MINK, SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY, TRY AND STEP ON HER

(Medicine Hat) Try and Step on Her are not all that original, but you know when a band is so energetic and tight and passionate about what they're doing that it doesn't really matter all that much? Well, that's the case with these guys. Singer/guitarist Chuck gets all red-faced in his syncopated punk rock jabber, and I'm goddamn glad someone out there still hasn't shelved their No Pocky for Kitty cassette. They're spastic, they've got changes in totally unexpected places, and you should really go, if not for your love of this sort of power, then to see three grown men rocking like they never left their teens. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

LYRICIST LOUNGE TOUR STARRING MOS DEF, BAHAMADIA, SLUM VILLAGE

(Pine St.) Mos Def is OK, I guess. He's definitely an icon of hip-hop due to his amazing vocal abilities, both spoken and written. But...he's kind of getting boring. His latest album, Black on Both Sides, did not fulfill the promises that his earlier Black Star did--he's a little too lazy these days. Mos Def, you're slippin. Slum Village, on the other hand, is always a good time. They're mellow, stoned hip-hop, blurring the lines a bit between R&B and rap and working with old-school artists like D'Angelo, Jazzy Jeff, and Busta Rhymes. Go early, smoke a lot of dope, and then go home and pass out. KATIA DUNN

MOBY, HYBRID

(Roseland) Moby is King Shit right now. I can't turn on the TV without seeing some commercial using one of the 18 singles off of his last album, Play. Hell, even KNRK plays him, even though I don't think he's ever worn a backwards baseball cap. So, inevitably, now is the time where all the hardcore technoheads jump off the Moby ship once and for all; thing is, Moby dropped those people a long time ago. He knew any obsessive scene would just try to contain him, and he's far too clever to stay in one place very long. Lil' Dickie Melville, the vegan Christian porn-addict, is a true rebel. He doesn't give a fuck what the glowstick brigade thinks of him, and unlike poseur rebels like Eminem, he doesn't have to tell you so in every song he writes. So, I gotta love Moby, little electro scrivener that he is. And those of you who think Fatboy Slim's yawner "Praise You" is an innovative use of an old blues record, you have to check Moby's awesome, thumping "Honey." That white whale of a tune gobbles up the old pegleg Slim faster than bulimics on shrimp at a buffet. JAMIE S. RICH

MIRAH, REBECCA PEARCY, BATTLECAT, KATY DAVIDSON

(In Other Words Bookstore, 7:30 pm) The lovely Mirah plays here so much, she might as well relocate, but this time she's gracing us with an all-ages appearance. I beseech you to attend; see what kinds of soft and eloquent sounds can move you to start a little racket. Rebecca Pearcy is a folky diamond, while Battlecat has been known to turn a song about Jesus into a lo-fi pop gem. You know Katy Davidson--Dear Nora extraordinairess--but do you know her solo work? I do, and it is truly sublime; quiet acoustic stuff, with occasional voice-cracking that will break your heart. JS

ROLLERBALL, BEDS, ROB KOHLER, FIL2K ENSEMBLE

(Medicine Hat) Ahhh, Rollerball. Portland's curtain-of-noise heroes just keep getting better, and more definite in what they're trying to do. Their sound is somewhat dark and cobwebby, like ghostly chains rattled in the basement, except very abstract; it's the sound an abandoned building would make if it could speak. JS

SILVER HAWKS, STEREO CRUSH, BLUEBOTTLE KISS

(Meow Meow) Tired of nights in front of the TV eating frozen Turkey Pot Pies and watching reruns of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? No? I never get tired of those nights, either. But anyway, this show just might restore that skip to your step; that vitality that gives you the energy to change channels, go to the grocery store, and create new paraphernalia out of old household products. That lust for life, that need for variety--all satisfied at the hands of Stereocrush, Silverhawks, and Bluebottle Kiss. Stereocrush, you may have heard before: toned-down, diggable, alternative music (sort of guy-missing-his-girl sounding), with a singer who could benefit from a few voice lessons or a turn-down on the vocals. Silverhawks are country-rock (remember the theme--variety) spawned from the ex-Olympia band Frequency DB. I imagine Australia's Bluebottle Kiss will be a) awesome and b) Belle and Sebastian-esque, with more rock. KATIE SHIMER

