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 centers on a woman’s physical beauty. While some musicians rely too heavily on sex appeal — sometimes sacrificing their musical talent — others use it in a way which can be respectable and advantageous.” Nevertheless, Davis acknowledges that there is a disparity between the number of male and female musicians who reach success and that women are “at a severe disadvantage if they aren’t deemed ‘pretty’ by their audience.”

Davis also mentions that the under-representation of female musicians starts at an early age.

“Girls gravitate towards particular spheres of music — more often than not it is things like choir. (And) they tend to miss out on a lot of musical training early on because they are expected to play certain instruments and avoid others,” she said. “I felt like a minority sometimes. But at the same time I kind of loved that feeling and now I make it work to my advantage.”

Potts, a singer-songwriter and guitarist for the band Confidant, agrees.

“There are gender roles assigned to particular instruments,” Potts said. “Parents are likely to dissuade their little girl from playing the drums but are totally supportive if they show interest in the piano.”

A girl’s inaccessibility to certain instruments and training puts her at a disadvantage later on if she ever wants to play something more “masculine.”

Potts also mentioned that “gender assigned musical roles are particularly obvious in the subject matter which female artists are expected to sing about.

“Women are expected to be emoting something all the time,” she said

The lack of accessible subject matter puts females at a disadvantage creatively, since breaking free from the confines of “love songs” and “breakup songs” is seen by many as a risk.

Melissa Randel of local dance-rock outfit The Great Hiatum shares a similar attitude. She said we don’t see as many female rock stars because “girls just don’t often grow up dreaming about being a rock star.”

However, Randel believes that females have the authority to control their own direction within the music industry.

“The women that aren’t where they want to be limited themselves,” Randel said. “Believe that you are more than a gender role and you will see that nothing is holding you back.”

Still, the music industry is not gender neutral by default. Randel says the disparity between male and female musicians is ingrained at a young age but can be overcome with a hungry ambition. On the other hand, Davis and Potts agreed that female musicians must often maintain particular images, messages in their songs and a position in the music industry consistent with their gender — which can be simultaneously empowering and limiting.

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 in the past three years, dabbling in styles like future-garage, wonky and even a bit of dubstep. In 2011, he made a huge splash in the electronic music scene with the release of his full-length, self-titled debut; this LP revealed his unique existence between the borders of electronic experimentalist and R&B singer-songwriter.

Just like his previous work, his latest LP, “Overgrown,” features him playing piano, singing ballads and producing electronic beats that meld together in an emotive, and at times, sexy way. Although some have criticized him for being a little too experimental with his productions — often blending a few too many styles into one song — “Overgrown” reveals a much more balanced, almost subdued side, which may reveal his attention to these criticisms.

However, that is not to say he does not also take some creative risks with this album. His song “Take a Fall For Me” begins with these dreary piano keys, strange pitch-shifted vocal samples and a subtle beat — which initially seem like old standbys for Blake; but, as the track builds, Wu-Tang’s RZA emerges for a surprising performance. RZA sings a few bars about a woman who he passionately loves but who won’t reciprocate his feelings. His anguish crescendos as he sings about the pain he feels watching his love marry another man. RZA’s feature comes out of left field, yet his verses are simultaneously controlled and brimming with passion in a way which conforms well to Blake’s production. The two artists build off each other until the whole track swells with heartbreaking emotion.

The next track, “Retrograde,” shows Blake taking another risk as he delves almost completely into his R&B side. The song is a pretty ballad beginning with a restrained vocal melody, which progresses into a climactic chorus where he sings in a poignantly pinched voice. The track ends in a huge emotional synth swell that really showcases his artful mixing of R&B and electronic styles.

There are plenty of other tracks on the album worth noting like “Voyeur,” “Digital Lion” and “Life Round Here,” which take the listener back to his electronic roots. These tracks are at times icy and dissonant, yet they also maintain infectious rhythms that keep the listener forever wanting more.

