Black Whales got first

Monday, August 9th, 2010 | musiX, pdX | 1 Comment

There’s a first time for everything, as they say.

This Wednesday’s show with Black Whales, Ravishers and Nucular Aminals marks the first time TDoL has done anything with said bands. It’s the first time they’ve played the same bill, probably their first time playing Mississippi Studios. On a completely unrelated note, I bought my first Rush album last week.

Maybe it will be your first time seeing these bands … hopefully it won’t be your last. In keeping with the rule of firsts (kind of like the Rule of Thirds in photography, only with firsts and no connection to photography), TDoL caught up with Black Whales drummer Davey Brozowski (first one on the left) to discuss some very crucial musical firsts in his life. Also included below is “The Diamond Divide,” the first song off the band’s first EP. Oh, and come down to Mississippi Studios Wednesday, Aug. 11—Black Whales go on last.

First album.
Miley Cyrus … my friend Nathan gave it to me.

First instrument.
Trombone—tried it for two weeks at the request of the band teacher because they had too many drummers. I promptly returned in two weeks with sticks in hand. I’ve been playing drums since. I’ve never touched a trombone again.

First concert.
Beach Boys. America opened. Puyallup Fair. Let’s go to Kokomo!

First band.
Very first band was Missing In Action; first band to tour and put out records was the Catheters. The band I was in between MIA and Catheters was called Damaged Goods. They basically traded me like free agent for the Catheters’ drummer because he couldn’t take all the crass humor and harsh jokes from the other members. I was 14 and just wanted to play drums loud, fast and hard—could have been any band.

First Black Whales EP.
Origins. It literally is the origins of the band. We made these first recordings to see what the songs sounded like … nice demos. Turned out we all really like the songs so we took the steps to release our first slab of plastic. I still like it. A band’s early stuff is not necessarily their best, but you can see what they’re capable of with time and work. Plus there’s usually less inhibitions with songwriting. I feel like that was captured on Origins, and we’ve only raised that bar with the full length that’s to be released.

“The Diamond Divide” - Black Whales

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Black Friday? Mary Shelley says yes

Friday, August 6th, 2010 | musiX, pdX | No Comments

It’s been many a black Friday since the last Black Friday on TDoL—things were getting a little too wholesome around here.

Portland’s Mary Shelley has jerked me from my no-metal funk (hmm … a little nervous placing the words “funk” and “metal” so close to one another). Named after the creator of Dr. Victor Frankenstein the five-piece has been shelling out black metal evil under Portland’s gray skies for years. They have a four-song demo out filled with slice-and-dice riffs, double-kick, and more changes than a costumer at a Britney Spears concert. Above all else, Mary Shelley has a cellist and an incredibly killer, incredibly unreadable logo. Pretty and horrifically frightening at the same time.

The band’s MySpace says their influences are “Nature, horror, literature and music.” I can get behind that.

“Beneath” - Mary Shelley

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Rush fans wanna sex you up

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 | musiX | 1 Comment

I recently scored four records for 9 bucks:

1. Tom Verlaine’s self-titled solo album
2. The Mamas & the Papas 16 of Their Greatest Hits
3. A Touch of Today by Nancy Wilson
4. Rush’s Signals

A steal, I tell you! Of those four records, the one that is receiving the most play here at TDoL HQ is also the one I decided to buy at the last second (an impulse buy, if you will), and the one I thought I would like the least. Can you guess which?

I’ve never been into Rush—I like a few songs—and have historically relegated Rush fans as sexless males with 12-sided dice in their pockets who leave things on message boards like:

How many drummers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Twenty-one—one to change the bulb and 20 to say Neil Peart would have done it better.

Yet Signals keeps getting spins. Perhaps it’s time to rethink this. Maybe Rush fans aren’t so dweeby. I mean making a video of yourself playing bass along to “New World Man” with an impressive sword collection gleaming on your wall isn’t the slightest bit awkward. But I will not pass judgment … it’s probably his dad’s sword collection anyway.

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TDoL Presents: Black Whales, Ravishers and Nucular Aminals

Monday, August 2nd, 2010 | musiX, pdX | 6 Comments

Otra noche de rock con tus amigo(s) de Los Dias de Lore y nuestros amigo(s) de The Deli Portland. ¿Si o no?

