THURSDAY 1/22

COCO COBRA & THE KILLERS, STUMBLEBUM

(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE TAXPAYERS , STAG BITTEN, TOTAL BROS

(Dunes, 1909 NE MLK) The Taxpayers have a new long-player entitled A Rhythm in the Cages out this week, and they're celebrating with a pair of CD release shows. Don't miss the band's ramshackle social punk rock as it melts the cozy confines of Dunes—that is, if you're 21 and over. Sorry, kids, this is not the show for you. But you'll have your own chance to stick it to gramps on Friday, when the band performs a free release show at the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center, a show that is only open to patrons under the age of 24. That makes sense, considering that the SMYRC helps those 23 and younger, but just in case you need to, feel free to tear out this preview and use it as a cheat sheet for what shows you can and cannot attend. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

FRIDAY 1/23

FERTILE GROUND KICKOFF: IRETSU, HENRY DARK, DJ FREAKY OUTTY

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See Feature.

DMMR BMMR: APACHE, EAT SKULL, TUFF TITTIES, THE PITY FUCKS, THE EEGOS, WILD THING, METH TEETH , NIX, THE WHINES, CAFETERIA DANCE FEVER, THE OUTDOORSMEN, ROCK 'N' ROLL ADVENTURE KIDS

(East End, 203 SE Grand) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE WALKMEN, BEACH HOUSE, JOHNNY AND THE MOON

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See review.

THE TAXPAYERS , WHITE FANG , WE PLAY QUIET

(Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center, 2100 SE Belmont)

SONNY SMITH, THE EVOLUTIONARY JASS BAND, THE SANDWITCHES

Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate) See My, What a Busy Week!

TERA MELOS, ASTRONAUTALIS, EVERYBODY, POOR SCHOOL

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) Fuck it, I'm done. For years I've been using this paper as a soapbox to do everything in my power to convince, bribe, beg, and desperately coax music fans into the waiting arms of Astronautalis, but now I'm done. Next time he comes to town, someone else will cover it. Promise. But let me just extend my pity for those who cannot process or appreciate the skewed artistic hiphop evolution of this Texas-via-Florida-via-Seattle emcee. I do not envy you. Tonight is as good a night as any to start basking in the glory and range of an artist who has collaborated with members of the Fleetwood Mac-obsessed Texans in Midlake and held his own on the Scribble Jam stage. His latest, Pomegranate, is a dizzying array of raspy junkyard raps and gorgeous instrumentation, pieced together by a production team that has worked with the likes of Explosions in the Sky and Timbaland. See? That's range. EAC

METRONOMY, THE MAE SHI, CAVES , DJ BEYONDA

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Metronomy is the synth drippings of Englishman Joseph Mount—augmented by two other chaps for live shows—whose humanistic, fat-synth pop takes the valuable lesson from Gary Numan that mechanized music need not be robotic. But for a true collision of man and machine, look to the blissful, spastic the Mae Shi, who combine bit-synth tones, punk guitars, and pop-tastic effervescence for crazed, loony music that is the sound of pure energy. The Mae Shi's 2008 record Hlllyh is a must-listen, exploding with colors, shrieks, and songs that just will not die. In fact, "Run to Your Grave" may damn well have been the high point of last year. But let's not overlook "Lamb and the Lion," another joyous pop scorcher, or "Young Marks," whose flagrant use of Auto-Tune puts Kanye to shame. If you have any interest in fun, do not miss the Mae Shi. NED LANNAMANN

KINSKI, SUBARACHNOID SPACE, LICKITY

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Tonight, for adult kids who couldn't afford space camp, Seattle cosmic-rockers Kinski partner with local mad Moog scientists LicKiTy to simulate the zero gravity otherworld. LicKiTy begin the program with a textbook lesson on the dangers of mixing drum and bass with electronic punk (in short: kaboom!). Major Tom Potts (vocals/keyboards/bass) and drummer Spit Stix (ex-Fear) say they've added smoke machines and blinding lights for maximum art-damage—a proper blastoff to any Doug Fir show. Once sufficient altitude is reached, Kinski takes the stage. The band's 2007 Sub Pop full-length, Down Below it's Chaos, recalls Om as Black Sabbath, or the Warlocks on a heavy bender. It remains, still buzzing, one step beyond the indie-rock stratosphere. Wave at Portland below, listeners. MIKE MEYER

BLUE HORNS, MAGIC BULLETS, ALTSPEAK

(The Hush, 14 NW 3rd) Magic Bullets could well be one of indie rock's best-kept secrets. With a swagger that recalls bands from the UK indie scene of the '80s—the Wedding Present, Orange Juice, and Felt, specifically—the group has enough modern-day pop appeal to catapult them to Strokes-like crossover popularity, although the San Francisco six-piece is still inconceivably hovering beneath the radar. Which is baffling: Lead singer Philip Benson exudes just the right amount of prescient aloofness and awkward dance moves, the guitarists mimic Johnny Marr to near perfection, and the hooks are hand-tailored for alternative radio. ROB SIMONSEN

