Pitchfork: PDX Pop Now! Comp, Fest Coming

There are local bands, and then there are local bands. If you're from one of those towns where the scene consists of three emo bands with the same four members, it's hard not to be jealous of Portland, Oregon. What, it's not enough to live in one of the most beautiful cities on Earth? You gotta hoard all the decent bands, too?

This August 5-7, the second annual PDX Pop Now! Festival will assemble roughly 40 indie acts from the City of Roses. It'll be at the Loveland, admission is free, and it's safe to say that the organizers won't need to pad the bill with any Jesus-folk family groups or Deep Purple tribute bands.

Starting today, visitors to www.pdxpopnow.com can vote for their favorite Portland bands to play the show-- no guarantees, but the organizers promise to "make every effort to recruit the top vote-getters." The festival site does offer the official tracklist for the accompanying PDX Pop Now! 2xCD compilation, presumably including many of the bands who will play the festival. No word yet on when and where you can buy this thing; last year's comp was primarily a locally-distributed affair, with out-of-towners directed to buy through Kill Rock Stars. Smolder with jealous rage as you peruse this list of bands who stalk the streets of Stumptown:

>>Disc 1:
01 "Rollercoaster" - Sleater-Kinney
02 "I'm So Low" - The Minders *
03 "While We Have The Sun" - Mirah *
04 "Pile of Gold" - The Blow *
05 "Uh-Oh" - Nice Nice
06 "To Destruction" - Dolorean
07 "Radio Radio" - Swords
08 "Clawz" - Please Step Out of the Vehicle *
09 "Second Sickness" - Desert City Soundtrack
10 "Evil Falls" - Holy Sons *
11 "Windows & Walls" - Modern State
12 "Daydreams With Daffodils" (Stepperz Remix) - YACHT *
13 "Lovin' Machine" - Glass Candy
14 "No Sound" - 31 Knots
15 "Just Expect" - Copy *
16 "Why'd You Have to Die?" - Toothfairy *
17 "Descender" - Point Line Plane
18 "These Trees Are For Resting" - Alan Singley
19 "Mountaintops in Caves" - Talkdemonic
20 "Chemical Reaction" - Spooky Dance Band

>>Disc 2:
01 "Alive With Pleasure" - Viva Voce
02 "It's Over" - The Gossip *
03 "God and Country" (live) - The Thermals *
04 "A Plague Upon the White House" - Blues Goblins *
05 "Sista Social Theme Song" - Menomena *
06 "Gore Appeal" - Die Monitr Batss
07 "To An Angel on No Condition" - Lkn
08 "The Untold Story" - Myg feat. Mikah 9, Sleep *
09 "Hi-Fi" - M. Ward
10 "Emma" - Sexton Blake
11 "Smallest Man" - Sunset Valley *
12 "Move your Body" - The Snuggle Ups *
13 "Freilechs Von Der Chuppe" - Shicky Gnarowitz and the Transparent Wings of Joy *
14 "Laughing Gasping" - Wet Confetti *
15 "What We'll Admit" - Jessica Jones
16 "I Am the Only Master of the Ten-Key" - Binary Dolls
17 "Cardboard Box" - Point Juncture, WA
18 "A Gilded Age" - Norfolk & Western
19 "Homebody" - Cajun Gems
20 "All of These Things" - The Helio Sequence *
21 "From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)" (Demo) - The Decemberists *