Things blow in and don't just cast them, say it now, what you want to stay.

When I got home from six weeks in London last summer, I arrived just in time to catch the PDX Pop Now! 2008 Festival.
http://www.pdxpopnow.com/
Saw some amazing bands, including my favorites White Fang (http://www.myspace.com/whtfng), who I got to play my going-away party at Holocene, as well as the amazing, Eat Skull (http://www.myspace.com/eatskull)

I also happened to catch Blind Pilot, who I had been hearing a bit about, but thought, oh-boy, not another one, I'm not sure how much more indie folk rock I can take.
Then I stood in the warm Portland July air, forgot that silly notion and got lost in their music.

After that performance, I kind of snoozed on the record for awhile. Got wrapped up in life, in moving to Los Angeles, etc.
And then it was when I was driving out to Phoenix from LA on New Year's Eve, I listened to this album twice in a row.
Killed me.

 In the kinship of Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes and The Shins.
Haven't seen/heard a lot about this band outside of Portland, so here I am saying check this out. These guys deserve our support. It's a beautiful album.

http://blindpilotmusic.wordpress.com/

http://www.myspace.com/goblindpilot

http://www.expungedrecords.com/