THE STANDARD, THE JOGGERS CD RELEASE, DUTCH FLAT

(Blackbird) See Music pg 15

CORNERSHOP

(Crystal) Though Cornershop's music is a mix of several international elements defined by, or corresponding to, urban centers like Bombay, London, and New York, the band is not dense or even ambitious. Most musicians who attempt such radical blends--the very ancient (raga) with the very new (hiphop, jungle, house)--do so with a heightened sense of purpose, like Talvin Singh or DJ Cheb I Sabbah (both of whom I admire). But Cornershop does it for the sake of pop. There are no great ideas in the band's music; just pleasant atmospheres that will make you snap your fingers. CHARLES MUDEDE

ROCKER T, JAH YZER, CANSAMAN, Y.T.

(Conan's) Brooklyn's Rocker T came to the Dancehall/Ragga Hiphop scene via new wave and skinhead music; he then got real famous through work with KRS-One, Supercat, Sugar Minott, and others, not to mention sing-jaying about how important love is. With West Coast dancehall DJ/producer Jah-Yzer, and Portland's Cansaman and Y.T. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

ADEN, CURRITUCK COUNTY, JEFF LONDON

(Meow Meow) The guitars and tenor vocals of NYC/ Chicago's Aden go down silky smooth, while still being sort of complicated and poppy. Their new record, Topsiders (TeenBeat), explores singer/guitarist Jeff Gramm's baroque leanings even more, with tracks that have more triplet, curlicue guitar work than a gaggle of madrigals, plus the dreamy, lush rhythms that made their previous albums such heartfelt affairs. And... banjo? With a little bit of '70s pop country flair, Aden has grown musically from a dreamy band that sorta pops, into a really interesting band that sorta rocks. JS

FRIDAY 5/24

GYAN RILEY DOING TERRY RILEY, BOGDANOVIC, MORE

(Community Music Center) Hey music geeks! Gyan Riley is this amazing 24-year-old concert guitarist/composer. He is also the son of Terry Riley, so you can bet the good stuff runs through his blood. JS

JOHN BELTRAN, BOBBY BOSSA, ELLIOTT

(Saucebox) If you want to pretend you live near the equator, tonight's Brazilian ambiance may very well be your rhythm prescription. Headlining: John Beltran, the Detroit DJ whose Latin flavor and smooth, deep techno beats will create sweat on the surface of your froufy drinks. With Elliott and Monsieur Bossa, Portland's expert on international beats. JS

PEDRO THE LION, DAMIEN JURADO & GATHERED IN SONG, TW WALSH

(Meow Meow) There's no doubt that Pedro the Lion's David Bazan has a hard-on for The Jesus, but if you can get past that fact, you'll discover one of the darkest, most vivid and downright fucked-up songwriters around. Bible-thumper or not, Pedro the Lion's new record is loaded with lyrics straight out of the Nick Cave songbook; full of sex, sinners, and regret. Like the band's previous records, Control keeps on the start-to-finish storyteller route, this time around telling the tale of marriage gone wrong and all the infidelities and tragedies that ensure in the process. There's no telling what makes such a square guy like Bazan write such dark material, but as long as it keeps coming, I'm willing to overlook his devoting to that bearded guy with the sandals. CARMELO MARTINEZ

SOLOVOX, CHILDREN OF PARADISE, DJ JAMES CAPRICORN, ROB REED

(Ohm) Solovox is the new, one-man outlet of keyboard experimentalist Carlton Tietze. His steez for this show is to set up five or six different keyboards onstage and play them all over beats, running the gamut of house/trance/ funk and whatever else you can dance to--interesting, if only to see how he does it. JS

JAY BENNETT, VIRGIL SHAW, LUTHER RUSSELL

(Dante's) Multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett departed Wilco after completion of its latest album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. He reunited with old friend and collaborator Edward Burch, and together they have released a new album, The Palace at 4 a.m. (Part 1). It's just as majestic as its title suggests, in the vein of Elvis Costello's classic pop, with up-tempo melodies and assured and layered sound. It includes a couple of songs that didn't make it onto Wilco's Yankee ("Venus Stopped the Train" and "Shakin' Sugar"), offering the other half of the jigsaw to that album's sprawling experimental recording sessions. NATE LIPPENS

2FEST: MANY DUOS

(Disjecta) Due to the inexplicable proliferation of two-person bands on the West Coast and beyond, the folks at Disjecta have deemed it a worthy phenomena for a freakin' fiesta, over two days. Tonight is the artier/more electronic-based evening, featuring dub-humpin' improv mind-busters Nice Nice; the ambiance of Project Perfect; the increasingly awesome, minimal punk explosions of Point Line Plane; dirty, dirty sex rappers Polkadot Chokealot; One Human Minute's spastic laptop boxing; and the live beat/melody sculpting of Nudge. In the world of electronics, two is only slightly less economical than one. JS

