Richmond's metal scene is already legend, and it just keeps gettiing better. Case in point: Sinister Haze. The members have been around the scene for quite some time, but Sinister Haze itself is relatively young, having dropped their first demo in 2013. It promised something for old and new fans of metal alike, digging deep into classic heavy psychedelia to mix with the Doom. They've kept us waiting for more, and they're finally releasing an EP, Betrayed By Time, through Heavy Stab Records on vinyl next month you can pre-order it now at the link). 

Check out the track below, "Change My Ways," premiered on Noisey, and catch them on their national tour, starting Tuesday April 28th at Strange Matter in Richmond.   

The Two Koreas call themselves glacial-garage. I call them pure rips! Their latest EP "LP Winner" kicks off with a straight rockin' title track. You could rock the QEW from Hamilton to Toronto in about 15 minutes with this EP on. You could actually go straight through the Gardiner nonsense and not get caught. The organ that comes in hot near the end of the title track adds a whole different level to an already mind spinning track. The rest of the EP keeps the blood flowing. They're at the Magpie Taproom on Friday. If you can handle some in your face rock n' roll I suggest you go see what The Two Koreas are all about. -Kris “Big City” Gies

Record Store Day is on Saturday—the best day of the year to stand in line and fight over rare vinyl releases while supporting local businesses. This year, Portland record stores will stock hundreds of RSD exclusive releases, including some local treats.

In October, Blitzen Trapper recorded Neil Young’s Harvest in full at the Doug Fir. Score the live album Live Harvest on Saturday. Listen to their take on “Heart of Gold” before you buy the record.

Eyelids, Portland’s psych-pop super group, are releasing a split 7” with The Phoenix Foundation, produced by Peter Buck.

Pickathon partnered with Easy Sound Recording Company to release a split 7” of Those Darlins and Diarrhea Planet (both from Nashville) recorded live at the festival last summer. Preview the tracks here.

Jackpot Records is releasing a limited edition record of short-lived Portland band No. 2’s No Memory. Mixed by Elliott Smith, the album is “the missing link between the end of Heatmiser and the beginning of Elliott Smith’s major label debut,” according to Jackpot.

In store performances abound throughout the day. Everyday Music on the Westside will feature DJ sets by members of Typhoon, Modern Kin, Laura Veirs, Summer Cannibals, and more, plus performances by Edna Vasquez, Ryan Sollee (Builders and the Butchers), Sam Coomes (Quasi), The Shivas, The Ghost Ease, The Ganders, and the Dandy Warhols. See the full schedule here.

Tender Loving Empire will host an officially unofficial RSD party at their SE Hawthorne store featuring Genders, Ali Muhareb, and Run On Sentence.

Jackpot will pour you free coffee if you peruse their shop or stop in for their DJ sets.

Across town, Music Millennium will host Portland punk legends, Dead Moon.

Make sure you check out early opening times for your favorite record store, and study the release list ahead of time.

Happy Record Store Day!

-Zibby Pillote

Grounders latest track "Fool’s Banquet" is revving us up for their latest self-titled LP release. "Fool’s Banquet" sends you through the sky with beautiful swaying sounds that bounce with grace and smooth melodies. It puts you in sunshine with memorable keys that gleam and sparkle to low beamed vocals. Go to the Grounders Soundcloud page and preview their latest tracks, and stay tuned in for their LP release out May 12th.

Pyschpop outfit TØMA has just gone and done nice by us local-music obsessed folks by releasing their new EP in its entirety online at their Bandcamp prior to the full album release, which is a'goin' down at Holy Mountain on March 27. It's a mix of sounds modern and nostalgic, a bit Of Montreal and a bit of The Zombies, and it all combines into straight-up, good indie rock earworm fun. For those of you fully into the psych thing, you'll get yer fix here, but this EP also owes a good deal to the 2000s indie scene, like track "Live Forever" that invokes nice memories of when The Strokes were the biggest thing that'd happened in a damn while or "Heartstrings" that has some very Vampire Weekend guitar goin' on. It's solid, superbly enjoyable indie music from the Austin scene, and you can get the whole thing bangin' around in your brain below.