If you're not yet hot for Remy Marc's local DIY record/distro outlet Sweating Tapes, there's no better time than now to take notice. The label is releasing a series of compilations documenting the North American synth scene, and they're starting at home in Portland. Taking a curatorial bent like this makes sense for an imprint praised for the adventurous imports they distribute from avant Euro labels such as Phantasma Disques, Desire, and Mannequin, so you can bet that we're getting rather stoked for them to now tackle things stateside, city by city. There's definitely no one out there taking on a project of this breadth, and the promise of a definitive chronicle of this country's immediately thriving synth scene is monumental indeed, so take note and make sure you begin following these folks immediately—you can start by signing up for their mailing list.

Volume 1 is a steamy analog set of decidedly dark futurist synth workouts and pop songs, featuring some of the absolute finest acts our city has to offer. Good luck following this one, NYC. The physical release won't be available until March 6, but you can pre-order at Bandcamp and stream the entire volume after the jump below.

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Portland's Greylag have been steadily and serenely building a fanbase in town, and 2012 is looking like it could be the duo's breakout year. The next few months will see the release of their debut EP, The Only Way To Kill You, as well as a spot on one of the better Sasquatch Festival lineups in years. Below, we've got the first single from the folk centric fellows, "Black Crow," in all its acoustic, harmonious glory. If you're not already riding the Greylag wagon, it's the perfect time to hop on.

LISTEN:

Greylag - "Black Crow"

White Rainbow just kicked down a couple albums worth of New Age swag over at Bandcamp, and beats are straight fire—it's gotta be the best thing that Forkner has put out in the last year (and 2011 saw a lot of music from that dude). The record's called Infinity Beat, and if you're one of the first 111 to buy it, you get to roast on a 20-minute bonus track. Or you could just wait it out, because after the first 111, it's all gonna be pay-what-you-want. You probably wanna just make sure you get your hands on that bonus track, though—tracks like "THE RETURN OF TRIP HOP" and "PUMPER SM(º)(º)TH" make good on their caps locked promise, sounding REAL large and sticky with a combo of pumped-out hip hop and smooth electronics. Dunno why, but all I can seem to think about while listening is driving a souped-up Land Rover on Goldschläger.

Local dreamgaze sensations Space Waves are one of the busiest bands in Portland right now. On top of recording two new full-length albums in their newly minted Mindwave Studio, launching their label Mindwave, and booking a monthly shoegaze night (again, branded Mindwave) at Ash St. Saloon, Space Waves' core of Kelley and Sarah Bourland somehow found some space on their calendar to book a West coast tour with Chicagoan space rock classicists Grimble Grumble later this month.

Sure, when musicians stretch themselves like this, it often translates into lower-quality music, but that couldn't be further from the case here. In fact, if Space Waves' new single "Turns" is any indication, the band is clearly flourishing from all that hard work and immersion in a major way. There's a lot of love in this song, and it's peppy as hell—might even be their best yet. Listen closely for echoes of Frank Black, Spacemen 3, and untraceable kiwi rock, all channeled through Space Waves' dreamy, breezy aesthetics.

Catch Space Waves at Backspace on February 16th with Grimble Grumble, Souvenir Driver, and Sundaze.

Another week, another Portland group unveiling a beautiful set at the Daytrotter Sessions. This time, it's White Hinterland, stripped down and sonorous in their simplicity. While the duo is usually known for more produced and programmed sounds, here they step away from the electronics in favor of a single piano and singer Casey Dienel's richly alluring voice. Like all Daytrotter Sessions, this one showcases the band in a new light, intimate and humble, yet White Hinterland's stunning turn here more than just a change of pace, it's a revelation. You can hear the first track of the session, "Icarus," right now before heading over to grab the rest of it, which is absolutely something you're going to want to do.

LISTEN:

White Hinterland - "Icarus" (Daytrotter Session)

The latest in what may become my new favorite series, indie noise band Deerhoof and songwriter David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones) have just released a collaborative 7" featuring Bazan's somber vocals and newly written lyrics over a re-worked Deerhoof track. Affectionately known as DeerBazan, the release's A-Side, "No One Asked Bazan to Dance," is available to listen to right now.

Taken from 2011's Deerhoof vs. Evil, the track "No One Asked to Dance" originally sounded light and airy, and it still retains Deerhoof's fluttery guitars and rhythms here; but with Bazan at the mic, the new version strays down darker paths. Listen to the track and pick up the 7" to hear the B-Side, a reworking of Bazan's own "Gas and Matches," over at Polyvinyl Records. If that's not enough, Deerhoof just announced they're playing the Crystal Ballroom on March 23rd, supporting labelmates Of Montreal. Get tickets to that show here.

