Music – Portland
Hailing from a dusty Portland Oregon basement Cellar Door is the hybrid of a technically versed rhythm section, and snappy, intelligent hooks. This pop rock alternative four piece places diversity and musicianship in the forefront while maintaining an energy that echoes loudly the bygone punk of Portland yesterday.
“The band itself was kinetic as they were a mix of Fuel, STP, Black Crowes and Live. They did a five song set and sold me instantly on them, the songs were full of lyrics that make you think but can be fun as well.” Hooved Shaman
Ian Hanley fronts the band with classically trained vocals and a BA in theatre. He brings the show intensity with his skyscraping soulful singing and pumps energy into the crowd with his electric stage presence. The percussionist Alec Maier, a formally trained jazz drummer has found a tasty niche in this more aggressive rock format. Although relatively new, he makes a fresh impact. Guitarist Ben Carmine is a tone junky combining the raw edge of Pearl Jam, bouncing stylings of Modest Mouse and a mix that could be called grunge blues. Bassist and guitarist Jake Houck rounds out the sound with a keen intuition and an undeniable backing melody that carries the songs in ways that compliment his academic background in Music Theory.
“When you take a heavy classic rock influence and mix it in with some catchy pop phrasing, you get this band's high-energy sound. It's their ability to balance these two tendencies that keeps you hooked and stomping your foot. And live, they'll rock you twice before you know what's happened." – The Oregonian
The Cellar Door Mission is simple: Enhance the lives of its fans through a rare medium… refreshingly creative and universally enjoyable music with an aggressive and inspiring live performance.
"No problem on the airplay, and well deserved. What struck me about the EP was the amazing production value, not to mention the vocals (giving Brandon Boyd of Incubus a run for his money) and overall instrumentation. The song "Explode" had just the right feel of build-up and structure to it that appealed to me and that I thought would appeal to others, too." Gustav 94/7 PDX