WEDNESDAY 7/8

ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See My, What a Busy Week!

SHELLAC, SHANNON WRIGHT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Shellac hold a rarefied position in the indie-rock universe. They release music only when they feel like it and they tour in short bursts, like the quick Northwest run that lands them here in Portland for two shows, both of which sold out. And they don't need to do any of it. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Albini and bassist Bob Weston both have busy careers doing recording and mastering work (Weston is also the live soundman and fourth member of Mission of Burma). But we should be glad that those two, along with drummer Todd Trainer, still have an interest in creating Shellac music and playing it live. Their lean, steely sound always feels like an electric shock to the system or a hearty slap to the chops that will leave your ears ringing and your mouth tasting of aluminum. ROBERT HAM Also see My, What a Busy Week!

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, BUILT TO SPILL
(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) In 2003, who could have imagined Ben Gibbard's second-best band headlining over Boise indie-rock legends Built to Spill? Maybe the people who soundtracked nationally broadcast teen television dramas—maybe. Death Cab for Cutie's breakthrough album Transatlanticism came out 12 years ago, and since then an entire generation of teenagers have followed Gibbard into the dark, making Death Cab one of the most prominent radio-friendly rock bands, leading right up to their latest, this year's Kintsugi. Nonetheless, Built to Spill's Doug Martsch remains the owner of one of the most fetishized fretboards in music. His distinctive guitar twinkles and bends have become part of not only the Pacific Northwest rock continuum but all guitar-driven music today. This show is a living wax museum of recent rock history whose influence is ingrained in any twentysomething that felt feelings in their teens. CAMERON CROWELL

MISSION SPOTLIGHT, THE PARSON RED HEADS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Following their 2012 EP, Everything That Floats, Portland band Mission Spotlight have prepped Keep the Good Ones Close, their first full-length album and a handsome compendium of twang and tears. The album explores the downtrodden, ballad-y side of country and western, with Jackpot! Recording Studio's Larry Crane providing the band with a clear, airy sound that's both warm and forlorn. Mission Spotlight frontman Kurt Foster recorded the album's final cut, "I Have Tried," on his phone in a cabin on Mt. Hood, and it's a whisper into the void—but elsewhere his sturdy-as-an-oak voice guides the band through carefully crafted, amber-tinted country rock. NED LANNAMANN

THURSDAY 7/9

SHELLAC, SHANNON WRIGHT
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, #110) See Wednesday's preview and My, What a Busy Week!

TRAILS AND WAYS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) In recent years, there have been a handful of bands from Oakland who incorporate disparate global influences into a pop template (see: Tune-Yards, Waterstrider, Bells Atlas). In the case of Trails and Ways, their influences (bossa nova, Afrobeat, jazz) get channeled into breezy, upbeat dance tracks that obliterate any barrier you might have erected toward movement. But there's another layer to these songs. According to an interview in the alt-weekly East Bay Express, the band also uses its music to combat climate change. Lead single "Skeletons" on new album Pathology sounds club-worthy on the surface, but is actually about apathy toward ecological collapse. The message is subtle, not overt, however, so apathy is still an option. KATHLEEN RICHARDS

TANLINES, MAS YSA
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Tanlines are a Brooklyn-based duo that are part of the synth-driven electro-pop scene that's dominated "indie" music for the past couple of years. The dancey electronic drumbeats, echoey vocals, and clear, vibrating guitar riffs have become a staple of the current sound. Tanlines' debut LP, Mixed Emotions, came out in 2012 on Matador affiliate label True Panther, and while they may have caught some criticism for not exactly being sonically groundbreaking in the wake of several solid electro-pop releases that same year, you're kidding yourself if you think "All of Me" isn't one of the catchiest songs in recent memory. This year Tanlines have released a follow-up album, Highlights, and it's more of the same consistent indie-pop that'll be tough to resist dancing to. But a greater achievement might be their brilliant new website design, which apes Netflix in ingenious and hilarious ways. CC

FRIDAY 7/10

AUDACITY, TOGETHER PANGEA, WHITE NIGHT
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!

HEAVY SUNSETS, ROD, LADYWOLF, STUDENETS
(SMART Collective, 6923 SE Foster) See All-Ages Action!

