Trevor Giuliani “Subcontrario (In Stereo)”
Trevor Giuliani
Subcontrario (In Stereo)
Dovecote Records
Reviewed by Angelo M. De Ieso II
Connecticut native Trevor Giuliani recently landed in Portland, Oregon via the Big Apple. This is a strange reversal of the familiar story of artists departing the Pacific Northwest to make it in the big city…and quite welcoming to any fan of precision indie-pop songwriting. Giuliani spent some time studying music composition at NYU before calling it quits and couchsurfing around New York’s Lower East Side. “(NYU) didn’t last long.” says Giuliani. “School seemed so arbitrary and wastefully expensive, and my education was by no means going to be confined to a $40k+ a year institution.” As for the music of Giuliani in his debut release Subcontrario, there is an intangible quality that is beyond the multi-layered instrumentation and 60’s-inspired, Stuart David-esque vocals. Giuliani paints lyrical portraits of multifarious mood swings and patiently executed aspectabund. Neat and pictorial, even without literal translation, lonesomely optimistic and tragic narratives give Giuliani’s work a life of serious acridity and nearly opprobrius and unforceably beautiful wonderment. The genuineness comes through almost as bright as Flight of the Conchords’ musical humor, but without an implied laugh track or any cheekiness. In fact this may be a terrible analogy due to the stark immediacy of Subcontrario that is replete with an intense level of lyrical abstraction. However, the song “Jenessa” extricates from a lot of the transcendental and puts it all on Giuliani’s sleeve: “And when you go out there on the bike/I wonder where you are and what you’re really thinking about/Like why we live here in New York and not in ‘Oregone’/I know that’s not how they pronounce it out there/But also you are sometimes wrong, babe” . Much of this album is about Giuliani’s metamorphasis from the big city to a Utopic Oregon, and the fear associated with packing up and moving across the country being overshadowed with what might be if he stays in NYC. Opening track “Big Decisions” divulges the leariness of making a leap in life and a new lease to resolve the frustrations of his past. The earnesty and stylistic is something that fans of Super XX Man can enjoy, except Giuliani’s jig is cut a little rougher, perhaps due to his East Coast roots. “All these big decisions to decide/To set in motion, I don’t have to be there/Maybe next year’s when all this choosing stops/But I’ll be busy on the tractor, on the station/For unbelievable it seems to not regard the night” Lots of this album is left to interpretation, but the arrangements of keys and strings makes for a sublime ride through top notch near-twee melancholic barding. Another standout song is “Setting Bounds” where Giuliani’s piano and the violin of Tom Swafford so masterfully unroll abstruse storytelling of youthful apocalypticism in just over three minutes. There’s much more to construe of this complete work of ten songs, but I will leave the elucidations to you. Check it out. This album could very well be Portland’s new coffee house gem of the year. Look for it in stores on July 21, 2009.
For more information or to purchase the album, go to: http://www.insound.com/Trevor_Giuliani_Subcontrario_(In_Stereo)__PRE-ORDER_CD/productmain/p/INS60416/
You can also find out more about the record label, Dovecote Records at: http://www.dovecoterecords.com/
Listen to an exclusive Trevor Giuliani track here: http://www.dovecoterecords.com/media/mp3s/wastingyourtown.mp3
Pop Tomorrow! on KZME
Pop Tomorrow! is pleased to bring the Oregonian/PacNW indie flavor to KZME Radio. KZME is a new publicly-run radio station from MetroEast Community Media. MetroEast Community Media, in collaboration with a coalition of community groups, received word on May 6th that its application for a non-commercial educational (NCE) radio station has been approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
With its transmitter located on Mt. Hood,the signal of the new station - 91.1 on the FM dial - will reach most of the East Metro area as well as much of Portland east of the Willamette.
Check out the first installment of Pop Tomorrow! CLICKING HERE
From KZME’s Website:
What is Local?
As we get closer to defining what our program offerings will sound like, here’s a list of how we look at ways of defining what is ‘local’:
Music written by local artists, performed by local artists, played in a local venue
Music played by local artists in a local venue
Music written by local artists, played in a local venue
Music written by local artists, played by local artists in a non-local venue
Music played in a local venue by non-local musicians
Music that influenced a local musician
Music that was influenced by a local musician
Music that was came from a local recording studio
Music that sounds like it came from Portland or belongs in Portland
Music that in some way reflects local values, history, or landscape
Comments and feedback are most welcome! Send an email to pd@kzme.fm - thanks!
