Jesse's Winter Favorites

So I decided that 2021 officially started in February. 2020 can have January. New music is rolling out and it feels good. Now we all need to get vaccinated so we can hug and go to shows together again. 

Genders - "The World Fades Away"

I couldn't be more excited by the return of the Genders. With Sunbathe killing it in the meantime, maybe Genders is the side project now. Regardless, based on this single, the album is going to be amazing.

Kiwi Jr. - "Undecided Voters"

Cooler Returns is my first 2021 album on heavy rotation. Their lo-fi power pop is hitting the right notes for me right now.

The Quiet Ceased - "Gotta Move"

I've listened to this EP a lot more than I've actually hung out with my friend Eli. Luckily, it's really good and sounds like him and his world weary musings, just now accompanied by his beautiful and intricate guitar playing. 

The Bones of J.R. Jones - "Stay Wild"

A new song by a longtime favorite with some beautiful slide guitar. 

Wonderhorse - "Deleted Scenes"

When I finally got around to digging into the 2020 PDX Pop compilation, I discovered a familiar voice in a great new band. It adds an alt. country wash onto the lo-fi pop and everyday observations of LANDLINES or Alternative Milks.

POSTDATA - "Nobody Knows"

So my brother Eric definitely recommended Wintersleep to me back in 2016. Not sure if it didn't resonate at the time or if I never followed through, but I love frontman Paul Murphy's new solo album and now have a whole back catalog to explore. 

Corvair - "Oceanside"

I fun mix of male-female harmonies, catchy guitar and keyboard riffs, and self-described "arena rock sex jams,"which is an intriguing Bandcamp tag I hope catches on.

Lord Huron - "Not Dead Yet"

A family favorite delivers another cozy blanket of a song.

Jesse's Early 2019 Jams

Crocodiles - Love Is Here

I love this band. All 7 albums. And this one has a particularly nice blend of sweet and noisy.

Good Shade - Way Out

Just fantastic power pop. A gem in the consistently great Dirtnap Records catalog.

Yuvees - Seething In Whisper Town

One of my favorite tracks from reviewing PDX Pop Now submissions. Great post punk.

Strange Passage - Shouldn't Be Too Long

Teenage Fanclubesque? Upbeat Smiths? IDK. I just love it.

Unlikely Friends - We Blast Last! A Love Letter to the Fabulous Bands of the Pacific Northwest
Happiness is a lovable NW indie pop band covering a new set of local heroes each week. Can't wait to see who's next.

PDX Pop Now! 2011 Schedule

Scrap whatever plans you had, there are too many good shows this weekend to do anything but watch live music. On Saturday alone, Portugal. The Man is playing a free show at Music Millenium, Scotland Barr's Slow Drags are celebrating his life and music with one last show at Dante's, and the Cults and Guards are playing Mississippi Studios.

On top of everything else, today kicks off PDX Pop Now!at Refuge PDX and the lineup loaded with some of my favorite local bands: Jared Mees, Weinland, the Minders, and And And And. Saturday features Archers, Lost Lander, Monarques, and Nurses, while Guidance Counselor close out the festival on Sunday night. But just as with their stellar compilation, I'm looking forward to hearing some of the bands I know almost nothing about.

Full lineup after jump.

PDX Pop Now! 2011 Compilation

Each spring, I look forward to the release of the PDX Pop Now compilation as they continue to introduce me to new bands I go on to love. Even as someone who listens to a lot of local music, there is still plenty that I miss and this is one of my favorite ways to catch up. Last year, I introduced to AgesandAges and Light For Fire.

Once again, there a couple old favorites — such as Jared Mees, Lovers, The Minders (mp3), Red Fang, Viva Voce — who all contribute excellent new or recently released songs. Three of my favorite tracks come from familiar faces fronting their new bands: the beautiful and catchy "Cold Feet" (mp3) by Lost Lander, which is Matt Sheehy of Ramona Falls' new project;  the retro psychedelic pop of "Thought Ballune" by ex-Mint Chick Ruban Nielson's Unknown Mortal Orchestra; and the sweet and acoustic "Tiny Hands" by Hutch Harris of the Thermals on his solo project, Forbidden Friends.

The real gems are new (at least to me) bands. I figured I'd missed my opportunity to see Portland's best new party band, O Bruxo, bit the inclusion of the exuberant "De Colores" and band on the lineup of CD release party gives me hope. Although by no means a hip hop connoisseur, I dig the Cool Nutz' catchy "Monster Up". The Shivas' power popped "Gun In My Pocket" had me checking the calendar to see when I catch their next show. Overall, it's eclectic and surprisingly coherent compilation.

June 2 — PDX Pop Now! CD release show at Holocene with O Bruxo, Blue Skies For Black Hearts, Swahili, Lost Lander
July 22-24 — PDX Pop Now! festival at Refuge PDX

PDX Pop Now! 2010 Compilation

Local compilations like PDX Pop Now! 2010 are by their very design a mixed bag. This just happens to be one of the better ones that I've ever heard. Over half of the 40 songs are really good. Of course, some the bands I've seen a couple times and love, like Hockey, Mean Jeans, and Blitzen Trapper.

