Little Oso - How Lucky To Be Somebody

 

A few months ago I had never heard of Little Oso, but they are now one of our favorited indie pop bands. Such is the quality of the Portland, Maine's recent album How Lucky To Be Somebody. This is dreampop with tons of pep and swagger with vocals and melodies that will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. This is solid craftsmanship with a light touch -- perfect for the upcoming Springtime.

How Lucky To Be Somebody is out now via Repeating Cloud and Safe Suburban Home.

Website

Instagram

Bandcamp for album

"Lost Touch" by Tears Run Rings

 

Portland, Oregon's Tears Run Rings are not especially prolific, but good things can take time. Besides, they have other things to do such as founding and running the excellent label Shelflife Records. Our ears are happy, however, because they have found time to record their fourth album Everything In The End. The just released first single -- "Lost Touch" -- demonstrates that the band's mastery of euphoric, layered and dreamy shoegaze remains intact. We think it is a perfect way to elevate your evening mood. Your family will thank you.

Tears Run Rings are Matthew Bice (vocals/guitar), Laura Watling (vocals/bass), Ed Mazzucco (guitar), and Dwayne Palasek (drums). Everything In The End will be released September 6 via Shelflife Records.

Facebook

Instagram

X/Twitter

Bandcamp

"Velvet Lovers" by Nate Wey and the Dreamers

 We've been awol for a few days (work/illness/skiing), so we thought we would celebrate our return with a thoroughly delicious free song titled "Velvet Lovers" by Portland, Oregon's Nate Wey and the Dreamers. The song is a mash up of Velvet Underground's Waiting for The Man and The Modern Lover's Roadrunner. So the songwriting credit belongs to Lou Reed and Jonathan Richman. But Nate gets the inspiration credit for the mash up. And lets not forget a round of applause for the Dreamers: Tobias Berblinger (keys), Christa Buckland (backing vocals), Kyle Cregan (drums), Leah Heuser (backing vocals), Sarah Nienaber (electric guitars). Nate provided vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, and keys. In addition to being a musician, he also is a sound mixer and composer.

Nate Wey's website

"Didn't It Rain Last Night" by First Rodeo

 

It is true that most of our posts focus on pop and rock artists, but we sometimes cross to the country side of the street when appropriately attracted. We recently received a song called "Didn't It Rain Last Night", and we were duly attracted. The creation of Portland/Philadelphia band First Rodeo, the song is classic country/Americana road song replete with affecting vocals and a rich arrangement. First Rodeo consists of Nathan Tucker and Tim Howe. The met in Portland a few years ago and played in each other's bands. Although Nathan has since moved to Philadelphia, their urge to collaborate remains strong, so the do what they can remotely, and then get together to record. Their first album, First Rodeo, will be out August 5 via Forged Artifacts.

Bandcamp for "Didn't It Rain Last Night"

Bandcamp for album

"You Wanna Be My Man" (video) by The Shivas

May we assume that in light of our laudatory feature of Feels So Good // Feels So Bad by Portland's The Shivas (link) everyone has a copy? We certainly hope so. But if you haven't done so, you can slink off and get yourself the album. And to give you some additional incentive (as if our previous praise isn't sufficient), here is their new video for album track "You Wanna Be My Man".

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Bandcamp for album

Various links for the album

The Shivas - Feels So Good // Feels So Bad

 

Feels So Good // Feels So Bad hits so many points on my music appreciation compass that when the vocalist demands "tell me that you love me" on the third track I immediately do just that. And when she pleads "baby don't go" two tracks later I shake my head and assure her that I'm there for the full 13 songs and a few repeats. The album is the creation of Portland, Oregon's The Shivas. The quartet has made a lot of good music in the last decade and a half, but this LP, their seventh, may well be their best. In any case, it is my favorite. The band is well known as a lively, danceable, garage/psychedelic force. And while they have lost none of the punch and sass that earned them a legion of fans, on this album they more openly express a range of emotions and display matured songwriting.

The versatility The Shivas deploy on Feels So Good // Feels So Bad almost makes the 'garage/psych' tag seem silly. They adroitly mix upbeat garage bangers such as "Feels So Bad", "My Baby Don't", and "Rock Me Baby" with girl-group throwback gems such as "Tell Me That You Love Me" and "Don't Go", and guitar pop such as "If I Could Choose" and "For The Kids". The hooks are plentiful and the choruses are a highlight. The guitars and rhythm section are superb (the drummer may owe his set an apology for the abuse it suffered in "My Baby Don't). According to my analytics this is one of the two albums I have played the most in the past four weeks, and I expect that to continue.

Feels So Good // Feels So Bad is out today via Tender Loving Empire.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Bandcamp for album

Various links for album

"If I Could Choose" and "Undone" by The Shivas

 

One of the treasures of the Pacific Northwest indie rock/psychedelic scene is Portland's The Shivas. They intend to make everyone's autumn music playlists better with a new album titled Feels So Good//Feels So Bad (which, despite appearances, is not about my pre-marriage relationships). But you don't even need to take our always reliable opinion, because you can listen to two tracks below. Then you can pre-order the album and feel very good about what you have accomplished.

