Keep Portland Weird

Salmon rivers, a passion for local, organic food, miles of bike paths, the world's largest selection of vegetarian restaurants per capita, with a Democratic or Independent city hall for over four decades. Welcome to Portland, a city whose natural habitat is also fully conducive to the development of a rich alternative music scene. Here, the underground music scene has been part of the furniture for almost half a century. A truly Alt-City, an almost clichéd refuge for indie rock, very eco-friendly, and captured perfectly in the IFC channel show Portlandia. The series was created by and starred riot grrrl Carrie Brownstein, a member of the bands Sleater-Kinney, Excuse 17, and Wild Flag, and beautifully sends up this white, hipster, ‘ethno-centric’ place.

Part of Portland’s history is the fact that in 1857 Oregon passed a law prohibiting black people from settling, residing, or owning property in the state. In 1948, a major flood devastated the city's African-American neighborhoods. These neighbourhoods were then restored and underwent a process of gentrification, seeing mostly white people move into formerly black areas. A 2011 audit revealed that discrimination was experienced in 64% of tests, and this was mostly against black and latino people. The result? Despite its progressive future, with its history of exclusion Portland remains the whitest city in the United States.

Other than in New York's East Village, central Berlin, or the 11th Arrondissement in Paris, you won’t find such a density of live music clubs, indie bookstores, and microbreweries. Homogeneity is a strange paradigm that moves with cultural expression – the city has as many pop-rock bands as it does food trucks.

Here you’ll find Portugal. The Man, The Shins, The Decemberists, The Delines, and The Helio Sequence.

Other than Pete Miser, the excellent Trapper Aminé, and the activist Cool Nutz, who has just released the very good Father of Max, Portland is not really known for its rap scene or its hip hop vibes. On the other hand, the city does excel in producing boundless, ultra-sharp variations of post-punk, electro-clash, folk, and synth pop. There’s also a strong punk-rock scene – Austistic Youth, Public Eye, Crüst Épique, and D-Beat led by members of Tragedy and From Ashes Rise, who continue to flourish in a number of different bands.

Portland is also the home of Johnny Jewel with his label Italians Do It Better, and his many projects from Glass Candy to Chromatics, Desire, and Mirage. The huge wave of Dark and Space Disco that took over the French Riviera, such as the soundtracks of Nicolas Winding Refn's films, also came from here.

Welcome to Portlandia!