With side projects, you always learn a thing or two about the scope of the musician’s interests and influences. At Slainte on Saturday two members of two of Portland’s most popular rock acts shared with a full house their latest musical endeavors. And, as we had hoped, there were some surprises.
Daro (led by Cambiata guitarist Sean Morin) are a five-piece ensemble that could be one of Portland's most interesting new acts. They blend contemplative alt-country with an atmospheric openness. Morin's voice has a wide range but is always soft and even sometimes calming. They do go big sometimes, but like Morin’s lyrics, the grander aspects of the band are always controlled and down to earth.
Why Hello performed acoustically, in a solo performance by frontman Billy Libby. Libby has a golden voice and a knack for writing a perfect pop song. Sometimes like the Shins, sometimes like The Format, Billy sang his big lovable heart out. His lyrics stick to the theme of romance, but he sneaks in a bit of wit and cynicism that gives his songs a more playful voice. If you want a well-performed drama, pull home aside and ask him to sing you Aladdin’s "A Whole New World." It’s flawless.
Related:
Push all the livid out, Skeleton crew, Readers' picks 2007: Arts and Entertainment, More 
- Push all the livid out
Just when you thought it was safe to slag all those pesky young people with a reputation for laziness, here comes Sean Morin.
- Skeleton crew
With a sound rooted several thousand miles away in the Pacific Northwest, Figurines prove there’s something brilliant in the state of Denmark.
- Readers' picks 2007: Arts and Entertainment
SPACE Gallery, Dock Fore, the White Heart, and more.
- Avi Buffalo | Avi Buffalo
Look, I get it: the last thing we need right now is yet another band who can be described as “sun-baked,” “reverb-soaked,” or even just “psychedelic.” But Avi Buffalo (I know! An animal name to boot!) are worth your attention for a few reasons.
- Funny business
“Ashlee Simpson’s new album sold so poorly,” snorted the headline on Yahoo! this past week, that “it was beaten by a comedy album.”
- What’s the story?
‘Liam Gallagher should have stayed in England,’ opined Newsday after a show on Long Island.
- Broken Bells | Broken Bells
Danger Mouse ( né Brian Burton) had a pretty good run through the '00s, a decade that saw him go from a mash-up nobody to producer du jour for a motley assortment of artists.
- The down side
This is the same kind of self-alienation that dominated Funeral , except now there’s no tunnel, no back seat, no time for wishful thinking. Arcade Fire, "Black Mirror" (mp3)
- Tales from the ’hood
From the beat of the first hand-slapped tambourine, you know who you’re listening to.
- Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso is Brazil’s Bob Dylan, Burt Bacharach, and Paul Simon all rolled into one.
- Little band with a big sound
Throughout my notes on the Boston quartet Gypsy Schaeffer, I’ve written “great tune.”
- Less
Topics:
Museum And Gallery
, Entertainment, Music, The Shins, More
, Entertainment, Music, The Shins, Sean Morin, Less