I was actually introduced to the Mint Chicks on last year's compilation and have loved them ever since (and they are on again with the new "Bad Buzz"). While the unreleased Blitzen Trapper song, "Look My Way" is a treat, it's bands that I don't know well that make the compilation worth my time. I had to go buy their album after hearing, Boy Eats Drum Machine's electro-island hook on "Hoop + Wire" (mp3). I can't find much on AgesandAges, but I love the rolling sing along of "No Nostalgia" (mp3). Deelay Ceelay updates the Peanuts soundtrack for the electronic age on "Tange Ceelay", while Light For Fire delivers gruff and upbeat indie pop on "The Letters". While I could try and list all the other great songs by Mike Coykendall, Nick Jaina, Sean Flinn, Death Songs... I don't want to just rehash the track listing. Since it is only $8 for 2 discs, there's no excuse for not picking it up and finding your own favorites.

Although not many of these bands are actually playing the festival, it's a cool snapshot of what's happening in our musical city.

PDX Pop Now! 2010

Oh shit! PDX Pop Now! is this weekend and I haven't properly prepared. It's almost as fun sampling every bands Myspace page as I figure out my game plan, but I am not sure I have time for all that. Luckily, End Notes has had an excellent series highlighting each band playing. Of course, Hockey and the Joggers are on my list. And they play back to back late at night, which might not be a bad thing. Last year, PDX Pop Now! fell on one of the hottest weekends last summer, giving the packed Rotture a stuffy and communally dank atmosphere. Despite the B.O., I had a lot of fun sweating my asses off and listening to the up and coming local talent. I'll let you know what else makes the cut.

Here's a list of the bands playing:
Aan, AgesAndAges, AndAndAnd, Asss, Atriarch, AU, Autistic Youth, Ben Darwish, Billygoat, Blue Cranes, Blue Horns, Brainstorm, Cloudy October, Defect Defect, Da’Rel Junior, Eternal Tapestry, Fear No Music, Get Hustle, Grey Anne, Guantanamo Baywatch, Hockey, Hosannas, I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In The House, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Joey Casio, Joggers, Krebsic Orkestar, Kung Pao Chickens, Kusikia, Lewi Longmire, Luck One, Michael The Blind, Operative, Parenthetical Girls, Please Step Out of The Vehicle, Reporter, Rollerball, Shoeshine Blue, Skeletron, Soup Purse, SubArachnoid Space, Tiny Knives, Tu Fawning, The Tumblers, Typhoon, Wampire, Why I Must Be Careful, Ylang Ylang

Awmercy's Summer Short List

5. Summers in Portland feel like a celebration, whether I am running past the blues festival along the riverfront, cranking up summer jams on the stereo, or riding my bike home with a buzz from the show. With PDX Pop Now! and SMMR BMMR coming up, it’s only getting better.
   
   
4. Slabtown’s Bender – 3 nights of loud sloppy rock n’ roll fueled by massive amounts of cheap High Life.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. The Black Keys - Brothers rekindled my waning interest and sent me back to revisit their early albums that I apparently still love.
   

2. Free Energy @ Mississippi Studios – There’s nothing better than seeing the band you're digging the hardest when they got something to prove. I doubt I’ll ever see them at venue that small again.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
1. R.L. Burnside – When I was in a serious musical funk earlier this spring his Fat Possum albums, Mr. Wizard in particular, helped me creep out.

Marty Marquis - "Unreleased Song" Video

In honor of PDX Pop Now! kicking off tomorrow – along with some blistering heat – here's a video of Marty Marquis of Blitzen Trapper playing an unreleased song at the fundraiser benefit for PDX Pop Now! earlier this year. I'm still bummed I missed it. Don't know about you, but I am going to prepare for tomorrow's heat by drinking lots of beer and watching the Timbers take sole possession of first place. Woo hoo!

If you can't take the heat, or you live somewhere besides Portland, you can still check out the action online.

Marty Marquis from Asher Sandberg-Lewis on Vimeo.

The Mint Chicks - Screens (2009)

Portland's (by way of New Zealand) Mint Chicks play fuzzy guitar-driven indie pop. It's quirky, fun, and mostly irresistible. The two standout tracks are ringing "Red, White or Blue" full of buzzing synth and processed vocals, and the clap happy garage pop of "Hot On Your Heels", which was also on the PDX Pop Now! compilation. The rest of the songs are short blasts of infectious and high fructose fun, along the lines of E6 bands like the Apples In Stereo and the Minders, or any of a number of bands that love peddle effects and the Beatles. For example, "Enemies" sounds like an ELO outtake. Oh, and they also make rad videos. I can't wait to finally see them live.

PDX Pop Now! 2009 Compilation

PDX Pop Now is coming up (July 24-26) and I am amped. It's a free festival showcasing local Portland up and coming musicians. To prep, I picked up the compilation and started taking notes. Oddly, only 15 of the 40 bands featured on the double disc compilation will actually play the festival and 34 more are playing that were not included. While it may not be very representative, it still makes for a pretty good listen. In particular tracks by The Mint Chicks (garage pop), Benoît Pioulard (pretty indie folk), Dirty Mittens (indie pop), Explode Into Colors (instrumental indie), and Luck-One (chill hip hop) got me excited to see them live. The comp is rounded out by a couple of slightly more well-known artists like M. Ward, Starfucker, Mirah, and Blue Giant, who all contributed a good song from their most recent releases, but won't perform.