With 10 years and over 50 releases to their name, it’s an impossible
task to single out the finest work to ever be tagged with the Magic
Marker logo. But, what the hell, we’re going to try anyway. The
following are our favorite releases from the label’s catalog:

Dear Nora

We’ll Have a Time

A love letter to Portland, best friends, youth, an unnamed crush, or
something else entirely… I’m not sure, but Dear Nora’s We’ll Have
a Time is a perfect slice of the most heart-warming indie pop
you’re likely to come across. Even at its most depressing and angst
ridden, the record (released in 2001) still manages to ooze
wistfulness, due in large part to pitch-perfect harmonies and the
sugar-sweet vocals of Katy Davidson. With a lo-fi garage
aesthetic—chockfull of jangly guitars and simple upfront
drumming—We’ll Have a Time is just about perfect; its only
downside being that it clocks in at an-all-too brief 26 minutes. ROB
SIMONSEN

BOAT

Let’s Drag Our Feet

Showcasing the smart-alecky but heartfelt songs of frontman David
Crane, BOAT’s second full-length, Let’s Drag Our Feet, is a
series of single-serving pop packets that come at you one after
another. Even the between-song interludes are awesome. The rock swagger
of “Come with Me, We’ll Win” is matched by the syncopated chug of “The
Whistle Test,” and the falsetto-and-organ combo of “A Phone That Rings
for Free” adds surprisingly emotional nuance to BOAT’s bratty delivery,
like an older brother who gives you dead arms and noogies, but who also
keeps the bullies from messing with you on the walk to school. If
you’ve ever felt betrayed by Weezer—and who hasn’t,
really?—BOAT is there to tend your wounds with utterly
irresistible songs like “(I’m a) Donkey for Your Love” and “I Really,
Really Think You Should Rethink Your Life.” NED LANNAMANN

Kissing Book

(s)

Indie rock and jazz should be like oil and water, yet somehow on
their second full-length album Kissing Book found a way to make the two
genres sound pretty damn good together. Still rooted in
Lucksmiths-esque pop, (s) was a bit more restrained than
anything the band had previously done, with a soft Wurlitzer organ,
subtle drumming, and Andrew Kaffer’s gentle croon holding down the
somber, intimate, and reflective affair. While it may not have been as
much of a crowd-pleaser as their earlier Lines & Color,
(s) captures Kissing Book at the top of their songwriting game,
producing a dozen solid tracks of jazzy pop goodness. RS