Festivals are a business. You pay them X amount of dollars and they give you a weekend of bands you love (along with sore feet and a sunburn). But one such festival is expanding on the model and going for more altruistic means of taking your cash. In addition putting an annual music festival that touts the always-incredible Portland music scene, PDX Pop Now! also serves as a non-profit organization that conducts a series of out reach programs (getting musicians to speak/perform at schools, free concerts on the steps of the City Hall, etc) around the community. Now, you can help the cause and, in turn, receive some quality music by purchasing a copy of the PDX Pop Now! Compilation. Not convinced? Let us break you off with a track from the 40-track effort.
A Weather and its track “Giant Stairs” is not exactly what a lot of people expect from the Portland scene, but then again, that’s what makes the scene so dynamic. Along with the likes of The Thermals, Stephen Malkmus, and YACHT, the indie folk rock of A Weather is as equally at home in the confines of the Rose City. “Giant Stairs” is something like a more down home and quainter version of Viva Voce. The boy-girl dynamic adds a sweeter edge to their methodic, damaged pace. It’s something only Portland could’ve brewed up, that’s for sure.
The compilation is now available and can be purchased here. Other artists appearing on the effort include Menomena, Talkdemonic, Dharma Bums, and Blitzen Trapper. Also, for those in the Portland area, there is a CD release show tonight at Holocene (1001 SE Morrison St.). Deelay Ceelay, Tope, The Angry Orts, and The Great Mundane will be performing.
PDX Pop Now!’s 2010 festival takes place from July 30th – August 1st. Stay tuned to their official site for news and a schedule.
Check Out:
“Giant Stairs”
PDX Pop Now! Compilation Tracklist:
Disc 1:
01. The Basics – Tope & Epp ft. Illmaculate
02. No Nostalgia – AgesandAges **
03. Oooh Kill Ooooh – Nucular Aminals
04. Tange Rine – Deelay Ceelay **
05. City Morgue – Kelli Schaefer
06. Five Little Rooms – Menomena **
07. El Ranchero Tejano – paper/upper/cuts **
08. The Letters – Light for Fire **
09. The Upheaval on Titan – JonnyX & the Groadies
10. Never Again – Fruition
11. My Hip Hop Is Breathing – Beyoung, Empire, Lost Poet, Mr. Flea
12. Starting Over (Bad Habits) – Typhoon
13. bodyblood – the angry orts **
14. Bombast – Trio Subtonic
15. Let This Body Go – Death Songs
16. Steve Don’t Party No More – Mean Jeans
17. Flatlands – Mike Coykendall
18. Bad Buzz – The Mint Chicks
19. Wet & Dripping – Aan
20. Patient Heart – Sean Flinn & the Royal We
Disc 2:
01. Mercenary Days – Hockey
02. Boxcar Children – ioa
03. Dalvik Tide – Ocean Age
04. Hoop & Wire – Boy Eats Drum Machine
05. Tramm – Breakfast Mountain **
06. Sleep, Child – Nick Jaina
07. Marianne – Strength **
08. Only A Quality Lime for Eric Gruber – Andrew Oliver Sextet
09. Look My Way – Blitzen Trapper **
10. Don’t Look Down on Me – MY-G
11. Pythia Misunderstood – Transient
12. Battling Giants – Brainstorm
13. Too Many Days Gone – Dharma Bums **
14. Wide-Eyed, Legless – Laura Veirs
15. Midcentury Motion – Talkdemonic **
16. Pulling Weeds – The Great Mundane **
17. Juniper – Y La Bamba**
18. Peacock Dreams – Peacock Dreams
19. See Waves – Nice Nice
20. Giant Stairs – A Weather
** = Previously unreleased tracks
