As The Doubleclicks, Portland based sisters Aubrey and Angela Webber pick up a cello and ukelele and sing ballads that cover a range of geek culture. They cover grammar, video games, trekkies, and even PDX pirates. There is also meeting boys at con, the worst superpowers ever, and a velociraptor with self-esteem issues. The track "Imposter", on Song Fu is a response to a song writing challenge in which the girls created a story about a sad robot lost in space. What could be a more fitting way to share their EP, Chainmail and Cello, than to play a tour of shows inside West Coast comic shops? Tonight they play for a nerd herd at our own comic headquarters, Things From Another World. D20! – Brandy Crowe
Rontoms might be the fanciest garage a band could possibly play in, which is fitting because one of the most popular garage pop-rock bands in Portland, The Hugs, will be playing their weekly free show this Sunday. The Hugs have been around since 2007 and have gained popularity and high praise since. Their sound is grounded in early century garage sound but adds very clean vocals and specific spacy guitar effects to bring their music to the forefront of today’s scene. They bring a ton of energy and mix it with psychedelic undertones to keep the listener interested and in a good mood. Add in a steady rhythm section and you’ve got the perfect formula for great beer drinking music. – Colin Hudson
The results are in from the Open Submissions stage for our Portland Year End Poll for Emerging Artists. All of the submissions were ranked by Deli Editors from other scenes and the list of acts that have advanced to our Readers’/Fans’ Poll phase are below. We will also be releasing the list of nominees chosen by our local "scene expert" jurors very soon.
We would like to thank all of the talented artists who submitted. It was our largest Open Submissions pool yet, and certainly a testament to how many rad acts we have in Portland.
Qualified to the final phase of the Best of Portland Poll:
You can hear elements of nearly all of Portland’s music circles in Eidelons progressive ballads, and as a result they might be one of the best representations of the city’s music. Their indie rock riffs are played with the purity of a garage rock band atop blistering rhythms that aren’t without an experimental edge. Still they retain a certain pop sensibility within the crooning vocals of Dan Beyers and their occasional blending of a folk influence that seems to be ever present in stumptown.
Catherine Feeny’s songs are entrancing. Between the ethereal quality of her voice and the dreamlike sensations evoked by intricacies of her compositions it’s easy to get lost in thought while listening. You can hear a passion behind her experimental pop songs that carries with it both nostalgia and innovation and for this reason there’s no doubt in my mind that 2013 will be a successful year for her.
In the past year, The Lower 48 have built a significant amount of momentum in Portland’s music scene and for good reason. Their music is rich with soothing vocal harmonies, tight instrumentation and a captivating presentation that has been winning over audiences at some of the city’s most prominent venues. Their folk pop gems are sure to build them a place among the most recognized acts in Portland over the course of the next year.
Unicorn Domination has enough rhythmic energy and electronic appeal to start a rave at a young republican’s convention. Their music is saturated with visceral synthesized leads, driving drum machines and contagious vocals that could inspire movement in virtually any room. See them animate a dance floor near you in 2013.
When former Epoxies member, Tim Connolly, wanted to arrange a fun recording project for The Punk Group's self-tribute, he fetched the vocal talents of three ladies known as Jessi Lix, Double A, and Miss Joseph. The result destined the group to take to the stage. Soon Portland punk notorieties Howie Hotknife (Hotknives, Mean Jeans) and Petey J. Cool (Pure Country Gold) joined in and completed The Suicide Notes. While the guys are experienced, the girls exude prowess. In unison they bop along, singing playfully macabre lyrics to steadfast beats and sixties surf guitar, a sort of evil zombie version of Beach-Blanket-Bingo. The title track of their EP, "Suicide Note" revs up a guitar solo that explodes into punk anthems. "Beach Song" ends even with lovely harmonies and "Wolf Couple" puts a shimmy in your step. Two harder to find tracks are worth the search: "Something At The Window" has a darker rhythm and more ‘90s guitar as well as rare vocals from the guys, while "Love You To Death" indulges in slicing and dicing through funky bass lines in the most endearing of ways. – Brandy Crowe
Jacob Miller and the Bridge City Crooners might be the most charming band that Portland has to offer. Their music is influenced by the country and blues of the early 1900’s and infused with fingerpicking ragtime guitar fronting an arrangement of both traditional and makeshift instruments. Upright bass, washboard, harmonica and even the occasional kazoo can be heard supporting Jacob and Joy as they trade lead vocals and harmonize with each other radiating the carefree and nostalgic energy that uptempo blues creates. Over the past month, they’ve spread their music all across stumptown; with a slew of shows booked in January and the promise of a new release in the spring, they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. If you want to experience The Crooner’s charm for yourself, you can catch them at Backspace on December 27th or at the White Eagle on January 4th. – Benjamin Toledo
SOME "VINTAGE"BAND FEATURES - Grizzly Bear - interview from first issue (2004) - by Stephanie R. Myers
- Matt and Kim (before they became huge, 2006) - by David Schneider
- TV on the Radio (before they became huge, 2005) - by Liz Schroeter
