{"id":28270,"date":"2018-12-11T10:13:41","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T15:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/?p=28270"},"modified":"2022-03-16T09:55:45","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T13:55:45","slug":"8-portland-bands-for-college-music-fans-to-keep-an-eye-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/8-portland-bands-for-college-music-fans-to-keep-an-eye-on\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Portland Bands for College Music Fans to Keep an Eye on"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A city best known for keeping it weird, Portland\u2019s commitment to eccentricity has created one of the most unique music scenes in the country. The city\u2019s scene came to prominence during the hipster explosion of the 1990s and 2000s, as bands like the Decemberists, Modest Mouse, and Menomena rose to prominence out of the city. Portland\u2019s music scene has been a little quieter in recent years, but with a number of talented acts trying to make it on a national stage, the city is primed for a comeback.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Here are a few of the best bands coming out of Portland:<\/p>\n<h2><b>1. Blackwater Holylight<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blackwaterholylight.bandcamp.com\/album\/blackwater-holylight\">Blackwater Holylight<\/a> are toying with the conventions of heavy music, bringing together sounds of sludgy psychedelia, Sabbath-style metal, and New Order-style synthpop. The all-female band is something of a supergroup of Portland musicians, including members of <a href=\"https:\/\/laurapalmersdeathparade.bandcamp.com\/\">Laura Palmer\u2019s Death Parade<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/weareaan.bandcamp.com\/\">Aan<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cathoch.bandcamp.com\/\">Cat Hoch<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/grandparents.bandcamp.com\/\">Grandparents<\/a>. The band\u2019s self-titled debut, released in April 2018, has a massive sound reminiscent of early \u201870s hard rock.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Blackwater Holylight - Wave of Conscience | Official Music Video | RidingEasy Records\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8G5FTEAFoDo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>2. S\u00e1vila<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Another band that defies genre conventions, <a href=\"https:\/\/savila.bandcamp.com\/\">S\u00e1vila<\/a> blend cumbia &#8212; a genre of dance music originating in the Columbian mountains &#8212; with folk and experimental rock, creating an atmospheric and psychedelic brand of Latin dance music. On \u201cFantasia,\u201d lead guitarist Fabiola Reyna wanders over a repetitive bass and percussion vamp, creating an equally mesmerizing and danceable groove.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"&quot;Fantasia&quot; by S\u00e1vila (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yXMuRtk5ZqE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>3. Tribe Mars<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Known as one of the best live bands in Portland, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.tribemars.com\/\">Tribe Mars<\/a> are a seven-piece hip-hop jazz fusion project. The talented musicians have produced one album since 2015, but they don\u2019t seem to be slowing down. On \u201cOde To An Elder,\u201d the group&#8217;s smooth sound, anchored by the interplay of drummer Robert Grubaugh and bassist Aaron Brennan, is on full display.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Tribe Mars - Ode To An Elder | Sofar Portland, OR\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-1bFShwvrYA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>4. Black Belt Eagle Scout<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>\u202f<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbelteaglescout.bandcamp.com\/\">Black Belt Eagle Scout<\/a> are a new project from Kathleen Paul, a veteran of the Portland music scene. Paul\u2019s music is inspired by a unique range of influences that includes riot grrrl punk and the indigenous music that she heard while growing up in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. The result is melodic, melancholy and grungy all at once. On the debut album, \u201cMother of My Children,\u201d Paul\u2019s lyrics, powerful and introspective, often reflect on her identity as an indigenous, queer woman.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Black Belt Eagle Scout - Indians Never Die [Official Music Video]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aInrLRdBJuU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><strong>5. Boone Howard<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/boonehoward.bandcamp.com\/\">Boone Howard<\/a> made his way from his hometown in Talkeetna, Alaska, down to Portland in 2006. Over the years, he\u2019s made his way into the Portland music scene as a live sound engineer and a performer with the band The We Shared Milk. His solo debut, released in May 2017, is filled with catchy garage rock, and his charismatic stage presence is reminiscent of Mac DeMarco.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Boone Howard &quot;Eat It Dog&quot;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zhkTj2JbbFk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>6. Lithics<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lithics.bandcamp.com\/\">Lithics<\/a> play a wild brand of guitar-driven post punk, befitting a Pacific Northwest punk tradition established by bands like Wipers and Sleater-Kinney. Their music, jagged and dissonant, is not for the faint of heart. \u201c\u2018Harsh\u2019 is a compliment,\u201d singer\/guitarist Aubrey Horner told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wweek.com\/music\/profiles\/2017\/03\/15\/lithics-harsh-post-punk-grooves-are-the-shock-to-the-system-portland-needs-right-now\/\">the Willamette Week<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s sort of what we\u2019re going for.\u201d Harsh, maybe, but isn\u2019t that what punk is supposed to be?<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Lithics - Specs (Official Music Video)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LS7KFVYUQT4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>7. Roseblood<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rosebloodband.bandcamp.com\/\">Roseblood<\/a>\u2019s Kathy Foster spent 15 years as the bassist in indie power trio The Thermals before starting this new project. Roseblood perform as a four-piece, but the band are something of a labor of love for Foster. She serves as the sole songwriter and musician on the album, laying down all the instruments and vocal tracks herself. Roseblood are calmer and more atmospheric than Foster\u2019s previous work with The Thermals. The first single, \u201cBlack Veil,\u201d \u00a0sounds at times like Mazzy Star, particularly due to Foster\u2019s voice, which gently floats overtop melodic and crunchy lead guitar.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Roseblood - Black Veil [Official Music Video]\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/35L3eM5d6vI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><b>8. Kulululu<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Half-serious, half-comedy, <a href=\"https:\/\/kulululu.bandcamp.com\/\">Kulululu<\/a> claim to be from another planet. Kulululu, whose six members retain their anonymity by wearing masks in any and all public appearances, operate in the absurdist concept rock tradition of groups like Devo and They Might Be Giants. They make what I like to call nonsense rock, best encapsulated in songs like \u201cCrab Dad,\u201d on which they sing, \u201cWell, my dad\u2019s a crab \/ And I call him Crab Dad \/ Crab Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"KULULULU - &quot;Crab Dad&quot; - BRIDGE CITY SESSIONS\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MSyA_ZgK9JY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A city best known for keeping it weird, Portland\u2019s commitment to eccentricity has created one of the most unique music scenes in the country. The city\u2019s scene came to prominence during the hipster explosion of the 1990s and 2000s, as bands like the Decemberists, Modest Mouse, and Menomena rose to prominence out of the city. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":28287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[244,649,230,229],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts","category-music","category-news","category-lead-stories"],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert.jpeg",830,533,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert-224x144.jpeg",224,144,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert-300x193.jpeg",300,193,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert.jpeg",830,533,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert.jpeg",830,533,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert.jpeg",830,533,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert.jpeg",830,533,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Sam Benezra","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/author\/sam-benezra\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A city best known for keeping it weird, Portland\u2019s commitment to eccentricity has created one of the most unique music scenes in the country. The city\u2019s scene came to prominence during the hipster explosion of the 1990s and 2000s, as bands like the Decemberists, Modest Mouse, and Menomena rose to prominence out of the city.&hellip;","featured_media_src_url":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/band-concert.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}