
This may be old news to you, but it blew my mind a little bit:
Best moment: 1:36
Since we're on the Decemberists' payroll—they pay us in the shiniest of doubloons—we're required to post this new video for The Hazards Of Love's "The Rake's Song." The clip was directed by a pair of students from London's St. Martins College (I heard that to attend that school you need to they have "a thirst for knowledge") and features some pretty literal visual interpretations—thanks for that "womb spilling out babies" animation—from the song.
What is the greatest danger posed by cell phones? Brain cancer or illegally sexting minors, right? W-R-O-N-G! In fact, it's those damn service bars that Hollywood seems to remind us of again, and again, and again, and again, and again...
This is why I refuse to carry any phone that doesn't transform into a stun gun.
Link: Best Week Ever
Seasons change and old father time grumbles and throws his big dick in the dirt and... what was I talking about? Anyway, summer's over, dudes! Today is the last day I'll be classing up this office with my august presence. Before you start having dangerous heart palpitations, calm down. It's more than likely you'll see a post here and there from me on Blogtown, and, of course I'll be in the comments, movie nights, etc. I know. You're relieved. Wipe that sweat off your brow and perk up, little trooper!
I will, however, miss being around all these lovely people. I'll also miss the ice cream man. (I never got to ask him if he'd ever killed anyone, though I meant to. ) I will miss Festive Sombrero and the Effigy of Molly, my predecessor editorial intern.

Since I'm not saying goodbye, I'll leave you with this important message instead. Drink deeply of the cup of life, to the fullest! Just like this cat, except, you know, it doesn't have a cup. Marjorie Skinner tells me cats drinking from faucets are ALL THE RAGE these days. Happy Cat Friday, ya'll!
Also, the Stargate shows are terrible. I wouldn't watch them, if I were you.
It's Turkish Cinema Tuesday! If there's ever been a good argument for the abolition of copyright, the award goes to the Turks. Long before any arguments about digital sharing, long before Creative Commons was even a glimmer in Lawrence Lessig's eye, long before Abrams shoved Star Trek into the 21st century, the Turks were taking our bland American films and making them better.
Many of you are familiar with Turkish Star Wars, but there exists a plethora of other fabulous Turkish "reboots" of popular American tales. (You can rent a lot of them in the back room at Movie Madness, along the back wall in the cult section, bottom left, last time I was there.)
Anyway, this film has a real lesson for you. Don't fuck with Badi, or even dare to threaten him with a slap, because he will alien-fart on you and then go through all your porn. And, really, the last thing you want is a hobbit-sized extra-terrestrial who looks like a Ferengi-Calamari love-child grunting and pawing through your stash of 70's pube stroke books. At least, I hope that's the last thing you want.
In the ebb and flow of Portland's creative community, people are always ready to jump up and shout that the next big thing is just around the corner. That kind of buzz happened this summer around the web series Wage Slaves, and last summer around another web series, The Bicyclist. While Portland didn't invent the web series, we do have one really great local web show, and that show is The Free Box.

My first look at the show's description, about “roommates living in Portland” left me expecting something trite and sigh-worthy, but the first episode quickly melted those doubts away. The Free Box is absolutely hilarious. The characters all have their own screwy, idiosyncratic traits, but without overbearing lack of subtlety of a TV sitcom. (Oliver, for example, is a huge stoner who can't—or won't—ever put his bong down. No particular reason for this is ever given.) The situations, exaggerated and sometimes even supernatural, still have a more believable, natural rhythm than most shows that take place in solid reality. And even though it's filmed in Portland and takes place in Portland, it eschews in-your-face local flag-waving. The episodes, though often saddled with a kooky premise, are well thought-out and full of nods to the fans and references to previous episodes. Most importantly, it makes me laugh hard, often, and loudly.
More booger-lickin' butt fire after the jump!
In honor of Labor Day—sadly I am not the only Mercury word drone spending his holiday at the office—we present you with this Cass McCombs music video for "The Executioner's Song" that is all about working. What great timing, since McCombs is in town tonight—performing at Mississippi Studios—which means you can watch this clip and then question him on his favorite knot-tying techniques. Sure, the hangman's noose is an old favorite, but I'm more of a highwayman's hitch type of guy.
End Hits: I'd sell my soul to be able to tie a good Turk's head knot.
"Song Away," easily the best track on Hockey's Mind Chaos, finally gets a video, and it stars twee-as-fuck actress Charlyne Yi (and some actor named Paul Rust, but I am not sure who he is). It's your typical boy-girl dance party with lots of bright lights, plastic cup drinks, and some absolutely terrible dancing.
End Hits: I guess Michael Cera was busy.
Few recordings, local or not, have me as excited as We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River, the poetic-sounding new full-length from the booze/horse enthusiasts in Richmond Fontaine. Thankfully the band just released this excellent video for their lead single, "You Can Move Back Here."
