Victoria B.C. indie rock trio Immaculate Machine help to kick off this year’s MusicFest NW with an appearance at the Doug Fir lounge on September 6th. The band is on tour in support of their sophomore album called Immaculate Machine’s Fables. The release was made with the help of esteemed colleagues such as producers Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Pretty Girls Make Graves) and John Collins/Dave Carswell (New Pornographers, Tegan & Sara), violinist Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy, Arcade Fire), and back-up vocalists Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand) and The Cribs.

Also appearing that night: Shaky Hands, Aqueduct, Newtrust and John Weinland. Tickets available here.

I’m not sure what’s happening here but Portland band Wet Confetti have apparently morphed into Reporter, a whole new band.

Reporter - Blaze [MP3]

The Last Town Chorus play the Hawthorne Theatre October 4th. Although not exactly a band The Last Town Chorus is the revolving ensemble led by singer/writer/lap-steel-guitarist Megan Hickey. I’m not sure if it’s her voice or how she wrangles the lap steel but she is very beguiling. And others have been beguiled too - “She sings like an Angel and plays lap steel guitar like the Devil.” - Village Voice, “The Last Town Chorus’ aching lap-steel sound moves men to tears” - Chicago Tribune, “Strange, dark magic…” - Sunday Times (UK). Here’s a video of her take on Bowie’s Modern Love and Tickets to the show.

Wintering in Brooklyn - [MP3]

Willamette Week’s Musicfest NW is partnering with NIKE to present three extraordinary daytime shows during the 2007 MFNW festival held in Portland, OR. These special shows will take place at Audio Cinema at 226 SE Madison, Portland, OR 97214.

Thursday September 6th, 2007 (2:30pm doors, 3:30pm show time)
Cat Power, Bobby Bare Jr.

Friday September 7th, 2007 (4:30pm doors, 5:30pm show time)
Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter

Saturday September 8th, 2007 (4:30pm doors, 5:30pm show)
Ghostface Killah, The Bronx

To gain entrance, please pick up a free Nike Pass available at both Jackpot Records locations on the day of each show starting at 10am (when the store opens) or admitted with a MFNW wristband. Admission to these shows will be based on a first come first serve basis. Jackpot locations are Downtown (203 SW 9th Ave), and Southeast (3736 SE Hawthorne) in Portland, OR. Please visit musicfestnw.com for details on the other festival performers and where to purchase the $40 wristbands or $140 VIP Badges.

Portland’s Old Time Relijun gets the props big time -

“Unless I read them wrong (and I may; the music itself is the opposite of describing it: it’s wet, and bloody, and it smells like fresh earth and red cinders, and it’s a good goddamn time, is what it is) Old Time Relijun’s theory is that ‘the underground’ (I know. I know. I know.) isn’t an identity that reinvents itself once or twice per generation, but a permanent place within a culture – maybe within all cultures – where styles don’t go in and out of fashion but are always floating around in the air just above our heads.” — John Darnielle, Last Plane To Jakarta.

Indestructible Life [MP3]