Theodore Treehouse is relatively new to Portland, but thanks to a grand network of friends and a venue that will welcome almost anything that resembles a music group, Treehouse was given a vessel to kick the ass of 100 or more ears on Tuesday night. Despite the band being in an early stage, their songs were incredibly catchy and well-crafted. The core of every song was poppy, but there were some more experimental elements (repetition, jamming) that kept the band from being just another pop act. It’d be safe to say these guys (and gal) are garage pop, very much like Portland’s Metal Feathers. The timbre can make or break a band, and this band’s timbre has a wonderful coat: guitar on distortion, fuzzy synthesizer, forward bass, dynamic drums and a scratchy, but lovable voice. You could say Treehouse can fall in somewhere between Modest Mouse, Wolf Parade and earlier Animal Collective, but comparisons like this ultimately do the band a disservice, especially when they bring a completely new sound to the table and deserve the credit. If you’re interested in following the Portland music scene, Theodore Treehouse is definitely a band to take note of. I can sense that they’ll be playing a lot more shows with better-known bands real soon.
–Dylan Martin