Local Features

The Best 11 Local Releases of 2016

While 2016 was a dark stretch in so many ways, it was a bountiful year for Portland music. Read on as we count down our favorite 11 local albums.

Sinless

Sinless celebrates the release of its new EP this Sunday at Holocene. This month, we catch up with the band’s singer and songwriter Cor Allen to discuss moving to Portland on a lark and how he overcame anxiety in a new music scene.

Genders

Portland’s Genders releases its new album Saturday at Mississippi Studios. In the month’s local feature, Maggie May Morris and Stephen Leisy discuss their developing process of culling albums, finding a sweet spot when touring and the social justice potential and blindspots of the Portland music community.

Johanna Warren

In this month’s local feature, Portland songwriter, instrumentalist and label founder Johanna Warren discusses her labelmates Forest Veil and Indira Valey, getting inspiration from Anne Carson and Sappho and her new album due out Sept. 16.

Coco Columbia

Coco Columbia releases her new album Aug. 17 at Doug Fir. Ahead of the show, we spoke to the Portland artist about performance and anonymity, applying music to suffering and the balance between jazz and pop.

bed.

In this month’s local feature, the central duo of bed. — Alex and Sierra Haager — discuss finding a drummer, their new album and an ill-fated, impulse move to Eugene. Their new album “Klickitat” came out last month and you can see them next on July 9 at Mississippi Studios.

Animal Eyes

Before Animal Eyes releases their new album May 12 at Mississippi Studios, we sat down to discuss the band’s Alaska roots, their marriage-level friendships and whether art-pop is an appropriate descriptor for their sound.

Candace
Candace

“Portland’s Candace, by way of Minneapolis, will remind you that at least some people aren’t content to let their youth and dreamy ambitions disappear into a box of melancholy memories after 25.”

Tango Alpha Tango

“Good rock ‘n’ roll will never die because, at its best, it tells lies we can all see the truth in, and everyone knows honesty doesn’t get old.”

Rare Monk

Portland’s Rare Monk cut their teeth playing packed U of O dorm parties half a…