The start of Nicolas Winding Refn’s film, Drive, is quiet and mechanic. It’s all clicks, clunks, revs, reverberations, deep buzzy rumbles, keys clanking, locks turning, gears changing, time ticking – cool, calculated, exact method unfolding. It’s clean and sober and you like it, from the top.

The quiet simplicity, the calculated core of this movie, shifts and carries on to the blackout quiet thunder of a notable score. And if, like me, you’re from Portland, chilly goose bumps will run their tight ranks on your forearms because you’ll hear it instantly – Johnny Jewel’s lustrous Itali-touch coasting alongside Driver and his crackers veracity.

Jewel and Refn have collaborated before with Refn’s 2008 film, Bronson. If you’ve seen that film, you know the muscle of the love affair between that singular Glass Candy track and the film. It’s pure nightclub poetry, as per the usual. But the alliance is pitch bloody perfect, just as it is here. Jewel has contributed just a couple of songs to the Drive soundtrack; Chromatics’ Tick of the Clock and Desire’s Under Your Spell, but he leaves his restrained mark, sincerely.

Drive is like a good dream gone horrific, but I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that it unravels exquisitely, as thoughtfully mechanized and automatic as it is, and it’s edited with a scalpel. The vibe is distant, yet physical. Touchable. The film slows down and lets you love it for what it is: equal parts Hollywood love story, existential driving movie, odyssey, action movie, Americana grindhouse, neo-noir, weird Lynchian cult classic.

That being said, there is not one thing defunct about this film. Not the car chases, not the love story, not the new-wave hot pink credits, not the itali-disco meets electro-synth score, not even the nutty – face flattening with a boot sole – Taxi Driver violence. Somehow, it’s all contemporary and chillingly fresh. Meticulously whole. It will reignite your love for commercial film, for the rev of an engine, for Ryan Gosling (as if you needed that), and for swanky, damaged disco. Just go see it. –Morgan Brothers

Some of the brightest and dependably danceable synth pop to come from the glorious basements of Portland house shows is coming to Doug Fir this Saturday, and you’d better come with a blank slate of a dance card, because you’re going to be cutting a rug with everyone there. Catching the live show of DoublePlusGood is to be sent into a world where your only options are shimmies and shakes, all your shoes are your dancing shoes, and every foot is your good foot. Debuting their LP Here They Come, The Birds of My Youth, (released on buoyantly joyous frontman Erik Carlson’s label, SoHiTek) this Saturday with Wild Ones, you can better your last glittering and resonating synthesizer note that you’re in for a good night.

Check out DPG’s cover of Beach House:

10 Mile Stereo by DoublePlusGood

Monday at Valentine’s, Portland’s past present future of dance music was on full display. One man electro-banditry is reinventing our conceptions of what it means to explore retro-centric sounds and feelings, all to a bass stomping groove that defies time as a referent. Suffice to say, without nostalgia for previous era’s explorations of electronic music, we wouldn’t have the authentically digital analogue harkening sounds and technical simulations of Onuinu and Jeffery Jerusalem. As Onuinu, Dorian Duvall steps into a neon time capsule to take his audience through a synth-laden technoscape, his lyrics serving as a message back those stuck in the modern age. His new song debut seemed to pay tribute to another techno-futurist, Gary Newman, with a stabbing synth chorus and a New Wave punch. Jeffrey Brodsky’s alter-ego Jeffrey Jerusalem is the guy in your home videos whose dance moves everyone innocuously seems to copy. Jerusalem creates a party your parents might have reluctantly described on the topic of your conception, with tom tom interludes and Human League-esque vocals. Together, these two artists are taking what it means to be a front man in a digital age, and combining it with the technical wizardry to become auteurs of a indefinable craft. –Wyatt Schaffner

Holy goodness, is it that time of year already? Yes it is, Portland! MFNW is right around the corner. September 7-11 all around town, MusicFest Northwest is going to blow your brain out of your face. If you haven’t gotten your wristband already, get on it! If you’re not into bracelets, then start scoping for tickets! This year’s lineup looks ridiculously amazing. We’ll be out there catching as much as we can, but here are a few picks from our writers & photographers who’ll be roaming/running around Portland for the weekend. –MH

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Cat Lam, host of Cat’s Cradle on KPSU is really stoked to see: 

The Horrors

They’ve shed their gimmicky over the top goth garb, and have evolved into sonic textural masters. The Horrors are the band I’m personally most excited to see this year. Their latest record, Skying, is the band’s first self produced effort and is an amazingly lush landscape of weaving tones and reverb. See the Horrors on Saturday September 10th at Dante’s.

