Vortex's first foray into the world of wax is a #PDXmusic vinyl comp featuring 11 unreleased songs from local artists limited to just 60 copies!Our new issue marks three years of Vortex Music Magazine. We’re often anticipating the new music this city produces while documenting what’s going down right now. What better way to do that than to take some fresh sounds from the near future and permanently cut them to vinyl?
Lucky us, our birthday fell right on Record Store Day so we teamed up with boutique record cutters Vinyl On Demand to create a special release that takes a snapshot of Portland’s diverse scene in the present moment, and produces a sonic record for the future. Our City, Our Sounds: A #PDXmusic Compilation features all flavors of electropop, hip-hop and garage rock, and only 60 copies total will be cut to 12-inch, 180-gram vinyl! Available exclusively at Music Millennium and Tender Loving Empire on Hawthorne on Saturday, April 22 (and maybe at our birthday party), if you’re lucky and any remain, you can place an order to reserve your copy via PayPal (and please select shipping if you'd like your copy mailed).
Side A
Autonomics' Beach Boys-lampooning artwork (and title of 'Debt Sounds') will drop later this year via ROLA Records01. Autonomics: “Dead T.V. Star” is from the trio’s fuzz-filled, riotous, upcoming full-length rocker, the aptly, yet cheekily titled Debt Sounds, which is full of fast, lo-fi punches of poppy punk and out this fall via ROLA Records.
02. Small Million: “LONE” is another cinematic nugget of synthed-up electronic bliss highlighting the soaring vocals Malachi Graham and the meticulous production of Ryan Linder—it’s also the first sounds from an in-process debut album.
03. Rasheed Jamal: “Better Off $$$” is exactly what Jamal’s incredible flow deserves for this raw, angsty hip-hop cut—FYI, those three signs stand for being paid and you can do so when you cop 22 Grams later this summer.
04. Turtlenecked: “Meeting You In The Hospital” is an exclusive single edit of an art punk prize from the prolifically self-aware Harrison Smith’s latest, Vultures, available via Good Cheer Records.
After sharing stages with Ray Lamontagne and Menomena, the newest member of Death Cab for Cutie finally has his own debut: 'Emotional Freedom Technique' out in June via Tender Loving Empire05. Dave Depper: “Ikutaro” is an uplifting electronic exploration, homage to Ikutaro Kakehashi (father of Roland and the 808 drum machine), and album outtake from the perennial sideman—after years in the game supporting others, the newest member of Death Cab for Cutie has finally readied his own solo debut: Emotional Freedom Technique out in June via Tender Loving Empire.
Side B
06. Gold Casio: “Gold Mine” features the cosmic magic of Coco Columbia on guest vox to propel this glitter bomb of psychedelic disco into the heavens—and the best news is that it’s just one of multiple dance jams the electropop four-piece have prepped for their impending EP Fever Dreams.
07. Korgy & Bass: "Bitter Horizon” is a jazzy, hip-hop gem from the minds of drummer Barra Brown and bassist Alex Meltzer, this time with support from emcee Dusty Fox of Two Planets and the delicate, angelic vocals of folk singer-songwriter Catherine Feeny—and it’s one of four cuts from the pair’s second release, EP Vol. II, out later this year via Cavity Search Records.
08. Skull Diver: “Nightmare Castle” is a perfect introduction to the pop-laced, melodic psych metal that sisters Ally and Mandy Payne make: dark, beautiful and heavy—and it’s just one enchanting sample from their forthcoming self-release Chemical Tomb.
Come get your tequila and vinyl fix at the Alberta Street Pub on Cinco de Mayo when Vortex celebrates our third birthday and the release of this record! Pick up a free copy of the new mag too and party with us—poster by Showdeer.09. Siren and the Sea: “Dust” was written, recorded and mixed with engineer Justin Longerbeam at EYRST Studios in one evening last summer—and soon the dreamy, delicate electronics will be properly released on a new EP.
10. Dogheart: “Speed Trap” is yet another catchy garage pop jam, this time from the trio’s soon-to-be self-released sophomore record Family Hair.
11. Jay Cobb Anderson: “So Far From You” is a sleepy, bittersweet love song tracked live in the basement—on the second take—featuring Fruition bandmates Jeff Leonard on bass and Tyler Thompson on drums (and behind the recording gear)—look for it on Anderson’s second solo album out later this year.
