WEDNESDAY 12/9

PATTERSON HOOD, THAYER SARRANO
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

HEALTH, PICTUREPLANE, IAN HICKS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

SUN KIL MOON
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See All-Ages Action!

BLOWOUT, HEMINGWAY, ROBOT BOY
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Since their 2014 debut, We All Float Down Here, Portland's Blowout have mastered their rough take on twinkle emo that sounds like snowflakes cut out of sandpaper. Precise, mathy riffs are made raw by singer/bassist Laken Wright's warm yet cutting vocals that invite you in but won't touch you with a 39-and-a-half-foot pole. A standout from the EP is "Wet and Reckless," the only three minutes of Blowout you'll need to get hooked. The track meanders nostalgically before reaching the realization, "I love you so/and why I love you, I'll never know." Word is that Blowout are working on a new album (to be released on Lauren Records and Making New Enemies) due sometime early next year, so keep an eye and an ear out. CIARA DOLAN

EUGENE CHADBOURNE, MIKE GAMBLE, THE TENSES
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) According to Discogs, Eugene Chadbourne's catalog includes 135 albums since 1976. His listeners tend to come in three flavors: obsessive collectors, curious onlookers, and barroom regulars whose buzzes are being harshed by the weirdo making a racket in the corner of their Middle America drinking hole. On any night, you might hear Chadbourne pluck out a fragmented acoustic guitar ballad or work out some free jazz improv in the middle of a rustic banjo tune. He could also just as easily play a rake for 45 minutes. Basically, Chadbourne does whatever comes to mind at any given moment, so it pays to go into it with an open mind of your own. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN

THURSDAY 12/10

KIASMOS, STRATEGY, BEACON SOUND
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Read our article on Kiasmos.

TONOPAH, KITCHEN HIPS, BIG FEELINGS, WHALES WHAILING
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) If you missed your chance to catch Los Angeles pop acts Tonopah and Kitchen Hips earlier this week at the Know, no reason to fret. Tonight, the pair makes a second stop in Portland on the return leg of their West Coast jaunt. Tonopah take their name from the small Nevada community primarily known—along with a line from Little Feat's "Willin'"—for being home to the ultra creepy and definitely haunted Clown Motel. But given the strength of the band's debut album, Always Almost, Tonopah—the town—could earn a much sunnier reputation. The band's singer and principal songwriter, Effie Ralli, grew up in Las Vegas but originally hails from London, and her distinct English twee-pop vocals pack a much-needed dose of vitamin D for these shortened days. Meanwhile, Kitchen Hips, a band featuring Tonopah guitarist Aerienne Russell on banjo and vocal duties, channel a unique freak-folk vibe ripped straight from America's heartland. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

CAROUSEL, FUZZY DICE, PUSHY
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) At that celebrated crossroads between the decadent riffage of KISS and the songwriting of melodic hard rockers Thin Lizzy, Pittsburgh's Carousel have a lot going for them. Unafraid to keep a leg firmly in hard rock's dueling-guitar-solo past, the band's new album, 2113—the title undoubtedly a sly nod to Rush—is swimming in nostalgia. Carousel brought on Pentagram guitarist Matt Goldsborough to fill out their sonic onslaught, deepening the band's already formidable ax wielding for eight low-bullshit rockers that refuse to take guff from anyone. There's a two-minute-long wah-wah solo on "Photograph," just so everyone's clear what I'm talking about here. RYAN J. PRADO

ANDREW ENDRES COLLECTIVE, BLUE CRANES
(Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th) Though guitarist Andrew Endres' name toplines this new jazz ensemble, the project really embraces the "collective" part of their moniker. On Desolation, the group's debut album of meditative, European-inspired instrumentals, no single player strives to outshine the rest. That manages to be the case even when the musicians peel off on their own, as the album boasts some of the most understated solos on record. Even a blowsy instrument like a baritone sax (wielded with authority by Lindsey Quint) somehow knows its place. Everyone is working toward the good of the unit, synthesizing into something cooling and exalting. The Collective visits Jimmy Mak's this week to celebrate the release of Desolation, with Endres tweaking the ensemble slightly by bringing in two different sax players (Noah Bernstein and Reid Neuman) to join with his regular rhythm section. ROBERT HAM

GIFT OF GAB, RA SCION, LANDON WORDSWELL, DJ INDICA JONES
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Perfectly timed with Portland's soccer championship, Gift of Gab—AKA Tim Parker, one half of lyrical hip-hop duo Blackalicious—returns to Portland fresh off Blackalicious' release of a new version of their classic "Alphabet Aerobics." Taking on the world of all things athletic, "Sports Alphabet" follows the same format as the original, showcasing Gab's dynamic rhythmic prose. After nearly two decades of music under his own name as well as Blackalicious, Gift of Gab might be one of hip-hop's most underappreciated emcees. With the 2015 release of Imani Vol. 1, the first Blackalicious album in a decade, it's never too late to grab onto the magic. JENI WREN STOTTRUP

