Jon Wyman

Latest Articles

We heart these people

Meet Portland's most influential
We all know Portland is a busy, exciting place to live. It takes a lot of people's amazing energy to keep it going, though. Who's doing the moving and the shaking?
By JEFF INGLIS | February 10, 2010

Second summer

Catching up with discs missed
Summer's over, the kids are getting back to school and I'm loath to turn the seasonal page. The music's been terrific. New discs by Spencer and the School Spirit Mafia, Grand Hotel, dilly dilly, Samuel James, and Gypsy Tailwind have highlighted the depth and breadth of our local talent and the return of shows on the pier has reminded many of us just what a great summer town this can be.
By SAM PFEIFLE | August 26, 2009

Seeing Sparks

The Fearless release of Eyes to the Sun
Those hardcore fans among you already have much of Eyes to the Sun in your collection. Sparks the Rescue have been selling nine of these 12 songs on a disc they've brought to shows and mailed out from time to time.
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 29, 2009

The way things will be

The Goodnight Process offer a strong debut
The Goodnight Process have a little bit of the next-big-thing about them.
By SAM PFEIFLE | March 11, 2009

The same mistakes?

Joshua Madore returns with D4988
Joshua Madore and his gravelly whisper entered the local scene in 2007 with The Same Mistakes.
By SAM PFEIFLE | February 04, 2009

Which way is up?

This Way may not Make History , but they certainly rock out
You’ve seen them in the Old Port, whether it’s just J Biddy, or as Crossfire Inferno, playing plenty of rock covers, slipping in originals more and more often recently .
By SAM PFEIFLE | December 03, 2008

Portland scene report: November 21, 2008

Sibilance starts now
Sibilance starts now
By PORTLAND PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | November 19, 2008

Pump up the Volume

A Twisted Roots retrospective (with five new songs)
Nowadays, it’s hard to remember that Twisted Roots ever broke up in the first place.
By SAM PFEIFLE | October 16, 2008

A chilling spray

Sailing the brooding waters of the Baltic Sea
Those of us desperate to escape the singles-saturation our MP3 existence has thrust upon the modern musical landscape and return to album rock now have a band we can get behind — the Baltic Sea.
By SAM PFEIFLE | July 30, 2008

Okay, I’m Biased

Looking forward to a summer of Jerks, Phantoms, and Tules
Is our local music scene actually better because so little national and international talent comes here?
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 18, 2008

Portland scene report: April 25, 2008

Sibilance starts now
The old Goud's Thumb boys seem to have come out of hibernation in earnest.
By PORTLAND PHOENIX MUSIC STAFF | April 23, 2008

Listener, Heal thyself

The Cambiata’s new EP is a cure for many ills
It's possible things are getting a touch too literary for your average music consumer.
By SAM PFEIFLE | January 31, 2008

Let’s talk numbers

Cult Maze move well beyond Ice Arena with 35, 36
There’s some talk that Cult Maze are the best rock band in Portland right now.
By SAM PFEIFLE | November 07, 2007

Fall out boys and girls

Somehow, things heat up as summer closes
Everything about that sounds worldly and intellectually satisfying, something you could say for much of what’s happening this fall on the local music front.
By SAM PFEIFLE | September 12, 2007

Call the Truckers

Scott Link is Coming Around
It seems the big new thing on the local music scene is to include one super-cool cover from the ’80s on your new album.
By SAM PFEIFLE | July 11, 2007

Rustic reunion

Are there Overtones of something long-term?
Yes, Rustic Overtones are back.
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 06, 2007

Mistakes were made

But Joshua Madore has produced a fine debut, nonetheless
The Portland music scene has a case of the single white males.
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 02, 2007

Feed the kitty

Cat and Mouse compilation gets better with age
There is finally a challenger to Corn Meal Records’ Greetings from AreaCode 207 series.
By SAM PFEIFLE | April 25, 2007

Portland scene report: April 13, 2007

Sibilance starts now
Mark Curdo is a pretty busy guy, what with his radio gig on WCYY, and things are about to get busier.
By PORTLAND MUSIC STAFF | April 11, 2007

Survivor: Portland

Jake Roche returns with a solo debut
When Jeremiah Freed decided in early 2005 to depart Portland for the sunny climes and cutthroat industry of Los Angeles, guitarist Jake Roche didn’t make the trip.
By SAM PFEIFLE | January 31, 2007

Short and self-titled

Debut EPs from Katrina Abramo and Zach Romanoff
People might debate the artistic and moral value of American Idol as the final rounds approach, but is there anyone on earth who can’t get with the opening round tryouts?
By SAM PFEIFLE | January 26, 2007

Living Wage

Living Wage
I had a girlfriend once who claimed to experience actual orgasms every time Phish played “Chalkdust Torture.”
By SAM PFEIFLE | November 01, 2006

Portland scene report: October 27, 2006:

Sibilance
Moss Mountain Project, a dark and mysterious alt-country outfit, will be releasing Catfish Grouper Snapper December 16 at SPACE, despite earlier reports that it might happen in October.
By SIBILANCE | October 25, 2006

Do what they mean

Loverless are a lean Fighter machine
When 2006 wraps up, it’ll be hard to think of another show as fun as the Big Easy’s stage for the Best Music Poll Festival back in May, with Cosades and Loverless opening for Rock Kills Kid.
By SAM PFEIFLE | September 20, 2006

No 'Wasted' effort

Soundtrack
If you know the guys from Paranoid Social Club, it’s not hard to believe they’d like a movie like Beerfest , full of booze jokes, scantily clad women, and scatological humor.
By SAM PFEIFLE | September 13, 2006

Portland scene report: September 1, 2006

Sibilance
Dominic and the Lucid have finished tracking on the follow up to 2004’s Vinyl Human .
By SIBILANCE | August 30, 2006

Everything but the girl

Gocasual delivers The Whole Time I Knew You
What would rock be without girls?
By SAM PFEIFLE | August 02, 2006

Pocket rockets

The Whatnot deliver a galloping second record
The Whatnot open their sophomore full-length, One More for Pocket , with “Apathy,” a song that appears to be about writer’s block.
By SAM PFEIFLE | July 19, 2006

Get ready for summer, punks

Releases from Pete Kilpatrick, Emilia Dahlin + Subject Bias are just the beginning
What has already been an active year on the local scene only ramps up for summer.
By SAM PFEIFLE | June 14, 2006

To the Rescue

A new EP Sparks renewed interest
As the 22nd annual Reindeer Rock-Off gets set to kick off, it’s important to remember that for every Jeremiah Freed or Howie Day, who make it from the finals to the major labels, there are hundreds who melt into obscurity.
By SAM PFEIFLE | May 03, 2006