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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2012)
ß £5» Wednesday, Nov. 14,2012 P R IN T : Arts & Culture Rags & Ribbons shaking up Portland music scene B e e tn ik , brew beats th e BRRR ChristopherTaylor Arts & Culture Editor EAT, PRINT, LOVjE In a day and age where every thing is always on the move, trends rise and fall and music is a fast-paced ball of constantly changing energy, one band has managed to lift itself above the grime and stand out in more ways than one. Rags & Ribbons, a local band, is on the rise and could very well be the band to watch in the upcoming year. Rags & Ribbons is an alter native rock band composed of former college students who all took music theory classes and use this knowledge to compose their music. “We really strive to create something new, something inter esting that can catch - and keep # people’s attention,” said Jon Hicks, one of the co-vocalists and pianist. “We use theory as a device to create new sounds, all while deriving^ from influences such as Muse, Arcade Fire, Queen and Joshua Dillen So Editor in Ghief Beet lovers unite. Feet an incredible harvest soup that blows minds with gtnovy sweetness and a savory psy chedelic slam to the taste buds. Eat, Print, ¿ove kicks it up a notch this week with a rich and hearty soup that can be customized for maximum cold weather yumminess^ Spicy Italian or breakfast sad-; sage (or your favorite vegan replacement) and pan roasted sweet veggies give this dish a' cpmplex gourmet touch, yet is easily prepared by the fledg ling foodie. • ~-j This fool-proof fusion will have the pickiest eaters warmed to the soul. Beetnik soup is made for the bounties of harvest and delivers with a cornucopia o f existential tastes. S vo e e V a n d S a u o ru bcehuL Soup Vegetable oil 8 to 16 ounces spicy ground Italian or breakfast sausage* 1 cup beets peeled and cut into half inch cubes 1 cup carrots cut into half inch cubes 1 cup celery cut in to , quarter inch slices 1 medium sweet onion I coarsely diced 4 or 5 large kale leaves, de-ribbed and chopped into 1 inch pieces 64 ounces chicken or vegetable stock ; 2 cups water 2 cups roasted delicata squash (or a 12 ounce can of plain pump kin puree) ’ . Salt to taste : Half cup local pi not noir or other red wine 3 to 10 cloves crushed garlic 8 (to taste obviously^) A few pinches of dried marjoram (optional): 1 cup fresh spinach Chopped green onions, chives, • ’ mint or basil for garnish (optional) Heat a medium skillet con- taining two tablespoons v e g etable oil (no oil if sausage is fatty) on med high heat. When the oil shimmers, add sau sage and brown until cooked through. Set meat aside and save pan with drippings (applies for vegan meat sub stitutes as well if pan flying). j While*sausag< is cooking heat a four quart or larger stock pot or Dutch oven with oil as above and add beets, carrots, celery and onion.; Sautee these on medium to medium high heat for seven to IO minutes, stirring every two minutes to caramelize the veg gies and bring out their natu ral sweetness. This process is very important to develop the < rich and sweet flavors from the vegetables. Stir in the kale and continue cooking forthree to five minutes. Add the stock and two cups water, increase heat to med high and bring to a kJW boil, then reduce to med low - heat to gently simmer. Stir ul the roasted squash or pump kin. Salt to taste. Simmer until the next step is complete. Cook the red wine in the pan with the drippings on medium high heat. Scrape the pan and continue cook ing ' until the wine thickens and reduces by at least half. This concentrates foe flavors left in foe pan while creating new levels o f flavor. Add this reduction, garlic and sausage to stock pot. Bring back to simmer and cook until veg gies are tender. Stir in mar joram and spinach. Heat fori - a few minutes and serve with ' desired garnish. . Autumn food love is here; your mind and taste buds will never be foe same. more.” The band’s music definitely has elements that hint at styles such as pop, rock and even a little bit of classical piano playing here and there, all while retaining an original sound all their own, giv ing them an edge unlike many other bands around. “What we do, I think, is truly different,” said drummer Chris Neff. “We take, adapt, mash and add until we have something that’s all our own, which I think defines our sound.” Their recently released LP “The Glass Masses” shows just what this band is capable of. From guitar driven rock tunes like “Lady in the Midnight Sun” to piano driven pop tunes like “Let It Bum” and slightly indie tunes like “Even Matter” help to showcase their creativity and show that they aren’t limited to one genre or one style, but can adapt and change as they see fit, while still retaining their own sound, which is hard for some bands. “I think in the end, it’s what makes us, us. We strive to create and change things up, all while thinking, ‘Is this song us?”’ said Neff. “And nine