THE SUPERMAN ORCHESTRA

(The Northwest Film Center's Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park) Watching the Superman Orchestra perform last month at the Hollywood Theatre, two things were clear to me: First off, this is an absolute blast. A panel of voice actors adds personality to flickering vintage Superman cartoons from the 1940s, while a live orchestra scores the entire event. As family friendly an evening as I can endorse in good faith, the Superman Orchestra has one more reason to earn your attendance: Lois Lane. If you are not aware, the Lane character in these classic cartoons is totally ridiculous, a fearless reporter constantly kicking ass in the name of journalistic rights (supposedly there's an episode where Lane guns down train robbers with a Tommy Gun!) while still earning her front page byline. Meanwhile, Clark Kent is a passive wuss, and his alter ego doesn't fare much better. Superman may get all the credit, but these cartoons are all about Lane. Besides, she never needed a phone booth to bust some skulls in the name of all that is right in the world. EAC

GIRL TROUBLE, THE ETTES, THE WORTHLESS CHILDREN

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Their name may make the most emo of bands jealous, but Tacoma's Girl Trouble are far more than just a bad band name. A Northwest institution that's been rocking for 25-plus years, the band—Kahuna, K.P. Kendall, Dale Philips, and Bon Von Wheelie—have steadily stayed at it, releasing solid slices of Cramps-meets-Sonics fuzzed-out bliss this whole time. Most other folks would have closed the garage door a long time ago, but Girl Trouble keep at it. Odds are it won't be until these guys hang it up for good that we realize how lucky we've been to have consistently had them around in the first place. RS

SATURDAY 1/24

DMMR BMMR: NO BUNNY, DIE ROTZZ, THE PETS, THE MEAN JEANS, THE COCONUT COOLOUTS, SEX CHURCH, SHANNON AND THE CLAMS, EBONICS, THERAPISTS, THE FRESH AND ONLYS, UNNATURAL HELPERS, ROOFTOP VIGILANTES

(East End, 203 SE Grand) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE SUPERMAN ORCHESTRA

(Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park)

JONATHAN COULTON, PAUL AND STORM

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) When first introduced to the songs of Jonathan Coulton, they can seem gimmicky, like his white-collar zombie saga "RE: Your Brains," or his creepy track for the videogame Portal, "Still Alive," or his weirdly soulful reworking of "Baby Got Back." There's a reason Coulton, a software programmer-turned-independent musician, has found a huge online following—much of his output consists of bite-sized singles about geekery. But there's more: A totally legit musician and a clever storyteller, Coulton injects a surprising amount of heart, insight, and sympathy into, say, songs about Ikea (which sells "furniture for college kids and divorced men"), or Tom Cruise ("When Tom Cruise looks back over his shoulder/he sees a thousand younger leading men/and he knows someday he'll have to play/an old retarded grandpa/while someone younger plays his sexy son"). You'll probably start out just laughing—but by the end of Coulton's show, you'll be impressed, too. ERIK HENRIKSEN Also see My, What a Busy Week!

JARED MEES AND THE GROWN CHILDREN, BOY EATS DRUM MACHINE , suite 121, YEAH GREAT FINE

(OZ Café, 1720 NW Lovejoy) The OZ Café is right next door to the Tender Loving Empire store, so it makes perfect sense that for the café's grand opening, some Tender Loving Empire artists provide the entertainment. Jared Mees, in fact, co-runs Tender Loving Empire with wife Brianne—it's a record label, screen printer, and consignment shop, among other things. Now add your gustatory needs to that list: OZ Café is the new name of Caffe D'Italia in the Lovejoy Active Space building, and it's now run by Lucas Mollerstuen, serving soup, panini, pizza, and kickass coffee. OZ will see monthly art shows, readings, and movies, as well as live music twice a month or so. What's more, tonight's opening bash has free food (hot dogs, burgers, veggie burgers) and dollar Pabst tallboys! Coffee, art, music, food, cheap beer, the kind of adorability that you can only find in Portland... what more could you possibly ask for? NL

SUNDAY 1/25

CRYSTAL BALLROOM BIRTHDAY: BLITZEN TRAPPER, BLUE GIANT, GREENSKY BLUEGRASS, WHISKEY PUPPY, GAVIN WAHL-STEPHENS, GIRLS ROCK CAMP BANDS, & MORE

(Crystal Ballroom, Lola's Room, and Ringlers Pub, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

DMMR BMMR: REPTILIAN CIVILIAN, BUZZER, PURE COUNTRY GOLD , NICE BOYS, THE FLIP-TOPS, THE GIRLS, HOWIE & THE HOTKNIVES, THE LEADERS, HAIRSPRAY BLUES , DOOM PATROL, SALTED CITY, ORGANIZED SPORTS, HEY LOVER

(East End, 203 SE Grand) See My, What a Busy Week!

