Ben Salmon

2 weeks ago | bendbulletin.com | Ben Salmon

Over the past decade, Kuinka has evolved into a bouncy pop-rock band with a sound built from sparkling synths and lite-funk bass lines and wiry indie-rock guitars. They're energetic and dynamic and highly danceable. But old-time fans of the Seattle band will remember when they released their 2014 album, "The Wild North," which is more string-driven, more acoustic, more folksy and more earnest.

2 weeks ago | bendbulletin.com | Ben Salmon

Homegrown Music Festival is evolving again - in a good way. For a couple of years, it was a one-day cannabis-and-music event at Bunk & Brew in Bend, organized and operated by a local group called the High Desert Music Collective. Then in 2023, with help from a Bend Cultural Tourism Fund, it expanded to two days. And last year, it expanded again to three days, with six stages spread across four venues in town.

2 weeks ago | bendbulletin.com | Ben Salmon

By By BEN SALMON For The Bulletin The history of folk, pop and rock music has given us no shortage of all-female groups that excel at vocal harmonies. The Andrews Sisters. The Roches. Dixie Chicks. Destiny's Child. ABBA. The Bangles. To name just a few. Ben Salmon is a Bend-based music journalist and host of Left Of The Dial, which airs 8-10 p.m. Thursdays on KPOV, 88.9 FM and streams at kpov.org. You can find him on Bandcamp and X at @bcsalmon.

3 weeks ago | bendbulletin.com | Ben Salmon

By By BEN SALMON For The Bulletin As you may or may not know, shoegaze and dream-pop are big with the young people these days. Hazy guitars. Ethereal vocals. Pastel synths. Chill vibes. Effects pedals. Beach House. Alvvays. Stuff like that. Ben Salmon is a Bend-based music journalist and host of Left Of The Dial, which airs 8-10 p.m. Thursdays on KPOV, 88.9 FM and streams at kpov.org. You can find him on Bandcamp and X at @bcsalmon.

3 weeks ago | daily.bandcamp.com | Ben Salmon

BEST COUNTRY The Best Country Music on Bandcamp, March 2025 By Ben Salmon · April 03, 2025 March was an embarrassment of riches for fans of country music, folk, bluegrass, roots-rock and so on. New albums from Will Stewart, The Seldom Scene, Alison Krauss, and Cash & Skye probably deserve a spot below, but you have to stop somewhere.