In what is best described as "gray pop," the music Floating Room makes creates a sense of mellow desire; a longing manifested through their use of droned hums and haunting vocality. Floating Room is the musical partnership between Maya Stoner (ex-Sabonis) and Kyle Bates (Drowse, also featuring Stoner), though their partnership expands to much more than what started as bedroom pop recordings. In a romantic sense the couple's chemistry, aside from their collective experimental and artistic capacity, helps make Floating Room what it is. Tenderness isn't feared on either of their ends, and their propensity for support behind the instruments and in front of them is evident 

Sunless, the band's 2016 full-length debut on Good Cheer Records, married deep socio-emotional themes with paralyzing sounds. Stoner and Bates trade off guitar and synth duties as they channel part of makes Sunless (and the way they play together in general) beguiling - its vulnerability. Stoner sings about the transition from a bad relationship to a much better one, touching on abuse of power and misogyny along the way. For most, the subject matter is relatable, giving a welcoming sense to each of the tracks.

The openness presented on the album translates into Floating Room's live performances as well. They'll be touring with Alien Boy (which is led by Sonia Weber, Floating Room's sometimes drummer) and are playing four SXSW dates, so see them as much as you can.

Good Cheer Records has essentially taken over Portland. The somewhat new label has already given us damn near all of the most poppin acts in the scene right now and thank goodness the label will be giving us the gift of seeing a handful of them live for the holidays.

Originally planned for last week but moved to tomorrow due to weather, Good Cheer's takeover of Holocene consists of two stages and six bands worth of all ages action. Turtlenecked is doing a solo set, current Artist of the Month nominees Alien Boy will take to the stage like they're "At Goth Easter," and Cool American will make our ears dusty with their Dorito pop. A dark heaviness comes our way from Two Moons, but the ultimate noisiness will be coming from the label's breakout stars of the year drowse (who is subbing in for Mayhaw Hoons and the Outsiders) and Floating Room.

Just $7 gets you into the bash, with proceeds going to Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington, an arts-in-education organization.

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Alien Boy was marked a loud favorite of ours with last year's debut Never Getting Over It, and a roaring cover of "Hand In Glove" by the Smiths that came along with it. The album showed Alien Boy as a rambunctious callback to late 90's emo laced pop punk and with the release of their newest EP Stay Alive, we find ourselves still enjoying their clamor, with a more settled down maturity.

Though Stay Alive was digitially released in early October, its coinciding show celebrating the physical 7" takes place this Thursday at Blackwater. Beloved Deli Portland picks Little Star will be joining Alien Boy, along with horror glam punks Sweeping Exits and some hardcore from Naux.

All proceeds from money collected at the door of this all-ages show will go to Planned Parenthood and for just a $5 cover, it'd be kind of silly not to come support.

Stay Alive is available on vinyl via Good Cheer Records and on cassette tape through Olympia's Reflective Tapes.

In the first of what is sure to be a successful slew, KPSU has teamed up with McMenamins Lola's Room for a series of all-ages shows that begins with a perfectly curated lineup promising strong hints of shoegaze, dream pop and a touch of 90's revival.

We have no doubt in our minds that Lubec will bring yet another good set, since the Portland vets have played and shared consistently great music for the last five years. Cosmic Debt, their September release, continues on in that same vein, but the other bands on the bill add an extra bit of intrigue to the show.

Alien Boy has done a lot with their poppy post punk in the last year and it's something that can't be missed, while Helens take on the genre is a bit heavier and gazed out. Floating Room, the newest endeavor musically bringing together drowse's Kyle Bates and Maya Stoner of Sabonis, could not offer a better representation of both bands' sound fused into one. Their debut Sunless is due out in just a couple weeks and sees the glum echo of comfort found in drowse's production while giving another platform for the signature gossamer tone Stoner's voice provides to Sabonis. 

Doors for this KPSU/Lola's Room show tomorrow open at 7pm, with music starting at 8pm. Tickets are only $5 will any Student ID and just $8. Get excited, there are a couple more KPSU and Lola's Room shows this Fall that are just as promising.

Last month's Deli Portland Artist of the Month, PASS, is holding the release show for their latest EP off the Portland DIY label Good Cheer Records. Ways Out is five tracks solid worth of a raw vocal delivery and heavy instrumental execution. PASS is sure to bring some ruckus, along with sets from Rod, Alien Boy and labelmates Sabonis, at one of the only bastions left for good music in this city. Anarres Infoshop and Community Space is hosting this all-ages event tomorrow, December 4th, with tickets going for $5. The space is sure pack quickly, so get there before 7pm to stand a chance.

-Cervante Pope