Music Why is Yeasayer setting up its equipment? Why was it so painfully simple to stroll right up to the front of the Aladdin's makeshift pit? Why is this hipster prick in front of me texting his girlfriend during the endless harmonies of “2080?”

Such are the questions that swam...   More

Music

Brett Dennen's the high school kid you never should have made fun of. And while you were busy scheming a way to steal his sack lunch, he was finger picking the air and shaping a voice that's completely his own.

Dennen, the shaggy redhead from Oakdale, Californi...   More

Music If ever I wished to be Moses, last night was the night. Oh, to be able to create a chasm between fans and act, to part the smooth folk pop of Bob Schneider and the Budweiser-bearing homeboys who nearly talked over his entire set.

But it almost made sense. The antsy atmosphere fuel...   More

Music When Sigur Rós walked on stage and began playing "Svefn-g-englar" (aka the Steve Zissou track), I could imagine the disgruntled aristocracy. The nerve frontman Jónsi had, to widtle away his electric guitar with a violin bow. Monocles would fall into martini glasses and white gloves...   More

Music We're insanely jealous that freelancer Mark Stock spent last week in Austin for the Austin City Limits Festival. Luckily, he was willing to share a few stories with us. Here's the final leg of his report, comparing Austin City Limits to the Sasquatch! festival.

If the Sasquatch!...   More

Music We're insanely jealous that freelancer Mark Stock spent last week in Austin for the Austin City Limits Festival. Luckily, he was willing to share a few stories with us. Here's part two of his report, on why Austin still might have a leg up on us.

With a bill so handsome as to incl...   More

Music We're insanely jealous that freelancer Mark Stock spent last week in Austin for the Austin City Limits Festival. Luckily, he was willing to share a few stories with us. Here's his report on M Ward's show, the first of three LocalCut at ACL installments.

In the land of salt a...   More

Music Of no real surprise, it’s hard to make it in Portland. Perhaps only Brooklyn rivals the Rose City in terms of musical anti-myopia. Yet, the opposite side of that unapologetically sharp sword is named inspiration, and the Wanteds know full well how not to get cut. The three-piece act is hot off its upcoming sophomore release, Failure Looks So Good, a cauldron of crisp, well-behaved gru...   More

Music Stories Of no real surprise, it’s hard to make it in Portland. Perhaps only Brooklyn rivals the Rose City in terms of musical anti-myopia. Yet, the opposite side of that unapologetically sharp sword is ...   More

Music Jon Ragel rested but once Thursday night, for a few brief measures during the horn-driven and funky "Demonic with Horns," off his upcoming record Booomboxxx. His arms went limp—a rare site from the man who brings you simultaneous turntabling, saxaphoning, drumming and singing.

...   More