Album Reviews [CRUST PUNK] Tragedy is justly revered the world over for its dense and crepuscular take on crust punk, but an album-length masterpiece has eluded this staunchly DIY Portland quartet since its 2   More

Album Reviews [HOMETOWN R&B] Arjay lives, like many urban singers of his generation, at the intersection of hip-hop and R&B. If you know his name, it’s probably from the former: The Portland staple ha   More

Album Reviews Plankton Wat, Spirits (Thrill Jockey) Weirdness scale: 5/10 What kind of weird: Watching the slow-motion moments in a David Lynch film on repeat weird. It would appear that the men of Eternal Tap   More

Album Reviews [DEATH METAL] Hearing Configuration makes me realize how many times I’ve seen Order of the Gash in DIY settings with inadequate sound systems. These three good folks operate without ego, alway   More

Album Reviews [FREE HARDCORE] The striking white stallion that adorns the cover of Zero Hour probably wasn’t meant as a sight gag, but it works as one: Palo Verde, you see, is no one-trick pony. Drummer Lauren    More

Album Reviews [MINIMAL ROCK] A lot has changed since 2002. New president. Oklahoma City has a pro basketball team. Osama bin Laden? Totes dead. Another thing that’s changed in the 10 years since Pellet Gun    More

Album Reviews [HEAVY HIP-HOP] Sandpeople’s Iame has gone through some fascinating changes in the past two years. Physically, he’s almost unrecognizable, having lost considerable weight after cutting alcoh   More

Album Reviews [SUBDUED CRAFTSMANSHIP] Horse Feathers is a band of subtleties. Creating a rich sonic space using soft arrangements and minimalist instrumentation is quite a feat. Yet, the Portland band’s fou   More

Album Reviews [HIP-HOP] We’re used to Serge Severe being the Sharon Jones of boom-bap (boom-Baptone?). On his last two records, the Portland MC has branded himself as a throwback, flowing over jazz and funk   More

Album Reviews [FUTURE POP] I don’t think the members of Radiation City are perfectionists, but together they make some perfect pop music. The Portland quintet’s live shows sound like elaborately produced st   More