THE SCRAPE - ISSUE 1

Teeth - By Salo 

Listening to Teeth for the first time made me picture 2000’s hipster era dance parties, a la Strokes, or maybe a more psychedelic version of Kings of Leon. I think to myself, ‘Maybe they’re in their late 20’s?’

Nope.

As Scrape Zine's lead designer, Ryan informs me, these guys are YOUNG. Teeth is entirely composed of Portland teenagers. Surprisingly, in their youth, they have already achieved a sound that is composed and mature, defying the ears. These up-and-coming musicians have already gained followers across the city, and the name they are making for themselves is impressive. Believe it or not, this band has been around for 7 (yes 7) years, making them tweens when they first got moving.

When asked about their genre, Pablo (the guitarist / vocalist) is quick to reply, “If you call us noise pop I'm gonna punch you in the throat. " While that statement was surely made in jest, I appreciate the faux outrage, displaying an amount of care that is admirable, and is part of a long ongoing conversation about their artistic direction.

Many bands debut their work at open mics, or small showcases, but not Teeth. For their first musical adventure they threw a block party themselves, dragging a full drum kit out from the basement into the middle of the street, and running extension cords all the way from the house to a rented amplifier, all this for just a handful of people in the audience. I call that bold. Later on, they DM'd Portland powerhouse Andre from Friends of Noise, who began setting them up with appearances at serious local shows.

While they plan for bigger things, including all of the many paths through life that come with being their age, no one could possibly know where they will end up. It will undoubtedly involve music, and I'm excited to hear where they go with it.