WEDNESDAY 2/18

LILY AND MADELEINE, SHANNON HAYDEN
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The Andrews Sisters. The Everly Brothers. The Pointer Sisters. The Avett Brothers. Well-sung harmony vocals are always a treat, but when they're bonded by blood, something special is possible. Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz are siblings from Indianapolis who started out singing cover songs on YouTube and have released two full-length albums via Sufjan Stevens' Asthmatic Kitty record label. The most recent, Fumes, is a 10-track collection of glowing folk-pop that's lush and expansive across the board, downcast in places, and wide-eyed in others. It's a record with terrific atmosphere. But above all, it's a showcase for the kind of melodies—and, yes, harmonies—that Lily and Madeleine have been honing all their lives. BEN SALMON

STEVE EARLE
(Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside) It's been a long time since Steve Earle was a young upstart musician in Nashville, writing songs and raising hell with his buddies Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. Since then, Earle's gone on to release 15 albums, win three Grammys, write two books and a play, become a respected actor—most notably for his role as Waylon on The Wire—and work as a dedicated anti-war and anti-death-penalty activist. But there's also the other Steve Earle: the Steve Earle who has done multiple stints in jail and rehab, and has fought an on-and-off battle with heroin addiction. Earle has had more lives than a cat (and more wives than King Solomon). That he's even alive is nothing short of miraculous. His solo performance at Music Millennium, in support of his new album, Terraplane, is his only appearance in Portland, so be smart and get there early. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

THURSDAY 2/19

MEAN JEANS, MOPE GROOVES, HONEY BUCKET
(Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton) See All-Ages Action!

NAPALM DEATH, VOIVOD, EXHUMED, IRON REAGAN, BLACK CROWN INITIATE, SOUTHGATE
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) The Through Space and Grind Tour is a brutal, month-long incursion across America that features two up-and-coming heavy bands—Pennsylvania death squad Black Crown Initiate and Richmond, Virginia, hardcore supergroup Iron Reagan—and some of the best extreme metal bands of the past three decades. Voivod made its name in the '80s by soundtracking post-apocalyptic nightmares with progressive thrash and is still touring behind its best album in years, 2013's Target Earth. And British grindcore gods Napalm Death top the bill, riding high on the universal praise for their devastating new album, Apex Predator – Easy Meat. (It's "unassailable," says the Guardian.) Add it all up and you have the heaviest tour to roll through town in a good long while. BS Also, read our article on Exhumed.

SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, ELISA AMBROGIO
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Ben Chasny has long proved himself a force to be reckoned with in the psych-rock and experimental scenes via his work in the krautrock-inspired Comets on Fire and the free jazz freakouts he spins out alongside Sir Richard Bishop in the trio Rangda. But just when you think he can't possibly move any further forward, he sucker punches you with an album like Hexadic, his latest as solo project Six Organs of Admittance. The nine-track masterpiece (recently released on Drag City) finds the Californian zig-zagging between methodologies, with loud, molasses-thick workouts like "Hollow River" tucked comfortably among John Fahey-like acoustic explorations and long-tailed feedback drones. ROBERT HAM

THE FOURTH WALL, LONG HALLWAYS, MO FIVE
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) There's a movement in music right now of ethereal swells that border on distortion, pedals on top of pedals, songs that sound like traveling in a tornado—but in a pleasant, carried-swiftly-by-the-wind kind of way. Maybe it's a reflection of our digitally stuffed, over-productive, nervous minds—but all that's a guess, and a definite digression. The point is, Portland-via-Hawaii band the Fourth Wall has elements of that ethereal disconcertion in their sound, but they do it well, weaving it into a strong, pop-rock structure while creating a really bright, beautiful sound. ROBIN BACIOR

PHARMAKON, BLACK IS BRIGHT, CAUSTIC TOUCH
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Pharmakon might be as close as noise music gets to having a breakout artist. The New York-based solo project of Margaret Chardiet, Pharmakon enjoyed something of a crossover success with 2013's Abandon, a record that attracted a far wider-ranging audience than the normal harsh noise album. Last year's Bestial Burden proved the success was no fluke. Chardiet's records don't overwhelm the listener with volume or drown in distortion, but there's an underlying uneasiness to her work that she subtly manipulates. And while there's no lack of power-electronics squeal, industrial skronk, or metallic shrieks, the layers are meticulously crafted and executed with clinical precision. It's noise with intent. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN

FRIDAY 2/20

PIERCED ARROWS, MEAN JEANS, THE EXACERBATORS
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) See My, What a Busy Week!

