Three Imaginary Girls - portland

Photo Essay: Blue Skies for Black Hearts

Imaginary Amie — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:59:06 +0000

9 Mar 2012

Remember how I told y'all to be at The High Dive on Friday to see the most excellent PDX band Blue Skies for Black Hearts take the stage? I hope at least some of you made it out, because they TOTALLY ROCKED IT. (duh, like they wouldn't)

Anyway! There was a last-minute band addition, so BS4BH played first, and super-early, starting their set just after 9pm. I am happy to report that even though the crowd was scarce, the boys gathered an impressive menagerie of dancing (in Seattle? WHAT?) groups near the stage by the time they were 2 songs in to the set. The boys in The Ames (the Belligham-based band that followed) seemed particularly impressed, and were very enthusiastic about getting down to some grooves. Again: dancing? in Seattle? WHAT. Just another of the many side-effects Blue Skies offers when rocking their audiences' socks off.

So after a second live show, I maintain that these guys are one of the tightest, most well-rehearsed bands I've ever seen. They put on an impressive show, melding retro-notes and lyrics with modern indie-rock and a tinge of poppy, bouncy good vibes. Lucky for me, they live in Portland, so frequent sets in Seattle are possible!

I am definitely going to make it a point to see them every time they're here, and if my words can't convince you to give them a shot, I think these photos from Justin Dylan Renney will.

Set list:

Sitting on the Edge
A World Without Love
Damn Those Girls
Caroline Make Up Your Mind
It's Gone On Too Long
Taking Advantage
The Past
Siouxsie Please Come Home
The Sitch
Majoring in the Arts
You Gotta Quit Kicking My Dog Around (coming soon on a new album!)

{More photos after the jump}

New Favorite Band Alert: Blue Skies for Black Hearts

Imaginary Amie — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:12:50 +0000

I love, love, LOVE discovering new bands that rock my socks off - I just wish I had known about Portland band Blue Skies for Black Hearts MUCH earlier, since it seems they've been around for awhile, based on all the CDs they have out already. But I digress. When I went to the Tennis Pro show a few weeks back at Chop Suey, these boys took the stage and positively blew me away with their tight, retro-pop tunes, bouncy attitude, and adorable faces. I fell for them straight away, marched over to the merch table after their set to buy some tunes, and tipsily stumbled over telling the bass player how AWESOME they were (a patented Amie move).

The above video for "Siouxsie (!!!) Please Come Home" helps illustrate their fantasticness - and the fact that our Seattle "Summer" could be worse - but I urge you to check out more of their songs, and fortheloveofallthatisholy see them live next time they're in town (9/22 at The High Dive) or you find yourself in PDX.

Spacemaker

Andrew Boe — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:03:54 +0000

http://www.myspace.com/microtia

microtia.jpg

Half of what you get with the new Microtia album, Spacemaker, is nine smoking songs recorded by the Portland trio. The other half of the equation is the packaging for the new release, which was made exclusively from Pabst Blue Ribbon and Marlboro Lights boxes. This alone seems like every hipsters dream release. This CD has been in the works for quite some time, but is officially coming out this month. Here is a rundown:

The energy fueled opener, “Can You Hear the Jets,” interestingly bridges the ground between Muse and Soundgarden. There is an immediate energy to the song that is missing from a spectrum of artists in the current scene. “1000% Sure” follows suit with similar Muse/OK Computer-era Radiohead rock and roll disorder.

“I’ll Fight Harpsichord” introduces some wah guitar along with more metal undertones. By this point, the eighth or ninth PBR is starting to really sink in. “Tone Mountain vs. the Body of Riffage” is perhaps the album's highlight. The one and a half minute introduction alone is close to sublime and there are some memorable progressive rock melodies interweaved in the track. Acoustic number “Add Insult to Injury” is one of the standout songs as well. Distorted handclaps initiate an unnerving atmosphere just before the full on electric ensemble is launched.

