THURSDAY 8/21

THE KINGDOM, INVISIBLE, MOON PONY
(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy) Plenty of music composed for cinema tends to flow through the ambient/instrumental vein, so it's nice to hear a band that deems lyrics appropriate for its accompanying filmic treats. Namely, Invisible, a local four-piece, intersperses sparse instrumentation (on guitar, drums, keyboards, violin) with occasional sound effects (someone writing, some birds chirping) and measured, calming vocals. The result is certainly cinematic--mostly loping, as you'd expect--but in a pleasing, deep-breathing way, as slow music with a locus of attention tends to be. The final project, with film and all, should be really interesting. This is a double release party for the Invisible's EP and the first seven-inch by The Kingdom, who have written a paean to Johnny Unitas, the Baltimore Colt. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

APPLESEED CAST, MERCURY PROGRAM
(Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine) So I interviewed Appleseed Cast yesterday. (By "interviewed," I mean, "I'm totally making shit up.") Lead singer Christopher Crisci had the following to say about his new rec, The Two Conversations: "Although this CD is more rock-y than our emo-y stuff on Deep Elm, we remain forever inspired by, and indebted to, Johnny Appleseed. The Two Conversations is about love. It's love in all facets, and that's what ol' Johnny had for the apple-trees. Listen, the man wanted to cover the whole damn US of A in apple-trees! That's love! We eat hella apples. Hella. Like, four a day. Sometimes more. Apples are the gawdamn shit." ADAM GNADE

FIREBALLS OF FREEDOM, NEW WAVE HOOKERS, GODDAMN GENTLEMEN
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Throw down some dough for local rockers The Fireballs so they can afford drinks on their upcoming European tour with the Stooges and the Cramps. Plus, it's your favorite garage band, the Goddamn Gentlemen. KATIE SHIMER

TOAST AND JAM DANCE PARTY STARRING YARD, DJ STAY IN SCHOOL, DJ POLAR
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Bid a simultaneous "adieu" and "Happy Birthday" to Toast and Jam mastermind Chris Jones (doing a DJ set as Yard), as he becomes an undisclosed "age" and moves to an undisclosed "other city."

DEADBOLT, DOLLAR STORE COWBOYS,

ANTIWORLD, BLACKOUT RADIO
(DV8, 5021 SW Powell) Deadbolt call their music voodoo-billy, which of course means rockabilly but played while wearing black outfits. They mean to entertain, however, and who can't appreciate that? Dollar Store Cowboys grease their hair like The Outsiders and play tight country punk that glamorizes white trash livin'. KS

FRIDAY 8/22

PDX TROPIX
(Million, 120 N Russell) See Music pg 18

SWINGSETT, ELLIOTT
(Saucebox, 214 SW Broadway) New York veteran-of-a-million-labels DJ Swingsett returns with his selection of jazz-influenced breaks and soulful downtempo, all built upon his 11-year history of delving through the interconnecting rhythms of jazz and hiphop, jungle and soul. Hiphop, funk, soul, and probably the vocal samples of his betrothed, celebrated nujazz diva Lisa Shaw. JS

DEL TOROS, 8FT TENDER, MANFALL,

SK AND THE PUNKASS BITCHES
(Twilight, 1420 SE Powell) The Del Toros are releasing a CD tonight of their no-bullshit rock music that almost sounds like a pair of black jeans and beer. Their shows tend to be laidback party scenes as it is, just some rockers feeling good, rockin'. Their music is metally and anthemic, laying down a solid, rough instrumental base for lyrics that play with both a girly band cheerleading style and baby talk. At other times, there's a steely, Wendy O. Williams-style, sinister robot bedroom voice going on. If you haven't seen these locals recently or at all, check it out for some solid girl action that's not too grrly. MARJORIE SKINNER

JOSH WERNER, CNS ENGINEERING
(1201, 1201 SW 12th) Gramaphone Records being a one-stop DJ record shop located in Chicago, Josh Werner being Gramaphone Records' techno buyer: the formula here is for an even-nerdier DJ than usual, who obviously comes across thousands of records per day, handpicking singles to play in his own sets. Is more better? Experience Werner's fine-tuned oeuvre tonight. JS

