WEDNESDAY 6/25

PLANNED PARENTHOOD PINK PARTY: LOVEBOMB GO-GO, DJ CALLISTO, DJ ICARUS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICAL, 1939 ENSEMBLE, POINT JUNCTURE WA
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Orquestra Pacifico Tropical.

THE DELINES, FERNANDO
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on the Delines.

AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE, CHRIS BROWN QUARTET
(Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th) If 2011's When the Heart Emerges Glistening established Ambrose Akinmusire as a rising star in jazz, his follow-up—this year's The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint—is so bright it seems to illuminate territory we didn't know the Oakland-born trumpeter had in his kingdom. Anchored by Akinmusire's longtime band, the album is a sprawling work that uses its headliner's post-bop background as a starting point for compositional experiments, tonal explorations, tasteful excellence from guest guitarist Charles Altura, and even occasional vocals by Becca Stevens, Theo Bleckmann, and Cold Specks. The result is dusky and nimble, adventurous but beautiful. For all the talent around him, however, it is Akinmusire's trumpet—warm, clear, precise—that steals the show. His playing has always been like candy for the ear, and Imagined Savior gives us a peek at his vast artistic vision. BEN SALMON

RODNEY CROWELL, WILL KIMBROUGH
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Rodney Crowell did an amazing thing a few years ago: He wrote a book. Sure, lots of musicians write books these days—tell-alls that don't, but give away just enough for a hook and some nice publicity. Chinaberry Sidewalks is a beautiful memoir about Crowell's parents and their complicated love story. It was a long-form example of the pitch-perfect songwriting Crowell's practiced for 40 years. His 2013 album, Old Yellow Moon, was a collection of duets with Emmylou Harris, and for his latest, Tarpaper Sky, Crowell brought most of the players from his breakthrough 1988 album Diamonds and Dirt. They set up in one room and let rip live. Will Kimbrough, whose new(ish) Sideshow Love explores the emotion from all its many angles, opens. RYAN WHITE

LA RIVERA, THE HILL DOGS, MOOREA MASA
(The Goodfoot, 2845 SE Stark) While La Rivera is made through the eyes and brainpower of Portlander Joshua Rivera, for the band's first album, Late Bloomer, he's brought on a cast of strong musical characters to beef up his vision. The process began two years ago, when Rivera recorded the album at the infamous Jackpot! with overdubs from musicians like Paul Brainard, Asher Fulero, and Tom Morrison. The culmination of that talent is an album made of easy-listening, ballad-y songs with warm steel guitar and organ, tasteful drums, and big harmonies that back Rivera's strong tenor chops. There are moments when Late Bloomer borders on country, and others on pop, but it maintains a middle ground that makes it nice listening for summer days. Now playing in a four-piece band, Rivera will celebrate and showcase that hard work, joined by organ player David Pulliam and harmonies from Moorea Masa. ROBIN BACIOR

YOUNG WIDOWS, WHITE REAPER
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Kentucky's Young Widows have always pulled a lot of influences together, using them to great effect in their dark, noisy sound. And while the trio has taken a few moody and mathy detours, they're at their best when they don't fuck around and just bring the noise. Young Widows do just that on Easy Pain, an album that includes eight gut-punchers, with no fat and no filler. The subject matter is just as brutal as it's always been since members Evan Patterson and Nick Thieneman kicked up noise in their former band, Breather Resist. These two have logged a lot of musical miles together, and they're only getting better. MARK LORE

MARK HOSLER, OFFICE PRODUCTS, FOXDYE
(Lola's Room, 1332 W Burnside) For 25 years, Mark Hosler has been rearranging sounds in odd and wonderful ways as a member of Negativland. That group not only made some of the most weird and hilarious sound collages ever, but also changed the conversation around intellectual property rights in music, and the face of sample culture itself. As a solo artist, Hosler concentrates more on destroying sound than re-arranging it. With a wealth of pedals and samplers, he makes chin-scratching noise that doesn't take itself too seriously and always leaves room for surprises. Opening tonight's show is Portland's own Foxdye, who's gained an international following by making intricately constructed, hyperspeed mash-ups of internet memes. Her live sets can range from gorgeous ambience to a rave gone wrong (right?), making tonight's pairing the most unpredictable electronic show you can go to this week. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

