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Forging
a Head Thanks in part to local band YOB, who are gaining a worldwide following as purveyors of sludgy doom metal, Eugene is attracting incredibly talented touring musicians from the doom metal genre. Frequently, downtown Eugene venue Samurai Duck is the epicenter for these doom gatherings, and the latest band YOB has enticed to the Duck is Place of Skulls. POS has a most impressive metal pedigree; guitarist and vocalist Victor Griffin penned some intense, Sabbath-influenced riffs with his legendary bands Pentagram, Cathedral, and Death Row, and ex-Oversoul, ex-Revelation bassist Dennis Cornelius joins forces with drummer Tim Tomaselli. POS' second CD, the newly released With Vision, features Griffin and Tomaselli along with guitarist and vocalist Scott "Wino" Weinrich, whose claims to fame include the bands St. Vitus, Obsessed and Spirit Caravan. Griffin infuses his smoldering melodies with bluesy riffs, gruff vocals and classic doom grooves. This solid release is heavy yet melodic and accessible, with a mature, spiritually aware aesthetic that comes from decades of experience and a deep Christian faith allowing for an acceptance of the dark side of life. Speaking by phone from his Tennessee home, Griffin timelines his band history from the beginning of Death Row in the late '70s. Death Row's name was changed to Pentagram in 1983, and Griffin-era Pentagram existed until 1996. Griffin admits that despite Pentagram's popularity, doom metal is not a universally accessible form of music. "It's a pretty underground scene. The scene's growing and has grown a lot within the past five or 10 years, but our popularity is still an underground thing," he says. Griffin, who began playing guitar at age 9, explains
that his motivation to make music most of the world may never understand
is rooted in experiences of his early youth. "Ever since I can remember,
music has been a large part of my life. After seeing early concerts,
like ZZ Top and Nazareth in the early '70s, that had a profound effect
on me as far as what I wanted to do. I never wavered Griffin and Place of Skulls will appear Friday at Samurai Duck along with YOB, who will be performing songs from their recent release, Catharsis. Eugene's McDonald Theatre will host the Punk Voter Tour Wednesday night. The Punk Voter Tour (www.punkvoter.com) is a coalition of punk musicians who are seeking to motivate and educate punk fans about the importance of political awareness and voting. The three touring bands, NOFX, Alkaline Trio and Authority Zero, are discouraged by the fact that in the 2000 election the percentage of 18 to 24-year olds who voted fell to an all-time low. Jello Biafra, iconic former singer for punk band Dead Kennedys, is master of ceremonies for the event. Biafra is no stranger to the political realm, having run for Mayor of San Francisco, fought the PMRC and given spoken word performances with a political agenda. Biafra, who founded the seminal music label Alternative Tentacles, also ranks as the first musician to face trial for the content of a musical recording, stemming from an H.R. Giger poster that was included in Dead Kennedy's 1985 album, Frankenchrist. Biafra was acquitted of indecency charges in that incident, and since then he has been a tireless supporter of musician's rights. NOFX has been a band for more than a decade, and their one-two punch is spastic skate punk with humorous, sarcastic lyrics poking fun at capitalistic society, racism and "Just Say No" conservatism. Mesa, Arizona-based Authority Zero throw a little of everything into their mix including foreign language (guitarist Brian Marcks is a language scholar). Alkaline Trio, who make angular indie rock in the vein of Samiam, will round out a bill that should attract fans of many different facets of punk, bringing young people together for the music and sending them off armed with knowledge. The show is all ages.
Guy Ridley, Burning My Cashmere, QUANE STREET RECORDS 2004, By Mark Hanzlik Burning My Cashmere is truly a solo project from Eugene-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Guy Ridley, who wrote, performed, recorded and mixed this beautiful pop album himself. Six years after his last, It's Bluer Than You Think, a group effort produced in San Francisco, the wistful-voiced Ridley returns with another batch of originals, where he explores well-worn avenues of love and longing and other philosophical thoughts. Ridley provides stripped-down accompaniment, adding a variety of instruments (piano, guitar, sitar, dulcimer and ukulele) to the basic rhythmic tracks. This singer who sounds much like Al Stewart can't hide his Dylan-influenced songwriting ability.
The Last Emperor, Music. Magic. Myth., RAPTIVISM RECORDS 2003, By Karman M. Ratliff Music. Magic. Myth., the first studio album released by hip hop's self-proclaimed messiah, The Last Emperor, is packed with clever, perplexing rhymes and inventive beats worth checking out. The Last Emperor, also know as Jamal Gray, is a college grad from Philadelphia on a mission to save the genre from corporate corruption. A one-time prodigy of Dr. Dre, he has also worked with industry greats such as Prince Paul and DJ Jazzy Jeff. His socio-political feelings and his passion for life show up on the album, as the rapper paints a picture of the struggles of city life in songs like "Single Mother." Gray is reflective in "Hold On" and "Meditation," two songs that showcase the rapper's complexity and skill. Also included is a bonus disk containing some tracks that The Last Emperor released earlier, including "Secret Wars II," the fascinating, colorful account of a great battle where rappers are pitted against comic book superheroes in a fight to the death. Put out in 2003, Music. Magic. Myth. is a disc that every hip hop lover should get their hands on.