If you want to subscribe, send an email to dennise@metroeast.orgNew Volunteers!
Carl Singmaster is volunteering as our Program Director….Stephanie Wagner is volunteering as our web mistress…Jen Spurlock is volunteering as our administrative assistant….please join us in welcoming these wonderful folks to KZME. If you are interested in volunteering, drop me a line at dennise@metroeast.org.
Here are some updates on the station:
The transmitter (91.1 FM) will be located on Mt. Hood - Brightwood. The signal of the new station will reach most of the East Metro area as well as much of Portland east of the Willamette.
A new translator has been purchased to expand the coverage in the Portland area.
As a non-commercial station, the station will be supported by its listeners in the form of membership as well as local businesses and non-profit organizations via underwriting.
KZME will be dedicated to local music, east county public affairs and arts & culture.
Our goal is to go on the air by November 2009. In the meantime, we hope to offer podcasts in January 2009 and internet radio programming in late spring 2009.
KZME Internet Presence: www.kzme.fm (under construction), My Space and Facebook.
Funds to raise by June 2009: $141,000 - $5,000 in donor support and $6,000 through special events. Other funds will be raised through grants, business support, and miscellaneous activities.
Contact: Dennise M. Kowalczyk
Phone: 503-667-8848 ext 360
Web: http://www.kzme.fm
email: info@kzme.fm
Address: 829 NE Eighth Street
Gresham, OR 97030
The Constabulary “This Life Postponed”
The Constabulary
This Life Postponed
Doodledog Music
Reviewed by Angelo M. De Ieso II
The Constabulary is the one-man project of Steve Hirjak, a Seattle police officer (hence the name of his outfit), who produces warm and heartfelt indie-pop textures. Hirjak’s latest offering This Life Postponed features ten tracks ranging from bubblegum to powerpop to sonic riffing. Hirjak’s multi-instrumentalism manages to not come across with an often observed mechanical edge that many studio-concocted soloist works deliver. In fact, the Constabulary’s fluidity and pop precision has a very organic heart to it despite the songwriter’s pension for vocorder transmogrifications. Citing artists such as Death Cab for Cutie, Jeremy Enigk, and the Killers as influences, Hirjak’s anthemic, inspirational and chorus-laden The Boy Left Behind brings to mind the chantous Polyphonic Spree, as a pseudo-whispering chorus “Every year begins to fade/I don’t remember much of yesterday/My body breaks/But inside I still feel the same.” The storytelling approach to songwriting seems beyond the years of this man in his late twenties. Continually trusting forth with driving, hooky numbers many of these songs will haunt your sleep because they are peanut butter on your palate. The opening track Tomorrow plays like a confessional of the author’s life as a city cop. “Everyday I wake and wonder: ‘Will I know what I have coming?‘” There’s a sense that realism and reluctance is meshed with cautious optimism. Helicoptering drums, succinctly harmonizing vocals, and fuzzy, bouncing guitars propel this rich album release through a diverse ride down the cracked streets. Strongly recommend for anyone seeking out a well-produced nearly flawless collection of indie-popdom. Look for a track from This Life Postponed on the next Pop Tomorrow! cd out soon.
For more information or to purchase this album, go to: http://www.myspace.com/theconstabulary
KPSU’s 15th Anniversary Bash @ Pioneer Courthouse Square
(Featuring local music, artists, and businesses) Nurses,
Church,
Eastern Sunz,
Sophe Lux,
Leather Tom and The Dirty Dudes
Jared Mees and The Grown Children,
Karen Lovely,
Everyday Prophets,
and
The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers
NW Film Center
Diva Den Pole Dancing
Photo Booths
Fliptography.net
and it’s FREE!
