Aaaand, we're back.
It's not necessarily the busiest week by Portland standards, but there's certainly an interesting mix in store on stage throughout. Take Tuesday night, for example: following a Monday night that sees the likes of post-punk legends Mission of Burma hit the Doug Fir, David Berman brings his Silver Jews to town for a show at the Wonder Ballroom with Israeli spazzsters Monotonix. After a personally-tumultuous four year layoff, Berman returned in 2005 with the outstanding Tanglewood Numbers, an album that not only showed that Berman was far from finished as an artist, but also reassured people as to his relative well-being. This year's Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea picks up on that momentum and then some, with an increased presence from Berman's wife, Cassie, making for some moments that recall Johnny and June (or at least Hazlewood and Sinatra).
MP3: Silver Jews, from Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea-
"Strange Victory, Strange Defeat"
Elsewhere Tuesday, the musical buffet also features a handful of young Brits hailed in part as the "reclamation of British folk." The Fee Fie Foe Fum Tour comes to Lola's Room boasting upstarts Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling, each of whom released acclaimed debuts in the U.S this year-- Marling's, in fact, was nominated for the 2008 Mercury Prize (recently awarded to Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid). A bit less in the pure folk realm, the same night sees fellow Brits Noah & the Whale play the outdoor patio at the Doug Fir with opener Lindi Ortega. Perhaps the latest Brit-buzz band hyped up by their music press, the band that takes their name from Noah Baumbach's The Squid & the Whale has seemed to be able to live up to the stir caused by their recent debut Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down. Oh, the show is early (7pm) and FREE.
MP3: Noah & the Whale, from Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down- "2 Bodies 1 Heart"
Stream: Several videos from Laura Marling
Video: Johnny Flynn, from A Larum- "Leftovers"
Also this week, post-punk legends Mission of Burma kick off things properly Monday night at the Doug Fir; German electronic artist Barbara Morgenstern also plays Monday with Dykeritz and Benoit Pioulard at Holocene; Robert Plant & Allison Krauss come to the Rose Garden on Tuesday; Jamie Lidell and opener Janelle Monae form a fascinating bill Wednesday night at the Wonder Ballroom; CD release shows for Portland's own Horse Feathers (with Dolorean and Matt Bauer, Holocene) and Oh Darling (with Tea For Julie and UHF, Doug Fir) happen on Friday night; Jared Mees & the Grown Children have one of their own Saturday at Berbati's with Dirty Mittens, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, and Andy Combs & the Moth; and Kelly Joe Phelps plays Saturday at the Aladdin Theater.
MP3: MIssion of Burma, from Signals, Calls & Marches- "Max Ernst"
MP3: Barbara Morgenstern, from Nichts Muss- "Aus Heiterem Himmel"
MP3: Jamie Lidell- "Little Bit of Feel Good (LA Garage Mix)"
MP3: Horse Feathers, from House With No Home- "Curs in the Weeds"
Stream: Kelly Joe Phelps' opbmusic in-studio session
More to come here throughout the week-- the thread is open.
