Yesterday we covered a new track from Portland folk outfit Death Songs called “Wounds” off the new PDX Pop Now! compilation. We talked a little bit about the band and the song, and had a few words to say about the organization as well. That wasn’t enough; it’s high time I let slip a little something — we here at FensePost have been quiet supporters of the Portland festival.

The Ascetic Junkies may have recorded their new and stunningly brilliant LP, This Cage Has No Bottom, in a short period of time and in the comfort of their Portland home, but some might feel as though this is an album two years in the making. Although the band’s debut album, One Shoe Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, was a brilliant display of folk/bluegrass in the new age, it was subject to being undeservingly pigeonholed as just an indie folk act. And no matter how wrong and downright stupid …

Matt, Kali & the infamous crew known simply as The Ascetic Junkies are back with a brand new bag! Yes, Portland’s favorite folk/pop and sort of punk group are bringing some new material to their anxiously awaiting fans – it’s been over a year since the gang put out one of the best albums of 2008, One Shoe Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. As groundbreaking and delightful as the album was, you could always tell there could have been more. And on December 11th at Backspace, the City …

The Ascetic Junkies are folk, punk, bluegrass, or maybe even indie, respectively. But, what sticks out most is the fun they create no matter how slow chords move or how quick the spoons clap. One Shoe Over The Cuckoo’s Nest brilliantly comes off as vocalists Kali Giaritta and Matt Hammon’s ultimate love letter to one another. Their trade offs of vocal duties work as well as their collaborative efforts. Their leadership roles in this new wave folk group is obvious, yet they still portray great appreciation …