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

Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health (2009)

I loved the Harlem Shakes' 2007 Burning Birthdays EP. After over a year passed and instead of a debut, we got a decent side project album by the Arms, I was worried that might be all. But it appears the wait has been worth it. On Technicolor Health the Harlem Shakes bring the sunshine and good times to New York City indie rock. The album infuses some of the Little Ones' pop sensibilities into the cool and angular sounds of the Walkmen, French Kicks, and the Joggers. It's a mix of bright and swirling keyboards, stuttering drum beats, and propulsive strumming all fused together with a handful of hooks and catchy choruses. This may be my favorite type of indie rock. The song "Strickly Game" captures the album's tempered optimism in the repeated refrain "This will be a better year." On the eve of a historic presidential inauguration, the mixture of hope and wariness seems particularly relevant. "TFO", "Sunlight" and "Natural Man" are my favorites.