The RATTLESNAKES are a great new three-piece indie outfit featuring gal TARA on lead vocals and bass, a la Kim Deal. Check their July 28 gig at the Friends Meeting House. We can confirm they’re Quakers, but that wouldn’t hurt our opinion of them.
With the pending sale of WCLZ, you might be wondering what’s going on with CHARLIE GAYLORD’S “GREETINGS FROM AREA CODE 207,” the weekly radio show that highlights the more adult-alternative side of local music. Well, WBLM, Portland’s home of classic rock, has picked the show up, of course. The times and days, Wednesday and Sunday at 6 pm and noon, respectively, haven’t changed, nor has the format. It’ll just be buffeted by Zeppelin and Bad Company instead of the Indigo Girls and Pete Yorn. Also, Gaylord says plans are in place for the delayed Greetings from Area Code 207, Vol. 7 local compilation, and you might soon be able to check out a weekly podcast.
HIGHWAY JACKSON will be celebrating the release of their six-song debut EP, Leave Your Girl Pants at Home, with a gig at the Station, July 21. TWISTED ROOTS and HOUR PAST play support for the five-piece heavy rock outfit fronted by KRIS RODGERS, and featuring TYLER JOHNSON on lead guitar, BRANDON REYNOLDS on rhythm, COREY PACILLO on bass, and MIKE BEAN on drums. Discs will be available in stores July 24.
The LEFTOVERS have already run out of their initial pressing of On the Move. RALLY RECORDS plan to print more.
Remember ANNA’S GHOST, who provided that opening track on the latest CAT & MOUSE compilation? Well, GABRIELLE RAYMOND and IAN RILEY (who are the Ghost) have released their debut EP. We’ll have more details soon.
JEFF SHAW and his PORTLAND CONSERVATORY ROCK AND ROLL CAMP is back with a complementary HIP-HOP CAMP, which will run August 6 through 10. Putting kids through their paces in MCing, turntablism, and audio production with Reason software, Shaw and co-instructor TODD “THE ROCKET” RICHARD (a writer for this very publication, as well) will be joined by to-be-announced area hip-hop artists.
ZACH ROMANOFF, former STARS LOOK DOWN frontman and current solo artist, has been asked by Whitby, Ontario, band JUICE to join them as a temporary frontman for two shows at LA’s famous WHISKEY A GO GO as part of the MOTLEY CRUE FEST. Apparently, former frontman DAVE “DIGGY DAVE DONG” WELLS skipped out on a band that’s opened for INXS and the Crue (they’ve also got “Tomorrow” on a Crue compilation disc), and Juice needed somebody on the quick. “I took the gig,” said Romanoff. “Right on.”
