Portland duo Utility wring every drop of bombast, power, melody, and even delicacy that it's possible to squeeze from a bass and drums. On the occasion of the vinyl release of their recent album "How to Protect What's Left" and upcoming Midwest tour, Utility drummer and musician lifer Adam Draper joins the show this week. The fellas chat about growing and changing as a person in-and-out of phase with growth as a musician, the cyclical import of heavy music, the challenge of rocking the socks off one's own mother, and the hidden apartment inside the home of YOUR Portland Trailblazers. Plus, some raaaaaaaad tunes!

Music this week:

• "Your Pain is an Ocean" by Utility (18:20)
• "Side FX" by Dykeritz (37:46)
• "Shiny Things" by Utility (58:20)
• "846" by Quando Quando Quando (80:20)
• "Final Piss" by Bobby Shock (96:45)

Dry Socket are the super-heavy, load-bearing wall of Portland hardcore punk music. Their music blends the intensely personal (warts and all) with communal, universal catharsis, and they are just embarking on their biggest year yet.

To celebrate their upcoming European tour and the March 27 release of their latest record "Self Defense Lessons", Dani and Geoff from Dry Socket stop by to wage the war of the hot dog versus the garbage disposal, discuss authenticity with empathy, growing up hardcore and its complicated legacy, grassroots anti-boofing, and the clear holder of the most hardcore bird (MHB) championship belt.

Music this week:

• "Abomination" by Dry Socket (17:52)
• "The Hull" by Weft (28:12)
• "Leglock" by Dry Socket (57:46)
• "Bootlicker" by SPY (74:49)
• "Again" by Railing (88:55)

To celebrate their recently released fourth studio album, "Shapes Unravel", we're re-releasing our 2024 conversation with Portland mystics Abronia! Eric from the band talks feeling like your inspirations, bands that would have gotten worse, biographies, D&D, psychedelics, practicing for your future, and partial bottom nudity. Rippin' music from this episode includes Abronia, Step Into The Kitchen, Ak’chamel, and M.Aundre.

Portland MC Mat Randol believes in the challenges of hip hop: to grow and evolve, to live at the edge of his comfort zone, to tell the truth, and to find the joy. On the mic he's dexterous, dynamic, and confessional...but he also wouldn't say no to a few choice sips in the studio. His 2026 is scheduled to be a non-stop banger of releases, collaborations, and live music. Plus, he's a great hang, as you'll hear in this episode. He stopped by to discuss the timely feedback that altered the direction of his musical approach, building the experiences that add up to an artist, and keeping his core themes fresh. And he drops some WORLD PREMIERES on us!

Music this week:

• "Randy's Song" by Mat Randol (16:39)
• "Lee Me Be" by Keys Open Doors ft. M.D (29:43)
• "Since You've Been Gone" by Mat Randol (43:11)
• "Hopscotch" by Mat Randol ft. Zavy and Saige Wolley (62:39)
• "Oregon Coast" by Sweeps, luv pug (80:39)

Night Heron is sexy, smokey, smoldering, sartorial (insert favorite 'S' superlative) Portland lush-pop nurtured to life by frontman and guitarist Cameron Spies—along with a murderer's row of musicians from the vanguard of Portland music. Cameron joined the fellas this week to chat on finding freedom within a defined sonic palette, the producer's ear vs. the creator's ear, wound packing (pro or con?), KEXP gratitude, Boss horniness, and the authorial voice of High Times. Plus killer music!

Music this week:

• "Stronger Than Me" by Night Heron (23:01)
• "LEECHES (PLAY DEAD)" by Suzie True (43:24)
• "Arrival" by Night Heron (52:48)
• "Get Me" by Seance Crasher (68:05)
• "Si Te Vas" by Sotomayor (88:44)

In honor of their freshly dropped single "You Guys Wanna Eat Some More Mushrooms?" we're replaying our delightful conversation with the instrumental prog/post rock trio, Childspeak! We get into the freedom of writing music without vocals, the abstract codes of songwriting, conquering hiccups, how ridiculous genre is, and Andy digs his heels back into anti-marketing. Cherish the memories in this one, then go buy the new Childspeak single!

Music this week:

• "Turn That Down... ...I Already Did" by Childspeak (13:12)
• "Like Cattle" by Unspeakable Carnage (32:17)
• "Whittle" by Helens (41:32)
• "Shame Bats" by Childspeak (53:28)
• "Ned Schneeblee" by The Burning Peppermints (70:48)

Stand-up comedian Andrea Menchaca is a newly minted member of Portland's Funniest Five and has been building momentum since she began at open mics almost six years ago. We talk about her trajectory, her upcoming comedy special at Milagro and the grant that made it possible, finding the joke with TikTok feedback, butter surcharges for bulk popcorn receptacles, separating your Avatar sex from your Avatar gardening, the bloodsport of comedy competition, and the unanswerable "why???" of still doing d*ck jokes.

Music this week:

• "Bakar" by Nusantara Beat (26:52)
• "Ain't Nice" by Cassie Watson Francillon ft. Aquiles Navarro (47:51)
• "Bootlicker" by Pegzilla (1:12:32)
• "Freak Out" by Wife Support (1:34:14)

Perfect Buzz is rock 'n roll that looks good in a leather jacket: brash enough to don one in the first place, yet self-possessed and comfortable-in-their-own-skin enough to pull it off without seeming ridiculous. It's that precise balance (along with a finely calibrated combo of riffage, sneer, and melody) that shines through on their brand-new EP "Happy Trails". This week, Patrick Buzz joins the fellas to discuss that new collection of tunes; the art of dank ranking; how to balance a brain full of songs with the finite dosage of a record; the day-to-day joys of zoo-based misinformation; and the haunting power of stage face.

Music This Week:

• "Gonna Make U Sweat" by Perfect Buzz (17:02)
• "MB" by Dry Socket (29:59)
• "Here Come the Cowgirls" by Perfect Buzz (50:41)
• "Melissa V" by Megaphonies (67:04)
• "Melt Cops" by Carney Cumm (82:48)