Last year, the first round of Jeff’s Plasma Blast rolled out to overwhelming success. Its venue, the American Legion up on Alberta, filled to capacity as tickets sold like the hottest of cakes. The mini fest was started by the surfy psych band Skelevision, formally known as Thong. Since the second installment happens this Friday, we exchanged some words with Skelevision drummer Philip Zevenbergen on names, lineups and Plasma Blast details, like how it’ll also be the band’s release show for their new full length Inside The Horror and tour kickoff…

The Deli Portland: How did the band end up settling on Skelevision for the name change, from the former name Thong?

Philip Zevenbergen: It kind of just became this name that got thrown around in our desperate attempt to ditch Thong. Some weird names were considered. Chemical X (like the powerpuff girls), Warped Tape, and The Shrimpers were all top contenders for a while, but ultimately Skelevision just rolled off the tongue better and was more fitting to our sound.

The name Skelevision specifically came about out of my boredom of working at Wunderland Nickle Arcade. I would often combine random prefixes with objects I’d see around the room, "skele" and an arcade game with "vision" in the title stuck out one day and I wrote it down.

Speaking of names, how did the name for Jeff’s Plasma Blast itself come about?

I am a huge fan of David Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986). Throughout the film Jeff Goldblum, who plays the lead role of a scientist who becomes a gross monster fly, refers to jumping into the "plasma pool". I found that to be real silly and Jeff’s celebration of the plasma pool just seemed like a good name for a music fest for some reason. Originally, it was Jeff’s New Years Plasma Blast when we did it in December of 2016. We just dropped the "New Years" and picked up the "2.0" and there ya have it.

What was your process for selecting the lineup for Plasma Blast 2.0?

Well, it started with just asking some bands I am close with about hopping on so I could have a good baseline of acts before reaching out to headliners. Once I had my baseline, I reached out to some more of the scene leaders about getting on, people who have been around longer in the Portland scene and have some street cred from touring or having a notable label. Once that was taken care of, I shifted into getting the headliners which was easily the hardest, most time consuming, and stressful part of the whole show. A lot of agents will lead you on and throw you back and forth on how the likely the headliner you want will take the money you’ve offered. However Mean Jeans and Walter TV have both been pleasures to work with and so have their agents. We are stoked to have them playing the festival and even more stoked that we get to hit Eugene the next day with Walter TV again.

Is there any particular artist(s) whose sets you’re really looking forward to?

I’m most excited to see The Fabulous Downey Brothers. We played with them at the BIG BLDG BASH this year and we were totally blown away. They are going to have a crowd of totally fresh faces and I know they’ll tear the house down.

I’m also stoked to see Mannequin, who are opening the festival as this will be their first show. They look like some girls who are gonna kick some serious ass.

Why did you decide to have the event be all-ages and one day long, versus spanning over two days?

When you span it over two days, you have to get the twice the artists. I see it this way only because I am a believer in the short, around 20 minute long set. Show us what you got and get off. To have the amount of artists we are having in Jeff’s 2.0 would require 40 minute sets from each band over the two days. I think less people would pay attention to entire sets and the show would move a lot slower. I love this set up because it’s going to pack a punch. The music will just keep going and changing rapidly, which is great for a young, unfocused mind like mine. Plus, having it be all ages was a no brainer. You don’t have to be 21 to love good music, that’s just silly.

You’ve mentioned to me how Skelevision is now a three piece. How did losing Carlo affect the writing process?

After our first tour the band came to the agreement that we wanted to move forward as a three piece without Carlo. While having to seperate ourselves from him was not something we were super happy to have to do, it really tightened us a band. Our writing sessions feel tighter and more focused on making the core structures of our songs more interesting and I think people have been really appreciating it. People are always telling us how much better of a band we are since we waddled into the Analog over a year ago for our first show. We all wish Carlo could have stuck around, but ultimately our separation with him has been better for both him and us.

What inspired some of the songs/the concept of the new album?

The lyric "Inside The Horror" specifically comes from the second track on the album, "The Sheets." The whole idea of being surrounded by horror but that we’re maybe safe if we hide under our bed sheets is the visual we are playing with on our album cover. The whole album holds our psychedelic lo-fi beginnings but also mixes in our newer more punk and horror influence. I think the blend of it all came out really nicely. 

What city are you most looking forward to playing on tour and why?

Tijuana! Derek H. of On Drugs told me that it would be the most stressful and thrilling city to play, but also the most memorable and exciting too. That has me really pumped. Also, just getting to go play in Mexico is such a treat!

Doors for Jeff’s Plasma Blast 2.0 are at 2:30, with music starting sharply at 3pm. Tickets are still available and reentry to the fest is allowed all day, so be sure to come early!