Blatantly ignoring the threat of poison oak, the Fontaine members—joined by a random friend and a tail-wagging dog—seem to be having a blast while performing deep in a woods, while the rest of the video acts as a snapshot of the beauty—the coast, the forest, the rain—of the state that we call home. Usually we avoid posting more than a couple lyrics of a song, but for Willy Vlautin we'll make an exception.
There’s so many people there
And you quit calling home
Now your voice is shaky and weird
Please you can move back here
We all miss you and you don’t have to be anything here and
At least you’ll have the Western sky and me on your side
Cities and subways that run all night
Everything costs so much
You’re all alone with neighbors on every side
God, I love this band.
End Hits: I once lost $20 at the Greshman dog track. (That's not a Richmond Fontaine song title, but it could be.)
Dollhouse
Season One
Available Now

In Blogtown, instead of doing yoga in a soothing spa-like atmosphere, we're forced to do our downward-facing dogs on discarded wooden pallets out by the dumpsters. So while twinged with jealousy of the actives' work environment, we are beyond relieved about Dollhouse’s renewal for 13 more episodes. Phew! That was a close one. There are a few tedious months to sit around twiddling our thumbs and wondering what the nefarious multi-personalitied Alpha is up to (“I want to get some ice cream.” “NO! I want Thai.” “Fuck you two, I’m a leaf on the wind.”), we’ve got the recent release of season one of Dollhouse to keep our Whedon-deprived brains warm and gooey. And the DVD set has got two episodes you’ve never seen before (well, kinda… more like 1.5).
Spoiler-ish stuff after the jump.
Stereogum has posted the new Modest Mouse video, directed by one Heath Ledger. Weird, right?
The Mouse have a new release out today, No One's First, And You're Next, and the lead single, "King Rat," was given the animated video concept by Ledger... FROM THE GRAVE.
Um, no. Actually, it was started before Ledger's tragic passing in January 2008, but since the video was not complete, The Masses stepped up and finished the clip. Here's the press release:
In January of 2007, while visiting his homeland of Australia, Heath Ledger presented Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse with an idea to direct a video for their yet-to-be-released song “King Rat”. Heath’s vision, brave and unapologetic in its nature, would marry his love of bold and original music with his impassioned stance against the illegal commercial whale hunts taking place off the coast of Australia each year.Always one to operate from his heart and take a stand for what he cared deeply about, Heath’s intention was to raise awareness on modern whaling practices through a potent visual piece without having to say a word. It was his way to let the story, in its candid reversal, speak for itself.
The video was fully conceived down to the last detail but unfinished when Heath passed away in January of 2008. We completed the video in his honor with the support and advocacy of Isaac Brock.
End Hits: I'm a sucker for a whale with a periscope.
P4K has posted the YACHT video for "Psychic City (Voodoo City)," from their DFA debut, and just-released, See Mystery Lights album. With a drip-drip beat that sounds like it was trapped in R. Kelly's closet—with Rufus—the song is a joyful little pop number that stands on it's own, yet still fits in nicely within the context of the album. And the video? Well, it finds the duo partaking in all sorts of creepy occult and religions activities—plus there is some smooching as well. I have never seen The Da Vinci Code, but I imagine the film is exactly like this.
There are rumors of a YACHT hometown show in September, but nothing is confirmed as of yet. As always, we'll let you know.
End Hits: This video needs more shots of Tom Hanks' hair plugs.
Sure, it would have been nice to see the Gossip burn it up in the SE industrial blocks for PDX Pop Now, but they are no longer our band, they are everyone's band.
That is why the trio quartet (Wait, when did that happen?) was at the Capitol Hill Block Party on Saturday, and it was there that they broke out a cover/medley of the Talking Head's "Psycho Killer." It's a little unorthodox of a cover (needs more "fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa"), but then again, what else did you expect from Beth Ditto and pals?
End Hits: I think her dress just hypnotized me. Hey, I just quit smoking... and I'm a chicken.
Our mild Juggalo obsession has just reached full meltdown mode thanks to this infomercial for the 10th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos.
Clocking in at a brain-dissolving 14+ minutes, this video has it all. (And by "it all" I mean a bunch of fat kids in clown makeup, exploding graphics, and Violent J comparing this event to the Hajj. Yeah, suck it Mecca, you don't have any Faygo.) But it's not just crazy clowns, other desperate acts looking for a paycheck include GWAR, Ice Cube (nooooo!), Vanilla Ice, and Jimmie "JJ" Walker. Oh, and there will be "ninjas juggling fire."
Gathering of the Juggalos: I want to go to there.
Link: Big ups to our crazy ninja "bitchboys" at Line Out.
Frequent Mercury contributing photographer Minh Tran just sent me his video project, "Nightvision." Part documentation of what the kids are doing and wearing while you're home asleep, part lovenote to PDX's DJ and club scene, it is perhaps overlong, but filled with flattering images of tipsy young things. In other words, you can probably take it.
In what could best be described as their own personal "November Rain" (but with less shots of Slash soloing outside a dusty church), the Builders and the Butchers pull out all the stops on their epic "Golden and Green" video.
