WEDNESDAY 5/4
HAR MAR SUPERSTAR, LOVE COP
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) Har Mar Superstar is the sleazy alter-ego of Sean Tillmann, who often performs in nothing but undies and a thin mustache. Despite this jarring performance styleâwhich resulted in a 2002 public lewdness allegationâTillman's greasy R&B is surprisingly smooth, rich, and velvety, not unlike creamy Jif peanut butter. Following 2013's Bye Bye 17, this month he unleashed a brand-new record, Best Summer Ever, which was produced by friend and Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. Its 10 tracks set Tillmann's sexy croon to synthy electro-pop beats, punk-infused fuzz ballads, and a one-minute acoustic serenade to his radiator. CIARA DOLAN
TOUCH CONFERENCE: PHILIP JECK, MARK VAN HOEN, SIMON SCOTT, DANIEL MENCHE, TOUCH
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Philip Jeck is probably best known for his 1993 performance of Vinyl Requiem, involving 180 record players and 11 visual projectors. After 20 years, Jeck continues to sample and repurpose discarded vinyl recordings into verdant soundscape compositions. He is a career-long Touch artist, and the label's Touch Conference West Coast tour presents a unique opportunity to see his newest directions sharing a bill with the minimal "damaged" modular synth work of Mark Van Hoen, the natural sound manipulation of Simon Scott, and the unpredictable sometimes-he-hits-himself-with-a-metal-pipe noise music of Portland's Daniel Menche. SUZETTE SMITH
THURSDAY 5/5
AVISHAI COHEN QUARTET
(Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th) Not to be confused with the famed jazz bassist and composer of the same name, this Avishai Cohen is a trumpeter, born in Tel Aviv and based in New York City. In February, he released Into the Silence, his debut for the revered ECM record label and an absolute stunner. Cohen composed the album's six songs after the November 2014 death of his fatherâthey're mournful, as you'd expect, but they never feel heavy. Instead, Cohen and his band simply glide, delivering spirited melodies, tasteful arrangements, and blue moods beautifully captured by producer (and ECM founder) Manfred Eicher. Into the Silence is downcast but never dour, warm and inviting even as Cohen's quartet (plus tenor saxophonist Bill McHenry) paint a convincing portrait of loneliness and loss in their elegant phrasing. Jazz fans: Cohen's stop at Jimmy Mak's tonight is a can't-miss. BEN SALMON
GOLDEN HOUR, TWELVE GARDENS, IVY HOUSE
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Portland's Twelve Gardens is the melancholy pop duo of guitarist/vocalist Chetty B. (of the now-defunct Sister Palace) and drummer Katie Krussel (of Golden Hour). Their music sounds like a solitary rainy-day bike ride under the umbrella of cherry blossomsâearlier in the week the trees were in full bloom, making the street a tunnel of reds and pinks, but now they're wet, wilting, and fluttering downward with the raindrops. Twelve Gardens has sporadically played shows since last summer, culminating in the February self-release of their debut tape, no more cool '93. It's characterized by a slow-fast/quiet-loud approach to songwriting reminiscent of Pixies and the Softies, with just one song extending past the three-minute mark. Despite its brevity, no more cool '93 is notable in its breadth of emotionality, which is perhaps best exemplified on the repetitive track "Bicycle." CAMERON CROWELL
FRIDAY 5/6
JOAN SHELLEY, MICHAEL HURLEY
(The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th) Read our story on Joan Shelley.
KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS, HIGH HORSE, HOODED HAGS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) Despite a rĂ©sumĂ© that includes extended stints in the Cramps, the Gun Club, and the Bad Seeds, these laurels merely serve as a backdrop to the primordial bounce Kid Congo Powers creates with his band the Pink Monkey Birds. Rhythm masters Kiki Solis, Ron Miller, and Mark Cisneros flow effortlessly between class and crass with Kid's bespectacled charm at the helm. They fuse their talents into a sinister psychedelic strut that recalls either the funkiest Russ Meyer soundtrack never produced or a fictional Vincent Price/James Brown collaboration in a Back from the Grave wonderland. On their brand-new full-length, La Arana Es La Vida, Kid Congo & Co. once again utilize that vaunted Monkey Bird cave rave to highly infectious and darkly danceable resultsâthere's no doubt this monster mash is going to be an absolute must! CHRIS SUTTON
SEE THROUGH DRESSES, MOONCHILD, BUD WILSON, BEACH PARTY
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) On their October-released EP End of Days, Nebraska's shoegaze punks See Through Dresses sound like they're burying family photo albums in sludgy mud in the backyardâit's sad, angry nostalgia that explores the painful catharsis of sobering up from your youth. Sara Bertuldo's vocals and brutally emotive lyrics call to mind Colleen Green's powerfully subdued bedroom punk and the euphoric grunge of All Dogs' Maryn Jones. "I don't have a coupon/I don't save enough for me to get out of here," Bertuldo sings amid a clangor of sour guitars on the EP's opener, "Haircut," while on "Little Apple Rot" she warns a lover, "Oh, careful see, we're not in love/I keep you to stay warm," before the song implodes in angsty chaos. CD
KING BLACK ACID, CAT HOCH, DAYDREAM MACHINE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Since the mid-'90s, King Black Acid has earned a devoted following in the Portland underground rock scene. The group has released several albums on Portland label Cavity Search, making a name for themselves alongside some of the Pacific Northwest's most notable artists. Founder and frontman Daniel Riddle has a vision that keeps unfolding, giving a glimpse into a poetic mind that shines in the emotional depth of their sound. Recently released track "I'm Rolling Under" is a good taste of the epic spirit of the band's songwritingâit's musical escapism at its finest, kissed by a love of psychedelic space rock. Tonight King Black Acid will present songs from their highly anticipated forthcoming EP. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
SATURDAY 5/7
HEY LOVER, THE LAVENDER FLU, MOPE GROOVES
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week! and read our story on Hey Lover.
NIGHT MOVES, JACKSON BOONE
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Formed in 2009, Night Moves might be the most exciting indie alt-folk band to come out of the Twin Cities since the Jayhawks. Not to be confused with the Portland band of the same name, the Minnesota trio's oeuvre is more than just Bob Dylan-inspired hominessâthey have transcended acoustic heights and found the perfect harmony between folk and synth-pop. It's most apparent in their latest album, Pennied Days, which features dreamy tracks like "Carl Sagan" and "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry." Despite the mellow sound, every note and lyric by Night Moves has been expertly crafted within a nostalgic, classic American rock milieuâit seems fitting that singer John Pelant, bassist Mickey Alfano, and multi-instrumentalist Mark Ritsema named their band after a Bob Seger song. Although Night Moves' debut album, Colored Emotions, was well received, the band's sophomore album feels more self-assured. If you hate the pretentiousness of Ryan Adams but love alt-country, check out Night Moves. ZARA ZHI
MONARQUES, MINDEN, BOONE HOWARD
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Formed by singer/songwriter Joshua Spacek in late 2009, self-described Portland "soul pop" band (think Marshall Crenshaw, not Daptone) Monarques swiftly rose to prominence on the strength of a stellar, five-track EP and a frighteningly energetic live show. In early 2010, the group was invited to perform on the NPR-syndicated Prairie Home Companion, and there were rumors of a sizable label bidding war to sign the band. Despite a deluge of well-deserved accolades that continued over the following year (including a coveted slot in the other weekly's Best New Band poll in 2011), the big crossover everyone thought was inevitable never really materialized. The group released the mini-LP Let's Make Love Come True in 2012 before quietly disbanding. Tonight marks the band's first show together in nearly four years, and according to a Facebook status update, they'll debut new material in addition to "old favorites." Cross your fingers they're back for good. MORGAN TROPER
TAURUS, EYE OF NIX, ORDER OF THE GASH, DISEMBALLERINA
