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Henry
Rollins Renaissance Man It's not apt to call Henry Rollins a "comedian," even though he is often hilariously funny during his three-hour performances. Calling him a "spoken word artist" ignores his seven recordings with Black Flag and 18 with Rollins Band, his 18 books and 14 bit movie roles, two of which, Feast and The Alibi, are coming out soon.
Damn, Rollins is pretty fucking busy, but not too busy for a Eugene Weekly interview. He phoned me recently from his tour bus. (I was too excited to remember to ask him where he was.) He's reading Thomas Wolfe, Camus, Proust and Kafka all at once, plus he looks words up in his dictionary just for fun. "I'm trying to learn a few things in my life," he said. This year he has entertained American troops all over the globe, getting new perspectives on the military he's sure to share in his performances. He said the Jackass crew barely spoke to him when they filmed the off-road tattoo scene, and he's still more comfortable in a tour bus than at his house. "Home is a normalized environment that bores me," said Rollins. "It's a nice place to put your books." On the early days of his career: "As far as the music and the reason for going on stage and all that intensity, no that has not changed for me. It's actually become more refined where I can really identify it as something. Whereas when I was younger it was kind of a blur, now I see the animal that it is running through the woods." What's on his political radar? "The freefall of the Bush administration that's crashing and burning and unraveling in front of our naked steaming eyes. That his cadre of friends are indicted. That his customer satisfaction rating is plummeting. And now, new allegations that there was a cover up of information going to the 9/11 Commission." On Rollins Band: "We're slowly working on some songs. A few years ago it occurred to me that there's really nothing more I can learn about touring with a band or making a record. I thought maybe I should try spending more time doing other stuff to see if … there's more going on than just being the guy in the band." And just in case I wasn't the only one wondering, he doesn't really wear a crash helmet when he masturbates.
Cry
Me a River Misty River's website refers to the band's frequent and inevitable comparisons to Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris. Listen, there are a lot of lazy music critics out there who see a group of women performing Celtic-country-folk-grass, and they just can't come up with anything more original. That's fine. But I'll see your Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris references, and I'll raise you a … oh, who's another one … Sarah McLachlan. BAM! Top that, Rolling Stone.
OK, so maybe there's no piano in Misty River's lineup. But trust me, their soaring vocals and Hallmark-card lyrics sound just like McLachlan's, only much less Canadian. Actually, Misty River is, like, uber-American. "Americana" is the word they like to use. Whatever that means. My point is, if you like Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris, but don't like the piano or Canadian-ness of Sarah McLachlan, you'll love Misty River. Alright, moving on. Rest assured, these ladies are no joke when it comes to harmony. Having mastered that coveted high, lonesome sound, they've managed to weave four distinct voices into a single, perfect breath. Add to that some significant instrumental competence and you've got a rock solid formula: a group of musicians as comfortable showing off their a cappella chops as they are plucking their own accompaniment. But these are prerequisite skills in folk and bluegrass circles. So what makes Misty River so special, you ask? Well, let me put it this way, they make Sarah McLachlan sound like Tom Waits after a six-pack and a botched tracheotomy. Ok, that was too far. But just look at all the adoration and honors bestowed on this band. My favorite is the award from the 2000 Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival for the "Best Not-Quite-Bluegrass Band," which is a pretty apt description. It doesn't mean they can't throw down a hoedown now and then. They're just diverse enough to avoid any one label, except maybe "Americana." Whatever that means.
Saucy and Yummy From the get go, Saucy Monky is luscious, sassy and so much fun you just want to throw it into the car stereo, roll down the windows and crank the volume. Who cares that it's winter in Oregon and it's probably pouring rain — this music can take every watt you've got.
It's fun like cherry bomb lip gloss is fun; the way clubbing all night with your friends is fun; the way flirting and feather boas are fun. And guys, just in case you think there's nothing here for you, they do a really fast, rowdy cover of the Dinvyls' "I Touch Myself." Admitting how much I love their second album, Turbulence, is almost like admitting a dirty little secret, the kind I'd tell my best friend with a nudge and a wink. Because while some folks might characterize Saucy Monky as pop punk with an edge, it's really just pure, unadulterated, bubble gum pop with the pink sweetness in all the right places. Think PJ Harvey, Garbage, No Doubt, Liz Phair, the Pretenders, even maybe the Go Go's at their most boisterous, playful and fun. Lead singers Cynthia Catania and Annmarie Cullen (who's originally from Ireland) belt out their dangerously seductive tunes with the skill of urban street sirens. "Good Day Down," their big hit single, simply rocks. As good as it is, it pales next to the superb brilliance of "Disco Ball," a song that starts with Cynthia singing the breathy, rich first verse leading into the chorus, which breaks through like a wrecking ball of heavy guitar and multi-layered vocals. Saucy Monky play with openers Venice Maki and Camille Bloom 7:30 pm on Thursday, Nov. 17 at Cozmic Pizza. — Melissa Bearns
The World Is Ready For disappear fear
