These days, it’s common to find fans of indie rock with a nostalgic appreciation for early 2000s mainstream pop punk. While some dismiss it as a sound of yesteryear, others, like Hamilton’s No King For Countrymen instead choose to embrace the sound while incorporating it in their own style. The content on their recent EP A Year In Recovery channels this influence with modern indie rock production, resulting in five powerful tracks full of charging rock tempos and retrospective lyrics. “Alright You Win” a tour de force of heavy guitars, pulsing basslines and the signature passive-aggressiveness found in pop punk lyrics. No King For Countrymen have made a science out of blending introspective content with bursts of indie rock energy, all neatly packaged together with clean production. The Countrymen will be bringing their signature sound to The Cavern in Toronto on August 20. -Chris PJ D

This one’s just plain fun y’all. Opposite Day is a staple of the Austin scene that plays some of the most technical and pure fun music in Austin, a combo you don’t often get. This vid is their new track “AI IOU,” and it’s a series of shots that cut between the band doing their hard-playing, wild-beat thing and then a buncha robot shots that feel very MST3K. That’s a pretty good touchstone in terms of era as well, as this track feels quite outta the 90s though all beefed up with some heavier, mathrockier shit, and the idea of a wilder, more indie Barenaked Ladies that plays faster and punkier isn’t far off. It's fun too to get great tracks that aren't really about love or social issues or something pretty, but instead just about a cool ass concept that the musicians like; in this case a mufucking robot made from parts of other robots! Check the lyrics: "I am rememebering what happened to the parts that make me/I am a conscious agent assembled from other machines." That's the good scifi shit. Tune your robot ears and focus your android eyes on this thing below, and let the AI tell you all about its weird ol' self!

This 4 piece blues rock group hails from Burlington/Hamilton, Pete Van Dyk & The Second Hand Band are known for throwing down a nice boogie indie rock combo around town. They have just released a new self-titled album (engineered and mixed by bass player JD Norwood) with a music video for the lead single "Talk of the Town". This track has a bluesy banger of a verse that settles into a laid-back stoner groove chorus "Bad Scene" from this record is pure story-telling blues delight with the swaying rhythm being held down smoothly by JD and drummer Scott Carruthers. Pete leads the group with his howlin' vocals and sweet rhythm guitar. Meanwhle his younger brother (Shr)Ed.is lighting his Strat on fire shredding the blues away...literally. These guys play @Homegrown Hamilton 07/31 -Kris Gies

Portland's annual festival celebrating the local music scene, PDX Pop Now! returns this weekend for three days of all-ages adventure at Audiocinema (under the Hawthorne Bridge). Check out the full schedule here, plus The Deli's top picks for the weekend below:

Balto: Daniel Sheron's psych-Americana project is lyrically driven and big and melodic. His first record Call It By Its Name is a diverse mix of country, folk, and pop that sounds like Blitzen Trapper's love child with a dash of outlaw thrown in for good measure. Catch them at 6:40 p.m. on Friday.



Golden Hour: Portland's tender-hearted garage group Golden Hour are like the younger sibling in a cool band that you never had but always wanted. Their catchy, relatable lyrics and upbeat, declarative songs will linger with you long after you hear them--in the best way possible. Don't miss their set at 4:10 p.m. on Saturday.

 


Hands In: Bedroom psych favorite Erick Crosby brings his dreamy tunes to the stage Saturday evening at 6:50 p.m. Hands In provides the perfect soundtrack to your angst, your dance mood, or general party attitude. 

The Last Arful, Dodgr: A new voice in the Portland hip hop scene, Dodgr brings a fresh sound to the festival and holds it down for lesser-represented genres in the local music scene. Don't miss her breakout set at 6:10 p.m. on Saturday.

The Stops: These self-described "five girls playing punk" do not mess around. Their fast, hard, sorry-not-sorry songs are sure to get the crowd moving at this weekend's festival. Representing the all-ages scene, their debut album Nameless Faces is a dirtier, grittier version of local favorites Summer Cannibals. Get down to Audiocinema early on Saturday, The Stops play at 2:10 p.m.

These and many more perform Friday through Sunday at Audiocinema. The music festival includes a street fair, beer garden, and plenty of opportunities to get immersed in the Portland music scene. 

-Zibby Pillote

MMMmmmmmmmyayah, some heavy shit for ya up in this hot ass week. We here at The Deli dig showin' off some of the genres that aren't always as much in the limelight in Austin as others, and so we're gotdamn pickled to be able to throw you some good ole damn ole hard rocking music today, compliments of Big Chords and Shoutyscreams act We'll Go Machete. These guys released their first album in a while, the (we assume) jokingly titled Smile Club, on July 7, and anyone who was ever into post-hardcore shit like Fugazi, At the Drive-In etc. will eat this shit up they was Jaws from James Bond and metal was a viable foodgroup. There's somethin' artsier and weirder in here as well, with some really strange structures and experimentation with making guitars churn out some fucked up noises, and that the band name checks both Melvins and Slint in the info about this album says a lot about what you can expect. If you gots some pent up aggression and frustration goin' on this summer (who are we kidding, it's 2015, that's everybody) and wanna churn and burn along with some fucking music from the heavy side of the city, you can't do better than Smile Club.