BEST MUSIC POLL
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PORTLAND
Best Pop-Rock Act in Portland
Marion Grace
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Marion Grace have a knack for sounding familiar even if you've never heard them before. Not in that cookie-cutter FM way, but haunting, nostalgic, triggering personal memories you thought you'd buried. The funny thing is, people don't realize just how original a band have to be to pull that off. In their four years of existence, this lush quartet have grown to become one of Portland's very best, borrowing from a wealth of styles (folk, blues, and soul are just a few) without being pigeonholed by any of them. Their infectious sound is anchored by a pop aesthetic that has seduced countless Portlanders, and they hit just enough dark and urgent notes to keep things interesting. Professionally, Marion Grace had a busy year. They entranced live audiences near and far with songs from Lying Down Looking Up, their gorgeous and sprawling debut, and released Unleashed, a live documentary film by Acadia Recording Company's Marc Bartholomew. There's a lot to be excited about here. Look for them to keep up the good work, and hit us with another delicious disc before long. | mariongracemusic.com
Runners-up
2. Lucid
3. Phantom Buffalo
4. Space Versus Speed
by PHOENIX STAFF
