Sound Stories & Interviews

Who knew Weird Al had kin in Oregon?Jason Webley plays the accordion and that's probably the first thing
you'll notice about him. The next thing that you'll realize is that the
Jason Webley Trio, in the spirit of so many other bands that play on
the McMenamins' Great Northwest Tour, doesn't fit all that easily into
any sort of prepackaged genre.

The Seattle-based Webley leads his
band through largely up-tempo numbers full of accordion, of course, and
laden with a gypsy influence that runs through much of Webley's music.
At times the tunes touch on the sort of gypsy fervor made famous by
bands like Gogol Bordello, but other tracks like "Almost Time to Go"
show Webley's indie-folk tinged songwriting talents. And the full
extent of his band is showcased on more rocking cuts like "Ways to
Love" that bring to mind the soaring storytelling stylings of bands
like The Decemberists or maybe the Mountain Goats. And the accordion
isn't a novelty in Webley's act - he knows exactly how to fit it into
his songs and also knows when it's time to shift to guitar.

Perhaps we should have got instruments before blowing the budget on these suits.Cicada Omega is a band of Kentuckians living in Portland. The four
Southerners are musical expatriates of sorts. They're playing a
complicated blend of styles that's anchored in blues but touches on
gospel and roots rock in a city where people sometimes might merely
stare and wonder what the hell the quartet is doing.

Dave Rue is one
of Cicada Omega's two percussionists and says that he often finds his
band, which is arguably one of the city's most original acts,
nonetheless buried within Portland's music scene.
"I wouldn't say
that it's been really easy for us here. It kind of seems like a lot of
the music going on here in Portland isn't like what we're doing," says
Rue, an admitted "music junky" whose day job has him working in a world
music store.

Exhibit A: Institutionalization
You’re crazy, not me.In the interest of public safety, we hereby present biographical
information on Bronx-based hip hop MC and accused madman, Keith
Thornton. The first exhibit in evidence: Reports that Thornton was once
a psychiatric patient in the Bellevue mental hospital, New York, New
York.

Thornton denies the hospitalization, which reportedly took place
shortly before the 1985 debut of his former rap group, Ultramagnetic
MCs. He attempted to brush off the widespread reports of the event as
mere products of the music industry rumor mill in a recent phone
interview with the Source Weekly:

Geographer has been voted one of Spin.com's "Three Undiscovered Bands You Need to Hear Now.

Yup, Tim Reynolds can fly.Discussing Tim Reynolds without mentioning the Dave Matthews Band would
be like talking about Fred Savage and not saying a word about The
Wonder Years. Although Reynolds has four decades of music under his
belt and has earned a reputation as one of the world's most innovative
guitar players, his star hangs on his collaborations with Dave
Matthews, and it probably always will - just like Savage will always be
linked to Kevin Arnold, even if he were to somehow win an Oscar (this
would probably never happen).

Reynolds is currently on a massive
two-month tour with his trio, TR3 - an act that actually predates DMB -
and is coming to Bend on Tuesday night. No doubt many in attendance
will know Reynolds through his connection to Matthews, and the 51 year
old Reynolds doesn't seem to have a problem with that.

So much cooler than your high school marching band.It's February and probably not exactly the time of year you'd expect to find yourself taking in outdoor live music. But that's probably what you'll be doing this weekend as WinterFest descends on Bend for the tenth consecutive year, serving yet again as a mid-winter slap to the face to pump some life into an otherwise sleepy time for culture in Bend. This year it's all about hip-hop and horns - a strange combination, but one that suits Bend well with rappers Sweat Shop Union billed for Friday and legendary New Orleans act Dirty Dozen Brass Band playing a much anticipated Saturday night gig.

WinterFest, aside from being a chance to show off your most fashionable beanie/scarf combo and an excuse to drink beer outdoors, is also one of winter's most high-profile music events. Last year we saw the all-female AC/DC tribute Hells Belles headline, while 2007's edition had singer songwriter Jackie Green at the top of the bill. And who could forget the Supersuckers (the self-proclaimed "greatest rock band in the world") damn near tearing down the tent in 2006?

 
It's somewhat difficult to take a band with an intentionally goofy
name like The Pimps of Joytime all that seriously. But you should
because the Brooklyn-based troupe can seriously funk your face and ass
right off your body. Seriously. Well, not literally, but you get the
point.

Fronted by guitarist, vocalist and all around studio hound
Brian J, the band, which features a live lineup as culturally diverse
as the band's sound, offers up not just a dance party, but a
sophisticated dance party. Funk-laced music oftentimes runs the risk of
falling back on the conventions of its genre, and while it's usually
skillfully played and danceable, some funk sounds poured straight out
of a can. What the Pimps do is spread their funkiness across a span of
genres including salsa, hip-hop and soul while Brian J ties it all
together in the studio with an edgy modern approach to his production.