FRIDAY 12/11

STUMPTOWN SOUL HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

BILLY GIBBONS AND THE BFGs
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) I'm not sure what took ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons so long to release a solo record, but nearly five decades after "99th Floor," his first single with the Moving Sidewalks, he's finally done it. Gibbons and his band, the BFGs, take on Afro-Cuban music on their debut, Perfectamundo, which may seem like a stretch, but there's still plenty of blues and choogle in his recipe. Even when Gibbons strays into hip-hop, his guitar work remains front and center. At the end of the day, it seems the ZZ Top beardsman is in it mostly to entertain himself, but if you're so inclined, the rhythm is gonna get you. MARK LORE Also see My, What a Busy Week!

THE BLASTERS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) The Blasters call their brand of electrified throwback roots rock "American music," but the truth is that they were always too weird to represent the country as a whole. They are punks, first off, but they were too obsessed with blues and rockabilly to catch on with the LA crowd who idolized their label-mates the Germs and Fear. They are insider musicians; members of the band have played with X, the Flesh Eaters, and the Gun Club, and most of them can be seen in the weirdo cult classic flick Border Radio. In spite of this, the Blasters stand out in the fray of the early '80s Los Angeles underground. Their first two records played off a lexicon of proto-rock 'n' roll with punk speed, professional chops, and mountains of charisma, and they still invigorate to this day. MAC POGUE

THE GARDEN, MINDEN
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Orange County's newer-wave duo the Garden is mysterious twin brothers Fletcher and Wyatt Shears. Their recent release, Haha, pairs sludgy basslines with power-pop vocals on some tracks, while others consist of spoken word over buzzy electronics. It's rare for a song by the Garden to be longer than three minutes—most begin with a sonic explosion that takes off running before ending abruptly. Their music often features strange (and probably satirical) lyrics, like those in "Devour," which uses the image of "a ghost in flip flops" as a metaphor for lightness. It's unclear what genre their futuristic electro-punk falls within, but they call it "Vada Vada." They'll be joined by Portland band Minden, whose goldtone pop drips with sweetness just groovy enough to dance to. CD

BED, LADYWOLF, HELENS
(SMART Collective, 6923 SE Foster) Few things in life go together as seamlessly as skateboarding and music, and nowhere is that overlap more prevalent than in skate videos. Pairing the right song with some good footage can elevate a video to greatness, and I can't even begin to count the number of bands I've been turned onto by watching skate videos over the years. SMART Collective, the interactive skate shop located in the Foster-Powell neighborhood, knows this better than anyone. Since opening its doors just over two years ago, the shop has played host to some outstanding all-ages matinee shows. Tonight, for the premiere of their latest skate video, the venue welcomes some of Portland's best up-and-coming bands, including atmospheric post-rock outfit Helens, bubblegum pop-rock act Ladywolf, and the jangly, slow-fi trio Bed, who are also dropping a brand-new single at their Rontoms show this Sunday. CT

THE PRIDS, PUPPY BREATH, TWEAKER SNEAKERS
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Longtime Portland punks the Prids are going back into the studio soon, which is fantastic news for music fans all over the Pacific Northwest. In preparation, the band is performing a warm-up show at the venerable record store/bar/eatery/venue Turn! Turn! Turn! prior to holing up for the winter. It's a great way to cap off their 20th year as a band, having garnered the respect of hard-working punks all over the country for a seemingly unabashed experimental ethic. The band's last album, 2010's Chronosynclastic, furthered their more synth-reliant foundation, while maintaining firm hold of the buzzsaw guitar tone of their first two albums. Come out and support a Portland favorite, and buy some records while you're at it. RJP

SATURDAY 12/12

KINSKI, WIMPS, DEEP FRIED BOOGIE BAND
(The Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd) See My, What a Busy Week! and read our article on Wimps.

LEGACY OREGON BURN CENTER BENEFIT
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) See My, What a Busy Week!

ROXBURY, GLACIER VEINS, DOG THIEVES, DISCO VOLANTE, COOL AMERICAN
(Anarres Infoshop, 7101 N Lombard) See All-Ages Action!

PSYCHIC TV, WALDTEUFEL, VICE DEVICE
(Euphoria, 315 SE 3rd) Read our article on Psychic TV.

