Jokers and Jacks (Portland, OR) – B
Great, well thought out lyrics with a nice clean sound led by acoustic guitar. Jokers and Jacks have enough indie rock goodness to make them progressive and fresh.
The Cry (Portland, OR) – A+
These kids from the PDX get my vote as the "next big thing" to come out of the Northwest. A perfect fusion of doo-wop, pop and punk translates onstage with a “beyond their years” skill set and unrivaled, cohesive camaraderie.
Open Blue (Seattle, WA) – C
Sugar-sweat vocal delivery done well and a nice, clean sound. Hopefully next time they play they won’t have to follow The Cry, which is a bad career move for any band.
Post Adolescence (Seattle, WA) – B+
Great pop rock that's ready for the masses. This band's strong musicianship and catchy vocal hooks, coupled with a full sound, should propel them to the airwaves soon.
Salvadore Dali Llama (Bellingham, WA) – B
Good vocal harmonies and Joey Santiago-esgue leads, along with their awesome moniker, make this Bellingham trio a stand out of this year's festival.
Lights From Space (Seattle, WA) – A
Great stage presence for this obvious fellowship of like-minded weirdos. Unapologetic in their straightforward delivery. One string guitar solos never sounded so intricate. I assume big things will happen for them, especially now that they are the best band in town with the word “Lights” in their name.
Thee Emergency (Seattle, WA) – C
OK, I get it. Your leading lady is sexy and has a good voice. But this does not excuse you from not tuning your bass. Also, the guitar player might want to save his “go to my knees” moments for epic shredding, not mundane noodling. Solid drums though.
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International Pop Overthrow 