The Soft Moon

The long reaching influence of Joy Division’s driving baselines is highly evident, most notably on the track “Breathe the Fire”. The faint chanting whisper of Luis Vasquez’s voice is both heavy and haunting. Catch The Soft Moon at Rotture on Sunday September 11th.

Dirty Beaches

Dirty Beaches’ debut LP, Badlands, can be summed up as grimy, lo-fi recordings seemingly from another era. Like the score to a David Lynch film, you can almost visualize the vast landscapes their sounds project. Whip that pompadour into shape, Dirty Beaches is bringin’ back those 1950s vibes. Friday September 9th at Dante’s at 10pm.

Blouse

Blouse’s 7” single for “Shadow” is yet another amazing throw-back-y dream pop record, courtesy of Sub Pop. Both airy and brooding, their tunes are melancholy filtered through the lens of summer. This is going to be a show your inner goth is not going to want to miss. Thursday September 8th at Holocene at 10pm.

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I have impeccable timing in that I will be out of town right when MFNW is going down. Luckily, I’m going to be in sunny California catching my good friends Rad City tour up the left coast. But! If I were in town, my show picks for MusicFest NW would go like this: Mike Harper, founder/blogger/photographer over at Words Cut Open, and editor here at The Deli Portland is looking forward to these bands:

Wild Ones

Well orchestrated pop from the makers of Congratulations, Eskimo & Sons, and more, channeling the summertime joy of all my favourite house shows. Swoon at sway away with these P-town favourites Saturday September 10 at Backspace at 8pm.

Brainstorm

Blisteringly energetic and heartfelt in the most frenetically neo-tribal, trombone wielding way, Brainstorm will make your face explode with a thousand smiles in a flurry of genuine beat-driven, slightly tropical (in a Portland kind of way) tunes. Feel it Thursday September 8 at Doug Fir at 9pm.

Typhoon

This small army of sing-along 20-somethings has become sort of a mascot for Portland these days. From their tender loving latest release to their glowing performance on David Letterman, Typhoon may easily be slated as one of the most looked-forward-to local bands of this year’s MFNW.  Saturday Sept 10 at Pioneer Courthouse Square at 5pm.

Jeffrey Jerusalem

You can expect no less than a rousingly sweaty show of boops, beeps, beats and bright bold vocals from Jeffrey Jerusalem. Persuade yourself into fast moving feet Saturday September 10 at Branx, 9pm.

Onuinu

As I’ve said before, this man will make you sweaty. He might even make you dance. This time around, he will definitely call for both. Don’t let him down. I know he’ll return the favour. Friday September 9 at Doug Fir at 9pm.

YACHT

Ever since his hand in The Blow, I’ve been in love with every danceable beat that’s come from Jona Bechtolt. Yacht continually brings an other-worldy set of light show colour explosion, so do not DO NOT miss this band. Saturday September 10 at 11pm at Branx (same night as Jefferey Jerusalem!).

Typhoon just swept us all away, yet again – and this time with the rest of late night television. I think Portland was beaming so brightly last night that you could see us from space. I bet there isn’t a person who watched their debut on David Letterman last night who can’t wait for them to get home. Yes, yes, they have to finish their tour, Lollapalooza, blah, blah, etc. Just come home already, Typhoon.

You can’t really peg Pocketknife down into a single category, but you won’t really need to worry about that. You’ll be too busy dancing. The overly bright and poppy scores of sounds that spill out of the secret pockets of each track of Tough as Snails give me hope that a good old fashioned four piece can make dance music without falling prey to being annoyingly steeped in boops and beeps. Pocketknife still somehow pull off being unbearably cute while having just a touch of brashness. Tracks like "Space Invaders" can cause a basement full of kids to pogo with unbeatable smiles, while the bass and synth behind "Normandy" drive the EP into an almost heavy space. With clean cutting guitar riffs splicing it all together along with Marlin Gonda’s Todd Finkesque baritone warming every song, Tough As Snails is definitely late night (or any time of the day) dance party worthy. –MH

Tough As Snails official drops this Sunday at Mississippi Studios for freeeee with Vanimal and Pegasus Dream. Better have your dancin’ shoes on!

