We've got issues.
Hailing from Chico, California, Cold Blue Mountain combines the simple, riff-driven approach of moderately paced doom, the frenetic energy of hardcore and the melodic elements of ’90s alternative rock to craft a highly accessible, unique brand of metal all its own. Continue reading
California’s Dr. Know are no strangers to change. The early years of these godfathers of “nardcore” were filled with fights, going through no less than eight vocalists and some inarguably excellent punk rock. Their 1983 compilations We Got Power, Party Or Go Home and It Came From Slimy Valley are championed as classics, but also showcase a band riddled by constant change. Continue reading
The Northwest metal scene is rife with stoner, doom and black metal stereotypes thick enough to choke out the sun. Still there are a precious few acts that transcend, escaping the mire to unfurl like wildflowers springing from the thorniest of thickets. Amongst these are local favorites Agalloch and Yob, in many ways kindred spirits, though vastly dissimilar in sound. Continue reading
Austin singer-songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, wants to scratch all of your respective itches. Drawing from myriad sounds that prove difficult to solidly place a finger on, he dwells in a dusty sonic landscape somewhere between Two Gallants and M. Ward. However, Graves has never needed the aid of a Zooey Deschanel to lure out or take the blame for his pop sensibility. Continue reading
To the casual observer it might appear that, in 2015, every metal band in the known world is a doom metal band. To be fair, fans of the genre might share a similar impression. Doom is undergoing something of a revival, finally becoming as huge now as the Black Sabbaths and Saint Vituses (Vitae?) that spawned it. Enter Austin axemen Destroyer of Light. Though obviously not out to reinvent the wheel, these Texas metalheads damn well make it their own. Continue reading
Dev first burst onto the scene with 2010’s “Bass Down Low,” followed by club favorite “In The Dark.” Both met with moderate success. It wasn’t until Far East Movement’s “Like A G6” turned a verse from her single “Booty Bounce” into its infamous chorus that Dev really started to get some attention. Her 2012 debut The Night The Sun Came Up received a huge push from Universal Republic, who released singles or videos for 10 of the 12 tracks on the album, as well as a non-album single “Naked” featuring Enrique Iglesias. It seemed as if Dev was about to blow up. Continue reading
Seattle duo Noise-A-Tron possesses a keen understanding of the space needed for music to breathe. The band, consisting of Lea and Jason Bledsoe, creates a huge sound without falling prey to two-piece rock stereotypes. Where others fill empty space with crushing volume, Noise-A-Tron takes pause. The Bledsoes’ drone-heavy rock is devoid of vocals, relying instead on sparse samples and keyboards that add texture to their fuzzed-out, eight-string bass-and-drums format. Continue reading
Baltimore electronic composer Dan Deacon is shaping up to be far more than the avant-garde party-guy flavor of the week he seemed destined to be when he smashed onto college-radio charts with 2007’s Spiderman of the Rings. Fast-forward five years to the critically acclaimed and orchestrally driven America, and Deacon seemed poised to become some kind of indie-electronica Philip Glass. Enter 2015’s Gliss Riffer. Continue reading
Sapient might just be the biggest rapper you’ve never heard of, which is a sad fact considering the Portland-based artist grew up here in Eugene. As one half of hip-hop duo Debaser, as well as a member of Sandpeople, he’s rubbed elbows with members of Hieroglyphics, Living Legends and Grayskul. Sapient has also produced infectious beats for Inspectah Deck (of Wu Tang Clan), Slug (of Atmosphere) and Aesop Rock, adding to the pile of reasons to know his work. The emcee-producer is poised and waiting patiently for his moment in the sun. Continue reading
“Hey Ho! Let’s Go!” The classic battle cry will inevitably reach the rafters this Sunday as Richie Ramone, one of the last remaining member of classic punk-rock act The Ramones, brings his leather-clad gospel anew to Eugene. Since parting ways with the godfathers of the New York punk scene in 1987, Ramone has done time in The Rock n’ Roll Rats as well as The Gobshites. He’s even tried his hand at classical composition. But shaking the Ramones’ moniker can be tough. Continue reading