Spoon Benders’ Music Is Inspired by Iggy Pop and Neuroscience

Spoon Benders began with a lie.

Experimental Duo Sea Moss Was Born Out of a Chance Meeting and “Dorky” Circuit Tattoos

“If our shit gets knocked over in the middle of a set, it means we’re doing a good job.”

Mope Grooves Declined to Be Interviewed, But the Band Still Has Something To Say

Last summer, Mope Grooves released their fourth album, Desire. It’s driving, percussive music in the vein of the Raincoats, but it’s also imbued with whimsy and a sincere sense of beauty.

Marcus McCauley’s Self-Produced, Introverted Hip-Hop Is Ideal for the Age of Quarantine

It didn’t take Marcus McCauley’s career long to gather steam—nor did it take long to stall out.

Mo Troper Is Kind of OK With the Fact That His Album Promotion Tour Was Canceled by COVID-19

In March, the Portland singer-songwriter’s West Coast jaunt in support of Natural Beauty, his third album, was cut short. Then, his Midwest and East Coast shows were postponed as the pandemic wiped out live music for the foreseeable future.

Four Portland Music Community Leaders Speak on the Scene’s Role During the Protests

The Only Performances Rapper Raquel Divar Has Given Over the Past Few Months Have Been at Anti-ICE Rallies

“I’m fucking living for this shit. Let’s fucking change the world,” she says about the protests. “We’re all in the streets, saying what we think. As much as everything is sad surrounding the reason we’re doing it, I think it’s positive momentum towards the right direction.”

Meet the 10 Portland Artists Local Music Insiders Say You’ve Got to Hear

We admit: It’s a strange time to put out a Best New Band issue.