We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – Portland knows how to use music to benefit those in need. We see it all the time, bands and fans coming together for the benefit of marginalized communities and the socially necessary organizations that support them. Near all of these are for human aid, but finally there is one for the sake of the furry friends many of us love so much. Tonight at Black Water, the inaugural show for Cat-chella Presents is taking over.

A cute name-play on one of the most overrated festivals ever, Cat-chella is the answer animal lovers in the music scene have been waiting for. It’s a new series of shows directly dedicated to benefiting animal rescue efforts in Portland. Proceeds from this first show, with tickets running $5, are going to the nonprofit Animal Aid PDX, a no-kill cat and dog shelter located in Southwest Portland.

Tonight’s show will be one with a bit of post-punk and darkgaze, with sets from electro duo Darkswoon, shoegaze trance from Camino Acid, Anothernight‘s alt-folk and a blend of all the aforementioned from Vibrissae. Win varies prizes by participating in the Cat-chella raffle and be sure to grab something off Black Water’s menu. Eating vegan is encouraged. 

On any given weekend night, it’s possible to miss out on a great deal of happenings. If you care about it, the term is apparently deemed "FOMO" (fear of missing out) and if you don’t care, well then you don’t. But whether you lean more towards the introverted Netflix-and-chill solo type situation or if social interaction beckons you to leave your room, Star Club‘s "Saturday Night" is somehow appropriate for both instances. And its video is interestingly appealing.

In "Saturday Night," vocalist/guitarist Nate Lown can be seen having some sort of life crisis involving quite a bit of paint. It’s honestly the kind of thing many of us left alone with lipstick, markers or really any type of pigment would do, before the painted reality sets in and we wash it off staring at our own reflection with concern. Add in pretty hued lights and some interesting film angles and "Saturday Night" becomes even more of what you want to watch whether you’re leaving your house or not.

Check it out below.

On the local front, Harrison Smith has been catching attention for a little while now with the fairly weird art punk he makes as Turtlenecked. Part of one of the most dominant labels of the year, Good Cheer Records, Smith and his latest record Vulture have been the topic of write ups left and right. It’s entirely warranted.

They’re not just from the publications typically expected. Of course the usual Portland pubs like the weeklies (and now us) had words of praise and critique alike, but some the more nationally known outlets are zeroing in on his new sounds. Stereogum has always been a fan, but Pitchfork’s evaluation isn’t doing Vulture enough justice. 

Smith released the album halfway through June and has been on tour in support of it ever since. It shows a progression in Smith’s abilities as both a songwriter and a composer of powerful avant-art rock, openly coming into his own at the age in between youthful naivety and the beginnings of aging jadedness. Even more, Smith speaks on ills that seem more prevalent in Portland than anywhere else.

On one of Vulture’s standout tracks "Meeting You in the Hospital," Smith touches on the ideas of typical white male bullshit and the all too commonly expected desire for the manic pixie dream girl. It’s a bitter reality that’s present everywhere, but is so true out here that it has become almost like a caricature. For his second "full" album, Smith hit the nail on the head. Hopefully this third is just as pertinent.

*photo by James Rexroad

A duo befitting of their name, A Volcano execute a sound that’s explosive, eternal and impactful. Distinctly but appropriately defined "cave noise," Johnny Brooke and Jesse Chambers echo a harsh and piercing experimental sludge that while jarring at first is completely accessible and near addicting. That same feeling carries over to their new music video for their track "Spooky," where the style of it is something you’ll want to watch over and over again.

"The name ‘Spooky’ came from the chorus riff, I guess. It was the spookiest, most evil riff we’d written at the time," says Brooke, the guitarist and vocalist for the band. According to Brooke, the track’s name also partially came from the two falling into a hole of watching X-Files and Chambers asking if was "time to get spooky" (which Chambers can be heard screaming at the beginning and end of the song).

As for the video, the idea for the concept and the process came from illustrator Nate Sonenfeld who also did the artwork for one of their tapes. Sonenfeld filmed at least two versions of Brooke and Chambers performing in their practice space, layered the images over one another and then rotoscoped nearly 1,600 separate frames to give the video the look. "This is why the video looks so nuts," Brooke says. "And Nate’s nuts, too."

