Typhoon (Portland band)
Encyclopedia
Typhoon is an American
indie rock
band that began in Salem, Oregon
in 2005 and is currently based in Portland, Oregon
. They are signed to the indie record label Tender Loving Empire. The band has numerous members and regularly performs with 10-14 players on stage. To date they have released two albums, two EPs, a split 7 inch record with Olympia-based band LAKE, and have contributed to a number of compilations. On August 4th, 2011, Typhoon made their television debut on Late Show with David Letterman
, performing "The Honest Truth" .
Their early recordings reveal a greater degree of experimentation with various styles, including a number of "sea shanties", Country Western and Eastern European-inspired songs. Their more recent output, including their album Hunger & Thirst and its companion EP, A New Kind of House, show a more focused and consistent sound, and a greater focus on creating a cohesive thematic through-line. Many of the songs are preoccupied with mortality and directly reference lead singer and primary songwriter Kyle Morton's own struggle with Lyme Disease
as a child.
In 2010 Typhoon was voted number two on Willamette Week's annual list of the Top Ten Best New Bands in Portland. Their music has appeared on the SyFy
series Being Human
and the NBC
series Chuck
. They have opened for The Thermals
, Quasi
, Yann Tiersen
, Explosions in the Sky
and The Decemberists
, and toured with Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/the-50-best-songs-of-2011.html?p=5
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band that began in Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
in 2005 and is currently based in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. They are signed to the indie record label Tender Loving Empire. The band has numerous members and regularly performs with 10-14 players on stage. To date they have released two albums, two EPs, a split 7 inch record with Olympia-based band LAKE, and have contributed to a number of compilations. On August 4th, 2011, Typhoon made their television debut on Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, performing "The Honest Truth" .
Music
Typhoon's music has always been marked by complicated arrangements and careful orchestration. Live performances routinely involve 12 or more band members playing at once. "The group masterfully combines indie rock instrumentals and vocals with violins, percussion, hand claps, xylophone, horns and a choir of other instruments, making for inspiring and catchy songs." - Lauren Rosenthal, mySpoonfulTheir early recordings reveal a greater degree of experimentation with various styles, including a number of "sea shanties", Country Western and Eastern European-inspired songs. Their more recent output, including their album Hunger & Thirst and its companion EP, A New Kind of House, show a more focused and consistent sound, and a greater focus on creating a cohesive thematic through-line. Many of the songs are preoccupied with mortality and directly reference lead singer and primary songwriter Kyle Morton's own struggle with Lyme Disease
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto is the main cause of Lyme disease in the United States, whereas Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii cause most...
as a child.
In 2010 Typhoon was voted number two on Willamette Week's annual list of the Top Ten Best New Bands in Portland. Their music has appeared on the SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
series Being Human
Being Human
- Plot :The film portrays the experience of a single human soul, portrayed by Williams, through various incarnations. Williams is the only common actor throughout the stories that span man's history on Earth....
and the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series Chuck
Chuck
-Engineering:* Chuck , a clamp that is part of a machine tool or power tool and securely holds a removable part, either a workpiece or a tool -People:* Charles, a masculine given name...
. They have opened for The Thermals
The Thermals
The Thermals are an American indie punk band based in Portland, Oregon. The group was formed in 2002. With influences heavily rooted in both lo-fi punk, as well as more standard rock, the band's songs are also known for their political and religious imagery.- History :The Thermals came together in...
, Quasi
Quasi
Quasi is an American indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993 by ex-husband and wife Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss . Since 2007 the group has been a trio, following the addition of bassist Joanna Bolme.-History:In 1990 , Coomes, Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat...
, Yann Tiersen
Yann Tiersen
Yann Tiersen is a musician from France. His musical career is split between studio albums, collaborations and film soundtracks with a distinctive sound that is always involved...
, Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky
Explosions in the Sky is an American post-rock band from Texas. The band has garnered popularity beyond the post-rock scene for their elaborately developed guitar work, narratively styled instrumentals, what they refer to as "cathartic mini-symphonies," and their enthusiastic and emotional live shows...
and The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
, and toured with Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper is the stage name of musician Aly Spaltro.The first Lady Lamb recordings were home recordings distributed in handmade packages to the local Bullmoose Record Store in her hometown of Brunswick, Maine. Portland, Maine multi-instrumentalist TJ Metcalfe joined Spaltro, and the...
.
Band Members
- Kyle Morton (lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) - Toby Tanabe (bass)
- Dave Hall (guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) - Pieter Hilton (drums)
- Alex Fitch (drums)
- Tyler Ferrin (hornsHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
) - Ryan McAlpin (trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
) - Devin Gallagher (percussion)
- Nora Zimmerely (vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - Shannon Steele (violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
) - Jen Hufnagel (violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
) - Eric Stipe (trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
) - Samantha Kushnick (celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
)
Discography
- 2005 Typhoon, self-titled
- 2007 Dearborn Sessions, EP
- 2007 Split 7 Inch, with LAKE
- 2010 Hunger and Thirst
- 2011 A New Kind of House, EP
External links
- Typhoon's website
- Typhoon on Twitter
- Tender Loving Empire - Typhoon's record label
- Typhoon at Sasquatch on NPR.org
- Typhoon live at Ecotrust, July 2011 (1 hour)
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/the-50-best-songs-of-2011.html?p=5