Unicorn DominationThriving in the rich performance art culture of Portland, OR, is Chelsea Dixon and Clint Havardâs music project Unicorn Domination. The duo weaves a soundscape of fat electronic beats spliced with melodic hooks. They demonstrate an expressive live performance, exuding a superhero persona with a popping delivery.Both members collaborate to compose their original tracks. A Portland native, Chelsea Dixon spent most of her early life in the visual arts, obsessively devouring music. She is a prolific painter and song writer and releasing a self titled acoustic e.p. 2007. In 2009 she released an e.p. called âAutonomous Deviceâ in the music project Stereotech. She has worked as a studio artist recording vocals for bands such as Hockey, on the track âLearn to Looseâ. Her voice is resonent of bells, gliding through phases of soft and ethereal swells into sharp precision.Hailing from Mobile, Alabama, Clint Havardâs musical style and on stage thunder deeply reflect the attitude and pulse of the dirty dirty. His animated character is like a breakfast of caffeine and pop-rocks. Clint uses southern hip hop, rock, marching band, and orchestral influences to carefully weild floor shaking beats.
As a songwriter, my style of writing and performing is an eclectic mix of musical, comedic, and poetic influences. Heavy influences include Ani Defranco, Buddy Wakefield, Lauryn Hill, Dashboard Confessional, Modest Mouse, pop punk and punk rock, and the smooth music of Sade. At times my acoustic sets can be very mellow and folky and then shift dramatically to Against Me! styled acoustic punk, and then switch into a soul/jazz/funk finish. Little bits of country and bluegrass sneak their way in as well. You can find music of mine on soundcloud/crescentisalive as well as reverbnation.I'm a musician currently living in Indiana, but planning a move in May. I'm really looking forward to digging into the Portland scene and figured I'd start now while saving my money :)
Fans are in for an experience of a lifetime as Intel and MTV Iggy bring The Music Experiment concert series to Portland with Y La Bamba, Vagabond Opera and Australian indie rock sensation, The Jezabels on Monday, October 8th. The exclusive MTV filmed concert will set sail on the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler from Portlandâs downtown waterfront. Festivities start at 7 p.m. Costume dress theme for the event is nautical steampunk.The Music Experiment is a music concert series in which fans tweet for tickets to themed shows in four U.S. cities. After the successful kick-off concert in New York City with the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men this July, each event in the series will continue to synthesize music, art, fashion and digital media into an epic audience experience. Santigold performed the second concert in August in Chapel Hill, NC. After Portland, the final concert in the series will be in Los Angeles in October.To get tickets, fans tweeted using #musicexperiment to incrementally zoom a satellite map and reveal the location of the secret pick up location on Thursday, October 4 for the free show. Each show features live Instagram, Facebook and Twitter integrations. The Jezabels are one of Australiaâs hottest new bands and were nominated October 4, 2012 for 5 Australian Record Industry Association awards. The band won the 2013 Australian Music Prize earlier this year.
Poi Dog Pondering will be on a fall mini-tour with a show scheduled at Doug Fir on Friday, Oct. 19.The band is on the road in celebration of Live at Metro Chicago, a 4CD set and accompanying DVD that document a two-night retrospective concert (featuring the original Austin-based line-up the first night and the current Windy City incarnation on the second) at the legendary Chicago venue (Dec. 2-3, 2011).Tickets for the Doug Fir show are $15 in advance and $17 day off. Doors are 8PM; 9PM showtime.
Portland's Michael The Blind & The Els have been selected by KINK 101.9 FM to play as part of their Indie Rock Showcase on 10/05 at one of the west coast's most formidable jazz venues - Jimmy Mak's. The quartet will surely be one of the most anomalous acts to ever grace the stage at this august, and swanky jazz joint. More used to playing for the Pabst and a shot crowd, the band will nevertheless be bringing their own potent mixture of folk, punk, country, gypsy rhythms, and good old rock and roll to the martini and chardonnay sipping set. Curated by Inessa at the hipper by the minute KINK FM, this is sure to be the swinging-est rock show you're likely to attend for a long time to come!
Another friday night sitting around your studio apartment, listening to records fron the late 80's and bemoaning your lack of entrance fees to shows tonight? Really? Are you gonna stand for that? Heavens, no! Get out to the FREE show over the "the Firkin Tavern" on s.e. 11th! Michael the Blind, Towering Trees and Gresham Transit Center are playing tonight at 9! They will provide you with all the "golden age" college-radio-pop that doesn't get 'casted on the net nowadays (not covers, mind you... but honest, John Huges-style pop-music). Performed by a bunch of hopeful and angry young adults! Seriously, it's free... why not?
Vancouver-grown and Portland-friendly rockers, Atlas and the Astronaut have released their first self-produced, self-titled EP. Spanning 8 tracks and 24 minutes, the EP covers a wide range of topics including inspiration, love, evolution, and vulnerability. Atlas and the Astronaut debuted their EP to an excited crowd at Shanahan's Pub & Grill in Vancouver, WA on July 28, 2012. Check them out live in Portland on August 3rd at The Agenda and on August 10th at Kenton Club.
