With one of the most recognizable voices in the game right now, The Last Artful, Dodgr certainly knows how to turn something good into something incredibly great. Teaming up with producer Neill Von Tally has proved an even greater endeavor, as Von Tally’s beats make for the best presentation of Dodgr’s matchless take on R&B and hip hop.

Having already released their debut as a duo, the Fractures EP, last year and a collab EP with Myke Bogan earlier this year, the pair have shared with us the second single to come off their first full-length Bone Music.

"Caverns" as a video is just like it is as a track – incredibly smooth in its minimal execution in a way that allows Dodgr’s flow to really shine. Watch the glitchy video for "Caverns" below and be on the lookout for Bone Music, due out early 2017.

 *photo by Kelsey Ayres

It appears that 2016 isn’t the only thing we’ll be saying goodbye to. Just a few days into the new year, a celebration and a sayonara for Febian Perez is coming to the Doug Fir. Known more in the music world as Eclisse (formerly Bike Thief), Perez records his blend of post rock, stoner rock and psych solo but when joined by his rotation of talented musician friends, the production makes for a beautiful live set.

Being able to catch Eclisse live, especially when joined with Coastlands and Rader, is enough of a celebration in itself. This particular show also happens to be one celebrating Perez’s birthday but nfortunately, the show isn’t only a chance to say happy birthday. It’s also a chance to say happy travels, because it’ll be the last time Eclisse will be playing locally before Perez makes his big move to New York City.

A stunning and heavy way to say goodbye, join Rader and Coastlands in sending Eclisse off right.  

It’s the eve of a new year and here we find ourselves, yet again. Endlessly scrolling through our Facebook events feed wondering what to get into tonight is only so fruitful an effort when there are almost too many things to do on one of the most banging nights of the year. Luckily, we’ve got some Ice Queens queued up to get us through the afternoon.

For those that haven’t gotten a chance to see the amazingness that is Ice Queens live, they’ll be playing the Bunk Bar New Year’s Eve Spectacular tonight along with Bitch’n and Witch Mountain. 

Until then, enjoy this somewhat Sunny Day Real Estate sounding delight from Ice Queens. It’ll definitely get you in the mood for tonight.

Just because we’re moving up in year digits doesn’t mean we’re moving past the things that have transpired this year. Amid the abundant parties consider stopping by Dante’s, where all sorts of rock will be rolling for a good cause. 

Rock for Ghost Ship: A Musical Memorial Benefit is the way to go for partaking in turning the calendar page and showing support for those who need it. Dante’s is covering the production costs for the show, where guitar gods of hair metal revival BREAKER BREAKER will be headlining a string of sets from Melt, LKN, Lord Becky and the English Language, meaning that 100% of what’s made at the door goes to the families of those lost in the Oakland Ghost Ship warehouse fire some weeks ago.

The Dante’s New Years Eve is one of the best ways to bang out three things Portlanders love to do best: 1. Drink away crappy year, 2. See a bomb show 3. Do things for a great cause. For a $10 suggested donation, that’s really not that bad at all.

Since we’re all ready to long jump the hell into 2017, now’s the time to sift through the various activities Portland offers for us to boozily ring the new year in to. One of these tipsy turn ups happens to come from the least crappy thing to come out of 2016 – Jump Jack Sound Machine.

The monthly dance party give us a slight peek into what Studio 54 must have been like, spinning funk, disco, boogie and almost every other genre that used to get rumps shaking. For their New Years Eve bash, some live performances will be added to their usual lineup of DJs, coming from integral starters of the Jump Jack Sound Machine glory. 

The soulful intonations that landed Chanti Darling as the best new artist of 2016 will be bellowing out of the Mississippi Studios speakers, with sexy sashays all along the stage. Natasha Kmeto, who often sings along with Chanti Darling but most definitely can rock the mic solo, will also be blessing us with that beautiful voice.

Unfortunately for most, tickets for this are sold out, but if you’ve got your hands on some or consider yourself close to a door guy, hit up Jump Jack Sound and sweat this toxic year out.

Maze Koroma has been on our radar for years. Assuming you haven’t been sleeping on the young rapper’s talents, he’s likely on all of your radars, too. The EYRST and Renaissance Coalition lyricist has recently translated what he’s seen in pop culture and the digital age into a triad of hip hop and electropop based projects that could soundtrack the movie on millennial life. 

He’ll be playing some of his conceptually appealing extended plays, including the recent TrackList EP, tonight during this month’s installation of Mic Check. St. Johns/Chi-town rap vet Vinnie Dewayne is also playing the monthly hip hop showcase thrown by McMenamins, StarChile, WE 96.3, Pabst Blue Ribbon & XRAY FM  at the White Eagle Saloon. 

Tickets are $7 and the show starts in just a few hours at 9pm, so come get your much needed monthly dose of hip hop.

