This weekend, Portland's loudest and least hipster overrun music festival, Stumpfest, which is returning for it's third year in a row, will be taking over Mississippi Studios. 3-day passes to the metal festival are already sold out, but individual day passes are still a-plenty ($15 in advance, $17 at the door), if you just want to catch one night of music, or don't mind paying for multiple day-passes to catch the whole event.

Featuring many-a-rad Portland based bands, this year's top notch Stumpfest line up is as follows:

Thursday 4.24.14:

Trans Am - joined by: Federation X, Life Coach, Drab Majesty and Hot Victory.

Friday 4.25.14:

Red Fang - joined by: Lord Dying, Norska, Black Pussy, Ancient Warlocks, and Chron Goblin

Saturday 4.26.14:

YOB - joined by: Black Cobra, Diesto, Drunk Dad, and Honduran

- Travis Leipzig

I arrived at the Wonder Ballroom after work ready to enjoy the Friday edition of Malt Ball 2014. 24 brewers were on hand, 12 of which collaborated with the weekends bands to create a beer/band line-up. With friends I tasted each and every one of the beers. This year seemed IPA heavy, but all were delicious. 

Hot Victory are a percussive duo that lean towards the experimental and the progressive. Consisting of two drummers armed with acoustic and electric kits, they produce cascading rhythms that roll over synthesized samples and loops drenched with entrancing tones. Nexus, their latest release, is a combination of organic pulses and electronic movements. The tracks within are spacey, ever-evolving compositions that are as danceable as they are musically inventive. Hot Victory will be celebrating the release of Nexus on cassette tape this Tuesday night with a free show at White Owl Social Club. Go for what’s sure to be a dynamic performance. - Benjamin Toledo

Let's be honest.  We live in a world with dub-step phone apps and computer programs that embolden almost-drummers everywhere to pump out some really average beats, pick a cool name, and call themselves a band. Perhaps it is that very fact that makes a band like Hot Victory stand out so brilliant; no laptops, no click tracks, no pre-fab beats.  Hot Victory is a two piece band consisting of Caitlin Love (Drums/Triggered Synths/Monotron/Shakers/Gong) and Ben Stoller (Drums/Triggered Synths/Programming/Control Station).  The flawless duo has just released NEXUS, a three song EP that they said was "meant to challenge the boundaries of what two drummers can perform in a live setting."  Challenge they do, pushing themselves to incorporate amazing tempos with hypnotic synths live, on stage, and with total precision.  All three songs on NEXUS are ruthlessly energetic and dynamically entertaining, and the fact that they were each recorded live is good news for anyone who still believes in the experimental ambient art-form, or just plan good music.  July 26th at 8:00pm, Hot Victory will be making believers out of the folks lucky enough to be at The Shakedown in Bellingham, WA.  Sharing the bill is Lozen, Qui, and Bali Girls; an impressive line-up. And all for $6. - Joy Pearsons