This time we have Seattle pop twangers Black Whales, along with PDX full-on rock outfits Ravishers and Nucular Aminals making some racket at one of my favorite music venues Mississippi Studios. Special guest: Emiliano Zapata.

It goes without saying that TDoL will be giving away a couple pairs of tickets to the show. Leave your name and e-mail address in the comments to enter. Winners will be notified Monday, Aug. 9. Until then, sink your teeth into these choice cuts, and look for more fun and goodies prior to the show.

“Books on Tape” - Black Whales

“Keep You Around” - Ravishers

“Ooooh Kill Oooooooh” - Nucular Aminals

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Getting Chummy: TDoL Summer Mix 2010

Monday, July 26th, 2010 | musiX, pdX | 2 Comments

Summer is finally here in Portland … at least for a few days—’tis the season for barbecues, tubing down the river, bottomless ice chests and summer jams (Jams? JAMZ!).

TDoL spent countless hours in a dark room assembling your summer soundtrack for 2010, a mixtape filled with singalongs, un poquito de español, noise (Noise? NOIZE!), a few breezy numbers, a handful of Portland cuts, and loads of hand claps … we’re talking more clap than a state school fraternity house. Most of the music on this compilation has been lovingly featured on The Days of Lore. You should totally buy the records.

Grab the full mix in a convenient zip folder by clicking the link below. Pairs well with road trips, good barbecue and cheap beer, as well as bad trips, good times and cheap friends.

TRACKLIST:
1. “Guadalajara” - Pepe Guízar
2. “Girlfriend” - Ty Segall
3. “Too Young to Burn” - Sonny & the Sunsets
4. “Free Association” - These Hills of Gold
5. “Better Surrender” - Far
6. “Beverly Kills” - Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
7. “Flashes” - International Waters
8. “Miss Metro” - The Knuckles
9. “Starting Over” - Typhoon
10. “The Ghost Inside” - Broken Bells
11. “Bad Buzz” - The Mint Chicks
12. “Get Around Town” - Revolver
13. “Juniper” - Y La Bamba
14. “Evening Star” - Blitzen Trapper
15. “TAOS” - Menomena
16. “La Barra” - Montañas
17. “Cars and Explosions” - Kevin Dunn
18. “Doesn’t Shake Me” - The Goodnight Loving
19. “Floating Vibes” - Surfer Blood
20. “Atom Bomb” - The Apples in stereo
21. “Sidepain” - Sea of Bees
22. “A More Perfect Union” - Titus Andronicus

DOWNLOAD: Getting Chummy: TDoL Summer Mix 2010 (117 MB ZIP)

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Let Ariel Pink haunt your house

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 | musiX | No Comments

It appears as though Ariel Pink is finding his way into a few more homes this year (you want the guy on the right inside your home, don’t you?)—the good thing is nothing’s really changed since his early daze … save for a new label and an actual recording budget.

Perhaps one of the most compelling listens this year, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti sounds like the childhood of anyone over the age of 35. Not in an ironic way. I’m relatively sure Pink (born Ariel Rosenberg) does what comes naturally … I can usually tell when a band is trying too hard (I guess the photo isn’t helping my argument). The music contained on Before Today is a flawless, effortless lo-fi nod to that magical era from 1977 to 1983. It’s a sun-damaged cassette that sails sunny yacht rock right into the coke-blizzard of Studio 54—I’m hooked.

Apparently this is a step up production-wise for Pink, who is now backed by his band Haunted Graffiti. It’s still gritty. I kept waiting for freaky funk number “Beverly Kills” to explode, but was glad that it never got past sounding like a lost Tavares track from the early-’80s. Before Today is full of surprises … in fact, Ariel Pink might be in the room with you as we speak.

“Beverly Kills” - Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

“Round and Round” - Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

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A tasty Knuckles sandwich

Friday, July 16th, 2010 | musiX | 4 Comments

La La Land’s The Knuckles are doing something right … must be the water. Their self-titled debut is all over the place, loaded with sad songs and happy jams that are breezy and comforting as a day on the coast. You’ll hear the obvious influences (Grandaddy, The Mother Hips, Elliott Smith)—add to that some damn fine facial hair and tunes that dig deep into the roots of American music. It’s what’s been keeping me sane while stopping and going every day on Interstate 84. We’ve all got an I-84 in our lives, don’t we? “Miss Metro” will make everything all right.

“Miss Metro” - The Knuckles

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