2016 Top 10 Portland Indie Rock EPs

1. Deathlist - Deathlist

A personal & potent EP from the Summer Cannibals' bad ass, renaissance bassist. Listened to this EP a ton.

2. Genders - Phone Home

So exciting to hear more from one Portland's best bands.

3. Get Real - Get Real

The soulful vocals pleading over shimmering garage rock just hits my sweet spot.

4. Dogheart - Real Mood

Clear, open and upbeat indie rock, with just a splash of fuzz. Perfect summertime mixtape material.

5. Divers - Achin' On b/w Can't Do That (Dead Moon)

Simply put, a great follow up single to my favorite album last year.

6. Moon Tiger - Moon Tiger

From the opening accordion riff and thundering drums, to the powerful oh oh oooh's, there's nothing subtle about this fun and boisterous party pop.

7. Talkative - F Sharp Voice

Stick a tab on your tongue and hop on board Talkative's interstellar psychedelic pop. I love each hazy layer.

8. Eyelids - Eyelids

Every new Eyelids song is a treat and these covers couldn't be more perfect.

9. Alien Boy - Stay Alive

Sweet melodies buried in muddy shoegaze with just right amount noisy details.

10. Times Infinity - Times Infinity

Their chill, spiraling psychedelia just sucks me in. It just feels good. 

-->

Favorite Portland EPs from 2014

Oh man, it was another great year for Portland music and already the Willamette Week is promising next year is going to be even better. While I continue to try and whittle down my list of Portland albums, here's my favorite local EPs from the year. I can't claim this is comprehensive or even representative; it's just a mess of EPs I loved, mostly by new and exciting Portland bands that I picked up on Bandcamp. Please let me know what I missed. I love suggestions.

Sleep School - White Girl Wasted
Fell for the thumping wall of fuzz that kicks off the EP, but the other songs are great too.

Summer Cannibals - Make You Better
Every time I see this band they seem to be getting louder, tighter, and more exciting.


Padre
One of my favorite new bands first heard on the PDX Pop Now! compilation. 

The Century - Oddfellows
Foot stomping, beer splashing, feel good rock n' roll.

We Miss Earth - Destroyed
Beautiful distortion with a knack for JAMC-style hooks.


Big Haunt - Devotionals
Captivated by their dark and meditative indie folk.

woolen men - Quick Trips

One of a couple great no-frills, lo-fi rock n' roll EPs they released this year. Better grab it quick, as they usually disappear.

The Zags - Small Bags
Classic power pop with that late 70s LA punch.


The Beauty - Mash Notes
Gritty call-and-response vocals over a Queen-through-blown-out-speakers beat. 

NTNT - And Then The Moon
Dig the keys and beats on this blissful dance pop that practically bursts with sequins and sunshine.


Family Night - Emperors of America
Sibling pop band delivering their local social commentary with a shimmer and a shake.



pigWar
Sexy psychedelic soul, easily slipping from smooth and funky to powerful and gritty.


Ladywolf - Vamp Queen
Youthful shredders cranking out boisterous psychedelic garage rock.


Fremont - Keep Me Still
Builds on the breezy pop of their wonderful LP released earlier in the year.


Pop Zeus - Tell Me So
It's the off-the-cuff casualness and intimacy that makes this lo-fi pop so appealing. Well, that and the hooks.

Autonomics - Keep Tulsa Ugly
Wonderfully loose and lo-fi rock n roll.


Fog Father - Razzle-Dazzle
A trippy dream pop haze of keyboards, harmonies, and guitars.


Leading Psychics - Reconnoiter
Waves of gently buzzing guitars wrap around moody and romantic pop.


Super Soaked
A simple recipe with smashing results: garage rock guitars propelled by youthful punk energy.

PAPA - On Tour; Album Forthcoming

PAPA isn't new, but it feels like they are on the cusp of breaking out of the shadows to enter the indie spotlight and they are about to venture out on a small-venue tour. Jump at the opportunity while you can, because I have a feeling that after this next mini tour and the release of a full length they won't be offering too many more free shows. Why would they? The music is great and great music isn't free.

The band's 2011 EP, A Good Woman Is Hard To Find, is excellent (so is the album art; internet search that business), but like all EPs, it is too damn short, coming in at just under 23 minutes. They also released a single last year for the track "Put Me To Work," video below. Nice, right? One can hope that they will come out with all new tracks on the LP rather than simply tacking 3 new songs onto the EP. Time to fire up that album press, gents, the people want more. I, for one, will be ready.

On Tuesday, March 5 the band will making a stop at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco, and will be at SOHO in Santa Barbara two days later.

Just a heads up. Now, back to work...

The Biters - All Chewed Up (2011)

The Biters are back with another EP packed with power pop and classic punk. They pretty much stick with the formula that made their last two EPs must haves for fans of snotty vocals and fist pumping choruses. "Born To Cry" (mp3) mixes meaty drums and classic rock riffs with a peppering of enthusiastic whoa-oh-ohs and lyrics romanticizing the glitter in the gutter. "Hold On" stands out by injecting a punk strut with a fantastic chorus built around a tight and soaring keyboard. While obviously indebted to the past, pulling bits from the Buzzcocks, T.Rex, and even the Who, the Biters' combination of passion and hooks make the otherwise familiar sound their own. Plus, practically every song is catchy enough to be a single.