There is a West coast tour taking place during September where the new album will be available, however, there do not appear to be any Washington state shows scheduled yet. For further information, please refer to the group’s myspace page. Maybe something local will soon pop up.

MusicFestNW - Mid-September Music Madness in Portland - Photo Essay

Imaginary Muller — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:08:08 +0000

17 Sep 2009

Imaginary Chona and I tag-teamed MusicFestNW with her resident reviewer, RJ, recently. I covered the first few days and she hit the last few days due to some circumstances of her being "cursed" until Saturday. Somehow, she broke the curse and I believe has photos posted on the site.

I made it down to Portland just in time to see Hey Marseilles a few songs into their set at the Ash Street Saloon. Apparently there were some sound problems early, but they were cleared by the time I arrived. The boys told me that they felt that the performance was a bit lackluster at first, but they made an unspoken group decision to just "rock the fuck out" for the rest of the set...and it turned out to be fantastic. The crowd really took to the Seattle Seven and promptly complied when lead-singer, Matt Bishop, asked them to get closer to the stage.

The Black Whales followed and kept the crowd from thinning out too much with their well crafted poppy sound. I've seen these guys a few times now and am excited to check them out again. I am eagerly awaiting their upcoming release.

The rest of the night consisted of Derby and the Dimes, who were good, but the crowd had abated by the time they started and I'd hit my limit of working, driving, shooting all day.

On Friday, I went down to the Doug Fir to catch some of the KEXP live broadcasts. Unfortunately, the Arctic Monkeys set was closed, and Sunny Day Real Estate had to cancel due to illness. I still had a chance to catch the Builders & the Butchers and Chairlift. After those sessions was an early evening show at the Wonder Ballroom with the Arctic Monkeys, with opening act, the Like. Sadly, even my super-duper press pass and photo pass was not good enough to allow me in with my camera to this show, so you're stuck with the really cruddy cell phone pics that I was able to take. The Like are an all female band from Los Angeles who had some pretty fun songs, but might be hard to take for 40 minutes straight. I'd throw their stuff into a mix and shuffle, once their album is released.

The Arctic Monkeys on the other hand, kicked ass. They are one of my favourite bands and they played for over an hour. Alex Turner and co. had the crowd wrapped around their fingers as they played decidely loud renditions of their songs. One curiosity I noticed was that they had nearly a dozen guitars with them, and would often switch them out between songs. They ended their pre-encore set with my favourite of their songs, "Do Me a Favour" that ends with the line, "perhaps fuck off might be too kind". I had to jet at that point to get across town to my next show... The Long Winters, Viva Voce, Rocky Votolato and Say Hi at Berbati's Pan. Say Hi played a solid set, and seemed to win over some new fans.

Rocky played a fairly stripped down set, solely on acoustic guitar and harmonica.

Local to Portland, Viva Voce seemed to light up the crowd the most. Kevin Robinson taking to smashing his guitar on the stage near the end of the set.

Sadly, I was so exhausted by this point, I reluctantly retreated for the door to head back to the hotel. However, right outside I ran into John Roderick and Eric Corson of the Long Winters. After apoligizing that I'd be missing their show, they posed for some candids along with Justin of Menemona for me. And with that, I headed back with my travel companion leaving the rest of the weekend to the no-longer-cursed Chona.

Local to Portland, Viva Voce seemed to light up the crowd the most. Kevin Robinson taking to smashing his guitar on the stage near the end of the set.

The Dandy Warhols ARE Sound

Chelsea Werner — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:26:37 +0000

5.9

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002BYSG9A/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20

dandywalbum.jpg

Last year, the Dandy Warhols launched Beat The World Records and today they are using the independence of their own label to release mixes of 2003’s Welcome to the Monkey House, that Capitol Records, their label for 8 years, didn’t see fit for distribution. The Dandy Warhols ARE Sound is Welcome to the Monkey House as Russell Elavedo mixed it.

