Blog: The Days of Lore

Faith No More not no more anymore?!

Dec 2, 2008, 11:03pm The Days of Lore
Faith No More: Epic
Why not? Axl Rose released Chinese Democracy ... UK rock rag Kerrang! has reported that there might be a Faith No More reunion in the works. That would be something, considering band members wanted to kill each other for about a year leading up to their implosion in 1998. Right now it's whole lotta back and forth. Members deny it. But Kerrang! says a number of venues have been put on hold for shows in the spring with the possibility of some festival dates next summer. That means ya gotta [...]
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The Thermals: Yes they can!

Dec 2, 2008, 12:28pm The Days of Lore
The Thermals: Yes they can! I'm going to come right out and say it: The Thermals are a great American rock 'n' roll band. There. I said it. The Portland three-piece has been busy putting the finishing touches on its new record Now We Can See , all while celebrating President-elect Barack Obama's victory, celebrating Thanksgiving, recruiting new drummer Westin Glass , gearing up for a PacNorWest/Euro mini-tour and choosing which label would actually put out their fourth record ... sheesh, a great American rock 'n' roll band's work is never done. In the end [...]
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Artist:The Thermals
Title:How We Know
Link Text:How We Know
File Name:how-we-know.mp3
Bitrate:192 kbps
Year:2004
Artist:The Thermals
Title:St. Rosa and the Swallows
Link Text:St. Rosa and the Swallows
File Name:07-st-rosa-and-the-swallows.mp 3
Bitrate:128 kbps
Year:2006

Barbara Manning: From me to you

Dec 1, 2008, 12:38pm The Days of Lore
Barbara Manning: From me to you I always thought you were supposed to get starstruck on that first encounter with someone you admire. Barbara Manning made it difficult. She was sweet and approachable. She liked my band. This was the woman who played with New Zealand indie rock royalty including The Clean's David Kilgour and Graeme Downes of The Verlaines, had Calexico as her backing band, recorded a string of albums for Matador Records . Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore even called her one of San Francisco's best songwriters. Despite all that, I ended up befriending [...]
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Black Friday? Meet Black Elk

Nov 28, 2008, 2:34pm The Days of Lore
Today's the day. The sheep awaken at 4 in the morning so that they can invade shopping malls across the nation to fulfill their cheap, consumeristic desires. Me? I thought it was only fitting to wake up at 7:09 a.m. on this Black Friday so that I could bring you the new weekly feature here at The Days of Lore called ... "Black Friday." However, this new Friday tradition should not be confused with shopping, or historical disasters. TDoL's Black Friday will examine the unholy underworld of metal. Why? Because I grew [...]
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Link Text:Elk Takes Night
File Name:elk-takes-night.mp3
Bitrate:320 kbps
Title:She Pulled Machete
Link Text:She Pulled Machete
File Name:she-pulled-machete.mp3
Bitrate:128 kbps

A date @ IKEA w/Pavement

Nov 25, 2008, 8:26pm The Days of Lore
A date @ IKEA w/Pavement I had never set foot into an IKEA until just last week ... returned a salad spinner with my girlfriend and bought some light bulbs and a couple of multiple-outlet adapter thingamabobbers. It's kind of like a Yuppy Wal-Mart, although I've never actually been to Yuppy Wal-Mart, either. Geez, I feel like I'm from Mars telling you that I have only recently stepped inside this wonderland of Scandinavian chic. Though I hardly knew what an IKEA was until recently, I might have to sign up for this contest. To help celebrate the release of [...]
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Green River: Killer!

Nov 25, 2008, 1:08pm The Days of Lore
Green River: Killer! Mark Arm is a wry kinda guy. It's evident in his lyrics and in interviews. He also has sort of a perma-smirk which, aside from first names, we both share. Arm has kept the mighty rock 'n' roll U-boat (U-boat? Why not?!) that is Mudhoney moving for more than two decades. He also has a day job as the warehouse manager at Sub Pop Records , the label that has put his band's records out since the beginning. Arm has also played in bands like Bloodloss and The Monkeywrench ... [...]
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¡Viva El Guincho!