View the craziness of "Spooky" below.

A Volcano – "Spooky" from Nate Sonenfeld on Vimeo.

Back in April of last year, we shared a video from the experimental pop outfit Rugby called "Bag of Bones." The romantic, black and white video was the second to come off their full length Worldly Wise, but now we’re presenting you with their third. 

"Treasure Racer" is the opposite of Rugby’s former video, aesthetically. Beautifully hued pastels, animation and dance scenes accent the duo’s playfully poppy, upbeat tune. The video was filmed in a documentary style by Rugby themselves, incorporating footage from a family vacation of theirs at the Outer Banks. As for the track, "Treasure Racer" is based off a poem by one of the members, where the scuba diver from the ’90s computer game Treasure Cove goes on an ocean adventure with the cartoon Speed Racer.

The whole "Treasure Racer" package is fun, lighthearted and perfect for summer. View the new video below.

 Shannon Entropy popped up on our radar months ago after we fell hard for their Tamale EP. The way the band, consisting of Libby and Jesse Hamlin (guitars, vox), David Hickey (keys, vox), Roman Buermann (bass) and Kevin Wilbanks (drums), mingled elements of math rock, psych and shoegaze on their EP made their sound easily addicting, but their official debut takes their mastery to a whole other level.

Out There Ideas dropped on 6.16 and is the summation of years of songwriting and refinery, building up on a foundation of tracks from deep within the Hamlins’ arsenal. A brooding dejection that flows through the album, from the orchestral string intro that opens the album, to dark rock tracks like "VVitches" and album closer "The Ballad of Mustin Park," with Hickey’s vocals echoing a tender croon along with it. 

The band will be joined by art pop of Sheers, Mood Beach‘s synthy grooves and some indie-psych from The Wild War as part of their album release show tonight at Holocene. What better way to spend a hot evening than by chilling out with a bill of great acts. Stream the album to become even more acquainted with the Out There Ideas tracks before the show.

*photo credit: Zim Zimmerman/Light Monkeys

Gratitude is essentially a virtue. It used to be the norm for bands and solo musicians to have a particular hubris about them-a cocky air craving the praise of their fans for oftentimes no reason at all. Thankfully artists aren’t as much like that anymore. Power pop quintet Maurice and the Stiff Sisters show this, demonstrating how farther a good relationship with the audience can take you in addition to talent.

The group hasn’t been around for very long. In about a year’s time since they’ve been a band they’ve already played to masses of people, like at the Kenton Street Fair, as well as to pretty varying crowds like patrons of the southeast country bar Landmark Saloon. Maurice and the Stiff Sisters have a type of accessible sound that’s easy for all crowds to enjoy. Their power pop is not only delightfully catchy, but also mixes in romantic soulful notes that make them even more lovable. 

Seeing Maurice and the Stiff Sisters is just as enjoyable as listening to them, which in part helped them become one of our June artists of the month. You can catch their next set at the end of July for an ACLU benefit at Dig A Pony, along with Bubblecats and Snowblind Traveler. Until then, enjoy their performance video for "Our Old Haunts" and an adoring acceptance video for their win.

Temperatures have steadily been climbing the last couple of weeks and after celebrating the summer solstice yesterday, we’ve got to truly prepare for summer to be here. Thankfully, there’s a mellow Ellis Pink track to ease our way into it.

Ellis Pink is the kind of duo that know how to get bodies moving, and minds thinking. To only incorporate two members, Ellis Pink create such a packed sound of pop, jazz and electronic. During their live sets, the two only employ three instruments in the production of their sound – keyboards, drums and their voices – to create the magic. It makes for an intriguing set to watch, and locals will be able to enjoy them and more in just a few hours.

The two will be headlining a show tonight at the White Eagle with a bill full of other poppy acts. Former Pacific Northwesteners Eugene Marie will share tracks from their recent electro-pop debut, while Sea Caves will offer some orchestral indie vibes and Courtney Noe teams up with The Heavy Hustle to get everyone moving. Tickets are only $9 at the door and music starts at 8pm. Listen to Ellis Pink’s track "Temperature" below.

