These days the people of Portland are no strangers to groups that pigeonhole themselves into the surf-rock genre yet, as with most genres, our music scene has a way of churning out bands that find ways to twist familiar sounds into something different entirely. This is what Outer Space Heaters have done with their latest release, Desolate Surf. The album starts out grounded on Earth with a spaghetti-western riff that launches into a driving, dynamic sound that is anything but terrestrial. As the instrumental pieces progress they send you flying past booming asteroids and shifting into a distorted warp drive while the rhythms ride the tail of a comet. Eventually you find a place in orbit around a reverb-drenched star by the named of “Pulsar.” Sound like a journey you’d like to venture on? Then get to Ash Street Saloon on Thursday night to see Outer Space Heaters live, you can also listen to Desolate Surf in it’s entirety on their bandcamp page. – Benjamin Toledo