NWEAMO SECOND PORTLAND ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL

(Lewis & Clark College, Evans Auditorium, 8 pm) Day two, featuring eclectic artists from France (Elsa Justel, Battery Operated), Hong Kong (Christopher Keyes), Massachusetts (Dennis Miller), and California (Michael McNabb). Definitely something to support. JS

SISTER 7, JOHN OSZAJCA

(Tonic Lounge) Sister 7 is for the sistas. Sistas meaning chicks. Chicks meaning girls who listen to Sarah McLachlan and Alanis Morisette while remembering relationships gone bad. Lead singer gal has a voice good enough to be her own Alanis, but I guess she wants to give the band some credit--unlike the selfish Sheryls and Natalies of the world. KS

PICK-A-THON

(Horning's Hideout) At the end of the summer, for one long day, the rustling of the wind blowing through the tall grass of Oregon's coastal hills is replaced by virtually every sound that steel strings can produce, from mournful blues to giddy-up, honky-tonk banjo pickin'. From dusk until midnight, a dozen artists will take the makeshift stage in the backcountry of Horning's Hideout, out towards the coast. Yes, it is the annual fundraiser for local community radio station KBOO. (All of the artists are volunteering their time.) This year has an impressive line-up, from the sterling banjo playing of Seamus Eagan to the languid voice and slide guitar of long-time blues musician Kelly Joe Phelps. In addition, this festival adds several new faces and sounds. In the late afternoon, the Countrypolitans will show off the full-bodied voice of their singer, Elisabeth Ames, and the band's stripped-down version of country and western swing. PHIL BUSSE

RICKIE LEE JONES

(Aladdin) An old girlfriend introduced me to Rickie Lee Jones. She also introduced me to Ani DiFranco, Victoria Williams, and Melanie. She was a wannabe hippie chick who read lots of Kerouac but had no idea how to treat a nice guy right, and her musical tastes alone should have been enough to send me packing (I mean, she loved Pearl Jam, for chrissake!). But Ms. Jones doesn't belong in the overly earnest, drippy folk category those other girls live in. The appeal of her records has always been her oddball style--a sort of marriage of bebop beatifics with the soul searching of late '70s singer-songwriters. Not to mention her amazing voice. To call it honeyed would be a disservice, unless you acknowledge how deep in her gut the hive is hidden. I was lucky enough to catch Rickie Lee on her Pop Pop tour in the early '90s, and it was intimate and soulful, like attending a musical party at her house. I might have still been with that dumb girl, but eventually I got the clue and moved on. About the only things I kept from the relationship were my Rickie Lee records, proving good music can always transcend the assholes that may listen to it. JSR

THE REDS, THE REAL PILLS, THE FLIPTOPS

(EJ's) The Real Pills are an energetic band, one that plays with both serious punk and a lightweight, enthusiastic energy. They're fun, basically, and don't take themselves too seriously. Perhaps that accounts for the fact that they're practically the house band at EJ's now--they keep rockin', and the people keep coming. KD

EYEHATEGOD, SUPLECS, WITCH MOUNTAIN

(Pine Street Theater) If music needs a dark yang to the effervescent sunshine of Calobo, then Eyehategod and Suplecs are it. Inhabiting the same murky and oppressive world, these two heavy metal bands live at the bottom end of musical scales, where weighty bass lines and bellowing vocals mix up a syrupy atmosphere. Eyehategod is still doing what they've done for over a decade: Bring your shoulder pads and prepare to slam. A more recent addition to music, Suplecs, offer a slight gasp of fresh air from this underworld. Their vocals approach something closer to an intelligible language and are vaguely silly--but still spitting angry, mind you. PB

WESTBURY SQUARES, SLOW

(Satyricon) Recently, Portland trio Slow somehow landed themselves on a much-coveted opening gig for The Gossip and Sleater-Kinney--kind of a surprising occurrence for a madcap trio of acoustic punk kids with vocal influences that seem to come straight from Meet Me in St. Louis. Their male vocalist, whose show-tune voice is really impeccable (he handles meandering notes without cracking, and it's easy to picture him projecting into the most tucked-away annals of a proscenium theater), should be the perfect offset to the Westbury Squares' shoe-dragging pop punk. Slow should really stay away from the Eminem covers, though; Slim Shady just ain't funny anymore. JS