FOGHORN LEGHORN SQUARE DANCE

(Fez) Standing alongside basketball, automobiles, and jazz, square dancing is one of the four pillars of American culture. A hodgepodge of folk dances from Europe, the colonial-times dance was used as a means to introduce the young ladies to the young gentlemen, and to breed familiarity between the emerging communities of a new country. But, by the 1930s, with the jitterbug and scandalous swing dancing of speakeasies, square dancing had all but vanished. That is, until none other than the Yankee ingenuity of Henry Ford rescued it from obscurity--with grants to resurrect the promenade and a museum for the dosey-doe. What didn't that man do for us? PHIL DOT BUSSE

XIU XIU, SWEET SCIENCE, DAAFT YELLOW SWANS, SILENT FILMS

(Blackbird) In the previous Up and Coming, Phil Dot Busse poses the question, "What didn't [Henry Ford] do for us?" I don't know, but one thing he DID do is give birthday gifts to Adolf Hitler, and employ slaves to build cars for the Nazis during WWII... does the Ford Panzer Tank ring a bell? Hate to disillusion everybody, but anything that looks shiny on top is usually rotten at its core; that's why we should all go see Xiu Xiu tonight. With a painful, slicing honesty about life's interminable travails (all of their lyrics are about themselves or people they know, depicting suicides, drug overdoses, depression, etc.), San Jose's foremost art-pop depressives tell it like it is: shitty. Luckily, they also blanket you in a glorious cacophony of gamelan-like percussion amidst Joy Division (/Spandau Ballet?) attitude over rousing house beats. At the end of the day, you might be more existential, but at least you'll be swimming in the knowledge that there's music so brave, beautiful, and honest out there. Yes... I may hate Henry Ford, but I love Xiu Xiu. JS

MASTER FUOL, DJ ILLNAUGHTY, MANOS ONE, QUIVAH

(Berbati's) Master Fuol is a pretty famous MC who's been on MTV, is featured on the Lyricist Lounge comp, and is notorious for playing party tracks, none of that mellow geeky shit. In addition to DJ Ill Naughty and Manos One, he'll be playing with Quivah, a local crew who promise to pioneer "a new style of hiphop." KATIA DUNN

SATURDAY 5/25

CROOKED FINGERS, PINBACK, MAQUILADORA

(Crystal Ballroom) Earlier this year at Michiganfest, I watched Crooked Fingers silence 1000 hardcore kids, simply by venturing from the stage, out into the crowd, and performing their quiet, acoustic (banjo, upright bass) version of Prince's "When U Were Mine." Now that's powerful. In a world where every third person calls themselves an acoustic singer-songwriter, Crooked Fingers' Eric Bachmann has an unmatched rasp and wisdom in his voice certain to make all the hearts melt, even in large crowds. Pinback, newly signed to Touch & Go, have a similar melting quality, matching their off-kilter vocal and guitar harmonics with a dry, intellectual sort of pop. JS

THE JOLENES, THE KIRBY GRIPS, THE KICKS, DJ GREGERALLA

(Dante's) Opening for SF's harmonizing punkers Kirby Grips are Portlanders The Kicks, a quartet of tough ladies doing garage-y, sometimes scream-y or harmony-y punk rock, and DJ Gregeralla, which is basically just Disc Jockey Gregarious dressed up as a girl because he didn't want to be left out of the superior gender. Pauvre Disc Jockey! JS

MATES OF STATE, APPLESEED CAST, MIRAH

(Meow Meow) Who will steal your heart tonight? Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn, whose adorable (yet never cloying), breathy voice should really earn her the title of "America's Sweetheart." Sigh. Packing a guitar, a ukulele, and the most darling gait, Mirah is smart and quirky as only an East Coaster-come-Olympian-come-East Coaster-or-wherever-the-hell-she-lives-now can be. With the poppy poster couple for Wedded Bliss, Mates of State. JS

2FEST: C AVERAGE, THE HOSPITALS, THE FORMLESS, MERRICK FOUNDATION, FIERY CUBIST, PEGASUS

(Disjecta) C Average does not start a fire in my loins as much as they used to (they've stopped rocking as hard) but their amazing intricate instrumetal is still worth the company. Merrick Foundation is also metally fun, and the Hospitals make enough punk noise to summon packs of wild dogs from Gresham. KATIE SHIMER

CHARM PARTICLES, THE JEFFERSONS, THE GLEANERS

(Medicine Hat) See Music pg 17

THE OUT CROWD, THE VANISHING, THE STRAND, TIM SCANLIN

(Blackbird) The Vanishing, which includes The Lies' Sadie Shaw, is a trio of dark and punks playing a super mix of mid-'80s-style goth/new wave, and intense beats that evoke dancing... very smart, but still very of the now--not retro or ironic or mocking. JS