Feels So Good//Feels So Bad will be out September 24 via Tender Loving Empire.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Bandcamp for album

Corvair - Corvair

Sometimes guys just have to rock, and we almost slept on this appropriate soundtrack for doing so. Corvair is a trio based in Portland, Oregon, formed by Pacific Northwest rock veteran Brian Naubert and Heather Larimer (ex Eux Autres and others). The music on their self-titled debut album is high-energy, melodic, and muscular. Listening to it reminds us of finding one of those rare good radio stations because the songs have elements of '70s - '90s rock. The album is a good set of songs, and at its best it prompts head nodding, fist pumping and perhaps a bit of moving the feet. All in all, a good dose of energy for our Sunday.

Corvair are Brian Naubert (guitars/bass/keys/percussion), Heather Larimer (vocals/keys/percussion), and Eric Eagle (drums). Corvair is out now via Paper Walls in the US and WIAIWYA in the UK.

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Corvair's Bandcamp link

wiaiwya's Bandcamp link

Various links for album

The Crystal Furs - Beautiful and True

Sniff, sniff. No, it isn't a summer cold, just a few tears because Subjangle Records didn't give us any advance notice of Beautiful and True. And we certainly like things that are beautiful and true, especially when they have lots of jangle. But we aren't going to let bruised feelings keep us from our professional duty to tell all of our readers that on this album, the third by The Crystal Furs and their first since becoming resident in Portland, Oregon, the band is really hitting their stride. The album reveals the band's range from the noisier side of the C86 spectrum to the twee side of guitar pop. From these folks it all sounds natural, unforced and fun. Check out four gems below, and then hustle your fingers over to Bandcamp.

The Crystal Furs are Kara Buchanan, Steph Buchanan, and Rowan Church. Beautiful and True is out now as a digital release.










Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp for Beautiful and True

Scott the Hoople - Anything Is Better Than You EP

When we featured an album by Scott McCaughey, aka Scott the Hoople (link) we didn't expect him to be back here this soon. But America is in crisis, and Scott has penned three timely songs for an EP titled Anything Is Better Than You. I think most of us can guess to whom the "you" in the title refers, but we aren't featuring this album just because of the target. We are featuring it because all of the proceeds will be donated to a racial justice organization Color of Change ( Color of Change). The first and second tracks are aggressive, slashing indie rock. "Things Are Going To Get Better", the third track, is our favorite -- perhaps because we are optimistic types and perhaps because it has a Mott the Hoople vibe that just sits well with us as we end a horrific week.




Bandcamp for EP
Twitter

The No Ones - The Great Lost No Ones Album

It seems appropriate to us to follow up a nearly two day period with no new posts by featuring a band named The No Ones. It would tweak our sense of humor to say we picked the band solely because of the name, but that would not be true. You see, this band is comprised of Peter Buck (R.E.M., the Minus 5, and others), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows, the Minus 5, and others), Frode Stromstad (I Was A King), and Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen (I Was A King). Without searching the archives, we are confident that this is our first featured band with two members in Portland, Oregon and two members in Norway. As I'm sure you will expect, their recently-released The Great Lost No Ones Album is packed with satisfying guitar pop that should ease the pain of having no live shows to attend. The album was recorded in 2017, but took some time getting to the light of day. No matter, it has arrived and it sounds wonderful!

The album is out is vinyl, CD and digital formats via Yep Roc Records









Facebook
Bandcamp for album

Mo Troper - Natural Beauty

Portland native Mo Troper has returned home after living in California and New York, and released his third album, Natural Beauty. To our ears, third time is the charm for Mo as this set of songs is his most accessible yet. He has a knack for writing quirky but pleasing pop songs. And he gets the pacing just right--the album plays like a drive to the beach or a sun dabbled bike ride on a trail.

Mo gives you a choice of vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital download, so you can't complain that your favored music delivery system has been ignored.






Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp for Natural Beauty

Scott the Hoople - Sad Box and Other Hits

Truth be told, Scott McCaughey is a Pacific Northwest treasure. Formerly, he was a Seattle treasure, but he headed south to spread the wealth to Portland, so we enhanced his title. His many projects include Young Fresh Fellows, the Minus 5, the Baseball Project, Filthy Friends, Tired Pony, and the No Ones. But with touring for any band currently suspended, Scott displays his disdain for household projects, self-improvement courses and other stay-at-home trends by recording a new album for his solo musical identity, Scott the Hoople. He gave himself the month of April to do it, and by the deadline he had recorded 11 songs, put a virtual bow on the album and released Sad Box and Other Hits on Bandcamp.

So if hook-filled guitar pop-rock is your thing, and it certainly is our thing, you can spend seven bucks on Bandcamp and make Scott feel much better about not fixing the leaking faucet and trimming the hedge in April. And as a point of clarification, Scott the Hoople is not the same Scott that writes for this blog. Scott the Hoople can, and did, write 11 songs in April, while the Scott that writes for this blog would need 11 Aprils to write one song.








