Friday, September 28, 2012

Onuinu + The Raveonettes

A great debut full length album from one of the hottest bands here in Portland came out this week. I'm talking about the band Onuinu's album Mirror Grazer. This is one of the better albums that I've heard this year. Mirror Grazer is a super groovy, booty shakin' electro-boogie sounding record. I've been blasting it on repeat all week. Check it out below, my favorite tracks are "Always Akward," "A Step In The Right Direction," "Ice Palace," and "Happy Home."




Next up is the latest album from The Raveonettes called Observator. I'm really enjoying this album as well. They remind me of a noisier XX. The Raveonettes put out a really cool indie noise-rock album that sounds fresh with each track. I really like the variety that they offer throughout, it definitely doesn't get repetitive which can happen with some noise-rock bands. Check it out below, it's really good to listen to for the new fall season.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Band Of Horses + Seapony

Hi everyone, I got some new music to share with you all today. We'll start it off with Seapony's brand new album, Falling. This Seattle threesome is all about the dreamy indie pop-rock. I really enjoy this album, they have really catchy hooks and riffs that make you want to sway back and forth. My favorite tracks are "What You Wanted" and "No One Will Be." Check it out below.




Next album I want to share with you is the brand new one from another Seattle band called Band Of Horses. This is their fourth full length album and it's called, Mirage Rock. Another great album from these guys, they have such an incredible sound of indie rock, it's hard not to like them. Mirage Rock sounds a little bit different than their previous efforts, it feels a little more intimate this time around. This is a really solid album that should be heard by all so check it out below. My favorites are "Shut-In Tourist" and "Heartbreak 101."

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Music Fest NW Night 5

The last day of Music Fest NW was on Sunday and it had a bittersweet end to a very hectic week. All shows were at Pioneer Courthouse Square to close out the festival. The night started with Atlas Genius a four piece alt pop-rock from Australia. Drawing on the same vein as Foster The People, Atlas Genius brings catchy riffs and dancing bass lines through their sound. Check out a couple of tracks from their debut EP below.






Next up was School Of Seven Bells. Their latest album Ghostory was released in February this year. They have a shadowy pop type of sound to them. They put on a good show at the square as people were starting to fill in for the main attraction of the night.




That attraction of course was Silversun Pickups. I've been a fan of SSPUs since they came out with the single "Lazy Eye" from Carnavas. Since then they have been evolving their sound into something maybe a little more polished, but still as impacting. They're one of those bands that no matter when you become a fan, you are happy that they have made it to the stage they are now. For me it's like watching a young relative grow up so fast. They always put on a fantastic show every time I get to see them, this time was no exception. They played all the hits including a few older songs as well. I'm really excited to see where they go in the future. Check out their debut EP Pikul below, it's super good.




I want to thank Music Fest NW and Willamette Week for putting on a great music festival. And of course to the bands that all rocked face out there last weekend. I look forward to going next year. Check out all the photos from last Wednesday to Sunday over on the website KillingSasquatch.com.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Music Fest NW Night 4

Saturday night was a night of rock and roll and lasers. I started the night out at Pioneer Square seeing local rock stars Starfucker. The guys were stoked to be playing at the square and their performance showed that. They played all the great hits like "German Love" and "Millions." They have a bunch of shows throughout the year so check here to see if they are coming to you. You don't want to miss them.




The next show I wanted to see was The We Shared Milk, but instead my car got a flat tire and I missed the entire show getting the spare on. So after that mishap I went over to Bunk Bar to see local Portland band Mission Spotlight. This five piece indie country rock band was a real treat to watch and drink a beer to. They have such a great sound with their slide guitar and blend of post-rock and country music. The slide guitar plays my heart strings and his voice sounds almost god-like. Check out their new album called Everything That Floats.




Next up at the Bunk Bar was Seattle duo, My Goodness. And my, did they rock so freaking hard! These guys might just be my new favorite band. They play an awesome blues-rock that reminds of early Black Keys. My Goodness is another reason why rock 'n' roll isn't dead. Check out their bandpage here and watch the bad-ass video of their single "I've Got A Notion" below.



The last band that I caught was Sad Baby Wolf. Started by Marty Crandall and Neal Lanford, former The Shins/Flake Music members, this post-rock outfit totally rocked out the Doug Fir Lounge. Super high energy lo-fi post-rock mixed with catchy choruses and riffs, these guys are worth a listen to. They also had really cool finger lasers that were fun to play with. I'm really stoked to hear more from these rockers from Albuquerque, NM.



