I’m an Aquarius. We are spontaneous, free thinking, innovative, sometimes aloof and obstinate (!) and we don’t like to follow the crowd. This playlist represents a period in time that was so inspiring for me as a musician and fledgling producer. I spent a lot of time between London, New York and Los Angeles, the hip hop and RnB of that time was everything. These were the artists that carved out their own paths, with respectful nods to jazz and classic soul, which, combined with taste maker producers like J Dilla, influenced a genre of music, that some considered ‘neo-soul’, but with a dash of spirituality and a heartbeat that made you screw your face up and nod your head hard, became my ‘good place.’
I think this is a really good moment for women in music and overall entertainment right now. The climate is really conscious, women are speaking up and advocating for themselves through various forms of art and media. I am so inspired by all of the female pop recording artists right now. They’re all strong, socially aware and convey a similar message of women’s empowerment. They all support each other and I too feel the desire to support fellow female artists. I made this playlist to listen to when I want to feel inspired and a sense of community in the music business. All of these different artists show strength in their lyrics and vocal performances even if it’s through moments of vulnerability, enjoy.
Pickathon returns to the woods outside Portland, Oregon from August 2-4, 2019, with an initial lineup to be released January 21. Pickathon has built a reputation over the last twenty years as the best festival experience, combing groundbreaking programming focused on discovery, sustainable ethics, and a lineup that pushes the boundaries of genre. This vision is clear in Pickathon’s initial lineup, which brings together key headliners like Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (Rateliff’s first time playing Pickathon and he’ll be bringing two different bands), Khruangbin, Mandolin Orange, Tyler Childers, Lucius, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Fruit Bats, and Mountain Man with a voraciously broad cast of other performers like well-loved Americana outsiders Caamp, Lambchop, and H.C. McEntire, doom metal band YOB, North African desert blues artist Mdou Moctar, new supergroup Bonny Light Horseman, Northwest indie royalty Damien Jurado, Laura Veirs, and Courtney Marie Andrews, returning favorite Julia Jacklin, psych soul outfit The Marías, Polaris prize winner Lido Pimienta, Congolese experimentalists Jupiter & Okwess, and word-of-mouth newer artists like Sudan Archives, Miya Folick, B Boys, The Beths, and Black Belt Eagle Scout, among many others.
The initial lineup shows the kind of deep curation and wide-ranging musical interests that have made Pickathona key tastemaker event in the American music scene. It’s a lineup based on discovery, not draw, a diverse lineup intended to represent the best contemporary snapshot of music across more than a dozen genres. With many artists requesting to return each year, Pickathon has become a kind of pilgrimage for artists looking to renew themselves at a well of creative inspiration. Walking onto the festival grounds at Pendarvis Farm in the small town of Happy Valley, OR, you can see what draws artists back year after year. Pickathon is a riot for the eyes, a festival that takes a holistic view to the music. Each stage is visually spectacular, from the woven branches that make a towering shell of the Woods stage to award-worthy architecture of the Treeline stage, using renewable resources in a different array each year. The Mt. Hood Stage, the mainstage of Pickathon, was ringed with living gardens in 2018, and the festival makes use of rustic, picturesque existing buildings like the late-night-raging Galaxy Barn, or the interview-focused Lucky Barn. Each artist’s sets are curated specifically to each stage and the timing of the festival meticulously planned, all to inspire the artists to new heights and historic performances. An army of over 600 videographers and audio specialists record Pickathon, pushing for a spread of nearly 200 videos that will be released between festivals. It’s a wildly ambitious project that involves so many people because each person has come to realize that Pickathon represents our best vision for how music and community come together.
LINEUP
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Khruangbin
Mandolin Orange
Nathaniel Rateliff
Tyler Childers
Lucius
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Fruit Bats
Mountain Man
Caamp
YOB
Damien Jurado
Lambchop
Laura Veirs
Julia Jacklin
The Marías
Miya Folick
Sudan Archives
Bonny Light Horseman
Mdou Moctar
Courtney Marie Andrews
Lido Pimienta
Cedric Burnside
Town Mountain
Jupiter & Okwess
The Beths
B Boys
Our Girl
JJUUJJUU
Sneaks
Young Jesus
Sam Evian
Black Belt Eagle Scout
Flasher
Mike and The Moonpies
Nap Eyes
Soft Kill
H.C. McEntire
Helena Deland
The Cordovas
Lauren Morrow
Bodega
David Nance Group
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Virginia Wing
Garrett T Capps
Martha Scanlan
Gold Star
Colton Turner
&more (Chill Moody & Donn T)
David Bragger & Susan Platz
Still in that “puppy love” stage with 2019? The New Year has given you more opportunities, more of a social life, and more things to get done too? Well, why not do it with help from some of our favorite emerging artists? 2019 has been so inviting to us, especially within the music sphere. We have a batch of our 34 favorite videos from the first half of the month that we think are worth checking out. Full screen this bitch while you’re cleaning, cooking, or dancing with you cat. Keep it small if you want to side-eye it while you’re at your desk. Either way, it’s worth a little bit of time to dig into this new, artful work, featuring Nina Nesbitt, American Football, Alice Phoebe Lou, and more!
2019 is already proving to be a year for the books. No sooner had we counted down and yelled “Happy New Year!” from our living room sofas to no one in particular, then the submissions came rolling in. Songs of tragedy, death, inspiration, family, love. We’re running the gamut already with emotional, heart-wrenching songs and we haven’t even made a dent in the year already! Below, find some stunning new tracks to consider for your music library. And be sure to check back for new additions all month long!
Follow the playlist for fresh finds on Spotify all month long as we continue to update it through the end of the month!
