31 KNOTS, POINT JUNCTURE WA, FLOATING CITY (Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) 31 Knots continue to rock on the strength of Joe Haege's jagged, introspective songwriting and Jay Winebrenner's groovy basslines. Tonight catch a sneak peak of their forthcoming EP Talk Like Blood, soon to be released on the impressive Polyvinyl Records. JWS

EASY ACTION, THE HUNCHES, FIREBALLS OF FREEDOM, TYPHOON KILLER (Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) See "My, What a Busy Week!" pg 17

GUTTERMOUTH, 800 OCTANE, ANOTHER DAMN DISAPPOINTMENT, LOW TOLERANCE (Loveland, 320 SE 2nd Ave) Guttermouth's run on last summer's Warped Tour--a stint that found working class singer Mark Adkins picking fights with his tourmates, dismissing the lineup's more popular bands as a "bunch of faggots" and asserting from the stage that violins had no place in punk rock (oh snap, Yellowcard!)--seemed more than a little troubling. What this said about Guttermouth is that while they may still have been on the Warped Tour, they were no longer of the Warped Tour and, accordingly, after a few weeks the band dropped off. But the problem with this and Eat Your Face--their latest, flimsy "return to form,"--is that all this audacity merely makes Adkins look like a dick, while his band's music ends up feeling really kind of pathetic. They may still take the stage at Loveland with even more tasteless commentary, but the jock punk Oasis they are not. Too bad. TREVOR KELLEY

HELLCAT HUSSIES AND THE MOBTOWN MOXIE REVIEW (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) In this day and age of giving a shit whose phone number is in rich, vacant Paris Hilton's Blackberry, it's no wonder sexual aggression is on the rise. Even in Chicago. It is from that frigid town that the Mobtown Moxie Review's "Slut Tour" hails, a queer variety show boasting piercing performance, cello, comedy, drag, and tons more. While the scare-o-meter has a high potential of maxing out tonight, it could be fascinating. Either way, "we won't leave until you fuck us," threatens the troupe. Chilling. MARJORIE SKINNER

KASABIAN, MAD ACTION, ROCK AND ROLL SOLDIERS (Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) I used to consider myself immune to the marketing tactics of major corporations, but Kasabian's album proved how un-independent my consumer independence was. Kasabian were--as so many bands are--featured on an episode of The O.C. , and since I love The O.C. and I liked the snippet--something about a hard, driving guitar line--it sparked my interest. But then--oh, then, their single "Club Foot" was used in the trailer for the upcoming sci-fi film Serenity, in which the track's rockin' beat was paired with footage of exploding spaceships and lightning zooms and sharp, pithy lines of dialogue. Now I have their CD in my Jeep, and I listen to it whenever I'm in either a gleeful sort of O.C. mood or a badass driving fast/pretending I'm piloting a spaceship sort of mood, and I think it sums Kasabian up pretty neatly to note that their music fits both situations quite well. ERIK HENRIKSEN

O.C.S., ERIC LANDARK, NATE DENVER, STEREO OBSCURA (Dunes, 1905 NE MLK) See "Music," pg 19

SLEATER-KINNEY, MARY TIMONY (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See "My, What a Busy Week!" pg 17

SPACE LORD, CROWN MOTEL, BON REVE (Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place) I do not wish to convey, explicitly or implicitly, that the members of Space Lord use any illegal substance to create their awesome, sickedelic drone-rock. However, I would venture to speculate that membership in this largely improvisational band does not require a urine sample. Admittedly, it's been a while since I've borne witness to the Lord, but I distinctly remember a flute player, banter about chakras, and feeling very stoned, despite the fact that I was completely sober. For extra fun, try reciting passages of the Bible, substituting "Space Lord" for "Lord." KIP BERMAN

ATHLETE, CAVES (Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) With a name like Athlete, this band should have a little more energy to burn, you'd think. Someone needs to hand these guys some hankies and let them really blow it all out. Life's not really that difficult, guys--and when it is, we already have Coldplay, Travis, David Gray, and all the other gut-wrenchers performing their weepy slow dances across the stage. Athlete's music makes Ethan Hawke's angsty career seem understated. JENNIFER MAERZ

GARGANTULA, STOVOKOR (Sabala's Mt Tabor, 4811 SE Hawthorne) The cover of Gargantula's new record, Infinitasm, is decorated with awesome, purplish artwork depicting fantasia-style goth scenes of plummeting fairies and spooky looking monster people in purple, smoky tones. Featuring members of Spaceboy and SST sub-legends Bl'ast!, the band seals the deal with song titles like "Time Worms" and "Sodomized By Lightening." This is serious goth metal at its queasiest, mustachioed, craftastic most. Which means you are either very much in or very much out. MS