LISTEN:

The fine folks at Daytrotter welcomed in Portland's Parson Red Heads this week for a wonderfully warm and harmonious set of songs. Led by the demure vocals of songwriter Evan Way, the group's sonorous approach marries perfectly with Daytrotter's intimate recording process. All four songs on the session come from the softly radiant folk rock of the band's most recent album, Yearling, their most resonant work yet; and below we've got the session's lead track, "Seven Years Ago." Check it out and then click it here to get the rest. The only way to get a more intimate performance is to see the Parson Red Heads live at Mississippi Studios on January 29th.

LISTEN:

The Parson Red Heads - "Seven Years Ago"(Daytrotter Session)

Last year, Julia Holter brought us the recondite Tragedy, a record that communicated more in its silence and plaintive pace than many "louder" artists yield in a lifetime. Now Julia's continuing that trend, as evidenced not only on her upcoming record Ekstasis, but also on this tonalist sketch of an unreleased track entitled "Sharply White." Reference the video above, which documents Holter performing the piece last summer at Human Resources in LA, and the player below, which was posted today to Holter's Soundcloud.

Patient listening will be rewarded, and fast-forwarding to the pick-up point (no peeking at that waveform) is frowned upon.

LISTEN:

Julia Holter - "Sharper White (Draft)"

Back in October, we blogged that Captured Tracks was reissuing the first three records from reclusive '80s pop act Cleaners From Venus. People asked me about those tracks for weeks afterwards, and countless Mediafire links ensued (look the other way, SOPA).

Today, Captured Tracks kicked down "A Personal Issue," an unreleased track that's slated for inclusion on the new pressing of 1981's Blow Away Your Troubles. You can stream it below. And, for the uninitiated, check out one you really won't be able to get out of your head: "Renee (Who's Driving Your Car?)," from 1983's In the Golden Autumn.

The release for the reissue package has been pushed back a month to April 16, 2012, but it's going to be worth the wait—the collection includes bonus tracks, rare photos, and extensive liner notes from Martin Newell himself.

LISTEN:

Cleaners from Venus - "A Personal Issue"

Cleaners from Venus - "Renee (Who's Driving Your Car?)"

Typhoon - How We Start Over (DoublePlusGood Remix) by DoublePlusGood

Here's a remix that Portland duo DoublePlusGood did of the Typhoon song "Summer Home" from their latest EP A New Kind of House. And the end result, now titled "How We Start Over," is radically different: The DoublePlusGood lads have stripped away almost all of Typhoon's tempestuous orchestration, leaving behind Kyle Morton's voice amid a backing of tones and rapidly pulsing beats. It all works excellently. Listen to it above, and download it on Soundcloud.

• Ingrid Renan

Court the Storm comes out February 28 on Tender Loving Empire.

LISTEN:

Y La Bamba - "Squawk"

Bruce Haack made some of the weirdest, most zonked electronic pop known to man, but he didn't get enough credit for it at the time. His first records were coming out in the early '60s, and Moog music technology was just getting into the hands of musicians, so a lot of the pioneering tunes from that era were full of wild experimentation and sounds people were hearing for the very first time. They're fascinating listens now, but audiences at the time just weren't there yet. Thankfully, Haack's records stood the test of time, and he's since received a fair amount of posthumous acclaim thanks to reissues of several of his best records (Electric Lucifer, Haackula) in the last decade.

Now, I've been waiting patiently for word of more Haack reissues, so I was naturally stoked when I heard that local treasure trove Mississippi Records was going to release what might possibly be the weirdest Haack reissue yet: The Electronic Record for Children. That's right, it's for kids! I know it sounds strange, but considering Haack's playful nature and childish abandon, it's no wonder this one is such a gem. Turns out he was really into education and believed in music as a powerful technique for its delivery, so he started a brand called Dimension 5 along with educator Esther Nelson and together they put out 13 of these wacked-out children's LPs. Thanks to the success of some of these albums, Haack even made a guest appearance on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood back in the day. So go make babies so you can play this record for them.

The Electronic Record For Children is out now on Mississippi Records.

LISTEN:

Bruce Haack's Dimension 5 - "Sing"

Former Portland musician Johnny Jewel used to be known just for his myriad projects, from Glass Candy to Chromatics. Now living in Monteal, the artist has been gaining a mountain of momentum with his recent soundtrack work for the film Drive, an act which may have contributed to Jewel's latest project, and his most audacious work to date.

It's called Symmetry, and it's an imaginary film. Today, Jewel released the full TWO HOUR long soundtrack to this imagination. And it's stunning. Full of atmosphere and electronic curiosity, these are not traditional pop songs by any means. Yet, the 37 tracks that Jewel has assembled really do feel like a full work of art, something that's as visual, and visceral, as anything that's come from the songwriter. And, while Jewel's music almost always contains a retro vibe, this score translates that retro feel into a futuristic setting, while still reveling in a nostalgia for (in my head anyways) iconic 1980s-type film scores.

Sounds great, right? Well, see/hear for yourself. Jewel has made this whole work available online and you can listen to the both hours of Symmetry right here, right now. Get to it!

SYMMETRY / THEMES FOR AN IMAGINARY FILM by JOHNNY JEWEL