Dam-Funk grew up in the Los Angeles city/suburb of Pasadena. A '70s baby, he came of age in the era of the Uncle Jamm's Army parties, of electro-pharaoh Egyptian Lover, of Prince's purple reign. His parents nurtured his musical talents as a child and by his teens, he mastered the drums, then the drum machine. A chance encounter led to an apprenticeship under funk songwriter/producer Leon Sylvers III (SOLAR Records) and by the mid-90s G-Funk era in hip-hop, Dam found his musical skills in high demand by rappers such as Mack 10 and MC Eiht. "Everybody was trying to do the live instrumentation thing, so then you got cats like me playing on records," Dam explains.
Sideman status wasn't enough though. Dam remembers "watching gold plaques hitting the wall" for everyone but him and he decided to go "full-funk" and make a do-or-die try to become an artist on his own terms. In 2006, Dam-Funk and a few friends launched the popular Funkmosphere party in L.A., bringing the boogie back. It's around then that Dam drew the attention of Stones Throw and both label and artist related to Dam's insistence that "funk is not just a Jheri Curl. There was more than that."
Dam's partnership with Stones Throw has now included everything from his 2009 LP Toeachizown, to an anthology of early productions, Adolescent Funk (2010), to 2013's Higher and 7 Days of Funk. Invite the Light isn't just Dam's first solo full-length since '09, he thinks of it as his first fully-realized effort – a "concise, beginning-to-end vision – that's resulted in a loosely autobiographical concept album inspired by the trials and tribulations of his personal and professional life of the last six years.
As always, Dam flexes his multi-instrumentalist talents by handling all the production but still makes time for guests including rapper Q-Tip, the father-son duo of Leon Sylvers III & IV, and funk giant Junie Morrison of the Ohio Players, who opens and closes the album with dire warnings of what could happen in a world without funk. Rest assured, Dam is here to make sure that never comes to pass. As he puts it, "funk is the underdog, the black sheep of black music," and if that's true, Dam-Funk is its shepherd.
THE PSYCHEDELIC PDX ROCKERS MÁSCARAS ARE PLAYING THEIR LAST SHOW!
MÁSCARAS
MOTHERTAPES, YEAH GREAT FINE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25TH
DOORS: 8:00 PM / SHOW: 9:00 PM
Portland's classic country record party for LGBTQs returns on August 1st! The dog days of August don't seem so ruff when you've got a howlin' good time on the horizon!
Join host DJ Action Slacks and friends DJ Perkins & DJ AM Gold at the World Famous Kenton Club for a night of dancin', romancin', and prancin'! Can't wait to see those adorable western outfits again!
Sliding scale $5-$10 at the door
*50% of profits will be donated to #BlackLivesMatter PORTLAND Chapter
21+
The World Famous Kenton Club has been in operation since the 1940s and maintains its original design. It has not been updated for accessibility.
PDX Pop Now! and XRAY.fm presents the 2nd annual PDX Pop Later! after party, happening from midnight to 2am at Bunk Bar on Sunday, right after the PDX Pop Now! festival. XRAY's own DJ Bad Wizard spins, and the event is free. It's the official PDX Pop Later! after party, brought to you by XRAY.fm
Noah Fence will be at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade & Bar (511 NW Couch) playing a selection of records from the 80's. 21 & Over, No Charge at the door
July 16th / Aug 20th / Sep 17th / Oct 15th / Nov 19th / Dec 17th (every third Thursday)
beechstreetparlor.com/
EYELIDS record release show with PHANTOM SHIPS AND WIMPS!
Show is $10 and listeners will find chances to win pairs of tickets right here on some fine XRAY.FM radio shows
Eyelids say:
Hey everyone... if you are in Portland on Friday June 26th come on down to celebrate the release of our new 12" EP along with the mighty Phantom Ships and the always amazing power that be Wimps (they hail from Seattle). We're looking forward to playing some new songs and also some of those five month old "classics" as well... Hope to see you there!
“Scholars of sunshine pop” - Keith Cameron, Mojo
"A whirlwind of tangled acoustic and electric guitars that gets stuck in your head and continues to spin long after the tune is over" – NPR Heavy Rotation
Portland band Eyelids have a collective history creating music for some of the most legendary indie songwriters. Longtime friends and principle songwriters John Moen (Decemberists) and Chris Slusarenko (Guided by Voices, Boston Spaceships) channel their teenage Paisley Underground obsession and love of New Zealand / Flying Nun guitar buzz into a sound they describe as, “sweet melodies and bummer vibes.”
Immediately following sold-out pressings of three 7” and the 2014 full length 854, Eyelids will release a new self-titled EP on June 23 (Jealous Butcher / Schizophonic Records). Produced by Peter Buck, Eyelids will be available digitally and limited edition colored vinyl with a download card featuring three exclusive live videos (including Stephen Malkmus performing “Hey Joe” w/ Eyelids).