KAISER CHIEFS, MOBIUS BAND (Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Mobius Band are a New England trio whose mild blend of electronic pop and post-rock may remind you of another Ghostly International outfit (Midwest Product), except Mobius exude more pop savvy and a sulkier melancholy streak. Working that sullen British angle gives Mobius a better chance of capturing the pallid, Anglophiliac youth demo that Interpol have been mesmerizing. And Mobius's debut EP for Ghostly, City Vs Country, displays a soft-centered romanticism and frownsome tunefulness that will likely catch radio programmers' ears. DAVE SEGAL

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE CAROLINES, THE VILLAGE GREEN (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) It takes a whole lotta self-confidence to name your band The Village Green, since The Kinks' Village Green Preservation Society is one of the best rock albums ever. So it's quite a remarkable achievement that these local popsters are good enough not to look ridiculous by their chosen moniker. Their stoner charm ("Get Up, Get Out, Get High") and exuberant embrace of British Invasion pop melodies bring to mind early Supergrass laced with more than a hint of Liam Gallagher's "fawk you" snarl. Listening to the band's recent recordings, it's clear their confident posture is more than just smoke and mirrors. Though, that's not to say that there isn't any smoke… KIP BERMAN

THE BETTER TO SEE YOU WITH, WOLVES IN THE THRONEROOM, DEAD/BIRD, SICKIE SICKIE (Food Hole, 20 NW 3rd) Life can be so confusing sometimes. You go out to a venue called Food Hole, but they don't serve any food. You find a new favorite band, Sickie Sickie, just to find out that it's their last show. And you might feel kinda lame because you don't know any of these bands, or that there even was a new DIY all ages venue in downtown. The musical talents performing tonight--diverse, ecstatic, and harshly beautiful--probably aren't going to make things any easier. Dead/Bird can slay anyone that comes within a 10-block radius with his epic sound system and booming skills. Sickie Sickie are three incredible ladies with crazy stage presence and fancy riffs who'll sound so much better knowing that you'll never be able to see them again. EDITH WONG

DEF SENTENCE CD RELEASE FEATURING SANTOTZIN, MS. SU'AD AND ADRIAN ADEL, ROCHELLE HART, PECOS B, CONTAJUS & THE SWAMP ANGELS, DJ EVEL STEVE (Wax, 5101 N Interstate) Loads of hiphop artists, poets, musicians, emcees, and you name it got together on the Def Sentence compilation CD as a benefit for Books to Prisoners. Support them and their cause tonight at the CD release, because even if you're as clueless as I am about who these artists are, this is a good thing, you're seeing something new, and Wax is in North Portland, probably a half block from your house. KS

DRATS!!! PRESENTS "OVER THE EDGE" (Sabala's Mt Tabor, 4811 SE Hawthorne, 5:30 pm) Combine your loves of cult film, local music, and free fun in one fell swoop tonight with a screening of Matt Dillon's Over the Edge, a classic tale of teen rebellion. Following that, stick around for an Over the Edge-inspired "rock operetta" performed by the ambitious Drats!!! And all of it, for a monetary total of: nothing. MS

SATAN'S PILGRIMS, GIRL TROUBLE (Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) Just like the Ramones, all the members of local band Satan's Pilgrims share the same last name: Dave Pilgrim, Bobby Pilgrim, John Pilgrim, Scott Pilgrim, and Ted Pilgrim. They also wear vampire capes at their shows and play instrumental '60s-style surf rock, which is also just like the Ramones, except for the vampire capes and surf rock. JWS

50 FOOT WAVE, THE GOLDEN REPUBLIC, SOPHE LUX (Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) As the frontwoman for Throwing Muses, Kristin Hersh exorcised plenty of demons in their angular rock and poetic lyrical shards. But nothing in her past output--especially her folksier solo excursions of the last few years--can quite prepare you for the sonic blast with which her fierce new band 50 Foot Wave hits. The lean, loud-as-hell trio seems to offer Hersh the catharsis she always craved. Her voice is pushed to its most raw and raspy over the punishing, tinnitus-taunting racket that they kick up live. (The last time I saw 50 Foot Wave, my ears rang for hours afterward, so I advise wearing protection.) And in between torrents of noise, Hersh's smile is usually pretty ecstatic; the rage suits her well. NATE LIPPENS

BARFLY'S SIXTH ANNIVERSARY BBQ BASH FEATURING SOLOVOX, SWEETRIDE, LEVON LEVAN, DEADMAN, DJ DANTRONIX, THE STAMEN PISTILS, ELVIS, FRANK FURTER, LI'L TOMMY ILK (Sabala's Mt Tabor, 4811 SE Hawthorne) See "Destination Fun," pg 15, and "Music," pg 21

INTERPOL, THE BRAVERY (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) In case you're not riding the pulse of MTV2 or NME or who ever else the New York publicists are bribing these days, you surely have no idea who the Bravery is, and that's probably for the best. Hell, I'm paid to know this shit, and I hardly know. In case you're blissfully ignorant, all you need to know is that the guy from the Killers who wears the eyeliner has beef with them because he thinks that they're aping HIS sound. Either that's a ringing endorsement, or the most damning thing I've ever heard--I'll leave that up to you. ZP