THURSDAY 6/26

KING KHAN AND THE SHRINES, RED MASS
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Known far and wide for a stage show that can include bare asses, bare chests, sequined suits, and punk-rock James Brown panache, King Khan and the Shrines are a spectacle, and a damn talented band to boot. Not content to rely solely on their sometimes outlandish plumage, King Khan and the Shrines possess the ability to pull off soul-revival revues and garage-punk rallies; their swaggering rock 'n' roll sendups make albums like last year's Idle No More blisteringly fun listens. The group isn't exactly a foreign presence in Portland—they're one of the harder working road dogs on the circuit. You never know exactly what you're gonna get, but it's still the best thing you'll see all week. RYAN J. PRADO

THE DOUBLECLICKS
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Sound the conflict-of-interest klaxons! Not only does one of the Doubleclicks (Angela Webber) write about videogames for the Mercury's blog, I was one of the Kickstarter backers for the Doubleclicks' latest album, Dimetrodon. Pretty sure we'd still be writing about the Doubleclicks, though, even if interests weren't conflicted: Portland's charming sister duo continues to crank out nerd-folk ballads like "TableTop," an ode to both games like Carcassone and the web series about games like Carcassone. With niche songs like these, your mileage will almost certainly vary, but everyone with a heart should find something to love in the Doubleclicks—whether they're paying tribute to Portland's winter survival supplies ("Cats and Netflix") or bringing an unexpectedly anthemic beat to social apathy ("Ennui [On We Go]," the only song I can think of where a dejected sigh counts as a lyric). ERIK HENRIKSEN

DEAN WAREHAM, THE PARSON RED HEADS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Even at his most musically gregarious, Dean Wareham has always been a bit understated. First fronting narcotic-paced dream pop trio Galaxie 500, and later the beloved Luna (with a bit more gusto), Wareham has tended to prefer to say more with deadpan observations and turns of phrase than with the volume of his famously laidback vocals. Following a handful of releases with his wife and longtime musical partner Britta Phillips, Wareham has been focusing on a little more "me" time in recent years, releasing an autobiography, his first solo EP in 20 years, and now his self-titled debut full-length. My Morning Jacket's Jim James produced the new effort, and while there are some occasional backing "oohs" courtesy of James' familiar voice, and a crescendo or two reminiscent of an MMJ build, Wareham's sound remains intact, and as understated as ever. Word is, Wareham's been dusting off some Galaxie 500 numbers for recent performances, too, which makes this a dreamy, languorous can't-miss. JEREMY PETERSEN

ASH BORER, HELL, EPHEMEROS, HAIL
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) These days, the West Coast pulses with impressive heavy bands, and relatively big cities like Portland and Oakland are receiving lots of attention for their metal scenes. But metal has never really been the domain of urbanites, and on Thursday, two excellent acts from smaller Cascadian towns will descend on Rotture for a night of depravity. Ash Borer is from Arcata, California, where their ambitious, atmospheric black metal must stand out among the dreadlocks and footbags. With songs that stretch out 10 minutes or longer, Ash Borer's sound is all about the build: from bittersweet drones and swirling blackened fuzz to sweet, howling, blast-beat-powered release. They'll be joined by Hell, a rising one-man band of misery from Salem whose hulking sludge/doom moves at the pace of a death march. Still okay with your life and the world in general? Then get there in time to see local despair-dealers Ephemeros and Hail open. BS

FRIDAY 6/27

KISS, DEF LEPPARD
(Sleep Country Amphitheater, 17200 NE Delfel) See My, What a Busy Week!

QUIET MUSIC FESTIVAL: MARISA ANDERSON, MARK EITZEL, NEAL MORGAN, PULSE EMITTER, CHRISTINE SHIELDS, JONATHAN SIELAFF
(Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate) The idea behind the Quiet Music Festival is right there in its name: to bring musicians together to play their music with as little volume and bombast as possible. And with the soft lighting and cozy atmosphere put together by Disjecta, catching a catnap mid-show or falling into a blissful state of zen are distinct possibilities. This year's edition offers a fascinating array of local and national talent including, on the first night, a lounge-y, jazzy set from American Music Club frontman Mark Eitzel, a set of solo guitar instrumentals from Marisa Anderson, and beat poetry-inspired songsmith/drummer Neal Morgan, who performs both by himself and in collaboration with modular synth genius Pulse Emitter. ROBERT HAM

