The irony of the Portland music scene is that many of the artists Portland has become most known for aren’t actually from here: Sleater-Kinney (Olympia), Modest Mouse (Issaquah, Wash.), The Shins (Albuquerque, N.M.). So who, then, are the true ambassadors of the Portland sound, the true locals who have taken the amazingly diverse Stumptown sound to the nation? Here are four local bands that broke out in the last year.
The Blow
Artist Khaela Maricich and electronic whiz-kid Jona Bechtolt have been putting on some of the most fun live shows in town since the 2004 release of Poor Aim: Love Songs, but their 2006 album, Paper Television, is easily their best and most cohesive work to date. Maricich’s clever lyrics set to Bechtolt’s lo-fi electronic pop melodies may at first seem kitschy, but the album’s single, “True Affection,” was an iTunes single of the week in October, and the album reached No. 20 on the Billboard Top Electronic Albums chart. Since Paper Television‘s release, the duo has been touring the country relentlessly, bringing their special brand of goofy and dance-worthy live show to the masses.
Talkdemonic
Drummer Kevin O’Connor and violist Lisa Molinaro’s genre-defying sound-they call it “folktronic hop”–seems like an unlikely candidate for popular success. There’s no singing, and little guitar, but the pair’s blend of O’Connor’s impressive drumming and instrumental programming with Molinaro’s beautifully fluid viola is not just unique–it rocks. They also put on a surprisingly good live show for having to play much of their music off a laptop. After the release of their second full-length album, Mutiny Sunshine, this last year they toured the country opening for such high-profile acts as The National and The Walkmen.
Menomena
Nearly six years since the initial limited release of their first album, I Am the Fun Blame Monster! (an anagram of “the first Menomena album”), Menomena finally released a follow-up full length this year, Friend and Foe, and launched a national tour in March to back it up. The album reached No. 25 on Billboard’s Top Indie Albums chart. The three-member band blends an incredible combination of drums, keyboards, bass, laptops and saxophones into fascinating soundscapes that hang on to an irresistible pop catchiness.
Horsefeathers
The folky sound of songwriter Justin Ringle’s melancholy tenor, backed by multi-instrumentalist Peter Broderick’s violin, banjo, musical saw and just about any other instrument he can get his hands on, is simply gorgeous. The band has garnered many comparisons to such indie-folk acts as Iron & Wine, and their debut album, Words are Dead, released in September, has been a top-seller for local label Lucky Madison and has won loads of critical acclaim. After a hiatus to play with their many other musical projects, the duo is back together to launch a West Coast tour this June.