While the album may not be as adventurous as his self-titled debut, the majority of the songs on “Overgrown” are true displays of beauty. Blake has shown there are still ways to innovate R&B music whilst adding a meticulously thought-out mixture of electronic production.

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 responsible for founding Neutral Milk Hotel, who are regarded by many as one of the most influential indie-folk outfits of the early 1990s. The self-described “fuzz-folk” project was one of the primary outgrowths of the Elephant 6 recording collective — a coterie of like-minded lo-fi indie groups like the Olivia Tremor Control, the Apples in Stereo and Secret Square — who shared musicians, ideas and sensibilities. The artists from Elephant 6 were all similarly influenced by classic rock bands like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Zombies, Pink Floyd and Sonic Youth. Interestingly, throughout high school in their hometown of Ruston, La., these aspiring musicians exchanged home recordings and played in each other’s bands.  

Sadly, Neutral Milk Hotel disbanded in 1999, shortly after producing their highly acclaimed album “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.” The album, however, has since gone on to sell more than 300,000 copies and has received critical acclaim from several important publications including Pitchfork, Allmusic and MAGNET. Since the band’s breakup, Mangum has produced two solo albums, “Orange Twin Field Works, Vol. 1″ and “Live at Jittery Joe’s,” which exhibit a similar mastery of the psychedelic folk rock sound.

In many ways Mangum’s solo projects are very much different from his work with Neutral Milk Hotel. “Orange Twin Field Works” pushes the limits by featuring a slew of unique yet bizarre instruments (everything from bagpipes to singing saws), but he does so in a way that allows for an album with a typical musical idea to be accessible for a typical American audience.

Mangum has kept largely out of the public eye since his band’s breakup, only rarely playing acoustic sets and concentrating more on his recorded sound and music collages.

Most notably, he played with several others at Zuccotti Park in New York City for the protesters participating in Occupy Wall Street and then at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Those who have witnessed his rare sets describe the performances with blissful excitement and zeal. Mangum commands a large and devoted following, so expect an energetic- and audience- involved set — and don’t be afraid to sing along. 

Mangum performs Sunday, April 7, at the McDonald Theatre alongside the Tall Firs. Tickets are available for $26 in advance and $30 at the door, and $1 of every ticket sold will benefit the non-profit organization Children of the Blue Sky.

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 night started with a performance by Samo Sound Boy, an Los Angeles producer who weaves club-centric house music with juke and dancehall beats. Ryan Hemsworth, Canadian DJ and producer, followed Samo with his own hour-long electronic performance. Hemsworth let loose an arsenal of sampling material; at one point toward the end of the set, he played a distorted verse from a Kendrick Lamar track over a downtempo electronic beat, while an 8-bit sample from a Pokémon game intermittently blared in the foreground. The peculiar mixture of sounds melded into some really interesting and unique music.

These were quite possibly the most intimate performances I have ever experienced — seeing as there were only a handful of people (including the performers) in the entire hall. However, Samo and Hemsworth took the small turnout in stride and played sets that, had the WOW Hall been filled with people, would have torn down the house.

Two Fresh, a Denver-based outfit performed by the Nicholls brothers (who very well might be twins), finished the opening act with their own blend of atmospheric beats combined with thug and R&B samples.

However, the obvious star of the show was Daedelus, a Los Angeles producer and founding DJ of internet radio station Dublab. Daedelus performed with a certain type of confidence that is rare in contemporary electronic shows. His peculiar demeanor on stage was a balance of self-assurance and lightheartedness — with just an edge of wackiness. Daedelus has pioneered using the Monome in conjunction with Max/MSP, which allows him to actually play live music in front of the audience (instead of mixing pre-recorded songs). This added a respectable component to his performance and was a refreshing divergence from the usual “press play on iTunes” type electronic set.

Each artist was enjoyable, but there should not have been four openers on a Tuesday night. By the time Daedelus took the stage, the devoted crowd had lost their prior enthusiasm.