FOR QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT PROMOTIONS@KPSU.ORG
The Garage Gods “Had Enough of Your Lies”
The Garage Gods
Had Enough of Your Lies 7″
Lost in Tyme
Reviewed by Angelo M. De Ieso II
From Portland, Oregon cometh the first 7″ record release by The Garage Gods. Seemingly these lads have been teleported directly from 1966, bringing along with them the best elements of the jangly garage-infused pop and punk, with a pinch of the 80s as well. Like lost songs that should have been written by the Kinks, Chocolate Watchbird, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Them, The Dovers, The Small Faces, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Beu Brummels, The Remains, Paul Revere & Raiders, The Creation…yeah, you get the picture. Singer Gary Lalin delivers snotty, crisp, lackadaisically potent vocals backed by Blue Skies for Black Hearts frontman and garagepopophile Pat Kearns. Replete with infectious harmonies and potent rhythms, this blast, for being overtly derivative, plays out authentic and captures the essence of a genre with saccharine-lined rebellion at its zenith. The A side “Had Enough of Your Lies” keeps in step with the group’s hopeless and defiant romanticism. As hooky as anything by the Green Hornes but with less fuzz and that brand of 21st Century rock, like previously mentioned, the Garage Gods are the real deal. Lalin layers the catchiness with eerily definitive keyboard pulses that help to set the mood of this mod play date. The B side track “She Don’t Love You Anymore” fuses surfy guitar reverberations with Lalin’s whispery tutorial. “She’s doin’ stuff she’s trying to hide/You found out too late no its no use to cry” is a typical simplistic lyric that is indicative of the overall surface simplicity of this four piece, but considering the complexity of the recording and the brightness of each instrument thoughtfully brought to light. Don’t mistake, this album is simply delicious and bringing it to you straight, as I really wish more groups would do. With their influences on their sleeve, this is the kind of shit the heads have been longing for for some time now.
For more information or to purchase this record, go to http://www.myspace.com/thegaragegods
Double Plus Good CD Release
DOUBLE PLUS GOOD (CD RELEASE)
BREAKFAST MOUNTAIN
PEP ASSEMBLY
Sunday May 24th @ Rontoms
9PM / FREE / 21+
“This group is making some noise from their hometown of Portland, Oregon. Having opened for acts
like Black Moth Super Rainbow, Why? and Sole they are ready to break into the next level of the indie/electro-pop scene.”
- Ears of the Beholder
Lots Happening @ Tender Loving Empire
Tender Loving Empire has been shaking up the local landscape over the past few years, and this month is no exception. Here’s a list of three hott events from TLE as well as news of a new mega comp they are releasing as well. Read below for the skinny…
1. “Tender Loving Empire Presents” At the Doug Fir, Saturday, April 25th We’re just going to go ahead and call Tender Loving Empire’s showcase at the Doug Fir next Saturday “The Best Night of Brianne’s Life” because four of my favorite Portland bands are playing! Jared Mees and the Grown Children, Nurses, Dirty Mittens and Y La Bamba!! When I think back in the years to come on the best night of my life, I’d love to picture your face there.9pm $8
2. Our Summer Kick-Off 1st Thursday Art and Music Show!!! May 7th 6-10pm. This month’s show is called “Wish you were here” and features the mail-able, postal-themed art of over a dozen artists. Church and Finn Riggins play at 8pm and 9pm. And it’s Free! With a strong suggestion of donations for the bands. We’re also excited that our new neighbors, the lovely, hard-working gals from Handmade NW, will be throwing a craft fair in and around our building that night. Should be our favorite type of chaos. Free snacks and drinks, stimulating conversation, and warm weather (hopefully…)! 3. The weekend of May 15th and 16th is going to be a big deal for all of us in the TLE family. 1st of all, we turn 2!! And we’re throwing a phat party! And you’re invited!! AND we’re releasing our new kick-ass Music Compilation and a brand new line of tshirts designed by Lloyd Winter, Andrew Sloan and G-Force to celebrate!
* Our Birthday Party Extravaganza will include live music by:
Megachurch, Boy Eats Drum Machine, Jared Mees & The Grown Children, World’s Greatest Ghosts, Super XX Man, Gratitillium, Reporter, and DJ Nine Inch Nolina
Live art! Giveaways! Birthday cake! Balloons! And a free comp with admission!! ALL AGES! Doors at 6pm. Music starts at 7pm! $8 Backspace is located at 115 NW 5th Ave. in Portland, OR. * FRIENDS AND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS, VOL. 2!!:
Comp cover file.The 2nd Volume of TLE’s “Friends and Friends of Friends” compilation consists of 2 discs: Neighbors (Portland-based acts) and Pen-Pals (national and international acts). Over the last few months we have been wrangling up songs from some of the finest musicians in Portland and across the country (and beyond). And you guys, it’s gonna be really really good. Seriously. Below is a complete listing and final of all the artists on this year’s comp: -Neighbors- (Portland, OR)