THE APPLESEED CAST, ADJY, COASTER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The Appleseed Cast's entire discography has been one long, ongoing pendulum swing between impassioned, guitar-chuggy emo and introspective, guitar-chimey post-rock, often in close proximity to one another. The band's most recent album, 2013's Illumination Ritual, was a comeback of sorts after a half-dozen years of inactivity, and it's a gorgeous amalgam of slow-build guitar swirl, jittery rhythms, and founder Chris Crisci's soaring melodies. All that said, it has been 15 years since The Appleseed Cast released what lots of longtime fans believe is their finest album—2000's Mare Vitalis—and a 15-year anniversary seems like as good a reason as any for the Lawrence, Kansas, band to hit the road and play its songs. So that's what they're doing, and they're doing it in Portland tonight. If you like guitar-based rock and aren't familiar with Mare Vitalis, you oughta check it out. BEN SALMON

BOOM BOOM KID, DARK/LIGHT, MICROAGRESSIONS, TRIVIAL PURSUIT
(Anarres Infoshop, 7101 N Lombard) Argentina's Boom Boom Kid seems less like a unified band than an avatar for Carlos Damián Rodríguez to project his kaleidoscopic musical fixations onto. The project, first conceived in the early '00s, mixes Lookout Records-style pop-punk, bizarre synth-driven jam passages, and a shockingly faithful recreation of nearly forgotten Maryland band the Hated. Rodríguez's melodic sensibility has garnered a cult following in the US, and the band has opened for the likes of the Hard Ons, Coke Bust, and Limp Wrist back in Argentina. Fans of skewed pop and the Guided by Voices school of everything-but-the-kitchen sink songwriting won't want to miss this show. MAC POGUE

THE DECEMBERISTS, CALEXICO
(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) It's been a while since Joey Burns and John Convertino—the core duo of Tucson, Arizona's Calexico—touched upon the spaghetti-western, Tex-Mex territory of their first few albums. Instead, hell bent on expanding their worldly palettes, Calexico has softened the sharper edges of their Southwestern roots, especially on their latest album, Edge of the Sun. It was recorded in Mexico City, and includes several collaborations that cover a wide swath of sound, with contributors including Neko Case, Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Nick Urata (Devotchka), Carla Morrison, Gaby Moreno, Amparo Sanchez, and multi-instrumentalists from the Greek band Takim. The result is a cathartic, sleek listen, furthering Calexico's already impressive résumé of material. Those attending either of their two Edgefield sets opening for the Decemberists are definitely going to be in for something special—watching Calexico outside in the hot sun is an ideal summertime goal. RYAN J. PRADO

DISPIRIT, LYCUS, KNELT ROTE
(Panic Room, 3100 NE Sandy) Lycus' 2011 demo was a revelation. Here was a funeral doom band from the Bay Area that seemed to appear out of thin air, fully formed and armed with a three-song set of melancholic metal that was too crushing to be depressive, but too agile for most doom bands. Turns out, the band had actually started some three years prior to that, but instability and a temporary hiatus kept them from gaining traction. Their full-length LP, Tempest, came two years later, which traded some of the more funereal qualities from the demo for a bigger death/doom approach, and the result was one of the best albums to come out of 2013. Lycus' follow-up is due this fall on Relapse Records. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN

THE DELINES, CAMERADO
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) The Delines released Colfax a little over a year ago, but it seems like a lifetime. The Portland-based band came together last year, as something of a side project or supergroup, but Colfax sounded like the work of a band that had been playing together for years. With members of Richmond Fontaine, the Damnations, the Decemberists, and the Minus 5, the Delines were already seasoned pros by the time they came together and recorded their debut. Willy Vlautin—the band's songwriter and guitarist, and an award-winning author (arguably one of the Pacific Northwest's best living authors)—found his foil with singer Amy Boone, who provides a perfect voice for Vlautin's drifters, loners, and other put-upon characters. The band has reportedly been playing new songs live, so here's hoping a new album is in the works. (And perhaps a new Richmond Fontaine album sometime soon, eh, Willy?) SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

SATURDAY 7/11

ROCK 'N' ROLL CAMP FOR GIRLS' SUMMER CAMP SHOWCASE
(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) See My, What a Busy Week!

