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Ethan Maffey

Both a writer and a fan of vinyl records since age 5, it wasn't until nearly three decades later that Oregon Native Ethan Maffey derived a plan to marry the two passions by writing about music. From blogging on MySpace in 2007 and then Blogspot, to launching his own website, 83Music, and eventually freelancing for publications in the Pacific Northwest, like Spokane’s alt-weekly Inlander, Ethan’s aim has been to provide fans of music alternatives to the mundane and overplayed. This included a nearly two year stint as the music editor for the Source, where he scoured the Bend music scene drawing attention to local talent and notable touring acts as they passed through town. In addition to deep knowledge of the local music scene, Ethan has an uncanny ability to quote lines from the television show “Friends.” He also has an eye for women’s fashion and feels a kinship with Lucky Day, Steve Martin’s character in ¡Three Amigos!

ethan@eightythreemusic.com
Posted inMusic

Journey to the Orient

MarchFourth Marching Band fill unlikely role as U.S. ambassadors to China
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Forget about Dennis Rodman’s goodwill tour of North Korea; that was nothing more than tabloid fodder. Portland’s giant marching band MarchFourth (M4) just returned to the states after completing a two-week U.S. State Department-sponsored exchange to improve relations with China. As unconventional as it may seem to have an American marching band playing at universities […]

Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides

My First: Concert

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In 1991, grunge rock was formally introduced with the release of two giant albums; Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten. By 1994, bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Sonic Youth were playing on every teenager’s Walkman. But just prior, in 1993, remnants of what had been the prevailing music trend—the hair band—were making a […]

Posted inMusic

Obsidian

Obsidian
Avatar photo Ethan Maffey

Obsidian Baths Label anticon “I might walk upright, but then again, I might still try to die,” Will Wiesenfeld whispers on “Worsening,” the opening track on Obsidian, his second album recording as Baths. He bemoans against eerie broken glass electro beats cutting into the pillowy softness of his voice: “Where is God when you hate […]

Posted inMusic

More Than a Name Change

Once Ascetic Junkies, now There Is No Mountain
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Sometimes the second act is sweeter. That is what happened when Matt Harmon and Kali Giaritta—formerly of the Ascetic Junkies—struck out on their own to become There Is No Mountain. As great as The Ascetic Junkies' bluegrass whiskey stomp was—making them a Bend favorite for five years—the music of There Is No Mountain is even […]

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Poncho or Cowboy Hat?

Tremoloco brings a blender of border music
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Not every Tremoloco song requires bi-lingual ears, but for tracks like “Temo” and “La Lechuza” it sure helps. The seven band members of the Tex-Mex band from Los Angeles play guitar-esque instruments with names like the “requinto romantic” (a high-pitched acoustic guitar) and the jarana (a Spanish ukulele). Singer-guitarist Tony Zamora has played with Los […]

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Portland bands that really need to return

A wishlist
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Weinland It’s shocking that this Rose City vintage rock band has been away from Bend for years now. It's perfect for this town. Lead singer Adam Shearer is a beard-toting, city-fied mountain man. He fronts one of Portland’s most likeable bands and writes ’70s rock songs that blend acoustic and electric guitar with harmonies that […]

Posted inMusic

Black Cloud

The Latest from Tango Alpha Tango
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Black Cloud Tango Alpha Tango Independent It is easy to believe that the pauses between the songs of Portland rock outfit Tango Alpha Tango’s new album Black Cloud are necessary respites allowing lead singer Nathan Trueb to wipe the sweat from his brow. These songs are hot. (Damn hot!) And the amount of teeth grinding […]

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