(Panic Room, 3100 NE Sandy) There's something to be said for a band that can conjure up evil solely through their music. Taurus plays the soundtrack to bloody knives and flies on open wounds, and it's stunning and disturbing. The Portland two-piece takes an unholy trinity of death metal, black metal, and psychedelic rock and transforms it into something completely new. Their LP No/Thing is the stuff of nightmares, and I want more. Seattle's Eye of Nix is equally adept at creating unsettling, atmospheric (emphasis on the "fear") music, punctuated by Joy Von Spain's vocals, which bounce from a soothing lilt to rabid scream. Black metal thrashers Order of the Gash and neoclassical doomers Disemballerina round out a bill that will surely sound like hell on earth in all the right ways. MARK LORE
AESOP ROCK, ROB SONIC, DJ ZONE, HOMEBOY SANDMAN
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Ian Bavitz, more popularly known by his rap moniker Aesop Rock, might just be one of the best white dude rappers around. Armed with his characteristically deep-pocket vocabulary and a new sense of vulnerability, his latest effort, The Impossible Kid, touches on the realities of living with anxiety and depression. In the recently released video for "Lazy Eye," Bavitz raps while navigating the cluttered and appropriately weird hallways of Portland's Peculiarium (an oddities museum that used to somewhat-famously feature an ice cream sundae topped with live worms). The video doesn't quite incite fear, but it does provide a fitting backdrop for the song, and further Aesop Rock's career, which is best described as a mixed bag. Whether it's been collaborating with cult-following folk legends like John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats and Kimya Dawson of the Moldy Peaches, sampling funk, or peppering the listener with abstract and complex lyrics, Aesop Rock has taught us to expect one thing: the unexpected. JENNA FLETCHER
SUNDAY 5/8
THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS
(Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside) You don't have to be brothers to make spooky-great country harmonies, but it definitely doesn't hurt. Just ask the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers, and the Cactus Blossoms' Jack Torrey and Page Burkum. Despite having different last names, those last two brothers are absolutely on the same page musically, and their splendid Minnesota-based band the Cactus Blossoms has among the highest shiver-per-minute ratio in the business. Portland discovered them during their remarkable performances at 2013's Pickathon, and they've recently released their first album, the JD McPherson-produced You're Dreaming. It's the kind of record that makes you want to turn the lights down low and slow dance with that special someone and write a letter home to mama. Performing this type of aw-shucks retro-roots music can be artistically limiting, but Torrey and Burkum's harmonies are the kind that inspire ear-to-ear grins. They play an afternoon in-store at Music Millennium before opening for Pokey LaFarge at the Wonder Ballroom later tonight. NED LANNAMANN
SALES, BLACK BELT EAGLE SCOUT, HASTE
(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) Orlando, Florida, duo Sales is reminiscent of a stripped-down, lo-fi Beach House: rhythmic, textured guitars layering over tight, muted synth beats. Vocalist Lauren Morgan delivers lyrics that often read like shadowy, clever, sassy poetry. Her voice can fluctuate from a high, sweet sigh down to a low, languid moan. Songwriter Jasmine Wood fronts local opener Haste, providing dreamy Cat Power vibes with her lovely ethereal voice. It's pretty much just her and an electric guitar picking out sweet and simple tunes that'll make the room feel hushed and balmy. FIONA GABRIELLE WOODMAN
MAYER HAWTHORNE
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) There's something endearingly cheesy about sonic seducer Andrew Cohen, who performs under the moniker Mayer Hawthorne. With song titles like "Lingerie & Candlewax" and a voice like Curtis Mayfield, you might not expect to find a nerdy white guy from Michigan behind Hawthorne's throwback sound. But the guy can actually sing, and he confidently pulls off the whole schmaltzy, red wine-stained, sex-on-a-faux-fur-area-rug vibe. Since his 2008 debut, he's upped his style game, earned a Grammy nod, and even collaborated with Kendrick Lamar. While he's moved away from Motown parody, Hawthorne still finds the fun in bringing the world baby-making jams. ANNA McCLAIN Also see My, What a Busy Week!
POKEY LaFARGE, THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) There was a good stretch of timeâlet's say, approximately, the 10 years that followed the release of the Coen brothers' O Brother Where Art Thou?âwhen old-timey music was the thing, and aspiring young musicians lined up to trade in their electric guitars for banjos and washboards. Mercifully, that trend finally appears to have gone the way of the post-Swingers swing music craze of the '90s, but apparently no one has bothered to tell Pokey LaFarge. Born Andrew Heissler in the green pastures of Bloomington, Illinois, Heissler's adopted pseudonym befits his ongoing commitment (now over a decade strong) to a bygone American way of life, as represented by ragtime jazz, country swing, barrelhouse blues, and ample amounts of hair pomade. No doubt, there are still a precious few clinging to their striped vests and herringbone tweed caps, and for them, Pokey LaFarge endures. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
MONDAY 5/9
BABELFISHH, JUICY KARKASS, TIG BITTY, DMLH
(Anarres Infoshop, 7101 N Lombard) See All-Ages Action!
