DTF, Bad Music, Caroline, Blind Lovejoy @ Backspace; 2.18.12

Attended the Music in the Schools showcase last night at Backspace, one of the few all-ages venue in Portland, worthy of support for that reason alone. Extra kudos for being a coffee shop that has a pool table, (it has a lot of spin to it, watch out), and there tends to be interesting art on the walls to gaze at and ponder.

Running a little late, (a running theme), due to complications getting on the guest list, but thanks to the delay, i found a snazzy black feather boa, which complimented my Freddie Krueger sweater and 9 day shadow quite nicely. I thoroughly enjoy confounding the delineation between music journalist, record producer, and deranged meth-head. I might as well accept it, as people are going to think it anyway.

I missed DTF, but caught Bad Music, who were actually pretty good. Probably around 15 or so, but already sporting Crass patches and devil locks, i seriously wonder what it would be like to grow up in Portland, Or. with the entire recorded output of civilization at yr finger-tips. This band was grasping at every cultural signifier they could sew to their clothing, a raggedy anne patchwork collage of hardcore anarchist punk rock history: MDC, Crass, DOA. They had a small but enthusiastic pit going, a little too self-conscious about running into people, but i chalk this up to living in a room where random assault rifle shoot-outs and firebombings is the norm. I tried to set aside my condescension, and focus on the music, cuz i don't care what age you are, if you are going to ally with the anarchist punks, pick up guitars and play a show, it is my job to tell it like it is. I'm glad to say that these guys play their instruments pretty well; a muscular sludgy guitar sound, drums kicking acceptably hard. In short, they ROCKED, to the best of their ability. I was almost shocked when they played one of the better versions of Sonic Reducer, originally by Rocket from the Tombs, made popular by the Dead Boys. These guys want to be Young, Loud, and Snotty; my advice, forget there's anybody in the room, pretend yr practicing. And play LOTS AND LOTS of shows.

Caroline next, my second time seeing them, and i can pay them the highest compliment: i don't think of them as my friend's band. They are a legit band, playing around town, doing the deal, trying to get shows, practicing a lot. They sounded fucking hot last night, (Backspace has pretty sweet sound, i gotta say), with the guitars pleasantly piercing, along with the drummers falsetto battle-cry between songs. I love their dreamy j-pop drift, and their twitchy thrash. I could do without the powerpoppunk emo posturing, but that was after my time, and everybody likes a ballad. I think their tongue is pretty firmly in cheek with their posturing, i still fucking hate it, but i forgive them, and i like 98% of their material. Go see them live. Often.

I was so stoked to see Blind Lovejoy, i've been working on an EP with them (almost done, now), but had not seem them do their thing live. We've gotten to be pretty solid friends, working together, but again, this factor does not effect the objective part of my brain, which merely observes sensory data. There are certain nuances that i can pick up on, being very familiar with a band or their personalities, which makes for a richer experience, but just because i like you does not mean i will like yr band. I happen to like Blind Lovejoy a lot, as people, but i fucking LOVE their band. I felt like watching them live, i was able to get a more complete vision of their sound, what they were going for, which is going to help me complete their EP. Cayla is a fucking ferocious guitar player, her Les Paul screaming like a panther in heat; so low down she was almost to the ground. I see in Blind Lovejoy the future of indie rock, young people with fervor and drive, with excellent taste, but not confined to replicated the glories of the past. I see and hear echoes of perennial favorites like PJ Harvey, Built to Spill (sorry guys), Death Cab for Cutie, Liz Phair. Lo-fi and authentic, muscular and uncompromising, but sweet and drifting, like on Noah's song, 'Umami'. The details and contrasts, the way they switch instruments around, keeps the performances rushing forward, keeps it interesting, and cayla and noah both have very different styles on their various instruments. They get a full rich sound, for being a two piece, and their tone is always impeccable. The guitars are nice, and in tune, the amp sounds sweet, the drums are solid. This band fucking rocks. You heard it here, first.