THE BELLRAYS, NEBULA,

POST-STARDOM DEPRESSION
(Dante's, 1 SW 3 rd) Nebula's new album, Atomic Ritual (out at the end of September), shows the trio at their prime, with a songwriting strength equal to 2001's Charged, an album that made you want to pocket a pharmacy full of pills and a gallon of tequila and drive through the desert at illegal speeds. They're still orbiting the planet Psychedelic and blasting out the effects on their way to the big desert rock kingdom. Also on the bill are the BellRays, a band that boasts one of the most powerful female vocalists in rock, Lisa Kekaula, who belts out the hard soul like Tina Turner for the new millennium. The BellRays' Raw Collection is one excellent album that truly lives up to its name. JENNIFER MAERZ

PICKATHON
(Horning's Hideout) About 20 minutes outside Portland is one of the most awe-inspiring and under-used outdoor venues in Oregon. Rolling wheat fields, a meandering pond and a deep-dish amphitheater, the place feels as if you have been invited into someone's personal (and sprawling) backyard--which, in a sense, you have. The land was donated by the Horning family after its patriarch, who had worked with nuclear devices at Los Alamos, died of cancer. A small inscription announces the land is meant as gift back to the community--a touching gesture that sets the tone for the annual KBOO Pickathon. A weekend-long concert, Pickathon explores nearly every manifestation of stringed instruments, from the shadowy blues of Otis Taylor to the thigh-slapping bluegrass of Jackstraw. But more than anything, it's the laidback, summertime attitude that distinguishes the concert. Don't be surprised if, between sets, the musicians sidle up alongside you and share their potato salad! For directions, check out pickathon.com. PB

SATURDAY 8/23

KPRA B-DAY PARTY STARRING A VARIETY OF DJS
(3749 SE Madison) Everyone's favorite local pirate radio station is turning one year old! Hooray! Come celebrate tonight with foosball, booze, and shitloads of dancing to the spins of FIFTEEN different DJs, all throwing down in the name of taking back the airwaves. Eat a dick, ClearChannel! JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS

SAM KIRKLAND, ERIC JOHNSON AKA DJ BUNNY EARS, DJ IZM
(Holocene) Once again, a robo.trash DJ takes on Portland in the form of Seattle's Sam Kirkland, a stalwart at the Seattle electro/tech-house night. This is the first we've heard from Eric Johnson, aka DJ Bunny Ears, in awhile, as he's been doing things like... I dunno... making video art for thousands at SONAR in Barcelona, with Pulseprogramming (on Portland's Aesthetics Records). DJ Izm shall spin a collection of hiphop and other various and sundry danceables to keep your Saturday moving. Remember, "drop beatz, not bombz." JS

QUIVAH, RAMSEY BROTHERS, TURTLE ISLAND
(Mt. Tabor, 4811 SE Hawthorne) It's a fiesta of live hiphop, with Portland faves Quivah and openers Turtle Island, whose funky, Latin-influenced beats are augmented by guitars, keyboards, an emcee, and two DJs. In the middle: Ramsey Brothers, a DJ, two emcees and a lady vocalist whose express purpose is to "promote positivity." Can't argue with that. JS

THE JOLENES, CONTINUOUS PEASANTS,

MAN OF THE YEAR
(Dante's) Tonight, through the space of their quivering rock loins, The Jolenes give birth to a brand spankin' new debut album, Rinse and Repeat. These three hot mamas play churny guitar rock fueled by Katy Sanford's relentlessly monotonous vocals, which are kind of hypnotic. When a voice is this persistent and unchanging, it becomes an instrument itself, blending harmoniously with the fuzzy music around it. JWS

DJ EVIL ONE, DJ KLA, DJ HONEY CUT,

DJ MADD ONE, DJ SKRILLA
(Fez, 316 SW 11th) Some damn good local DJs get together to raise funds to help Josh Skins, the drummer of Systemwide, get out of the hospital. Skins made the egregious error of... not using a car, and was run over while on his bike by an auto driver. Tonight, dance and drink to help a commuter friend out, then take a nice, leisurely bike, bus, cab, or walk back home. JWS