What do Bonnie Raitt, Johnette Napolitano, Patti Smith and SONiA Rutstein have in common? They're all panelists at Seattle's Rockrgrl Conference, held November 10-12. At the conference SONiA shared her 14 years of experience as a touring musician with her band disappear fear while mingling with musicians, journalists, label founders and marketing execs – all female. "Patti Smith and Bonnie Raitt are two women in music who have made great contributions so this is really an opportunity to honor them and speak with them," said SONiA, by phone from the conference. "Women from, really, all over the world are attending it." SONiA and disappear fear are touring to release their new CD, DF05 Live, 20 tracks meandering through folk, blues and rock territory. Recorded live at huge festivals and small listening rooms throughout the country, DF05 Live includes both originals and classic protest songs (Phil Och's "Is There Anybody Here," for instance). The band is celebrating a strong new lineup too. Laura Cerulli both drums and sings, while Angela Edge adds bass and trumpet to SONiA's lead vocals, guitar, harmonica and piano. With her long blond dreadlocks, ripped jeans and gentle-but-tough activist ethic, SONiA and the band continue to inspire audiences the world over, urging them to take pride in who they are, stay strong, and never stop pointing out injustice. SONiA and disappear fear play 8 pm, Thursday, Nov. 17 at Sam's Place. $3. — Vanessa Salvia
Road Trip Sure, geologists turn into internationally successful singer/songwriters all the time. But not without some kind of major epiphany — an epiphany that leads the individual from that confined world of charts and graphs into the free world of bars and measures. For Laura Veirs, the epiphany included dysentery. During a collegiate geology expedition to China, Veirs got incredibly ill, probably from drinking unpurified water. As she and her guide crossed the Kunlun mountain range, north of the Himalayas, she repeatedly had to dismount her donkey and vomit. Then the donkey would run away. She'd finish up then go chase it down again. "It seems funny now but I really thought I was going to die," she says. Veirs, now touring in support of her second album on Nonesuch Records, Year of Meteors, delivers a soft electric sound driven by catchy bass lines and her fascinating, sciencey lyrics. An abundance of natural imagery combined with futuristic effects give her songs a Flaming Lips-like feel of weirdness and intrigue. Add to that a unique perspective on the world, stemming from her parents' insistence on family road trips every summer as a child. "I think that definitely had an impact on my philosophy," she says. "It instilled a real appreciation for me and my brother of the natural world." Veirs moved to Seattle where she landed a job as a music teacher and started writing. "I thought I wanted to be a writer and I turned into a songwriter," she says. "It was more like, 'Let me try this out. The songwriting thing is fun, let's see where it goes.'" Songwriting first took her to Europe where her experimental, modern folk sound caught on quickly. Two albums later, the U.S. is starting to catch on. Veirs says that her music is still progressing and with added label support she has more time to focus on writing. By the time her current national tour ends in late January, you should plan on hearing a lot more about her. Laura Veirs plays with opener Great Lake Swimmers 9 pm, Thursday, Nov. 17 at Sam Bond's Garage. $5. — Danny Cross
Giving Punk the Fingers
At age 17, Devon Williams was making a name for himself leading the punk band Osker, the youngest band on Epitaph, a label that included NOFX and Rancid. While Osker's music sold well and received some critical praise, the band quickly became known as "Epitaph's Most Hated Band." It wasn't that Williams was a bad guy, per se, but incidents like insulting NOFX on stage before opening for the veteran band reinforced a young punk image Williams and his band seemed to embrace. But then a weird thing called maturity started its slow climb into the consciousness of Williams, and things changed … drastically. Osker dismantled, Epitaph lost a moneymaker, and Williams did an about-face and abandoned punk music. "It got really old being the most hated band on Epitaph," says Williams, very politely. "[Punk] sort of applied to me at the time. I guess I just got tired of it. It's like a yearbook picture. You like it one year — maybe not the next." The end of Osker was by no means the end of Williams' career as a musician. He formed Fingers Cut Megamachine, and critics have compared his new sound and style of songwriting to Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst. Others have written that Williams is part of a new "indie-folk country" movement. His label has called his music "freak folk." "That's a thing that the label does," Williams says. "They have to call it something to sell it. You can call it whatever you want, because it'll probably be something different tomorrow." But let's get down to brass tacks. Where does a name like Fingers Cut Megamachine come from? "I got it from a book," says Williams. "Now I realize it's a pretty stupid name." Peep the Fingers game with Saltlick and Half Acre Day at 9:30 pm Friday, Nov. 18 at Sam Bond's. $5. —Tim O'Rourke
PB Wolf, Legends, and Aceyalone Return Through a prolific schedule of dependable releases, Stones Throw Records has solidified their position as one of the premier indie-hip hop labels around. To top it off, they're still based on the West Coast! But any true hip hop veteran will tell you that Stones Throw has been rocking the scene since 1996. Striking the fancy of the uber-hip critics at Pitchfork as well as the "six months behind" crew at Rolling Stone, it seems as if Stones Throw, with its stable of notable resident artists, has crafted entirely new lenses in which we can view hip hop. Amidst the jiggification of hip hop, the label incessantly pushed a groove-laden, sample-based sound that paid homage to classic funk and soul from the past, all the while still clinging to a raw sound. Behind the much-deserved hype sits DJ, producer and label manager Chris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf. In the late '90s, the upstart DJ paired up with MC Charizma and eventually landed a record deal with Hollywood Basic records, a former Disney subsidiary. Before Charizma and PB Wolf could release a full-length album, their deal with Disney went sour and the label folded. The duo continued to develop their sound, but their career was cut short after Charizma was shot dead in front of a San José church. One of the tracks recorded during their time with Hollywood Basic, "My World Premiere," would eventually become the first single released on Stones Throw. The label issued what would have been the duo's major label debut album, Big Shots, in 2003. Although I can't tell you the last time PB Wolf visited Eugene, I do know you could squeeze about five Living Legends performances and 15 Aceyalone visits into that empty space. Although the aforementioned performers deserve the love, PB Wolf is the one to catch. Living Legends, Aceyalone, Peanut Butter Wolf and One Block Radius play 9 pm Saturday, Nov. 19 at the McDonald Theatre. $18 adv., $20 dos.— Steven Sawada
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