02 Dec

Posted on Dec 2, 2018 in Live Shows by

For the most part, we get a pretty good range of bands that stop in lil’ old Portland on the way to-and-from Seattle and San Francisco. Heck, sometimes more esoteric bands make this their only West Coast stop. “Why?” you ask. Probably because we have a large and supportive community of open-minded rabid music lovers here. Heck, once it starts raining all we have left to do is sit inside and listen to music and make things! Here's my list of favorite shows I saw in Portland in 2018 in date order:...

23 Nov

Posted on Nov 23, 2018 in Interviews, Videos by

Actor and comedian Jason Mantzoukas (you may recognize him from his hilarious, high-energy stint as Derek on “The Good Place”) goes shopping at Amoeba Music in Los Angeles and shows you what’s in his bag, including some amazing virtual products. I was amazed by the range and depth of his music suggestions, and I’m looking forward to checking out some of his more obscure (at least to me) recommendations. Bonus points for calling-out both Destroyer and My Bloody Valentine!...

23 Nov

Posted on Nov 23, 2018 in Videos by

Deerhunter has an album track record that’s tough to beat. From“Cryptograms,” their 2007 debut, to the already three-years-old, “Fading Frontier” there’s not a misstep in the bunch. The Atlanta-based band has always challenged the conventions of what makes a great pop-rock record (or art-rock record), so I was excited to see and hear them introduce the first single from their latest record, 'Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared' out January 18, 2019 on 4AD. On first listen, I thought Deerhunter had gone mainstream, but repeated plays reveal the dark and beautiful textures under the surface. Lurvely!...

27 Sep

Posted on Sep 27, 2017 in Videos by

Whenever Dan Bejar’s band Destroyer releases a new album I feel like a giddy little kid at Christmas. Sadly, their new record, “Ken” won't be out until October 20th, but they have put out a couple of singles that I’ll be playing non-stop until then. The beginning of the single “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood” could easily be the opening riff of a new New Order song which isn't too surprising given Bejar's published penchant for the post-punk pop group. Even the cascading drum fills that close the song remind me of the tribal drumming of New Order drummer, Stephen Morris. ...

22 Sep

Posted on Sep 22, 2017 in Videos by

We've seen !!! quite a few times now and are always blown-away how great they sound live. Capturing that energy on their albums has been somewhat elusive, barring a few especially slamming songs (Steady as the Sidewalk Cracks for one). Since their label gave them some money for a video, they went like Bill O’Reilly and decided to "Do it live!" with very nice results. Play loudly....

03 May

Posted on May 3, 2017 in Playlists by

To start things rolling here at the new Smells Like Pop, we decided to go with something a little personal, and well, precious (to us). Here's a playlist that we made especially for our daughter when she was less than 10 years old for her first boom box. It's full of happy, peppy songs. And then it ends a little mellower, because “Hey, calm the eff down already!”...

01 Apr

Posted on Apr 1, 2017 in Videos by

Just stumbled across this video of Thee Oh Sees playing live on KEXP. We saw them on this tour at the Doug Fir and it was amazing. I had a perma-grin plastered to my face watching drummers, Dan Rincon and Ryan Moutinho play in almost perfect synchronicity. The sound was like a water canon pummeling you non-stop in the chest. Apparently, Moutinho left the band, so this video has only Rincon on the skins though he plays so fast he might as well be two people....

04 Jan

Posted on Jan 4, 2014 in Album Reviews by

As usual, my list of “favorite” albums of the year is just that – a list of what stuck with me most throughout the year, and not necessarily what my brain thinks should be the best albums. Hopefully, these 10 recordings will stand the test of time....