LISTEN-June 2011
Text + photograph by Bryan Bruchman

Bryan Bruchman doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to music happenings around Maine. Every issue, he fills the calendar with the best concerts, album releases, and news from your favorite artists and venues.

News + Releases

Kenneth Masloski, an experimental musician from Sidney who works under the name “inkmink,” is currently recording an album based on works by modernist illustrator Charley Harper. His inspiration for the project? A wall calendar featuring Harper’s work. So far, the tracks span a variety of ambient music genres from downtempo electronic beats and textural soundscapes to audio collages reminiscent of documentary audio recordings.

The Milkman’s Union continue their takeover of the southern Maine indie-rock scene with their new single, “Texas Hold Me,” available digitally and on vinyl. The B-side track, “Little Bird,” features guest vocals from Lady Lamb the Beekeeper’s Aly Spaltro, who also contributed vocals to another friend’s recent album: Jesse Pilgrim and the Bonfire’s Trial and Error, which includes a duet between Spaltro and Pilgrim on the bittersweet country jam “Lead Me Down.”

Congratulations to The Modest Proposal, of Freeport, for winning the 2011 MAMM SLAM finals, which took place at Port City Music Hall on April 30. The six-piece group—now officially known as the Best High School Band in Maine—not only took home an assortment of professional services (photography, graphic design, and studio time) and a cash prize, but they also got to revel in their rock star glory immediately, opening for local pop-punk heroes Sparks The Rescue on the night of their big win.

Upcoming Concerts

Portugal. The Man
June 1 | 8 p.m. Replete with experimental pop hooks, vocal Jack White-isms, fuzzed-out guitars, and chaos to spare, this quartet began in Wasilla, Alaska, but they currently call the other Portland home. This long-awaited stop in Maine will be the band’s first.
Port City Music Hall | Portland | portcitymusichall.com

Travis Cyr, Dark Hollow Bottling Company + Okbari
June 3 | 7 p.m.
For a small venue, Blue manages to pack in a lot of talent. On this night, which coincides with the First Friday Art Walk, you can hear local psychobilly folk legend Travis Cyr (who also happens to be the brains behind July’s Arootsakoostik Music Festival) and rootsy heavyweights Dark Hollow Bottling Com- pany. Don’t miss the mind-expanding Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble at 10 p.m.
Blue | Portland | portcityblue.com

Stone Mountain Live
June 4 | 7:30 p.m.
Following a 20-year hiatus, Stone Moun- tain’s founder Carol Noonan brings her band, Knots and Crosses, back to the stage for a rare appearance.
Stone Mountain Arts Center | Brownfield | stonemountainartscenter.com

Jesse Pilgrim + The Bonfire
June 10 | 8 p.m.
Bridging the gap between folk and punk, Jesse Pilgrim sings songs about the people and places of Maine—with a healthy bit of booze thrown in. Joining the Bonfire are the like-minded (though more country-tinged) Goddamn Rattlesnake and GraveRobbers.
The Oak + The Ax | Biddeford | theoakandtheax.blogspot.com

Chris Isaak
June 14 | 7:30 p.m.
With his recording career now passing the quarter-century mark, Chris Isaak has cre- ated an extensive catalog, including “Wicked Game” and “Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing.” He’ll play the singles, of course, but make sure to give the newer songs—like those off 2009’s Mr. Lucky—a chance.
State Theatre | Portland | statetheatreportland.com