sub Rosa Curation), features a lineup of DIIV, Woods, El Ten Eleven, Fruit Bats, Bed., Small Leaks Sink Ships, Jujuba, with more announcements on the way! Tickets are only $28 and get you access to the CityFair (who doesn’t like a carnival?), and DIIV hasn’t played Portland in 5 years (if you don’t count Pickathon). Links to tickets here.
The opening weekend lineup... 
McMenamins, StarChile, WE 96.3, Pabst Blue Ribbon & XRAY FM Present: MIC CHECK
Mic Check is a Hip Hop Showcase every last Thursday of the month at White Eagle, with Live performances, drink specials and good vibes!
WE 96.3 we be in the building filming the event and you can watch it on their website www.we963pdx.com as well as the Mic Check
Youtube page:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2cHeUlJhhCirZI1rTHGRnw
THURSDAY MAY 25TH:
Special Guests...
BROOKFIELD DUCE
MIGHTY
SAMUEL THE 1ST
Hosted by StarChile
Music by Trox
Dooors @ 9pm, Show starts at 10pm...
21 and over, Tickets: $7 @ the Door
Led by high school senior Lindsey Jordan, last year Maryland three-piece Snail Mail released an impressive debut EP last year, Habit. It’s six tracks of lo-fi indie rock that perfectly captures the feeling of dragging your feet around your hometown and praying you don’t get stuck there for good.
Girlpool is a Los Angeles based two piece made up of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad. Having met at local DIY venue the Smell, the two quickly grew very close. Their sound is comprised only of a guitar, bass and vocal harmonies. The band uses this bare bones instrumentation to accentuate their vulnerable yet powerful lyrics to create honest pieces, tackling concepts ranging from awareness and respect to the simple feeling of being alone at a show.
Máscaras, comprised of three Portland music scene veterans (members of Sun Angle, Deer or the Doe, O Bruxo, Cat Hoch, Paper/Upper/Cuts, and literally dozens of others), is what happens when an off-the-cuff jam session between friends really, really works. Even in its recorded form, “it’s a jam with themes that live and breathe,” the band says, “leaving room for the unexpected.” The trio, comprised of Papi Fimbres (drums), Theo Craig (bass), and Carlos Segovia (guitar), plays heavy, propellant psychedelic music with surf-rock twang and mathy sensibilities. They call it “maximalist indigenous psych,” and while it’s not exactly the kind of music that one would normally identify with Portland—these are, after all, three brown dudes in the whitest city in America—they have become local favorites since their low-key formation in 2013, placing in the top 3 of Willamette Week’s prestigious annual Best New Band Poll.
Jo Passed is an emergent project by songwriter/vocalist/producer/multi-instrumentalist, Joseph Hirabayashi. Joseph formerly played in Vancouver based neo-psychedelic band Sprïng, which formed out of the disbanding of pronk experimental punk band, SSRIs. Jo Passed is always on tour, look for shows.
$9
https://www.facebook.com/events/1968656523363233/
Máscaras:
https://mascaras.bandcamp.com/
Jo Passed:
https://jopassed.bandcamp.com/
Laser Background:
https://laserbackground.bandcamp.com/
Bitch'n:
https://bitchn.bandcamp.com/releases
The Black United Fund is having their annual 2017 Scholarship Awards Luncheon which brings together community leaders, university and college partners, students, parents, school officials, and community members. Making this event a true community-wide celebration for Oregon and SW Washington students embarking on their college journey.
For information on sponsorship or table hosting contact our Development Team at development@bufor.org
"The single most powerful thing I can be is to be myself."
-Dwayne Johnson
Matthew Logan Vasquez is feeling optimistic.
That’s not necessarily apparent the first time you spin his new full-length solo album. Each track on Matthew Logan Does What He Wants feels urgent and intense. Impatient landlords, financial woes and other frustrations fan the agitation embedded in the opening track, “Same.” Isolation darkens the brooding images of “From Behind The Glass.” Death takes a bow on “The Fighter.” Vasquez can’t help but juxtapose the celebration of “Fatherhood” with a lament that “we ain’t got the money to pay the hospital.”
