Portland, Oregon’s perennially groovy Ten Dollar Recording Company label boasts a swelling roster shot right through with homegrown Cascadian psych, lush neo-soul, organic dub, late-night closet rock, freak-folk, soundscapist collage, and other musical experiments. TDRCo is still plowing full steam ahead after over a decade's worth of kaleidoscopic releases, with not a single damn given about what's currently hot or in season on the charts. And with so much variety and talent on their bench, there's almost definitely something here for anyone with ears enough to hear. An obvious strain of melodic experimentation seems to have gotten the better of many of TDRCo’s artists, and there’s a host of elements here that stem from a bygone era, mined at this present juncture to solidly backward-looking yet forward-leaning pyschedelic effect.

Featuring a close-knit roster of independent artists who deftly swap instruments, genres, and headspaces, the TDRCo crew keeps on keeping on, through a hip deep blur of well executed, homemade funk, soul, and psychedelia that manages to keep itself firmly in the garage rather than polishing the goods until they no longer shine. This is the real deal, y'all, go ahead and get you some of it. (Reed Burnam)

Cover Art + Design: RYAN MASSAD

STEP INTO THE KITCHEN

DEBUT ALBUM SOUNDING LOVELY!

RELEASED JULY 13th, 2023

It's unusual to discover an album wherein all the tracks hold together so well that you find yourself under a kind of spell for its duration. "Sounding Lovely!" by Step Into The Kitchen kicks off with Mariya May's beautiful harmonic Oooh's and then drops the listener into a melodic groove that may have you dancing before making way for a dreamy horn blasting in from another dimension, reminding one of filmmaker/composer Mike Figgis. Trance-inducing, wildly spontaneous, and dusted with cosmic pixie dust, "Sounding Lovely!" is tribal and wild and Joyous and reverb-y - an enormous success in mood exhalation and world-creation. "Sounding Lovely!" provides Maximum engagement for the senses, and in the end you're like "No! Don't go away..." (Robert G. Nelson)

Hazy and unfolding like a slow summer evening, Mariya May's unaccompanied live rendition of recent studio single "Made of Stars" lilts gently towards the darkened sky on an updraft of lightly picked guitar and silky vocals. Stripped of ornamentation and captured at the source, the acoustic version of "Made of Stars" puts a spotlight on May's considerable vocal talent, as well as her ear for melody. Recommended summer listening! (Reed Burnam)

"The Most Expensive Restaurant in Portland" conjures a hypnotic rock nostalgia. Rollicking guitar twangs and a pulsing rhythmic fervor waste no time in constructing an entrancing opening, quickly indicative of Douglas' master blend of garage rock, psychedelia, funk, and beyond. The suave aesthetic offers a cinematic allure with its flashing guitars and sense of steady momentum, echoing a Tarantino film or one of his '60s/'70s inspirations.

A playful new track, "Ample Room For Grooving" shines with a brightly nostalgic '70s charm. Mariya May's wordless guest vocals enamor, exuding a weightless and ethereal quality amidst boisterous guitars, dashes of flute, and frolicking keys. Expressive, capricious guitar trickles past the two-minute turn add colorfully to the steady rhythm section, also bolstered by soul-clapping. "Ample Room For Grooving" touts an apt namesake, maintaining a hypnotic rhythmic pull that accommodates the expansion of lush vocal touches and amiably melodic instrumentation.

Mo's extensive back catalog traverses through eclectic stylistic realms, crafting unique instrumental grooves with pieces of funk, soul, rock, jazz, psychedelia, and beyond. These singles follow up Douglas' 2021 full-length Fry The Onion Gently, an album exemplary of this diverse sound, expanding upon previous albums' hazy lo-fi engrossment into an invigorating rock-forward smorgasbord. (Mike Mineo)

Step Into The Kitchen to trip out on a spaghetti space western, thru a sepia-toned kaleidoscope world of the in-between. Sure, you can meditate on your way to a funky party, but we're blasting all the way to the outer realms today. Words escape but still voices ring out and envelope you - don't worry, it's cozy in here. We're going all the way to the edge, and oh yeah, we'll be rewarded for our efforts. Talk about a vibe shift, this latest jam from the otherworldly collective is a true perception-altering adventure, not to be taken lightly. Check your measurements and sift accordingly, this is "A Fruitful Tenure". (Bryan Bruchman)

Out on March 20, 2022, the newest single from Portland's own What in Your Heart Can Put You in a Trance is shaking off the saturnalia blues and getting busy tilling up some equinox groove sure to raise the mercury. Plowing through the late winter miasma, "A Midnight So Sweet" is shot through with the silky feel of a warm, late night summer slow grind, deftly winding layers of nocturnal dancehall-infused haze and midnight psy-guitar slink around the ankles of vocalist Mariya May's forever sultry musings.