ASH, MAN OF THE YEAR, AMUSEMENT PARKS ON FIRE (Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) For all the post-shoegazer bitching about stoic, laces-focused bands with nothing to give their audiences but cool attitude, a decade later we're drenched in the next wave of the genre. Feedback is king, and the ghosts of Britain's past hang close to the new generation. Take the UK's Amusement Parks on Fire, a new band emulating Ride's ascent into undiluted distortion and psychedelic drone. They only part the fog to clear a way for moving string and piano arrangements--which sound like Dirty Three outtakes--before launching back into a stratosphere of heavy-lidded rock. Their songs play equally with turbulence and restraint, erecting walls of noise only to zoom into more contained emotions minutes later. Whether they cause Ecstasy-riddled ashbacks depends on individual chemistry, but even to the sober ear they'll effectively send you to rock's outer constellations. JM

HOLOCENE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY FEATURING OUT HUD, TUSSLE, NUDGE, BOBBY BIRDMAN (Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) You can't fling a Pigbag 12-inch without hitting a band copping those fabulous, scabrous sounds of the '80s. Have you yawned yourself stupid yet? Okay, now snap to it, because there's one band mining '80s moves who won't make your eyes roll with yet more Gang of Four/Cure biting. Meet San Francisco quartet Tussle--all stripped-down and ready to go way out and in there. Tussle essentially are a jam band, but one that eschews Phishy noodling for concise, propulsive groove-mongering. Their tracks are lean--mostly clanky/plastic-bucketed percussion and reverb-addled melodica--but fat where it counts (snaky bass lines, disco-funk kick drums). The bumpin' "Don't Stop" epitomizes Tussle's stoic yet sexy linear drive and subtle, reverb-laden dub accents. The group's loose-limbed improvisations coil like a rattler swallowing its tail and then rolling with crisp efficiency and metronomic bliss to the heat-hazed horizon line. There is no beginning or end to the typical Tussle track, just a perpetual wow-intensive now. DS

BUILDING PRESS, CHANNING COPE, …WORMS (Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) The Building Press violently churn out dark, angular, masculine prog rock. Songs build and crash in creative, unexpected ways and singer/guitarist A.P. Schroder belts out Slint-esque effusions, but with a little more anger than irony. Openers Channing Cope, similarly, explore music with a lot of stops and starts, but their steez is much slower and sweeter, something like later-era Shipping News. Both of these bands reincarnate elements rampant in the '90s Louisville, KY music scene, which will undoubtedly bring back old memories. KS

GET HUSTLE, SHOPLIFTING, SPIDER AND THE WEBS (Disjecta, 230 E Burnside) See "My, What a Busy Week!" pg 17

HOT HOT HEAT, THE CAESARS (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Hot Hot Heat Fans, take heed--if you've been hearing all of those nasty critical naysayers tearing apart your boys' new record (and Sire debut) Elevators, don't lose hope just yet. Now don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that Elevators is a good record--it's just not a disappointment. In fact, it's exactly what you've come to expect from Hot Hot Heat, and no better or worse than anything else they've ever put out. So, if that's your sort of thing, take it from me as a voice of critical reason that Elevators will no doubt be your sort of thing as well. On tour with that band from the iPod commercial that isn't U2. ZP

OK GO, CAREEN, DE HAVILAND (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) My dad is really into OK Go. This statement is not meant to age anyone going to the show, as my father is a youthful man. Ever since seeing them at a live taping of This American Life, the NPR show, my dad has constantly championed the band. It may just be because he idolizes the show, but he has played their record for me, and I think I know why he identifies with them--their music is, simply put, an exuberance of youth. The pretty boys in the band explode with indierock simplicity, and they make purely happy music. They fit nicely in This American Life's pantheon of excitement in the face of ordinary life. Okay Go are one excited band, and they transfer that feeling willingly. ARI SPOOL

GANG GANG DANCE, BLOODLINES, NICE NICE (Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See "Music," pg 19

PINBACK, PLEASEEASAUR, TIC CODE (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Pleaseeasaur's albums are shit. A few years ago when I was up in Seattle, all I ever heard about was Pleaseeasaur this and Pleaseeasaur that. So I listened to one of his albums, and it was one of the worst, most boring fucking things I'd ever heard. Now, just going off of that experience (and accounting for how insanely annoying and hard to type "Pleaseeasaur" is), I'd never recommend his upcoming show. But apparently, the guy's shitty, Radio Shack synthesizer music isn't even the focus of his live act--it's more about multimedia and about a billion costume changes. In other words, more performance art than music. And consider this--for people to like Pleaseeasaur as much as they do, and considering how lousy his music is, this guy's live show must be fucking amazing. So I guess that's a recommendation. EH