Preview: PDX Pop Now! Festival 2009 July 24-26th

If you’re a KEXP listener residing in Portland, or you find yourself less Block Party-inclined this weekend, don’t miss the sixth annual PDX Pop Now! Festival going down Friday through Sunday at The Rotture. The three-day event is a celebratory showcase of Stumptown’s vibrant and DIY-spirited music scene, with over 40 Portland-area bands playing hour-long, shotgun sets under a single roof. Admission is free, all-ages, and open to the public.

With such notable alumni as The Shins, M. Ward, The Decemberists, Blitzen Trapper, The Helio Sequence, and The Thermals — just to name a few — the festival is a unique chance to catch some incredible bands before they break through, as well get up close with a some more firmly-established acts who’re staying true to their PDX-roots by returning to perform once more. This year’s bill features artists from all sonic corners of Portland’s vast and deep local talent pool, including KEXP regulars like Menomena, Au, and The Shaky Hands performing alongside newer bands like Explode Into Colors, Nurses, and Grouper — all recently named to Willamette Week’s top new bands of 2009 list.

But best of all, the festival represents the awesome end result of the numerous artists, businesses, and volunteers who donated their invaluable time and energy on behalf of championing something special: local art and community. Sound like a familiar cause?

You can find the full weekend lineup below, along with a bunch of free media from some of the performing artists to whet your whistle.