Who ever said that Summer gets all the music festivals? January, despite its cold winds (or slightly cooler breezes if you're one of BBQ's So Cal followers), can warm you up the right way! The Portland just doesn't quit.

January 15-17 at The Parlour in Southeast Portlandtown comes Music to Folk! to Fest. A three day extravaganza of singer-songwriters, newcomers to the Pacific Northwest and indie icons alike! Twenty dollars for three days and almost twenty bands! If you're in the area next weekend, this is the place to be. You can also buy tickets at the door, but for so many bands, why not get the package deal?

Just a few things to look forward to:

For fans of Neutral Milk Hotel, amongst many, many other bands, comes Ross Beach (one of NMH's original members!) with his latest band, Ross & The Hellpets. Perfect indie pop that carries all the greatest elements of past decades without all the bad parts.


If Annie Clark had a kid sister from the Midwest, you'd have A. King. Guitar playing, violin charming, songstress fresh from a cross country trip from the East coast and fresh to Portland, Ashley King can sing and lays it down with some serious tunes. Accompanying her this time around are the Beirutesque musings of the Bootz Orchestra.


Sam Cooper (the banjo plucking behind Horse Feathers) joins the weekend on Sunday for a short & sweet set of acoustic goodness.

The lowdown:

Music to Folk to! Fest
January 15-17
$20, ALL AGES!
at The Parlour
2628 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202


ross and the hellpets - its over
Ashley King - Never Going To Stop

Labels: festivals, Folk, portland

Explode Into Colors may be one of the most aptly named bands, ever. Some sort of cross between indie/dance and riot grrl, tribal beat and ambient lo-fi, these three girls errupt on stage like a flash bang grenade filled with musical energy lava. If you stray up to the Northwest, find the vinyl bound goodness of Explode into Colors and dwell for a moment, if you dare.

Labels: Explode into Colors, portland

We're not talking about Earvin Jr., but there's definitely enough energy coming from these two Portland via LA kids to survive HIV and make a decent basketball comeback. Musically speaking. There have been tons of two-piece bands since there have been bands, and for reasons abound (couldn't find a bassist, didn't want a drummer, guitarist was lame, who needs vocals anyway...), but it seems magic combo for Magic Johnson is drums and guitar, blistering with the enthusiasm of a fight between LA's smog and its signature sunshine. They don't need the rest of the band. Mando and Ana have it covered with old fashioned, simple, loud, punk music that'll give the needle on your turntable a workout. Their 7" release on OlFactory/LA is Wax Paper, Telenovelas, is a vocal tag team of screams into guitar pick-ups and drum heads bursting like cannon fire. If there were more than two of them it might just be plain scary.

Magic Johnson from Mark Greshowak on Vimeo.

Labels: LA is Wax, magic johnson, olFactory records, portland, punk

Experimental Dental School! This two piece from Portland is both whimsical and little rough. At times they've got some elements of early Blonde Redhead, and goofiness of Takako Minekawa (NO, not just because one of them is Asian.). They're like the grunged up Matt & Kim, less pop and more Pixies. They'll go from a riff ridden melody boxing with the drums to a calm breakdown that can jazz you into a nap, then float back on a casio lake of high hat hints and harmonious cooing vocals.

Oh. By the by. Their new record is FREE. What? No, Thom, you're not the only one who has the balls to do this. You can download the entire album Forest Field, yes, for free. And they want you to. Without a torrent.

Come August 9th, XDS is hitting the road on their American tour before hitting Japan in the Fall. See this band! Support this band (their record is free, c'mon!)

Labels: Experimental, free, portland

Portland has produced yet another folk gem: Jared Mees & The Grown Children. It must be something about the rainy winters that gets everyone inside singing together, so when summer comes around they go on these awesome tours across the states, tambourines, banjos, and sing alongs in hand!

This band definitely has that messy sing-a-long spirit, while still maintaining complex layers in their songs. The song "Bees" hides hivelike detail under the simple folk beat, guitar strings buzzing and violin strings plucking out complements to to Jared Mees's folk-sincere vocals. "The Tallest Building in Hell" brings back that sing song garage band feeling. But not in that garage band way. More like a living room band.

Catch JM & the GC on their summer tour, ending at Holocene with Inside Voices in late July!

Bees
The Tallest Building In Hell

Labels: Folk, jared mees, portland