For all the great, DIY happenings in town, Rigsketball is definitely one of the best. Combining friendly competition with one of the more frequented pastimes around, Rigsketball’s tournaments are nearing their end, and they’ve got some good musical acts accompanying them. 

The first day of the music fest, along with the slimming down the finalists through eight rounds, took place last night. Boone Howard, Kulululu, Kyle Craft and the Woolen Men all rang the first night of the fest, with tonight taking it to the next level.

Rigsketball is taking over the Eagles Lodge again tonight for the semifinals, with performances from Bleach Blonde Dudes, Ghost Frog, Lavender Flu and Cat Hoch. 

As always, Rigsketball is entirely free. Games start in just a couple hours at 6pm and music starts at 8pm. Head down to southeast again tomorrow for the tournament finals, Melt‘s EP release and sets from Malt Lizard, Tribe Mars, Candace, Donte Thomas and Chanti Darling. 

   *photo by Corbin Corbin

He’s the solo artist that’s been around for nearly a decade who may have flown under your radar. Better yet, it’s quite possible you’ve heard his music or seen him perform before without knowing exactly who he is. But Don Gero has been around for awhile, and he’s deserving of all the attention he’s gotten over the years.

Since 2008, Zach D’Agostino has created textured clamor in a palatable way, utilizing only modular synths and unabating drum beats in his creations. Though it’s basically just him and his instruments, D’Agostino is interactive and engaging with his surroundings, keeping his sets entertaining and every way. He stylistically blends experimental noise with psych rock elements in ways to keep ears engaged as well.

D’Agostino hasn’t been back in town for long since his early summer US tour with Rust Promoter, so he’s likely taking some time to work on his new project Sea Moss, but give Wizarding a listen below in the meantime.

The Toads were always a favorite. With their newest album, Time, they’ve solidified that even more. 

Time still operates the same pop-punk plane The Toads usually skirt on, but with a slight twist. It’s not just delightfully punky tunes anymore, but also an incorporation of more of a 90’s alternative feel to the tracks. At times, Time even touches on a Beatles-esque ’60s pop quality, like on the track "Alien Gene."

You can catch The Toads performing again 8.3 at Bunk Bar with Plastic Cactus and Slow Caves. They’ll be playing a few shows around here and Washington before taking a brief hiatus at the end of September for a few weeks, but there will be plenty of opportunities to see these bad boys live before then. In the meantime, stream Time below.

There are certain things in life that are eternally iconic. For most of the senior millennial crowd, that happens to be old school video games. Just as important as the visuals of these games were the sounds that came with it, many of these theme songs often soundtracking our dreams after endless hours of playing. Photographer, webmaster and music appreciator Yousef Hatlani found those notes influential and decided to make a whole album in tribute to them.

Bit by Bit is Hatlani’s debut album, where he transforms these retro game tracks into real songs. Hatlani performed, engineered and mastered Bit by Bit‘s 10 songs on his own in his apartment over the span of several months. He takes on quite a few game songs in his endeavors, like "Dire, Dire Docks" from Super Mario 64, "Spring Yard Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog and "Tammy" from Street Fighter II, among others.

Its production is perfect and sounds amazing no matter how you listen to it, but the optimum experience can be had listening to it through headphones. Enjoy it below.

Around Portland, it’s easy to think that most of its inhabitants were born upset about something. Comment sections and beer-fueled bar discussions would prove this much to be true, but there’s one duo out here that do a little something more with their frustrations. 

Made up of Kylee Glover on guitar, Hayden Alminiana on drums and both sharing vocal forte, Born Upset list their complaints through punky yells, snarky lyrics and raw hooks. One could easily get caught up in the catchiness of tracks without getting immediately caught up in the expressive aggression, but that’s part of what makes the duo’s music so infectious. It has a point, but the point isn’t so blatant that it detracts from the actual product, which is likely part of why you voted the one of your favorite bands of the month.

Catch Born Upset along with Way Worse and a mystery guest over at The Chum Bucket on 8.24 for $5. Until then, listen to their self titled March release below.

 With southern charm and a penchant for finger picking to boot, Matthew Fountain and his band the Whereabouts have released the second single from their album Born On The Hook. "This Is Kneeling" nods heavily at Fountain’s religious tutelage, vulnerability expressed through a trope of prayer.

The song is a slow roller, beautifully building on itself as it lyrically progresses. Fountain’s voice is low and supple, coupling wonderfully with the sedative, folky pattern the song takes. A video for "This Is Kneeling" was also released, featuring a ballet dancer and choreographer named Candace Bouchard illustrating the progression of the song through her movements. The song, dance and video itself all bloom into a work of art that is pretty sonically and visually pleasing.

Give "This Is Kneeling" a listen below and check out the video where it premiered, over on Impose.