JACK LADDER AND THE DREAMLANDERS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Jack Ladder has one of those voices. Think Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, and Matt Berninger of the National. Ladder sings in a way that's measured, smoky, and deeper than a lot of the pop-rock voices we hear. (Actually, Ladder's voice is so deep, he makes most of the aforementioned sound like Bobby Brady going through puberty.) On his new album, Playmates, the Australian singer/songwriter pairs his earthy croon against the sturdy brand of synth-pop practiced by his band the Dreamlanders. Don't be fooled by the phrase "synth-pop," though; Playmates doesn't glitter, it glowers. It bleeps and bloops and pulses, yes, but with Ladder's desperate, brooding-romantic tales unfolding concurrently, the overall effect is dark and chilly. Think of Playmates as black ice formed across a beating broken heart. BEN SALMON

BRIAN BERG MEMORIAL
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) On October 17, musician Brian Berg died in Salem. Berg was a songwriter whose excellent tunes made up the catalog of 44 Long, the band he'd fronted since the mid-'90s. The group's debut album, Collect Them All, remains a classic of Portland music. Tonight a collection of Berg's friends and musical peers—including Scott McCaughey, John Moen, Jeremy Wilson, Herman Jolly, and many, many others—pay tribute to his impressive body of work and a life cut short by his tragic and unexpected death. With funds going to his daughter's college fund, this should be a very sad but also very warm and life-affirming night. Go to this show, or at the very least, look up Collect Them All on Bandcamp, along with 44 Long's other work. It's fantastic music, and Berg deserves to be remembered. NED LANNAMANN

RASHEED JAMAL, MIC CAPES, LANG, DRAE SLAPZ
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Kelly's Olympian has been a consistent home to Portland's strong and growing hip-hop scene. Tonight's no exception. Rasheed Jamal's 2015 full-length album, Sankofa, starts out with the sleepy trip-hop beat and breathy vocals of "Zuzu's and WhamWhams," lulling you into a slow nightmarish sense of disconnection, followed by the raw intensity of "Urban Decay" and its vocal hook, "Can we please have a moment of silence (violence)." This syncopated, sprint-jog pacing sets the tone for what is one of the best Northwest hip-hop releases of the past few years. Joining Jamal tonight is fellow Resistance emcee Mic Capes, who released a collection of singles this summer from his upcoming album, Concrete Dreams, all of which are emotional, powerful, honest, narrative-driven raps over eerily simple backbeats. CAMERON CROWELL

STILL FLYIN', IJI, FEEL YOUNG
(High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK) Along with acts like Olympia's Generifus, San Francisco/Santa Barbara's Watercolor Paintings, and Seattle's Jason Clackley, Iji exists in a lineage of West Coast acts defined less by sound and more by a loose network of art spaces and friendly basements that dot the landscape between the Mexican and Canadian borders—the band's home on the road. Iji uses danceable grooves and "New York's Alright" saxophones, embracing tender and smooth textures edged out by noise-obsessed indie rock. San Francisco's Still Flyin' shoot for straight dance, following the template of hook/beat/melody perfected by New Order. Velvet Underground worshippers Feel Young opens the night. MP

THE WOOLEN MEN, BARBARA MANNING'S BIRTHDAY SUIT, THE WHITE SHARK
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) The current lionization of '90s artists is bound to have some huge blind spots in its already myopic view of the past. One musician in particular who has been unjustly left on the periphery is Barbara Manning. The Bay Area-based singer/songwriter came up through the underground rock and experimental scenes, bringing her uncluttered lyrics and crystal-clear voice to bands like 28th Day and World of Pooh, but she truly blossomed as a solo artist and as the leader of the band SF Seals. In each case, she explored the familiar joys and fallouts of personal relationships while dabbling in longform musical narratives—like the startling "Arsonist Story" that kicked off 1212, her fantastic 1997 album—and a keen ear for great songs to cover. Her live appearances, especially in Portland, are rare, so tonight's performance should be very special indeed. RH

TSEPESCH, GAASP, SATANARCHIST
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Unless you live in a cave, you'll soon be entering the season of ubiquitous Christmas music. It starts out with a "Jingle Bells" here and a "White Christmas" there, but before you know it, you're hearing the same 10 or 15 holiday faves everywhere you go. It's all fun and festive... until it's not. Knowing this, why not prep your brainspace for this oncoming onslaught of cheer by visiting the Know tonight, where you can take in three local bands that trade in dark, heavy, gnarly sounds. Gaasp is a pedal-to-the-metal crust-punk band with a solid demo on Bandcamp. Tsepesch injects a healthy dose of psychedelic atmosphere into its dense doom-metal march. And Satanarchist's unsettling collision of tech-thrash and howling black metal? Well, let's just say you won't run the risk of hearing it in the seasonal knickknack section at Target over the next few weeks. BS

