Monsters will be invading Portland's Space Gallery tomorrow night.
The punk-influenced, garage-pop trio Mango Floss features three Bowdoin alumni—Sarah Wood '10, Farhan Rahman '10, and Peter McLaughlin '10—and their debut album, "Monsters" features songs like "Godzilla" and "Sociopath." The group will be playing these songs and others from "Monsters" when they hit Space Gallery's stage.
Guitarist, vocalist and keyboardist Sarah Wood '10 and bassist Farhan Rahman '10 began practicing together towards the end of their junior year at Bowdoin. The duo's tastes were similar, and they eventually formed Mango Floss with drummer Peter McLaughlin '10. As of late, the group has been performing in both Portland and Boston.
"The Portland music scene is extremely tight-knit," said Rahman. "We get a lot of support from bands—a lot of our friends come up to see us."
Rahman attributed much of the band's success to the musical atmosphere in Portland.
A number of groups who have seen Mango Floss perform have helped to provide them with more venues to play live, which, in turn, has only added to the hype and fan base surrounding the band.
Songs like "Godzilla" contain mesmerizing lyrics (about a monster destroying the city of San Francisco) enveloped in a sweet and quirky layer of bass and drums. While Wood's soothing alto resonates in most songs on "Monsters," "Godzilla" has a certain mellow blend and infectious beat that just begs one to dance.
When questioned about their musical style, Rahman commented, "Someone once described it as Sonic Youth meets the Cure at a loft party in 1986. I'm not sure if it accurately describes our music, but I got a kick out of it."
"I grew up listening to a lot of punk and metal. Sarah grew up listening to similar music, but with a more a discerning taste," said Rahman.
"One of the reasons we started playing together was because of our mutual love for The Clash," he added.
Rahman noted that films are the group's main source of inspiration, singling out their love of creature features.
Mango Floss' show at Space Gallery will feature two other Portland-based bands: Sunset Hearts and Kurt Baker, two unquestionably talented acts.
The concert will begin at 9 p.m. tomorrow.
Tickets are $6 and can be purchased online at the Space Gallery website or at any Bull Moose location.
Attendees must be at least 21 years old.