The music enhances this impression. As fans of his work with Delta Spirit and Middle Brother know well, Vasquez knows how to fuse passion and poetry in his writing and then ignite this volatile mix with extraordinarily expressive singing. In this sense he stands as a peer and a worthy successor to those who influenced him as an up-and-coming artist — Neil Young, Kurt Cobain, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed and others often mentioned, none of them known for their upbeat, sunny lyrics.
“My point is that life is a struggle,” Vasquez continues. “But how can you have optimism and hope if you don’t have something negative? Context is what makes it meaningful.”
For Vasquez, context involves drawing from dramatically different settings. Growing up in Austin Texas and along the California coast, hunkering down for years in Brooklyn as he finessed his music in a more pressurized urban context and then heading back to Austin to put all the pieces together, he took note of the differences and similarities these places offered. During much of that time he channeled his experiences into Delta Spirit, whose albums inspired critics to laud the band as “restless and defiant” (Paste), its music infused by “waves of measured ferocity” (Uncut) and “significant depth” (Austin Chronicle).
To keep his path clear and work on his own terms, Vasquez built a studio in his home for this past year — a trailer parked about an hour west of Austin. Here, in Texas Hill Country, surrounded by evergreen oak trees, he wrote and recorded basic tracks and then brought in singer Kam Franklin from The Suffers, Shakey Graves drummer Christopher Booshada and Jud Johnson of A. Sinclair to add parts as needed. For backup vocals and string parts, he worked long-distance via sound files with the Parkington Sisters, who he performed with during a Middle Brother set at last year’s Newport Folk Festival. “They performed a miracle, giving me a 3-D depth that makes the tracks they appear on jump out of the speakers,” he insists.
In final form, Does What He Wants is like a hall of mirrors, each capturing a different image of one self-aware and restlessly creative individual. This music is diverse yet unified, which of course was a priority for its author.
And, in the end, it turns out to feel pretty optimistic after all — a perfect statement for these times and possibly for some time to come.
HOLOCENE AND XRAY.FM PRESENT...
WILD COMBINATION: A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO ARTHUR RUSSELL
CHANTI DARLING, KARL KLING, GOLD CASIO, CASPAR SONNET, NOAH BERNSTEIN, JOHN NIEKRASZ, JONATHAN SIELAFF, MOOREA MASA, DJ HONEST JOHN, DJ SET BY STEVE KNUTSON (AUDIKA RECORDS), LECTURE BY MATT MARBLE, VISUALS BY SHAWN CREEDEN
SUN MAY 21
7:30 PM
$8.00 - $10.00
TICKETS
This event is 21 and over
Join us in honoring this visionary's memory on his birthday! An evening of live cover song sets, a lecture and DJ sets. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cascade AIDS Project.
3 Days in Portland featuring AMINE
It all started in Portland, OR...
Now, Portland isn't traditionally referred to as a hotbed of hip-hop like Brooklyn or Compton is, but Aminé could very well change that perception.
"You don't ever think of a rapper or even a black guy coming out of Portland," he asserts. "That's just not a thing! However, there's a fairly diverse subculture in the city that few people know about. It's very different from what you would expect."
However, everything he does defies expectations. The rapper, artist, and director draws equal influence from his parents' Ethiopian heritage as he does from trailblazers such as Kanye West and André 3000. He's more likely to record in a remote AirBNB'ed wilderness cabin than he is in a posh studio, and he cites Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson as major inspirations. Building on a lifelong passion for music, he began recording in high school and quietly sharpening his mic skills. While attending Portland State University, he released his 2015 project Calling Brio.
Merging visual lyricism, swaggering production, and his clever, catchy bars, it became a phenomenon on Soundcloud, racking up over 1 million+ plays. In addition to praise from Pigeons & Planes, HypeTrak, and more, Complex spotlighted him as "one of the artists we're certainly checking for this year."
"I'm a fan of all genres," he explains. "My parents always played African music and Bob Marley. Then, I grew up on everything from Erykah Badu to John Mayer. I want to do something that reflects this diversity. My songs need to be good for the listener personally."