If the techno-infused mixes on Monkey House are psych rock on e, then ARE Sound’s songs are rock ‘n roll so stoned, they think it’s the 90’s. And in the 90’s, The Dandy Warhols were making 60’s infused psych/pop. In fact, Monkey House was a breaking point with the Dandy Warhols’ fan base for its hyper-produced, late 80’s synth rock edge. This is not to say the ARE Sound’s mixes are better than Monkey House tracks, but they are the band’s original intent.

Despite the amplified bong hit that opens Monkey House’s “I Am Over It,” The Dandy Warhols ARE Sound offers a version of the song that minimizes the sound of bubbling bong water, but delivers the high, letting the pared down and plodding beat bring the subtleties that layer the different parts of the song into focus.

On the single, “We Used to be Friends,” off Monkey House, the chorus melody is given precedence over the song. It’s simple croon is a refrain echoing out from different instruments that completely subsumes a guitar solo that spans the entire last minute of the song on the ARE Sound version. “Plan A” off ARE Sound, features Taylor-Taylor’s voice as the primary instrument of the chorus and the bass as the driving force behind a song that up till now had been distorted by feedback and blown out frantic guitars on the Monkey House version.

In contrast with Welcome to The Monkey House’s hi-fi sound, The Dandy Warhols ARE Sound is described by Courtney Taylor-Taylor as seeming lo-fi and earthy, but in fact, being very precise. Lo-fi it certainly is not. But it does capture a live, less manipulated feel. “Scientist,” the second track on both albums, is a perfect example of how Capitol created an album that’s like a flasher in the park, showing you all his goods at once. Meanwhile the Elavedo mixes are like soft-core porn, slowly revealing a skin that hints at a complex anatomy. But, as we all know, the porn star has the same simple parts as the flasher, and a simple narcissism—something that has been the core of much of The Dandy Warhols’ music.

The Dandy Warhols ARE Sound removes Capitol’s mass-consumption mixes and relishes in an honesty of what The Dandy Warhols are and have been—A band that loans innovation from their influences and makes it’s minimum payment by creating songs that roll well with TV credits. Whether the album was released in 2003 with an 80’s sound or in 2009 with a 60’s sound, the root of The Dandy Warhols, no matter who mixes their songs, is in an aesthetic that is distinct to rock in 1990’s—a shallow sound that can be catchy as hell.

Magic Marker Records Showcase in Portland

Melodication — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:20:03 +0000

7 Feb 2009

BOAT09feb2.jpg

These days, with the economy still teetering on the edge of collapse, it takes a genuinely incredible line-up to get me to drive all the way down to Portland for a show. It’s not just gas prices, it’s the cost of a hotel, and a meal, a trip to Voodoo Doughnuts to see what a bacon-maple bar is – and a very well spent $10 cover.

The show last Saturday was a celebration of Magic Marker Record’s 10th anniversary, and it showcased the label’s finest pop bands, both past and present: The Galactic Heroes, Dear Nora (both reformed for this night only), BOAT and Tullycraft. With a line-up like that, Portland really doesn’t seem too far away.

The night started off with the Galactic Heroes, who have been split up by geography for years. Though they were not ones to do stage banter (as they themselves admitted), their bright hooks and well-worked harmonies more than made up for it. Their set included exemplary pop melodies, such as “Back in Love”, a personal favorite of mine. The poor band had to put up with a group of overly boisterous (and intoxicated) men, each of whom was probably twice the size of a Galactic Hero. Still, despite the occasional interruption, it was obvious that the loss of the Galactic Heroes was a great loss to the Northwest pop scene. I bought their album, “Every Sidewalk” as soon as I got home, and I highly recommend it.

