Do you own a good set of headphones? I’m not talking about earbuds, the best of which still feel (and sound) like I’m jamming a pair of Wrath Of Khan ear worms inside my tortured canals. I’m talking about real headphones, the kind that look like you’re wearing coconuts, the kind that squeeze your head ’til you start seeing colors. Mine are for use on a movie set, and beyond that I only pull them out for special occasions.
This week was a special occasion.
One of the pleasures of spending so much of my last three years in Portland, Oregon is the immersion I’ve had in Portland’s indie rock scene – arguably the most vibrant in the land (with apologies to Brooklyn). You’ve most likely heard of Portland’s more famous acts (The Decemberists, M. Ward, The Dandy Warhols) as well as their eclectic collection of immigrants (The Shins, Modest Mouse, Spoon). If there is a “Portland sound,” I can’t hear it, although the songwriting of the late Elliot Smith set the bar so high that I don’t ever recall tuning out a Portland band due to inane lyrics.
But it’s Portland’s less famous bands that have become a major muse as the “Blue Like Jazz” screenplay has taken shape. There’s a track by the mighty Viva Voce that gets me in the mood to write. I listen to Dat’r every time I tweak the Renn Fayre scene. Just about any track by The Helio Sequence makes whatever I’m working on seem better.
And then there’s the band that made me strap on the coconuts this week: Menomena.
If you’re already a fan, then we are bonded for life by virtue of our shared exquisite taste. If you’ve never heard of them, then it’s my highest honor to make this introduction, and you are now forever in my debt.
Josh at Grimey’s (our local record store) was the guy who directed me to their “I Am The Fun Blame Monster” debut six years ago, and I was so captivated that I even licensed a track for my first movie. Since then, I’ve bought their entire recorded output, including side projects. If I try to describe their sound, I’m going to do us all a disservice, because they don’t really sound like anybody. Here’s what I can tell you: 1) They are three consummate musicians; 2) Their average height is roughly equal to the Portland Trailblazers. 3) Their live show is brilliant; 4) They’ve brought the art of album packaging to new heights; 5) After a long exile, they’ve made the saxophone once again sound like it belongs in a rock band.
The only problem with their last album, “Friend Or Foe,” is that I couldn’t imagine how they’d top it. Which is probably why it’s taken them three years to come up with a new one.
Do you remember the first time you heard, say, Radiohead’s “OK Computer”? If you’re like me, you weren’t sure what you just heard, but you were pretty sure it was The Sound Of Greatness.
That’s the Sound I heard coming through my mega-phones this week as I closed my eyes and listened to a pre-release of Menomena’s forthcoming album “MINES.” Sadly, you won’t be able to have that experience until the album’s release in July…
…but in the meantime, if you need further proof, I dare you to click here.
