First off, John Weinland is a band not a guy. There in fact is no "John" per se, although frontman Adam Shearer is probably the closest thing to it. He adopted the moniker, snatching it from his family history, and began writing and recording songs on his own a few years back after a move to Portland from Montana. It didn't take long for the locals to notice the gentle disarmament many of his songs accomplish and he was soon recording with a full band, resulting in last year's impressive full-length debut, demersville. "Haunting" and "quietly intense" were just a couple of the descriptors bandied about in the positive reviews that followed, and the 
Willamette Week proclaimed Shearer "one of the finest young songwriters in this city." JW is currently at work on a follow up due for an early '08 release on Badman records, and they join us in the studio tonight for an interview and performance that includes some of that new material. We'll talk to them about their new label, their evolving composing process, and the camaraderie they seem to enjoy as part of a vibrant young music scene in Portland. Also tonight, we attempt to get our heads around the week to come, which includes scores of live performances as part of Music Fest Northwest. Spoon, Cat Power
, Rilo Kiley, Roky Erikson, and Okkervil River (among many others) playing various venues as part of the increasingly large festival. The end of the week features the Muddy Boot Organic Festival in Portland, featuring a diverse line-up of fine locals, including Little Sue, Casey Neill & the Norway Rats, Stolen Sweets, and more. We'll also hear music from some other acts making their way through, including Devendra Banhart and Joan As Policewoman, as well as music from new releases out this week from Manu Chao, Heavy Trash, and more. Stream: John Weinland Live @ OPB (Recording Engineer: Steven Kray)
- Subscribe