DUNGEN, BOOGARINS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Like "psychedelic," the formerly verboten term "prog" is increasingly being used as a catchall for any kind of exploratory rock music that doesn't fit into an easy genre. Which is why you'll find Swedish band Dungenâwhen they're not being labeled as "psych"âregularly described as "prog" (not to be confused with the term progg, which refers to Sweden's left-wing, anti-commercial music movement in the '70s that decried hitmakers ABBA as pre-packaged antichrists). Psych and prog are about as accurate and inaccurate as any term you could choose: Dungen make flowing, metamorphic music, often without vocals, that features heavy-rock guitar, easygoing rhythms, jazz flute, ripe acoustic strums, garage-rock riffs, and an undercurrent of otherworldliness. The noctilucent sounds they create evoke imagery of both natural wonder and unlikely magic, places where trees converse and demigods rest near the water's edge. Dungen are quite simply one of the most engaging and musically interesting bands on the planet, and their 2015 album, Allas Sak, continues to defy pigeonholing even as it delivers on their established strengths. NL Also see My, What a Busy Week!
LUCIUS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) The salty-sweet harmonies of Lucius returned this spring with their infectious, layered, and smart new release, Good Grief. Onstage the LA-Brooklyn duo of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig make perfectly timed double drums and harmonizing look easy. In a world where artists like Sia and Tune-Yards have made space for drummer/producers, Lucius stands out, making a statement with songs that range from tender to electrifying. From the Prince-esque "Something About You" to the touching "My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve," Good Grief feels like a breakup album for the modern woman, expressing past struggles with raw emotion and pop fire. JENI WREN STOTTRUP
TUESDAY 5/10
GIVERS, ANNA WISE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!
DREAM THEATER
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Read our story on Dream Theater.
CROSS RECORD, C^VES
(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) Wabi-Sabi, the latest album from Texas duo Cross Record, is a gorgeous, haunted, contradictory thing. Minimal and ornate, weighted in seemingly incompatible ways, it nods to PJ Harvey one moment, Steve Reich the next, as it sits in a glorious no-man's land between Chelsea Wolfe's Apokalypsis and the Microphones' It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water. It's ominous twee; sludge chamber-pop; an ethereal western soundtrack. The seamless vocals of Emily Cross keep it all together, managing to be both barely noticeable and completely enveloping, holding you tight throughout the album's twists and turns. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
SANTIGOLD, LEILEKI47
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Philly-raised singer Santigold is praised for her genre fluidity, hued urban style, and avant-garde creative choicesâsuch as an interactive video for her single "Can't Get Enough of Myself," which highlights self-absorption. Her February release, 99Âą, was the highly anticipated follow-up to 2012's Master of My Make-Believe. Previously named Santogold, the indefinable mezzo-soprano gained exposure by touring with rapper MIAâto whom she's commonly comparedâin 2007, Coldplay in 2008, and then embarking on her own Goldrush Tour soon after. This show has been a long time coming for Portland Santigold fans: Her We Buy Gold tour stop was originally scheduled for April 6 at the Wonder Ballroom, then was moved to the Crystal to allow for more space. After becoming ill that week, Santi postponed the date to May 10 at the same venue. I'm not mad about the switch, as long as I hear "Shove It" and up-tempo rallying anthem "Banshee"âwith little-to-no lip-synching. JENNI MOORE
FIELD AGENT, APARTMENT FOX
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Stephen Lee Clark is best known as bassist for the highly acclaimed shoegaze-influenced post-black metal band Deafheaven, but with his solo project Field Agent he explores grinding techno-noise sprinkled with the sounds of early electro drum machines and murky vocals. His 2016 tape Re-Entry Malfunction soundtracks a disastrous return to earth for an unknown cosmonaut. The album builds from ambient meditations to acid-flavored techno before culminating with the tense and chaotic title track, one that dismantles itself and fades into static before the final message from Mission Control, "Transmission Lost." Part of Seattle's Motor Records collective, Portland's Apartment Fox delivers crisp and dubby techno with an ear for textured minimalism. DANIELA SERNA
