• The MACHIGONNE FESTIVAL was a major success, despite the best efforts of Hurricane Danny. The Civic Center floor was uncomfortably packed and the music was terrific from top to bottom. And seeing RUSTIC OVERTONES, complete with seven-piece string section and six-piece horn section, backing RAY LAMONTAGNE was pretty once-in-a-lifetime. Overtones frontman DAVE GUTTER at one point pronounced himself "giddy" at the opportunity to back LaMontagne (he was holding a ukulele at the time); bassist JON ROODS was reportedly experiencing stomach pains all day, nervous at the prospect of screwing up LaMontagne's material. He needn't have worried. Songs like "Hannah" and "All the Wild Horses" rippled with their normal quiet power, but the arrangement really struck home on big tunes like "Meg White," "Three More Days," and "You Are the Best Thing." LaMontagne said he'd like to join Rustic full-time, "but then we'd have the change the name to Too Many Guitarists."
• Speaking of RUSTIC, they broke out "The Same Does Not Apply," their first single off a new record they say will be ready in November. It was going to be called Hot Fudge Monday, but then they discovered it means . . . well, just go look it up in the Urban Dictionary.
• WCYY is also playing the new SPENCER AND THE SCHOOL SPIRIT MAFIA single "Whatever Garry"; there's even a newly remixed version created at the Studio with Steve Drown (the "JAWS" remix).
• BOREAL TORDU have a new record ready, scheduled for September 18 release at One Longfellow. Called Les Chevaliers, it's their third full-length.
Related:
Gossip=Truth, Portland music news: February 20, 2009, New England Music News: March 6, 2009, More
- Gossip=Truth
On LaMontagne’s new Gossip in the Grain (RCA), he’s having a lot more fun.
- Portland music news: February 20, 2009
Somebody should have booked Ray LaMontagne back into Portland before now.
- New England Music News: March 6, 2009
Sorry we didn't have time to give you the heads-up before the show, but the BALTIC SEA debuted a new five-man lineup Sunday night at the Big Easy.
- Flying solo (and duo)
Think about everything you know about Elijah Ocean and Dave Gutter: Ocean's work fronting the heavy rock trio Loverless, say, or his lead-guitar turn in the radio-rock foursome All the Real Girls; Gutter's piercing vocals out front of Rustic Overtones, or his white-hot bounce in the lead of Paranoid Social Club.
- Rock'n'Roll birthday party!
While you're out celebrating MARK BELANGER 's birthday August 21 — at Geno's, of course — make sure to catch the set by WHITCOMB , who are shaping up to be the next supergroup of sorts.
- Elijah Ocean, Tony Smokes and the Ladykillers
Yes, we know that there are important albums being released by ELIJAH OCEAN and the new duo of DAVE GUTTER and EVAN CASAS in the very near future. Pfeifle can't review everything in the same week, for Christ's sake, so just lay off and wait till next week.
- Portland Music News: June 26, 2009
The "Sibilance" staff sat in on DAVE GUTTER's new project, with EVAN CASAS, being mastered by ADAM AYAN at Gateway. The record's called The Key to Adore and is more organic and subdued than what you've heard from Gutter before. Watch out for his cover of "The Man Comes Around." Look for the disc by end of summer.
- Portland scene report: October 24, 2008
Anybody catch Ray Lamontagne on Late Night with Conan ?
- Winter to remember
Sometimes January in this town can be a bit slow. It's cold. There's a holiday hangover. Whatever.
- Music Seen: Anticon's 10th anniversary
Sure, Ray LaMontagne is huge and the Rustic Overtones saw their national time, but there is something to be said for a record label co-founded by Mainers that is more than a decade old and can still sell out the Knitting Factory in New York City.
- Portland Music News: April 3, 2009
Make sure to swing by the White Heart April 3 to see THE LIN , who's part of the DIRT COALITION hip-hop collective and has released a five-song EP called Metal on Metal . What you might call post-hip-hop,
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