Feast your ears on the Mercury's August playlist, a selection of songs from Portland artists releasing new music and touring acts passing through town this month.

This weekend, the 20th anniversary of Pickathon will draw dozens of excellent musicians to the Portland area, from Ethiopian jazz legend Hailu Mergia to psychedelic garage wizards Wand. Other August concert highlights include Lavender Country (ostensibly the world's first gay country band), futuristic hip-hop duo Shabazz Palaces, and New York rapper Princess Nokia, who will headline the MFNW/Dr. Martens mini festival the last weekend of August.

Plus, there's plenty of great local music coming out this month, from Chanti Darling's disco-tinged debut LP RNB Vol. 1 to punk band Alien Boy's Sleeping Lessons to folksinger (and Mercury contributor) Robin Bacior's Light It Moved Me.

Also be sure to check our Things to Do Music calendar for more information about upcoming shows in Portland!