While the band began their transformation into a pop-rock outfit on their 2009 sophomore album, Masterpiece Theatre, they really took a distinct turn with 2015’s Astoria and 2019’s Phantoms. If you really want to age yourself, try talking to anyone young about Marianas Trench‘s hard-rock days. However, comparing 2018’s AMERICA to their debut self-titled album in 2002 is like night and day. The group’s progression into synth-laced, radio pop rock isn’t incredibly surprising given their early incorporation of electronic elements into their music.
They really had that star quality locked down from day one. Maybe we would’ve guessed a decade ago that Thirty Seconds To Marswould be collaborating with mainstream pop icons such as Halsey. Though we’d never challenge their dynamics, they proved it once and for all with their 2017 release, Synthesis. The electronic/orchestral record modernized favorites such as “ My Immortal” and debuted two new tracks, “ Imperfection” and “ Hi-Lo.” Read more: 9 uncredited guest vocals you might have missed in your favorite songs After all, fans know the alternative-rock outfit for their haunting, metal-leaning backings. If you’d asked us in 2010which bands we expected to dip into electronica, we wouldn’t have said Evanescence. Since then, the band have progressively experimented with electronica, incorporating synth throughout both 2015’s Kintsugi and 2018’s Thank You For Today. Gibbard took on similar leanings on 2013’s Electronic Anthology Project Of Death Cab For Cutie, which reimagined “ Soul Meets Body” and “ Champagne From A Paper Cup” in an ’80snew-wave style. Vocalist Ben Gibbard started dropping danceable tracks via his indie-pop side project, the Postal Service. Scene-favorites Death Cab For Cutiehad an early advantage for electrification. The project employed electronic beats and dreamy synth for a unique spin on pop rock that quickly became a radio staple. Though McMahon’s early sound was markedly sunny relative to other pop-punk acts of the time, it took a hard lean toward pop with his solo venture Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness. Andrew McMahonĪny scene kid remembers Andrew McMahon as the frontman for Something Corporate and Jack’s Mannequin. Read on to find out about 10 alternative artists who embraced electronica elements for a whole new sound. Read more: See Motionless In White’s debut “Creatures X: To The Grave” performance Others added new elements to expand on their 2000sfoundations. Some reoriented completely toward a new genre, following in the early steps of nightclub legends Breathe Carolina. With the mainstream takeover of EDMin the 2010s, a number of popular groups adjusted their sounds accordingly. And while the resulting “ neon” era seemed to be short-lived, these artists were largely ahead of their time. In the mid-2000s, bands such as Cobra Starship and 3OH!3 made names for themselves in the scene with their synth-heavy infusions. We at NiaSounds decided to compile a list of some of these musical greats and their Portland connections, in order to gain a fuller appreciation for this city's long and illustrious musical history –– creating and influencing great talent from a wide array of genres.The incorporation of electronic sounds into alternativemusic is hardly a new phenomenon. As stated by the Oregonian, "Portland is an indie-rock mecca, the west coast's temple of the blues, a bastion of folk and roots, a hide-out for electronic producers, one of America's hottest metal scenes and a growing hub for hip-hop": whatever your taste, someone out here is making it and has already made a name for themselves in the industry. The city has a well-earned reputation as being a hotbed for indie artists, producing groups like The Decemberists and Blind Pilot, but that’s not all the city has to offer. Portland and Oregon musicians have been making an impact on the world for a long time, with musicians like Lee Morse, one of the most recorded female jazz singers of the 1920s, and Paul Revere & the Raiders an American rock band with considerable U.S. Not only is there a ton of homegrown Portland talent but artists from all over seem to flock to and flourish here in the Rose City. Maybe it’s the gloomy, rainy weather that attracts brooding artists with guitars, or the craft beers and endless food carts that appeal to creatives with alternative tastes, but whatever it is there must be something in the water because Portland is home to an incredible array of musical talent. As far as cities with thriving music scenes are concerned, it would be hard to argue that Portland, OR isn't right there at the top of the list and can hold its own amongst big names like NYC, New Orleans, and Nashville.