HOOK & ANCHOR, CATALDO, BARNA HOWARD
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Hook & Anchor, the self-titled debut album from the Portland roots-rock ensemble, is a terrific introduction to the talents of its members—but it's likely no introduction is needed. Kati Claborn, Luke Ydstie, and Ryan Dobrowski all play together in Blind Pilot, and indeed, you might initially think of Hook & Anchor as a kind of splinter project, a Black Prairie to Blind Pilot's Decemberists. But that downplays the contributions of guitarist Erik Clampitt and fiddler Gabrielle Macrae, who put their stamp on Hook & Anchor as well. Throughout, the group embraces a folksier, more traditional old-time vibe than you'll find from Blind Pilot, although outcroppings of rock 'n' roll jut up here and there. It's most accurate to characterize Hook & Anchor as a record of great songwriting and playing—when the music's this good, the band's tangled family tree is more or less incidental. NED LANNAMANN

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ULI JON ROTH, GARY HOEY, BUMBLEFOOT
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is one of rock's most polarizing figures. His persona represents the absolute apex of '80s penis-metal bravado, but he's also undeniably one of the most impressive and innovative guitarists of all time. (That's not hyperbole—he makes Brian May look like Sid Vicious.) Malmsteen's a careerist to the bitter end, though, and lacks anything close to a perceivable musical "soul," which makes sense, as rock 'n' roll's influence on Malmsteen is reportedly limited to the time he saw Jimi Hendrix smashing a guitar on TV. His latest album, Spellbound, is standard Malmsteen fare, featuring plenty of to-be-expected, sterile, faux-classical wankery and some, well, genuinely spellbinding riffage. Regardless of how you feel about him, Malmsteen remains a beacon of influence for pimple-faced, aspiring guitar gods who don't yet realize how dorky this shit is. MORGAN TROPER

TRUNCATE, ANDREW BOIE, JAK, TRACY WHY
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Truncate is the most recent techno/house project from well-known hit maker Audio Injection (David Flores), geared toward producing DJ-friendly tunes that are stripped down and focused, and that build to ferocious energy. Flores' production and arrangements are attuned to the dance floor, and are designed to shift and mold its intensity with precise intent—a philosophy that's set him apart in the ever-rising tides of techno producers. Flores has kept front-and-center with releases on notable labels such as Droid Behavior, CLR, 50Weapons, Modularz and Mote-Evolver, as well as headlining appearances at Fabric and Berghain. Portland is in for a dose of the real deal. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD

SATURDAY 6/28

TACOS 'N' TEQUILA: TIBURONES, WAR 'N' BUFFETT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE THERMALS, SUMMER CANNIBALS, THE GHOST EASE
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) See My, What a Busy Week!

JELLYFISH BRIGADE, MIMI NAJA TROIS, JAY COBB ANDERSON
(The Goodfoot, 2845 SE Stark) Read our article on the Jellyfish Brigade.

PHAROAHE MONCH, 9TH WONDER, RAPSODY, DJ REVOLUTION
(Alhambra Theatre, 4811 SE Hawthorne) In 1999, Pharoahe Monch could have been a household hiphop name (at least, in households that talked about hiphop). His hit single "Simon Says" was on Billboard's Hot 100 list, and it made its way into Charlie's Angels and Boiler Room. Monch had released three albums as one-half of the rap duo Organized Konfusion, and was featured on a song with Mos Def and Nate Dogg, but after legal disputes over the Gojira/Godzilla sample in "Simon Says," Monch laid low for several years. His new album, P.T.S.D., goes a little deeper than his old '90s jams, examining his battle with depression and anxiety. Ultra-deep and personal, it shows far more sophistication than some of his earlier, catchier shit. Monch says this album could be his last, so catch him while he's still cold and raw. ROSE FINN

BOB SCHNEIDER, HAYES CARLL
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) You can go to Bob Schneider's website and listen to his most recent record, Burden of Proof, and his sometimes fatalistic track-by-track commentary. There, you'll learn that sometimes people laugh when he plays the record's plaintive second track, "I Wish the Wind Would Blow Me." He's okay with that. He gets it. He put the joke in there. But it really is a pretty little lament that just happens to have an oral sex joke in it. Schneider's put out piles of records since the early '90s; Hayes Carll works slower. Carll released his debut in 2002 and has since put out three more. Each has been great, and his last one, 2011's KMAG YOYO, was his best. He can be funny, too. "I'm like James Brown, only white and taller," in "Stomp and Holler," for example. RW

