I became a fan of Australia’s Cut Copy through their online mix tapes which have been made available here and there. Their album Bright Like Neon Love came out in 2004 and this March you can now get Lights and Music which is a remix ep by the look of it. Visit the Cut Copy blog to get a free download of a track from their upcoming new release ‘In Ghost Colours.’ I overheard someone at the party say “why’s it taken so long for a band to come along and pick up where New Order left off?”..true, true a fine compliment.
The boys are extremely personable and very clear about their situation but they still foolishly allowed themselves to be interviewed by me. Because of the background noise and their thick Australian accents they may have got off lightly during the Moose interrogation….two takeaway quotes from the interview for me when I asked them about the internet and the ability to get music into peoples hands were “The powers gone back into the hands of the bands” and “It’s time for the labels to try and catch up.” That must put a chill into the hearts of the folks at their label, Interscope.
Watch the YouTube version here or right-click/control click to download your own iTunes/iPhone version here. And you can get their rather fabulous mix tape here.

Cut Copy - Lights and Music

©Nilina Mason-Campbell

Nilina Mason-Campbell hits up the opening night of Situation:

And he’s back! Back from tour and back into the party-starting swing of things. Yes, Wednesday marked the debut of the Gossip’s Brace Paine’s new club night Situations at Dunes. Whether it’s throwing impromptu MSTRKRFT and Spank Rock after-parties or his esteemed line of long-running dance nights in Portland, including Suicide Club at Dunes and No No Disco at Tube, Paine aka Nathan Howdeshell appears to always have some must-attend shindig up his sleeve.

Starting well after their Hot Chip support set, somewhere around 12:45, Free Blood climbed on top of Dunes’ white speakers for a high energy set; both on their part plus everyone in the club out dancing on the floor. The Brooklyn duo (featuring ex-!!! member John Pugh) sang and screeched their way through a set while taking the time to bust some dance moves, explain their disdain for the day Thursday and walk on tables before proclaiming it to be their best show of the tour - all the while receiving some tongue-in-cheek heckling. Nathan’s DJ setlist included some Rhianna and Kelis as well as some old-skool underground disco that brought out and kept up all the party kids including a Dat’r member and Nathan’s Gossip bandmate Beth Ditto (who was rocking a fierce one-sleeved dress might I add).

Free Blood’s live set marked the kick-off of Situations, set to journey on to a Kills DJ set on May 16th, Long Blondes DJ set on May 31st and then return to live set land when No Bra checks in on June 3rd. Plus Nathan takes his turn on the decks each time as DJ Nightschool. Mark your calendars!

Via Local Cut.

Jon Ragel from Boy East Drum Machine has sent in his remix for the Radiohead remix competition. Go here to listen and to vote. Go PDX!

Andy Batt’s Portraits Of The World Famous March Fourth Marching Band.

Nemo Design presents Andy Batt’s Portraits of The World Famous March Fourth Marching Band photography exhibit opening on Friday, April 04, 2008. Please join us on April 4th from 6PM - 10PM for the opening. Beer and wine will be available. The show will then run through Tuesday, April 28, 2008 at Nemo Design: 1875 SE Belmont Street in Portland, OR.

Andy Batt first photographed the March Fourth Marching Band for Portland Monthly in 2006. Over the past couple years, Batt has done portraiture work of the band, emphasizing their unique personalities and graphic qualities. Batt has chosen 70 of his black and white portraits to display for the show.Andy Batt is a commercial photographer whose work centers around people photography - quirky lifestyle work and moody action photography of athletes and dancers. Andy graduated from the Rochester Instituted of Technology with a BFA in photography, and has been in the commercial photography world ever since. Andy has been featured in Communication Arts and STEP Inside Design Magazines, awarded for his photography by PDN and the International Photography Awards competition, has been interviewed for articles for Rangefinder Magazine, Photo Media, & the National ASMP Bulletin. Andy is currently Co-President of the ASMP Oregon chapter, and is a member of EP.

March Fourth will be doing a three-month run at the newly refurbished Bossanova Ballroom on the first Friday of April, May, and June. They will appear with special guest bands, performers, and DJs to create an unforgettable bonanza of fun. March Fourth will be donating the proceeds of each show to benefit some of their favorite organizations, projects, and bands.

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