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The man behind one of the New Wave era’s wormiest ear worms “Cars” could have been content to remain a one-hit wonder. Instead, industrial-synth pop pioneer Gary Numan has maintained a vital artistic output over a career spanning three decades. And this fall the iconic artist will put out Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind), his first album of all-new material in seven years. Continue reading
Matt Pond’s sound is pure chamber pop: introspective and literate, backed up by lush string arrangements and delivered with classical music formality. Pond (who dropped the PA of his former band Matt Pond PA) toils in semi-obscurity, despite 10 full-length records and an impressive array of EPs. Continue reading
It’s official: reggae fusion band Sol Seed nabbed the crown for EW’s Next Big Thing 2013 with a final, outstanding performance at the Eugene Celebration Aug. 24. The 6-person outfit — including Michael Lennon (vocals, guitar), Michael Sorenson (vocals, drums), Benny Pezzano (vocals, bass), Kenny Lewis (vocals, guitar), Sky Guasco (vocals, percussion, didgeridoo) and Greame Pletscher (saxophone) — created a bubbly and psychedelic wall of sound that got the crowd swaying and singing on Willamette. Look for them on the cover of the Sept. 12 issue. Continue reading
With all the hoopla of Eugene Celebration and Kaleidoscope Music Festival this past weekend, you probably laid eyes on a whole slew of inexplicable sights. And if you saw a giant glowing jellyfish bouncing around Mount Pisgah, don’t fret — you weren’t having a crazy trip; those dancing tentacles were just the far-out fiber optic artwork of local company Ants On A Melon. Continue reading
All over the world anarchists, activists, rebellious teens and, of course, hipsters wear T-shirts emblazoned with the two-tone image of Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara sporting a steely stare beneath a beret. It is said to be one of the most duplicated images in the world, right up there with the Mona Lisa. Continue reading
Kaleidoscope Music Festival, the fusion music behemoth with 80-plus acts (see music), plants itself at Emerald Meadows Aug. 23-25, but more than just the aural senses will be stimulated. Look for the dubstep Wanderlust Circus, the steampunk-meets-cabaret Vagabond Opera and the multimedia dayglo-a-go-go performance troupe The Jezebelles. Eugene-based fiber optic toy company Ants On A Melon brings more eye candy to the meadow with their LED Jellyfish performance group. Continue reading
Against my strongest instincts, I will resist saying too much, or anything too fancy, about Fruitvale Station, the excellent new movie based on the 2009 New Year’s shooting of a young black man by a security guard on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit line. When a critic encounters anything of this rarefied quality, it’s best just to get out of the way. The film is that good. It is art of the highest caliber. It speaks for itself. It has the power to break your heart. Continue reading
Gone are the days of ad hoc screenings at the McDonald Theatre; film shorts and features from eight local and regional festivals, past and future, will stay the weekend at the new Bijou Metro during the Eugene Celebration’s “FilmZone.” From sobering biopics to children’s animation, there’s something for everyone. Roll the dice with two “Secret Cinema” offerings or double down on a sure thing with works by Eliaichi Kimaro, Sándor Lau and E.C. (Ed) Schiessl. Continue reading
Back in 2011 with the release of its 7” vinyl Myths, the only defining quality that distinguished the Seattle-based Pickwick from the cluttered Pacific Northwest indie folk scene was lead singer Galen Disston’s buttery vocals. “We were conscious of our songs being very derivative, very wannabe,” Disston says. Since then, the sextet started writing songs collaboratively, brought in Americana, blues and soul influences and has successfully stepped out from under the neo-indie umbrella that so many Seattle bands are huddled beneath. Continue reading
Following in the fictional footsteps of indie alias outfits Father John Misty and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, L.A.-based atmospheric folk group Lord Huron uses its music to create a unique storytelling experience that transports listeners on a wandering adventure. The sepia-toned world of Lord Huron employs swirling melodies, layered harmonies, tribal drum beats and inventive rhythms to paint a picture of the American West as told by singer-songwriter Ben Schneider. Continue reading