Jaguar Love might not be a familiar name to you, but if you remember the Blood Brothers or Pretty Girls Make Graves, you have a good foundational understanding; Jaguar Love is what started when those bands stopped. If none of that makes sense, just throw some new wave, punk and electronic albums in a blender and give it a spin.

We recently caught up with guitarist Cody Votolato to ask him a few questions about his new hometown of Portland, Oregon. He’s clearly excited about his city and, really, why shouldn’t he be? Portland is a great place to be. Read on to find out a few reasons why.

What’s your town’s nickname?
Rose City
What’s your nickname for your town?
PDX
Why do you live there?
Moved here from Seattle in ’07 to start Jaguar Love, but now I live in Portland because I love it and think its one of the best cities in the country.
What is your favorite local attraction (monument, park, etc)?
Washington Park/Japanese Gardens.
What is your favorite local event/festival?
MFNW (Music Fest Northwest).
What is the best time of year to be there?
Summertime!!!
Who is your favorite local celebrity/personality?
Brit Daniel. Haha.
Where is the best place to drink and what’s their specialty or happy hour?
Beauty Bar! A Northwest installment of the Beauty Bar alumni. They are typically super band friendly and have great DJ sets by great musicians. $1 tall boy Tuesdays. Coolest thing is the happy hour martini and manicures.
Who has the best jukebox (and what’s in it)?
Crow Bar… Bowie, Neil Young, Murder City Devils, Townes Van Zandt, Drive Like Jehu. Lots.
What is your favorite place to see live music and what was your favorite show there?
Definitely Doug Fir Lounge. Favorite show there was Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.
What is your favorite local band?
Party Girls!
What is your favorite diner or restaurant and what is their best dish?
Por Que No!!! Any of the tacos or the Brian’s Bowl.
What is your favorite record store and what was your best find there?
Jackpot Records. I think the last really great record I picked up there was Spiritualized‘s Songs in A and E.
What is your favorite local publication (alternative weekly, zine, website or blog)?
The Mercury!!!
What is your favorite local shop?
I would say New Seasons. A good local alternative to Whole Foods.
In addition I would tell anyone to check out this really great non-profit organization called These Numbers Have Faces. They do really great community work in South Africa.
Image by Bill Shouldis, used under a Creative Commons license.