Jona Bechtolt is the man behind the optimistic electro-pop of Portland's Yacht. Bechtolt supplies it all: the laptops, the dance thumps, and the unbridled melodic joy. You may also know Jona as being one-half of Portland's other beloved eccentric-electric band, The Blow. But his side-project, Yacht, has shaken so many booties since its 2001 inception that he was having trouble juggling both jams. So he recently left The Blow in order to concentrate on conquering the world with Yacht's delightful beats.

And this guy certainly knows about beats. He's been the occasional drummer for pretty much every band west of the Mississippi (including Mt. Eerie, Little Wings, Mirah and, like, the whole K Records roster). Yacht's latest record, I Believe in You, Your Magic is Real, is getting crazy praise. And why not? The songs are cute, quirky, catchy, and entirely non-threatening. A good summer band.

Yacht play McCarren Park Pool, on Sunday, August 19th.