Featured Album

<a href="http://adamkurtz.bandcamp.com/album/throw-them-in-the-ocean">Back On Your Feet by Adam Kurtz</a>

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Mix It Up

Tonight, PCMH hosts the Portland Music Foundation‘s monthly mixer from 6 to 8 pm. The event is free and open to the 21+ public.

Also, Pitchfork just announced the Fall tour dates for Andrew Bird (and St. Vincent). Check out the October 24th stop on that one: South Portland, ME – S. Portland High School Auditorium. Odd choice of venue, but pretty cool that they’ll be coming this way.

By the way, Vibe Magazine is shutting down.

Temporary Sunshine Round Up [June 20-26]

As if you didn’t know, the only thing anybody seems to care about today is the King Of Pop passing away. RIP MJ indeed.

  • Arootsakoostic Festival is this weekend and hosts a pretty eclectic lineup, including many of the Portland scene’s finest acts! Someone report back to us with photos!
  • The fantastically done crowdfunded documentary project, The Sunday Best, has a great feature on Galen Richmond (Computer At Sea) up now.
  • The Press Herald is apparently (mostly) free now. Interesting move. Maybe now I’ll read an issue.
  • On Thursday, Feel It Robot played their final show (though I’ve already heard about a new project on the way from some of the members that sounds promising) with the newly solo Aly Spaltro/Lady Lamb The Beekeeper. Word is it was an interesting show.
  • Tonight is the Sun Gods In Exile CD release show at SPACE, which also happens to be the debut of new local band Murciélago.
  • The Saint Lawrence is hosting their annual yard sale starting on Saturday at 10am. Get there early to score those killer finds. Keep an eye out for a Luau Lulu lamp for me, I want to make a matching set.
  • Zombie Kickball is happening this Sunday at 2pm on the Eastern Prom. Afterparty at SPACE with Covered In Bees and more. BRAINS!
  • If you’re feeling extra ambitious (and East End-centric) you could even try to squeeze in a bit of the Society Of East End Arts open studio tour around your brain-eating escapes, 10am-4pm.
  • Check out this live video of Spencer And The School Spirit Mafia doing their song “A Sheep In Wolf’s Clothing.” I got to hear their upcoming record last week and this is definitely a standout track on it, though the rest of them aren’t too bad either. I imagine the album will go over really well. We’ll find out in a few weeks!
  • Next Friday: A super special announcement from HillyTown Presents. Get ready for August.
  • Pssst. Thanks for the mention.

Check out the new Portland Pins site (it’s still making its way through the internet, but should be fully functional by the mid-afternoon). We’ve got new drop boxes around town to help you get your designs submitted. We’ll be debuting more new pins and even a new machine next Friday!

Music By The Slice

I’ve been in quite a pizza-loving mood lately (which you really know if you’ve run into me on Congress Street in the evening over the past week), so it’s interesting to come upon this little bit of news: Joe’s NY Pizza (or, more specifically, their upstairs “Slice Bar”) is going to start hosting events. Music, comedy, dj’s, etc. They’re booking now. Stepping it up to lure more business in, away from the new competition? I’m curious to see what kind of acts they bring in.

Inside the Apohadion (new venue!)

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Last night marked the debut of a new venue in Portland. The Apohadion is a brand-new performance space located at 107 Hanover Street, in the space otherwise known at Fort Awesome, Pat Corrigan and Dave Noyes’ studio. Jon Donnell was there and got some great shots of the new space and the three bands that christened it: Tempera, Wolf Larsen (which we got a bit of a preview of last Friday), and Gay Camp (feat. members of Planets Around The Sun/Cursillistas/White Light, Visitations/A.M. Frank, and The Orchards). Check out all of Jon’s photos from this show here.

So just what is the Apohadion? Well, Portland’s only subterranean theater, of course! For an introduction, check out Pat Corrigan’s comics from The Bollard: June 1, 2007 sheds some light on the back story, and the December 6th comic revisits the name, but just piles some mystery on top. I can’t wait to see the venue myself and find out what they have coming up.

HillyTown Presented: Matt Bauer + Strand Of Oaks + Tin Ceilings [6.19.09]

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In an effort to keep the Portland/La Soc vibe going after that last minute Lewis & Clarke show a while back, two of the label’s excellent artists, Matt Bauer and Strand Of Oaks, stopped by on tour to play with the elusive Tin Ceilings, which in this incarnation featured Sarah Ramey (Seekonk/Wolf Larsen), Dave Noyes (Seekonk/Rustic Overtones/Plains), and Jeremy and Jerusha Robinson (South China/Plains/Tiny Fires/Brown Bird) joining Randy Illian. The show was breathtaking from start to finish, and I couldn’t have been happier with the venue. Zero Station came through at the last minute to host this show when my previous plans fell apart. The minimalist space and unique acoustics seemed perfectly suited to this particular lineup.

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Read on for more photos from this event…
Read on…

Dilly Dilly’s Of Art And Intention Is Free

Album art by Jason Gorcoff

Album art by Jason Gorcoff

Dilly Dilly is one of those Portland musicians who you need to know. We featured her recently (for the Tower Of Song Fest) but this week there’s cause for celebration and a reminder: she’s just released a full length album called Of Art And Intention which you can download for free from her website. The album features some pretty spectacular guest musicians and engineers: Alias, Spencer Albee, Sontiago, Jason Ingalls, and Fresh Kils. Artwork is by Jason Gorcoff.

Though the album is free, donations are being accepted and are highly encouraged.

Roundup June 13-19

This weekend is full of fun. Mega concert updates just happened. Check the showlist and get out there!

  • Justin Ellis interviewed me for the first Know Your Blog interview, HillyTown edition at the Press Herald! (Which had an interesting week of its own).
  • Portland Coffee Roasters (where we’ve enjoyed many a weekend morning serenade by Rebecca Minnick and others) is closing and being replaced with sandwiches and CBD coffee.
  • Our own Biscuit Wakefield tackled the delicious treats at The Udder Place. It’s off the peninsula, but worth the trip.
  • Adam Kurtz (of the Adam Kurtz Mann Band Explosion Incorporated The Third, or something, and Kino Proby, BEST BAND IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THE PHOENIX!!!, or something) is starting up a FREE Sunday concert series at the Empire Dine & Dance. It’s called the Day Of Rest Music Fest and each show will feature 3 musicians trading off with 15 minute sets each from 8pm to 11pm. It kicks off this Sunday with Elijah Ocean, Jeremy Alexander, and Nancy Cartonio.

Expect some more updates this weekend… don’t forget to check out the HillyTown Presents show at Zero Station on Saturday, and get clicking to download Dilly Dilly’s new album on Sunday!