Saturday night in Portland, OR at the Twilight Bar & Cafe, notable Brooklyn timber nymphs, Woods are passing through town on tour and dragging their mid-tempo folky shadow pop through the densely forested Northwest territory along with them. Harboring the same harrowing sonic pleasantries as their excellent contemporaries like RTFO Bandwagon and Josephine Foster, Woods create simple and honest music that goes a long way. Utilizing acoustic folk minimalism to great effect, Woods transpose their songs into campfire-style melodies that offer nothing angry or dissonant, and create an overall feeling of warmth and sedation within their carefully interwoven structures. With several hunt-worthy releases available on their own Woodsist Records along with Not Not Fun, and Shrimper Records, don't leave yourself in the dark and check out this impressive group of musicians before they evaporate into a fine mist right before your eyes.
As the name Meth Teeth has rapidly gained a far more positive connotation this year than ever before, this Portland mainstay has erupted into one of the region's best assets, and continues to drive their point home with deranged, yet beautifully arranged songs that continue to defy categorization, yet instantly get under your skin. With only one 7" EP released on Sweet Rot last year, and their debut LP on the same label being finished up at the moment, I can honestly say it's one of my most anticipated debut albums. From their most eerie, quiet numbers that formulate a brooding evil presence lurking in the shadows, to their straightforward pillaging of the definition of how "pop" music is loosely defined in 2008, Meth Teeth have the dexterity to create grotesquely appealing simple songs that send chills up your spine and drain your body of its resistances. Look out for another sure-to-be-impressive split 7" with Meth Teeth and San Diego's Christmas Island on Sacred Bones sometime soon as well, and track down a copy of the Bus Rides 7" EP if you don't already have it.
Local lunatics The Blimp and MOM start off the show and usher in the delirious tone of the evening, so if you're in the Portland are this weekend, it's a show not to be missed.
check out a video for Woods playing "Don't Pass on Me" on the Porch at Cinders Gallery courtesy of stovids, right here...