Representing that mosaic style, his 2016 single "Caroline" struts through a funked-up tribal bounce with the kind of grit and gusto that'd make Jules Winfield and Vincent Vega proud. Upon release, it quickly caught fire, garnering 10 million-plus Spotify streams, 8 million-plus Soundcloud plays, and 4 million-plus YouTube/VEVO views as well as reaching #1 on Spotify's Global Viral Top 50, #1 on the US Viral Top 50, and #1 on the Canada Viral Top 50. As the track took off, he inked a deal with Republic Records.
"With ‘Caroline,' I wanted to make an encouraging and fun record," Aminé goes on. "It really happened in the moment, and it's a feel good song."
It's also just the beginning. Aminé has a lot more surprises up his sleeve for Portland, hip-hop, and the world at large.
"I never want a basic reaction," he leaves off. "I want you to always have questions. I hope to challenge listeners to wonder why. Those are the artists I care about."
A2
Enigmatic rapper and producer A2 makes music that matters. Whether writing over soulful electronica or woozy R&B, the 26 year-old creates considered compositions bound by a sense of mystery, introspection and a streak of vulnerability.
To listen to A2 is to take a surreal journey through sensual soundscapes often unexplored; this is make-out, make-up, break-up music set to a rhythm and tempo of A2's very own. This is cinematic music that has something to say, and A2 says it beautifully, with a subtlety rarely found within such obviously killer, yet brilliantly understated, pop tunes.
Raised in Croydon, he points out the manor made the man and the musician. "I'm inspired by my estate," he says, slowly, of his influences. "My area and my environment definitely pays a part in who I am and the music that I make. My music is also based around conversations that I might have with a girl, or my mum, or my friends. I take pieces of a conversation and subliminally drop it into a song."
A2 and his two sisters were bought up by his mum, and she encouraged her children's musical inclinations. He learnt piano and would spend a lot of time listening to his mum and older sisters playing R&B, Jazz and Blues, trying to imitate them on the piano or keys. You can catch glimpses of those riffs within his own music, but as a South London boy he was also naturally drawn towards Battersea's So Solid, Stockwell Grime producer and MC Dot Rotten and seminal grime track, ‘Creeper', over which A2 and his mates began to practice MCing.
Though he's a British rhymer bought up around Rap and Grime, he gravitated naturally towards calmer compositions. "I just wanted something a bit quieter, more chill," he points out. "I was done with all the noise, you know? I wanted to create music that was much more about easy listening, dark in its own way, but enjoyable." Over the years, he's perfected his craft, working hard to learn the nuances within producing, engineering and songwriting; this is a multi-talented man who is able to move easily between various disciplines.
With his LP due to release in Spring 17; Blue which is the acronym for 'Before Love Undoes Everything' has massive support behind it. Partnering up with Beats, Boiler Room and being named on Red Bull's Sound Select 2017 - A2 is sure to deliver a remarkable project tapping into new audiences.
Last year we saw him perform at wireless, selling out a second headline show at XOYO and releasing a teaser EP in November called 'More Sleep 2' which A2 describes as "a wake up call" taking his listeners on a journey from 'More Sleep' which was "a period I was working late making songs but More Sleep 2 was me realising my dreams are reality so it's an oxymoron.. kind of". This year we have seen A2 premiere "a moving photograph" via highsnobiety 'X2', then later featured on the rising platform Colors Berlin.
With performances scheduled around the the world, 2017 is shaping up to be the year of A2. He's clearly a highly determined individual keen to make his mark on music in his own way, and on his own terms. "I want to be known as a master of my craft, and I want to create moments," says A2. "A lot of people don't seem to make music for the right reasons, or in the right way. I do this 100% for the love of music and art - that is what separates me for everyone else." A2's artistry isn't about chasing views, likes and retweets, it's about crafting a career within the creative realm that can last through generations. "This is about authenticity and longevity. Everything I do is about the passion that I put into it."
The Last Artful, Dodgr
Sometimes in life, you come across a voice so present and singular in its tone that it makes your entire world stop for a moment and all the hairs on your neck stand up. The Last Artful, Dodgr has proven to be one such phenomenon.
