A quirky and angular piece detailing the teaching moments of an absinthe bender in Budapest.

Keep the Monkey Paw

Musically speaking, Macho Novela are seasoned travelers with a taste for smashing things up. Having journeyed great distances from disparate backgrounds, the members of the Portland band use their collaboration as a rendezvous point and demolition site for elements of art, pop and world musics, reconstructing the shattered bits into a sound that has been compared to Dirty Projectors, Morphine and Pinback.

“Lounge jazz gives way to maniacal forays into punkish electricity; saxophones wail over split-time beats before descending into hard rock and melodic musical breakdowns laced with classical guitar. It's a remarkable monsoon of musicianship, a relentless sonic sucker punch that leaves you salivating for more." –Willamette Week

Macho Novela plays Jimmy Mak’s (221 NW 10th Ave.) on Friday March 23 in support of Eric John Kaiser’s CD release. That night the group will also distribute digital copies of their debut single, “Keep the Monkey Paw,” a quirky and angular piece detailing the teaching moments of an absinthe bender in Budapest.

Playing Jimmy Mak’s will be a kind of return to form for drummer Kevin Van Geem and guitarist Nick O’Donnell, who met in the jazz program at Portland State University. Rounding out the band are Southwest transplants, vocalist-guitarist Rich Boles and bassist-saxophonist Chris Glaab. The quartet has played numerous local venues and hosted the long running Unfiltered! music showcase at McMenamins White Eagle.

In addition to the release of “Keep the Monkey Paw,” Macho Novela will digitally release a song a month (each available free for two weeks) culminating in a debut record and West Coast tour this summer.

“Much like the Black Heart Procession's salsa-fied Amore del Tropico, when these locals are on, their mix of indie-rock and world music is downright intoxicating.” -Portland Mercury.

Macho Novela

Popular tracks