HOT MASS: SUN ANGLE, PHONE CALL, LOST CITIES, HOLLA 'N' OATES
(Church, 2600 NE Sandy) See My, What a Busy Week!

BALTO, ROSELIT BONE, OLD WAVE
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Read our article on Balto.

DERRICK MAY, TRANSMAT, BRYAN ZENTZ, M_NUS, ASSS
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Techno legend Derrick May was there to witness Detroit in the late '80s and, along with other pioneers, have a hand in birthing the iconic style of Detroit techno. There is substance behind May's art, the kind of soul that conveys decades of devotion to his craft. His record label, Transmat Records, has earned a reputation for flawless releases that prove his discriminating curatorial taste. In a recent interview, May said that he "loves a good fight," and for him to be able to stay on top in light of the ongoing corporatization of electronic music proves he's a strong one. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD

NOSTALGIST, SPIRIT HOST
(The Alleyway, 2415 NE Alberta) If you've had more than your fill of fun in the sun and are suddenly in dire need of some dark and gloomy reprieve, tonight's show at the Alleyway might be exactly what you're seeking. Seattle's Nostalgist play a dense and brooding style of shoegaze, heaping layers of heavy, atmospheric guitar over Ian Curtis-esque vocals that evoke strong gothic imagery. The band's recently released single, "Pull of the Plow," off their upcoming album, Of Loves and Days Ago, offers a glimpse at their slow-motion, film-noir-influenced blend of post-punk. It's Nostalgist's first release since their 2013 7-inch Monochromatic, which featured guitar contributions from Whirr guitarist and Nothing bassist Nick Bassett. Like both of those bands, Nostalgist are able to conjure up moments of immense noise, and never allow their dreamy sounds to get bogged down in too much sulking. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

VOLT DIVERS: PAUL BARKER & MORE
(The Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand) If you build it, they will come. That's probably what the masterminds behind the modular synth revolution keep telling themselves, and it looks like they're right. The growing popularity of this subgenre of electronic music—one that allows for near-infinite variety in composition and performance—has the chin scratchers nodding in approval. The Volt Divers monthly modular synth night cashes in on this with a unique idea for featuring individual performances. Each one lasts about 10 to 20 minutes, giving the chance for more artists to share samples of their work. This month, Paul Barker of Ministry and Revolting Cocks fame drops in to give a taste of his modular sorcery. Local synth manufacturers including 4MS and Malekko Heavy Industry will also be on hand. CB

SUNDAY 7/12

ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICAL, MINDEN
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE BODY, FALSE, MUSCLE AND MARROW
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Straight up: Listening to Untitled, the debut full-length from Minneapolis black metal band False, is a fucking harrowing experience. It's intense. It's emotional. It's exhausting. It's amazing. At five tracks and nearly 60 minutes, Untitled is one of the finest heavy albums of 2015, a bottomless pit of wild-eyed drum beats, malevolent guitars, and frontwoman Rachel's hellish howl. (That's it: Rachel. Just Rachel.) But what sets False apart from some of its slash-and-burn black-metal contemporaries is the band's measured use of synthesizers to give its grim assault a bit of color and texture. It's a tiny sliver of light in the darkness, but even that light feels like it's radiating from somewhere sinister. How often do brutal Portland weirdoes the Body get some legit competition for the title of "Most Terrifying Band on the Bill"? Tonight at Bunk Bar, False'll give 'em a run for their money. BS

MONDAY 7/13

URAL THOMAS AND THE PAIN
(Sellwood Riverfront Park, SE Spokane & Oaks Park) See My, What a Busy Week!

LYLE LOVETT AND HIS LARGE BAND
(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) See My, What a Busy Week!

