The March First Friday is here, and though I’ll probably miss most of the fun due to other obligations, there’s enough good stuff happening in Portland that I just have to share.

For the first time, Eternal Otter Records will be opening their Headquarters at the Building Of Song location (142 High St, Suite 513) and will be open every friday from 11am-4pm. This week they will be followed by a Building Of Song concert featuring Dominic Lavoie (of The Lucid – they’ve shortened their name from Dominic & The Lucid), Meghan Yates & the Reverie Machine, and Matt Lajoie (of Cursillistas).

At SPACE Gallery, Greg Davis‘ Ocean Mind exhibit/sound installation kicks off, followed by a performance/concert at 9pm.

The Dooryard debuts an exciting group show, Monsters And Robots “No Humans, No Masters” that – from the looks of what I saw the other day while the artists were putting it up – is not to be missed.

Geno’s turns art gallery again, this time with Michael Batchelder’s music photos (15% of sales go to the musicians in the photos). The exhibit is followed by a concert with Aok Suicide Forest, Bora, and Roadshow (from Boston).

As if I need to mention it, the 48 Hour Music Fest is Saturday. It’ll probably be huge again, rightfully so (though somehow there are 3 other simultaneous attractive shows that night). Check out the PHX article if you haven’t seen it yet and get tickets/show up early if you want to witness the randomness.

Last Friday (February 26) at the Hogfarm Annex in Biddeford, Dilly Dilly and Sontiago played their last show as a duo in Maine before Dilly Dilly left on her great trip west. She’s moving to LA via an epic drive with pal Becca Redman, and you can follow their adventures (and those of their not-always-trusty-steed, No Sexy) right here. At the moment they’re apparently camping in Abilene State Park, TX. We hope their journey goes well and that Erin (Dilly) finds great success out on the west coast.

Read on for photos from the show, which also included Lady Lamb The Beekeeper (and thus a surprise return of Hairy Brass Knuckles, a year later!) and the excellent Pearl And The Beard from Brooklyn, NY. Fun fact: Jocelyn from Pearl And The Beard actually used a pair of the Ferdinand-created (for DraculaZombieUSA’s Maine debut) hairy brass knuckles, as you’ll see below. Photos by Bryan Bruchman.
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It was great to see Port City Music Hall filled with so many people for this double bill of local musicians on Tuesday, February 2. Lady Lamb The Beekeeper and Dilly Dilly each played two sets – partially together – as part of the venue’s TWO local music series. Photos by Bryan Bruchman. Read on for the full gallery after the jump. (more…)

I meant to post this a while ago. But today is as good as any time! The show it refers to is next Tuesday! Beware the sort of gross chewing sounds.

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.

Dilly Dilly has been through so many music scenes over the years, from touring the world with Cerberus Shoal (her former bandmate from that group, Chriss Sutherland, is also on this festival) to backing Sage Francis to teaming up with Sontiago (who she shares the 3:40pm slot with at this Saturday’s Tower Of Song Fest), she’s now ready for her own spotlight, with a killer album just waiting for the right audience. Get a preview this weekend, and then don’t miss her opening slot for Pink Mountaintops at SPACE Gallery on June 3. For extra fun, check her out in the Kim Gordon role at the Sonic Youth vs. Pixies Clash Of The Titans the night before at Empire.

Photos by Bryan Bruchman, interviews by Will Ethridge.

What was the most unusual place you’ve ever played music in?
I’ll tell you about the most unusual think that’s ever happened at a show.

Cerberus Shoal had just finished setting up for a show at KSET in Slovenia. Chriss, Tim and I were still on the stage messing around on our instruments when all of a sudden the stage started shifting back and forth. Tim had just jumped off the stage so I thought it was his heavy feet… but seconds later we were told to leave bacause we’d just experienced an earth quake! My first ever… a 3.1!

What is the most mysterious album you own? (i.e. you don’t know anything about the musicians’ identities)
I pretty much have a good grip on the identities of the cd’s I own… but my most favorite and weirdest cd is a cd called Indiependent by Mission Man. He was a fan of mine on My Space and I first met him on the Sage Francis tour where he handed my this amazingly strange album. The only way I can describe it to you is by saying it’s the most honest album I’ve ever listened to. EVER.

Describe your favorite sound not made by a musical instrument.
This is kind of cheesy, but I’m a whistle/ bird call kinda person. I love the trills and songs that come from these amazing little flying creatures. I suppose it’s the little things that keep me going.

What do you think happens when you get too far from your house?
The further I get, the more I feel like I’m living life. I love touring and being out of my home comfort zone. Finding a new comfort in first impressions and a different story every day. It’s the hardest/ easiest thing i’ve ever done in my life. This is what happens. Viva la road!

For more info on the Tower Of Song Festival on Saturday, May 23 in Congress Square, visit their info page.

Yes, really.
Review and photos by Dilly Dilly, edited by Nancy Cartonio.

Check out the full photo gallery here.

Picture it… United States Of America, 1989. The girls all had poof bangs, stirrup pants and jellies. The guys all had asymmetrical lines shaved into the sides of their heads, hammer pants and hyper-color shirts. Boom boxes blasted from driveways all across this fine continent or ours, whilst we choreographed dance moves we would show to the world, as soon as we were accepted on Star Search, where Ed McMahon would surely claim us as the next big thing. The music we would dance to? Why, New Kids On The Block, of course.

The guys either wanted to be them or they hated them with a passion. The girls just wanted to be with them and O! How we could scream it from the top of our lungs. We all had our favorite one. Was it the ever-elusive shy guy, Jon Knight, or his gorgeous outspoken brother, Jordan? Maybe it was the Rebel with ripped jeans sporting a Boston Red Sox hat, Donnie Wahlburg? Perhaps it was Donny Wood and all his charm? And then there was Joey McIntyre, the baby who was such a pretty boy with an even more pretty voice.

Read on after the jump…
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