Buy the album that was put out by Mississippi Records from Portland:
Got a really great batch of music today.
Especially super excited that I got to pick up the most recent Mississippi Records releases,
as it's tough now that I don't live in Portland any longer.
I always pick of multiple copies to give to friends.
Really digging this album too:
Support local music.
Support great music.
Support independent music.
Make new friends.
Support old friends.
http://www.othermusic.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_Records
Going to see High Places & Grouper tonight at the Get Weird series at New Museum.
Super excited.
A photo from my current office in NYC.
So funny to be working out of a mid-town/Madison Ave. (i.e. Mad Men) space.
The fluorescent lights hurt my eyes, so I turn them off and embrace the darkness, which reminds me of Portland.
Speaking of which, I finally picked up the Grouper album today at Other Music on my lunch break.
It is so beautiful that I don't know what to say.
I just keep listening to it on repeat.
This particular song reminds me of listening to Galaxie 500's This Is Our Music during winter
of my freshman year of college at University of Whitewater in Wisconsin.
I would turn off all the lights in my dorm room and leave just the Xmas lights on.
It was freezing outside and snow would be piling up and the heater would make knocking sounds and steam up the windows.
Buy the album here: http://www.typerecords.com/releases/full.php?id=49
When you don't what else to fucking do, or you feel scared or sad or frustrated,
just put on the new Wavves LP and skank around your house.
It'll all get radder.
Much radder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skank_(dance)
http://ghostramp.blogspot.com/
http://www.fuckittapes.com/woodsist.htm
Skankin'-in-my-Los Angeles-apartment-photo courtesy of my ol' pal, Dyrayll: http://www.freshpaintpdx.com/
More amazing music from that magical land: Portland, Oregon. This time from the band, AU.
Verbs came out last summer, but I'm just getting around to really diving into it and it's kicking my ass.
Never had a chance to see them play live when I still lived there, but now so wished I would've been able to.
Many years ago I met Andrew W.K. when his manager hooked him up to meet with me.
He wanted to come visit me at my office (I was still working at Wieden + Kennedy
in Portland at the time)
and didn't have a way to get over to see me, so I drove over to Dante's,
the venue he was performing at later that night, in my little Honda Civic hatchback to pick him up.
After soundcheck was finished, we went back my office and I gave him a tour of the building.
In many ways, he's exactly what you'd expect, even hope.
Congenial, charming, massively positive about everything, goofy.
I believe he learned classical piano as a younger person
and when we stumbled upon the grand piano sitting in our office's atrium,
he sat down and played for awhile.
While he played, we chatted about politics, music in advertising
and protein shakes to bulk up one's muscles.
Given all this, how could I not love a man like this?
What's Andrew W.K. up to these days?
Probably many things.
In the meantime, check out his advice column, "Andrew W.K.: How To Live",
And, ask away.
Andrew W.K. would never steer you wrong.
Also, check out Dan & Mark's cover version of "Party Hard".
Best cover version ever? You be the judge.
When I got home from six weeks in London last summer, I arrived just in time to catch the PDX Pop Now! 2008 Festival.
http://www.pdxpopnow.com/
Saw some amazing bands, including my favorites White Fang (http://www.myspace.com/whtfng), who I got to play my going-away party at Holocene, as well as the amazing, Eat Skull (http://www.myspace.com/eatskull).
I also happened to catch Blind Pilot, who I had been hearing a bit about, but thought, oh-boy, not another one, I'm not sure how much more indie folk rock I can take.
Then I stood in the warm Portland July air, forgot that silly notion and got lost in their music.
After that performance, I kind of snoozed on the record for awhile. Got wrapped up in life, in moving to Los Angeles, etc.
And then it was when I was driving out to Phoenix from LA on New Year's Eve, I listened to this album twice in a row.
Killed me. In the kinship of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and The Shins.
Haven't seen/heard a lot about this band outside of Portland, so here I am saying check this out. These guys deserve our support. It's a beautiful album.
http://blindpilotmusic.wordpress.com/
Just received the promo copy of Alela Diane's upcoming album for Rough Trade called "To Be Still".
Absolutely kills me.
I first saw Alela Diane in Portland when she and I both still lived in that city and her first album was just coming out on the Holocene label:
http://www.holocenemusic.com/aleladiane/
The last time I saw her was at SXSW 2008.
She's just as amazing live as she is in her recordings.
You can pre-order this now at:
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/to-be-still/
Pretty sure this'll be in the running for Top Albums of 2009.