The Builders and the Butchers ::: Photo by Josh

Last year Sasquatch showed Seattle’s up and comer’s a whole lot of love, and this year Portland is the local city with the honor of the most performers. In fact it’s a veritable who’s who of notables coming out of PDX: Hockey, Blind Pilot, Loch Lomond, M Ward, The Decemberists, Viva Voce, Pt. Juncture, WA, The Builders and the Butchers, Blitzen Trapper, Horse Feathers. We can honestly say there’s not a bad one in the bunch and something for everyone, with a small gripe that maybe a little more female representation from the Rose city might’ve been nice (Laura Viers, Mirah, Explode into Colors… the list is lengthy).

To help you decide about which of these distinguished Oregonian bands you should see, I’ve assembled a nice list of free tracks from each of these bands (except one band who keeps a tight grip on their tracks online) for you to evaluate on the long drive to the Gorge. Enjoy and make sure to pick up these band’s albums should you like what you hear. A number of these bands including the Decemberists and Blind Pilot will be signing their albums at the Easy Street Booth throughout the festival, so take a look at that schedule too.

MP3: “Go On Say It” by Blind Pilot courtesy of SXSW 2009

MP3: “Blue Lead Fences” by Loch Lomond courtesy of SXSW 2009

MP3: “Never Had No One Like You” by M Ward courtesy of Merge Records

MP3: “Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect” by The Decemberists courtesy of Kill Rock Stars

MP3: “Devotion” by Viva Voce courtesy of Barsuk Records

MP3: “Sick on Sugar” by Pt. Juncture, WA
courtesy of Pt. Juncture, WA

MP3: “Devil Town” by The Builders and the Butchers

MP3: “Gold For Bread” by Blitzen Trapper courtesy of Sub Pop Records

MP3: “Curs in the Weeds” by Horse Feathers courtesy of Kill Rock Stars

Video: “Too Fake” by Hockey

Portland’s community of musicians always seem to band together and put on the best benefit shows. This year’s benefit for PDX Pop Now! happening next week is no exception. Just before heading out on tour with the Shins, James Mercer will roll solo, along with a number of other local frontmen.

Complete details are on the poster above, and below.

Make It Pop!
A Benefit for PDX Pop Now!
Thursday, April 30
The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel
All-Ages
$30

Featuring performances by
James Mercer of The Shins
Marty Marquis of Blitzen Trapper
Brandon Summers of The Helio Sequence
Loch Lomond
Ryan Sollee of The Builders & The Butchers
Dantronix (Video DJ)

Plus admission includes sundry comestible treats from sponsors such as Bakery Bar, Artemis Catering, St. Cupcake and Captured by Porches Brewing.

Tickets are at Brown Paper Tickets.

Damien Jurado plays the Round at Bumbershoot 2009

Mentioned before on Sound on the Sound, the Round is a gathering of musicians and artists (word, paint and otherwise) from different backgrounds to get on stage, collaborate, meditate, amuse and maybe play a few of each others songs for an evening in the space of Seattle’s Fremont Abbey. Just as an example of the typical pairings, the next edition happening April 14 gathers Jesy Fortino of Tiny Vipers, Grant Olsen of Arthur & Yu, John Van Deusen of about to break band the Lonely Forest, and poet Maya Hersh.

Last year it ventured outside Fremont and had its first Bumbershoot event. This year for SXSW The Round has an Austin edition for the first time and it features songwriters from the Northwest. From PDX are the much buzzed about Laura Gibson as well as Ritchie Young of Loch Lomond, while the Seattle contingent has Kate Tucker who’s in Austin debuting her new project honeydove, poet Ryler Dustin, and Matt Bishop of Hey Marseilles.

The complete details for Austin’s first Round at SXSW are below:

R1.Austin Mar 20
Laura Gibson
Ritchie (Loch Lomond)
Kate Tucker
Ryler Dustin
Matt Bishop
guests
@ Space 12
8-10:30pm