If It's Too Loud...

Artist : Styrofoam Winos Album : Any River Quick Thoughts : As a lifelong R.E.M. fan, any time a band wants to lean into a folk-adjacent jangly pop, I'm on board. Styrofoam Winos leans hard , and it works really well. I loved so much of this album, whether it's leaning into the western "You'll Never Take Me Alive" or the pastiche of "Pearls," and it's a great summer soundtrack in a lot of ways. Worth the time. Songs of Note : "Pearls," "Somebody Wants to Send You a Message," "Next Thing," "You'll Never Take Me Alive" Artist : Girl With a Hawk Album : Regenesis Quick Thoughts : I don't have a lot to say about this album, but I do think it's a really compelling, friendly listen. Lots to love throughout, a bright record with a distinct voice and a ton of heart. Really enjoyed this one on repeat listens, check it out. Songs of Note : "I'm In Love With My Friends," "N...

Photo by Jason Hill Pacific Northwest based band Orquestra Pacifico Tropical have released the title track off their upcoming album, and this one is truly great. They've been mixing cumbia with psychedelia, and while "El Poder" is no exception to that, it starts off sounding much more cumbia than psychedelic. The track lasts four and a half minutes, but feels much more epic than that. It immediately demands that you start moving with its infectious rhythm, but as the song goes on, the psychedelic elements start inching their way in. Eventually that side of Orquestra Pacifico Tropical's sound takes over, but the cumbia rhythms stay intact. "El Poder" will instantly grab you, and is going to require multiple listens while we wait for the release of El Poder. Orquestra Pacifico Tropical says of their new single: "Writing the title track 'El Poder,' we had this feeling of when one witnesses something so powerful, whether it's a movement, persona...

Psychedelic cumbia group Orquestra Pacifico Tropical are back with a new single. "Entre La Montana" is an intense, horn heavy track with sparse vocals. The Portland, OR band are taking traditional cumbia and mixing it with salsa and northwest style psychedelia. This is a fun track, and calling it dance friendly is an understatement. The level of horns are going to remind many of us of brass bands, and Orquestra Pacifico Tropical are laying down some intense grooves on this one. Plus, as fun and dance friendly as "Entre La Montana" is, there's an edge to the track lurking just under the surface.  You can watch the video for "Entre La Montana" below. El Poder is due out June 19, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, check out the band's website .

Photo by Jason Hill Orquestra Pacifico Tropical is a band that makes psychedelic cumbia, and trust us... you're going to want to hear that. The Portland, OR band's latest single, "Fantasma," is an immediately infectious track. It's all of the rhythms and dance friendly sounds you expect with cumbia, but it's also wonderfully trippy. It could be our favorite instrumental track of the year, and it's going to have you diving into Orquesta Pacifico Tropical's back catalog, as well as looking up psychedelic cumbia for more of this sound. As the graffiti at The Silhouette Lounge will tell you: Cumbia is the new punk rock, and "Fantasma" shows that it can groove unbelievably hard. You can watch the video for "Fantasma" below. El Poder is due out June 19, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp . For more on Orquestra Pacifico Tropical, check out the band's website .