Born in Los Angeles and currently inhabiting Portland, Oregon - Dodgr's own unique brand of rap-singing, made up of casually delivered triple entendres, unforgettable melodies and an ever-changing stream of cadences, has begun to spread like a wildfire. From her noteworthy singles "Squadron" and "Oofda" topping Spotify charts, to her manifested-thru-song appearance on the legendary Sway In The Morning radio show, everything has been coming up Dodgr the last few years. And really, she's only just getting started - with all of that leading up to her collaborative concept album, Bone Music, with producer Neill Von Tally, released in early 2017 to critical acclaim from Pitchfork and fanfare alike.
She'll be pushing things even further in all directions this year with her upcoming debut solo album on Fresh Selects.
It all started in Portland, OR...
Now, Portland isn't traditionally referred to as a hotbed of hip-hop like Brooklyn or Compton is, but Aminé could very well change that perception.
"You don't ever think of a rapper or even a black guy coming out of Portland," he asserts. "That's just not a thing! However, there's a fairly diverse subculture in the city that few people know about. It's very different from what you would expect."
However, everything he does defies expectations. The rapper, artist, and director draws equal influence from his parents' Ethiopian heritage as he does from trailblazers such as Kanye West and André 3000. He's more likely to record in a remote AirBNB'ed wilderness cabin than he is in a posh studio, and he cites Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson as major inspirations. Building on a lifelong passion for music, he began recording in high school and quietly sharpening his mic skills. While attending Portland State University, he released his 2015 project Calling Brio.
Merging visual lyricism, swaggering production, and his clever, catchy bars, it became a phenomenon on Soundcloud, racking up over 1 million+ plays. In addition to praise from Pigeons & Planes, HypeTrak, and more, Complex spotlighted him as "one of the artists we're certainly checking for this year."
"I'm a fan of all genres," he explains. "My parents always played African music and Bob Marley. Then, I grew up on everything from Erykah Badu to John Mayer. I want to do something that reflects this diversity. My songs need to be good for the listener personally."
Representing that mosaic style, his 2016 single "Caroline" struts through a funked-up tribal bounce with the kind of grit and gusto that'd make Jules Winfield and Vincent Vega proud. Upon release, it quickly caught fire, garnering 10 million-plus Spotify streams, 8 million-plus Soundcloud plays, and 4 million-plus YouTube/VEVO views as well as reaching #1 on Spotify's Global Viral Top 50, #1 on the US Viral Top 50, and #1 on the Canada Viral Top 50. As the track took off, he inked a deal with Republic Records.
"With ‘Caroline,' I wanted to make an encouraging and fun record," Aminé goes on. "It really happened in the moment, and it's a feel good song."
It's also just the beginning. Aminé has a lot more surprises up his sleeve for Portland, hip-hop, and the world at large.
"I never want a basic reaction," he leaves off. "I want you to always have questions. I hope to challenge listeners to wonder why. Those are the artists I care about."
A2
Enigmatic rapper and producer A2 makes music that matters. Whether writing over soulful electronica or woozy R&B, the 26 year-old creates considered compositions bound by a sense of mystery, introspection and a streak of vulnerability.
To listen to A2 is to take a surreal journey through sensual soundscapes often unexplored; this is make-out, make-up, break-up music set to a rhythm and tempo of A2's very own. This is cinematic music that has something to say, and A2 says it beautifully, with a subtlety rarely found within such obviously killer, yet brilliantly understated, pop tunes.
Raised in Croydon, he points out the manor made the man and the musician. "I'm inspired by my estate," he says, slowly, of his influences. "My area and my environment definitely pays a part in who I am and the music that I make. My music is also based around conversations that I might have with a girl, or my mum, or my friends. I take pieces of a conversation and subliminally drop it into a song."
A2 and his two sisters were bought up by his mum, and she encouraged her children's musical inclinations. He learnt piano and would spend a lot of time listening to his mum and older sisters playing R&B, Jazz and Blues, trying to imitate them on the piano or keys. You can catch glimpses of those riffs within his own music, but as a South London boy he was also naturally drawn towards Battersea's So Solid, Stockwell Grime producer and MC Dot Rotten and seminal grime track, ‘Creeper', over which A2 and his mates began to practice MCing.