EAGLE & TALON, SWALLOWS , GREY ANNE

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Eagle and Talon's debut full-length Thracian is a driving, energetic release with enough native sass to rouse even the hoariest riot grrrl. Thracian rattles and rocks with a sincerity evocative of grrrl bands of the '90s—it's like some kind of feminist time capsule, buried in 1999 and unearthed a decade later untouched by irony, cynicism, or, god forbid, freak folk. Assuming that you, reader, are a woman of a certain age and a certain temperament, citing this band's influences is like revisiting every band you listened to when you were 14—start with a Mary Timony falsetto and Carrie Brownstein yelps, and take it from there. ALISON HALLETT

THE AHS, FOURSCORE, PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT, ROXY CONSORT, CARMINA BURANA

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) It would be irresponsible to simply say about this show, "Here's some classical music inside a rock club. Neat!" Tonight's show is actually a unique collision of many genres. The Ahs make an uncommon variety of spare, haunting classical folk, occupying a delicate and gorgeous area between the spindly pluck of Amy McIntire's banjo and the lowing moan of Tony Rogers' cello. Meanwhile, FourScore is a "classical manband" that runs the gamut from gospel to lieder to oratorio, kind of like Il Divo if they played instruments and catered to brainy gay men instead of suburban housewives. Hmm. Actually, they are nothing like Il Divo. Members of the Portland Cello Project will also be on hand, as will the female chorale Roxy Consort, for a night of beautiful sounds that won't cause your ears to ring the next day. NL

MONDAY 1/26

DAY OF LIONS , THE DAYS, LE SWITCH

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!.

KATY PERRY, THE DAYLIGHTS

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See review.

TUESDAY 1/27

DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES, THE CAVE SINGERS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

ETHAN ROSE

(Oaks Park Skating Rink, 7805 SE Oaks Park) See review.

CROCODILES, BLESSURE GRAVE, METH TEETH

East End, 203 SE Grand) See review.

ADELE, JAMES MORRISON

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) The least embarrassing of the select few artists that have launched a career from little more than a MySpace account, Adele has generated quite a tangible career in her very brief reign atop the pop music dogpile. But if her online roots are your credibility red flags, worry not, since the 20-year-old Brit—the anti-Tila Tequila, if you will—is a soulful-voiced crooner who borrows just as much from Etta and Ella as she does from the late, great Amy Winehouse. (Oh, you didn't know? The real Winehouse died years ago. A crackhead in a wig stole her identity and has been fooling the media ever since.) Adele still has a long way to go before establishing any sort of individual legacy—it would be nice to hear her bombastic voice take a few more risks outside the rigid template presented in 19, her debut—but with undeniable hits like "Chasing Pavements" and "Make You Feel My Love," Adele is well on her way. EAC

WEDNESDAY 1/28

CHURCH, CHROME WINGS, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE LIVES OF FAMOUS MEN, ANARBOR, GO CRASH AUDIO

(a href=http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/satyricon/Location?oid=87780>Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) We all know the story of the band from Alaska that relocated to Portland and made a global splash with high-pitched vocals and wildly inventive take on post-punk, classic rock, and everything else in between. That band is Portugal. The Man. So then who the hell are the Lives of Famous Men? Sharing nearly exactly the same career trajectory as PTG, the Famous Men only differentiate with a more pristine, if not overtly safe, twist to the modern emo aesthetic. And it's working, with appearances on mtvU (since I don't live in the freshman dorm, I assume this is an MTV channel that still plays music) and tours with the likes of A Thorn for Every Heart and There for Tomorrow (those are actual band names, not just concoctions of the ever-popular Emo Band Name Generator Wheel of Fortune). While their individuality might be in question, the Lives of Famous Men just might live up to their band name. EAC

ANOTHER CYNTHIA, THE WINEBIRDS, THE LARK

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) Midway through "Spring Song," the opening track of the Lark's fine first record, Pines, the song's somber tremolo voice and moody backdrop give way to a joyous pop explosion, with soaring voices and ascending guitar lines. It's clear evidence of a more-than-capable new band that is bound to garner plenty of attention. Indeed, the steady potboiler of "Miss You More" already found a slot on the soundtrack of the new Dustin Hoffman-Emma Thompson movie Last Chance Harvey—but it's actually one of the Lark's least cinematic tracks. For more mind's-eye listening, check out "Come Lately," a creeping music-hall shuffle straight off the Kinks' never-written, never-recorded LSD album, or "Every Day," a Pretty Things-style love song complete with a guitar solo that isn't actually a solo—it's a complete melodic thought. Pines is awfully good, that rare psychedelic rock record that manages to stay buoyant even as it flirts with darkness. NL