PDX POP Now! is a labor of love, bringing together local volunteers to put on a free, nonprofit, all ages, KICK ASS music festival in the heart of Southeast Portland, Oregon. Mixing the biggest and smallest acts, the softest, quietest and the brashest, loudest, PDX POP Now! goes well beyond the bounds of pop music, incorporating folk, experimental, instrumental, hip hop, electronics, and more. The PDX POP Now! 2006 Compilation is (not surprisingly) similarly diverse. Exclusive tracks from Stephen Malkmus, The Thermals, Menomena, Viva Voce, Vursatyl (of Lifesavas), Talkdemonic, Tara Jane O’Neil, and more highlight PDX Pop Now! 2006. It’s worth noting, too, that this compilation was assembled completely blind. None of the organizers knew who they were listening to when they heard the tracks. Yes, artists like Colin Meloy, March Fourth, and Jackie O Motherfucker are pretty easy to pick out, but the bands on this comp are on here because they represent the pure sonic best of Portland and nothing else. As a collection, PDX POP Now! 2006 aim at celebrating and promoting Portland’s vital music community -- the 40-song collection also features musical gems contributed by PDX favorites Mirah, The Joggers, The Blow, and The Planet The. PDX Pop Now! extended an open invitation to its city’s musicians to submit music for consideration for the album as well, and selections culled from the work submitted by more than 350 artists round out the comp. Displaying Portland’s tremendous musical diversity, rock, pop, punk, hip hop, folk, electronic and experimental music, and even an original marching band arrangement are represented on the discs.