When Those Willows start dancing in your speakers for the first time, you may have a twinge of nostalgia and warm recalling of something you can’t quite put your finger on. Perhaps it is the perfect harmonies that Jack Wells and Melissa Tarter slide in and out of so effortlessly you think of the great harmonic groups from years gone by, and I mean Simon and Garfunkel great. It is often difficult to tell, much less care when the duo is a duo or when one steps out on a solo in a particular song, you are simply too busy enjoying the perfectly sweet and borderline optimistic songs that refuse to fall flat. I fell especially hard for the dreamy "I Feel Younger" but truly, every single song on the just released EP Essential Folks lands on this wonderfully soothing and perpetuating engaging point perfectly. Adam Brock is to be held responsible for the excellent production of Essential Folks and will be opening for Those Willows with the rest of the Adam Brock 4 at Kelly’s Olympian October 23rd to celebrate the release of what will surely be Those Willows third critically acclaimed album. A special note about the release show: The Wisherman, an indie jazz collective from Portland will be performing that night in addition to the aforementioned bands. The Wishermen is one of the jazz bands in Bridgetown who are so much more than an improvisational contemporary jazz band. They break down barriers of pop and soul music in a way that is not only relevant to the current music landscape, it is important. These three bands are delivering music that leaves an impression. – Joy Pearson

The music world can be big and confusing, however The People Electric make good rock n’ roll seem simple. Your head nods because the music is catchy and cool, toes start tapping from the infectious rhythms, and you just might get the urge to throw a TV out of a hotel window. The People Electric blend generous layers of early punk with voluptuous heavy metal and some fat riff work. Your ears will feel like they are in a whirling hurricane inferno of rock and elegantly orchestrated chaos. One of the many things that makes their music so appealing is the way they combine simple straight forward instrumentals with raw passion that oozes through your speakers, headphones, or whatever listening device you happen to have. It’s that raw passion that rattles your teeth and makes you believe the music. I had the pleasure of sitting down and listening to the tracks they currently have up on Soundcloud and I was sold. In particular I enjoyed the dirty, nasty, sleazy downright reckless track “Detroit Hooker Fight” (10 bonus points for a killer track name!). The People Electric are slinging the kind of honest rock n’ roll the world is deeply in need of. You can check them out live this Saturday the 19th at Club 21 for the release of their new 7” record. – Cory Heunnekens

Bouncy rhythms and story-time metaphor lyrics like "I’m a little spraycan" are certainty sweet, but don’t let the full and fuzzy twee of Your Rival fool you. They describe themselves as writing "fun songs about horrible things" and tear into swift lo-fi garage rock laden with yowling chorus anthems and rolling guitar, especially during live sets. Anyone that went to last year’s Howling House (check out the performance here) can attest to the band’s awesome bombardment upon the ears. They celebrate the release of their first LP, Here’s To Me with a free, all-ages show at Anna Bananas Cafe, with Lee Corey Oswald, Our First Brains, and Soft Skills. Here’s To Me officially drops on Party Damage Records October 22nd. – Brandy Crowe

Appendixes have the uncanny ability to make me question my consciousness whenever I listen to them. The trio’s take on the shoegaze genre is filled with swells of surreal tones offset by calm, reverberating vocals that bring on dream-like sensations as they flow through atmospheric compositions. Their latest release, a 7” record titled Neon Green Fear, features two tracks that showcase their style through bright guitar leads and pulses of feedback. Minimal rhythms created by a drum machine provide moments of foundation between flights into a more ambient territory. Appendixes will be celebrating the release of Neon Green Fear at Mississippi Studios this Sunday, October 20th with The Comets, Vice Device and Industrial Park. You can also watch brand new the video for title track below. – Benjamin Toledo 

If you have yet to be introduced to the volatile sounds of Portland’s most accomplished rock act in recent years, Red Fang, allow me to present you to the controlled riot that is manifested by their third full-length album, Whales and Leeches. A follow up to 2011’s critically acclaimed Murder the Mountains, the new album captures a viscous energy by tying seismic rhythms with crisp, heavy guitar tones. Tracks like the roaring opener, “Doen” and  “Behind the Light” (featuring  Mike Scheidt of Yob) move technical lead lines through driving rhythms that shake the listener with ferocious dynamics. Other songs such as “Failure” and the hypnotic closer, “Every Little Twist” balance their heavy influences with an ethereal backdrop to create a sound that is simultaneously haunting and aggressive. The album is released on October 15th through Relapse Records, but thanks to the folks at Pitchfork you can stream the album in it’s entirety here. Listen, enjoy and try not to hurt your neck with all the headbanging. – Benjamin Toledo  

Just when I was starting to think Portland music was winding down after an eventful summer, our friends at KZME put together an amazing Portland-infused lineup for the inaugural Stumptown Music Fest. This Saturday, Alhambra Theatre (formerly Mt. Tabor) will showcase 8 bands that have all had incredible past years and have made a sincere impact on the Portland scene. The mainly folky lineup starts 5PM and is slated to go on until 12:30, giving you a full night of amazing sets. Beginning acts will include the avant garde sounds of Billy Goat and Like a Villain. Sets by Portland’s vintage-pop heroes, the Lower 48 will be featured as well as PDX pop queen Sara Jackson Holman. The neo-folk sounds this city is known for will be diligently represented by the likes of Alameda and Bike Thief and the night will end back with the soulful rhythms laid down by Minden and the dance rock duo, Dresses. All of these bands had amazing accomplishments in 2013 and will mostly likely follow the trend in this next year. So come on out to support a night of Portland rock. – Colin Hudson

