THE ORIGINAL SAPS - THE WEDDING PRESENT

Formed in Leeds, England, The Wedding Present has been bringing their sappy jangle jangle to us since 1985.  WP heavily influenced the forefathers of what has become indie rock.  Even with a hiatus from 97 through the early 2000s, they have managed to release over 30 studio albums, live albums, EPs, and compilation albums.  If you haven't heard them, check them out, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today!  Here are some of my favs...

 

URBAN FARMER - GARLIC BLAST

URBAN FARMER - MY HOPZ

Third year growth on my Centennial Hops!  Looking forward to making many o' batch of TOTALLY IPA with fresh hops in a month or two!

 Anyone wanna make some beer?

2 DAYS TO GO - PDX PUCKERFEST 2011 - BELMONT STATION

Stopped by Belmont Station last night to try a few of the Puckerfest beers!  Definitely some interesting brews!

Walking Man Foot Funk!  An unblended lambic style beer.  Tart, funky, and fruity, with a little foot funk in there.  5.1% ABV

Cascade Sang Rouge 2009!  Oak-aged lactic Northwest Sour Ale.  Dark, a hint of chocolate, oaky, very tasty!  6% ABV

Gulpener Mestreechs Aajt (Netherlands)!  I tried to pronounce this one, but the bartender just laughed.  A Flemish Red Ale blend partially oak-aged with wild yeast.  Sweet, dark fruit flavors.  4% AVC.  This one was the highlight for me, but all where unique and tasty beers. 

Love me some Belmont Station!  Two days left of Puckerfest, get there if you can.  Grab a seat in the sun, and drink up!

I GOT ROCKED - FEDERATION X

I made it to FEDERATION X, but only got to see them.   That was enough, they definitely rocked me, Pink Mountaintops next time!  FX played some of my old favorites (The Hatchetman), and some new songs, said to have been recorded during this trip to PDX.  Looking forward to that!

PINK MOUNTAINTOPS VS. FEDERATION X - TO ROCK OR GET ROCKED

Toss up for tonight with so much going on this evening.  Hoping the sun with stay for the day, shining brightly for the onslaught of rockin' roll that will take over Portland this evening.  Torn between these two events:

ROCK! Canadia's Stephen McBean of Black Mountain gets together with friends and members of BM, to bring you his brand of psychedelic folk rock ala sex love!  Pink Mountaintops play Bunk Bar this evening!
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/pink-mountaintops-and-1776/Event?oid=4027395

OR GET ROCKED!  FEDERATION X plays Rotture tonight along with Danava & Leaders.  This is definitely a rock show not to miss.  FX originally hails from the northern territories of Bellingham, WA., not sure if they are still calling that home, but pride of Washington they are. 
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/federation-x-danava-leaders-and-gaytheist/Event?oid=4163565

PDX PUCKERFEST 2011 - BELMONT STATION

Hey y'all sour beer lovers, I implore you to check out Belmont Station's annual Sour Beer Festival.
http://www.puckerfest.com/
Love me some sour ales!  I stopped in the other night for glass of Upright's addition to the festival, the Belmont Station 14th Anniversary Ale, a special blend of four Upright beers; including three aged in Ransom Old Tom Gin barrels, two with brett and lacto and one with apricot puree! Holy cow, this one is a must!  The festival runs through the 24th, so there is still a few days to try some really unique sour beers!

BREWING AT COALITION BREWING - COALATOR SAISON!

The other day I brewed a Saison at Coalition Brewing.  Their Coalator Program is great; they invite home brewers to come in and brew on their 10 gallon system, and then they serve the beer in their pub.  It's a great opportunity to learn from more experienced brewers, brew on a larger system, and get your beer out to the public!

Thanks Lee, Elan, and Bruce for the great brew day!  Can't wait for my Saison to be ready, it's another variation of the Rapture Saison I brewed a few months ago.  I'll update on this throughout the process, and once the beer is ready to be served! 

