Michale Graves doesn’t know how lucky he is. The lead singer for the reincarnated horror-punk band the Misfits from 1995-2000, Graves essentially went from a virtual unknown to being the leader of one of the most successful and influential franchises in punk history.
The year is 2003. The hip-hop scene is in shambles, still trying to recover from nearly a decade of Jay-Z and Puff Daddy clones doing everything in their power to make rap music as uninspiring as possible.
Possibly the best thing about living in Portland is the fact that, assuming you have the time and money, you can go out and see incredible live music literally every night of the week. We are fortunate to live in such a dynamic environment, and we must be appreciative of the artists and musicians that make our scene thrive.
The tormented souls of operatic Norwegian black-metal band Dimmu Borgir are, like many groups that spawned from the apocalyptic wasteland of the post-Venom era Northern European music scene, ostensibly gimmicky. But really, they’re just undeniably badass.
Tomas Kalnoky describes himself as “a bit of a perfectionist”–but he is also a bit of an asshole. The Czech-born ex-singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of fourth-wave New Jersey ska band Catch-22, who endured an enthusiastically un-amicable breakup in the late ’90s, has got himself a new band: Streetlight Manifesto.
“I’m obnoxious, mother-fucker, can’t you tell, run through Little Havana yelling Viva Fidel!” -Immortal Technique Immortal Technique doesn’t care if you love him or hate him, he’s just as indignant as ever. The New York-based emcee has put an incredible amount of effort toward verbally attacking virtually every institution–governmental, religious and social–that Americans hold sacred.
From a well-publicized opening spot for the Shins, to a gratis Musicfest NW show at City Hall, to a co-headlining autumn appearance at the first annual 3,900′ Festival on Mt. Hood, Portland’s quasi-classy indie-rockers the Shaky Hands have been attracting a lot of positive attention both locally and nationwide.
Combining a powerful framework of traditional American folk music with eclectic elements of jazz, blues and rock, Hot Buttered Rum are the aural equivalent of the beverage from which they derive their namesake–delicious and good for you.
Lyrical murder at the hands of beloved Jamaican Dub-singer Gregory Isaacs could quite possibly be the funkiest departure from this earth that a person could ever hope for. Bringing the sunny sounds of Kingston to Berbati’s Pan this coming Monday night, Isaacs and company are calling for a return to the roots-reggae tradition that inspired an entire generation of convivial musicians and agreeable slackers. Prepare to dance your face off.
Does anyone remember the days when rock music used to be interesting? Mother Portland’s own uber-ska folk-punk band the Absent Minds sure as hell do.
There is a good reason why many schools of thought theorize that the classic rock star diet of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll” is the ideal lifestyle.