Many of us aren’t old enough to remember the variety hour TV shows of yesteryear. Back in the 70’s, the Bradys and the Partridges ruled the glowing tube with special celebrity guests, comedic fodder and of course, musical performances. For the sake of nostalgia and all out fun, soulfully funky Lola Buzzkill is bringing the variety show back, with a somewhat modern twist.

Lola Buzzkill will be one of two musical acts to take the stage, along with Melt, but the intrigue this show provides surpasses what it offers musically. A performance art rendition of the Nut Cracker is set to occur, with dancing from Amira Sereia and Briley & Matt, comedy from Wendy Weiss and DJ Tasty spinning.

Onstage quips are sure to include commentary on this tragedy of a year and the not-that-much-better holiday season, so be sure to come to the Liquor Store tomorrow and check it out. Proceeds from tickets, which run $8, go to benefiting the efforts of Standing Rock. Be there by 9pm to catch the night’s festivities as they start!

*photo courtesy We Out Here Magazine

For the longest time, Portland has obviously been either a barren land for hip hop, rap and r&b, or one where the few bursts we see go fairly unacknowledged or get shut down. Despite a whatever Buzzfeed listicle or Google search turning up repetitive results, our town is known on a national level more for its propensity for indie and less for its abundance of lyrical bars. While acts like Cool Nutz and Illmaculate will forever be beloved household names in the PNW, Aminé has rode the radio waves into the cars of people across the country.

Aminé has had a cult internet following for a minute but his name started massively popping up about a year ago, boasting the flurry of Ethiopian culture, hip hop and electronic found on his two mixtapes. The Benson High School graduate need not prove himself more, as the mad catchy chart climber "Caroline" has been evidence enough.

Whether the muse for "Caroline" will be present or not is unknown, but Aminé will be taking the stage at the Roseland (originally scheduled for the Hawthorne Theatre and Wonder Ballroom) tomorrow. Tickets to the all ages show are sold out so if you weren’t able to snag one, you can blast Aminé tracks on his Soundcloud for your own at-home concert experience.

Leave it to Gold Casio to breathe some life back into this tired day of mildly holy appreciation. A particular appreciation of theirs (and anyone else that relishes surf music’s pioneers) revolves around the Beach Boys, their opus Pet Sounds and everything that they’ve done for music in general.

Since 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Pet Sounds‘ release, Gold Casio have used their psychedelic disco elements to cover the most relatable Side two song on Pet Sounds, "I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times." 

On their choice to cover "I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times" specifically, Gold Casio’s Brock Grenfell said:

We wound up choosing this particular song because its got great melodies and it was kind of just resonating with us. Honestly, after what a shit-show year 2016 has ended up being, I feel like it’s pretty appropriate. I think a lot of people probably feel right now like they weren’t made for the times we’re living in. 

SO. MUCH. TRUTH. See Gold Casio play for Do503 at the beginning of the new year with Glasys and Holidae House at Holocene but until then, enjoy their dance pop take on a Beach Boys’ classic.

It’s Saturday. It’s the eve of a grandiose holiday and instead of thinking about that, we’ve got our eyes set on the eve of an approaching year and how we’re going to celebrate it. When it comes to rowdy sprees of festive exuberance, of course two things come to mind: thongs and cheese fries. Thankfully we can recognize both of them, on New Years Eve, with Thong.

Take to Thong’s spacey psych track "Cheese Fries" if you’re feeling particularly hungry and/or you’re so excited you can’t wait for the upcoming Jeff’s New Year’s Plasma Blast! jamboree, where Thong and 11 other bands are set to dominate the American Legion Post 134 on Alberta.

Until then, we’ll be here, thongs and cheese fries in tow.

There are very few things left after this horrid year that don’t cause the most maximum of eyerolls to occur on our faces. One of those things happens to be the quite fiery quartet VOG and their debut demo tape Maximum Eyeroll.

All three songs on VOG’s Maximum Eyeroll are done with incredible wit and a punky snark that challenges you not to chuckle a little bit. Their track "Condos" is sarcastically appropriate for obvious reasons and "D.M.Hex" is brilliance packaged in harsh barks.

You can catch VOG playing all these tracks and more TONIGHT at the High Water Mark for their Ghost Ship benefit show with Cockeye and Piss Test. If you can’t make it out tonight, dig into Maximum Eyeroll below.

 A present wrapped in gold that we were able to open early, Mattress‘s video for "Looking For My People" is another visual gift from director Jay Winebrenner and of course, another aural goodie from Mattress.

The "Looking For My People" video takes a voyeuristic turn, veering the "long winded performance shot" course most music videos typically take by swerving towards mild semblances of David Lynch’s Lost Highway. It’s everything to be expected and loved from a Mattress and Winebrenner collaboration – awkwardly funny and definitely a little strange.

Have a Mattress Christmas and enjoy the weirdness below.