After we finished up my batch, I stayed for a bit and helped Lee and Elan load up a keg of Hibiscus IPA that Lee and LOLA (Ladies of Lagers & Ales) brewed up for Saraveza's LOLA night celebrating women in beer!

The event is this Saturday, check in out here:
http://www.saraveza.com/site/events/

Cheers folks!

COALATOR!

Off to Coalition for a brewday! Check it here, and more on this later! Whew!
http://coalitionbrewing.com/coalator_program.php

TOM BLOOD - a june afternoon and the raccoon

Check out Tom Blood.  Winner of the 2007 Oregon Book Award for his book The Sky Position.  His new book The Raccoon has been published by Marriage Publishing House (MPH), a literary offshoot of the music label responsible for  releases by YACHT, Lucky Dragons, White Rainbow, Adrian Orange, Panther, ...WORMS, among many other notable acts.  To purchase this book, as well as his others, go here:
http://www.marriagerecs.com/shop2/394/tom-blood

To hear Blood read/purchase a june afternoon accompanied by the musical talents of Jordan Dykstra, go here:
http://tomblood.bandcamp.com/

YUCK - THE QUINTESSENTIAL 90s BAND IN 2011!

Anyone remember Versus, Superchunk, 18th Dye, the Wedding Present, Sonic Youth?  Here they are in one beautiful band.  I mean this in a good way!  YUCK, love me some YUCK!

SAM HUMANS & THE LIGHT - Saturday July 16th - Pix Patisserie Bastille Day 2011

This Saturday come for fancy treats, great music, and fun for all!  Pix Patisserie hosts their annual Bastille Day celebration at their NE Portland location.  Sam Human's & the Light (I shred bass) opens up the show at 3 PM, so come early, bring the kids or the kid in you, and prepare for a day of fun!

For more info on the event and to see the full line up, check out what the Mercury has to say about the event...
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2011/06/13/pix-patisserie-bastille-day-2012

SAM HUMANS & THE LIGHT - WHISPERING HOPE & YOU CAN'T STOP THE SUN

HEY PORTLAND! SUMMER IS HERE!

Portland's food & drink magazine, MIX, has published it's top 50 Summer Drinks for Portland!

http://www.oregonlive.com/mix/index.ssf/people-events-stuff/portlands-50-best-summer-drinks.html

The article covers coffee, smoothies, shakes, floats, sodas, beer, cocktails, and more!  So it's good for all ages!  I'm going to recommend 3 of the beers they cover that I've tried or am feeling a strong desire to.  I implore you to try these, or at least read up on PDX's MIX drink offerings to find your fix!

Wheat the People from Coalition Brewing: Feeling parched? Head to Coalition Brewing for a pint of Wheat the People, a classic golden pale ale with a touch of haze that drinks like a thirst-quencher, but with the depth and graininess of a beer that can be contemplated as easily as glugged. Low alcohol (4.4 percent ABV) and minimal hops complete the picture; this beer won't destroy any afternoons. Available at the brewery's small, neighborhood pub, across the street from its brewing facilities. coalitionbrewing.com
-- Lucy Burningham

Slora Rustica at Upright Brewing: Alex Ganum goes old school with the release of Slora Rustica, his summer seasonal beer. Brewed in a historic saison style, it's very light and dry with an appropriate amount of bitterness for a farmhouse beer. Made with yarrow flowers and calendula flowers that dominate the nose, its deep gold color gives it a romantic glow. Best of all? It's available in bottles at many bottle shops, making it a perfect choice for summer picnics and outdoor gatherings.
uprightbrewing.com
-- Kathleen Bauer

Nightfall from Cascade Brewing: Banish the idea of stripped-down seasonal beers before sipping Cascade Brewing's Nightfall, a soured blond wheat beer that's aged solo in barrels before organic blackberries join for some hang time. The result? A complex, tart beer that's puckery and dry, with just enough essence-of-berry to make you feel like you're celebrating the season's bounty. cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com
-- Lucy Burningham

THE DEAD C - INTO THE NO WHERE

Formed in 1986, The Dead C, are true purveyors of the sonic abyss.  From Dunedin, New Zealand The Dead C are champions of free rock and experimental noise.  Creating psychedelic landscapes droned out no where music.  Their songs take you to a limbo floating no where into nothingness.  Bruce Russell, Michael Morley and Robbie Yeats make up the trio with over 30 releases to date.  Philadelphia label Siltbreeze is responsible for a large number of these, along with Flying Nun among others.  A good starting point would The White House, Repent, Tusk and Harsh 70s Reality, for those whose curiosity is piqued.