Though he's a British rhymer bought up around Rap and Grime, he gravitated naturally towards calmer compositions. "I just wanted something a bit quieter, more chill," he points out. "I was done with all the noise, you know? I wanted to create music that was much more about easy listening, dark in its own way, but enjoyable." Over the years, he's perfected his craft, working hard to learn the nuances within producing, engineering and songwriting; this is a multi-talented man who is able to move easily between various disciplines.
With his LP due to release in Spring 17; Blue which is the acronym for 'Before Love Undoes Everything' has massive support behind it. Partnering up with Beats, Boiler Room and being named on Red Bull's Sound Select 2017 - A2 is sure to deliver a remarkable project tapping into new audiences.
Last year we saw him perform at wireless, selling out a second headline show at XOYO and releasing a teaser EP in November called 'More Sleep 2' which A2 describes as "a wake up call" taking his listeners on a journey from 'More Sleep' which was "a period I was working late making songs but More Sleep 2 was me realising my dreams are reality so it's an oxymoron.. kind of". This year we have seen A2 premiere "a moving photograph" via highsnobiety 'X2', then later featured on the rising platform Colors Berlin.
With performances scheduled around the the world, 2017 is shaping up to be the year of A2. He's clearly a highly determined individual keen to make his mark on music in his own way, and on his own terms. "I want to be known as a master of my craft, and I want to create moments," says A2. "A lot of people don't seem to make music for the right reasons, or in the right way. I do this 100% for the love of music and art - that is what separates me for everyone else." A2's artistry isn't about chasing views, likes and retweets, it's about crafting a career within the creative realm that can last through generations. "This is about authenticity and longevity. Everything I do is about the passion that I put into it."
The Last Artful, Dodgr
Sometimes in life, you come across a voice so present and singular in its tone that it makes your entire world stop for a moment and all the hairs on your neck stand up. The Last Artful, Dodgr has proven to be one such phenomenon.
Born in Los Angeles and currently inhabiting Portland, Oregon - Dodgr's own unique brand of rap-singing, made up of casually delivered triple entendres, unforgettable melodies and an ever-changing stream of cadences, has begun to spread like a wildfire. From her noteworthy singles "Squadron" and "Oofda" topping Spotify charts, to her manifested-thru-song appearance on the legendary Sway In The Morning radio show, everything has been coming up Dodgr the last few years. And really, she's only just getting started - with all of that leading up to her collaborative concept album, Bone Music, with producer Neill Von Tally, released in early 2017 to critical acclaim from Pitchfork and fanfare alike.
She'll be pushing things even further in all directions this year with her upcoming debut solo album on Fresh Selects.
A few months back Lithics was voted “Best New Band” in Portland. As much as I despise these sorts of polls, I gotta say, the people got it right! Great to see them get some much deserved accolades. Olympia’s Angel Food are a killer, newish band comprised of comprised of Lillian Maring (Grass Widow, Ruby Pins) and Ange Duval (AKA Angelo Spencer/K records). Cool Flowers is a new Chris Sutton (Hornet Leg, Dub Narcotic Sound System) project with Jon (Bobby Peru) and Travis (Conditioner and a couple dozen others). Straight fire.
But mostly? That voice. It’s Shamir’s alien, androgynous voice that got people talking this year. Nothing sounds like Shamir, and nope, that’s not falsetto. As powerful as it is though, Shamir’s voice has a humble quality to it. He uses simple words and sings about relatable feelings. He knows which words to simmer on, and which ones to let go. Shamir can be exuberant, and his joy can be infectious. He can also sing of loneliness – and make us all feel less alone.
“On The Regular,” his first single on XL, is strictly the former – 100% pure id. It’s a hip-house tune that features Shamir rapping in a fast-paced early 80s playground style. His boasts are ridiculous. His taunts are absurd. A certain toy manufacturer does not come out looking good. As for the rest of us? It’s hard to listen to this song and not feel invincible.
