Lower Freakuencies: Local Beat August 26th - August 30th

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Aleck Z. Woogmaster, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Photo Credit: cococolumbia.com

If you're doing it right, the weekend always starts on a Wednesday. Here's a guide to doing your weekend right.

Wednesday, August 26th
Coco Columbia, Calm Candy, and Haley Heynderickx

Coco Columbia is a Portland-based singer-songwriter and drummer who blends her Jazz sensibilities with contemporary production components to build a dreamily soulful, comfortingly romantic soundscape. Her music combines elements of Hip-Hop, Jazz improvisation, and Electro-Pop production, culminating in a successful formula for settling in the groove.

The Liquor Store (Not a real liquor store), was voted Best New Bar in Willamette Week's reader poll, is located at 3341 SE Belmont. The show starts at 9 PM on Wednesday.

Thursday, August 27th
Kimya Dawson and Hamell on Trial

Dawson has created an audio signature out of her innocently humble vocals over a brightly resonant acoustic guitar. First gaining notoriety as one half of The Moldy Peaches along with Adam Green, she has also done notable collaborations with They Might Be Giants, Third Eye Blind, Regina Spektor, and many more. Dawson has stylistic integrity dripping from the corner of her eyes. Her pointedly honest and sincere lyrics are a paradoxical compliment to the harder-edged, topically comedic and edgy musical stylings of Hamell On Trial.

Edward James Hamell is a pound of Punk Rock, a quarter cup of Spoken Word, three heaping tablespoons of Anti-Folk, and just a tiny pinch of John Waters. Informed by politics, a general human interest, and the performer's own sharp tongue, Hamell's act as Hamell On Trial will compel you to laugh, cry, and holler obscenities.

The show starts at 8 PM at The Old Church Concert Hall at 1422 SW 11th Avenue.

Friday, August 28th
#SundaePDX: Fantastic Voyage Dance Party

DJ Wicked is at the forefront of the Sundae PDX team. And who better to orchestrate a classic Summer dance party with a nostalgic Hip-Hop feel than the man who was just voted Portland's Best DJ in Willamette Week's Best of Portland poll? Wicked and his counterparts DJ Galactic, DJ Ozroc and more will be in attendance at the Fantastic Voyage Dance Party this Friday.

The Sundae PDX crew will be spinning classic vinyl including Funk, Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B, and countless other genres, reminding us what true turntablism is all about. The party starts at 9 PM at The Rose Bar located at 111 SW Ash Street.

(Also) Friday, August 28th: Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose is a model, actress, and performance artist who smashes the constraints of gender, genre, and societal roles all around her. You may be one of the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have oggled Rose on Orange Is The New Black, basking in the gender-fluid glory that is Rose's trademark and a representation of the society's own evolution beyond the binary.

Rose has been involved in various public endeavors with a charitable bent, including boxing matches, anti-bullying campaings, and a music career. In November 2012, Rose released "Guilty Pleasure" with Gary Go. The track is a semi-ambient Pop ballad with a strong Dance beat and haunting hook.

Ruby Rose appears at the Roseland Theater at 8 NW 6th Avenue with Jamie Meushaw and Evan Alexander, also on August 28th. It is an All Ages event and the doors open at 8 PM.

Saturday, August 29th
Crate Diggers PDX After-Party

Vinyl is forever. It's a pretty widely agreed sentiment that recorded music has never sounded as good as it does "on wax," and Crate Diggers is an event this Saturday recognizing those who agree. During the day it is a record fair and at night, Discogs and Grimy Edits host The White Owl Social Club for a free event with some preeminent DJ's.

The Crate Diggers PDX Record Fair After-Party will feature Doc Martin (Los Angeles), Rick Wilhite (Detroit), Supreme La Rock (Seattle), and Zernell Gillie (LA/Chicago). The show starts at 6 PM and is scheduled to go until 2 AM.

Sunday, August 30th
Every Firkin Sunday (Open Mic)

Regularly Hosted by Vega Black with occasional substitutions by Joseph Fisher, this weekly open mic event is held at one of the more endearing locations in the greater downtown metro area. The Firkin Tavern features perfectly edible food and potable drink at an affordable price, and every Sunday you can catch an assortment of acts from all genres and performance mediums. There have been frequent sightings at Every Firkin Sunday of soulful bluesy-ness, truthful boozinees, and wild hula hoopiness.

Every Firkin Sunday starts at 7 PM at The Firkin Tavern at 1937 SE 11th Aveneue. Sign-ups for the open mic are open at 6:30.

Related Slideshow: MusicfestNW: Top Ten Acts of 2015

Music fans who exclusively listen to commercial synth-pop and quasi-intellectual indie singer-songwriters will have no problem filling their schedules throughout the weekend. MFNW has done a thorough job of making sure that the “majority” population of Portland will have plenty to see on the waterfront from August 21-23. For those of you seeking something a little more specific, or for those of you who want to get the most bang for their buck by purchasing the single-day, 60 dollar pass, here’s a comprehensive survival guide for your eardrums, in no particular order.

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Beirut

Few bands on the MFNW bill offer a sound as rich as Beirut. Drawing much of their influence from Balkan folk as well as the broader “indie” realm, the band is led by founding member Zach Condon and takes elements from all around the globe to create their unique audio motif. Cascading between methodic soulfulness and danceable baroque rhythms, they bring a lively sort of soul to MFNW that is endearingly sweet and emotionally enriching, the band is set to release their newest project, No No No in September and they will be performing at 8:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 22nd.