MISS WHITE TRASH 2002 BEAUTY CONTEST STARRING JESUS PRESLEY, MANDONNA

(Ash Street) Mandonna is, as the name suggests, a bunch of dudes, all dressed in pointy-coned boobs and rhinestones, who sing the hits of Our Queen. Though they clearly are into making fun of themselves, and Madonna, let's hope that they preserve some respect for the fair lady, because any good cover band is both a lover and a hater of the band they're covering. Also talking place is the Miss White Trash contest. Draw your own conclusions about that. KD

SUNDAY 5/26

JOE DAVIS, WATSONVILLE PATIO, SECRET PRIMPER

(Meow Meow) While Secret Primper isn't perfect, their jumpy pop rock sound, complete with melodic sing-song guitars, rock guitar, and explosions of feedback, is something to behold. Their vocalist has that Elvis Costello style, that occasionally becomes a little grating, but their execution is energy filled. KD

MONDAY 5/27

TALL PAUL

(Crystal) Tall Paul is ranked as one of the greatest DJs in the entire universe, and shall turn the Crystal into one huge, hotly dressed sweatbox, as he mixes the likes of INXS with driving, atmospheric techno. JS

THE MICROPHONES, THANKSGIVING, GUESTS

(Meow Meow) This is exciting because, you know, The Microphones are like stepping into a cloud of smart, perfect pop music and being whisked away, but also... well, sometime-Microphonist Mirah is back in town... so maybe she'll play, too? Thousands of hopeful fans wait in the wings to see. JS

TUESDAY 5/28

BLACKALICIOUS, ONRY OZZBORN, DJ ZEPH

(Crystal Ballroom) See My What a Busy Week pg 13

J MASCIS, MIKE JOHNSON

(Blackbird) One of the few things I can clearly recall in the traumatic haze that is my teenage years is my deep-rooted obsession with Dinosaur Jr. While I still forget the names of old friends and lovers, I have no trouble remembering when and where I bought my first Dinosaur Jr. cassette tape, my first band T-shirt, and the first time I saw them play my hometown. In fact, it was at that very show that I learned the importance of earplugs. Well, actually, it was the next morning as I lay in bed whining to my Mom that my ears where ringing too loudly for me to go to school that day. I guess my tender teenager ears where not prepared to be buried under the avalanche of guitar solos. Nowadays, frontman J Mascis is holding his own as a solo artist... and speaking of solo, there will be plenty of them tonight; just be sure to bring your earplugs. CM

MONEY & LOVIN, THE UPRITE DUB ARKESTRA, ELIONAI, DJ SHORTCHANGE

(Mt. Tabor) This should be a lovely evening of jazz/hiphop blending. Money and Lovin are a remarkably polished, comprehensive sounding group, with dueling MCs--tight, cutting male vocals juxtaposed with a seductive, rangey female voice. Upright Dub Arkestra is a band of about 100 people--which isn't too messy--and they specialize in long, jazzy musical solos, which keep their pace and progress. And the most exciting act of the night will be Elionai, who are quick, serious, earnest hiphop, able to rhyme faster than most people can think. KD

WEDNESDAY 5/29

BENEFIT FOR FRED LANDEEN THE PUNKROCK BARBER STARRING PIST'UNS, HIGH & THE MIGHTY, AFROHOMO, TURN ME LOOSE, BEDPANS, SPEDS, ELECTRIC EYE

(Blackbird) This is a benefit to help out Fred Landeen, Portland's infamously kickass barber to punks and non-punks alike, who's hit a run of bad luck. Fred Landeen gives my loved one the BEST combover hairdos, so that he looks like this totally debonair, '40s detective. So I, and many other punks with hair, would like to give him a hand. Others who care: a virtual extravaganza of nasty, gouging punk rock, including the super energy of Electric Eye, Turn Me Loose, and more; it'll be a great time, and no one will have neck hair! JS

HATEBREED, ENSIGN, FIGURE 4

(Meow Meow) While they "tattooed the earth" in 2000, Hatebreed will light your hardcore on fire in 2k2. They sing about hate and how horrible life is, with their extremely aggressive thug metal hardcore. JS

TRACK STAR, BUNKBED, HIDDEN UNDER THE HIDDEN UNDER

(Disjecta) Track Star's sweet guitar and keyboard melodies are worth a night out anytime. The clarity and pep of their playing is remarkable (you can hear every drum tap), as is their ability to sound pop-positive without being cheesy. Bunkbed, recent Portland transplants, come up with some interesting arty noise rock backed up by somber strumming, but the dramatic depression of the vocalist is to me, insincere or over the top. With the CD release of local sadcore songwriter, Hidden Under the Hidden Under. KS

GOING TO SEATTLE?

Wed 5/29: Britney Spears (Tacoma Dome); J Mascis (Tractor)

For more info, visit www.thestranger.com

New Releases May 28: Nik Freitas, Japancakes, My Favorite, Jill Olson, Subtonix*, Susperia, The Sutanamama
* = may be dressed up as nurses