NEIL HAMBURGER, PLEASEEASAUR,

DR. EL SUAVO
(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy) Pulling off comedy in rock clubs is a tough bid. Har Mar Superstar does it well. Pleaseeasaur tries damn hard. Quintron fares nicely, but blurs the lines between theater and comedy--which gets a little confusing. Now, Neil Hamburger is all that and a bag of chips, AND a kosher dill pickle. Main thing about Neil is he gets laughs by being totally unfunny. His timing blows. His delivery is atrocious, and his stage presence stinks like rotten refried beans, 10 days old. And for those very reasons, I'd give him my precious prime-time hours over a million Billy Crystals or Chris Rocks. ComicRelief won't NEVAH see laughs like this. AG

EXHUMED, SEVERED SAVIOR, BUNG,

FALL OF THE BASTARDS
(DV8) It is truly gratifying to watch a local band make good on early promise. Fall of the Bastards have rocked from the get go, and shown potential for greater glory; meanwhile, a steady diet of local gigs made them a band to watch. This year they finally recorded a debut disc and hit the road, returning from tour just as hungry, but far more potent: the riffage is blacker than ever. Grinding blast beats are flawlessly executed by one of the fastest drummers around, and vocalist Jason Voorhees has grown into a versatile and formidable frontman with a violent range that is truly impressive without ever seeming macho or forced. Portland has many metal fans, but too few good metal bands. And no one is standing in the way of Fall of the Bastards becoming the premiere extreme metal band in town. NATHAN CARSON

NORTHERN STATE, PAM THA FUNKSTRESS, CLEVELAND STEAMERS
(Nocturnal, 1800 NE Burnside) While NYC-based, educated rapping trio Northern State's been hailed by critics (including the perennially pertinent and usually sane Robert Christgau) as being the great white hope for female independent hiphop, their record Dying in Stereo is pretty disappointing. (Not-great flow, even worse lyrics--I hate to bring up their oft-vilified "Don't blame me, I voted for Gore" line.. but ladies, why?!) I want them to be good, because I want there to be a bigger, better place for ladies in hiphop--to be fair, a couple songs, like the pro-graffiti number "Vicious Cycle," are charming--but, by no fault of the band, they now have to answer to the gargantuan reputation saddled upon them by critics--problem is, they don't live up to it. That said, theirs will be a fun show if you don't do too much scrutinizing. Here's to hoping they improve their flow. JS

BLACK FURIES, FATAL FLYING GUILLOTEENS, STRAITJACKETS, KNIGHT BADGER,

THE HOSPITALS
(Twilight) When you think Estrus, you think wild 'n' crazy garage rock--the kinds of bands that invite the kinds of crowds that would leave even the diviest bar a wreck because the energy always rushes in that direction. But the Fatal Flying Guilloteens have a sound that's more tightly leashed: an angular, stop-start stutter that pushes them ahead of the pack without sacrificing any of that sweaty je ne sais quoi. Their new record, Get Knifed, is one of the best releases (along with the Immortal Lee County Killers II's Love Is a Charm of Powerful Trouble) the label's put out this year. JM

SUNDAY 8/24

BADGER KING, ANTIQUARK, VIOLENT VICKIE, SQUIRREL MEAT
(Blackbird) Lots of feminists are wielding electronics here, especially in the form of Violent Vickie, who programs primitive beats and synth lines and speaks lyrics such as "In the '70s, women used to take responsibility to shut their snatch... Girls become women way too fast. They need to learn to shut their snatch. Don't have a baby; it's too early." Meanwhile, San Diego's awesome Antiquark sculpts a darker, more abstract techno, but with a similar, message-delivery style of vocals--God love Laurie Anderson. Complete with the unpredictable Squirrel Meat and operatically electronic Badger King: performance is centrally located. JS

BANE, CHAMPION, THE PROMISE, SUICIDE FILE, PHYSICAL CHALLENGE, GO IT ALONE
(Meow Meow, 7 pm) Oh, the energy of hardcore punk; there's just nothing sweatier. Bane's been tooting around in the scene for creeping up on a decade now, and there's a reason for that. When it comes to charging, thudding guitar licks and screaming incoherently into a mic, they're as tight as it gets. JWS

