HOWLIN RAIN, THE BLANK TAPES, PHANTOM SHIPS (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Formerly of the revered psych/noise band Comets on Fire, Ethan Miller started Howlin Rain in the mid-2000s to pursue a more melodic, soulful sound. When it came time to record the new Mansion Songs, Miller found himself without a label, without a band, and without a plan. He just had songs. The goal? Not perfection, but to capture "the explosive birth of an idea," and to return to the less structured recording style he was used to before Comets on Fire took off. As a result, Mansion Songs crackles with life and spills over with wild-eyed soul, while also retaining the bluesy swagger, folk-rock romp, and '70s influences that made Howlin Rain a mainstay in the West Coast's psychedelic scene. BEN SALMON Read the full article on Howlin Rain.
GIANT BUG VILLAGE, NECKLACE OF HEADS, FAUXGAZI (Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) While last year's sudden breakup of the reformed classic-era Guided By Voices lineup may have left Portland fans jilted ahead of the band's scheduled Project Pabst appearance, we're fortunate enough to inhabit the same city as the world's first Guided By Voices tribute band, Giant Bug Village. Spearheaded by towering frontman Stan McMahon, who is cited by Bob Pollard himself as one of Guided By Voices' earliest superfans, Giant Bug Village have been performing for nearly two decades. McMahon's reputation as a walking jukebox has him primed to storm through dozens of hits, and you can be sure he'll do so with the all of the heart and swagger that's demanded by the source material. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
Senior Editor Ned Lannamann writes about pop culture, music, film, TV, books, travel, tech, food, drink, outdoors, politics, Portland, and other things.
