Black Lips- 4/24/09 Portland, OR from Nemo Design on Vimeo.

The University of Oregon in Portland is showing a free screening of the documentary ‘Copyright Criminals’ and I have been invited to interview the director afterwards. The documentary takes a look at the many hurdles that hip hop artists, DJs and producers have to overcome to use samples of other peoples work in their ostensibly new or reworked versions of classic songs and beats. Those interviewed in the documentary include - Chuck D of Public Enemy, James Brown’s drummer Clyde Stubblefield and co-founder of the Creative Commons Larry Lessig. It also includes performances from Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, Grandmaster Flash and more….

Wednesday April 15 @ 6 PM No Charge and open to the public.
The University of Oregon in Portland
White Stag Block
70 NW Couch St, Portland Oregon

“an amazing documentary on the history of sampling…it kicks
you in the head with how radically the sampler redefined
music…” Blender Magazine

Co-sponsored by the UO Portland Library & Learning Commons and the Portland State University Sociology Club. Promotional considerations by KPSU.

The So So Glos bring their punky rock to Portland alongside Portland’s very own Boy Eats Drum Machine. Tonight, Friday, at Backspace.

Stay up to date on Backspace events by following them on Twitter. @pdxbackspace

Mark you calendars for what appears to be a great [and free] show..
Sunday 4/5/09 @ Rontoms (600 E Burnside)
GROUPER / TINY VIPERS
FREE! / 9PM / 21+

Grouper.
“[H]ere I was driving in the morning past farmland north of Eugene, Ore… I kept seeing these small dirt storms form out in the unplowed fields to the left while the lovely “Fishing Bird (Empty Gutted In The Evening Breeze)” played on repeat. I’m not sure [Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, Grouper's third album] is the perfect road trip music for everyone– I’d certainly caution against playing it late at night when you’re already sleepy, or operating other heavy machinery as it plays– but since these songs seem to appear and then vanish into the air, the mini-tornadoes gathering themselves together lazily out of the wind and the dirt seemed the ideal, hypnotizing accompaniment.” - Mike McGonigal, PITCHFORK

“A psych-folk bent for harmonic discord and atmospheric dread finds something forever sinister lodged at the album’s heart: the kind of beauty that makes sailors run aground.” - MOJO

Tiny Vipers
“Being a solo acoustic female singer songwriter comes with its share of conspicuous baggage. And, Seattle’s Jesy Fortino, who records and performs as Tiny Vipers, has been spared little of it: she’s played coffee shops, on mismatched bills with by-the-book folkies, and fielded far too many questions that address her gender rather than her music. Fortunately for us (and, we can only imagine, even more so for her) these things all fall away when she plays. Inhabiting the space carved out by minimal guitar, gentle textures and stark, immediate vocals, Tiny Vipers’ music evokes the contrast and quiet, empty beauty of a grey northwest landscape.” - SUB POP

Oh Captain My Captain. Pic Melani Brown

This is just a quick list of some new music from Portland and Northwest artists that I found after rifling through the submissions dump inbox..

And as always, if you like what you hear you can click on the Amazon banner below and support the bands and labels by buying their music.

The Thermals - Now We Can See
Oh Captain My Captain - Stones of Lead
The Dimes - The Liberator
Laura Gibson - Spirited
Alela Diane - Dry Grass & Shadows
Loch Lomond - Blue Lead Fence
Bombs Into You - Hold The Line
Wow and Flutter - A Little Help

[where: 1875 SE Belmont St, OR 97214]