Nov 24, 2008, 4:56pm The Days of Lore
¡Viva El Guincho! Live: El Guincho, Atole and Breakfast Mountain at Holocene, 11.23.08 Sometimes I think practitioners of electronic music are more interested in wowing you with how many gadgets and knobs they have at their disposal than putting any actual soul into the music. It usually makes for a, well, lifeless experience ... unless, perhaps, you have just the right amalgam of chemicals in your system. There was something very endearing and pure to the music of Spanish artist Pablo Díaz-Reixa , better known as El Guincho . It's just the right mixture of [...]
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Working on a deal

Nov 24, 2008, 1:07am The Days of Lore
Working on a deal Always keeping it real, Bruce Springsteen is offering a free download of his latest single "Working On a Dream." That is if you're reading this before midnight Monday, Nov. 24. Otherwise it's back to the real world and 99 cents. You see? The Boss always takes care of you when times are tough. Six hours left ... and go . The new album of the same name is due out January 27.
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Diss on my list

Nov 21, 2008, 4:38pm The Days of Lore
Diss on my list It's year-end list time already?! Everyone's getting list-y, I tell you. Don't you worry, I will soon. But not yet ... not when there are releases by Fall Out Boy and Britney Spears still to come. Paste just came out with its Top 50 of 2008, which has already received some post-game commentary from Stereogum and Rawkblog . I see a lot of the usual suspects in Paste's Top 10 ... the Vampire Weekends, the Fleet Foxes, the Shes, the Hims. I will only say this: [...]
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Willie Nelson: This is only a tribute

Nov 20, 2008, 1:59pm The Days of Lore
Willie Nelson: This is only a tribute How's this for timing: I move away from Chico ... Willie Nelson schedules a show in Chico (Jan. 14 for all you sunza bitches who live in the area). I now live in Portland ... and Willie has no shows scheduled in the Pacific Northwest. BUT. There is a Willie Nelson tribute night Nov. 21, and it will only cost us Portland-folk $9.87 (the station putting the show on is Portland's KUPL 98.7 ). That's about 65 bucks less than what you'd pay to actually see Willie Nelson (No. 88 on Rolling Stone's 100 [...]
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Artist:Willie Nelson
Title:Bloody Mary Morning
Link Text:Bloody Mary Morning
File Name:06-bloody-mary-morning.mp3
Bitrate:128 kbps
Year:1974
Artist:Willie Nelson
Title:I Still Can't Believe You're Gone
Link Text:I Still Cant Believe Youre Gone
File Name:08-i-still-cant-believe-youre- gone.mp3
Bitrate:128 kbps
Year:1974

Willie Nelson: This is only a tribute

Nov 20, 2008, 1:59pm The Days of Lore
Willie Nelson: This is only a tribute How's this for timing: I move away from Chico ... Willie Nelson schedules a show in Chico (Jan. 14 for all you sunza bitches who live in the area). I now live in Portland ... and Willie doesn't schedule any shows in the Pacific Northwest. BUT. There is a Willie Nelson tribute night Nov. 21, where local artists will take a stab at the classics. AND. It will only cost us Portland-folk $9.87 (the station putting the show on is Portland's KUPL 98.7 ). That's about 65 bucks less than what you'd pay to actually see [...]
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The Black Keys attack and release live DVD

Nov 19, 2008, 1:48pm The Days of Lore
The Black Keys attack and release live DVD I could never get over the fact that The Black Keys were only a two-piece. The young men who make up the Akron, Ohio band deliver that good ol'-fashioned swamp boogie that never goes out of style. Loudly. Even more interesting was the fact that Danger Mouse produced the Keys' latest album Attack & Release ... yes the Danger Mouse responsible for The Grey Album , producing Beck's Modern Guilt and the producer of his own records [...]
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Title:BLACKKEYSIGotMineLIVE
Link Text:I Got Mine
File Name:i-got-mine.mp3
Bitrate:192 kbps

Like apples and … Barrys

Nov 18, 2008, 6:41pm The Days of Lore
Even back in Conan O'Brien 's lower-budget early days he was bringing in better musical guests than Jay Leno . Not much has changed. Last night Conan had Portland's own Blitzen Trapper ; Leno had Barry Manilow . Blitzen Trapper performed "Furr" from their latest album of the same name. 'Twas great. The band will return home Dec. 4 for a show at the Wonder Ballroom with fellow Portlanders Starfucker and L.A.'s The Parson Red Heads . 'Twill be great.
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The Mint Chicks: It's them, not me

