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Growing up on the Swinomish Indian Reservation in Washington state, Katherine Paul (who releases music as Black Belt Eagle Scout) says her earliest musical memories are her dad singing native chants as she fell asleep. This dreamy, Indigenous-focused atmosphere still flows into KP's music to this day. But if you didn't already know about her mission to provide more space for Native American and queer artists, you might miss it in the subtle lushness of her songs. As if these causes on top of a trailblazing musical career weren't enough, KP produced, wrote and played all the instruments on her newest album At the Party With My Brown Friends. It's an album so introspective it might sound obviously performed by a single person, but the scope and shifting layers prove that one person walks multiple paths. 

See Black Belt Eagle Scout w/ Hikes at Club Congress. 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16. 311 E. Congress St. $12.

Julia Jacklin

Crushing

We had the immense pleasure of joining Julia on tour this past spring and have seen this album both live and in our tour van on the road. This one is such a lovely and beautiful soundscape.

Ô Paon 

Courses

This is one of my favorite Ô Paon albums. I listened to this all throughout college and would most enjoy it when it was rainy and in the fall season in Portland. It has such a dark and intense sound that I was able to identify with in my school studies. 

Do Make Say Think

& Yet & Yet

This album was super influential to me when I was learning fingerpicking on guitar and is one of the reasons I don't play with a pick. I love the way that the guitar lines of this record intertwine together in just the right way. It inspired me to see music in for its instrumental melodies and not just for lyrics and hooks.

Julie Doiron

Woke Myself Up

Julie Doiron is one of my favorite songwriters and I admire a lot of the guitar lines she has on this record. There are a lot of really good folk jammers on this one. Julie inspired me to use my quiet vocals in a strong way. 

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton

Knives Don't Have Your Back

Metric was one of my favorite bands when I was in high school and I was also obsessed with classical piano music so when I found out Emily Hainesmade this album, I knew I would love it instantly. I've always been a fan of the ways Emily leads vocal lines into one another and the dramatic and beautiful playing in this album really struck something in me that made me feel inspired to create crescendos and decrescendos and subtle lines within songs.