The trio of WIYHCPYIAT's principal players (May, along with fellow multi-instrumentalists Mo Douglas and Prince Joely) are always apt to lay a sonic foundation that smoothly blurs various elements of dub, classic r&b, folk, and psych, and "A Midnight So Sweet" does not disappoint in the least, with the band's earthbound grooving and Prince Joely's shimmering production sure to keep asses swaying. Pick up the midnight sweet of your choice and relax for a spell, this one's going on repeat. (Reed Burnam)

There are so many songs about the futility of life, and a desire for something better. Songwriters like John Prine and Daniel Johnston are on two ends of a certain spectrum of disproportionately influential musicians whose work has found its way deep into the crevice of our collective psyche - staples in cover sets from bluegrass to shoegaze to psych rock for decades. Why? Do we find hope in the listless ramblings of imperfect heroes? Do we think we can tap into something that they knew when they wrote them? Or are we just asking the same questions over and over, hoping that if we reach a chorus loud enough the sky will open up and rain down the riches of whatever's on the other side?

Thomas Mudrick's contributions to the Ten Dollar Recording Co. world of sound have brought technicolor splashes of rural bliss, a sort of dreamy space folk dragged out of the woods and into the light. A fine soundtrack to a chill fishing trip in heaven. His take on these two songs by Prine and Johnston are bare, direct, and earnest. Rich acoustic performances with subtle embellishment that let the songs and performance shine. On the flip side, we have Mariya May's brighter spin on both tunes - dreamy and playful, with layers and layers of gooey goodness to dig into, accompanied as usual by the inimitable multi-instrumentalist and engineer Mo Douglas. Listen to these - at this point we might as well call them timeless - and imagine your own future, including what might come at the end, because it will. This is a promise with a catch. (Bryan Bruchman)

Soups and Starters is the inaugural EP from Portland-based band Step Into The Kitchen, out February 17, 2022. From opening track "Roll Out These Triangles" to closer "A Long Peak at the Script", Soups and Starters is a collection of groovy, head-nodding sonic harmonia, underpinned by a seamless mixture of dub, R&B, and psychedelic haze that drips off every track, seeping out to settle into the deep green valleys of Western Cascadia. Though clocking in at just under 12 minutes, there's a lot going on here - aforementioned "Roll Out These Triangles" is an ecstatic reggae-infused dust-up hum-along, while dub-drenched "Pan or Grittle" could be passed off as a Black Ark b-side. Standout track "Thicken and Set" is easy listening for more discerning sets of ears, and album closer "A Long Peak at the Script" pulls in rhythmic vocal incantation and mellow flute lines to induce a dreamy nod to exotic locales just beyond recognition. If you're looking to chase off some of the late winter blues, this sunshine-infused outing may be just the ticket. Get it while the oven's hot. (Reed Burnam)

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Mariya May Releases

"ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN AIN'T FREE"

Single
January 7, 2022

There’s a certain something to a hopeless tune paired with cheery music, and Johnny Cash leaned into that hard on his “All Of God’s Children Ain’t Free” - with plucky, winky-smiled singalong style. But what if we strip away that country sheen, shifting the tune to the classically downer minor chords to fix the vibe - after all irony was successfully killed off with the last century, right? Mariya May gives the song a spin, laying on a darker, more morose vibe that feels modern and timeless, because sadness is forever. The song is a hymnal now, the soundtrack to a procession of misery and despair for 2022 (with a little whistling to brighten things up for good measure), drawn out and spiced up with a tenor sax solo from the inimitable Peter QB that perfectly compliments the playing of Mariya and Mo Douglas. (Bryan Bruchman)

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Prince Joely Releases

"ENJOY YOUR LIFE"

Single
December 5, 2021

Prince Joely, the royal canine heir to the Ten Dollar Recording Co. empire, slides out another watery groove for the masses. Joel Rasmussen has a way of dipping his paws into different styles as a songwriter and producer, but dub is frequent territory for his instrumental jams, and with “Enjoy Your Life” we’re taking a trip straight to the islands. Joely’s least esoteric release yet, we present a feel-good pleasure ride with steel drum, springy guitars, classic reggae organ, spacey ambiance, and bass that’ll make your nose twitch, among other things. What’s not to enjoy? If you’ve got a life to live, you’re doing great. (Bryan Bruchman)

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