Nov 18, 2008, 5:14pm The Days of Lore
The Mint Chicks: It's them, not me I was going to go with the headline "Chicks with dicks," but thought that would be sophomoric and tasteless ... and I don't need people thinking I am either of those. Anyway, continuing with my fascination with male bands with female names ( The Girls , Women ), I give you The Mint Chicks . I was actually in New Zealand around the same time The Mint Chicks made the big move to Portland ... I think they're avoiding me. The Auckland trio came to the States in January despite their hugeness back home, where they've [...]
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Artist:The Mint Chicks
Title:Life Will Get Better Some Day
Link Text:Life Will Get Better Some Day
File Name:life-will-get-better-some-day. mp3
Bitrate:192 kbps

Dearest Mother

Nov 15, 2008, 4:35pm The Days of Lore
Dearest Mother What a difference 492 miles makes. I've traveled to my former stomping ground of Chico for some pre-Thanksgiving festivities. The crystal-blue sky and sun-glazed trees in California always makes me think of backyard get-togethers with friends and road trips-windows down, stereo up. The soundtrack? The Mother Hips . The band got its start here in the dorms of Chico State University, flirted with commercial success in the '90s, relocated to San Francisco, battled the dreaded (and lazy and erroneous) jam-band label, battled personal demons, took an indefinite hiatus, and made some of the finest rock albums of [...]
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Artist:Mother Hips
Title:Stunt Double
Link Text:Stunt Double
File Name:04-stunt-double.mp3
Bitrate:128 kbps
Year:1997
Artist:Unknown Artist
Title:Track 7
Link Text:TGIM
File Name:tgim.mp3
Bitrate:128 kbps

The Online Romance: still online

Nov 11, 2008, 8:28pm The Days of Lore
The Online Romance: still online It was just over a year ago that I wrote about Portland twee-pop sextet The Online Romance while still doing The Days of Lore in column form . I was drawn in by their song "hey Abraham," and a bit suspicious of group founder Jack Saturn 's name. All right, that's probably his real name ... I'm just jealous. The members of The Online Romance have been holed up in the studio working on their first proper recording, set for a spring 2009 release. It's been six months since the [...]
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I get Women

Nov 10, 2008, 4:01pm The Days of Lore
Calgary, Canada's Women hides very well on the Internet (Google it ... I triple-dog dare you), so I've found them for you. Little is known about these four lads, but here's what I can tell you: Women formed less than a year ago and are already touring the world, playing dates with Swedish psych outfit Dungen and Montreal garage weirdos King Khan and BBQ Show . They love the Swell Maps (which makes me love Women). The band includes brothers Matthew and Patrick Flegel (bass and guitar, respectively; pictured [...]
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Artist:WOMEN
Title:BLACK RICE
Link Text:Black Rice
File Name:black-rice.mp3
Bitrate:160 kbps
Year:2008
Artist:WOMEN
Title:GROUP TRANSPORT HALL
Link Text:Group Transport Hall
File Name:group-transport-hall.mp3
Bitrate:160 kbps
Year:2008

I like Women

Nov 10, 2008, 3:59pm The Days of Lore
Calgary, Canada's Women hides very well on the Internet (Google it ... I dare you), so I've found them for you. Little is known about these four lads, but here's what I can tell you: Women formed less than a year ago and are already touring the world, playing dates with Swedish psych outfit Dungen and Montreal garage weirdos King Khan and BBQ Show . They love the Swell Maps (which makes me like Women). The band includes brothers Matthew and Patrick Flegel (bass and guitar, respectively; pictured in [...]
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Low commotion

Nov 9, 2008, 4:37pm The Days of Lore
Low commotion Live: Crystal Stilts, Cause Co-Motion! and Hornet Leg at Holocene, 11.7.08 Sometimes I think about how a band becomes a buzz -band. One minute you're bashing out songs with some buddies, the next minute a writer for some hip blog is dipping into his or her pool of snazzy adjectives and doting over you like a newborn baby, and before you know it you're traveling the country on the label's bill. Then some boob decides that half-baked alliteration is a brilliant way to buoy the phenomenon. It boggles the mind. Two of Brooklyn's busiest, buzziest [...]
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'Word' is the word

Nov 8, 2008, 9:51pm The Days of Lore
'Word' is the word I attended Wordstock , Portland's three-day festival dedicated to wordsmiths and the works they have smithed. Writers are a strange lot. Egotistical, yet extremely fragile and insecure. And competitive. Everyone wants to be a writer. It's sexy. It makes becoming a raging alcoholic and abusing your spouse a-OK. Bukowski . Faulkner . Hunter S. Thompson . Writers love 'em. But I didn't go because I wanted to rub elbows with authors, or schmooze my way into a premiere writing gig. Hell, I can't even read. Or write. I simply wanted to show my support [...]
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