times out of 10, that’s the case, and that’s what you get from our LP - a collec tion of -songs by us, showing who we are not only as individuals, but as a band.” Rags & Ribbons performed recently at the Doug Fir Lounge on Burnside in Portland, and the crowd was not disappointed by their performance. “We put everything we have Rags & Ribbons is a Portland band who promote and organize their own shows, tours and albums. Rags & Ribbons in on the rise and gaining popu larity with the release o f their new LP “The Glass Masses, ” which is avail able on iTunes. into every show,” said guitarist Ben Weyerhauser. “We give 100 percent because we know that that’s what the fans want, the best show we can give. And wê deliver every night.” Their sound was just like their record - if not better. The vocals were strong, with harmonies that were tight and precise, the lyrics were relatable and thought pro voking and their instruments all meshed and blended together, all while standing on their own, to create intricate layers to their diverse set of tunes. Friendly and down to earth guys, who are more than willing to talk and share about their experience as musicians and as a band, it may be well worth the time to give them a listen, www.ragsandribbons.bandcamp. com/ or at www.facebook.com/ RagsRibbons. ZOO: Pachyderm pregnancy promises early holiday present Continued from Page 1 By fall o f 2013, the new elephant enclosure is expect ed to be completed with the construction starting after this y ea r’s Zoo Lights celebra tion. What is more exciting for the elephants however, is that elephant Rose-Tu is expecting her second baby. Her due date is anytime between Halloween and Christmas according to Oregon Zoo volunteer Wendy Doemer. “You could kind o f take a shot and say early December, but we don’t really know yet,” said Doerner. D oerner. volunteers by observing animals and mak ing notes about their behavior when she is not debuting as an elf for the holiday festivities. The zoo is currently hoping to U ' I Bw* l>M Ch nMIW I nh _______I Rose-Tu is expecting a baby, and the zoo is very excited. The due date is expected to fa ll somewhere between now and Christmas. Anyone who can guess the precise date will be first in line io see the new baby elephant. publish an ongoing study to These videos are available help determine an elephant’s for the zoo keepers to refer to behavior before she is due to so they are aware o f how the give birth. This would help renovations are impacting the those working with elephants animals who live in the zoo. to better determine when they A nother ongoing obser will be delivering. vation project is geared to The mystery involved in constant supervision o f the finding the precise due date A frican w ild dog exhibit. for the delivery is so intrigu Previously, the habitat only had ing that according to the male dogs. However, the zoo Oregon Zoo website there is an recently introduced a female ongoing Facebook contest. The dog into the exhibit. As a result person who guesses closest to the male dogs are competing to the actual delivery date will get become the alpha dog. To pre to be first in line at the baby vent fights, volunteers watch elephant’s debut. the exhibit so they can warn E le p h a n t p r e g n a n zoo keepers o f any signs of cies last betw een 20 and aggression. If a fight does need 22 m o n th s , th e to be broken up, the keepers longest for any mammal. will use a food incentive to Currently, the main method distract the dogs. o f determining a delivery date Malia Coleman came with is to do a blood test. Three days her parents to visit the zoo before a mother elephant will on Sunday despite the rainy give birth her blood-progester w eather because it “sound one levels drop considerably. ed funny” and she enjoyed The hope is that by seeing all the animals. Her finding a way o f determining favorite animal at the zoo is an elephant’s behavior before the otters but horses are also she is due to give birth will her favorite. As she observed help those working with ele the elephants, Malia pointed to phants predict the delivery date Rose-Tu and gave her insight. sooner than three days prior. “You can tell because o f her Rose-Tu is the fifth ele tummy,” said Malia. phant in this study which col She thought the elephant laborates with Taronga Zoo in having a baby was 4‘cool.” Sydney, Australia, where three While she obviously enjoyed elephants have given birth the huge animals pacihg around since 2008. just a few feet from her in their D oerner also helps to enclosure. observe other animals to deter The annual Zoo Lights mine if and how the ongoing celebration will begin Friday construction jn the zoo is Nov. 23. Gates open at 5 p.m. affecting their behavior. and close af 8:30 p.m. and “We are doing a videotap the event runs through the ing study that will last seven Christmas holiday. Learn more years,” said Doerne. “We about the Oregon Zoo by visit video tape three or four times ing www.OregonZoo.org. a week.”