1. World’s Greatest Ghost’s - Butterscotch Sunday
2. Super XX Man - Medication (Podington Bear Premix)
3. Boy Eats Drum Machine - lalalalaLA!
4. Starfucker - Boy Toy
5. Gratitilium
6. Yeah:Great:Fine - Manifest Destiny’s Child
7. Nurses - Technicolor
8. The Woodlands - Summerland
9. Sam Cooper - Spiritual Billionaire
10. The Ocean Floor - What’s On?
11. Dirty Mittens - The Small Things
12. MEGA*CHURCH - PRAISE*A*TRON
13. Autopilot Is For Lovers - Trust
14. Shoeshine Blue - All the Pretty Women
15. Reporter - Valin Seel
16. Inside Voices - So Mysterious
17. Y La Bamba - Chiquilla
18. Alan Singley + Pants Machine - Le Rain
19. Gingerbread Patriots - Mr. Persimmons
20. Typhoon - Affliction
21. Lackthereof - Ask Permission
22. St. Frankie Lee - Ballad of a Hole
23. Jared Mees & The Grown Children - Trampling Daisies (Dash! Premix)-Pen-Pals-
1. tUnE-YArdS - News (Montreal, Quebec)
2. Halloween Swim Team - Inside/Out TV (Los Angeles, CA)
3. Finn Riggins - Mahoney (Boise, ID)
4. Small Sur - Sand Dollar (Baltimore, MD)
5. The Bicycles - What a Fool (Toronto, CA)
6. The Owls Go - Beard (Baltimore, MD)
7. Absolutely Parched - Backyard BBQ in 99º Heat (Rancho Cucamonga. CA)
8. Raise High the Roofbeam - A Letter to Noelle (Chicago, IL)
9. Geographer - Rushing In, Rushing Out (San Francisco, CA)
10. The Fling - Out of My Head (Los Angeles, CA)
11. Gretchen Phillips - Burning Inside (Austin, TX)
12. Clara Clara - Dolphins (Lyon, France)
13. Massive Moth - Awaiting Thy Erotic Mercies (Salem, OR)
14. The Dont’s - So Strung Out (San Francisco, CA)
15. The Mutineers - Nihlisteria (Santa Barbara, CA)
16. Test Audiences - Mazed Mr. Medicine (La Grande, OR)
17. Low Red Land - Landmark (San Francisco, CA)
18. Red River - Tomahawk (Long Beach, CA)
19. Starving Daughters - Impossible Things (Los Angeles, CA)
20. Kickball - My Friends (Olympia, WA)
Free with entry to our Birthday party and $8 after that online, at the Tender Loving Empire Store, or at various other retail locations across Portland. More details on that later.
<<<——The other reason why that weekend rules is Finn Riggins will be playing two shows with Built to Spill in Idaho!! If you’re in the Boise area, they’ll be playing at the Visual Arts Collective in Garden City on May 15th ($10, 8pm) and then on the 16th at the Eagle Island Experience Festival in Eagle, Idaho.
Jazz & Paul Newman
After a great debut in March, the Cinema 21 “Jazz & Paul Newman” series returns for a second go of rare music-media, classic black-and-white movies, with cool live jazz in the lobby (and wine and beer!). Keep reading for more details!
* Live jazz guitarist Neil Mattson, in a duo performance with Adam Trachsel on acoustic bass, begins at 9:45.
* A selection of Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea video-performances at 9:50.
* Shawn Levy, top film critic of The Oregonian, introduces the feature film at 10:30.
* HUD, the intense Paul Newman masterpiece, starts at 10:40.
