Keep It Safe is more than just another stellar moment in what has been an exceptionally strong year for Portland music. The new album by Portland fixture Wild Ones is the perfect illustration of a vibrant facet of the city’s music community.
The hole truth
There are two simple truths that some Portlanders seem too scared to admit: 1. Portlandia isn’t funny, and 2. Voodoo Doughnuts might be the worst place in the city to get doughnuts.
Why so curious?
“I see those guys around town, like, all the time,” the gentleman to my left says, gesturing toward the record I’m holding. We’re both standing at the counter of Jackpot Records; I’m picking up a vinyl copy of Wampire’s new album Curiosity and he’s cradling an armful of used vinyl.
Radiation rock
My initial spin of Animals in the Median, the sophomore album by Portland’s Radiation City, happened in the early morning hours after what was, I’ll be honest, a probably-too-late spring evening out downtown the night before.