Who's Got Next?

The next 10 of Portland's Best New Bands.

Orquestra Pacifico Tropical. IMAGE: Katie Summer.

11/12/13. Kulululu (23 pts.)

Sounds like: Aliens going undercover as a garage-rock band and not succeeding in fooling anyone.

11/12/13. Laura Palmer's Death Parade (23 pts.)

Sounds like: Walking nervously through a graveyard at night, hearing disembodied voices and deciding to stay awhile.

11/12/13. Maze Koroma (23 pts.)

Sounds like: Your old NES came to life in the attic and started rapping about its aspirations and insecurities.

14/15/16. Gold Casio (22 pts.)

Sounds like: Snorting a line of glitter and going dancing in a house of mirrors.

14/15/16. Orquestra Pacifico Tropical (22 pts.)

Sounds like: Someone spiked the cruise-ship punch, kidnapped the cover band that was supposed to play after dinner and replaced it with the hottest cumbia orchestra in the Pacific Northwest.

14/15/16. Strange Ranger (22 pts.)

Sounds like: Watching the sun come up along a deserted highway from the roof of a broken-down tour van and not really caring whether you ever make it home or not.

17. A Volcano (21 pts.)

Sounds like: A volcano is pretty accurate, to tell the truth.

18. Down Gown (20.5 pts.)

Sounds like: Everything that ruled about the '90s, minus any actual nostalgia for the '90s.

19/20. Floating Room (18 pts.)

Sounds like: Love letters written in fuzz and reverb.

19/20. New Move (18 pts.)

Sounds like: A pop mechanic fixing up classic American songs and making them hum like new.

No. 1: LithicsNo. 2: Aminé | No. 3: Blossom | No. 4: Reptaliens | No. 5: Haley Heynderickx | No. 6: The Lavender Flu | No. 7: Lola Buzzkill | No. 8: Donte Thomas | No. 9: Coco Columbia No. 10: Old Grape GodWho's Got Next? (No. 11-20) The Complete Ballots

Matthew Singer

A native Southern Californian, former Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer ruined Portland by coming here in 2008. He is an advocate for the canonization of the Fishbone and Oingo Boingo discographies, believes pro-wrestling is a serious art form and roots for the Lakers. Fortunately, he left Portland for Tucson, Arizona, in 2021.

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