Blue For Red, A Boy For A Girl

Both of today’s selections are from the new PDX Pop Now 2006 compilation, which features tracks by somewhat famous residents of Portland, Oregon as well as numbers by artists who are virtually unknown within and without the area. Still the indie rock capital of the United States after all these years, Portland is a town capable of filling up a double disc compilation with local bands without allowing the quality level to dip below the “oh, it’s alright” level, and for the high points to be plentiful and surprisingly varied.

Treva Jackson “Drive” – No, not Trevor Jackson. “Drive” sounds like the Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979” turned inside-out and drained of its nostalgia so that its restlessness and longing is anchored in the present tense rather than some far-off adolescence. Jackson’s voice is remarkable on this track, communicating a sense of uncomfortable stillness and enormous emotions barely being held in check by a desperate attempt to come off as stoic and cool to the person being addressed in the lyrics. The mask slips a bit as the lines become more confessional, and she repeats, “I can’t take it, take it, take it anymore,”and though she obviously can’t, she never really lets go. (Click here for Treva Jackson’s MySpace page. Let’s get her up to at least a hundred friends, okay?)

The Blow “Babay (Eat A Critter, Feel Its Wrath)” – On the surface, this is quite lovely and nicely composed, but closer inspection reveals that beneath its fairly minimal synths-and-drum-machine arrangement and sweet vocals, this song is built around one of the more…unpleasant lyrical conceits that I’ve encountered in recent months. Want a hint? Check the parenthetical part of the title. (Click here for The Blow’s MySpace page.)