Tuesday nights lineup of PDX locals Charts, Canada’s Michael Rault, and Brooklyn’s Cut Worms at the swanky Doug Fir Lounge in Portland was so good the show deserves a full write-up. The night began with Charts, a Portland band I was not previously familiar with. Music snob that I am, I was fully prepared to just drink my beer and not cover the first band at all, but from their first song I was pulled in. Their sound is a rooted in what I’d call modern indie rock, but there were some surprising bits of psych, surf, and garage all throughout. The band also seemed super excited and happy to…

It’s time for the newest installment of Discography Biography- POW’s monthly look into the mind, and the record collection of a various musician. For those who missed our inaugural feature, here’s a quick rundown: As any music lover knows, there’s a huge difference between “desert island discs”, favorite records, most influential records, etc. The ones that interest me the most are the ones that are the most personal- the albums that define who you are, the ones that could be called the soundtrack of your life. Every month here on POW, I’ll be talking to a different musician about the top 3 albums that make up what I’ve affectionately titled…

Last November I spent a week with The Reverberations as they recorded their forthcoming sophomore album in beautiful Joshua Tree, CA. On a particularly beautiful Monday in between recording sessions, seated in hammocks outside the studio, Reverberations’ bassist Cam Mazzia and I began a conversation which I’m sure was inspired by our surroundings- discussing what our “desert island discs” would be. After I was back home, I kept thinking about the desert island discs conversation, and how much you can learn about someone through their music preferences. I’ve always thought that sneaking a peek through someone’s record collection is much like peering into their soul. I became more and more…