The newest from Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside is appropriate for summer—tunes that float around like soapy water bubbles to the foot stomping time of a night rocking out. The obvious line here is that it is Sallie’s gravelly and addictive voice that brings the listeners coming back; and while that is true, the simple melodies and background soulful vocals make the picture complete and meaty.

Dirty Radio is a fitting title, each song feels like a different flavor of pie at a beloved road side diner. The variety spans from the do-wop and hand claps of “Cage” to the light and airy jitterbug of “This Crew.” The songs careen and mingle together, as if killing time together and trading their stories.

The strength of Miss Ford’s voice is quelled at various times on the album. This provides a nice break and prevents the album from becoming a one-trick pony. “Miles” and “Danger” are stand out tracks that bookend the ability of Sallie’s vocal possibilities. Overall, Dirty Radio will give you more of that beloved sound you love. – SMG

One of the most recent and lovely additions to our musical population, Robin Pecknold, will be gracing our outskirts with the joy of Fleet Foxes this Sunday at the Edgefield. Riding on the wondrous wave of Helplessness Blues before continuing their tour back and forth between Europe and the States, Fleet Foxes are one in line for McMenamins Concerts on the Lawn, and I’d suggest that if you catch any of them, this’d be the one (don’t tell Colin Meloy!). 

Despite the glory of the non-sunshine outside that makes our lovely city exactly what it is, it really is summer. I promise. One good way to prove it is PDX Pop Now!And what a year. What’s on The Deli Portland’s plate for PPN!? A feast, I tell you! Make sure not to miss these lovelies (or any of the rest of them for that matter):

Radiation City – Sunday at 4:10

Brainstorm – Sunday at 9:40

Ezza Rose – Saturday at high noon

The Reservations – Friday at 8:45

Wild Ones – Saturday at 4:50

This spring, I was at a dinner party where the host played Grouper’s April 2011 two part Yellowelectric release, A I A: Dream Loss / A I A: Alien Observer, and prefaced it with, “the new Grouper record sounds like Enya.”

But yet, she was still playing it over dinner, for her friends, in her home. So, yeah, maybe – if Enya put her cool pants on and stopped singing about quelling passion and hues of indigo, and started radiating in sound from another galaxy. Maybe.

That’s just the kind of music Liz Harris makes – you’re not always totally comfortable liking it, but you do. You like it. And you play it. I guess some people might say that about Enya, say, my parents circa 1993, but forget about Enya.

Grouper’s rare balance of faraway reverberations and completely beached, steady good stuff, is something else. She creates a little anxiety, even, because you’re too damn young and hip to like music this mellow, but it’s not just mellow, ambient, sound porn; it’s like being stuck under green water and looking up to see the expanse of the universe above you. And you really don’t care that you’re trapped under water because there is so much damn perfect beauty to behold. It’s really like that. The aquarium and planetarium combined.

On the real, there’s something pretty radical about music that you can eat to, sleep to, swim and stargaze to. And, again, Liz Harris – so not Enya. I realize that this review is mostly comprised of thoughts on how Grouper is not Enya. But I think that’s particularly relevant here because unless Enya and Thurston Moore procreated in an aquaratarium, Grouper will forever have nothing to do with Enya.

Later this summer, there is much new Grouper to look forward to – a self released Inca Ore/ Grouper split (!!!); an A I A repress; and, a Ballroom Marfa released 7” from Marfa residency, titled Water People. Grouper also did a song, Cassiopeia, for this Thrill Jockey Comp benefiting Japan relief efforts.

And let this be a lesson to us all: trust your instincts and don’t ever be ashamed. What you’re listening to is nothing like Enya. – Morgan Brothers

The gloriously wondrous sounds of Portland’s favourites representing Portland’s favourite video series come crashing together in a ridiculously underpriced show tonight at Holocene. Come swoon to the captivating sounds of Radiation City, keep a spot open on your dance card for The Reservations, hop around with Pigeons, and sink into the depths of Feelings. For just five measly dollars. Into the Woods, why are you so lovely to us?

The Quarterly from Into The Woods on Vimeo.

It might not even be okay that shows this good are this free. Even if it’s a Wednesday. I suspect a certain amount of rug to be cut thanks to Your Canvas, your blood to be pumping with the sounds of Youth, and your night to end with the adventure of Great Wilderness. Mississippi Studios is too kind to us. Don’t even get me started on what else is coming up this week (I mean, I’ll get to that later).