[August 29th, 2007]

THURSDAY, SEPT. 6

Up and Comers

Gingerbread Patriots, The Crosswalks, Jared Mees, The Wherewithals

Depite some damn fine performances from touring acts, one of my favorite shows from MFNW ‘06 was my own LocalCut showcase. I was beyond stoked (and I don’t use the word “stoked” often) that so many folks were excited to see the bands I’d booked. At the time, I didn’t know anyone cared about the Shaky Hands (who ended up being voted WW’ s Best New Band earlier this year). And while I did expect to see the Minders bring the house down, I didn’t expect said house to be full . This year, I wanted to return the favor by booking acts I’m really into, but that I thought y’all might not know too well.

First off, there’s the roots-rocky Wherewithals , a local quintet that wears its heart somewhere far more apparent than its sleeve. Crafting bar-rock anthems built on meandering guitar lines, cacophonous keyboards and gruff vocals, the Wherewithals stay grounded in honest storytelling, bass-led grooves and dynamic drumming.

Next we’ve got Jared Mees , who probably takes the cake as my favorite Portland discovery of the year. His booze-addled folk-rock sing-alongs are just the ticket for a night of good drinkin’ with good friends—which is what I imagine he’ll be doing, too, as he’s joined by a full band (members of Finn Riggins) for tonight’s performance.

Then we run into a back-to-back pairing of pop bliss. From the Crosswalks ’ ’90s-inspired lo-fi rock to Gingerbread Patriots ’ Grandaddy-esque blip-pop, these two local acts will have heads bobbin’ and feet tapping in no time. Here’s hoping you come down and bop along with me—maybe you’ll discover a new fave in the process. AM.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 7

Portland Pop All-Stars

Dolorean, Horse Feathers, Laura Gibson, Starfucker, Eskimo&Sons

This year, I just wanted to put together a group of artists I consider to be among Portland’s pop (in a rough sense) all-stars. Here’s what I came up with:

Eskimo&Sons play atmospheric slowball ballads and lively pop sing-alongs. The young band tops itself with every new and strangely funky composition, something that will make E&S a staple of Portland’s music scene for years to come. Look out for the band’s dope cover of Wings’ “Let ’em In.”

Starfucker , the much-loved drums- and sampler-based project of Sexton Blake frontman Josh Hodges, combines the sweat-soaked beat worship of techno with the furious pace and live energy of punk rock. He and regular contributor Ryan Bjornstad teach a crash course for the non-ravers, moving entranced listeners a step closer to adopting the glowstick/energy-drink lifestyle with each crazy cut.

Laura Gibson ’s homespun folk and country is full of deceptively simple melodies that are potent enough to haunt crowds at first listen. On second, third or fourth listen, they usually realize she’s a genius. Hers is also one of the finest bands in Portland.

Horse Feathers plays finger-picked, dark folk tales of blood and bone (think of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood ). Justin Ringle’s uncluttered vocal delivery seems to grow from desert soil, his band surrounding his voice and guitar with understated twists on traditional American forms.

Dolorean quietly released one of the year’s best albums with You Can’t Win , an epic breakup album that sounds like a heartbroken troubadour’s tour of Oregon, from the lonely deserts of the East to the unforgiving coastline. In concert, Dolorean sounds a little less depressed and a touch more rocking, but just as fantastic. CJ.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 8

An Experiment In Weirdness

Quiet&Linger, Atole, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Ethan Rose

Not realizing that I was the one responsible for booking this particular MusicfestNW lineup, M. Quiet (a.k.a. Matt Kwiatkowski) wrote me in July: “Man, that is one weird f-ing booking.”

To which I replied, “No shit, Matt.”

M. Quiet’s a DJ, one of Portland’s best. He plays minimal techno, which—if you’re among the, say, 98 percent of festival-goers who have no idea what that is—is your first sign that this is weird. For the record, minimal is shorthand for stripped-down, often experimental “thinking man’s” techno. If you’re among the, say, 25 percent of festival-goers who think “thinking man’s techno” is a contradiction, than please come see for yourself. Quiet will be spinning tonight with Genevieve Dellinger (a.k.a. Linger ), a former member of Jackie-O Motherfucker.

Leading into Quiet’s set isAtole , a spectacle-heavy (masks! drag!) trio of electronic madmen led by renowned agent of partydom Manny Reyes. Melodic, glitchy and frequently lovely, this project’s finally coming into its own.

I was massively happy (and surprised) Jackie-O Motherfucker agreed to play tonight. It makes any stylistic incongruities well worth it. This former Wire mag cover band put Portland on the underground music map, and it continues to do so after nearly a decade. The collective’s deconstructed folk and gospel songs are as inscrutable as they are powerful. And when Jackie-O’s “on,” it’s simply religious.

Opening the night is one of Portland’s masters of musique concrète , Ethan Rose . The unassuming sound artist blows me away at every turn, taking the primitive—player pianos, music boxes, church bells—and marrying it to a bottomless array of modern effects for a sublime ambience that may just seal you to your chair for everything that comes after, however weird. MB.