Top 5 David Longstreth on his Marriage Records releases.Thanksgiving, Now It’s All Over Like the Birds (2004)Beautiful early poetry from Portland’s own wunderkind.Spencer Kingman, Spenking (2003 ...   More

Music Stories Soft Metals The Cold World Melts(Captured Tracks) [OLD SCHOOL SYNTH POP] In the past few years, the synthesizer—conspicuously absent from many of the best songs of the ’90s—has se ...   More

Top 5 5. CHUB UP YOUR PETSIn the a.m., gently feed your animal at least three whole cans of lamb and rice. In the p.m., top him off with chunks of beef and pork. Finally, before bed, massage some fish skin ...   More

Music Stories What Hearts Songs For Marjorie(Self-Released) [FOLK POP] I often wonder: What if Simon and Garfunkel had been women? Actually, the first time I ever wondered that was five minutes ago, while listen ...   More

Music Stories Portland Cello Project Thousand Words(Self-Released) [MELLOW CELLO] The CD wrapper says “File Under: Alternative Rock,” but despite the melancholy Elliott Smith cover (the previously un ...   More

Music Stories On the surface, Lilith (formerly Lilith Fair) and the Waterfront Blues Festival don’t have much in common. One is a low-key, estrogen-fueled singer-songwriter road show; the other is a predomina ...   More

Music Stories The Harvey Girls I’ve Been Watching A Lot Of Horror Movies Lately(Circle Into Square) [EVASIVE POP] The lyrical imagery that kicks off I’ve Been Watching a Lot of Horror Movies Lately m ...   More

Music Stories Kurt Hagardorn Leaves(Self-Released) [SOFT POP] When we last checked in with Kurt Hagardorn, the North Carolina transplant had just released Ten Singles, a severely overlooked collection of smooth ...   More

Music Stories I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch In The House The Sounds Of Dying(Suburban Home Records) [COUNTRY ROCK] When I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House broke up in 2006, frontman Michael Dean Damron had alr ...   More

Music Stories Blitzen Trapper Destroyer Of The Void(Sub Pop) [OUTLAW FOLK-ROCK] There are risks to opening your album with a six-minute epic. Especially when the song in question is a sonic departure wherein you ...   More