The WOW Hall will host KWVA’s Betterfest this weekend, featuring an arsenal of music ranging from the face-melting stoner-rock of FUZZ to the chilled-out indie outfit Ducktails. All shows are free for UO students. Thursday: FUZZ According to KWVA music director Thor Slaughter, “FUZZ is the loudest live band of all time.” Little else is [...]

Popular Pacific Northwest electronic groups Beat Connection and ODESZA will bring two distinct brands of shimmery, glitched-out electro-pop music to Eugene Thursday night at the WOW Hall. ODESZA produces the type of music that screams summer. The group is made up of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, two college friends who reached instantaneous Internet success [...]

    The UO Gospel Choir traveled to China for its 2013 spring break to participate in musical and cultural exchanges. Here they perform “Wo de ge sheng li” or “You exist in my song,” a Chinese pop song, written by Wanting Qu, in front of the Qingdao Art School. The pop song became wildly [...]

Cozmic may be the coolest venue in Eugene right now, but owner Alec Cox believes there are even greater heights to be reached. “This place has already undergone some pretty incredible expansion — and it will continue to grow. If need be, we will raise the ceilings and expand the walls, so long as we [...]

As KWVA’s 20th birthday neared, Thor Slaughter knew he wanted the station to celebrate by putting on something big — really big. He wanted something that would showcase the University of Oregon radio station’s plethora of alternative bands, be free for university students and ultimately bring the community together to listen to what he describes [...]

Philadelphia songsmith Kurt Vile will be in Portland at the Doug Fir Lounge on May 10, showcasing his fifth and strongest studio album “Wakin on a Pretty Daze,” acclaimed by many as 2013′s best thus far. This new album provides a window into his comfortable, lonely universe. Yet, what makes it so fascinating is he [...]

Update: “The Wednesday, April 17, show with Disclosure and Jason Burns has been postponed (due to passport issues) until Tuesday, May 28. Ticket holders have the option of hanging on to their ticket for the rescheduled show, or returning it to the place of purchase for a refund. Those who purchased via Ticketweb will receive [...]

It’s safe to say that many of us have never been given the opportunity to experience the true Grateful Dead experience. But on Wednesday night with Dark Star Orchestra performing at the McDonald Theatre, that can change. While it won’t be the same experience, it’ll be as close to the real thing as we can [...]

Local Eugene alternative-folk musician Samira Potts and Portland indie-jazz artist Kate Davis, who fronts her own band in New York City, agree that being a female musician can be challenging. “However, if you grab life by the balls, gender differences will not hold you back,” Davis said.  “A major part of the female identity in contemporary music [...]

He’s known as the one-man-jam band and the mad scientist of music. Keller Williams takes an interesting approach to improvisational music by being the sole musician on stage, accompanied only by a range of instruments and gadgets. And within all the commotion of doing an entire band’s work, Williams manages to find the time to [...]

In a way, James Blake did to R&B what Tame Impala did to psych-rock: Both artists broke down barriers on well-trodden paths to clear space for new hybrids in their respective genres. Blake is a multitalented musician hailing from the U.K., a singer, songwriter, piano player and electronic producer who released some very admirable EPs [...]

Alt-J, a British indie rock band left the Portland crowd Monday night wanting more. The band’s style of experimental vocals and catchy pop hooks borderlines on their folk style aesthetics, establishing a truly progressive and futuristic approach to today’s indie rock. The audience’s love affair with Alt-J was undeniable from the moment they started out [...]

Jeff Mangum, arguably one of the most influential indie-folk musicians of the late 20th century, is back from an extended hiatus from touring — performing a rare and undoubtedly intimate concert here in Eugene. The former Neutral Milk Hotel frontman will perform on Sunday, April 7, at the McDonald Theatre in downtown Eugene. Mangum is the man [...]

For many, Tuesday’s show at the WOW Hall would have seemed like a flop. The audience turnout was weak and the general attitude of the small crowd teetered between sedation and benevolence. But what do you expect? It was a Tuesday for goodness sake, and the start of a new term for many students. The [...]

The Future Forest Tour descends on Eugene Wednesday night with psychedelic livetronica act Papadosio headlining at the WOW Hall. Though the project was born in the city of Athens, Ohio, the five-piece live act is now based out of Asheville, N.C., which serves as its creative hub. However, the group is spending much of its time [...]

Music has changed quite a bit over the years, especially with how rapidly modern technology has been developing. First it was compact discs, then it was mp3s and the iTunes store, and now it’s streaming services where the idea of owning any music is a thing of the past. Although these streaming services, like Pandora [...]

Fresh from a wild week at South by Southwest filled with breakfast tacos and secret shows, Thor Slaughter,the charismatic personality, indie authority and music director for KWVA, has a plan: to make a better festival right here in town. While in Austin, he ran around SXSW with camera in hand to “experience the vibe.” But the [...]

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Umphrey’s McGee, the now six-piece group who first established it roots in South Bend, Ind., embraces a style known as “progressive improvisation,” a term coined to capture their performance style. Unlike many fellow jam bands, Umphrey’s follows a sound more closely found among artists likes ZZ Top, Frank Zappa or Widespread Panic. Now based in [...]