 *photo by Kasey Elliot

As Melt grows as a band, their music expands along with them. Though the band has seen some changes among the years this newest iteration, featuring Jeff Schultz, Adria Ivanitsky, Ted Parker, Dan Bedell and Daniel McIntyre, seems to be their strongest yet. Proof of that can be heard in their latest single "Same Streets."

They’ve got a knack for writing a catchy tune and "Same Streets" is definitely one of those. Coming off their upcoming Pick A Fight, the track’s vibe is chill and mellow, with vocals by Schultz smoothly accenting dulcetly appealing rhythms.

Melt are having a tour kickoff Friday night at Brooklyn House, with sets from new local duo Malt Lizard, Seattle’s Critté, Nanami Ozone of Phoenix and a secret special guest. They’ll be on the road for a couple weeks, ending their tour back in Portland with the Pick A Fight release show at the Eagles Lodge on 7.29.

 The brooding sounds of Sheers are undeniable. Led by the deep, mercurial vocal capacity of Lily Breshears, the particular sounds the trio produces are rife with opportunities for introspective thinking, and their first track of 2017 definitely follows in that same vein.

"Quantized" artistically and classically blends trip-hop, jazz and minimalistic pop into layers of textured and honest instrumentation and lyricism. Breshears’ vocals steadily build along with backbeats from Daniel Rossi and atmospheric bass from Aaron Stern in efforts to fight against instant sonic gratification, encouraging focused reflection. The idea for "Quantized" came from the unwanted recalling of old memories brought on by the summer’s blooming scents, prompting the line “early summer never smelled so putrid/when the last was best and worst and unlived." It’s meant to showcase the effect memories of past experiences can have on the present, and that it does very well.

A release show for "Quantized" will be at Bunk Bar on 7.12, along with another single release from Arlo Indigo and another performance from Tino’s Dream.

Metal music has quite the history to it. Not to say its history sets it entirely apart from other genres, but metal classics can go as deep as wounds with the lasting effect they have on a person. Some of the best metal musicians have years in age under their belt, leaving more time to develop a personal history of memories that adds to their devotion to the genre. But for local youths Saola, age hasn’t a goddamn thing to do with their output, and they make that widely known.

It’s not that Saola flaunt their age. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, not that it particularly matters anyway. For this doom quartet, who are exiting their high school years, the level of musicianship they’ve individually and collectively reached is at a tier near the greats. It’s shown in their debut album Black Canvas and in their live sets, which is part of how they ended up winning one of our artist polls last month. They’re guaranteed to go far and if you haven’t given Saola a chance yet, it’s about time to change that.

Now that the brutal heat is here, listen to their equally as brutal track "A Strange Radiation" below. 

 "Hi mom, I’m on drugs." 

This is a sentiment that mothers of yesteryear would’ve shed a few tears over, but modern ones are probably expecting to hear it at some point or another. We’re all on drugs. Drinking, smoking and pill popping are a common modus operandi for the current millenial generation battling with severe depression, anxiety, confusion and a distrust for the world around them. There’s also general struggle with self confidence among modern youth. Laid back trio On Drugs have figured out a way to express all of this is an enjoyable, easy-on-the-ears package. That package is their newest song and video called "Chain Smoke."

Basically like a contemporary take on the old Zoloft commercials, the video for "Chain Smoke" displays sadness masked by cute animation. As "You don’t really care about me/You’re just a pseudo human being" echoes, a lonely introspection rushes over the cartoon character’s face. That feeling resonates with the viewer as "I’m gonna chain smoke cigarettes/I’m gonna binge drink my 40/I’m gonna get high with all your pets/They don’t ask me questions" goes on to be sang. This is probably one of the most relatable lines of the summertime and we’re just getting started.

"Chain Smoke" comes off of On Drugs’ upcoming debut full length Stay Yuck on Postmark Records. Catch them next week at Dante’s with Malt Lizard and Hands In, or at their record release show later this month with Fire Nuns, Nick Normal and Donkey Lips. 

YGB, our local family and community celebrating everything that is creative, beautiful and black, is back with another live showcase takeover. In about an hour, YGB is assembling at Doug Fir for sets from some of the town’s best in hip hop, r&b and soul. Headlining tonight is the spiritual, intergalactic jazziness of duo Brown Calculus, so we had to share a track to elevate the mood before the show.

A term that seems to mean more and more lately, "Self Care" is the type of track that you just can’t help but vibe to. The combination of the smooth-like-butter voice and flow of vocalist Brown Alice with the chill instrumental production created by Brown Calvin make it an ideal song for a warm, summer evening.

Expect some rhymes from Karma Rivera, the soulful sounds of Soot Uros and DJ Lemar LeRoy spinning as well.