Marius of the Faroe Islands, a FANTASTIC nordic island group who recently kicked off their First US tour. The group was founded by guitarist, lead-singer and songwriter Marius Ziska, an artist âblessed with an amazing voice.â - which is certainly âa prominent element in their new style.â The group has been described as âalternative rock with hints of brit-pop, synth-rock and progrock.â They have also been described as folky or singer/songwriter with many wonderful styles finding their way into the mix. Accompanying Marius is Heðin Ziska on guitar and synthesizer, Allan Tausen on bass, keys, and backup vocals, and Brandur Jacobsen on drums, keys, and backup vocals. Past and Present Music Webizine says that, âThis is a band alright! One Hell of a good one actually! And they know how to write good songs.â
A feeling of freedom and inspiration overcomes when listening to the music of Glassbones, however, hidden beneath a polished exterior lies a grizzled story of angst, lost love and primal passion. It is this mix of controlled emotion and raw energy that powers the roaring engine of Glassbones.Glassbones is an alternative rock band with elements of grunge and post-punk hailing from Portland, Oregon. Formed in 2010, the band consists of Colin Johnson on guitar and vocals, bassist Eric Fisher, drummer Mathieu Lewis-Rolland and guitarist Ricky Wilkins. Glassbones is part of Portlandâs current revolutionary music scene. The bandâs inaugural EP, Thereâs Still Time Left, has been consistently well received in press and radio and has contributed to their steady rise in popularity. The music contained within "There's Still Time Left" suggests a new era for the band in which their collaborative, synergistic song writing has begun exploding with energy, originality and creativity.See them live on Sunday June 3rd, 2012 at The Doug Fir Lounge.
Wyoming Americana band Screen Door Porch is a high energy four piece that draws comparisons to Whiskeytown, Lucinda Williams, and Carrie Rodriguez. According to the Austin Chronicle, Screen Door Porch's music "lends an easy Western flair to their more prominent native influences of North Carolina and Kentucky, a combination that goes down smooth as top shelf bourbon". Screen Door Porch will appear at the Alberta Street Pub in Portland on April 30th. Check them out at www.screendoorporch.com.
Most bands that succeed beyond the local level eventually do so with the aid of a manager. What does this person do, aside from collect a healthy cut of the money? We interviewed 2 NYC managers and 1 publicist with different experiences in the local scene to help us understand. by Paolo De Gregorio - read the article.
Protect Your Band's Name!
the name is what you are selling
The reputation and recognition of an artist's music is built around the artist's professional name, which is what consumers use to identify the artists they enjoy. Therefore, an individual artist or group pursuing a career in the music industry should take the necessary steps to protect his, her or its professional name. by Christopher R. Chase, Esq. - read the article.
College Radios Promotion
what can they do for your band?
In this day and age, we should be thankful that college radio still exists. While commercial frequencies pump the same boring playlists into every city, college radio provides unique, local voices to the airwaves and internet. - read the article by Liz Schroeter here .
Career Survival Guide
it's not just about the music
A music carreer IS all about surviving - at least in the early stages. This survival guide will help you think of different ways to keep your focus on building your brand and creating a path for success. If you think of yourself as your own small business, then the following information can become your personal marketing plan. - read on. - courtesy of BMI.
1. Recording: Home vs Studio
the question is: can YOU do it?
Indie producer/musician Bruce Kaphan(R.E.M., David Byrne, Red House Painters, American Music Club) analyzes pros and cons of recording the DIY way - read the article.
2. Choosing a Recording Studio
pick carefully + things to consider
What do you need to look for in a recording studio? In this article you'll find all the advice you need about equipment, engineers, rooms, rates, and ways of approaching the recording experience. by Paolo De Gregorio - read the article.
3. Planning Recordings
be prepared, have a budget
Steven Alvarado, a NYC studio manager provides precious advice on how to approach the recording of your CD. "When you enter the studio, have a plan. Map out what you want to accomplish each day so that you have a realistic idea of how much time you will need to complete your project. It's best to be as prepared as possible."by pdg - rea d the article.
4. Do You Need a Producer?
and: don't waste studio time!
Making a recording is a tangle of pragmatism, technology, alchemy and faith. As is the case with any creative venture, you cannot know what you'll get for your efforts until you go through the process; it's always a gamble. Having a plan and a budget can be really useful.by B. Kaphan - read the article.
5. Drums in the Studio
performance and recording tips
Drummers shouldn't miss this article! 4 Top NYC producers answer our questions on how to perform, hit, and tune the drums in recording situation. And... is your drummer tight and can he/she play to the click? by Paolo De Gregorio - read the article.
6. Ten Tips For Recording Guitars
from the pick to the amp
Recording guitars, although easy at first can be a challenge when you really want to achieve a great sound. Here are some helpful tips to improve your guitar recording chops. - by Shane O'Connor - read the article.
7. Recording Vocals
not as easy as you might think
Recording vocals might not seem alike the most challenging task when producing a CD, but this delicate and crucial process often ends up being quite draining and taking longer than expected - by Paolo De Gregorio - read the article.
8. What does Mastering do?
what it is and why it is!
Mastering is a process that not many emerging musicians are fully familiar with. One of the most succesfull NYC mastering engineer tells us all about this "secret" art.- by Paolo De Gregorio - read the article.