NITE LITES

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY - URBAN FARMER

Hey there, harvested some more onions and potatoes today for some potato salad!  Also our lovely chickens helped by contributing 4 fresh eggs to the cause.

2 lbs potatoes (little guys, red spuds, fingerlings, chop if needed)
4 hard boiled eggs
6 strips of bacon
1 white onion
Stock of onion
3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 tsp Paprika

Boil potatoes 6 minutes.  Fry bacon.  Chop bacon.  Boil eggs for 13 minutes.  Chop eggs.  Chop onion and stalk.  Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix!  Salt to taste.  Yum. 

Hey there citizens of the United States, have fun celebrating today, but remember to be careful and safe as well!  Be mindful of this celebration, with so much trouble going on in the world, and the weighted history of this continent!

HELIGOATS - BOUNDARY BAY BREWERY - SATURDAY JULY 9TH

Chris Otepka is an amazing dude; talented songwriter with a heart of gold.  Words pour from his mouth like honey.  If you live in Bellingham, WA., you need to go see him next Saturday at Boundary Bay Brewery at Raise the Woof: A Day of Music Benefitting the Whatcom Humane Society.

Offering some of the best beer in that area, I can't think of a better place to see Chris!  Three of my favorite things; beer, food, and music!  
http://www.bbaybrewery.com/
I can't say it enough, you need to see Heligoats and you need it today....

RED FANG / GOOD BEER / GOOD FOOD - JULY 3RD - PRE 4TH ROCK N ROLL BLAST

What better way to get ready for 4th of July celebrations than rippin' up a city block with RED FANG, true warriors of beer and blasting rock n roll.  RF play East End's 2nd Annual block party.

Along with Danava, Rabbits, and a slew of other great bands, they will prepare us, for what I'm considering, a day (the 4th) of nursing away my hangover with good friends and RGMs (random grill meats)!, oh and fireworks.  Although, my weekend fireworks will probably come from the juggernauts of rock tonite will provide, the block party starts at 3 PM, and later that night at East End, as I mentioned in an earlier blog, Trumans Water and Manxes play!  This is going to be an amazing day and night, and if you need a rock n roll break, you are in brewery heaven with Hair of the Dog, Burnside Brewery, and Cascade Brewing all within walking distance of the rock.  3 of PDX's best breweries, each offering up a unique roster of beers and bites.  If you're in the mood for a sour ale, definitely hit up Cascade Brewing, but if you want a big IPA and some healthy locally sourced food try Hair of the Dog.  Definitely hit up Burnside Brewery for their Steak Frites and Sweet Heat, a beer brewed with scotch bonnets (hot peppers)!

http://burnsidebrewco.com/index.php
http://www.hairofthedog.com/
http://www.cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com/

ANNAI KALIGAMBAL - SPEECHLESS

TRUMANS WATER - LORDS OF SONIC SPAZ

This Sunday at Portland's East End, Trumans Water will bring their brand of sonic noise prog improv spaz rock to the masses of PDX.  Originally from San Diego, TW (pronounced Tee Dub), formed in 1991 and have gone on to produce over 20 releases on vinyl, cd, and cassette.  In the mid 90s, members of the band moved to Portland, and after one of them moved to France, they managed to continue to release the magic with members living abroad, and line up changes occurring frequently.  Chaotic song structures, waves of sonic majesty, dissonant tuning, and an amazing live show require your attention this Sunday!  Manxes (members of Wooly Mammoth Comes to Dinner / Panther / Ghost to Falco) opens!  Don't be late!