“Don’t Come To Me”, from Nick Jaina’s Primary Perception evolved from an attempt to write a sympathetic indie-pop song from the perspective of a largely unloveable politician. The track was called “unshakeable” by Spin, and was featured on NPR’s Heavy Rotation, as well as Morning Edition. When it came time to create a video, Jaina teamed up with director Seth Whelden, from Portland-based production company, STNDRD, and choreographer, Candace Bouchard, from Oregon Ballet Theater.  “I’ve been working on composing music for ballet over the last few years, and there is not a better feeling than making music that people dance to, in any style or context”, says Jaina. “I asked my friend Candace Bouchard from Oregon Ballet Theater if she would humor watching me dance at a club and offering some direction on which moves worked. I also asked her to choreograph a routine for some real ballet dancers. The idea was that I would come in with my untrained moves and disrupt this beautiful thing they created, but in the process maybe I could suggest in them some autonomy. I mostly am wary of musicians acting in music videos. We’ve all probably spent too many hours watching musicians try to act. So why not just try to dance instead? At least the results, if not professional, would perhaps be endearing in their awkwardness.”

Enjoy the video, in all of it’s awkward beauty, here.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M47iv0sg-6k[/youtube]

On his 2013 lp, Primary Perception, Nick Jaina took a gamble, gathering only the people in the studio who wanted to be there and figuring out what song to play only once they were all assembled. It was a completely non-scripted experiment. Often no one had heard the song prior to the session and the four to eight people in attendance would just work out an arrangement right there in the studio, sometimes with three guitarists working at the same time, sometimes with three drummers. Almost all of the instruments were recorded live and the experiment kept everyone focused on the song at the moment, not thinking of what was to come, and arranging their part while they could simultaneously hear what everyone else in the room was doing.

For a limited time, you can order Nick Jaina’s Primary Perception on  deluxe LP and receive an exclusive 7″ with 2 unreleased tracks (Sea of Japan b/w Delta of of Venus). To order the record on Deluxe LP/LP/CD/FLAC/mp3, click here

 

Fluff and Gravy Records and Drunken Prayer are proud to give to you, the first video from House of Morgan, “Hunt Me Down”.  The video is an accurate reflection of the dark comedy that is House of Morgan. According to Drunken Prayer mastermind, Morgan Geer, the creative process was much the same too. “I did it myself using whatever materials were at hand, mostly found and forgotten, and worked within my own ignorant limitations to create something very close to something original”.
The video and the album it comes from have been described as “an unintentional homage to Captain Beefheart”.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QubS_XSuJk&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

House of Morgan, the Nov 2013 release (Fluff and Gravy) finds Geer taking things into his own hands. While the critically acclaimed Into the Missionfield was a densely layered studio undertaking, House of Morgan, was self-recorded using a Tascam cassette machine, a Radio Shack condenser mic, and Garage Band with nearly all of the instruments played by Geer in his bedroom. The resultant tracks are striking in their raw and naked beauty. From an enchanting cover of the old Depression era, “On Mobile Bay”, to screaming punk/blues rants like “KEF-666” and “Ultrabad”, the musical themes are widely varied.

While there are three different versions of previously released tracks here, House of Morgan is far from a sentimental stroll through the Drunken Prayer back catalog. These tracks offer a window into the mind of Morgan Geer, and the view that it affords is at once unsettling and comfortable. Though the record is sometimes a sharp contrast to previous efforts, this is undoubtedly a Drunken Prayer record. Geer’s trademark vocals, guitar, and wit are the threads that tie these divergent records together.

Hong Kong Banana – “Hard Times” video

 

Fluff and Gravy Records is proud to present the official video “Hard Times”, the first single from Hong Kong Banana’s debut EP, Now, But Not NOW Now.

The song itself grew out of a riff that John had going for a while. According to frontman, Nigel Bubblesworth, the band wasn’t particularly hot on idea, but John just “kept playing the crap out of it”. In a moment of inspiration, the riff developed into a song all at once, with Nigel and Amora improvising lyrics and the melody. The song quickly grew to become a staple of their live set and it was a natural for the first single on the ep. When it came time to concept a video they contacted fellow Portlander Eli Thomashefsky who had been working on the set of Grimm. The concept for the video was something that Thomsashefsky had been mulling over for a while, and “Hard Times” seemed to be the perfect match for it.

When it came time to shoot the video, the decision was made to do it all over the course of a single day. Bubblesworth comments that “even though I had almost no sleep and it was 16 long hours, I somehow found the whole experience exciting. It was really cool working with the crew that Eli put together”. While the video features the band hitting the town, with stops at a video arcade, strip club, a barbeque, hot tub, and a fiesta, the band agrees that their favorite part was the live performance. Says Bubblesworth, “a guitar in hand, a set of sticks and a microphone to a band is like a fly infested blanket to Linus. Safe and secure”.

[youtube height=”HEIGHT” width=”WIDTH”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cAt0kqG8aw[/youtube]

 

I have a soft spot for roadside country blues.  Those longing tracks that you see you at a rest stop in west Texas with your head in your hands and more questions that you’ve got answers.  There may or may not be a destination.  It doesn’t matter.  Where did it all go wrong? Who cares, because you have your freedom.  I just came across Mike Coykendall and his cover of Hank Williams’ I’m so Lonely I could Cry and he perfectly captures that pre-prepackaged country drawl.  There a taste of Americana and the freedom it promises here.  It’s funny how everything you ever wanted never looks like you thought it would.

http://www.syffal.com/mike-coykendall-im-so-lonely-i-could-cry

Hey Portland! Sassparilla is shooting a video for  All The Way In (from the forthcoming release, Magpie) and they need your help! The shoot will be on 6/13 at Binks (2715 NE Alberta) and you are invited. There will be plenty of opportunities for audience participation, so the song is streaming (this week only!) and there is a lyric sheet on their website. Come join us!

http://www.sassparilla.info/videoplans.cfm