The music of Oregon reflects the diverse array of styles present in the music of the United States, from Native American music to the contemporary genres of rock and roll, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, pop, electronic music, and hip hop. However, throughout most of its history, the state has been relatively isolated from the cultural forces shaping American music. Much of modern popular music traces its roots to the emergence in the late 19th century of African American blues and the growth of gospel music in the 1920s. African American musicians borrowed elements of European and Indigenous musics to create new American forms. As Oregon's population was more homogeneous and more white than the United States as a whole, the state did not play a significant role in this history.
Bill Callahan is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist who has also recorded and performed under the band name Smog. Callahan began working in the lo-fi genre, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four-track tape recorders. Later he began releasing albums with the label Drag City, to which he remains signed today. His work, in addition to lo-fi music, has encompassed apocalyptic folk and gothic country.
The Waterboys are a British-Irish folk rock band formed in London in 1983 by Scottish musician and songwriter Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained the only constant member throughout the band's career. They have explored a number of different styles, but their music is mainly a mix of folk music with rock and roll. They dissolved in 1993 when Scott departed to pursue a solo career. The group reformed in 2000, and continue to release albums and to tour worldwide. Scott emphasises a continuity between the Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions."
The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums).
Laura Pauline Veirs is an American singer-songwriter based in Portland, Oregon. She is known for her folk/alternative country records and live performances as well as her collaboration with Neko Case and k.d. lang on the case/lang/veirs project. Veirs has written a children's book and hosts a podcast about parenting and performing.
Corin Lisa Tucker is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for her work with rock band Sleater-Kinney. Tucker is also a member of the alternative rock supergroup Filthy Friends, and previously recorded with the indie rock group Heavens to Betsy and The Corin Tucker Band.
Quarterflash was an American rock group formed in 1980 in Portland, Oregon. The band was originally made up of Orinda Sue "Rindy" Ross and her husband Marv Ross (guitars), along with Jack Charles (guitars), Rick DiGiallonardo (keyboards/synthesizers), Rich Gooch, and Brian David Willis. In a 1982 interview, Rindy Ross said that she viewed the saxophone as an extension of her voice, enabling her to express things she could not express with her voice alone.
Sexton Blake is a rock band based in Portland, Oregon. They are signed to the independent record label, Expunged Records and their name derives from the British television series Sexton Blake.
Tales of Ithiria is the fourth studio album by the German symphonic metal band Haggard. Previously known under its work title A Dark Winter's Tale, this album breaks the band's habit of writing about historical characters and events. Instead, it tells a fictional, medieval-themed story written by Haggard's songwriter Asis Nasseri. The album includes a cover version of the song "Hijo de la Luna", originally written by José María Cano and performed by his own band, Spanish Pop group Mecano. However, his authorship of the song is not acknowledged in the CD's booklet, instead being referred to as "Traditional" music and lyrics.
Collin Hegna is a Portland, Oregon-based musician, composer, and recording engineer. Hegna founded the Spaghetti Western-themed indie rock combo Federale and remains their principal songwriter. In addition, he has played bass with The Brian Jonestown Massacre since 2004.
The Dimes are an American folk-pop band from Portland, Oregon. While The Dimes have released four EPs under their own self-titled label, The Dimes, their album, The Silent Generation, recorded under the label Pet Marmoset, is considered their debut album. The songs on The Silent Generation were largely based on stories which singer–songwriter Johnny Clay read in Depression-era newspapers, and which guitarist Pierre Kaiser found under the floorboards of his 1908 Portland home. The album was released in December 2007 to positive critical reviews. Their song "Jersey Kid" was featured on NPR Music's Second Stage.
Adam Shearer born John Adam Weinland Shearer and better known by his band and recording name John Weinland or Weinland is an American singer-songwriter. Shearer has released four studio albums and is also a member of the band Alialujah Choir.
Casey Neill is an American musician. He leads Portland, Oregon-based band Casey Neill & The Norway Rats, singing with a raspy vocal quality and playing electric and acoustic guitars. Neill's style, folk-punk, mixes influences from punk, Celtic and folk music, and has been compared to R.E.M. and The Pogues.
The Oregon Chorale is an American concert choir based in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1985 as the Washington County Chorale, the 60 person group performs in the Portland metropolitan area, as well as tours in Europe. The group presents music ranging from classical and opera music to folk and contemporary numbers.
Eric John Kaiser is a French Singer Songwriter based in Portland, Oregon. He began recording music professionally in 2005 with his first EP, Paris Acte I, Scène 1. He plays a style of music that has been described as a Parisian Americana with influences from Blues, rock and Folk all wrapped in both English and French lyrics.
Shook Twins is a folk music group originally from Sandpoint, Idaho and currently based in Portland, Oregon, formed in 2004. The nucleus of the band consists of identical twin sisters Katelyn and Laurie Shook.
Live Wire Radio is a radio variety show that was launched in 2004 in Portland, Oregon, United States.
Sara Jackson-Holman is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. Born in 1988 or 1989, she is a classically trained pianist; her style has been compared to that of Feist, Adele, and Lana Del Rey. Her songs have been used in episodes of the television series Hemlock Grove, Castle, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, Orange Is the New Black, and The Fosters.
Scott Law is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with guitar and mandolin. Based in Portland, Oregon, he has been a professional musician since 1992, performing within genres such as rock, blues, bluegrass, and Americana with groups such as The String Cheese Incident. In 1999 Law founded Scott Law Music. After performing with numerous bands, Law released his first solo album as a singer-songwriter, Deliver with the Scott Law Band, in 2005. This was followed by several other albums, including the acoustic album Black Mountain in 2013.
Terry Robb is a Canadian fingerstyle guitarist, composer, arranger and record producer living in the United States. He plays electric and acoustic guitar, and is associated with the American Primitive Guitar genre through his collaboration with steel string guitarist John Fahey. He is a member of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame and Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame, and was honored with the eponymous "Terry Robb" Muddy Award for Best Acoustic Guitar in 2011. His original compositions draw on the Delta blues, ragtime, folk music, country music and jazz traditions.
