Pro Wrestling for the People
A look at Portland’s underground pro wrestling scene. by Morgan Troper You never forget your first DOA match. Or your second. Or your third.I’m spending my Saturday evening in a gymnasium at the...
View ArticleJoyce Manor’s Pop-Punk for Grownups
On Cody, Joyce Manor breaks free from punk’s adolescent trappings. by Morgan Troper AT THE BEGINNING of the decade, “mid-tempo” was still a faux pas by pop-punk standards; people still considered...
View ArticleRingo Starr Is Basically My Surrogate Uncle
Ringo Starr is basically my surrogate uncle, and ragging on him does not make you look cool or smart. by Morgan Troper SOMETIMES I THINK I’m the biggest Beatles fan in the world, which is probably how...
View ArticleCasey Jarman Stares Down Death
Death: An Oral History Prepares You for the Inevitable by Morgan Troper NOTHING PROVES human consciousness is an evolutionary blunder more effectively than our innate fear of death. It’s inescapable...
View ArticleThe Business of Nostalgia
As digital downloads reshape video games, Portland’s indie game stores strive to satisfy retro tastes. by Morgan Troper In the age of Gamer Gate—when the word “gamer” often goes hand in hand with...
View ArticleRecord Review: Point Juncture, WA, Me or the Party
Point Juncture, WA’s Me or the Party was well worth the wait. by Morgan Troper “THE DOUBLE ALBUM”—considered by many to be a vestige of rock’s masturbatory past—is an affront to the modern music fan’s...
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First Impressions of Final Fantasy XV (Without Any Spoilers) (But With a Lot...
by Morgan Troper Samantha SutcliffeIt took slightly longer to build Rome than develop Final Fantasy XV. The game was first unveiled over a decade ago, as a spinoff that was then titled Final Fantasy...
View ArticleMy Body’s Fragmented Identities
Portland duo My Body’s forthcoming EP, Seven Wives, is classical pop. by Morgan Troper BEING CLASSICALLY trained has never exactly been a badge of honor in the world of popular music (unless you’re in...
View ArticleThese Hallowed Walls: Celebrating Two Decades of Jackpot!
This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackpot!, Portland’s premiere recording studio. by Morgan Troper {{image:1, align:right, width:250}} Like countless studios past and present, Portland’s...
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Jay Som's Sterling, Personal Guitar-Pop
by Morgan Troper JAY SOM Mon 4/10 Doug FirCARA ROBBINSIt’s wise to be wary of buzz bands. These days it hardly matters how much time you spend honing your craft—a quick ascent to internet renown...
View ArticleGet Off David Crosby’s Lawn
The legendary 75-year-old songwriter found Twitter (and we are all in his crosshairs). by Morgan Troper David Crosby has one of the best voices in rock ’n’ roll. Along with Roger McGuinn’s jangling...
View ArticleFake News for Punks
The Hard Times skewers the local scene. by Morgan Troper When Bill Conway and brothers Matt and Ed Saincome started The Hard Times—a fake, Portland/Bay Area-based punk news site heavily inspired by the...
View ArticleYousef Hatlani Reworks Classic Video Game Music
Bit by Bit painstakingly reinvents retro game sounds. by Morgan Troper For the better half of the past decade, Yousef Hatlani has been one of those everywhere-at-once scene notables; he worked at the...
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Sonic Mania Is Great—Because It Was Made by a Fan
by Morgan Troper SegaFew, if any, video game icons have fallen from grace as dramatically as Sonic the Hedgehog.Sonic went from being one of the most recognizable game characters in existence—and the...
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The Domestics PR Disaster Makes Me Feel Bad About the Music Industry
by Morgan Troper The DomesticsJason QuigleyNearly a month ago, news broke that Portland indie rock darlings the Domestics had launched a bizarre viral marketing campaign to promote their new album,...
View ArticleDreamdecay’s Noisy Punk Is Strangely Catchy
Dreamdecay’s Yú is one of the most accessible heavy records in years. by Morgan Troper The first thing you’ll notice about Seattle punks Dreamdecay is that they are very loud.This was fully put into...
View ArticleSong of the Red States
Diving into the mouth of country music—and red-state America—at the Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival. by Morgan Troper I am not wanted at the Bi-Mart Willamette Country Music Festival.For...
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Live Review: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at Revolution Hall, Mon Nov 6
by Morgan Troper Ted Leo at Revolution Hall Mon 11/7Morgan TroperHalfway through Ted Leo’s set last night at Revolution Hall, his band, the Pharmacists—which in its current incarnation consists of two...
View ArticleRecord Review: Various Artists, Transference
Marmoset’s 10-song compilation interprets century-old songs. by Morgan Troper In a 2006 radio interview, Jon Brion—the producer, songwriter, and all-around musical genius—explains his thoughts on the...
View ArticleBilly Joel Is Rock’s Tragic Antagonist
Here are Billy Joel’s five best songs you won’t hear at the dentist. by Morgan Troper Billy Joel is one of the most successful and accomplished songwriters of all time. He’s also unanimously loathed...
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