TUESDAY 8/26

HIGH ON FIRE, C AVERAGE, HEAVY JOHNSON TRIO
(Dante's) One of the unsung fringe benefits of living in Portland is the close proximity to the best underground metal scene in the states. San Francisco consistently boasts the loudest and proudest bands who thankfully revere the early jeans and T-shirt days of Metallica over the trimmed and groomed monstrosity they've become. High on Fire swing through town every few months, leveling all in their path. Des Kensel's drumming sounds like the thunder of hooves galloping into the valley and raising a cloud of dust. George Rice plucks his bass with the might of an army. Matt Pike is general and warlord, strumming power chords of doom while shouting commands from a gaggle of crooked teeth. Mid-paced and pulverizing, High on Fire deliver the most consistent ultra-doom concert of 2003. NC

MODERNSTATE, ECHO AVE, TALKDEMONIC
(Blackbird) Talkdemonic plays instrumental, arty, indie-type stuff with a drum set and a sequencer. This would be great background music at the Tube, with its swells, and skips, and shimmers--or actually, anyplace that serves fancy cocktails. Modernstate revels in muted depression without being boring. Guitar, drums, and Sam Schauer's vocals splice into something otherwise atmospheric and sad (and reminiscent of Mike Kinsella's solo project, Owen). KS

MIRAH & EMILY, THE CHASE, BUG GIRL
(NE 23rd & Liberty, 7 pm) Our favorite roving songbird Mirah's all collaborative these days, having just released a record with Ginger Brooks Takahashi--it's stellar, yet surprisingly light on vocals--and having added Emily Kingan (of the Haggard) on drums. The Chase shall play their cello-inflected punk rock, and Bug Girl trucks her brother and dark acoustic music all the way from Australia. It's at 7 pm, so you can still make it home in time for a full night's rest. JS

HOT WATER MUSIC, THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES, anna oxygen
(Meow Meow) Florida's Hot Water Music mixes sandblasted vocals with emphasis-on-the-core-emo-core that makes the punk kids dance and the indie kids nod and the rock kids do the air-stepping-on-the-distortion-pedal thing, which is WAY hotter than air guitar, any day. AG

WEDNESDAY 8/27

PORTLAND UNDERGROUND SECRET SOCIETY Y'ALL
(Ash Street) Their only music is that of comedy-- the great ringing peals of laughter that follow P.U.S.S.Y.'s absurdist improv and stand-up--but the concept is distinctly rock and roll. JS

SUPER SPECIAL SECRET SHOW
(Blackbird) We are not allowed to explicitly SAY who the secret band is, but here are some clues: 1. It's definitely not Steve Malkmus (for once) 2. It is an all-boy summer fun band 3. In phrases, their band name is a word followed by "splints" for people who run in bad shoes, or preceded by "kick you in the" for bullies 4. They release their records on the same label that's released Canadians like Eric's Trip, Hot Hot Heat, Constantines... and more Portland bands than any non-Portland label in the history of the world 5. Their videos tend to feature dogs, including Beija Georges, celebrated pet of famous Portland karaoke/fanzine maven Nicole Georges. JS

MùM, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
(Berbati's) See Music pg 19

FINSTER, PILLARS OF NEIN, ILL INTENT,

PSYLOCYBIN

(Conan's, 3862 SE Hawthorne) Pillars of Nein's slow, apocalyptic goth/metal is some of the most compelling music I've heard in a while. They borrow from classic bands like the Cure, but they pull together something that's original; dark and atmospheric, but still rock. The singer overdoes it a bit on the spooky/sad vocals and some of the lyrics could use an overhaul, but Pillars of Nein is still pretty damn excellent. KS

STORM & THE BALLS, STARLIGHT MINTS, STEVE BURNS
(Dante's) Does your heart need a bigger sweater? Know someone whose heart does? If so, get on down to Dante's tonight to bask in the playful eccentricity that is the Starlight Mints. (That sweater bit is a line from one of their songs, by the way....) This combo actually shares more with off-kilter kindred indie-popsters Beulah and Sunset Valley than fellow Okie oddballs the Flaming Lips. Their latest album, the highly addictive Built on Squares, is bouncy, fun, weird, and grinningly, unapologetically dorky. Barbara Mitchell