Caroline, The Love Below, Yuin @ The Laughing Horse, 1.16.12

Laughing Horse Book and Film Collective is a small but respectable book cooperative on 10th and Burnside, in SE Portland. Its an all ages venue, featuring mostly punk hardcore metal-ly things, which is so freakin' essential in this town, as it seems almost EVERY venue is a fucking bar. What are 18 years old supposed to do, smoke meth and stab grannies? On this Mon. evening, they got to rock out to four pretty legit bands.

My friend Leland plays in Caroline, who played first. Seeing as how i like the kid, and i know he's got good taste, and i already liked his guitar playing, i was predisposed towards liking his band, but i cannot ever completely check my journalistic integrity, and even if i like you, there is no guarantee i will not be disgusted by the music that you make. Thankfully, Caroline sounded really good this evening, so i didn't have to come up with nice ways of telling my friend his band sucked. I could definitely hear some of the influences i know Leland is into, i.e. Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, Place to Bury Strangers, Sunny Day Real Estate, in short angsty twitchy post-grunge, wiry and high-strung, this is the fury of a generation reared on adirol and japanese cartoons, 4 loco and marijuana and the confusion of being a young adult in a world where anything is possible, but nothing seems plausible. They absolutely TORE UP their fucking set, tight and intricate, sounded pretty rehearsed for being a shambolic spazzcore band, but i thought they sounded best when they were tearing into leaded metal shreds, like Dinosaur Jr., and the vocals veer too close to pop-punk screeching for these ears, and i would like to see them explore more of the shoegazery/slacker vibe. For a moment, Leland was writhing on the floor and it seemed like a bit of a spectacle, a bit of a put on. 'Here's the part where i'm supposed to writhe on the ground,' which may be authentic at other times, but it didn't last long, and they tore back into some unbridled pummeling, before too long. These guys have been playing a lot, getting a lot of shows, and they are definitely worthy of yr time and attention.

The second band, Yuin, were mostly a by the book speedpunk band, with some 'core vocals, which is really two strikes against yr band, in my world. However

they were genuinely antagonistic, 'what's the difference between jam and jelly? i can't jelly my dick down yr throat!' and then SLAMMING into brutal waves of sonic terror. You could tell the young, activist types were kind of offended, and then succumbed to the sonic violence. It was sort of beautiful, and i was reminded for the second (and not the last) moment why the hell i loved punk rock at one point. I probably wouldn't listen to these guys on my own time, that much, but i would see them again live.

After a string of pseudo-core bands, i was rather surprised by The Love Below, who were mostly a terribly legit thrashy trashy sludge metal band. Sort of reminded me of like Botch or Cave-In, that leaden post-hardcore thing, which is as alien as a Giger print to me, but fascinating and heavy as lead. They got the crowd going, and the Laughing Horse degenerated into a (mostly) good natured mosh pit. I managed to lose my glasses and all forms of government identification, not to mention my last two bucks, so i decided the whole night was officially rock and roll, and was satisfied.

I kept having this sense, this subliminal impression, during the whole evening, of young folks, tearing at the bit, just RACING into the future, trying so hard to be legit, to be tough and hardcore, even though their voices had barely changed, sometimes. Its like, yr 18, but you've already seen so much, possibly travelled to other countries, cut their teeth on every culture, and bombarded on all sides by their own. They are old souls, but they are still prey to the confusions of young adulthood (no web site to google yr way through that one, sorry bud.) and i was really moved and empathetic. In their fury, in their attempts to shock, to awe, to be legit, to not give a fuck and channel the powers that course through every rock n roll band, i felt set free. I no longer cared that i was probably 10 years older than the average mean of the audience, and that i am a speedy, twitchy borderline homeless music journalist, and just thrashed like i had a car battery connected to my spine. If everyone is afraid to make a spectacle of themselves, then there would be no bands.

Caroline
The Love Below
Yuin

edit: apparently i switched around two of the bands, which means that Yuin were second and The Love Below, which means that The Love Below has beautiful, mutant album art and plays awesome sludgy post-hardcore, which makes them pretty much aces in my book. I think they're on tour right now. Check 'em out!