QUIET MUSIC FESTIVAL: TUJURIKKUJA, SALLY TIMMS, HUSH ARBORS, CHELSEA RECTOR, SUN FOOT
(Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate) The second evening of this two-day event could prove to get a little more raucous than its name would suggest. Headlining the night is Tujurikkuja, an ambient noise duo from the Bay Area whose work attempts to recreate the weird beauty of receiving two shortwave radio frequencies at once. Also on tap tonight is a set of music played in part on a shruti box (a drone instrument used primarily in Indian classical music) meant to soundtrack a "sci-fi art exhibit" from longtime Mekons member Sally Timms, some freeform a cappella weirdness from local outfit Sun Foot, and the concussed psychedelia of Hush Arbors. RH

SUNDAY 6/29

PETER MURPHY, RINGO DEATHSTARR
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

VANS WARPED TOUR
(Portland Expo Center, 2060 N Marine) See All-Ages Action!

TALKATIVE, GRANDPARENTS
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) Read our article on Talkative.

CHERRY GLAZERR, THE SHIVAS, LOVE COP, JOEL JEROME
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) At 17, Clementine Creevy—AKA Cherry Glazerr—is Burger Records' wunderkind. And while the kids are certainly all right, Creevy's more promising and multifaceted than most modern garage. "Clementine has serious songwriting talent," explains Jon Pareles on the NY Times Popcast. "She has also got stage presence, and that's a rare thing." Co-host Ben Ratliff offers some shading, that Creevy "seems to come out of a Cat Power idea." And that seems about right: a slightly shambolic, scratchy twang and thump of romantic hooks that melt in the palms of a transfixing, yet earthy chanteuse. Already a more dexterous player and assured performer than Cat Power's Chan Marshall, Creevy is also more bright-eyed. And while she's still wicked young, her tunes—sweet and sour jams—are sneakily wise, her power-petal ensemble offering marvelous, slinky, solid counterpoint. They tumble, trundle, and occasionally teeter into brilliance, like diamonds in the rough. ANDREW R TONRY

MINUS THE BEAR, SLOW BIRD, MOTH DUST
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Ever the shapeshifters, Seattle's Minus the Bear have undergone creative makeovers during their years as a band, culminating in the excellent 2007 LP Planet of Ice and 2012's strangely catchy Infinity Overhead. The path they took to get there, though, was anything but paved. 2004's They Make Beer Commercials Like This EP predated the prog-punk-disco hybrid that's pretty much the band's calling card, and in celebration of its 10th anniversary, Minus the Bear are playing the EP in its entirety for two exclusive dates, including tonight. Be sure to arrive early to catch the dreamy pop of Seattle's Slow Bird, whose 2013 debut, Chrysalis, is a highlight of the Pacific Northwest ambient set. RJP

KEPI GHOULIE, DOG PARTY, ERICA FREAS, SPOONBOY, PETS
(Katie O'Brien's, 2809 NE Sandy) High school is out for summer, and that means it's time for the Sacramento-based pop-punk duo Dog Party to hit the road. Made up of guitarist Gwendolyn Giles and her sister Lucy on drums, the band has been cranking out bouncy rock 'n' roll tunes since their middle-school days. The band's third album, 2013's Lost Control, finds the pair continuing to sharpen their take on bubblegum punk, following the footsteps of mentor and tourmate Kepi Ghoulie. Dog Party really hits their stride when they bring elements of early '90s twee-pop into songs like "I Can't Wait" and "Jetpack." These moments, along with the infectious album opener "How Are You Doing?" make me want to reach for a blank cassette, dig up some classic cuddle-core from the likes of Tiger Trap and Cub, and kickstart the perfect nostalgic summertime mixtape. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

KRISHNA DAS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) In Buddhism, "kirtan" chants are a practice—like meditating, mantras, and mindfulness—to inhabit the present, or in the words of Ram Dass, to "be here now." Krishna Das was a student of Ram Dass in the '60s, and he later met the guru's guru, Neem Karoli Baba, AKA the Maharaj-ji. Krishna Das got big into kirtans and, as a fan of American folk and rock, adapted them for a Western audience. Now, I know what you're thinking: "What is this hippie bullshit? I ain't going to see anyone called 'yoga's rockstar.'" But I implore you: filling up the Crystal Ballroom with ragas and droning, melodic call-and-response chants could be just as transcendental as plunging into the freezing ocean, downward-facing dog, or a chomping a few magic mushrooms. This shit can get real if you let it. So shut your blathering mind up for a moment and dive in. ART

MONDAY 6/30

EAR CANDY: JUST LIONS, ANIMAL EYES, BEAR & MOOSE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

CHER, CYNDI LAUPER
(Moda Center, 1 Center Ct) See My, What a Busy Week!

