The Bollard Bulletin: July 1, 2024
Local Music Monday: amiright?'s hot new single!
LOCAL MUSIC
There was a Golden Era, around the turn of the last century, when Portland was absolutely filthy with remarkably good indie-rock bands: Cult Maze/Metal Feathers, Brenda, Phantom Buffalo, The RattleSnakes, Foam Castles, Gully, Huak, Purse, Citadel, Spouse, Dead End Armory, Harpswell Sound/The Honey Clouds, Seekonk, etc. Being true indies who didn’t release radio-polished albums or hew to formula, none had a lick of commercial potential and most have since evaporated, gone deeper underground or reformed in new combinations, like Golden Rules the Thumb. For about a decade, it seemed no promising sprouts were growing from this scene anymore (with the notable exception of Lunch Cult), but more likely, I was just getting old and out of touch.
Regardless, it was with great joy that I first heard amiright? a few years back. The gabagool-fueled duo of cousins Noah Grenier-Farwell and Quinn Farwell were leading the next generation of home-recording artists in the indie-rock tradition of smart songwriting and no-fucks-given performance. Their 2018 debut, amiwrong?, started the buzz, and 2020’s Lavender House, which contains some reworked versions of songs from its predecessor, confirmed rumors that this band was something else — casually brilliant, accidentally awesome, lovable despite all the noise.
As they prepare to release a third full-length, Husk of a Body, this year, the cousins, ably joined by bassist and backing vocalist Simi Kunin, release its first single today, “Jaundice,” a track that embodies damn-near everything that makes this group worth hearing: a catchy riff and chorus, intriguingly odd lyrics, and peaks of pure rock glory that Noah can’t help but celebrate having reached at the end. amiright? is making Portland indie rock great again!
MUSIC
The Porthole
Henry Lowry
6 p.m., no cover (all ages)
Portland House of Music
Gina & The Red Eye Flight Crew (funk)
9:30 p.m., $12-$15 (21+)
Portland Lobster Co.
Delta Knights (blues)
6:30 p.m., no cover (all ages)