After a busy year — from being deemed Willamette Week’s “Best New Band” of 2012 @@checked@@to playing SXSW — Portland’s Radiation City brings 2012 to a close with one of their final shows of the year at the Doug Fir Lounge next Sunday, Dec. 30.
Radiation City was formed by guitarist and vocalist Cameron Spies and vocalist Lizzy Ellison @@https://www.facebook.com/radiationcity/info@@ in 2010 after the two met in San Francisco. After playing a few shows together, the duo decided to add live drums to the mix, adding Randy Bemrose and then picking up Matt Rafferty on bass and Patti King@@https://www.facebook.com/radiationcity/info@@ on vocals and keys. By 2011, Radiation City had expanded into a five-piece group, playing shows around Portland and making a name for themselves in other cities, such as San Francisco and New York City.
“I think we’ve developed a unique sort of chemistry between each other in terms of playing live that definitely makes its way into the live show that’s great and unique and nothing like anything I’ve ever been in,” Spies said of the difference between their live music and recorded music.
Described as “‘Jetsons’-era doo wop” @@checked link@@by Willamette Week, the group has been inspired by genres ranging from Latin-jazz to rock and roll, psychedelic and soul, says Spies. Their most recent release, the “Cool Nightmare” EP, is comprised of songs originally meant for their full-length album, spurring singles such as “Find It of Use” and “Hide from the Night.” @@checked iTunes store@@This fall, the band entered the studio for the third time to begin work on their full-length album.
“The culmination of the five members kind of finding our balance and our band chemistry has been the thing that’s been the most notable within the group and it’s really reflected in the album,” Spies said when looking back over the year. “That everybody contributes to the creative process and it results in this product that has a lot of different influences but hopefully sounds cohesive.”
Their second full-length album and third release with Portland record label Tender Loving Empire was tracked by the band and later mixed at Portland’s Jackpot Records. The album, titled “Animals in the Median,” is set tentatively for release on April 30, 2013.
In the coming year, the band is also planning to play shows in Europe and the U.K., as well as dates at music festivals such as SXSW, Noise Pop in San Francisco and Treefort in Boise, Idaho.
“We definitely want to be expanding as much as we can and making a name for ourselves on the national level and even internationally. So hopefully in the coming year that will be something we can develop,” Spies said.
Radiation City is set to perform at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland on Dec. 30. Another local Portland band, Ancient Heat,@@checked@@ will open. Tickets are for sale in advance through Ticketfly for $10 or can be purchased for $12 the day of the show. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m.