BLOTTER, MUSIC PREVIEWS

[December 7th, 2005]

^PORTLAND MUSIC NEWS, WITH ACTUAL REPORTING!

After a short stint across the pond with his band the Decemberists , Colin Meloy is back in town to work on a cover EP of traditional tunes by Britain's "first lady of folk," Shirley Collins . The EP, which will be available during the songwriter's January solo tour, follows the Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey EP available on his last solo tour

* Word had it last week that Monqui Presents , one of the bigger and better concert promoters in the Pac Northwest, was eyeing the Roseland Theater for purchase. The official word from Monqui's Anthony Bayles : "We've heard this rumor, too. Unfortunately, as great as it would be for Monqui, there's no truth to it."

* Last week's Riff City column about recent layoffs at Loveland didn't mention the status of owner Mikey Wolfson 's other all-ages venue, Food Hole . Worry not, young hipster: Food Hole isn't turning into rental space like Loveland, but will continue to be booked in-house by Bennett Yankey , the same fellow who's been keeping that Northwest 3rd Avenue tunnel noisy since July

* Spoon's Britt Daniel might now be living in Portland, but last week he was on Mars. Or at least he was on the set of UPN's teen drama Veronica Mars, where the leadman will play a bit part in a karaoke scene. And, yes, that was a very bad pun.

^Point Juncture, WA

Mama Auto Boss proves that patience can be pretty.

[POP] Last summer, Point Juncture, WA played the CD release show that wasn't. There was a concert—a gorgeous concert—but, alas, there was no CD.

With just a limited-press EP and some fine shows around town, PJWA had secured a place as one of the top five new bands in Portland, according to WW's annual industry poll. The quintet backed up that hype by playing a powerful set of complex pop arrangements before a sold-out Berbati's Pan for the Best New Band showcase. Then, we waited for more....

Blame the Doug Fir for getting our hopes up about a full-length album, billing the band's July 1 show as a "release party." Then, blame the Portland Mercury, which took a careless swat saying the band just hadn't "finished on time." In reality, PJWA never intended to have their album done on July 1: They just wanted to play a show. The Wonder Ballroom's not fucking with our heads: Friday, the band will be celebrating the release of its first LP, Mama Auto Boss, at that old hall. Five months is a long time to be baiting Portland's music sharks, but Point Juncture's Skyler Norwood assures us there was no delay: "We just took our sweet-ass time."

Despite the odd name (an empty signifier) and odd drum-centered stage set, PJWA isn't blowing apart indie standards. But the music is lovely. The songs' instrumentation occasionally touches the often-recycled style of Tristeza or Explosions in the Sky, with even melodies building into chaotic, tune-drowning atmospherics. It's a style that borrows from classical music but is usually applied without the dynamics of a classical piece, to ill effect. But PJWA knows when to cut the electric cacophony and settle into quiet melody, juxtaposing the grandiosity of the slow-build with a settling into sweetness—or, as on "Hudson Harmonic," by dropping straight into it with drummer Amanda Spring's gentle voice singing, "I'm going to put you in a boat tonight/ I'm going to tell you the stars are little eyes" while single vibraphone notes mingle about.

It's a song best heard 10 feet away in a basement, and Wonder Ballroom's about as far away as you get from that in Portland. Point Juncture's never played the space before (but multi-instrumentalist Victor Nash admits to playing basketball there when it was the Russell Street Athletic Center). The Wonder holds 850 people, and the band pressed 1,000 CDs. There should be just enough for everyone. Finally. MICHAEL BYRNE.

Point Juncture, WA plays with Norfolk and Western and Kind of Like Spitting at Wonder Ballroom. 9 pm. $6. All ages.

^Fernando Saturday, dec. 10

Doin' the who, what, when, where, how drill with PDX's ever-changing popster.

[POP] The past decade has seen Fernando Viciconte rifle through a range of styles. In 1996 the Argentina-born Portlander released the country-tinged Season in Hell; in 1998, it was the barrio-rock of the Spanish-language Pacoima; and in 2001, he blessed his listeners with the folk-pop dreamscape Dreams of the Sun and Sky. That last album found Fernando flirting with major labels before releasing it on his own Domingo Records and disappearing from the limelight. This week the man of many sounds sets off down the West Coast for a small tour with a new band and soon-to-be-released new album. WW sat down with the iconic frontman to see what he's up to now. JAY HORTON.

WW: Who's in the new group?

Fernando: Well, aside from Qwee, who's played bass with us the last six years, it's an all-new band. Our guitarist Jeff Lyster plays with Eels. Paul Brainard, on pedal steel, just left Richmond Fontaine. Derek Brown used to drum with the Baseboard Heaters. And Lewi Longmire, he's doing some B-3 organ and Wurlitzer, and he's played with everybody in town.

What's the new album like?

It's definitely different. A lot more pop than the last one, which was a mopey, sad record. We recorded a lot of it last summer. I liked about half of the songs and we took a break away from it for a while. It's more like the Zombies, maybe; more up-tempo, more piano. It's cheerier musically, but not necessarily lyrically.

When'll it be released?

Jeff Saltzman finished mastering it last Friday. We recorded most of it in his basement—just pro-tools and a lot of cut-and-paste—and I produced it myself with lots of help. It'll come out this March on In Music We Trust.

Where've you been since the last album?

After putting out the record in 2001, I got kinda burned out. I've always liked playing music and then going back to the day job; working at a pharmacy, parking cars, whatever. It keeps me balanced, especially economically, and gets me out of the bars.

How are you feeling these days?

Well, I've been dealing with these sores in my throat—ulcerations of the esophageal tissue and vocal chords after years of acid reflux—and, then, this week I've been sick on top of all that. I've really had to change my diet, stop drinking, stop smoking, stop everything. As far as singing, I can't go for three hours anymore, and I've started doing these hour-and-a-half sets.

It won't affect the tour?

No, I won't miss a gig. It's just a cold, man.

Fernando plays with the Village Green and the Mike Coykendall Band at the Doug Fir. 9 pm. $8. 21+.