This Alicia Rose directed clip—which debuts on the AOL Spinner site this morning—captures plenty of shady dealings in a rural cabin, the prancing "Vivian Girls" (featuring the Mercury's very own, Flannery Smith, head of our scrapbooking and precious memories department), and a mythical woodland creature.
You're going to need to watch this video twice.
End Hits: This video just confirms my suspicion that nothing good ever happens in the forest.
| Dave Chappelle at Pioneer Square |
Surely the internets are loaded with various camera phone clips of Dave Chapelle's show/Twitwreck last night, but I doubt any of those can touch this OregonLive video that not only has Chapelle's face, but his voice as well. In a night that had just about everything but sound, this video will sum up the thrill of his arrival, and awkward technical issues that followed.
First it was a couple taking a trip to the boneyard during the Decemberists, and now this? Glad to see indie rock is finally coming to terms with it's sexual exhibitionism.
On second thought, after watching this very un-sexy display of vigorous dry-humping, I change my mind.
Link: Buzzfeed
Adams was calm and restrained as he met with Matt Davis and myself this afternoon to talk about the Attorney General's findings. There were no tears and no pathos, but also no champagne.
"I welcome the report, the investigation was thorough, tough, but objective," Adams summed up.
There were three questions Adams did not answer during our conversation: He declined to explain the content of text messages sent between Breedlove and himself during the investigation ("it will come out in the full report") and he would not say outright that Breedlove had lied about the alleged City Hall bathroom smooch. Also, when asked whether there were things that surprised him in the report, Adams got mysterious. "Yes, some. I'll keep those to myself," he said.
So was he relieved to see the results of the investigation? "Yes, absolutely."
And does he think that Portlanders can actually make follow up on the City Hall catchphrase of the day and "move on"? "I've been genuinely touched by the amount of compassion and support," the Mayor responded. "There's so much people have given me, and I didn't expect that. When news broke that I was having trouble with the payments on my house, people offered financial assistance, and I didn't expect that."
At the end of our quick ten minutes, I asked whether he, like some of his supporters felt media coverage of him has been unfair since the scandal broke. "It would be disingenuous for me to complain about it," said Adams. "I ran for city commissioner after having worked in politics for eleven years, and I know what the scrutiny of the media is like."
Here's the ten minute interview in convenient video format!
The Portland Cello Project has just released this lovely and sparse video for "Tallymarks." Featuring the enigmatic Thao on vocals, the song is the highlight of their brand new The Thao And Justin Power Sessions recording. It's also not embedded. So you'll have to hoof it over to the Kill Rock Stars site to view it. UPDATE: It is now embedded. Yay.
Know who likes this video?
Kittens.
But that's what you get when you feature a ball of string (which eventually transforms into a DIY cello) in your video.
End Hits: Does this count as my Cat Friday contribution?
While trolling for Heidi and Spencer gossip—I'm a sad and lonely man—I discovered that record label mogul Perez Hilton offered up the "world premiere!!!!!" of the new video from the Gossip.
I wonder if there is a Perez Hilton quote I could use to describe this video?
It's fashion. It's glam. It's simple. It's moody. It's sexy.
Yeah, that'll work. Anyway, the video is for "Heavy Cross," the first single from Music For Men, which is out next week (in the UK).
End Hits: We're fashion, glam, simple, moody, but never sexy. Never.
With a new record on the way The Gossip have created this hot and sweaty infomercial to tell you all about Music For Men. Personally, I'm hoping that years of rampant filesharing have convinced Columbia Records to utilize an alternative distribution method for this album: each copy will be delivered via a pair of bulging pink shorts.
Wait, is that a dog's paw turning off the radio? Bad homophobic puppy, bad!
End Hits: I tried this at my gym. Let's just say I work out at home these days.
I've put off a Nintendo Wii purchase up to this point, but looks like that might change now that the system is about to release an updated version of Punch-Out!!, also known as the single greatest video game of all time*.
Granted, this new version won't have its former namesake—this guy—but it looks like all the old favorites (King Hippo, Piston Honda, Glass Joe) are back. And just when you thought it could not get any better, their commercial features Isiah Whitlock Jr. (The Wire's Clay Davis) as Doc, the wise trainer of a disgraced Little Mac.
Sheeeeeeeeet, looks like I'm buying a Wii.
* according to someone whose video game experience peaked in 1989.
Tara Jane O'Neil's video for "A Vertiginous One," is quite spectacular. The haunting animated clip—which sort of reminds me of this well-received, and absolutely freakish, short—features a character that sort of resembles O'Neil, plenty of dead woodland creatures, diamonds skillfully plucked from an ear canal, and some mild eye bleeding. I did mention that it was haunting, right?
If you can decipher the video, please let me know what you think is going on. I've watched it three times already and, other than thinking it's gorgeous (and creepy), I'm stuck.
Link: P4K | End Hits: Your home for music blogging and animal taxidermy advice.
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