Most of the people going to Red Bull Sound Selectâs 3 Days in Portland concerts probably live in Portland, but whateverâthe three-day mini-festival has an incredible lineup and the tickets are cheap ($10 per show). Hereâs what to expect each night, from Alvvaysâ yacht-pop to NAOâs supernatural-sounding voice.
THURSDAY 5/18
Alvvays, the Courtneys, Candace Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell
To be honest, at first I didnât like Alvvays. Sailing in the Atlantic? Marriage? What is this, a J. Crew ad? But something changedâthat dang âArchie, Marry Meâ song is irresistible, and after enough listens, frontwoman Molly Rankin pried my heart open like a stubborn clam. Soon I realized that pretty much every song on the Canadian bandâs 2014 self-titled debut is great. Itâs low-stakes indie-pop with nonstop hooks thrown in your face like rainbow glitter. No one I argue about this with agrees, but I think Rankin sounds like Dolores OâRiordan of the Cranberries (without the Irish accent). Alvvaysâ fellow Canadians the Courtneys sound like Vivian Girls covering New Order. In February they released The Courtneys II, an album of lo-fi punk thatâs caught in a California fever dream. Rounding out the bill is Portlandâs own Candace (FKA Is/Is), the self-described âwitchgazeâ three-piece responsible for writing the song âMidnight Blue,â which I love. They hang out at the intersection of shoegaze and psych-rock, with loud guitars and feathery harmonies. CIARA DOLAN
FRIDAY 5/19
NAO, Harriet Brown, Chanti Darling Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell
British neo-soul singer NAOâs high and fluttery voice is light-years beyond euphonic, and often verges on nostalgicâher complex runs and unique tone vaguely harken to â90s-era Brandy, or American Idolâs Fantasia Barrino. But NAO (born Neo Jessica Joshua) offers a futuristic take on R&B, with layers of synth, funky guitar, piano, and crisp beats, in a style she calls âwonky funk.â Last year she released her studio debut, For All We Know, on her own label, Little Tokyo Recordings. The moving single âBad Bloodâ is just one of the addictive tracks on the albumâthereâs also the pining âGirlfriend,â the funk-infused love anthem âHappy,â and âAdore You,â which also appears on her 2014 EP So Good. In addition to R&B, NAOâs music spans genres like soul, funk, and electronic. And no, thereâs no special effect causing her voice to sound that coolâit comes naturally. If her Twitter and YouTube videos are any indication, she sings just as beautifully live. With support from âromantic funkâ performer/producer Harriet Brown and Portlandâs own futuristic disco artist Chanti Darling, tonightâs show is guaranteed to be unforgettable. JENNI MOORE
SATURDAY 5/20
Aminé, A2, the Last Artful, Dodgr Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside
Unlike my initial apathy toward Alvvays, I immediately loved AminĂ©. Last year the Portland rapper released his debut single, âCaroline,â which quickly shot to the top of Billboardâs charts. For good reasonâitâs sun-kissed and bouncy, with references to astrology and Quentin Tarantino. In an interview with Genius, AminĂ© said he wrote the track to be a âmodern-day âBillie Jean.ââ The video is equally fun: Heâs dancing in the backseat with friends, hanging out at Mikeâs Drive-In in Oregon City (which I can affirm has the best deep-fried pickles around), and in a room full of bananas. In November, one week after the election, he performed an orchestral version of âCarolineâ on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with fellow Portland R&B/hip-hop artists Blossom and the Last Artful, Dodgr (whoâll open tonightâs show). For his television debut, AminĂ© concluded his breakthrough hit with an added verse boldly addressing the impending administration: âIf my President is Trump then itâs relevant enough/To talk âbout it on TV and not give a fuck/Iâm Black and Iâm proud/My skin is brown and Iâm loud.â This act of defiance and his similarly addictive single âREDMERCEDESâ hint that AminĂ© might be the most important artist in Portland right now. CD