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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
Pacific Northwest post-punk trio The Ghost Ease rides a fine line between raw, quiet-loud-quiet indie rock and brooding darkwave. “I find dark-edged music to be emotionally charged, alive and very real to the human experience,” says Jem Marie, vocalist, guitarist and bandleader. Marie’s voice is gentle, and her sound hints of the Deal sisters’ crisp and brittle guitar work and percussion that is equal parts restrained and electric. Continue reading
Grant Kwiecinski, aka GRiZ, is a 24-year-old DJ and producer from Detroit. Watch his concert footage and find crowds donned in neon and screaming over thunderous bass with beach balls sailing everywhere. Many deem this pop, and it’s certainly popular: 2012’s “Smash the Funk” already has more than a million listens on Spotify. 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
Salt Lake City’s Heartless Breakers play a brand of bombastic, overwrought rock ‘n’ roll popularized at the turn of the millennium — a style known as emo. Vocalist Chase Griffis’ expressive voice sits alongside post-hardcore screaming vocals. Beneath it all, aggressive guitars and a clamorous rhythm section intertwine, creating an auditory manifestation of adolescent tension and release. But Heartless Breakers also blend elements of hard and abrasive music with a pop sheen, a defining characteristic of emo. Continue reading
Like the blossoms that have been emerging this spring, Oregon classical music is entering a period of renewal. Earlier this month, we told you about the young musicians who’ve just started the new Delgani String Quartet, devoted to both classics and contemporary sounds. At 8 pm Friday, April 24, Eugene sees the debut of another exciting young ensemble at the Broadway House concert series (911 W. Broadway, 686-9270). Continue reading
“Still a real world here,” sings Joanne Rand on the track “Real World” from her 2014 album Still a Real World. The song is a manifesto of sorts, cajoling us to disconnect from our networked lives and refocus on the material world. But in 2015, the life of a musician — independent or otherwise — is increasingly dependent on digital space. How does the Arcata musician find balance? 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
With his always-vacant bug eyes, gap-toothed perma-grin and just-rolled-out-of-bed demeanor, Canadian musician Mac DeMarco is indie rock’s greatest goofus. But underneath it all, there’s a sly knowingness. You’re not sure how it happened, but while you weren’t looking this simpleton pulled a prank on you — tweaked your nose, tussled your hair and left you standing mystified but thoroughly amused. Continue reading