Live At Holocene: AU + Pure Bathing Culture

Last night was the celebration of Holocene's 9th birthday. One of the best music and bar venues in Portland, Holocene put a great ticket together for their birthday. Houndstooth played first and had one of their best sets that I've seen, solidifying them as one of my favorite local bands to see live. They played a couple of new songs last night, so hopefully they will be putting some new recordings out soon.

Next up was the three piece band, Stay Calm. They have an awesome sound that includes heavy fuzz guitar, swirling keys, a dancing drum beat, and of course lovely female vocals. This band is definitely worth catching live, they will rock your socks off.

After Stay Calm performed more people piled in to see one of the best new bands in Portland, Pure Bathing Culture. This band is really good not only on record but to see live as well. It makes sense that Willamette Week has named them in the top 5 new bands in Portland. Their new EP is out now so make sure you pick up a copy.

The final band for the night was AU. Comprised of keyboardist and drummer, this experimental prog-rock band puts out a lot of great noise. They have a high degree of technical skills on their instruments as heard on their newest release Both Lights. They also have a trio that joined them on stage playing clarinet, saxophone, and trombone. Making their sound bolder and more robust and generally great.

Live at Rontoms: Houndstooth + Churches

Last night one of my favorite local acts, Houndstooth, played at Rontoms in East Portland for free along with Oakland, CA band Churches. Churches played first and I immediately fell back in time to the 90s. Drawing on all types of influences from Nirvana to Dinosaur Jr. to Pavement to Built To Spill, it's hard not to like this rocking threesome. Right now they have a self titled EP for free download here or just stream it below. Make sure you give the track "Katie" a listen.

Houndstooth performed next, and as usual they killed it! Playing all their great music and also a couple of new ones that will be out on their new record. The bar was packed for a Sunday night as Houndstooth got into their groove. It was a really great, relaxed atmosphere and that brought out some silly back and forth between the band and the crowd.

Eternal Summers + Houndstooth + Pigeons

This week saw the release of Eternal Summers latest LP titled The Dawn Of Eternal Summers. This band from Virginia knows a thing or two about low-fi garage pop. Though it's a short album, it does provide a great atmosphere. Definitely a great pre-summer album to get you all psyched for the best season. Check it out here.

Houndstooth is a local Portland, OR band that has a really awesome indie rock and roll sound reminiscent of something that might have come out in the 70s. They have a great rhythm section with the lead guitar coming in to provide some great solos that sweep you up into a higher state of happiness. I really enjoy Houndstooth's songs, they are also set to release their debut full length at the beginning of June so be on the lookout for that. In the mean time check out what they have out now here or below.









Another local band that I recently saw perform is Pigeons. Yet another cool rock and roll influenced band. They consist of bass, violin, guitar, keyboards, and of course drums. They put on a really fun show, so if you get a chance to see them live I would definitely take that opportunity. Their music makes me feel good and also makes me dance all silly so please take just a couple of minutes to listen to them here.