GET YOUR TICKETS BY CLICKING HERE!
June 11th we will be releasing the first in a quarterly installment of Audio Magazine's. The format for round one is a cassette compilation. (including a download code).
The compilation will also be available online.
crimewavbandcamp.com
Electronic Performances by
EEMMUU // https://soundcloud.com/eemmuu
Survival Skills // survivalskills.bandcamp.com
Barham Beireis // https://soundcloud.com/barham-beireis
Tony Remple // https://soundcloud.com/projunior-1
HUTCH AND KATHY
XRAY.FM PRESENTS HUTCH AND KATHY OF BELOVED PDX BAND THE THERMALS
SATURDAY, MAY 23RD
DOORS: 8:00 PM / SHOW: 9:00 PM
It's Body Parys with XRAY DJs Nathan Detroit and Freaky Outy!
The mega-fun dance party for those of you looking to start your weekend early! Spearheaded by Holla 'n' Oates, aka residents of two of the most popular dance nights (Nathan Detroit of Booty Bassment and Freaky Outy of Snap!), they bring you the finest in hip-hop, r&b, dancehall, and club jams with plenty of edits/remixes.
$3
10pm
21+
Fog Father
fogfather.bandcamp.com
Small Skies
smallskies.bandcamp.com
Mothertapes
soundcloud.com/mothertapes
Join XRAY.fm at Mississippi Studios on March 21st for XRAY's 1st Birthday Bash! Minden, Holiday Friends, Secret Drum Band, and XRAY DJs will join together to celebrate year one with cake, balloons, and one hell of a line-up.
XRAY Members and their guest get 1/2 price tickets, and general admission is $10. (Members will receive email instructions).
Brought to you by PDX Pop Now!, Mississippi Studios, and XRAY.FM.
Facebook invite here!
It's another wild dance party at the Spare Room brought to life by the fine folks at THE GET DOWN.
THE GET DOWN is a fun, monthly dance party that is always a night to remember. Come party Friday, February 27th with XRAY DJs and the fine folks of THE GET DOWN.
DJ KM Fizzy
DJ Jen O
DJ Montel SpinozzaDJ Nathan Detroit
It's another wild dance party at the Spare Room brought to life by the fine folks at THE GET DOWN.
THE GET DOWN is a fun, monthly dance party that is always a night to remember. Come party Friday, February 27th with XRAY DJs and the fine folks of THE GET DOWN.
DJ KM Fizzy
DJ Jen O
DJ Montel SpinozzaDJ Nathan Detroit
SATURDAY JANUARY 31
THIS EVENT IS ALL AGES
$15.00 - $18.00
DOORS: 7:00 PMBOP4 is a benefit for Pride Foundation and PROWUS
Featuring a Special extended performance by Stephen Malkmus, plus:
Red Fang
Aan
Wild Ones
Musee Mecanique
Natasha Kmeto
Guantanamo Baywatch
1939 Ensemble
Gaytheist
The Shivas
Summer Cannibals
the body
Like A Villian
Tiburones
WL
Modern Kin
Bearcubbin'
Lee Corey Oswald
Ripley Snell
TxE
The Stops
The CRY!
Sama Dams
XRAY will be there, come say hello! When was the last time you got to see an award-winning short film and a collection of experimental, fine art video shorts by local PDX filmmakers and artists? View "The Last 8," a 20-minute sci-fi film and meet the filmmaker, Keith Apland, and view a video art show curated by EFFPortland's Benjamin Popp, and works from students at the NW Film Center.
Cost is a $10 food and drink minimum per person spent at the bar, with all profits going to a charity of your choice. Film, art, friends and fun - what better way to spend a Wednesday night? Party opens at 7 p.m., screening starts at 8 p.m. Hosted by Drink and Draw in Portland.
Please join them on Monday, January 12th, 2015 at 7:30pm, at the Sellwood Public House (8132 SE 13th Ave, Portland, Oregon) for "Treasure Lost, Treasure Found," an evening of TRUE stories of lost treasure in Portland and other nearby Oregon locales. The event, part of the Stumptown Stories Series, is free - which is ironic - because you could leave the pub STINKING RICH! Everyone will be given a REAL LIVE Treasure Map of a considerable lost horde that can be located in the City of Roses.
Come out to Beech Street this Thursday for an evening of analog aural delights in your favorite neighborhood parlor.
Graeme (hat collector, music maker, Houndstooth drummer) and Theo (Rontoms Sunday booker, XRAY.FM DJ, Máscaras bassist) are going to be ping ponging blues, psych, prog, pop, country, afro-beat, rock and more all night.