WITCHBURN, APE MACHINE, WILD THRONE, BLACK SNAKE
(Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Blood Maker, the debut EP from Bellingham's Wild Throne—and the band formerly known as Dog Shredder—begins with "The Wrecking Ball Unchained." For those who never heard or saw Dog Shredder before their name change, this is an aptly named song for a band that performs with complete disregard for their personal safety; the analogy of a wrecking ball fits the band's explosive style of progressive-rock lunacy. The rest of Blood Maker is stacked high with frenzied drums and furious riffs that twist and turn on dimes, or go quiet and melodious just before they blast back for another round. ARIS WALES

BLACK MILK, NAT TURNER, SPEAKER MINDS, THEORY HAZIT
(Alhambra Theatre, 4811 SE Hawthorne) Like all the best hiphop figures, Black Milk is a tireless creator of beats and rhymes. When he's not cooking up material for his unending stream of mixtapes and albums, he's backing up rappers like Danny Brown, GZA, and Guilty Simpson. The connecting thread between his work is an approach to production that's influenced by his friend and former collaborator J. Dilla: a love of the warm, rich tones of vintage jazz and soul records, a willingness to let the crackle of vinyl surface noise be as present as the beat, and an unhurried vibe that's custom fit for any situation and time of day. RH

JERRY ROGERS, POP ZEUS, HONEYBUCKET
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Gnar Tapes guarantees a rad product with each and every order, and they've certainly been backing up that promise with a hot streak of worthwhile recent releases. With a name pulled from a classic Guided by Voices track, I'm not entirely sure how I slept on the stunning Pop Zeus 2012 self-titled debut on Burger Records, but I'm all ears after hearing this year's Tell Me So EP. As the recording alias of Boom! bassist and former Memories drummer Mikey Hodges, Pop Zeus recently relocated from Brooklyn to Portland. Hodges hunkered down at Gnar Tapes' Portland headquarters, Gnarnia, and cranked out six tracks of nourishing and endearing guitar-pop goodness. From stormy power-pop gem "The Longer I Wait" to the mellowed-out confessional "Tell Me So," this EP is a shimmering treat that demands a place in your sunny day playlist. CT

TUESDAY 7/1

RED BULL SOUND SELECT: BLITZEN TRAPPER, PONY VILLAGE, NOVOSTI
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

PURE X, M. GEDDES GENGRAS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Lovers of languid, liquid pop music, tonight's show is your wellspring—as a West Coast tour brings honeyed Austin psych-popsters Pure X and hippie-drippy LA synth specialist M. Geddes Gengras to town for an evening of mellow zonin'. Pure X's new album, Heaven, is its third, and it's a slow-motion fusion of '60s psych, '70s soul, and 21st-century detachment, like Beck's silliest falsetto-funk moments from Midnite Vultures covered at half-speed by Real Estate. Gengras, on the other hand, is probably best known for his dubby collaborations with Sun Araw and reggae legends the Congos, but on his own, he creates experimental electro/ambient tracks that unfurl slowly, allowing melodies to seep in and saturate the brain. His fine new album, Ishi, is out this week. Drink it in, friends. BS

THE MEMORIES, THE LEMONS, MOPE GROOVES
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) As soon as they returned from tour with White Fang, singer Rikky Gage and guitarist Kyle Handley hopped right back in the van to criss-cross America once again, this time as the Memories. Distinguish 'em like this: White Fang are the bigger, dumber, drunker older brother who likes raging with the bad boys. The Memories are the sweeter, stoned-er, chiller younger sibling more popular with the lovers. At the lake, White Fang are pounding beers on water skis while the Memories go skinny-dipping after dark. In the midst of all the touring, both groups have been recording in their new home of Los Angeles as part of the Burger Records fam. Peace, love, and bong hits, little bros—kiss the girls and make 'em high. ART