Despite a sparse turnout at the Hi-Dive, Portland’s Shaky Hands poured tons of energy into their middle slot on Tuesday night.  I’d last seen the band when James pulled me out to their much-hyped first CD release at Holocene, Easter 2007.  With the advent of a new album (Lunglight) and a few lineup changes, their sound has changed a bit, but I definitely still like what I hear.  Of special note for this recording, the set contains a slew of new songs: “Slip Away”, ‘Let It Die”, and several others that are too fresh for me to track down titles for!

Also, keep an eye out for recordings of Ohbijou and The Acorn from the same night, which I hope to post later this weekend.

The Shaky Hands
10.28.2008
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 >
Firewire > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. unknown
2. Loosen Up
3. Slip Away
4. unknown
5. Show Me Your Life
6. Let It Die
7. The Sleepless
8. Fire In The Western World
9. I’m Alive
10. unknown

The Builders and the Butchers have already been through town twice this year, and are coming back for a third time, opening for Amanda  Palmer on December 6th at the Bluebird.  If you’ve never heard this Portland group, I highly recommend checking out their self-titled debut.  The band, fronted by Ryan Sollee, applies a dark 1800’s mentality to acoustic folk music, but they approach the art in a manner that tends to be more fun (and far less creepy) than Denver-based goth-country artists such as Slim or Munly.

Oh, and their live show is off the hook, as demonstrated by this live set from the Hi-Dive last month.

The Builders And The Butchers
9.10.2008
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Red Hands
2. Short Way Home
3. Raise Up Your Weary Hands
4. Bottom of the Lake
5. Down In This Hole
6. Devil Town
7. In The Branches
8. The Coal Mine Fall
9. Black Dresses
10. Vampire Lake
11. When It Rains
12. Spanish Death Song

Here’s the second night of A Weather‘s Colorado jaunt, where they opened for Point Juncture WA at the Hi-Dive.  The previous night’s set in Colorado Springs is available in a previous post.

A Weather
9.15.2008
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 >
WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack (inthistube [at] gmail.com)

Setlist:
1. Screw Up Your Courage
2. Spiders, Snakes
3. Pinky Toe
4. “Happiness”
5. Oh My Stars
6. “Lay Me Down”
7. In This Light

(Here’s a zipfile of the full show via megaupload.)

A Weather = Another spectacular Portland band I stumbled across this month.  Normally performing as a 5-piece, they trimmed down for touring, hitting the road as a trio consisting of Aaron Gerber, Sarah Winchester, and Lou Thomas.  Taking a minimalist approach can be risky, but with A Weather the sparse arrangements work without a hitch, proving an intimate listening experience, even in a cavernous room like the Black Sheep.  Be sure to check out their debut album, “Cove”, which is certain to find a place amongst my best-of-2008 list.  :)

A Weather
9.14.2008
The Black Sheep, Colorado Springs, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 >
WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack (inthistube [at] gmail.com)

Setlist:
1. Screw Up Your Courage
2. Spiders, Snakes
3. Shirley Road Shirley
4. Oh My Stars
5. In This Light
6. “Lay Me Down”

(Here’s a zipfile of the full show via megaupload.)

Considering the number of bands that come out of Portland, it’s no surprise that some great talent can be overlooked from time to time.  One of my Oregon favorites, Point Juncture, WA, has passed under the radar for far too long.  They’ve been on the road in support of their brand new release, Heart of Elk, and managed two stops in Colorado this month.  Here’s the Denver set, with the Colorado Springs recording to follow soon…

Point Juncture, WA
9.15.2008
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 >
WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack (inthistube [at] gmail.com)

Setlist:
1. intro
2. Seven
3. Sioux Arrow
4. ?
5. Kings Part II
6. The Kings Were Good
7. ?
8. Once Tasted Ever Wanted
9. Viking Mission to Mars

(And here’s the full show as a single zipfile.)