Thanks to the musicianship of both members of Beach House, Bloom is an amazingly consistent album. Victoria Legrand’s vocals remain fairly subdued, mixed low so as not to over power any of the instrumenation and music that Alex Scally has crafted. Wild and The Hours are wonderful examples of the build up pay off that Legrand and Scally seem to pull off. Almost ethereal intros that culminate with the addiditon of the reverbed vocal lines.

The album makes use of both electronic insutrments, as well as more conventional sounds. There seems to be a good balance between the two so that it never feels that out of place when the focus shifts from one song to the next. The song Lazuli lets the music be carried by an arpeggiating synth sound while other sounds and effects are added. Troublemaker, however relies on great guitar work and solid percussion to accomplish the same thing. The differences in the sounds of these songs still works completely in the context of the piece as a whole.

Bloom could almost be mistaken for a lullaby. One that stretches over the course of ten songs. There is an almost hypnotic quality that pulls the listener in and just soothes them. It seems fitting that the final song Irene fades away, leaving about five minutes of silence after the music ends. This is not an album that will fire up the blood and set the heart pounding. This is an album that can be put on and let settle into the background.

Willamette Week’s Musicfest NW announces this year’s festival line-up which will be held at various venues around the Portland, OR metropolitan area on September 16, 17, 18 & 19. Do note all shows are first come first-served. Please visit http://musicfestnw.com/tix for details on performers and where to purchase passes.

MFNW continues its tradition of supporting diverse genres that will appeal to every music fan. It’s also a great opportunity to visit one of the best cities in America.

On the heels of the most successful MFNW to date, MFNW 2009 launches with nothing but the hope of a bigger and better festival. MFNW’s ultimate aim is to provide Portland with a unique and special musical experience that features all types of acts including nationally renowned artists while still honoring and supporting the special musical scene of the Northwest.

Seattle’s KEXP radio will broadcast live from Portland at The Doug Fir Lounge September 17-18 during MFNW, with live performances from artists playing the festival. Listener-powered and community supported, KEXP not only serves Seattle but also has a large loyal listener base in Portland and around the world who tune into WWW.KEXP.ORG through online streaming.

Last year, MFNW 2008 national talent roster boasted acts such TV on The Radio, Vampire Weekend, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, M Ward, Mogwai, The Fuck Buttons and so many more. MFNW also saw a double in attendance last year and brought in more community partnerships than ever before. The last eight years of the annual September festival have unquestionably met that goal, as MFNW has become synonymous with the region’s best music, while experiencing 25-30% growth in attendance.

How MFNW came to be one of Portland’s biggest music festivals began with the departure of the North By Northwest music festival (NXNW), in 2000. Willamette Week, Portland’s alternative weekly and longtime co-producer of NXNW, teamed up with members of the local and regional music scene to create a new music festival in 2001: MFNW.

Confirmed to play are national & regional acts (more acts to follow in the coming months):

Sunny Day Real Estate

Explosions In Sky

Bad Brains

Girl Talk

The Get Up Kids

Will Sheff (of Okkervil River)

Dirty Three

Monotonix

Mudhoney

Frightened Rabbit

Twilight Sad

Dillinger Four

Swollen Members

Grand Duchy

Beach House

John Vanderslice

The Long Winters

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart

Pink Mountaintops

OM

Portugal The Man

Viva Voce

The Builders and The Butchers

Langhorne Slim

Bobby Bare Jr.

Chairlift

Loch Lomond

Team Dresch

Erase Errata

J.D. Twitch (Optimo)

Eluvium

Youth Group

Titus Andronicus

The Zeros

Mount Eerie

Trash Talk

Despise You

Crom

Japanther

Mayer Hawthorne & The County

Grouper

Richard Swift

Austin Lucas

Amazing Baby

Brother Reade

Love Language

Anders Parker

The Morning Benders

The Miniature Tigers

Common Market

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

We Were Promised Jetpacks

Say Hi

Rocky Votolato

Cymbals Eats Guitars

Copy

Red Fang

Saviours

Norfolk & Western

Nurses

Explode Into Colors

Portland Cello Project

Guidance Counselor

Fences

And much much more….

STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, ISLANDS, RA RA RIOT, THE HELIO SEQUENCE, BEACH HOUSE, TIMES NEW VIKING, JAGUAR LOVE, THE DODOS, ANNUALS, FILM SCHOOL, PARTS & LABOR, DRAGONS OF ZYNTH, THESE ARE POWERS, DJs TED LEO and DeadHeat
PERFORMS TO RECORD CROWDS

On Saturday, July 19, 2008 the SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL at Coney Island, NYC drew 100,000 music fans throughout the day to the annual free event.

The Siren Festival 2008 line-up including STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, ISLANDS, RA RA RIOT, THE HELIO SEQUENCE, BEACH HOUSE, TIMES NEW VIKING, JAGUAR LOVE, THE DODOS, ANNUALS, FILM SCHOOL, PARTS & LABOR, DRAGONS OF ZYNTH, THESE ARE POWERS, with DJ sets by TED LEO and DEADHEAT drew fans to the two outdoor stages located on West 10th Street and Stillwell Avenue in historic Coney Island.

This year’s sponsors included Budweiser, iClips Network, Zig Zag Live, Virgin Megastore, NY Bartending School, Hop Stop, Guitar Center, Sobieski Vodka, DeVry College of New York, Astroland Amusement Park and promotional partner Filter Magazine.

Photo by David Atlas/Siren Music Festival

SIREN AFTER-PARTY immediately followed the festival at Music Hall of Williamsburg featuring performances by APES & ANDROIDS, A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS and MARNIE STERN.

Siren Festival 2008 has been covered to date by The New York Times, The New York Post, The Daily News, Time Out New York, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Billboard, Spin, Rolling Stone, MTV News, NME, Filter, CMJ, AOL, Flavorpill, Tripwire, The Onion, Pitchfork, amNY, Brooklyn Vegan, Papermag.com, CW11, WNYC and CBS Radio.

ISLANDS, RA RA RIOT join STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, THE HELIO SEQUENCE, BEACH HOUSE, TIMES NEW VIKING, JAGUAR LOVE, THE DODOS, ANNUALS, FILM SCHOOL,
PARTS & LABOR, DRAGONS OF ZYNTH, THESE ARE POWERS

The Village Voice, the nation’s largest alternative weekly newspaper, is excited to announce the addition of ISLANDS and RA RA RIOT to the line-up for the 8th Annual Village Voice SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ at Coney Island on Saturday, July 19, 2008 from 12:00 noon – 9pm. ISLANDS and RA RA RIOT join scheduled performers STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, THE HELIO SEQUENCE, BEACH HOUSE, TIMES NEW VIKING, JAGUAR LOVE, THE DODOS, ANNUALS, FILM SCHOOL, PARTS & LABOR, DRAGONS OF ZYNTH, THESE ARE POWERS and DJs spinning throughout the day.

This free, all day, all ages music festival will feature international, national and local bands and DJs performing on two outdoor stages in historic Coney Island. Now in its 8th year, the Village Voice
SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ has solidified its status as a leading New York City outdoor music festival, drawing over 100,000 music fans by showcasing indie rock veterans and emerging artists.

Budweiser returns to the Village Voice SIREN MUSIC FESTIVAL™ as the exclusive beer sponsor for the 8th consecutive year. Other sponsors include iClips Network, Zig Zag Live, Virgin Megastore,
NY Bartending School, Hop Stop, Guitar Center and Astroland Amusement Park. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.