He’s got 20/15 Vision, in the left eye, 2 be specific, and HB has his sights on U. Ascending from Los Angeles by way of the Bay Area, HB is fresh on the scene and ready 2 take U all the way up 2 space and back with his debut album, Contact, the follow-up to his 2014 EP, New Era.
Composed, arranged, co-produced and performed by your very own himself, Contact is a concept album about communication and the contact we purposely, accidentally and inherently struggle to make between friends, lovers and strangers, be them human or otherwise. What contact do we make with our higher being, that compels us to fall back and ground our asses when we get too high past them clouds? Or what is this fear we feel as a result of broken communication, a sorta paralysis in the face of a potential threat to our collected cool? These are the questions HB’s asking and communicating 2 U all.
And when it comes 2 the live show, HB will stun U. It’s an all-in-one package deal with sensual vocals, live loops, groovin’ drum machines, manic guitar lines and thick synths, all at the hands of one being. It’s no secret that this multi-instrumentalist and producer is influenced sonically and ethically by The Artist himself. And If Prince is his king, Sade is his queen, as they reside over an ever expanding court of every genre that falls in between.
He’s not what U’d expect and that’s what makes HB’s language all the more engaging. Cause its a language of disconnection, a speak that breaks down stereotypes and genres. He’s not all funk, he’s not all RnB, and he sure ain’t pure pop or rock either. Sexual and sensitive, ambiguous and androgynous, who is this alien creature, sending us encoded messages like we got ESP? Don’t U wanna know?
So what do U say,
R U ready 2 get EVER so Freaky with ya very own Harriet Brown?
Led by former Magic Mouth vocalist Chanticleer Trü, this project’s driving inspiration is to bring R&B back to the forefront of pop consciousness. To honor the funky dance floor jams of yesteryear—those soulful soul burners that defied genre and have now burned off into the ether—while bringing an element of futurism to the mix.
This has long been a dream of Trü, a lover of R&B that grew up on the vintage funk, disco, and boogie sounds of Prince, Patrice Rushen, Cheryl Lynn, and Klymaxx; and the productions of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and the Chic Organisation. It took him a little while to direct his energies toward it as he had to spend a couple of years burning up stages with Magic Mouth and in collaboration with beloved ensemble the Portland Cello Project. But after a small break, he began writing songs and clarifying his vision for what would become Chanti Darling.
To aid him on this journey, Trü has reached out to some friends he has made along his musical journey, finding welcome support from fellow sonic wizards Natasha Kmeto and Damon Boucher, both fearsome solo artists in their own right. With them in his corner, Chanti Darling became a reality, with a set of songs that are sexy, playful, fierce, and joyous.
True to the source of inspiration, the project has only been evolving since then, especially when it comes to its soon-to-be-legendary live performances. Trü has welcomed friends like Rebecca Cole (The Minders, Wild Fang) and Hannah Billie (The Gossip) to help bring these songs to life on stage. The only constant has been his collaboration with choreographer/dancers William Ylvisaker and Maarqui who provide the colorful and necessary dance moves and smoldering stage presence to accompany Trü’s songs of love, lust, and losing yourself in the sound.
The work is not going unnoticed. Chanti Darling was welcomed to the lineups of Pickathon, Treefort Fest, and What The Festival; played a host of shows with the brilliant Hercules & Love Affair; and shared the stage with Battles at a Red Bull Sound Select show. With these and their own soul-shaking gigs, the project has catapulted to the head of the Portland scene where their fellow musicians and local tastemakers anointed Chanti Darling the city’s Best New Band in the annual poll held by alt-weekly Willamette Week.
The next step is to let the rest of world know that R&B ain’t no joke. Plans are already afoot with the finishing touches being placed on the first Chanti Darling LP, to be released in 2017 by Tender Loving Empire (home of Willis Earl Beal, Typhoon, and Loch Lomond, among others) and venturing out to stages beyond the Northwest. And it couldn’t come at a better time.
“For a long time this music lived on the radio,” says Trü, “but it’s fallen off the radar and changed. Luckily, it’s starting to come back a bit now, right when we need it. It was serious but it had a lot of levity to it. I really want to go full force with that contrast. Everything’s gotten so dark, it’s time to bring some of that lightheartedness back.”
