Music Stories Brown Caesar 4 Tha Crown(Broken Homes) [HIP-HOP] The greatest gift an MC can have is a recognizable voice, and Portland’s Brown Caesar (formerly Santotzin) certainly fits that bill. While his ...   More

Top 5 5. Flat topography encourages hippies to build ridiculous bicycles.4. Application to become fourth member of Menomena rejected on the grounds that I was “too fat/not bicurious enough.”3. P ...   More

Top 5 When I was asked to write down five things I hate about Portland, my initial reaction was “only five?” I did six.The BlazersThey’ve only won one championship in 40 years and that was ...   More

Music Stories Hosannas Then & Now & Then(Hush Records) [JENGA POP] There will come a time, in the not-too-distant future, when the recording quality of Hosannas’ new compilation, Then & Now & Then, will so ...   More

Top 5 Guantanamo BaywatchEverything you want in a name. You can almost picture David Hasselhoff in a bright orange hazmat suit, right? The ManimalhouseSometimes, genius is as simple as sticking one letter i ...   More

Music Stories Adam Hurst Elegy(Ash Records) [MELLOW CELLO] You’ve probably seen him at the Portland Farmers Market, various outdoor festivals, and other gatherings around town: straw hat, perched on a stoo ...   More

Music Stories Fake Drugs Fake Drugs(Old Wave/High Scores And Records) [DANCE-POP DELIRIUM] You only need to look at the cover of Fake Drugs’ self-titled debut to realize the band doesn’t take itself ...   More

Music Stories Andrew Oliver Sextet 82% Chance Of Rain(Oa2 Records) [ELECTRIC JAZZ] With his Kora Band and Portland Jazz Composers Orchestra, hard-working young keyboardist Andrew Oliver has become a mainstay of ...   More

Music Stories Nick Jaina A Bird In The Opera House(Hush) [ROCK POETICS] It’s a shame Nick Jaina’s new album doesn’t come with a lyric sheet. More than any other local songwriter, Jaina songs be ...   More

Music Stories Marv Ellis Mental Picture Machine(Self-Released) [VIBE MUSIC] Positive, laid-back hip-hop isn’t any less palatable or critically acceptable than the hardcore rap that takes up most of the spa ...   More