As BOAT began to set up, the raucous Galactic Heroes fans became even more so. With shouts of “WHO THE FUCK IS BOAT?” and periodic football-fan-esque chants of “BOAT! BOAT! BOAT!”, the large men managed to be both annoying and contradictory. BOAT took it well, even offering hi-fives to the eager group. BOAT’s performance was incredibly fun as usual, and their set was full of never-before-heard songs, including a tribute song to Tullycraft (and at one time, BOAT) drummer, Jeff Fell, and covers of two fellow Magic Marker signees, Dear Nora and The Faintest Ideas.

For the final song, D. Crane (BOAT’s singer/guitarist) invited people to come on stage with them. “But you can’t touch us!” he told the drunken man-fans (who he called the ‘Alpha…Beta Phi frat house’). Though surprisingly they didn’t storm the stage, a few other (quieter) fans did and danced around with BOAT to “Lately I’ve Been on my Back.”

For some reason, the loud men did not stick around to see Tullycraft, which may have been a blessing, but is perplexing because Tullycraft dealt out even more fantastic pop songs. Tullycraft is one of the more adorable bands in Seattle; Guitarist Chris Munford and bassist/lead singer Sean Tollefson were both wearing sweater-vests, and the always lovely singer Jenny Mears was wearing one of her trademark vintage dresses. Beyond looks, their songs are each just as adorable as the band. Their vocals complement each other perfectly and the lyrics tell elaborate stories with catchy choruses; I fell in love with one in particular that night called “Superboy Supergirl.”

The audience was in love with this twee-pop band, and all the dancing made me wonder if Seattle’s stoic reputation was actually true by comparison. More likely, I think, is that Tullycraft put on a great show that made dancing pretty much inevitable.

Unfortunately I missed Dear Nora, but I did get to see the modest speeches made by Magic Marker founders Curt Kentner and Mark Rothkopf. I owe these two men a huge debt of gratitude for allowing some of my absolute favorite bands to release their albums, and for this amazing show which had probably the best line-up I could ever hope for. Congratulations Magic Marker!

Magic Marker Records book a roadtrip-worthy anniversary show

imaginary keenan — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:23:15 +0000

You better hope gas prices stay low until February! Portland's fantastic Magic Marker Records just announced their anniversary show! And it's amazing!

The Dimes

imaginary dana — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 01:08:25 +0000

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone hits the road to make friends

imaginary liz — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:57:12 +0000

Portland bedroom lo-fi troubadour Casiotone for the Painfully Alone has announced he (Owen Ashworth) is becoming a they (a bunch of friends -- aka: a band) and they are hitting the road!

Everclear

imaginary liz — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:45:39 +0000

Tonight's Recommended Show: U.S.E at the Redmond Firehouse {Erik Lashes Benefit}

imaginary liz — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:12:53 +0000

There're a lot of good shows tonight, but we must recommend that we all head to Redmond to the Old Firehouse for an all ages benefit show with headliners U.S.E.

Spend your weekend with Calvin and Hutch

imaginary liz — Tue, 08 May 2007 16:49:27 +0000

A weekend with two of my favorite beguiling heartthrobs AND sunshine... I nearly faint at the thought.

Menomena / The Thermals show to benefit Portland Public School

imaginary liz — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:12:43 +0000

Friday May 11th, three Portland notable indie-rocker bands are joining forces to raise both funds and awareness to help keep music education alive in the Portland public school system. The Thermals are headlining the night with Menomena and The Bustling Townships opening up the night. The event starts at 8:00pm in the Cleveland High School Auditorium.

Attention Portland: free tickets to KEXP's PDXplore show for Saturday night

imaginary dana — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:10:00 +0000

Win a free pair of tickets to the KEXP-sponsored PDXplore show, featuring a shoegazery good lineup at the Ash Street Salon tomorrow night.

The June Umbrella

admin — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 03:33:59 +0000

Wet Confetti

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:52:54 +0000

Blitzen Trapper

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 22:29:54 +0000

The Kingdom

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 05:53:37 +0000

The Aught-Threes

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:58:10 +0000

Strength

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:58:10 +0000