We love Ghost & The City's sultry jazz inspired music, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we're super excited to announce that the band is gearing up to release a new EP on January 15th! The new album is entitled Patchwork Soul and if you recall, we covered to release of the first single off this album, Steady Trippin'. Take a listen to it and we'll keep you posted on any new developments!

Oakland outfit Ghost & the City is dedicated to elevating style and experience to create music that embodies elements of soul, trip-hop and jazz. Traveling across numerous musical genres to appeal to many tastes, Ghost & the City makes music that defies conventionality, yet solidifies a distinctive sound. Over the past five years, the project has successfully performed at venues all over the Bay Area, supporting such acts as The Internet, Hiatus Kaiyote, Incognito and Marco Benevento. Next year will see the release of Patchwork Soul, a 6-song EP that features fresh collaborations and a new direction.

You can catch Ghost & the City's last show of the year on December 15th at Great American Music Hall. They open for Judith Hill.

Back in March, Lowell, Massachussetts trio Spooky Future released 'Chrese,' a palpably intriguing collection of jazz-rock songs. Calmer than its title may imply, the first track "Finally, You've Lost Your Mind" (streaming below) is a smooth blend of drum clasps and guitar curls that is pleasantly reminiscent of The Bad Plus and BADBADNOTGOOD. The second-to-last song, "The National Fun Deficit," similarly, plays along to a graceful pace, its thick bass lines effectively showing the elegant power of instrumental music. Spooky Future plays at the Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain, MA on 12/15.- Zach Weg

With their sputtering beats and trotting guitars, Northampton, Massachussetts indie funk quartet Mammal Dap powerfully reminds the listener that instruments alone can be deeply affecting. Excluding a human voice, songs like the drum-skipped "Ariel" and the bass-rubbed "Tried Tides" (streaming below) evoke autumnal melancholy while ultimately letting summer joy slide through. A compelling combination of Ratatat's elasticity and Flying Lotus's claustrophobia, such subtle yet fierce tracks play along to an intriguingly unpredictable pace. Mammal Dap has many forthcoming shows listed, including one this Thursday (12/10) at Stomping Ground in Putnam, CT. - Zach Weg

At some point or another, it's likely you've been asked if you're "DTF" or not. Usually, the acronym would imply you're down for some, let's say, "sensual relations," but here in Portland in references a different sort of gathering. December to Forget is our giant "F U" to this month of lame weather, ugly sweaters and gifts you didn't ask for. The last December to Forget, hosted by Party Boyz in 2013, got quite crazy. The ladies of Party Boyz are hoping for the same this year.

December to Forget will be held at the Liquor Store this Saturday, December 12th. Sets at the show include breakout band Moon By You, our beloved Wampire and San Francisco's Everyone Is Dirty. Tickets are $5 and the show starts at 9pm, so come prepared to get messed up with the best of us!

DTF is also doubling as a canned food drive, so if you bring a can of shelf stable food with you, you'll get $1 off your ticket! All the food is being donated to the Oregon Food Bank to benefit those less fortunate this holiday season, so nutrient dense foods are highly needed (think vegetables, soups, etc.)!

-Cervante Pope

When it comes to throwing your hands in and being a team player, there isn't a finer group of young gentleman that knows more about this than our own Hands In. Sensual wailer Erick Crosby heads the forefront of this endeavor, backed by Chad Davis and Cody Berger, both of whom are members of two other Portland psych-garage fits, Ah God and Talkative. Hands In have been featured on The Deli Portland before as part of last year's PDX Pop Now! post, but it's due time to give them proper mention. Hands In will provide your ears with the utmost refreshing jam sesh and can be found playing shows around time quite often. Keep up with them via their Facebook page and catch them live!

-Cervante Pope