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.
Showing posts with label Music Fest NW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music Fest NW. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Cheap Girls + The We Shared Milk + Lake
With Music Fest NW coming up in a couple of months lets get to know some more of lesser known bands. First up is a trio from Michigan called Cheap Girls. They sound like a more rocking version of Barenaked Ladies. Great drumming, easy to remember guitar riffs, and flying solos makes up their super catchy tunes. They are easy to relate to with songs about being broke, relationships, and working minimum wage jobs. Cheap Girls pulls in all this great 90s rock-pop sound and produces something original as well. Check out their album My Roaring 20's below. Make sure to listen to "Ft. Lauderdale" and "Something That I Need."
Next up is Olympia, WA band Lake. They have multiple projects out right now, one being Baby Island that is really good. Lake though has a really gorgeous quality to it. More on the side of pop 'n' roll, this band has really catchy keyboards and bass lines with a couple of songs that have horns. And of course the dreamy female vocals completes this great sound. I really dig their latest album called Giving And Receiving. I recommend to listen to all of it below.
Last up for today is local Portland band The We Shared Milk. This band is super good you guys. Psychedelic pop-rock at its best in my opinion. Super hazy vocals and catchy drum beats with jangly guitars that suddenly spring up to super stellar solos. They have a kind of White Denim sound to them too. They are about to start recording a new album with some other great local bands and you can help them out by donating to the cause. Five dollars gets you a free download of the album in August. You can do that here or listen to their latest effort SUH below.
Next up is Olympia, WA band Lake. They have multiple projects out right now, one being Baby Island that is really good. Lake though has a really gorgeous quality to it. More on the side of pop 'n' roll, this band has really catchy keyboards and bass lines with a couple of songs that have horns. And of course the dreamy female vocals completes this great sound. I really dig their latest album called Giving And Receiving. I recommend to listen to all of it below.
Last up for today is local Portland band The We Shared Milk. This band is super good you guys. Psychedelic pop-rock at its best in my opinion. Super hazy vocals and catchy drum beats with jangly guitars that suddenly spring up to super stellar solos. They have a kind of White Denim sound to them too. They are about to start recording a new album with some other great local bands and you can help them out by donating to the cause. Five dollars gets you a free download of the album in August. You can do that here or listen to their latest effort SUH below.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Music Fest NW
Well Sasquatch! Music Festival has come and gone so you know what that means. The lineup for Music Fest NW has been released, and it looks like a doozy. With the headliners being Silversun Pickups, Beirut, Girl Talk, and the support acts of Passion Pit, Dinosaur Jr., and The Tallest Man On Earth. But of course it's not all about the headliners or supporting headliners, it's about the up and coming indie bands that will rock your face off. The reason I love this festival is not only the great indie rock scene, but there's also metal, hip-hop, electronica, chill-wave, singer songwriters, and everything in between. So lets get to know a couple of bands before September 5th.
One of my favorite new acts is Grandparents. Their sound is like dream pop-rock mixed with some great surfy shoegaze. The latest from them is a four track EP called Fumes and can be listened to below. Also you can listen to their older stuff here. I really enjoy their music and look forward to seeing them live once more.
Another great reason I love this festival is that most bands are from Portland, OR or at least from the Northwest. The Suicide Notes are another local Portland band that have a great sound to play at the beach. They are a little more upbeat from Grandparents, with driving drum beats and great use of back-up singers it reminds me of a 50s-60s beach party. You can check out all their songs below or go here to buy their new EP for only $3!
Next up is super DIY rock band White Fang. Playing super catchy tunes about getting wasted and life in general is what White Fang is all about. Their fourth album is titled Positive Feedback and they are currently on tour so check out their site to see if they are coming near you. I really enjoy their sound, it's a little Velvet Underground with 90s garage pop-rock. Make sure you check out "Chill Yourself," it's one of my faves.
Last up for today is another local band Swahili. This four piece experimental rock band is quickly becoming one of the must see acts here in Portland. Lead by some great low tom-tom drumming and synths, their music sounds a bit ominous. The way that they layer the synths and keep the drums going in the same pattern brings out the psychedelic sound. Check them out below and stay tuned for more great MFNW artists on the way.
One of my favorite new acts is Grandparents. Their sound is like dream pop-rock mixed with some great surfy shoegaze. The latest from them is a four track EP called Fumes and can be listened to below. Also you can listen to their older stuff here. I really enjoy their music and look forward to seeing them live once more.
Another great reason I love this festival is that most bands are from Portland, OR or at least from the Northwest. The Suicide Notes are another local Portland band that have a great sound to play at the beach. They are a little more upbeat from Grandparents, with driving drum beats and great use of back-up singers it reminds me of a 50s-60s beach party. You can check out all their songs below or go here to buy their new EP for only $3!
Next up is super DIY rock band White Fang. Playing super catchy tunes about getting wasted and life in general is what White Fang is all about. Their fourth album is titled Positive Feedback and they are currently on tour so check out their site to see if they are coming near you. I really enjoy their sound, it's a little Velvet Underground with 90s garage pop-rock. Make sure you check out "Chill Yourself," it's one of my faves.
Last up for today is another local band Swahili. This four piece experimental rock band is quickly becoming one of the must see acts here in Portland. Lead by some great low tom-tom drumming and synths, their music sounds a bit ominous. The way that they layer the synths and keep the drums going in the same pattern brings out the psychedelic sound. Check them out below and stay tuned for more great MFNW artists on the way.
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