Upstairs pt2: Thanksgiving and Parenthetical Girls
Posted by: Greg | From: July 29, 2006
Ok, Nice Nice just totally rocked it, but more on that in a minute. First, where was I? Oh, yeah. . .
Thanksgiving is a hybrid Portland/Olympia band that comes across as something like The Microphones meets Chicago -- big horn soul crossed with shambling intimacy and a bit of hippie drum circle. A lot their their songs have a bit of "Native American" pop feeling (an effect that was advanced by their dancer/tambourine player wearing a prarie dress and a bandana over her face like a wild west villain). They also managed to cram more people onto the upstairs stage than I've ever seen at the festival (I think they maxed out a ten) and to put together the most exciting set ending of any act so far: a big chaotic noice followed by a horn punch and ten people jumping into the air. Awesome!
Wrapping up the upstairs set was Parenthetical Girls, fronted by sometime Portland music journalist Zac Pennington. Parenthetical Girls are definitely of a family with Xiu Xiu and Les Mouches, those rare bands that manage to be both loud and sensitive, even fay, at the same time. It's a spooky effect. Parenthetical Girls replaced those other bands' textural and dynamic experiments with a greater song-writerly-ness, adding a little bit of Stephen Merrit or The Decemberists into the mix (the second comparison especially comes to mind because of how closely Pennington's voice resembles Colin Meloy's). Also, all of their songs seemed to be about giving birth. That or dead mothers.
...worms are starting now and man are they loud (one of our merch dudes, Teddy, just shouted "makes the eardrums bleed!" I'm going to go check that out and then I'll be back with that and the good word on Nice Nice.
Carlos --
I meant it vibe wise -- and it terms of the K Records association -- but also because of how many of the actual olympia kids showed up to cheer them on. I definitely think of them as part of the growing Portland/Olympia axis which includes The Blow, Mirah, etc, all the actual Olympia transplants.
I could totally see how my post might have been confusing though (that's what you get for blogging at breakneck speed for three days while not sleeping or eating), so thanks for clarifying. And thanks for getting so many of your great bands to play the fest!
Posted by: Greg at August 6, 2006 1:15 PM
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None of the members from Thanksgiving are related to Olympia except vibe wise. Maybe you meant it that way though? The associated with Krecs way which is very true? But just for clarification, I thought I'd go ahead and make a little note. Thank you for the kick ass review and love, Carlos.
Posted by: carlos at August 5, 2006 11:00 PM