Who ever thought bringing a lighthearted air to angst ridden grunge would sound so sweet? Loveboys‘ did, and it’s the whole premise behind their latest self-titled EP release.

Out just a couple weeks ago, the Loveboys’ self-titled EP is a cathartic collection of songs written with a truculent lyrical bite by guitarist and vocalist Adam Fight. Following the loss of his mother, Fight’s relocation to one of the most angsty regions in the country made for the ideal setting to get out all of those emotions. Along with Elly Swope on drums and Victoria Valenzuela on bass, a general aggravation with the current state of the world can be heard through the lyrics and felt through the trio’s sheer energy, bouncing between grunge, punk and pop hooks. "Sow" is a driving force of harsh reverb with grittily grungey chords. Capitalism is a topic on tracks like "Racecar," while "Love" and "Happy" tackle the subjects in a stinging way. 

Despite the seven tracks on the EP born out of such a personal time in Fight’s life, the album feels as if the current masses as a whole can relate to it. We’ve all been harboring a particular sort of aggression towards the world lately, and this EP from the Loveboys is the boisterous, relatable anthemic stock needed.

Most of us have got a few demons following us. Skeletons we’ve shoved so deep in our closets they’re basically in Narnia. But sometimes, the things eating away at us manifest themselves in the form of a big, bad wolf. Sometimes, that wolf IS us.

Johnny Raincloud‘s latest video for "Wolf In My Backseat" kind of embodies that ideal, with a comedic tinge to it. The video’s furry protagonist drifts through life causing mild ruckuses and having a generally fair time, much like the overall aimless activities we all participate in on a daily basis. Coming off their newest EP Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear, the song and the video hit a little closer to home than they may initially seem.

 Gold Casio are the masters of local disco. Their live performances are engaging and visually stimulating, with their aesthetic falling somewhere in between disco royalty and yacht rock magic. Glitter, gold and a whole hell of a lot of dancing are always on the menu with Gold Casio, so when they teamed up with the ethereal jazziness of Coco Columbia an entirely new sonic aesthetic was created.

Coming off their latest the Fever Dreams EP, "Gold Mine" is appropriately named hit of electropop that you can’t help but groove to. Gold Casio gave us some cosmic responses to a few questions about the track. Give them a read below, but make sure you’re blasting "Gold Mine" as you do it.

What inspired "Gold Mine" thematically?

Sparkling harpsichord from another dimension, poolside sunsets from past lives, winter nights with too much smoke and too many mirrors, pretending you’re on a beach anywhere else.

Why the choice of collaborating with Coco Columbia on the track? Were there other artists in the running?

Astrological tendencies, geographical convenience, and divine intervention. Our human vessels and their interconnections predate both musical projects, the song was born before the identity of either had made waves on the scene. 

How did fans initially react to the Coco/Casio pairing and the song in general?

Quite well!

Will we be seeing more features from other artists on GC tracks? What other projects does the band have in the works?

Many more collaborations coming down the line, some with artists you probably already love and some you’ll love soon!

It’s damn near impossible not to think of Sisqo’s 1999 ode to whale tails and the cheeks that complete the look when the word "thong" is heard, or really just thought of. That’s probably not the reaction local psych-surf act Thong were going for with their name, though "Thong Song" was definitely an anthem of sorts. Regardless, Thong recently announced that they’re going to be changing their name, and that these last few shows of theirs were the final times to see them as the thongs that once were.

As far as what Thong’s new name will be, that’s something we’ll all just have to learn at their name change reveal show this Sunday, with garage poppers Marcy’s Band and Este dropping rhymes. Visuals will be provided by Grayson Bear and there will even be a little bit of stand up from George Jones. But we all can rest pretty easily knowing that just because the band is changing their name doesn’t mean they’re changing their beloved sound.

Head over to 5th Avenue Cinema this Sunday to catch Thong’s last show as such.