Music Blog

The dedicated volunteer minions of PDX Pop Now! have done it again. They've culled through hundreds of recorded submissions-- your uncle's backyard shed project, your kid brother's bedroom hip-hop project, and your distant Norwegian cousin's death metal project among them-- to come up with their annual 2-disc, 40(ish) song (this year it's 41) celebration of Portland's music scene. A snapshot of the state of the scene, if you will.

It's the usual welcome mix of new and/or unreleased tracks from names you know (Viva Voce, Point Juncture WA, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, etc.), names you might know soon (Lost Lander, Blouse, Bright Archer, Jarad Miles) and names that you might very well never ever see again (TBD). One name that should immediately jump out at you is that of The Minders. Martyn Leaper's band has been hinting at a return for a few months now, and it would seem that the new track that appears here makes it official. It's the first output of any kind since 2006 from the band, and a breath of fresh air in my book.

The Minders: "Needle Doll" (MP3)

Others worth pointing out include a second compilation appearance in a row from Shaky Hands side project Death Songs, the previously released debut single from Thermals side project Forbidden Friends, and a live and unreleased track from relatively new Portlander Langhorne Slim. Here's the full tracklist:

Disc 1

1. Forbidden Friends – Tiny Hands
2. the Shivas – Gun In My Pocket**
3. Cool Nutz – Monster Up
4. O Bruxo – De Colores
5. Grouper – Alien Observer
6. Jared Mees & the Grown Children – Hungry Like a Tiger
7. Red Fang – Wires
8. Lovers – Boxer
9. Alan Singley – Sauvie Island**
10. Reva DeVito – Baby What You Do to Me
11. Lost Lander – Cold Feet (MP3)
12. Guantanamo Baywatch – Clam Party
13. Bright Archer – Hidden Systems
14. Purple & Green – Right Here
15. Blue Skies for Black Hearts – Majoring in the Arts
16. Wizard Rifle – Tears Won’t Soften Steel
17. Jarad Miles – Lazy Old Sun
18. BOOM! – Onomatopoeia
19. the Ascetic Junkies – (Don’t) Panic
20. Death Songs – Wounds**

Disc 2

1. Viva Voce – Analog Woodland Song
2. the BellBoys – Somethin’ In My Mind
3. Headphone Party – Strictly Stuntin’**
4. Witch Mountain – Veil of the Forgotten
5. Langhorne Slim & the Law – Past Lives (live)**
6. Sex Life – I Want You**
7. Swahili – Soma
8. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Thought Ballune
9. Point Juncture, WA – When You Wake Up It’s Today
10. the Woodlands – In the Dark on Monday (Heavy Hands Remix)
11. the angry orts – the Trend**
12. Quiet Countries – A Teeth Cutting**
13. Living Proof – Caddy Music
14. Johnny Reno & the Vicemachine – Be Gorgeous & Be Gone**
15. Mojave Bird – Roan Wolf**
16. Blouse – Into Black
17. On the Stairs – Stand
18. 1939 Ensemble – Espérer**
19. Ben Darwish – Under the Bright Red Sky
20. the Minders – Needle Doll**
21. Drew Grow – King On Your Throne

**Previously Unreleased Tracks

Oh, but that's not all! A PDX Pop Now! compilation needs a properly-vibed release show, which is why they've announced that very thing to be had June 2nd at Holocene, all-ages! O Bruxo, Blue Skies for Black Hearts, Swahili, Lost Lander, DJ Papi Chulo, and DJ Gigante are those entrusted with bringing it down, as it were-- as always admission price also scores you a copy of the new comp.

In case you forgot, this all comes ahead of PDX Pop Now!'s summer festival, the 8th annual of which takes place this year July 22-24 at Refuge.

Tagged: mp3