Returning about a year after the fact to the South Portland band they put in the spotlight with a feature once before, NY-based music blog Stereogum has a brand new recording from Fire On Fire available here. The song is called “Hartford Blues” and takes their hypnotic out-folk sounds in a more upbeat and melodic direction. It’s always great to see Portland (area) bands getting some nice attention from other places!

Most of the time my task of entering bands’ shows into the Hillytown calendar only takes a few minutes, as many of the bands around Portland rarely have more than one or two shows coming up at any given time (obviously we’re talking about the original bands, not the cover bands, who seem to play every night sometimes.) When I do come across a band with a full schedule of local and regional shows, it definitely stands out. One band in particular that have caught my eye this way is Lady Lamb The Beekeeper. Their Myspace page currently lists 8 upcoming Portland shows (including a Hillytown promoted one) and 5 other shows, all the way from Vermont to Brooklyn! Tonight marks the band’s debut at SPACE Gallery, where they will share the stage with the wonderful Plains and the Swedish group Fredrik. If you have yet to see this fantastic duo of Aly and TJ, come out tonight to see the band before their growing buzz makes local shows rare!

There’s a lot going on tonight! Unfortunately I have to mention that Brooklyn’s The Shondes won’t be appearing at Geno’s tonight as previously listed - they’ve had to cancel a few dates of their tour. That’s really a shame, but I expect we’ll see them back up here before long. Still a great show going on over there and also one at Slainte… but my money is on the SPACE bash for all-out-spooky-funtimes. Watch out for killer robots.

My apologies for the lack of updates here on Hillytown. I was away last week and am trying to get caught up! Lots of options all weekend for Halloween… more on that later once I get everything listed!

Don’t ever let anybody tell you that there’s nothing going on in Portland. Have you checked out the options for this weekend? It’s a veritable marathon of HillyTown-approved great music (funny, considering where I’ll be all next week.)

Starting tonight, there’s the release show for the new disc from Portland’s favorite garage punks Cougars Kill Cobras, happening at SPACE. Opening are Guillermo Sexo and Shellshag (who I highly recommend checking out.) If you still have your hearing tomorrow and don’t end up lost on Peaks Island at Sacred & Profane, catch that ferry back to the peninsula in time for some great music. The obvious pick will be the incredible Jonathan Richman at SPACE (they’ve even got Hilton Valentine from the Animals opening) but I’ve got to point out another (might I mention free) show happening that’s worth your time on Saturday.

The Antlers are a band from Brooklyn, NY, fronted by young Peter Silberman, who recorded and released records under the moniker for years before putting together a live band in 2007. The above photo of the band is from backstage at this year’s After The Jump Festival (which Portland’s own Cursillistas - who will be at Strange Maine on Sunday - also played) in NYC. Their music can be haunting and slow, though they often infuse the quieter folkish tones with experimental walls of noise live. Think something between Antony And The Johnsons and TV On The Radio, though they’d be right at home on a bill with a great local band like Dead End Armory or Fire On Fire. On Saturday they play a free show at Slainte.

The weekend doesn’t end at Saturday though. Keep it going on Sunday and Monday by hitting the DoorYard for South China and (more Brooklyn love!) Terrordactyls then again for Dead End Armory (pictured above) and (fresh from the Midwest!) Sleeping In The Aviary. Of course you’ll notice these aren’t even all of your options. Refer to the handy showlist for more, as usual.

I’ll be stopping by WMPG today as a guest on Liberation By Sound with DJ Roy. We’ll be playing selections from  bands (both local and national) with upcoming shows in Portland. Some jams from Brooklyn bands are likely too! Listen in from 3-5pm today!

While you’re waiting for the show to start, why not check out the new video for Lady Lamb The Beekeeper’s song “Antique Shop” which they just finished today? Watch it!

Also, check out a few photos from Bruce Fest!

Portland’s own Bruce Springsteen Birthday Bash, Bruce-Fest, is going down this Saturday, September 27th at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge. I’d link to their website, but it seems to be down at the moment - no matter, you know where Bubba’s is (ahem, 92 Portland Street). Bands performing the songs of His Venerable Bossness Of NJ include Elf Princess Gets A Harley, An Evening With, Dan Knudsen, Rick Wormwood and the Rumbling Proletariat, Metal Feathers, and more. All proceeds (there is a $5 cover) to benefit the Meg Perry Center and the Blackbird Collective, with doors at 9pm. All this info comes via a post on Craigslist with virtually no mention of the event on any of the performers’ websites, so I know as much as you do. Just show up and except to have fun.

This could be a nice prelude to next week at SPACE, which is basically a whole week of near-nightly unheard of awesomeness: These Are Powers + The Rattlesnakes! Dark Meat + Metal Feathers! Japanther + Matt & Kim! Liam Finn! I don’t know if I can handle it. Can you?

As promised, we’re not only following shows that happen here in Portland, but also keeping an eye on our own local bands when they take to the road. This week, it’s the group at the center of the L’animaux Tryst collective: Cursillistas.

Catch the shape-shifting group of psychedellic folk experimentalists at around the Northeast this week, before they return home just in time for their alter-ego, Planets Around The Sun, to invoke the spirits in an opening slot for Indian Jewelry at SPACE.

9/11 - Vassar College w. LAU NAU / Poughkeepsie, NY
9/12 - WVKR Radio / Poughkeepsie, NY
9/12 - Bard College w. Ducktails / Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
9/13 - White Farmhouse / White Mountains, NH
9/14 - Ashen Eye May Honey Park w. Visitations & Psalms III / Portsmouth, NH
9/16 - SPACE (Planets Around The Sun) w. Indian Jewelry, MMOSS / Portland, ME

Reports from the road are always welcome here at Hilly Town, both from bands and fans who see them along the way!

Looking for a list of shows happening at your favorite venue? We’ve got you covered! Check out the new Venue List. It’s still being worked on, but you’ll be able to see what a venue looks like, get some basic location and contact info, and find out what shows are happening there.

While this site is focused on listing events in downtown Portland, we know there’s more going on out there. For example, this Friday you’ll find Plains and Arborea out in Biddeford at the Franklin Street Art Space, while Providence marching noisemakers, What Cheer, will be in somebody’s living room by Woodford’s Corner. Shows like these two are often some of our favorites, so keep sending them in to us along with all of your bar and club listings!

Also, please take note that the Sunburned Hand Of The Man show scheduled for this Sunday at the DoorYard has been canceled. Yeah, we’re sad about it too.

Do you take photos at shows in Portland? Do you photograph Portland bands when they’re on the road? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, then you should join the Hilly Town Flickr group. It’s an easy way to share your photos with other local music fans, check out bands you haven’t seen yet and discover fellow photographers’ work. All photos that get added to the group will be put into rotation on the sidebar of this site, too, and could potentially be posted alongside show listings (with full credit, of course - any uncredited photos you see here were taken by me, Bryan Bruchman).

By the way, thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to make suggestions (or leave compliments!) for Hilly Town. Please keep the feedback coming - there have been some great ideas already, and I’d love to hear more of your thoughts so this project can keep growing and getting better. Stay tuned to see what unfolds.