MARRIAGES
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Think of Marriages as the culmination of everything singer/guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle has experimented with before. The hard-rock trio combines the ringing guitar tones of her first band, the Nocturnes, with the American Gothic songwriting of her solo folk record; those songs come suspended in the thick, dissonant atmosphere that the members of Marriages perfected during their time in the instrumental metal quintet Red Sparowes. Rundle & Co. (bassist Gregory Burns and drummer Andrew Clinco) refined all those influences into something resembling the Cocteau Twins, as played by the Cenobites from Hellraiser, on their recently released full-length, Salome. Expect some pleasant bad dreams after their set. JOSEPH SCHAFER

FERAL FUTURE, BACKBITER, BOBBY PERU
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Haematic, the latest album by Austin, Texas' Feral Future, comes with a self-imposed trigger warning. The collection of songs, jittering with righteous anger and indignation, attack (among other things) our culture's vicious enabling of sexual assault. "Haematic" refers to blood, but Feral Future take care not to specify whose blood paints their album cover; is it that of the assailant, the victim, the listener, the passive bystander? If you find comfort in knowing the blood may belong to Feral Future, then Haematic might just be a totem of solace, a comfort in a shared trauma. If you fear the retribution that the blood splatters may imply, well, take cover. Feral Future won't stop fighting for what they believe in. MP

TUESDAY 7/14

ETERNAL SUMMERS, NIC HESSLER
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) In the midst of one of the warmest and longest heat waves on record, the once-dreamlike idea of a never-ending summer begins to veer into waking nightmare territory. Don't let that keep you from taking in the flowering dream-punk of Eternal Summers tonight. Initially formed as a duo of guitarist/vocalist Nicole Yun and drummer Daniel Cundiff, Eternal Summers hail from the Magic Twig Community, a fertile music collective formed around the forests of Roanoke, Virginia. When Yun's guitar was stolen, and her replacement axe didn't fill out the low end the way the band needed, the pair enlisted fellow Magic Twig member Jonathan Woods to play bass. With the band's excellent 2014 album The Drop Beneath, Eternal Summers found a unique voice by balancing ethereal dream-pop and driving '90s jangle-rock. This year's follow-up, Gold and Stone, builds on that foundation, delivering 10 genre-defying tunes that range from sweetly melodic to downright snarling. CT Also, read our article on Nic Hessler.

ADOLESCENTS, THE WEIRDOS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) Southern California was a hotbed for punk rock in the late '70s and early '80s, and bands like Adolescents and the Weirdos were big parts of that scene. The number of former members of the Adolescents (Pat Smear, of the Germs/Nirvana/Foo Fighters, is one) far surpasses the number of albums they released, but they've kept on keeping on with the same punk-rock spirit they had 35 years ago. Same goes for the Weirdos, who managed to only release a handful of 7-inches before they imploded in 1981. But here they are in 2015, and tonight they will put some sneer in your beer. MARK LORE

ADVANCE BASE, CLAY COLE, WEIRD CACTUS
(The Waypost, 3120 N Williams) On Nephew in the Wild, the forthcoming sophomore album from Advance Base, songwriter Owen Ashworth (formerly of Casiotone for the Painfully Alone) tells stories of botched incantations, car wrecks, and leaving town without a trace. Its character-sketch songwriting style could easily draw comparisons to John Darnielle or Stephin Merritt, but its darkly playful tales of Midwestern loneliness perhaps share more with the short stories of Lorrie Moore or the novels of Tom Drury. Ashworth creates an intriguingly ambiguous world where the comic and the tragic are always in question, and the distance between the narrator and the songwriter is never certain. In setting late-20th-century lives against a backdrop of vintage electric pianos and melodies reminiscent of late-19th-century parlor songs, Ashworth creates an experience that's both comforting and mildly disorienting, familiar but previously unheard. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

DOPAPOD, VOKAB KOMPANY
(Doug Fir, 830 E. Burnside) Boston's Dopapod parlay a mixed bag of spacey prog, jam, soul, and more on their fourth studio album, Never Odd or Even. The quartet has been building their indefinable racket since 2009, and with little regard for stylistic parameters, they've somehow managed to weave a cohesive sonic thread over jam-tastic extended tracks like the shape-shifting "Present Ghosts," the opening track from Never Odd or Even. Sure, it can get a little indulgent, but Dopapod's quirky ingenuities hearken to the days of experimental forefathers like Yes, the Meters, and even Frank Zappa. That kind of malleability has landed the band in festival rotation this year, and they've performed at festivals as disparate as Bonnaroo, Burning Man, and something called Gathering of the Vibes. Freak out some normies tonight. RJP