Blonde Redhead, Misery is a Butterfly, 4AD RECORDS 2004, By Beth A. Reniff The newest endeavor by Blonde Redhead is a journey into a state of quiet bliss. Their new album, Misery is a Butterfly, can be the auditory comparison to sitting down for the first time after a long day of hard work. The trio is composed of twins Amadeo and Simone Pace of Italy and Kazu Makino of Japan, who met and formed Blonde Redhead in New York. Singer Makino's sweet voice fluctuates and drips with honeyed iced tea sexiness, but there is also a sad desperation in her lyrics. Paired with the musical styling of the Pace twins, she turns the words into much more than just beautiful lyrics. Makino's voice becomes an instrument she can play skillfully. Amadeo Pace's vocals are eerie, and they intertwine delicately with Makino's on some tracks and harshly on others. Either way, they are delicious together as singers. Unlike their past albums, there are no crunchy guitar solos. The guitars are lilting and mellow, paired with melodic piano. The guitar orchestrations are played evocatively and complement the vocals of both Makino and Amadeo Pace. Blonde Redhead performs March 28 at Portland's Crystal Ballroom.
Ani DiFranco, Educated Guess, RIGHTEOUS BABE RECORDS 2004, By Jacquelyn Lewis Educated Guess, like most of Ani DiFranco's albums, is a true reflection of an artist in flux. In her years on the music scene, she has played with and without a band, and veered between different styles and sounds. Fickle listeners have been known to turn their noses up at musicians who dare to reinvent themselves, but DiFranco makes it work — and she has a fiercely devoted fan base to prove it. Her latest endeavor is a completely solo effort. DiFranco plays all the instruments and creates all the vocals. It's not her first solo project, but Educated Guess is different because DiFranco single-handedly mixed and recorded all the tracks in her home studio. The result is a relaxed, muted sound that lacks the aural punch of her earlier, punk-edged albums. DiFranco's angst-ridden, frustrated girl soundtracks have given way to a softer, groovier sound, as evidenced by 2001's Revelling/Reckoning, 2003's Evolve, and now Educated Guess. However, this grown-up sound has also led to lyrics reflecting a different kind of angst in a more complex world. Stand-out tracks include Grand Canyon, which dissects patriotism and feminism, and Origami, a stunning take on relationships ("I know men are delicate/origami creatures/who need women to unfold them/hold them when they cry/but I am tired of being your savior/and I am tired of telling you why"). Ani DiFranco plays McDonald Theatre April 6. Buy your tickets ASAP; it's sure to be a sold-out performance.
A Perfect Circle, Thirteenth Step, VIRGIN 2003, By Shaun Toncray Maynard James Keenan and company have created a near-masterpiece in Thirteenth Step. Featuring a dreamscape of pristinely arranged tracks, Thirteenth Step is by far one of the best hard rock recordings in years. Keenan's vocal delivery is dead-on throughout, and the album comes off as deep as any of Tool's greatest works. The broodingly beautiful opener, "The Package," catches the band in all their mystical glory and comes on like thunderheads brewing in a starlit sky. "The Noose" is equally inventive, with its repeated lyric, "Your halo's slipping down/To choke you now." The delicate melody of "Blue" is guaranteed to stir emotions, while "The Outsider" and "Pet" recall such earlier tracks as Mer de Nom's "Rose" and "Thinking of You," as well as Tool's "The Grudge." With unforeseen delicacy, A Perfect Circle flexes their collective heart muscle with the gentle, heavenly "The Nurse Who Loved Me," which is yet another high mark on this masterful hard rock incarnation. This is by far the deepest, greatest hard rock album since Tool's Aenima. Put simply, Thirteenth Step is more than just another hard rock album … it is art at its finest. Check it out.
AX BILLY GRILL & SPORTS BAR BEANERY All Ages BLACK FOREST
CAFE PARADISO COFFEE GROVE COOPERATIVE THE COOLER COZMIC PIZZA@THE STRAND All
Ages DIABLO'S THE DIVE BAR & GRILL DOWNTOWN LOUNGE DUCK INN EMBERS SUPPER CLUB EUGENE WINE CELLARS GOOD TIMES JIMMY MAC'S OVERTIME GRILL JO FEDERIGO'S JOGGER'S BAR & GRILL
JOHN HENRY'S THE JUNGLE KELYNSKI'S SPORTS PUB LAVELLE'S WINE BAR & BISTRO LONE STAR BAR AND GRILL LUCKEY'S CLUB CIGAR LUNA MAC'S AT THE VET'S CLUB MCDONALD THEATRE MULLIGAN'S PUB THE O BAR PEABODY'S PERUGINO PLANET GOLOKA PRIME TIME SPORTS BAR QUACKER'S RAMADA INN SAM BOND'S GARAGE SAMURAI DUCK SAM'S PLACE SPIRITS STACY'S SWEETWATER'S THE TANGO CENTER
TAP 'N' KEG TINY TAVERN TSUNAMI BOOKS All Ages WETLANDS WOODSMAN GRILL
WOW HALL All Ages YUKON JACK'S CORVALLIS BEANERY FOX 'N' FIRKIN PLATINUM NIGHT CLUB
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