[PSYCH-POP] Since recording its first 7-inch in 1992, Thebrotheregg has maintained a release schedule as mercurial as its bristling, psychedelia-tinged popcraft. Now, the self-described “avant-rainpop” quartet has a new guitarist, Jairus Smith (replacing family-bound member Chris Kalani Gabriel), and a self-titled EP—full of unabashedly frail and overtly intellectual tweaked indie anthems—forthcoming. WW sat down with […]

Ever the roaming idealist, John Brainerd, 29, came to Portland two years ago after traversing the U.S. in a “bowl-cut” formation from Worcester, Mass. He intended to set up shop—a multimedia community center and coffee shop, to be precise. In the year that semi-eponymous Brainstains has operated at 3535 N Lombard St., the house has […]

Slabtown’s 2007 opening party, the Bender, was an impromptu affair—an opportunity for the new owners to show thanks, and to mark the storied venue’s new, rawk-centric direction with a weekend-long, free music festival. It was never meant to attract bands from across the country. And, had the organizers any idea it’d become an annual event, […]

Somehow, despite winning the holy trifecta of high-profile rap battle competitions, Portland MC Illmaculate has largely evaded local celebrity. The 21-year-old St. Johns native, known as Greg Pope to his friends and family, just won his second consecutive victory at the World Rap Championships in New York City. As such, he and his partner in […]

Peter Broderick is the embodiment of “gifted.” A true multi-instrumentalist, he can be heard playing everything from piano and violin to saw and theremin on records by everyone from Laura Gibson, Loch Lomond and Dolorean to Norfolk & Western and his own chamber-folk outfit (with Justin Ringle and sister Heather Broderick), Horse Feathers. Now, after […]

p>When Joanna Bolme calls herself an “old-school Portlander,” she ain’t kiddin’. A member of Sean Croghan’s now-defunct, cultishly lauded pop-punk outfit Jr. High and current member of both Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks and Quasi, Bolme, 39, has proven herself a most ubiquitous Northwest bass player over the years. And that all goes without mention […]

[INDIE ROCK] Weathering everything from the demise of grunge to the demise of Elliott Smith, Jackpot Records—a quality-controlled haven of vinyl and CDs focusing on “the best of what an artist has to offer”—has been a vital part of Portland’s music scene longer than most transplants have been out of high school. A former clerk […]

“Definitely watching the 151-drenched live wrestling show at a now-extinct eastside venue in 1997 with a few of the Dandies, and then racing across town to have Floater cancel.”
—Eric Tonsfeldt of Amadan
“Future Spark tells me it will be this year opening up with Sandpeople for Aesop Rock at the Roseland Sept. 6.”
—DJ Spark of Sandpeople
“Never […]

“Wondering where it all went wrong.”
—Ryan Sollee of the Builders and the Butchers
“Playing somewhere else.”
—em>Eric Tonsfeldt of Amadan
“Watching Spoon Thursday night, closing down the Towne Lounge on Friday night, dragging my sorry ass all over town on Saturday night. Wait, I think that’s what I’ll be doing anyway.”
—Lael Alderman
“Wondering if I should start Michael Vick […]

“End the entire festival with a band vs. band organic wrestling match downtown and the winners deemed kings of MusicfestNW!!! Wait a minute…is Stovokor playing!!??”
—Ryan Sollee of the Builders and the Butchers
“I can’t answer that accurately from the standpoint of a repeat performer. Thus far, much props on coordinating load-in times, publicizing the events/times/cover charges, […]