They'll be playing with label mates and fellow garage rockers The Booze at the East End on Friday April 1st. Add plenty of cheap beer and you have a perfect Friday night... and probably a pretty hazing Saturday morning.

Bravestation - 2010 EP (2010)

We don't have an EP section in the QuickCrit Music Survey, but if we did, I think this would probably take my top spot. These four dudes out of Toronto lace pleasant vocal harmonies over rhythmic, indie synth pop for a combination that is both winsome and dreamy. The sound is super clean with hints of Yeasayer's creativity and folk-influenced fun. "White Wolves" is probably the catchiest of the tracks, but the other 4 are all enjoyable and well-balanced. With two EPs under their belt, 2011 may be the right time to release a full-length offering. After thoroughly enjoying these stellar tracks for the last few months of the year, I will be ready for some new tunes courtesy of Bravestation.

Download the 5 song EP free & legal here.

The Biters - The Biters EP / It's Okay To Like Biters EP (2010)

While The Biters' mix of classic power pop and punk rock could easily find a place on Rhino's now out of print D.I.Y. series, their sound mainly reminds me of Portland's fabulous and doomed Exploding Hearts. Judging from their video, they look like some the guys I see down at Slabtown and the East End, where I am sure someday they'll be warmly received if they ever tour through town.

There are plenty of us-against-the-world lyrics designed to maximize the fist pumping, beer swilling, and maybe some joyful jumping around. "Hang Around" (mp3) sneers and postures, but might just be sweet song of friendship. The bouncing rally cry of "Anymore" has a great celebratory cheer in the middle of the chorus. "Melody For Lovers" (mp3) rides a classic escalating riff and hand claps. I'll definitely keep my eye out for the 3rd EP coming out later this year.

The Patrick James Pearson Band - Game Birds EP (2010)

I know very little about The Patrick James Pearson Band (or simply Patrick James Pearson) other than that they hail from Plymouth, UK, have released two EPs to date, and are offering their music for free online. When the music is this good and gratis, honestly, what more do you need to know? This three man group has a pleasant blend of keyboard (taking full advantage of the pre-programmed sound spectrum), bass and drums. Horns? There are horns in there somewhere, but not in their videos. The vocals have a John Lennon solo-career feel, with perhaps a touch of Wolf Parade's yelp. I really like all three tracks offered off the Game Birds EP and hope that a full album is forthcoming. As mentioned, the EP is available both here and here for free, legal download, is worth every unpaid penny, and serves as an excellent introduction to a promising young band.

Annuals - Sweet Sister EP (2010)

The Annuals' Sweet Sister sounds like the band playing around with electronic beats and fringe instruments. The bouncing "Loxtep" (mp3) incorporates a boing sound that could be a released spring or an African mbira, while "Turncloaking" has something that sounds like those cylinders that you turn upside down to make an animal noise. For all I know they both could be a keyboard. But the songs never suffer for the experimentation, rather they shift and shimmy with polyrhythms and breakbeats while kids cheer. The soothing "Holler And Howl" features electronic squiggles over a New Orleans shuffle. The EP is rounded out by a cover of Johnny Cash's "Flesh And Blood" that retains the sweeping country strings but with more upbeat vocals. Overall, it's a short, cohesive blast of fun indie pop. Sweet.

Los Hot Boxers - Uno (2009)

Los Hot Boxers are a San Jose ska band that I checked out randomly at my local venue and was thoroughly impressed. I bought their EP and have been playing it a ton. They have a very similar sound to Santa Cruz's own The Expendables, another band I like a lot, but these guys have a more jazzy feel with Latin undertones. At the show I felt like they are the kind of background music played at a party you had no intention of attending, and ended up meeting a bunch of stand up folks and having a blast. To put it more in real life context, say you had hard week at work, and all you want to do is drink a stiff one and watch the game, but you feel guilty cause you told your coworker you would show to his party, and you go begrudgingly, and it ends up being the highlight of your month.

My favorite jams are "Hold You Close" and "How's It Gonna Be". The only thing that disappoints me is that I am only finding out about them now, during the winter and rain, and they are a total summertime BBQs, beer pong, and Tecate 30 packs type of groove. The singer has some awesome lyrics that I personally can identify with, like when he talks about hesitant phone calls and their negative repercussions in "How's it Gonna Be". Solid band, and a solid find, definitely would recommend picking up the album and seeing them live.

Seaspin - Reverser EP (2009)

The pleasant waves of undulating distortion on Seaspin's Reverser EP remind me of quite a few post-shoegaze bands I loved in the early 2000s – Auto Interiors, Polara, or the Stratford 4 to name just a few. However, Jennifer Goodridge's cool and seductive vocals set it apart. The EP may not chart much new territory, favoring melodic over exploratory feedback, but my two favorite tracks, "Love Is A Fable" and "Give Yourself", both have a low hypnotic buzz that I find intoxicating. However, the riff in the chorus of "Reverser" (mp3) is probably the catchiest hook.

The Subjects - New Soft Shoe EP

The Subject's New Soft Shoe is a quick taste of casually upbeat indie rock. "Winter Vacation" (mp3) features a chorus of whoa-oh's over loping and jazzy percussion, while the vocals on "Right2know" remind me a bit of the Little Ones or the Harlem Shakes. The mellow minimalism and thumping drums on "Little Mountaintops" round out the three song EP. It's not much to go on, but I like what I hear and it will definitely makes me want to show up early enough to catch their set when they open for the Bad Veins next month at Rotture.