Eugene Weekly : Music : 8.16.07

Peace Out of Here

Cleanse your hip hop palate with a dose of 541 at this weekend’s Head Peace Media show. Copacrecent, Raw-Akshun Break Squad, DJ Billy and DJ Dv8, ME.LT, Marv Ellis and His Imaginary Friends and Marlis will perform at the launch party for host Marv Ellis’ new business Head Peace Media. It’s also a farewell show: Ellis, who recently released the album Underwater Not Underground, will be moving up to Portland in search of new avenues of inspiration for his music making. “I’m really excited about taking my music to the next level. I’ve been working for years towards this goal,” Ellis says.

Ellis’ show is jam packed with talented local musicians who are dedicated to making music and art that is “Northwest fresh,” as Ellis puts it. “This show represents my idea of a great evening and what a quality hip hop show should be, full of many different mediums of art and expression all in one package,” Ellis explains.

Head Peace Media is the brainchild of Ellis and a close friend of his who decided that there was a way to blend different elements of the hip hop community into one. Ellis speaks in schools about what can be learned from the history of hip hop. He is sad to leave his roots here in Eugene but feels his company will keep him connected to what he has gained from living here. “Head Peace Media is Eugene hip hop, is Northwest fresh, is our city and culture and what I consider to be a very special thing,” Ellis says. “Eugene has always been a paradise and Mecca for creativity and art. I want Head Peace Media to be recognized in the future as a big part of that.”

The Head Peace Media show starts at 9:30 pm Friday, Aug. 17, at Latitude 21. 21+ show. $10, $15 with CD.— Katie Cornell

 

Transcontinental Connections

Can’t afford that summer vacation backpacking around Europe this year? Well, you won’t have to go far to at least hear the sounds of modern Europe. This weekend, the WOW Hall has a lineup of four transcontinentally inspired bands: The Race, Montag, One AM Radio and Lymbyc System.

The Race might be from Chicago, but the band plays European-sounding indie rock similar to the Icelandic band Bang Gang and the Russian band The Vertigo. According to singer/guitarist Craig Klein, much of the lyrical content stems from his interest in Siberian history. “I became obsessed with researching Siberia, and that research became completely entangled with the new songs and eventually created the story for our new album Ice Station,” Klein says in press material.

For something a little bubblier, try Montag, whose French pop will make you say je l’aime. Singing in English and French, solo artist Antoine Bedard captures the essence of Canada and his love of travel. The sound is a composition of electronic and acoustic music packaged into one bubbly bottle of Montag champagne.

But if tea is more, well, your cup of tea, then there’s Lymbyc System’s British-style folktronica. Don’t expect any songs hailing the queen: The band, which is from Tempe, Ariz., is all about the melody. The One AM Radio’s Hrishikesh Hirway traveled all the way to India to work on his music; the result is full of meaningful lyrics and electronic beats.

Quitting your job, maxing out your credit card and getting tortured by some psychotic wackos who work at a hostel … life threatening. Visiting four countries in one night while staying close to home … priceless.

The Race, Montag, The One AM Radio and Lymbyc System play at 9 pm Friday, August 17, at the WOW Hall. $8 adv., $10 door. — Deanna Uutela