For the past five years, The Parson Red Heads' music fit perfectly with its surroundings.
The band — more precisely, a collective that sometimes stretches to six members and beyond — formed in Eugene but moved south to Los Angeles' idyllic Silver Lake neighborhood in 2005, where their cool combo of psych, pop and twang fell in line with SoCal's history of breezy country-rock bands, a la The Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers and Beachwood Sparks.
Things went well for the Red Heads in L.A.; the band scored residencies at mega-hip spots like the Silver Lake Lounge and Spaceland, put out a handful of releases, and toured with the like-minded lads in Blitzen Trapper and Earlimart.
Alas, many friends (and occasional Red Heads) remained in Oregon, and it's cheaper to live up here, too, and so the core trio recently announced it is heading home.
L.A.'s loss is Oregon's gain. The Parson Red Heads are already on the McMenamins Old St. Francis School schedule twice, once tonight and once in December. They're bringing with them their new EP, “Early Birds,” that should tide fans over until their new Chris Stamey-produced full-length is ready next year.
In the meantime, check out the near-perfect jangle of “Choose,” from “Early Birds,” at www.myspace.com/redheads.
The Parson Red Heads ; 7 tonight; free; McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond St., Bend; 541-382-5174 or www.mcmenamins.com.
— Ben Salmon