Have you ever been to a show at Bevel Craft Brewing? Me neither. But I am, on July 29! Want to know why? Because two local and really talented bands are playing back to back. One could call it pretty monumental for Bend's indie music scene, wherever they played. The Color Study and Moon Rattles may have never played together before, but I'm into it because both of their sounds are leveling up to new heights in these woods. Bevel Craft Brewing has quite the summer event calendar going on. From bingo nights to Makers Markets — this brewery also hosts regular live music. And I'd say they're pretty on it as far as what band's they're booking.
Readers who have been in tune with the Source Weekly's Sound page at all over the last few years know that The Color Study, founded four to five years ago, may as well be known as local pioneers at this point. Isaac Biehl, my predecessor, wrote about both its single releases, "Dead Leaves" and "Without," in addition to its second album release, "Future Past Present Tense."
With other write-ups in OPB Music, Glide Magazine, Happy Media and Wonderland Magazine — among others — traveling out of town for shows (the band recently played at Burnside's hotspot, Rontoms in Portland) and solid reviews, proper notoriety isn't unfamiliar for the band. One could say The Color Study might be Bend's most legit band on the scene right now. The highly creative six-piece group is an arrangement of Melissa Atillo (keys/vocals), Steven Reinhardt (guitar), Matt Jackson (bass), Sean Garvin (drums), Miguel Mendoza (horns) and Scott Oliphant (vocals/guitar).
Its sound reminds me of the orchestral phenomena of Arcade Fire — with the echoes and array of horns — the multi-layered percussion and layered operatic vocals that will continue on until the last drop of the song. But man, oh man, those drums. I'm excited to hear those live. Lead singer and songwriter Scott Oliphant is also the mastermind behind the recordings at his recording studio, Parkway Sounds. Oliphant has also recorded local artists such as Jeshua Marshall, Gold Rey, Alicia Viana and Captn Over.
"I was a fine arts major in college and a 'color study' is kind of a loose sketch or quick painting you might do before a bigger more intentional piece," Oliphant explained to me when I asked him where the band's name came from. He continued, "We're basically just an artsy rock and roll band who sometimes plays quiet and sometimes plays loud."
A few claimed influences of The Color Study include The Beatles, Explosions In The Sky, Wilco, Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd and Spoon.
Moon Rattles, on the other hand, is influenced by artists like Elvis Costello, the Pixies, Squeeze and Pavement.
Lead singer and songwriter Andrew Egli told the Source Weekly, "We all grew up in the '90s and I think that was collectively our favorite era for music, so if there's one thing that sort of defines our "sound," I think it's that." Moon Rattles was invited to play at Bevel by The Color Study's bassist Matt Jackson. "They're fairly new to me," stated Oliphant, "but I like what they are doing a lot. Matt brought them to our attention and I'm glad he did."
Joining Egli in Moon Rattles is Alex Smith (drums/vocals) and Ethan Grimes (bass) with the occasional on-stage appearance of Egli's childhood friend, Kelsey Kuther (guitar) and songwriting assists by his brother, Matt Egli. The band is currently working on a 12-song LP at The Firing Room with Dayne Wood of The Shining Dimes and Beyond The Lamplight, and hopes to release it later this summer.
