• Following up on his run as president of the MAINE SONGWRITERS ALLIANCE, BOB MCKILLOP has now founded a Portland chapter of the NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL. The NSAI bills itself as "the world's largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization," established in 1967 and now counting 5000 members. McKillop said there will be collaboration with the MSA, but that the NSAI focuses more on getting written songs into the commercial market and brings a few more resources from the publishing arena into the Portland market. Interested parties should contact Bob at bob@bobmckillop.com.
• Connecting Portland to a broader music industry universe? That's just what ETERNAL OTTER RECORDS and WWW.HILLYTOWN.COM have been working on: They've organized 10 bands from Maine to play two showcases at the CMJ MUSIC MARATHON in New York City on October 22 and 23. They're raising money for the travel and equipment costs through Kickstarter (http://tinyurl.com/MaineToNYC). Help them out.
• As though MAX CANTLIN wasn't busy enough with GYPSY TAILWIND, he's now joined SLY-CHI, one of the harder-working bands in town for the past decade. His first gig with the new band is October 8 at the Big Easy.
• Speaking of Gypsy Tailwind — did you hear that ANNA LOMBARD is back? It's true. With all that baby-having out of the way, she's ready to take the reins back from AMANDA GERVASI, who'll continue pursuing her promising solo career.
• BEBE BUELL is coming back to Portland for another show to promote Sugar. This time she'll be signing vinyl and discs at Bull Moose Portland, from 4 to 5 pm on October 8, then playing the Empire later that night. What's better than an autograph on pink vinyl?
• BETWEEN DREAMS veterans DAVID SHOREY, JEFF BACON, and JIM MCALLISTER have teamed with GORDON SMITH and SEAN HENNESSY to form the TOWNIES, a beer-soaked rock outfit with some Americana sensibilities and a soft spot for grunge and lo-fi. They'll release their first disc, One for the Ditch, October 8 at Bayside Bowl. Produced by DAVE INGHAM and DAVE MARTIN of O-POSITIVE (a band the "Sibilance" staff once saw in their high-school gymnasium), the disc features guest spots from DOUG COWAN and JOSE AYERVE (both vets of BULLYCLUB). For the release show, the LOMAX open, and all the cash raised from merch sales goes to the JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION.
• People who've come to love GIRAFFE ATTACK's brand of covers will be disappointed to hear drummer/singer RYAN CYR (also of STRANGE PLEASURE) is "moving to Presque Isle to take a shot at a normal life." The last show to see him at is October 9 at Buck's Naked BBQ in Freeport. To keep the good times going, ERIC BETTENCOURT and CHRIS CHASSE, the remaining members, have formed VELOURASAURUS, grabbing ubiquitous drummer CHUCK GAGNE and guitar player RICHARD CORSON (also formerly of Strange Pleasure, along with BAND BEYOND DESCRIPTION). The first gig for the new band is October 21 at Venue. And Bettencourt has a new solo band in the works, too, with PETE MORSE on lead guitar, Gagne, and DARRIN FINNEGAN (MUTINEERS, AARON LEE MARSHALL) on bass. Busy, busy.
• In case you've been wanting to celebrate that PHANTOM BUFFALO disc, your chance is coming October 16, to celebrate the day of Cement Post Cards with Owl Colours being released by the French label MESSIE MURDERS. SPACE is the place, obviously.
• It's a pretty bad band name, but DIRIGO might well be a great band. Featuring STRANGEFOLK vets ERIK GLOCKLER and LUKE PATCHEN MONTGOMERY, plus Strangefolk/ANASTASIO band drummer RUSS LAWTON and BONEHEAD STEVE JONES. Oh, and did we mention GINGER COTE's playing drums, too? We're not sure exactly how that's going to work, but there's some serious talent and experience in that band. They play Tammany Hall in Worcester on October 15 and they'll be at Bayside Bowl later in the month. They've got to at least be worth a look-see.
