Cuts of the Week

Must-hear new songs from Tope, Jackson Boone, Theme Witch, Rare Diagram and Casey Neill. Plus: New And And And video!

By WW MUSIC STAFF

Each week, LocalCut collects the best new Portland music and puts it all in one place for you, the faithful reader, to enjoy. It's like The Week In Rock, with less Tabitha Soren.

1. Tope, "Miss Me When I'm Gone"

The man is nothing if not accurate. Portland rapper Tope is indeed gone, and this track appears to be a self-made memorial. Last time we chatted with Tope, his plan was to complete a pilgrimage to Los Angeles by way of Oakland. “I don’t think it’s impossible for an artist to get national recognition [in Portland],” he told us, “but you have to have some money to do it from Portland.” But according to this track, there were more than just economic spurs inciting Tope’s move. In his tenor flow, he sneers, “Last year shit was crazy/Feelin’ like a couple of my closest friends hate me...jealousy will kill you.” In Portland, a city with a hip-hop scene that is notoriously under fire, who knows what beefs may have contributed to Tope's exit?  Despite any bad blood, this track is nothing but good vibes with Zach Striar’s kicked-back, soul-sampling production. TED JAMISON.

2. Jackson Boone, "The Dolphin Turned Into a Cat"

Portland's answer to Syd Barrett, Boone put out one of last year's overlooked gems, the impossibly pristine, psychedelic moonbeam Starlit. Well, if you slept on that impressive debut, be alert: The follow-up is already on its way. Natural Changes is due in September, and we're already getting a taste of what's to come, which sounds like a refinement of the lysergic beauty Boone and producer Riley Geare already had a pretty good grasp on. MATTHEW SINGER.

3. Theme Witch, "Psychic"

Theme Witch is frustrating indie blogs everywhere. They're all dying for more information than his one-sentence Facebook bio: "Theme Witch is Tyler Brown, a musician who writes and records music in Portland, Oregon." Consider this our commiseration. We wish we knew more as well. Out of the handful of tracks he's released, "Psychic" particularly perks our ears as a catchy and guitar-driven bedroom track. The layers of clean guitar fit together in a sound reminiscent of Real Estate, but Brown's distant, gauzy vocals give the track a lo-fi feel along the lines of Tonstartssbandht. It is an addictingly simple track that prompts relistening. Looking forward to more from this artist. TJ.

4. Rare Diagram, “Ouroboros”

Forget everything you ever knew about Tigerface. Tigerface is gone. Tigerwho? Exactly. Meet Rare Diagram, whose debut single, “Ouroboros,” may have just given me hope for baroque pop. At a time when even Sufjan Stevens has stripped his sound down to a single guitar, Rare Diagram’s kitchen-sink single features trombone, strings and a chorus of vocals on top of the traditional indie-rock four-piece sound. The result is a simple, soulful track that gradually unfolds into a heavy, orchestral epic. 

 
5. Casey Neill & the Norway Rats, “The Sky Lit Up”

Portland vet Casey Neill takes on PJ Harvey, transforming the noisy but cloistered Is This Desire? cut into a full-throated rocker. The cover is included on an upcoming limited edition cassette EP, which will be available at the band’s show at Doug Fir on May 23. 

BONUS VIDEO: And And And, “Losing Team”

Earlier this week, Vice premiered this clip from 2011 Best New Band winners And And And—the sequel to the video for “A Real Case of the Blues,” which depicted the band dining unwisely on river meat. This is the aftermath. Inevitably, it features a lot of vomiting. And emergency surgery. And Slimer. 

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