Plastic Cactus just released their second album, Moth Eyes. Plastic Cactus has always strived for a beach goth aesthetic, and they really hit the mark with this album. It is the ideal fusion of a Spaghetti Western attitude and the style of a vintage Halloween party. Listening to “Tumbleweeds” you can practically feel the hot sun on your shoulders. Moth Eyes is also a testament to the band’s skill. They weave gloomier and darker elements into their songs without dampening the album’s overall mood. On “Offbeat” the tempo rises and falls throughout the song, blending a slow crooning with faster surf beats. The softer harmonies and gentle guitar chords blend together seamlessly. It adds a pleasant lightness to band’s moody surf. It's definitely a song you should add to your summer playlist. 

Plastic Cactus' next show will be July 20th at Turn Turn Turn along with Melt, Baywitch, and Swamp Meat.

  By Avril Carrillo

The Toads were always a favorite. With their newest album, Time, they've solidified that even more. 

Time still operates the same pop-punk plane The Toads usually skirt on, but with a slight twist. It's not just delightfully punky tunes anymore, but also an incorporation of more of a 90's alternative feel to the tracks. At times, Time even touches on a Beatles-esque '60s pop quality, like on the track "Alien Gene."

You can catch The Toads performing again 8.3 at Bunk Bar with Plastic Cactus and Slow Caves. They'll be playing a few shows around here and Washington before taking a brief hiatus at the end of September for a few weeks, but there will be plenty of opportunities to see these bad boys live before then. In the meantime, stream Time below.

As the sun falls closer to the horizon, the conflict of choosing to stay in on the last night of the weekend or go into the new with a bang is quickly presented. There's quite a bit going on tonight depending on what you're in the mood for, so let new outfit Plastic Cactus help you make the decision.

Plastic Cactus have steadily gained traction over the last few months with their live sets, but their recently released collection of mastered tracks is sure to propel them further. Pricks, their debut album, shows the band have an adept mastery of slowed, southwestern psych-surf despite their northern locale.

Their songs are the perfect soundtrack for the setting sun and are even better in person, so check out their show tomorrow at the Know with the Cigarette Bums from Los Angeles, Horse Movies and Strugglers.

Last year was a pretty good year in local music. We've seen many faces tackle few genres, battling it out for the top spot in all our rotation of shows we attend, merch we buy and band pages we like. Of all the Portlander crusaders in Indie Pop, Reptaliens won the yearly reader's poll for the category, but there are a handful of other bands that caught the eye of our jurors and voters. 

At the top of that list is Little Star (pictured), the Good Cheer Records band that pulls the best from 90's college radio indie and emo, giving a modern spin to the classics of sad pop. Spawned from the ashes of a romanticized detriment, as are some of the best contributions to music ever, Little Star's small but estimable discography models moments of tender affection and soft aggression sonically and lyrically as a well rounded product to share with the masses. 

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Next up we've got Mini Blinds, whose angelic twee pop quickly made them a favorite. Just in their first year of existence, their debut release Air Signs captures an innocence many long to hold on to.

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Newer to the Portland scene, synthpop duo My Body hauled their danceable beats across the country from New York to share their creations with us. We couldn't be more happy about it, or their Seven Wives EP, released yesterday.

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With one of the best guitarists in the city right now, Two Moons is an enigma of sorts. Their albums reflect a temperate delivery, but their live shows are a brute force to be reckoned with. They'll surprise you in all sorts of ways, but all of them pleasantly.

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We've can't forget to show some love to our Honorable Mentions Small Million, Plastic Cactus and Point Juncture, Wa as well!