Music and stories – locally made escapes for the long, dark nights ahead
It’s the damp and dark time of the year in the Pacific Northwest. We’re all spending more time indoors. Native Americans traditionally regard this time of year as a time of shared storytelling. Modern-day artists in Portland are combining first-class music with stories, and listening to them can provide a unique family experience.
Luckily, we live in an area that is ripe with wildly creative music and storytelling talent. The “fertile kindie rock scene” in Portland yields brilliant and offbeat story-songs by artists like Lori Henriques, Mo Phillips, Pointed Man Band and several others. Local musician-illustrator Julianna Bright recently released one of the dreamiest and most imaginative songs ever recorded for children. It’s called Cat Doorman, and it has won national acclaim, radio airplay and awards. Starting this winter, the artist who is a “big believer in the power of story and song to make us kinder, braver, better humans,” will release a series of digital Cat Doorman EPs.
A transplant from the dry hills of Austin, TX has found inspiration from the dark, cool arboreal depths of the Pacific Northwest. Red Yarn (aka Andy Fergeson) released an album of story-songs called “The Deep Woods” earlier this year. This dad-artist blends the time-tested appeal of folk music with his own original song and story lines. His “Deep Woods” yield witty tales of amusing animal characters who take on a life of their own. As the story-songs build to a rousing crescendo (a la Mumford and Sons), they exude a curious excitement and mystery. Red Yarn’s live performances are irresistible foot-stomping jamborees. He’s put together a creative team to create a 25-minute TV pilot which debuts next month at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland. Check out the just-released music video (soon to be available on DVD, “Rattlesnake,” HERE.
Another ambitious and creative new made-in-Portland release is “The Peculiar Tales of the S.S. Bungalow,” created by “a bunch of storytellers, musicians, artists, and oddballs.” A salty narrator, skeptical kids’ voices, and old-time jazzy music help carry this all-ages tale of adventure on the high seas. As the tale unfolds, it manages to convey a message against prejudice and xenophobia without resorting to preachiness. The beautifully illustrated two-CD package (available locally via the artists’ website in November, and via iTunes and national distributors soon) includes a disc featuring the full nautical quest story and a second disc of 13 original songs. Here’s a video of a recent performance of the S.S. Bungalow.
Sure, you can get a sense of these wonderful story-songs by clicking the online streams on your smartphone. But purchasing albums is still a great way to build a family listening library. And when you pay for a recording, you’re supporting the work of independent and local artists.
Live performances by real storyteller-musicians is also a great way to help your local scene flourish. So, as the gloom gathers this fall, drag your cabin-fevered clan out to enjoy any of these shows:
Red Yarn
- November 8th – 11 am to 12 noon – Thinker Toys 20th Anniversary Celebration: Music, puppetry and storytelling
- December 6th at 3:30 and 5 pm. – “The Deep Woods” TV pilot/DVD premiere and performance — Clinton Street Theater
- November and December – Wednesdays at 10 am, The Village Ballroom; Thursdays at 5 pm, Mississippi Pizza, and Fridays at 10 am, the Warehouse Café.
The Peculiar Tales of the S.S. Bungalow
- Nov 8th at 2 pm — Green Bean Books – adventure story and music.
- Nov 29th at 2 pm – Portland Saturday Market Main Stage
- December 7th at 5 pm — Mississippi Pizza