The Fixin’ To’s Twin Peaks tribute night gears up for the revival with tunes inspired by noted Peaks soundtrackers Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti [MOURNFUL SYNTHESIZERS GO HERE]. Performers include Vexations, WL, the Other Place, and Stochastic Mettle Union. Sounds way more fun than a silent drape runner! It should be eerie and fun and emotional. Expect Coffee and Pie Specials. Costumes are highly encouraged!
Nao
Nao is known for her work with fellow U.K. underground producers like Mura Masa, as well as appearing on Disclosure’s Caracal. She was also touted by BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac as having the “Hottest Record in the World.”
Harriet Brown
Be ready 2 make CONTACT with producer, writer and performer Harriet Brown.
He’s got 20/15 Vision, in the left eye, 2 be specific, and HB has his sights on U. Ascending from Los Angeles by way of the Bay Area, HB is fresh on the scene and ready 2 take U all the way up 2 space and back with his debut album, Contact, the follow-up to his 2014 EP, New Era.
Composed, arranged, co-produced and performed by your very own himself, Contact is a concept album about communication and the contact we purposely, accidentally and inherently struggle to make between friends, lovers and strangers, be them human or otherwise. What contact do we make with our higher being, that compels us to fall back and ground our asses when we get too high past them clouds? Or what is this fear we feel as a result of broken communication, a sorta paralysis in the face of a potential threat to our collected cool? These are the questions HB’s asking and communicating 2 U all.
And when it comes 2 the live show, HB will stun U. It’s an all-in-one package deal with sensual vocals, live loops, groovin’ drum machines, manic guitar lines and thick synths, all at the hands of one being. It’s no secret that this multi-instrumentalist and producer is influenced sonically and ethically by The Artist himself. And If Prince is his king, Sade is his queen, as they reside over an ever expanding court of every genre that falls in between.
He’s not what U’d expect and that’s what makes HB’s language all the more engaging. Cause its a language of disconnection, a speak that breaks down stereotypes and genres. He’s not all funk, he’s not all RnB, and he sure ain’t pure pop or rock either. Sexual and sensitive, ambiguous and androgynous, who is this alien creature, sending us encoded messages like we got ESP? Don’t U wanna know?
So what do U say,
R U ready 2 get EVER so Freaky with ya very own Harriet Brown?
Chanti Darling
R&B comes in many different flavors. Perhaps you prefer the glossy, Auto-Tuned visions being mass produced on the modern pop assembly line. Or you just grin at the little morsels sprinkled into current rock and country compositions. But if you’re looking for something far more substantive and satisfying than all that, Chanti Darling is here for you.
Led by former Magic Mouth vocalist Chanticleer Trü, this project’s driving inspiration is to bring R&B back to the forefront of pop consciousness. To honor the funky dance floor jams of yesteryear—those soulful soul burners that defied genre and have now burned off into the ether—while bringing an element of futurism to the mix.
This has long been a dream of Trü, a lover of R&B that grew up on the vintage funk, disco, and boogie sounds of Prince, Patrice Rushen, Cheryl Lynn, and Klymaxx; and the productions of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and the Chic Organisation. It took him a little while to direct his energies toward it as he had to spend a couple of years burning up stages with Magic Mouth and in collaboration with beloved ensemble the Portland Cello Project. But after a small break, he began writing songs and clarifying his vision for what would become Chanti Darling.
To aid him on this journey, Trü has reached out to some friends he has made along his musical journey, finding welcome support from fellow sonic wizards Natasha Kmeto and Damon Boucher, both fearsome solo artists in their own right. With them in his corner, Chanti Darling became a reality, with a set of songs that are sexy, playful, fierce, and joyous.
True to the source of inspiration, the project has only been evolving since then, especially when it comes to its soon-to-be-legendary live performances. Trü has welcomed friends like Rebecca Cole (The Minders, Wild Fang) and Hannah Billie (The Gossip) to help bring these songs to life on stage. The only constant has been his collaboration with choreographer/dancers William Ylvisaker and Maarqui who provide the colorful and necessary dance moves and smoldering stage presence to accompany Trü’s songs of love, lust, and losing yourself in the sound.
