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Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Sounds at the Plaza, Black & Loud Fest, and a Juicy Blood Orange Listening Party

These end of summer music selects are too hot to handle.
Avatar photo by Starly Lou Riggs

Hello music lovers and haters (hopefully not haters), this is your new music editor signing on to tell you what you already know: Portland is still popping off! I’m always in awe of the artists both based here and coming through. I feel like I need a time machine to catch everything because how am […]

Posted inMusic

Yr City’s a Sucker: The Best LCD Soundsystem Songs (Released Since They Last Played in Portland)

Sixteen years after their (alleged) final bow in Portland, we look back on the best songs they’ve released since their last Portland show in 2010.
Avatar photo by Holly Hazelwood

I was there. I was there on May 29th, 2010, when LCD Soundsystem played their last show in Portland, at the Roseland. I was exhausted and the drunks at the barricade were seriously obnoxious, but I knew it would be my very last chance to see James Murphy’s beloved dance-punk act, who had announced that […]

Posted inMusic

A Complete Newbie’s Guide to Pickathon

Considering coming out to Pendarvis Farm for the world’s greatest music festival? Let us help make it way less terrifying!
Avatar photo by Holly Hazelwood

Is it already almost time for Pickathon again? It feels like the annual journey to Pendarvis Farm comes quicker every year. Now entering its 26th year, the four-day, genre-agnostic blowout, taking place this year from July 30-August 2, never seems to last long enough. It’s important to squeeze every last bit of juice out of […]

Posted inMusic

The Mercury’s 20 Must-Catch Acts of Pickathon 2026!

Our resident Pickathon ambassador gives you the supernerd scoop on the best and brightest of this year’s lineup.
Avatar photo by Holly Hazelwood

If you ask Pickathon founder Zale Schoenborn about Pickathon’s lineup on any given year, he’ll tell you it’s the best lineup they’ve ever had. While the Happy Valley music festival mainstay has changed a lot in its booking practices, it’s hard for us to argue with Schoenborn’s outlook in 2026. With so many phenomenal, under-the-radar […]

Posted inMusic

Hannah Diamond Paints Holocene Pink and Blue

Diamond joins Portland DJs Emoji Heap and Sweetbabyjames for a night of hyperpop
Avatar photo by Emerson Brady

We can’t talk about hyperpop without talking about cult record label PC Music. ​PC Music, founded by English producer A. G. Cook in 2013, blasted hyperpop into the mainstream, revamping the trashy pop of the early aughts and spreading it like wildfire across the internet. But if PC Music’s bubblegum bass, glitchy electronic sounds, and […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Sierra Ferrell For Real, Quasi Score Japanese Silent Film, and Michelle Zauner Cries in Tomorrow

Plus Portland Music News and New Music Portland!
Avatar photo by Nolan Parker

Last week was a real Portland doozy, so much so I had to split to Central Washington to chill out for a minute. The tough decision to post up at a generator show in lieu of catching Midwest emo daddies American Football was made, and happily. Two of Portland’s tuffest punk outfits, Carny Cumm and […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Boot Scoot Your Boogie at Friends in Low Places

Plus, crush a Capri Sun with Juicebox, and get primitive with Marisa Anderson.
Avatar photo by Nolan Parker

This past week was kooky-busy with extraordinary shows, showcasing but a fraction of what Portland, and the world, are on musically. The Mercury’s Music Issue launch party was a great success; the bands—KEEKS, La Isla Electronica, Isabeau Waia’u Walker, and the Barbaras—all crushed their sets. When, not if, you have the chance, check out all […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: Mix Master Mike Chops It Up and Forty Feet Tall Get Higher at High Limit Room

Plus Portland Music News and New Music Portland!
Avatar photo by Nolan Parker

Last weekend was kooky-beautiful outside. Or at least it looked that way while convalescing in my sickbed… That means that Darkswoon, FKA twigs, Only Fire, Six Sex, and more were missed by this lowly music editor. The absolute pits! But I suppose sickness can be framed as a reminder to be proactive about seeking joy.  […]

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