The Orphan Review Recommends: Port O'Brien

As if it wasn't enough that San Diego's The Black Heart Procession will grace the stage at Spaceland tonight, you've now got a reason to get to the show a little early. Opening for BHP is Port O'Brien, a folk quartet hailing from Oakland, CA. The group's mastermind is Van Pierszalowski, who named his project Port O'Brien, after the cannery site where his parents met in the late 60's. See, his dad is a fisherman off the coast of Kodiak Island in Alaska, and VP still spends his summers at sea working on his father's boat--hence the title of Port O'Brien's latest release, The Wind and The Swell. They kinda sound like Akron/Family meets Modest Mouse. In fact, now that I think about it, the tracks offered on their myspace remind me a LOT of Lonesome Crowded West. But see for yourself: download the free tracks, and if you dig their sound (the odds are high) go to the show tonight at Spaceland and tell me how it is. I won't be there cause I'll be celebrating the 24th anniversary of the birth of the Fever Dragon. Happy birthday, dude.

DOWNLOAD:
The Black Heart Procession - Not Just Words (MP3)
Port O'Brien - My Eyes Won't Shut (MP3)
Port O'Brien - Five and Dime (MP3)

Hi Ho - Didn't ya know? The tale of Henry Clay and the lying weatherman

'Tis that time of year again, boys and girls. 'Tis the skating time.

As is it's yearly tradition, Spaceland plays host every Thursday of the final winter month to a season-long program (Dec. 6 through Jan. 8) featuring an elite selection of local musical guests doing - you guessed it - things on ice. These little ice skate soirees take place amidst Pershing Square and typically go from about 8 p.m. until nearly 11 p.m.... UNLESS IT RAINS.

Raining on my parade meant no Henry Clay People last Thursday.

Background info: This band has been followed by the L.A. Times, has graced an L.A. Record cover, and most recently rocked the Little Radio Xmas party.

The weather man claimed only a twenty-percent chance of rain in the downtown area. When I arrived and it was pouring at 8 p.m., it became glaringly clear that the weather man had been drinking Grandma's cough syrup when he cast his story, and despite my many elaborate months of cunningly tracking this band for my own advantage - so was everyone else.

Golden Moment: All hail Jennifer Tefft. Rain/unused ice skate/frozen phalanges aside, you are a goddess. You make this little skater's heart go pitter patter in any weather condition.