Sun Shy / Dresses (Album Review by John Koch)

Sun Shy EP Dresses SideOneDummy Records There are a number of things I could write about Dresses that might give you a sense of their potent charm without even mentioning their music. First, the band consists entirely of a young girlfriend-boyfriend couple that, secondly, hails from Portland, Oregon—a destination for hipsters, bohemians, and DIY types […]

Flying Uke / Daniel George (INTERVIEW)

Bridgetown Comedy and PDX Comedy Scene Documentary / Interview with Director Adam Smith

This film is a passion project from filmmakers and comedy fans Shannan Hunt and Adam Smith, Who came up with the idea to make a short film about one of the things they look forward to all year-The Bridgetown Comedy Festival. After a few months of pre-production and securing interviews, we brought Bridgetown Comedy Festival […]

Mega Ran in Language Arts (Volumes 1, 2, 3) / Random (aka Mega Ran) (Album Review by John Koch)

This review has me backtracking in more than one sense: first, because this series of records, Mega Ran in Language Arts, was released in May 2012.  (That said, untimeliness is nothing new with my nerdcore reviews—see my review of Dual Core’s All The Things, published 10 months after its release date).  Secondly, because of a […]

Funny Over Everything: Ian Karmel’s Farewell Show at the Hollywood Theatre

I love this city so much (Portland). I was already planning on moving (to Los Angeles), it’s like getting into Harvard (getting into the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal)…is like getting drafted in the first round, to use a sports metaphor. There have been moments where I felt like I don’t want […]

Pacific Rim (Spoiler-Free Reaction)

In this day and age, it’s easy to get caught up in the culture of hype. As a person who is reviewing a work or giving a recommendation of some type of material, there is always the risk of overselling. People stop heeding what you have to say after a while if you make a […]

Trouble is a Lonesome Town / Thriftstore Masterpiece (Album Review by John Koch)

Thriftstore Masterpiece Trouble is a Lonesome Town SideOneDummy Records In 1963, Lee Hazlewood released his debut album, Trouble is a Lonesome Town. Hazlewood recorded Trouble as a demo for a label that ended up releasing the album simply as it was. The songs, which feature Hazlewood’s voice over an acoustic guitar, tell tales of a […]

I Black Out / Nathan Brannon INTERVIEW

We previously spoke with Portland-based comedian Nathan Brannon during the Bridgetown Comedy Festival. Brannon is an ultra-talented comic who has opened for big-timers like Dave Chappelle and Dave Attell. He was crowned the winner of Helium Comedy Club’s “Portland’s Funniest Person Comedy Competition” in 2012 and seems to be on a trajectory and path of success similar […]

All the Things / Dual Core (Album Review by John Koch)

The first rap CD I owned was Dr. Dre’s The Chronic.  There are probably many other people who can say the same thing—even after I qualify that statement by saying I was a preppy high school kid growing up in an upper-middle class suburb at the time.  I had signed up for the BMG Music […]

I Razor (FILM) / Circus Devils x Five Productions (REVIEW by John Koch)

I Razor is the first feature-length film produced by Circus Devils.  Some readers may be familiar with Circus Devils as the psychedelic rock band of which Robert Pollard (lead singer of Guided By Voices) is a well-known member.  Pollard formed the band with musicians Todd and Tim Tobias in 2001.  The band has released nine […]

Joe Sib INTERVIEW

During the comedic whirlwind of the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland, Oregon, we had the chance to take a break from the entertainment onslaught and hang out with stand-up comedian and performer, Joe Sib. The Los Angeles-based renaissance man could not be any more amiable as we shot the breeze for the better part of an […]

Bridgetown Comedy Festival 2013 RECAP PART 3

(PART 1 and PART 2) PART 3 Our third day began with a great conversation with punk rockstar-turned-music mogul/comic/host/one man show, Joe Sib (interview and pics coming soon). The Los Angeles-based renaissance man couldn’t be any more chill as we shot the breeze for the better part of an hour. A casual photo shoot followed […]