Up this evening are The Dimes, playing for the Kink FM Summer Concert Series in Bridgeport Village at 6:30pm. Now I reviewed The Dimes before when I heard them at the Doug Fir, and I can't emphasize enough how much I connected with their amazing and original harmonized sound. These guys have a great time on stage, dancing and being goofy, and you can really feel the energy and enthusiasm they put into their music. Not to mention, all of the guys, as individuals, are extremely talented musicians. I'm hoping tonight to hear some of their unrecorded tracks like "Paul Revere", as well as music from their new album, The Silent Generation (the best ones are "Salt & Foam" and "Paul Kern Can't Sleep"). The handsome (that's right, I said it) and talented Ehren Ebbage, The Dimes' acoustic guitarist, will be flying solo tonight for his own gig at the Alberta Street Pub happy hour show.
On Sunday I'll be checking out Tower of Power and The Crusaders for the Oregon Zoo's Summer Outdoor Concert Series. I am a HUGE fan of Tower of Power, but I'll admit that I'm a bit curious to hear what these guys sound like live after more than 30 years playing together. On a side note, if you're into that whole soul/funk/jazz sound, you'll like The Essentials. They're a ten-man (and woman) band from Eugene, OR-- home to the Ducks and cross country running and Coconut Bliss Ice Cream. One of my buddies from college plays the alto saxaphone and was a member of the band for a while, which is how I discovered these guys. Several members of the band are actually students majoring in Music at the University of Oregon, which is probably why they sound so amazing. Unfortunately, The Essentials won't be visiting Portland till November 15 at the White Eagle Saloon, which totally sucks because they are AWESOME. Until then, you should visit their website to preview some of their tunes.
Lastly, I was lucky enough to receive an email from Los Angeles band The French Semester letting me know about their tour stop in Portland on August 19th, at the Towne Lounge. Now I hadn't heard these guys before, but I am pretty psyched they gave me a shout out, because after listening to a few of their tracks on Myspace (I really loved "Fourteen") I'm gonna see if I can finagle the NW Noise crew into coming to the Aug 19th show. The French Semester's Myspace page is definitely worth a look if you like indie legends Rain Parade, the Stone Roses, or GBV.
The French SemesterCurrently revolving on my digital turntable...
"Fourteen" - The French Semester
"Boogie Wonderland" - Earth Wind & Fire
"Sinnerman" - Nina Simone
"Peachy" - Missy Higgins
"Duncan" - Paul Simon
"Business Time" - Flight of the Conchords
"Lebanese Blonde" - Thievery Corporation
Happy Thursday!
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