Huak |
• Among the newsiest of the chord changes in Maine music this fall, the oddball proprietors at ETERNAL OTTER RECORDS are launching a new monthly series at Zero Station, the finest forgotten little cubbyhole in Bayside. The last Friday of each month, they'll entrust a Portland artist or band to curate an evening of music and art for public consumption. After the Treble Treble 3 installation in the Biddeford mills last year, we know Eternal Otter's definition of each is nimble indeed. First up, longtime scene mogul SPENCER ALBEE handles the September 28 debut; no word yet on what he's planning. Beyond his numerous musical exploits, Albee, of course, is the longtime curator of CLASH OF THE TITANS (the fate of which is up in the air), which makes him a logical choice to start. October's wizard is still behind the curtain, but we're quite psyched to see what doompunk band CORRESPONDENCES cook up in November. Visit EOR's site at eternalotterrecords.com for more.
• It might go without saying, but the diversity, quality, and relevance (to use a buzzword) of the bands lined up to play the STATE THEATRE this fall is quite a marvel. Morrissey, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dinosaur Jr., Ben Harper, Dada Life, Dr. Dog, Regina Spektor, Miike Snow, fun., and Anthrax (okay, hardly relevant, but still) are names we would have never expected to see in Portland as recently as 2009. Nice work.
• The boys at the FREEZING PROCESS podcast celebrate a two-year anniversary this month; that's two years of recording their conversations with Maine musicians in the low-stress environment of a bar. They've done a terrific job of choosing subjects from all corners of the music scene (sample crop: OUTFITS, JOHN NELS BLANCHETTE, OSCAR ROMERO, CAM GROVES, and legendary mastering engineer BOB LUDWIG) and giving local musicians a unique forum to spout off. Sure, some episodes might benefit from an editor (or a time-stamped list of topics), but two years of this kind of "work" has put them on the map of Maine music media. Find them at freezingprocess.net.
• New vinyl label TEENARENA RECORDS fully arrived onto the scene this summer, releasing a copy of cult folker Daniel Johnston's live set at the Rochester Opera House this spring. We expect their next releases to tear the roof off of autumn: the New Hampshire label prepares vinyl versions of METAL FEATHERS' forthcoming LP Handful of Fog and FOAM CASTLES' 2012 doozy Bonanza. Visit teenarenarecords.com for more info.
• Any of your visions for fall will have to proceed without HUAK. The chaotic four-piece look like they're calling it quits after two EPs and LPs, the last of which, Yorba Linda, might go down as one of the best punk records in Portland history.