GORDON BOK, CAROL ROHL, SHANGHAIED ON THE WILLAMETTE
(St. David of Wales Episcopal Church, 2800 SE Harrison) Maine folksinger Gordon Bok possesses a deep baritone voice and a lively adeptness with the 12-string guitar, and he's carved a humble but integral career in the folk circuit with both his own material and in preserving folk songs and lore that might have otherwise been lost over the years. In 1975, Bok recorded his best-known work as one-third of an informal trio with Ann Mayo Muir and Ed Trickett; their Turning Toward the Morning remains a stunning recording all these years later, one of the best folk albums ever made. Bok's rendition of the traditional "Three Score and Ten" and his own compositions "Isle Au Haut Lullaby" and "Turning Toward the Morning" are the centerpieces, and they're sad and poetic, full of grace and labor. As familiar with a ship's rigging as he is with the neck of a guitar, Bok remains a living link to a bygone era, of shipyards and trawlers and schooners, of cold coastal winds and summer sun shining on the ocean. He's one of the greatest and most genuine folksingers alive. NED LANNAMANN

SLUTEVER, LISA PRANK
(Angelo's, 4620 SE Hawthorne) As bandmates and best friends for life, Nicole Snyder and Rachel Gagliardi trade off vocals, guitar, and drums as the scrappy punk duo Slutever. The pair have released a steady string of cassettes and 7-inches since forming in back in 2010, and last summer lashed out with "White Flag," a catchy, fuzzed-out rocker with lyrics that detail restlessness and a desperate search for inspiration. Cold East Coast winters in Philadelphia were taking a heavy toll, so the pair decided to relocate to the beaches and palm trees of Los Angeles. The move seems to have ignited a flame. Following up their fantastic split with tourmates Girlpool, Slutever recently put the finishing touches on a brand-new cassette, Almost Famous. The six-song EP offers up a vital dose of heartfelt grunge-punk that is guaranteed to rattle you to your very core. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

WAVER CLAMOR BELLOW, RYAN FRANCESCONI AND MIRABAI PEART
(Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton) Portland's Waver Clamor Bellow make soothing washes of ethereal tones through viola (Ben Magaziner), harp (Sage Fisher), and guitar (Paul Schaefer). The trio's sonic technique allows for moments both plaintive and raw, disjointed and beautiful all at once. On Mare's Nest, their debut—which is being released tonight—cosmic reverberations of long-form, experimental tunes like "Find a New Face for My Empty Skull" sit alongside moments of hissing, digital-effects wizardry. RYAN J. PRADO

SCOTT PEMBERTON
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) What's Scott Pemberton play? He plays Timber Rock. What's Timber Rock? It's what Scott Pemberton plays. Since that clears nothing up, know this: don't worry about it. Roll with it. Groove out. Pemberton is Portland's own guitar hero, a wildly inventive mind capable of dancing from stone-cold jazz to speed metal with a wink and a grin. Having muscled up his reputation with a couple of years of road work, he returns with his first studio record since 2012's Sugar Mama. The new one is called Timber Rock, because that's what he plays. RYAN WHITE

REAGAN YOUTH, 13 SCARS, RUM REBELLION, FAITHLESS SAINTS
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) Reagan Youth's name was very much of a time and era, although their ideals have always been prescient. As far as I can tell from sifting through the names of current and former members—and there have been lots—guitarist Paul Bakija (AKA Paul Cripple) is the only remaining OG (original vocalist Dave Rubinstein and bassist Andy Bryan died in 1993 and 2002 respectively), but the band and its message lives on. The work of these New York hardcore punks shouldn't be diminished by the leanness of their output. Reagan Youth's only proper studio album, Youth Anthems for the New Order, is exactly what it sounds like—a true statement for the marginalized that has outlived the band's namesake, and will be here long after Reagan Youth leave this mortal coil. MARK LORE

VIJAY IYER TRIO
(Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway) Despite my dearest hopes, Break Stuff, the latest album by award-winning jazz pianist Vijay Iyer and his trio, is not related to the Limp Bizkit song of the same name. The "break" in the title refers to drum breaks and break beats, the building blocks of modern electronic music and hiphop. Hence, a track like "Hood"—a tribute to Detroit techno producer Robert Hood—which sputters and cavorts, and the title track, which plays with the slow, sinister roll of a Schoolboy Q jam. The rest of the album sews that same 120 BPM pulsing heart inside the carapace of modern bop and chilly balladry. This is arguably the hottest ticket of this year's Portland Jazz Festival, and Iyer's reputation as an imposing improviser—along with the equally jaw-dropping work of his bandmates, drummer Marcus Gilmore and bassist Stephan Crump—should make this evening one of the most talked-about jazz events of 2015. RH

LEVON'S HELMET, THE ZAGS, NO MORE PARACHUTES, MR. BONES
(Sandy Hut, 1430 NE Sandy) Don't let anybody "introduce" you to Levon's Helmet—we've been singing their praises in these pages (and on our website) since they dropped their debut EP in November 2013. Now the duo of Gordon Keepers and Jason Oppat has a full-length album, and Have the Best Day is a triumphant thrill ride of pop-punk and power pop, with soaring guitars, firecracker drums, and holler-along melodies. "Condos" might be the Portland anthem of 2015—81 seconds of bilious rage about the current state of the city and the attendant noise complaints that have severely curtailed live music at bars like the Firkin Tavern. Here's how much the Mercury likes Levon's Helmet (and thinks you will, too): We've booked them for the 2015 Malt Ball (February 28 at the Wonder Ballroom, get your tickets) and our all-ages columnist Morgan Troper actually joined their ranks as bassist for live shows. NL

SATURDAY 2/21

TOM TOM MAGAZINE FIFTH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
(Beacon Sound, 3636 BN Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

ROBOT BOY, CAREGIVER, SNOW ROLLER, TROPHY WIVES, SQUALOR
(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) See All-Ages Action!