The work is not going unnoticed. Chanti Darling was welcomed to the lineups of Pickathon, Treefort Fest, and What The Festival; played a host of shows with the brilliant Hercules & Love Affair; and shared the stage with Battles at a Red Bull Sound Select show. With these and their own soul-shaking gigs, the project has catapulted to the head of the Portland scene where their fellow musicians and local tastemakers anointed Chanti Darling the city’s Best New Band in the annual poll held by alt-weekly Willamette Week.
The next step is to let the rest of world know that R&B ain’t no joke. Plans are already afoot with the finishing touches being placed on the first Chanti Darling LP, to be released in 2017 by Tender Loving Empire (home of Willis Earl Beal, Typhoon, and Loch Lomond, among others) and venturing out to stages beyond the Northwest. And it couldn’t come at a better time.
“For a long time this music lived on the radio,” says Trü, “but it’s fallen off the radar and changed. Luckily, it’s starting to come back a bit now, right when we need it. It was serious but it had a lot of levity to it. I really want to go full force with that contrast. Everything’s gotten so dark, it’s time to bring some of that lightheartedness back.”
Ohmme: an experiment in voice and sound by Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart. Inspired by the Chicago improvisational music scene, Cunningham and Stewart joined forces in 2014. Their combined vocal and musical talents yield a dichotomy of harmony and chaos leaving the audience wanting more. Ohmme has been compared to PJ Harvey, Kate Bush and Tortoise, but their inane chemistry creates something uniquely satisfying and different from their predecessors.
Alina Bea: Progressive pop à la Bjork and Kate Bush
Amenta Abioto: Songwriter, producer, and actor, Amenta Abioto is on the cutting edge of all that is musical, theatrical, and literary. Her music is boldly mystical and soul-fired, and her raw live performances invoke elements of both theatrical surprise and magic through ancient African diasporic sounds and stories. Weaved into syncopated rhythms and dichotomies of comedic proportions, Amenta surprises and tantalizes audiences with mind bending ideas. She brings to the music scene funky academia while skipping vocally from soul shaking gospel to smooth jazz and then onto hip hop rhythms wrapped in West African beats.
Graduating from Idllywild Art’s Academy in 2010, she trained in musical theatre. Since graduating she has courted the music scene and produced one self-titled EP, Amenta Abioto , and one upcoming album, Opening Flower Hymns. Receiving inspiration from the best-seller work Women Who Run With the Wolves, mythological characterization and cultural stories are reflected in the original works of Amenta Abioto.
On June 16, Fleet Foxes will release Crack-Up (Nonesuch Records), its long awaited and highly anticipated third album. Crack-Up comes six years after the 2011 release of Helplessness Blues and nearly a decade since the band's 2008 self-titled debut.
All eleven of the songs on Crack-Up were written by Robin Pecknold. The album was co-produced by Pecknold and Skyler Skjelset, his longtime bandmate, collaborator, and childhood friend. Crack-Up was recorded at various locations across the United States between July 2016 and January 2017: at Electric Lady Studios, Sear Sound, The Void, Rare Book Room, Avast, and The Unknown. Phil Ek mixed the album, at Sear Sound, and it was mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound. Fleet Foxes is Robin Pecknold (vocals, multi-instrumentalist), Skyler Skjelset (multi-instrumentalist, vocals), Casey Wescott (multi-instrumentalist, vocals), Christian Wargo (multi-instrumentalist, vocals), and Morgan Henderson (multi-instrumentalist).
Fleet Foxes' self-titled debut made a profound impact on the international musical landscape, earning them Uncut's first ever Music Award Prize, and topping numerous "Best of " lists, including Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the 2000's and Pitchfork's 50 Best Albums of 2008. Fleet Foxes is certified Gold in North America and Platinum in both the UK and Australia. The follow-up album Helplessness Blues was met with the same critical praise as its predecessor (MOJO five stars, Rolling Stone four stars, Pitchfork Best New Music); that album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, went Gold in the UK, and earned the band a GRAMMY nomination.