Bandcamp for album
Twitter

Neilson Family - Double Life

We are very busy doing things other than music blogging today (yes, that happens sometimes), but we didn't want our dear readers to think we have forgotten them. So we will share with you exactly what we are listening to while researching arcane legal points and writing memos. Here is Double Life, an energetic, full-speed dose of jangling indie pop from Portland, Oregon quartet Neilson Family. With two guitars, a rhythm section clearly having fun, and male/female vocals, this is the kind of music that never goes out of style around here.

Neilson Family are Jamie Neilson, Annie Fifer, Amit Gordon and Max Miller. Double Life is out now in digital and CD formats via Jigsaw Records.








Facebook
Bandcamp for Double Life

A Certain Smile - Bae EP

Portland, Oregon's A Certain Smile has given us three songs that amply demonstrate why they are a top class fuzz pop band. Bae EP begins with "Cherry Bomb", an aptly-named explosion of sound. The following "Honey Do" continues the hooky, fast-paced melodic rampage, and if the band stopped there, we would still be breathless and love this 7". But A Certain Smile provides a delicious, dialed-down change up with closer "Original Replacement".

Bae EP is out now in digital and vinyl formats via the Portland (formerly Seattle) Jigsaw Records.






Website
Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp for Bae EP

"I'll Go Home" by Campfires

Our inbox has been crowded lately with excellent albums that deserve our attention, but we frequently are distracted by terrific singles that demand repeated listens.  One jewel that hit our ears this week is "I'll Go Home" by Campfires.  The song has a '60s folk rock/British Invasion vibe with jangling, twanging guitars and sweet vocals.  It is so good that it made us sad that Campfires' latest album was in 2013, but we brightened up again when our research department advised us that "I'll Go Home" is taken from new album, Fare Trax, which will be released August 30 via Fire Talk.

Campfires is the project of Jeff Walls, who resides in Portland, Oregon.  Fare Trax will be available in digital and vinyl formats.




Website
Bandcamp Fare Trax
Label page to order Fare Trax

Summer Cannibals - Can't Tell Me No"

Can't Tell Me No is well conceived and well performed rock and roll with a big dose of  'don't tread on me' defiance (personal, not political), arriving just in time for your summer playlists (and for our US readers, your July 4th barbecue).  The album is the fourth from Portland band Summer Cannibals, and is their first for the Tiny Engines label.   While the band's approach to their craft varies little - expect riffs, hooks, big choruses and noise -- their execution hits the sweet spot and the lyrics have a genuine bite born of fraught personal and professional relationships.  This album is the soundtrack of a band reclaiming their professional and personal lives, and they do it with passion and flair.

Summer Cannibals are Jessica Boudreaux, Cassi Blum, Devon Shirley, and Ethan Butman.  Can't Tell Me No is out now in all formats.  See the Bandcamp link below.








Website
Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp for Can't Tell Me No
Tiny Engines pre-order page for album

"Helios Heliadae" by Tears Run Rings

"Helios Heliadae" is our first glimpse of the October 19 Somewhere EP by Tears Run Rings, a  multi-city band accomplishes much of their craftsmanship long-distance. The EP is the band's first recording since 2016's In Surges LP and will consist of four songs.  The release will be available in vinyl and digital formats via Deep Space Recordings and Shelflife Records.




Website
Facebook
Twitter
Deep Space Recordings
Shelflife Records

Woolen Men - Post

Tuesday was starting a bit slow for us, and we desperately needed a helping hand.  Our friends down the road in Portland, a trio known as Woolen Men, came to the rescue with Post -- nine tracks of well-crafted punk, taut post punk, and guitar pop that have given us the energy to do our jobs.  If that seems to be a broad canvass, be assured that this is a band that can fully cover the spectrum.  The rhythms section is sprightly and steady, and the band fully fleshes out every song as if it were the lead single.  This is the band's fifth album, and in our opinion it is their most accessible and satisfying yet.  So our thanks to Woolen Men for rescuing our Tuesday morning.

Woolen Men are Raf Spielman (drums), Alex Geddes (bass), and Lawton Browning (guitar).  Post is out now in digital and vinyl formats via Dogs Table (see the Bandcamp link below).








Facebook
Bandcamp for Post

Laura Veirs - The Lookout

The Lookout is a beautiful album with an important message.  The message is pay attention to the special, beautiful things in your life because you cannot rely on them being there forever.  The delivery consists of 12 folky pop songs that serve as an exquisite example to anyone who seeks to write music.  Knowing indie fans have long known of the special art of Laura Veirs, but this is a great opportunity for everyone else to learn as well.  Veirs' songs are confident, detailed, emotionally rich, and perceptive.  But most of all, they are incredibly pleasing to the ear.  By the way, the excellent production is by ace producer, and Veirs' husband, Tucker Martine.

The Lookout is out now in vinyl, CD and digital formats.








Website
Facebook
Twitter
Bandcamp for The Lookout