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I recently caught the Born Losers from Portland for the first time; man, those guys rock. They began as a three-piece in Anchorage back in ‘99, but relocated to Portland in late 2003 and filled out the band, becoming a full-on raging five-piece. Do you think that Austin just may be the center of the rock’n’roll universe? Then you’ll love the sound of Born Losers. The thing that I love about the band is they have so much energy. They are less Seattle garage rock and more fast-paced, balls-to-the-wall ‘70s garage punk. And their live show is seriously off the hook. The Born Losers have recorded with none other than Jack Endino, released a 7” last fall on Scarey Records, and have their first LP in the works. This is definitely a band to watch
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Hater was a Soundgarden side-project that teamed Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron with a variety of other musicians, including Ministry’s Bill Rieflin, Greg Keplinger from Red Dress, and Monster Magnet’s John Paul McBain. Unlike the big rock sound that Soundgarden evolved into, Hater was a more stripped-down blend of grunge, garage and indie rock. They released one album on A&M back in 1994 and basically were a short-lived recording project that most people haven’t heard. But it turns out the band recorded a bunch of songs in 1995 under the production of Stuart Hellerman at Avast Recording. Seattle’s Burn Burn Burn Records has assembled the recordings and released them as Hater’s second album, appropriately just called “The 2nd.” It’s a bit of an odd mix of songs and some are of demo quality, but it’s way more rockin’ than the later Soundgarden albums.
It’s fairly rare for me to hype a pop band, but Canadian band the Organ completely won me over with their “Grab that Gun” CD last year. The band squeezed a few Northwest dates in between its Australian and UK tours. If you’ve yet to hear the Organ, they are an all-female band that evokes a lot of the sounds of ‘80s bands like the Cure and Joy Division. They have the ability to make sad and melancholy pop catchy. It’s the kind of music you listen to when you are crushed—it not only gives you solace, but it gives you strength. The Organ plays March 12 at Seattle’s Crocodile CafÈ and March 13 at Portland’s Doug Fir. Catch them this time around, because I have a feeling they are going to be big.
Speaking of pop bands I dig, the new Reluctants CD “Egos Ahoy” is out now on Unsmashable Records and is available at places like Sonic Boom and Easy Street. The Reluctants formed in 2002 and play a catchy blend of indie rock and power pop. There were a wave of UK pop bands a decade or two ago that had a similar sound, but the Reluctants add more to it, which keeps them from sounding played out. The album is a short seven songs and the band even throws in (a somewhat out of place) alt-country number. It’s a quick ride, but it’s fun and undeniably catchy.
If you’re a fan of math-rock, you might want to check out Joules’ “Laser Cannon & Street Thunder” CD. Filled with lots of guitar-noodling, tempo changes, jazz influences, four-minute songs and no vocals this is the kind of music I know some people love and I really hate. Hate might be too strong of a word, but as with a lot of poetry, it’s very introspective and not very accessible. I’m one of those people who need that rock or pop hook, catchy rhythm, or lyric you can sing along to in their rock.
The Decemberists’ third album, “Picaresque,” drops March 22 on Kill Rock Stars. The Portland band of vagabonds plays a style of music that can be hard to swallow for some. The Decemberists are the drama geeks from high school all grown up, dressed up and still living their lives with a large amount of flair. Frontman Colin Meloy has a unique voice that at time walks the line between grating and endearing. And the music is fantastical, an odd mix of pirate shanties and gypsy ballads smashed with weighty, layered ‘70s lounge and pop music. “Picaresque” is filled with great songwriting that builds from just Meloy’s voice and a lone guitar to a full orchestra playing along in the mix. The song writing is excellent, especially in the bigger numbers. The Decemberists will be performing live at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom March 17 and at Seattle’s Showbox March 18 before heading out on a tour of the States.
Playing along don’t make a rebel.
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