The Hand That Bleeds

[PSYCHO KILLER] The Hand That Bleeds is fucking insane. Slamming across the indie spectrum, the group offers up a stiff cocktail of moody, vampiric pop, crash-bang metal punk and intensely hallucinogenic space rock. Because of this, transitions between songs such as "Blackhole"—which sounds like the Specials singing as anime girls—and the rapid-fire metal pop of "Thursday" can be disorienting. That's the idea. THTB hits hard and leaves you dazed, confused and entertained. AP KRYZA. Ash Street. 9:30 pm. $4

Check out and support

:LOCALCUT.WWEEK.COM - WILLAMETTE WEEK

PC-PDX.COM

The Hand That Bleeds : Do Not Fight The Hand That Bleeds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a truly diabolical evening, watching The Hand That Bleeds perform live on the air at the Portland Radio Authority's studios, followed by a lunar eclipse. As we joked about whether or not this meant it was the end of the world, deep down we were all thinking, "that might be okay on a night like tonight." THTB has an infectious energy and an even more addicting style of music. They touch on genres from screamo to punk with whimsical stylings that should be on the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. THTB is a three piece featuring Orion (guitar) and Sarrah (bass) switching off on vocals. I think they shine the best as a vocal duet, with their voices in two different octaves (think X meets Sonny and Cher!). Orion's guitar skills have a wide range, that rear their ugly head on the track titled "Thursday," on the hardcore end of the spectrum. Sarrah plays on a five string bass, is all over the map, and all over the fret board. What really makes their sound unique is Sarrah. Her voice is absolutely stunning against the ambient layers of Orion's guitar. The track titled "Who Are You?" is a testament to this. The charming simplicity of the lyrics blends well with her light soprano melody and pounding rhythms. I should also warn you: don't get too used to her clean vocals, because this girl can scream! The drumming is spot on, using a double kick bass pedal and pulling it off without being cheesy about it. THTB has a long list of shows under their belt, playing places like Satyricon, the Ash Street, Jolly Inn, Rotture and several house shows (if you give them a call, they might even play at yours). Look forward to a debut album from these guys, and go to a show. This is one great band that really is a Portland secret….for now.

See Them Play 09-09-07 @ Fast Forward House with : Tragedy Andy | dirty mittens | Teflon | Black Cat | Dj Lfr | Dj Alizae |
See Them Play 09-25-07 @ Ash St. with : Party Killer | The Campaign

- Saffron 07.09.09 - PC-PDX.COM

Openers the Hand That Bleeds push the limit of how much
fun a single band can have on stage at any given moment.
But if you were playing concise little punk tunes and
sounding like the spastic younger siblings of X,
you'd do the same. EAC

- Portland Mercury

Willamette Weekly 2
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music


[^^^]Explode Into Colors, Twin, Fist Fite, The Hand That Bleeds
[GETTING TASTIER] Finding inspiration in the best post-punk bands is kind of like trying to make hollandaise from scratch. Even if all the right ingredients are in place, every amateur is still going to royally fuck it up. For locals the Hand That Bleeds, slopping together post-punk and no-wave and turning it into an eggy, runny mess seems to be the law of the land. But there are hints at potentially strong development from the band's material—when it borrows from the mermaid vibe of the Cocteau Twins, it's really onto something. Tonight the Hand opens for circus punk Best New Bands finalists Fist Fite and Explode Into Colors, which features Kickball drummer Lisa Schonberg as well as members of Japanther and Tender Forever. CHANDLER FREDRICK. 9 pm. 1905 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., 493-8637. Cover. 21+.

- Williamette Weekly

Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Stumpclub: Vol. II
Music is not black and white. Some people want to write songs with great melodies that conform to the standards of what a great melody is as represented by every great pop songwriter. Some people have a shit-load of energy that they need to get out who could care less what a melody is. And then there is a whole lot of in-between.

What makes Stumpclub: Vol. 2 a brilliant compilation is that it represents this spectrum of popular music with full force. There are good examples of both extremes with a whole lot of in between. This is everything that makes the Portland scene so amazing is that even though the outside world doesn't recognize these spectrums, PDX does in spades. Not only is the music created, but it's recognized as being great music. It's a known fact that songs based on pure, raw emotion are just as good and listenable as those with amazing melodies and more predictable sounds and structures. I'm not saying Portland is the only scene that recognizes this cause frankley I've never been a part of any other scene, but it's one of the few that advertises it.

On the side of catchy melodies that will linger in your consciousness for days, there is David Evan (myspace.com/davidevanmusic) who is secretly one of the best song craftsmen that the Stump has to offer, not to mention an amazing producer. "Kill no keepers, Kill no thieves" prooves to be his best written and produced song to date.

For pure emotion and what I imagine is an amazing live show from The Penny Jam video I saw on their myspace page (myspace.com/magicjohnsonmusic), the musical group named after former Lakers b-baller, Dream-teamer and advocate for HIV/Aids prevention and safe sex. In the song Kelly the Antichrist the guitar/drum duo either hate Kelley or love her and hate Christ. Honestly, I don't really care to translate. I don't care either way, because that's not what is appealing about MJ. They have the kind of chaotic energy that starts revolutions and was drained out of most of us by eighteen from over-consumption of Mountain Dew.

In the middle and by far the best track of the compilation is Reggae Bob by The Hand That Bleeds (myspace.com/handthatbleeds). Even though the song doesn't have the kind of melody that you can sing in the shower, the mix of control and emotion that underline this song is commendable. I'm not sure whether she loves or hates this guy, but the ability of the bass, guitar and vocals to stagnate on the edge of creating a catchy melody or something that has no audible appeal is fucking fantastic. As someone who is always inclined to create major key sounds, it blows my mind how they are able to naturally hug that line. This isn't something that can be faked or learned. It lies somewhere deep in the unconsciousness of THTB.

Other stand-out bands on Stump Club: Vol 2 are Hockey, Copy and Reporter. - Knives That Stab Your Face