OREGON SYMPHONY, STEFAN JACKIW
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) The opening bars of Ludwig van Beethoven's monumental Symphony No. 5 may get all the attention, but let's not forget the bombastic finale, which is equally epic in a preposterously over-the-top sort of way. Saturday through Monday offers Portland three chances to catch this classic performed live and unplugged by our very own mind-blowing Oregon Symphony. The show's first half features a guest soloist I've now been patiently waiting more than three years to hear again: Stefan Jackiw. Don't worry about how to pronounce his name or what's on the setlist (a Lutosawski and Dvořák two-fer). Just be prepared to have this utterly intriguing fiddler cast his spell over the entire Schnitzer crowd. If the fantasy of witnessing Björk's younger brother create a myriad of sonic wonders with a magical violin sounds at all appealing to you, I cannot recommend this show more strongly. And heads up: Rachmaninoff's colorfully creepy Isle of the Dead morbidly kicks off the evening, so don't be late! BRIAN HORAY

BIG MO, JONNY COOL, TOPE, SERGE SEVERE, DJ SLAPZ, RASHEED JAMAL
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Tonight celebrates Oregon/Kuwait emcee Big Mo's latest release, True North. The first single off the project, "Tell You Something," finds Big Mo spitting over a bold Jonny Cool beat with a commanding flow that conjures up Brother Ali and early Jay-Z. Stylistic similarities aside, Big Mo carves his own lane thematically, bringing his unique style of conscious bars that teach without getting preachy. His cohorts tonight include Rasheed Jamal, who's on the cusp of releasing his latest full-length, Sankofa. If you're a casual fan of Portland hiphop and don't already know Serge Severe or Tope, I can't do nothing for you. Every single act is a heavyweight headliner, often in much larger venues, which should make for a dope evening in an intimate space. RYAN FEIGH

COMPANY FUCK, GRAZ, DJ BUTTBABY, KOOL SKULL, METALL KUPPCAKE
(Plew's Brews, 8409 N Lombard) To wrap your mind around Portland's Fukdup Records, you might have to imagine Negativland DJing a punk-rock rave in the age of viral YouTube videos. Probably more well-known in Berlin or Tokyo than here in its home city, Fukdup has spent the last five years putting out albums that don't adhere to a specific genre, but are joined through a particular brand of digital destruction. In short: A sense of humor is required. Pop music gets aerobically annihilated. Internet memes become happy hardcore anthems. And even when releasing more "serious" work, there's always some acknowledgment that taking music too seriously is inherently ridiculous. Tonight they release their massive anniversary compilation, Five Years of Fukdup Records. With German noise-karaoke performance artist Company Fuck headlining, you can be assured that this will be a Fukdup night. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

SUNDAY 2/22

HARMED BROTHERS
(Al's Den, 303 SW 12th) See My, What a Busy Week!

KEVIN MORBY, JESSICA PRATT
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Jessica Pratt.

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH: OREGON SYMPHONY, STEFAN JACKIW
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See Saturday's preview.

FLIGHT FACILITIES, BEAT CONNECTION
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) If you want to get over your last break-up, I suggest taking some drugs and going to a Flight Facilities show. The variety in their sound evokes a range of memories—from the time your ex took you to the beach to when you found out he was sleeping with your neighbor. This Australian duo of producers (Hugo Gruzman and James Lyell) has already gained a fair amount of notoriety since their debut album, Down to Earth, came out in October. Including collaborations with everybody from Kylie Minogue to Reggie Watts, Down to Earth resonates with smooth, sprawling synths against the backdrop of poppy, highly consumable beats. ROSE FINN

ETERNAL TAPESTRY, WL, FEEL YOUNG
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Tonight, local psychedelic voyagers Eternal Tapestry play a release show for their latest, the Thrill Jockey-issued double album Wild Strawberries. The band shacked up in a cabin in the moss-covered forests of Zigzag, Oregon, where they pulled inspiration from rivers and foliage during the day, and clear and starry skies at night. All of these elements helped mold the meandering, spacey jams that surround you on the album. Prior to heading out to the woods, drummer Jed Binderman stumbled upon a hoard of 700 live Phish bootleg cassettes. The band reused these tapes to lay down hours of their own improvised material, then went through the painstaking process of curating the final sequencing. The combined pieces flow together naturally, and listening to Wild Strawberries through a cranked-up stereo system on a rainy afternoon makes for a wonderfully far-out experience. CT

MONDAY 2/23

HARMED BROTHERS
(Al's Den, 303 SW 12th) See My, What a Busy Week!

BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH: OREGON SYMPHONY, STEFAN JACKIW
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See Saturday's preview.

TUESDAY 2/24

DIVERS, NUDE BEACH, BRAVE HANDS, PASS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Read our article on Nude Beach.

HARMED BROTHERS
(Al's Den, 303 SW 12th) See My, What a Busy Week!