Portland has no shortage of amazing experimental indie rock bands, and on Jan. 30, three of the best local groups came together at the Doug Fir Lounge for some seriously unforgettable and riveting music. Hip, danceable, and never lacking in ingenuity, these three bands put on one hell of a show and managed to look good all the while.
Aan started off the show with music that seemed perfectly tailored for a basement venue. Their lush, dreamy blend of indie rock and freak folk is enticing and ethereal. Combining melodic instrumentation with a lead singer whose voice balances beautifully between raw grit and soaring falsetto makes for a winning combination. They manage to work in just enough weird to make their music interesting without alienating listeners by getting too far into experimentation.
Seeing Aan perform, it is immensely clear that these guys possess a lot of talent; not just musically but as performers. They are riveting in a very honest way. Their performances are free of cheap gimmicks and trickery because a band with this kind of a stage presence has no need for smoke and mirrors.
Morning Teleportationfollowed Aan with what felt a bit like a rock and roll rave. There was a definite swelling in the crowd for their set, and far more dancing, with girls in shiny leggings and feathered headdresses twirling. The band itself is quite a spectacular sight, with several members sporting capes and silly hats, and all of them swinging some seriously awesome shaggy hair. They all looked as thought they had walked straight out of a forest in the sixties, taking a break from romping with longhaired girls on acid to grace us with their music.
Appearances aside, Morning Teleportation’s music is the real reason these guys are so incredible. For such a new band to Portland, they have quite a fan base and there’s a reason for that. Their music has enough kick to keep your toes tapping and wonderfully punchy vocals set to some very aggressive guitar playing. True to their appearance, they channel some very psychedelic vibes, putting a modern spin on a tried and true genre and blending in some other influences along the way. The finished product is all-consuming: the kind of sound that makes everything around you just melt away.
Blue Horns finished out the evening, following Morning Teleportation’s psychedelic fanfare. This was an unfortunate choice of line up on the Doug Fir’s part. Blue Horns is a wonderful band that makes peppy, surf-rockish music with delightfully off-kilter lead vocals from singer Brian Park, amazing guitar work from Colin Howard, and great vocal harmonies from the entire group.
There’s no denying that all the band members are incredibly skilled musicians and their songs are fun, danceable, and full of life. Having them play after a band that drew a crowd like Morning Teleportation, though, worked to the show’s disadvantage. The crowd for Blue Horns had thinned out a bit and there was definitely a shift in energy that could be felt in the venue. It didn’t detract from the evening over all, but it did take away from their individual set, which is a shame for such a fun live band.
DOWNLOAD: Blue Horns - Shotgun Wedding (MP3) or Follow us for more Blue Horns MP3s (Twitter)
Ugh. Paste’s profile of Free Energy made me kind of hate them. So does your review. It’s this unctuous defense of good-time rock-and-roll ("we’re just here to party, and we’re awesome!") that seems more self-serving than fun-loving.
by beth on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.41 pm from the entry: Foreign Born + Free Energy - The Knitting Factory (Brooklyn, NY; Mar. 12, 2010)
that inescapable feeling you are referring to, is that like when you hear something and you could have sworn you heard it before because of the nostalgic catchy quality? or is is like when you’ve heard a band exactly like said band?
great post by the way!
by paul on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 03.15 pm from the entry: The Novel Ideas - "The Sky Is A Field" - Borrow It
Whoa! I had no idea she was enegaged. You would never know with the way she behaves! Wow!
by art on Wed Mar 17, 2010 at 09.48 am from the entry: Nikki Darlin and John McCauley: 1+1=1
This comment stream is so meta. Great review Kelly.
by chris on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 07.50 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
no prob. The whole album is excellent, combining some of the harder sonics of Los Angeles with the meat of his debut and obviously difficult to summarize in only 50 words… 
I’d say it’s on par with the debut, but better than Los Angeles.
by kelly on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.23 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
By the way, I really liked the mp3 posted. Thanks.
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “WHO WROTE THIS...PUKE ! “Picture yourself coasting your bike past space funk palm trees, homeless harpists, vintage video arcades, electronic drum circles, and 60s psychedelic singers who’re waiting for the bus. Cosmogramma is kinda like that if someone suddenly tripped you just as you’re starting to enjoy the ride. But in a good way.””
by Joshua H on Tue Mar 16, 2010 at 06.17 pm from the entry: Flying Lotus - "Cosmogramma" - Buy It
Totally
I dunno, I thought Blue Horns were a better closer. Their music is definitely better, even if it isn’t as “crazy” as Morning Teleporation.
Aan was amazing.