The Sisters Folk Festival has come a long way since its inception in 1995. For one, the number of bands and popularity of the acts has grown considerably. Eleven venues from all over Sisters participate—and this year included—the festival sells out weeks before the event. Central Oregon might have several music festivals throughout the year, […]
Bend Music
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So Many Keyboards
Headwaves is coming for us all
You probably haven’t heard of Seattle’s Headwaves, but you will. The four-piece’s mix of dreamy fuzz pop and synth-heavy, vocal-driven soundscapes will nail the pleasure points of fans of acts like “Portugal. The Man,” and “Beach House.” Their debut record will be released in October after they tour the West Coast spreading their delightfully modern, […]
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Big Venues and Band Squabbles
Crossover Christian rockers Needtobreathe face the same issues that plague other popular bands
Success, obviously, has its perks—but it also brings a few challenges. Needtobreathe discovered that firsthand in touring for its 2014 album, “Rivers In the Wasteland.” As the venues got bigger, the group’s show and performing style had to change with it. “The struggle or the difficulty of the last tour was, as the venues got […]
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Gangster of Love
After five decades, Steve Miller keeps on rocking
Since a dozen of their songs have been floating around in my head for most of my days alive, I’ve always felt like I must know a lot about The Steve Miller Band. But when I sat down to write this piece, I realized I actually knew next to nothing about them except the weird […]
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A Rock and Roll Heart
Trampled By Turtles slowly and steadily win the race
Trampled By Turtles has a bluegrass surface with rock and roll infused in every note. Straight out of Duluth, Minn., the band has released eight albums since 2004 and continues to evolve with each one. The band's most recent record, “Wild Animals” (2014), is more relaxed and haunting than what came before, and easily the […]
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This Dog and Pony Show Doesn’t Play on Repeat
Band Of Horses plays a new show, every time
Band Of Horses singer/guitarist Ben Bridwell can promise a couple of things to people who come to see the group in concert Aug. 22 in Bend. First off, expect the unexpected. ”One thing that I do like about this band is, I don’t know that we’ve ever played the same set list twice,” Bridwell said in an early August […]
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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Turns 50
John McEuen and crew have been producing influential music for half a century. #NGDB50
“If anyone is curious about how we’ve been a band for 50 years, come see us play,” said John McEuen, founding member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) found its name in Long Beach, Calif., in the summer of 1966. They are often cited as a catalyst for an entire movement […]
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Making a Difference, One Note at a Time
Annual music festival helps feed the kids
The night before the Christmas Valley Music Festival takes over the stage at RE Flowerree Memorial Park on Aug. 13, musicians, sponsors and supporters will gather at Rocker D Ranch, the home of co-founder Earl Diment. They will visit, drink and dine like good old friends often do, and before the night is over, music […]
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Keeping it Real
Sister Carol converts the masses
Sister Carol has been making reggae music longer than I have been alive, and her message is only getting stronger. Born in Denham Town in West Kingston, Jamaica, she immigrated to Brooklyn when she was 14. Her father was an engineer with Radio Jamaica, so music was in her blood for as long as she […]
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In It Together
Spearhead’s new album combines the talents of new producers
Michael Franti has a discography that numbers nine studio albums with his current band, Spearhead, as well as one album with his first group, the Beatnigs, and a pair of titles with the influential group that preceded his solo career, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. But he’s never had a recording experience quite like the […]