DEAR NORA, URBAN LEGENDS, KISSING BOOK

(Reed College Pool Room, 7 pm) There was never a more fitting place to see these three bands; they're all-American and slightly nostalgic for the times when Jack Purcells were less of a fashion statement and more of a necessity, and the Ice Cream Truck Driver never got beat up for cutting off a yuppie with a cell phone. Besides that, it's a Dear Nora seven-inch record release party; it's about time somebody realized that releasing a small plate of vinyl is truly cause for celebration. (I really, really hope the seven- inch is colored, by the way.) Plus, this is your chance to see both Urban Legends and Kissing Book, two excellent local soft pop ensembles who don't play out enough. JS

BOBSLED RECORDS TOUR STARRING ADVENTURES IN STEREO, THE WAXWINGS, THE CHAMBER STRINGS

(Tonic Lounge) The Adventures in Stereo (including ex-Primal Screamer Jim Beattie) have been releasing beautifully simple albums since 1997, and this is their much-anticipated tour of the US. Judith Boyle's voice is like 10 yards of airy white, plush fur, and their latest album, Monomania, is an enchanting foray into light austerity, with guitars and harmonies cut from the same cloth as fellow Glasgowians, the Pastels. Prepare yourself for their show of all things innocent, yet sophisticated enough not to be sticky-sweet. The Waxwings have Beach Boys harmonies in the most annoyingly derivative way imaginable, but do sometimes throw in a fun ditty that is too charmingly "surf" to keep from dancing (plus, the songs where they're not trying to sound like someone else are actually kind of good). The Chamber Strings are coming from the Kinks, dangle-a-smoke-from-yr-mouth-Johnny neck of the woods. This show is highly recommended, but I am only 100 percent recommending the Adventures in Stereo's performance. If it's anything like their albums, you'll think they're sending you rosy-cheeked feathers from heaven. JS

JURASSIC 5, BEAT JUNKIES, DILATED PEOPLES, SUPERNATURAL

(Roseland) You know how so many tours headline with someone super-good, throw a few more popular names in there, and then find a way to have Joe Schmoe open, just to kill time? Well, whoever organized this tour is definitely not of that school of thought. All four of these groups are doing amazing stuff right now, pushing the limits of hip-hop and DJs. Take Beat Junkies, for example. They're a 13-person DJ team that's held the title at the International Turntablist Federation Spin-offs for two years straight. They're unique because they sample a ton of new-school underground; like the very people they're touring with, as well as more fringe stuff like Defari and The Alkaholiks. Unlike so many stale DJs out there, they're never too scratchy, because they deal in words, not cuts. J-5 and DP are certainly worth seeing as well, though I'm out of space so you'll just have to take my word for it: if you like hip-hop at all, you'll like them. KD

TRANS AM, THE FUCKING CHAMPS, NEIL HAMBURGER, LADDIO BALACKO

(Pine Street Theater) All right, no flowery language and shit in this blurb. This show is going to kick ass. The Champs: Metal for the most part, sometimes almost hardcore, two guitars (one nine-string), one drummer, some electronic music, amplifier feedback, and almost no vocals. For the technical music lover who also loves to rock out. Trans Am: Guitarist, bass player, drummer, analog machines, a bunch of other crazy noisemakers. Electro-rock that is all its own. People call it experimental rock, indie rock, post-rock experimental rock, but I don't really think that says anything about the music. It's sort of futuristic and crazy but you can still dance to it, or feverishly play your invisible drums. For people who "get it."

THURS 9/14: Mike Watt & a Pair of Pliers, Band That Made Milwaukee Famous (Crocodile); Carrie Akre (Gordon Biersch)

FRI 9/15: Voyager One, Kinski, The Delusions (Crocodile); The Wiretaps, The Cripples, The Stereotypists (I-Spy);

SAT 9/16: Hell's Belles, Hafacat, Bad Apples (Graceland); Bill Horist, Paul Hoskin (Second Ave Pizza)

TUES 9/19: Adventures in Stereo, Waxwings, The Chamber Strings (I-Spy); Tristeza, Go Go Go Airheart, Transmarine (Paradox); Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Halford (Tacoma Dome)

For more info, visit www.thestranger.com