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Milo Greene

Milo Greene describes their sound as Cinematic-Pop. When the band was formed, the goal was to create music that they could, “potentially see being placed in movies and TV.” While some might interpret this as a soulless, capitalistic venture devoid of the essence that makes music worth creating, the band has managed to create their own brand of “cinth-pop” making them stand out in the genre. Their songs have a mildly filmic quality, relying mostly on catchy vocals and upbeat rhythms to get stuck in your head. We’ll see if their cinematic focus translates to an engaging live performance... they are set to play at 6:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 21st.

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Foster The People

With “Pumped Up Kicks,” the band’s 2011 breakout hit, Foster The People became poster boys for commercial, electro-pop music. The leader of the trio, Mark Foster, was once quoted as saying, in regards to the early days of his career in Los Angeles, “I wasn't shy about taking my guitar out at a party. I wanted to be the center of attention." And that’s exactly what the band’s music sounds like. Foster spent a few years as a commercial jingle-writer, a fact that is evident from the band’s infectiously catchy sound. What they lack in depth, they more make up for with enthusiastic zeal and conventional good looks. So if you’re into pretty young men and seeing bands that are well known and popular, well, this’ll fill that particular void in your life... catch them at 8:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 21st.

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Twin Shadow

George Lewis Jr., AKA Twin Shadow, is an artist who has been known for revisiting 80’s new wave music while infusing it with sophisticated R&B sensibilities and an intimate array of ambient synthesizers and punching drum sections. However, with his 2015 release, Eclipse, much of that has been stripped away to provide a simpler, more accessible record. With his first major-label project, Twin Shadow has created a style that lives less in the ethers, and more on the ground level. Eclipse is rawer, funkier, and more-booty shaking than his previous work, giving audiences a chance to get out of their heads and into their feet. See Twin Shadow at 6:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 22nd.

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Danny Brown

In a city which has become notorious for neglecting and even vilifying all things rap-related, it can be something of a surprise to see an artist like Danny Brown at an event that otherwise caters to the predominately white & affluent population of the metropolitan area. If it is a surprise, though, it is a pleasant one. Brown is unapologetically individual, with a voice and delivery that might mistakenly be labeled as goofy. He is at his best when engaging in sincere storytelling, such as with the intimately personal “25 Bucks” (Featuring Purity Ring) or the 2012 release, “Grown Up.” On other tracks, Brown delivers high-energy audaciousness with addictive hooks and fierce verbal delivery. Brown will be on the Morrison Stage at 6:30 PM on August 23rd.

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Battles

Battles will shake your bowels. Every song they create has a life of its own, driven by a shared heartbeat of high-energy enthusiasm and sonic bravery. They seem to have more fun playing their music than doing anything else, and that is exactly what festivalgoers want to see. What pubescent laptop-jockeys pretend to do at EDM festivals across the country, Battles does with zero inhibition and 100 percent authenticity. They mix heavy electronics and brutal, pulsating organic rhythms into an alchemical auditory concoction that can be mesmerizing and uplifting. When they are playing, get close to the stage, and stay there. Get hypnotized and let your bowels shake at the Hawthorne Stage at 5:30 PM on August 22nd.

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Lady Lamb

There’s no other way to say it; Aly Spaltro is an immutable badass. Supported by an impeccable band with whom she seems to share a unique level of connectedness, the singer-songwriter who goes by the moniker of Lady Lamb displays and enigmatic aesthetic, rich with diverse emotional substance and sprinkled around a landscape of passionately personal and occasionally esoteric lyrical content. She has a voice that can crawl inside of you and force your innards to resonate at superhuman frequencies, and her stage presence is capable of inducing audiences into a state of frenzied, messianic hubris. She will make you believe that there is no creature on earth more powerful than a human woman with an instrument in her hands. She’ll be doing this to you at 4:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 23rd.

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Modest Mouse

If you are completely unaware of who Modest Mouse is, you’re probably too young or too old to be reading this. The Alternative/Indie ensemble has been around since 1993 and has since established a standard for all other contemporary Alternative outfits to hold themselves to. They have managed to become one of the most recognizable names in popular music, headlining the biggest festivals in the country and releasing their sixth album, Strangers To Ourselves, earlier this year. Amazingly, they have achieved this success without estranging fans of their early work. Modest Mouse delivers a distinct sound, one that is guided by a driving, forceful intention and laced with bright tones and decisive bass lines. Theirs is music that can make you stomp your feet, move your hips, or simply nod your head. But you will move. They’ll be closing out the fest at 8:30 PM on the Morrison Stage on August 23rd.

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Aesop Rock

This is more of a precursor to the fest than it is part of it, as the show precedes the MFNW kickoff party occurring the next day, but Aesop Rock is too good of an act to not include in this list. The New York Native epitomizes hip-hop intellectualism and a music sensibility that transcends genre-conformity. Known for his work on one of hip-hop’s most distinctive record labels, Definitive Jux, as well as collaborations with Kimya Dawson and his own deliriously complex lyricism, Aesop now resides in Portland and will be performing with Rob Sonic, DJ Abilities, and Illmaculate at Star Theater on Wednesday, August 19th.

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Miguel

Part neo-soul, part pop-funk, with traces of high-concept new wave artistry, Miguel is an artist who gives you sensuality wrapped up in a digestible mix of personal confession and contemporary introspection. His latest album, Wildheart, teases at being sexy, while honestly observing modern sexuality and its complications in a world that has become less binary, less normative, and freakier. Along with this observation of sexuality as a function of modern relations, Miguel analyzes the subtler, nuanced aspects of how we interact with one another in the age of technology and social networking. His truthfulness and soulful songwriting will be on display at the Roseland Theater on Friday, August 21st for a sold out show... but who knows, maybe someone you know has two tickets and a crush on you.