The Summer of the Strange
Hey Ho, Tenebrous Cult!
The thermometer cracked 80 degrees here in Portland for the first time this year, so I guess it’s safe to say that Weird Endless Summer Vacation is here in earnest (the forecast is mid-60s and rainy tomorrow, but f&%k that, we’re still declaring it summer).
Regardless of where you reside geographically, odds are good that this year has been a gaping, rot-toothed vortex of crappy news. I think we all deserve a good summer vacation, quite frankly!
To that end, Editor-in-Chief Alex and I each put together an eclectic smattering of “summertime”** listening for you.
**Direct quote from Alex: “If anyone actually follows along with these, by the time they get to the Bombay Royale they will have given up on me entirely.” And for my part, I’m not so sure this is summertime listening as it is all the time listening; though two of the songs do have the word ‘summer’ in them (and “The Great Cull” was definitely inspired by REEF MIND).
Not all, but most, of these artists have their own Bandcamp pages too, so if you want to support them directly I’m sure they’d appreciate that:) Here are the ones I could find:
Enjoy the tunez, and start your summer reading list here:
GET YER FILM ON
We’re super stoked to be sponsoring the 10th year (!) of the Portland Horror Film Festival. Gwen and Brian Callahan are pillars of the Portland horror community, shepherding and directing both this festival and the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival for a decade. This year’s lineup looks rad as usual (new film from the director of Baskin? Hell yes please) with their usual focus on creators both local and international that might otherwise not get a chance to shine.
The Portland Horror Film Festival runs for five nights and days, June 11-15th, both at Alex’s declared home-away-from-home, the Hollywood Theatre, and the Clinton Street Theater. Single day and festival passes are available here.
We’ll be there. Come say hi.
Well there’s no way this will go off the rails
Save the date this August:
Jacy Morris will be celebrating the release of his novel WE LIKE IT CHERRY in this hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners conversation with acclaimed journalist and most-likely-moustache-wielder Danger Slater.
Jacy will read from the book! Danger will act out his favorite scenes! Food may be thrown (though not at the books, you heathens)! Pretty sure they’ll both be wearing pants. That’s as much as I can promise.
It’s still two months away, but it’s never too soon to plan for what will most definitely be an event of the summer.
The next couple weeks bring a flurry of Tenebrous news:
A couple more cover reveals!
More announcements for 2026!
Preorders for Hazel Zorn’s ocean-centric Body Horror REEF MIND opening up real soon (but if you just can’t wait, sign up for our 2025 Book Club and lock that sucker in now)!
More soon. Let the Weird Endless Summer Vacation commence!
Hail Indie Publishing.
Hail New Weird Horror.
Hail the Tenebrous Cult.
Matt + Alex