In the latest episode of Party Boyz, Rachel and Elizabeth went to the Sandy River to interview And And And. The podcast that transpired proved to be one of the most hilarious yet as the band mused on their highs and lows, shaved baby gorillas and what their dads are like. The talk is cut with tracks from the likes of Uncle Funkle, David Bowie, Sama Dams and concludes with an acoustic track from And And And themselves. Listen to the podcast below and be sure to follow Party Boys on their facebook page. – Benjamin Toledo  

Wild Ones are taking the stage with the sounds from Keep It Safe, their first full length LP off of Party Damage Records. What we have here is pristine synth-pop, fresh as rain and easy for the ears to percolate. Synths playfully shift from effervescent and twinkling in the background to dense and chordal in the forefront. The vocal pours itself delicate and clear into a sweet blend of Grimes meets Memory House. Tracks like “Paia” display excellent melodic bass playing. Drumming is tight and emphasizes both chill wavey, echo-chamber beats as well as a little neo-disco. While maintaining an infectious positivity, the group displays versatility in the poignant and brooding title track and heavier, blood rushing closers like “Lion Heart”. Wild Ones sound refreshingly sincere which, according to band member Thomas, was their exact intent. He emphasized the band’s democratic songwriting process, (only incorporating what they were naturally inclined to play) to develop what he described as a "healthy" egalitarian progression to their distinct sound. – Ted Jamison

Sonic sounds with vivacious vocals would be one way to describe Aranya’s double EP, Friction and Refraction. Friction is like a four track volcano of different emotions spewing forth into the blue sky. “The Brand” caught my ear in particular for the variety of genres and sounds Aranya somehow weaves together seamlessly. What really completes the picture, the cherry on top so to speak, are the vocals: powerful, epic and haunting. If Grace Slick and Ronnie James Dio had a child that became a singer, that might come close. “Volcano” is a powerful track featuring raw instrumentals and punctuated vocals. The talent in Arayna can be seen by the sheer musical variety in the song. Refraction is the companion EP to Friction and is equally cool in a different way. Refraction features some calm melodic sounds in songs like “Ivo’vii” and “Invisible Hands”. “Sisyphus” starts out as a slower number with heavy and intense drums, bass and guitar. Kind of makes you feel like a viking trudging through a swamp. If Friction is the angry, sexually charged EP, Refraction is definitely the smooth cool release. I think one of my favorite aspects of Aranya is that their music is highly original. It’s wonderful to hear artists doing what they love, how they love doing it. Aranya will be releasing both Friction and Refraction this Saturday, October 5th at The Know. – Cory Huennekens

With rain pounding outside I have begun to comprise my October playlist. In Halloween mode I came across a new track by local trio, Just Lions, called "Monsters". The track pounds open with tried and true rock-and-roll, hand-claps and Chandler Strutz’s warm vocals. Each of the four tracks on their new EP, Paper Cage showcase varying approaches that Just Lions take to stylize their sound of rock, pop and a little jazz. The title track has fat riffs that break into power-cowbell (showcasing the quick wrist of Andrew Shepard) and violin while "Othello" slows down into a dark, triple harmonized and bass heavy progression (Brady Strutz) ending in guitar solowork that elevates the song to end where spacy, digital electronics are autonomous with jazz brass. The lyrics are full of trepidation yet guitar fingerwork and unexpected bops are uplifting despite monsters of fear and regret. Catch the release party for Paper Cage with New Move and Bombs Into You! at Mississippi Studios on Oct 2nd. Get there early to grab a free, one-of-a-kind handmade copy of the EP (first 50 humans). – Brandy Crowe

Paper Brain is back after enduring several lineup changes and seemingly no recorded output since their first release in 2007. The self-proclaimed “darkpop” four-piece has unearthed itself with the aptly titled, Begin Again, EP released just last year. Lead singer, Mike, says he took a step back from his micromanagement of the songwriting process to emphasize the creative input of each respective band mate. Echo heavy, mirage-like guitar shimmers over bass lines that sing buoyant and smooth one moment and slam into fuzz-crunching the next. Soaring vocals fall like fine smoke on top of it all while drummer, Phil, (also known from Genders) displays a sense of dynamics that’s sure to make a great live show. Heavy when they need to be while maintaining catchy, melodic integrity, Paper Brain listens like a cup of French press coffee: bold, rich in texture with just enough grit to keep you alert. – Ted Jamison

The Parson Red Heads have just released the second in a four part series of promo videos featuring different members of the group in the recording studio working on their upcoming release, Orb Weaver, out October 1st on Fiesta Red Records. This video follows bassist, Charlie Hester, through his studio experiences, ending with a rocking sneak peak of a new track. Watch the video below, you can also listen to their brand new single, “Every Mile,” here via Paste. Judging by these previews, it’s safe to say that Orb Weaver is something to be excited about. – Benjamin Toledo