Check out the photos at our website KillingSasquatch.com

Monday, September 10, 2012

MFNW Night 3

Friday night was night 3 of Musicfest NW with yet another fantastic lineup. I started the night off by going to see Beirut at Pioneer Courthouse Square. It was a great show that had many different instruments from tuba to accordion. Beirut has such a dynamic sound, and the crowd was getting down to the music. Though I didn't stay long at Beirut I really enjoyed their performance. Check out some of their newest material below.





The second band that I went to go see was Lake at Backspace. Lake is a four piece band from Olympia, WA. Their sound is so joyful, mixing elements of easy rock 'n' roll and pop it's easy to sway back and forth to. When you listen to Lake you don't want their songs to end. Definitely worth a listen to.




Next up I went over to the Crystal Ballroom to see Unknown Mortal Orchestra. These guys are super cool lo-fi pop-rock with a little funk mixed into it. Their show was a little hard to get into at first, but after a couple of songs they opened up a little bit and started shredding the hell out of the stage. UMO had a fantastic show and I highly recommend seeing them live.




Unknown Mortal Orchestra opened up for fellow Portlanders, The Helio Sequence. This brother combo is one of the best pop-rock outfits that we have here in Portland. They put out excellent material on a consistent basis and are coming out with another album tomorrow the 11th. The ballroom was packed as Helio Sequence took the stage as usual, they have played at every Music Fest NW for the last 12 years. If you haven't heard them yet check out their new single "October" and an older track, one of my favorites, "Can't Say No."






Last band that I saw Friday night was another local duo Talkdemonic. They played at Bunk Bar which is a little place for a band with a big following. I would classify Talkdemonic's sound as folk-tronic. They play mostly instrumental music with drums and electric violin. They put out a great energy at the show and hopefully they play more local shows in the near future.



Check out KillingSasquatch.com to see the photos.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Music Fest NW Night 2

Thursday night saw the second night for MusicFest NW and everyone was out to get down on some great live shows. I started the night off going to Backspace to see three piece band Cheap Girls from Michigan. They have a great alt-rock sound that is reminiscent of the 90s. They have a bunch of catchy tunes that end up rocking your face off when you least expect it.




After Cheap Girls I hopped over the river to go see Lemolo at Mississippi Studios. I had some good timing since the venue started to fill in soon after I arrived. The two girls from Seattle have some serious talent. They have some really cool looping features, great songwriting, and amazing vocals. To me they bridge a gap between classical, metal, and pop music. Definitely worth checking out live.




After Lemolo's set I headed over to Ted's Berbatis to see Purity Ring, but with the line going down the block and around the corner I decided to instead to go back over the river to see Onuinu at the Doug Fir Lounge. I got there just as they were firing up their single "Ice Palace." The lounge was pretty crowded with people dancing and swaying to the electro beats of Onuinu. I really enjoy Onuinu's ability to mix electronic-pop with some rock elements, it reminds me of a chiller Neon Indian.





The last band for the night was Tanlines over at the Holocene. Tanlines have a really cool tribal like electro-pop sound to them. The crowd was getting down as the duo started up with their single "Brothers." They will be playing Fun Fun Fest in the fall so be sure to check them out.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Music Fest NW Night 1

Last night was the first night of MusicFestNW. It was a great start to the end of the week leading into the weekend. I started the night off by going to the Crystal Ballroom to see LP open up for Passion Pit. LP was a great surprise for me, they have a great alt-rock sound fronted with a highly talented singer. This lady has golden pipes, it was incredible to hear her live. I highly recommend seeing them perform, they give off a great energy that is easy to get down to. Check out their live EP that came out earlier this year below. My favorite is the title track "Into The Wild."




Passion Pit came on next to a full house at the Crystal. Talk about high energy, frontman Michael Angelakos knows how to get the whole city of Portland fired up and dancing. Though Passion Pit is a little more main stream pop oriented than what I usually cover, I had a blast at the show. They started it off with the new hit single "Take A Walk" from the newest album Gossamer. It was a great show so make sure you check here to see when they play near you.



The last stop I went was at Mississippi Studios to go see LA band Superhumanoids. Having never heard them before, I was in for a treat. They have a great heavy synth-pop sound that was very easy to get down to. These guys, and girl, have great song writing skills that makes listening to them a treat. Towards the end of their set they pulled out a cover of "I Wanna Be Sedated" and it was one of the best covers I have ever heard. Superhumanoids has great talent and I can't wait to hear more from them. Check out the photos over on our website KillingSasquatch.com.