Co-sponsored by KMHD and Jazz Society of Oregon
Ticket $8.00
CINEMA 21
616 NW 21st Ave
Portland, Oregon 97209
503-223-4515
Bombs Into You “Metaphorically Yours [vol 1]”
![Bombs Into You "Metaphorically Yours [vol 1]"](http://poptomorrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/bombs-into-you.jpg "Bombs Into You \"Metaphorically Yours [vol 1]\"")
Bombs Into You
Metaphorically Yours [vol 1]
self-released
Review by Angelo M. De Ieso II
A cleverly and craftily packaged EP from this Portland trio demands a listen. Opening track “Slink” builds steady momentum without any noticable bridges. Crisp yet distorted electro snare cracks temper this Stabbing Westward-esque dittie with Jared Jensen’s fuzzy synths and Gage Choat’s searing guitar quips. Jensen, also the vocalist, conjurs up a smoky, rebellious crooning style reminiscent of one part Gavin Rosdale and one part Robert Smith. The landscape of this 5-plus minute opener extends a bit longer than necessary. However, the second number, “Hold the Line” throws down a wired uptempo powerpop emission with an anthemic chanting pre-chorus before erupting into “Hey you, bury me!” Drummer Nate Jayne misses no beat on this EP, handily delivering a mesh of organic and synthetic pulses. The third number “My Machine” does a wonderful job of interweaving glitch beats with jangly rhythmic guitar. Here, again, you can really feel the Bush influence vocally. There’s even the tin can vocal distortion indicative of mid 1990s alternative music influence. With a lot to draw from in their rearing, Bombs summon several warm and harrowing elements of the Gen X crowd and their undeniable soft spot for the Summer of 69 and the Boys of the Summer buried deep in these five songs. Maybe if Corey Hart and Trent Reznor had a child (if this were anatomically possible) it might be akin to the music of these lads. The close-out track “Nearly”, while keeping in line with the overall aesthetic of the album in check with gratuitous noisescapes and haunting vocal manipulations. In total, Metaphorically Yours vol 1 identifies itself as purely Portland by not fully aligning itself with any specific genre. It would seem like a daunting task to pair these guys with another local indie band due to the amalgamation of influences and there not really being a scene for their brand of music.In short, this is in some regard why I fully endorse this album as one of the best local sounds to pass through my headphones so far this year.
For more information or to purchase this album, go to: http://www.bombsintoyou.com/
Benefit for Ratgirl
On Tuesday, April 7th please come to Cheri “Ratgirl” Brugman’s Surgery Benefit Show at DANTES!
ED FORMAN is gonna do his regular FUNNY ASS show starting at 8pm….
http://www.myspace.com/edforman
then we’re shooting off into a night of rocking and rolling…
with
ADVISORY
http://www.myspace.com/psychicadvisory
THE EVIDENCE
(Brandy Hotknife and Charlie Poison Idea’s new band!!)
THE PATHOGENS
http://www.myspace.com/thepathogenspdx
and
THEE HEADLINERS
http://www.myspace.com/theeheadliners
we’re asking for $5 or whatever you want to donate.
only at Dante’s this April 7th, 2009!
let’s party and raise some money for one of Portland’s old homegirls who’s living in Istanbul, Turkey and who has recently undergone some serious medical crap and needs help!
you can donate directly here:
http://cyclecide.com/ratgirl/
let’s party it up for a real rad lady.
you can catch up with her here!!:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=516656782&ref=profile#/profile.php?id=682762677
here is a forward of an email she sent out about what’s happened to her…
“Hi, as most of you know nothing about this, it may come as a surprise, but I need to have surgery soon on my uterus for a nasty tumor which is causing me a lot of problems and discomfort… I have been losing so much blood that I was beginning to get anemia. Not to mention horrible pain… they don’t think it is cancer (luckily), but they will do a biopsy to be certain (especially due to my family history of uterine cancer).
I don’t have any money for this surgery and biopsy. It will cost about $2000 USD (luckily I am in Turkey, it would be much more in the US!). I never thought about asking for help, but some friends heard about it and decided to try to collect some money to help me (thanks Sue and Danny!). Danny had the idea to do a Pay Pal fundraiser, that way people can contribute anything they can, if they can, even if it’s only 5 bucks, it still helps. I’ll also miss a couple weeks of work which will set me back even more, especially since the Turkish Lira keeps falling against the USD, and I get paid in Lira.
I know everyone is having a hard time with money these days and I am guessing that most of my friends are broke too… I don’t expect everyone to be able to help of course, but if anyone is interested in donating a little to the Pay Pal fundraiser then please go to this link http://cyclecide.com/ratgirl/
Thanks a lot, and don’t worry, I will be fine, I just have to get this done soon.
Hugs to all and I hope someday I can come home to visit 
Love, Cheri RG “
FYI, since this message her appendix got a perforation on it and she had to have emergency surgery for that on top of everything else. when the doctors cut her open they discovered that her entire reproductive system was infected, they literally found her to be full of PUS and had she waited one more day she probably would not have made it. fortunately, much thanks to her tough constitution and tenacious grip on life and the Turkish medical system, she’s well on the mend. but she’s still facing many overwhelming financial burdens and definitely needs our help!
please forward this to any mutual friends and hope to see ya there!