Much of Portland’s cultural identity today is owed to a generation of independent artists making music in the 2010s. From metal to moody soundscapes, this is some of the music that defined the decade.
Chromatics
The term “neo italo disco” might not mean anything to you, but I bet you can immediately recognize the style in the theme music of the show “Stranger Things.” Bands like Chromatics, and this era of PNW music in general, have served as an inspiration to so many of the electronic soundscapes that have filtered into other areas of pop culture.
“All that [electronic music] came from Portland being obsessed with Suspiria soundtracks,” says City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza.
Om
The metal fan contingency is rarely the largest, but it’s probably the strongest. Om was among the top bands fueling west coast metalheads during the aughts, with heavy sounds worthy of even meditation. Some of the band members rotate, but it is anchored by Portland drummer Emil Amos and Al Cisneros, formerly of the legendary California doom metal band Sleep.
Scout Niblet
Rarely can an R&B classic be translated into an indie rock arrangement, but that’s exactly what English artist Emma Niblet does with “No Scrubs,” her 2012 rendition of the iconic TLC song. Niblet has been calcified into the lore of Portland music since she moved here in 2005.
Gossip
This trio relocated from their home in Arkansas to Olympia in 1999 and launched a sound that doesn’t quite fit neatly into a genre, but is certainly unmistakable. Led by Beth Ditto’s stunning vocals, with instrumentalist “Brace Paine” and Kathy Mendonça behind the kit, the band’s bluesy queer-punk sound is probably best captured in their 2009 album “Music for Men” — produced by none other than Rick Rubin.
I still occasionally fire up “Dimestore Diamond” and pretend I’m dancing in a 2010 grimy club downtown, except now I’m probably just cleaning my living room.
Grouper
There was a time when you couldn’t go anywhere in Portland without hearing Grouper, Liz Harris’ solo project. Harris combines instrumentals and field recordings into ambient sounds reminiscent of an overcast Portland day. She’s also an accomplished visual artist and helped shepherd the artists influx into Astoria.
Wolves in the Throne Room
The “Cascadian black metal” band out of Olympia brought cinematic and cathartic weight to a time when people only thought of Seattle when referencing Pacific Northwest music. Even if you’re not a metalhead, the crashing crescendos in their 2011 album “Celestial Lineage” will make you feel like you’re floating.
As the saying goes, what’s old is new again. Listen to our conversation with Nolan Parker to hear the bands injecting our ears with Millennial nostalgia and bringing back the sounds of yesteryear. And listen to our Spotify playlist featuring a song by each of these artists.