SUNDAY 12/13

THE HOLY BROKE
(The Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont) The chosen moniker of Kent Ueland's new solo project, the Holy Broke, may reference Leonard Cohen's lyric in "Hallelujah," but that's where the similarities between the two songwriters end. The Holy Broke is more akin to the whiskey-and-an-open-road folk-country of Deer Tick or post-Bright Eyes Conor Oberst. Ueland began writing and performing as the Holy Broke over a year ago, after the breakup of the long-running Spokane band Trouble Buttons, and he released his debut album, Do It Yourself, earlier this year. Its title speaks not only to the indie music aesthetic, but it also carries a more personal meaning for Ueland, coming after the dissolution of his band as well as the end of a four-year relationship. His songs mostly stick to the well-trod path of hard living and heart-breaking, but his youth belies his world-weary "I've-been-through-hell" material. Kudos to Ueland for striking out on his own; here's hoping he soon finds his own voice. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

MONIKER, NOVOSTI, THE FURROW, INDIRA VALEY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Ephemeral landscapes define the aural scene set by Monica Metzler, the songwriter, producer, and vocalist behind space-doom pop band Moniker. The prolific producer has stayed busy over the last two years, producing multiple projects, including the doomy Tectonic Plates as Moniker Deep and the dreamlike The Cruelest Month as Moniker. Metzler's experimentation in soundscapes and lyrical concepts has an academic feel, using the emotion of sound to create song cycles that match her softly whispered vocals. It's a sound that gets under your skin and sticks with you, with each song building upon the others to create a feeling of unease that will keep you up at night. JWS

HELENS, LOSER BOYFRIEND, RADLER
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Helens has split the difference between shoegaze and post-hardcore to get the same effect—but not the same sound—as the Smashing Pumpkins. Whereas Corgan and crew used texture and bombast to write grunge applications to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Helens mine dynamics and repetition to create sonic worlds. On their EP Teeth, Jordan Portlock's voice murmurs in a dense cloak of reverb, giving the impression of a great distance between him and the rest of the band; live, his voice barely peeks above the dense fray of cymbals and shuddering guitar amps. Like the monks Portlock sings about on Teeth, Helens prostrate themselves in front of the altar of music. Like a street preacher incanting without end, Helens just want you to understand its power. MP

MONDAY 12/14

GRAVEYARD, EARTHLESS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) When it comes to solid rock 'n' roll, Graveyard is as reliable as they come. One could pick up any of the Swedish band's four studio albums and be able to scratch the same itch. That's not to say that their interchangeability is bad, or that the band is predictable and boring. What it means is that Graveyard knows exactly who they are, what they're capable of, and how to stretch their legs in their respective style. The band's most recent long-player, Innocence and Decadence, has the same stomping grooves, gentle blues, and wailing spirit as their previous three efforts, but it also has a fair amount of nuance as well. Each of Graveyard's records has just enough added depth to keep their evolution interesting, but not so much that any of them seem like an ill-advised experiment. ARIS HUNTER WALES Also see My, What a Busy Week!

TUESDAY 12/15

WILL SHEFF
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) It's been a decade since Okkervil River—Austin's finest band to be named after a Russian tributary—released their brilliant and sulking breakthrough Black Sheep Boy. I'd like to say I dusted off the LP to see how it's aged, but to be honest, I've never stopped listening. When compared to Okkervil's first two modest recordings, Black Sheep Boy arrived with all the subtlety of a wrecking ball. From the opening cover of a Tim Hardin song (who was Elliott Smith before there was an Elliott Smith), the call-and-response anthem of "All the Latest Toughs," to the finest car-crash-as-a-relationship-metaphor this side of the 10-ton truck that struck Morrissey ("For Real"), greatness permeates Black Sheep Boy. Tonight will just be frontman Will Sheff solo, as if these songs needed to be any more intimate. EZRA ACE CARAEFF Also see My, What a Busy Week!

MÖTLEY CRÜE, ALICE COOPER
(Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct) Hey, Mötley Crüe. Are we done yet? With tonight's show, your "farewell" tour will have come within 100 miles of Portland three times in the past year and a half. Do we really need to check in once again with Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx to make sure they're still bloated egomaniacs with faded talent? I'm sure Tommy Lee still has no shirt and some silly, spinning drum contraption. And Jesus Christ! Just let poor Mick Mars sit down! The man can barely move due to his ankylosing spondylitis! The pain he's clearly in can't be worth the paychecks he's getting. It's not like you're really worth this ceremonious departure, either, Mötley Crüe. Your career was storied, yes, but your breadth of musical output wasn't groundbreaking or special. You've coasted on the strength of two great records, and those came out more than 30 years ago. Thanks for Too Fast for Love and Shout at the Devil, but just retire already. AHW Also read our Debate Club on Alice Cooper.

FALLING IN REVERSE, ATREYU, FROM ASHES TO NEW, ASSUMING WE SURVIVE
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Do you play music? Are you in a band? Here's a quick reality check: Ronnie Radke—the man who once sang/rapped "In layman's terms I am the best you must agree/I got that white boy swagger rapping right down to a T"—is probably more successful than you are or ever will be. Last year, his emo/post-"hardcore" band Falling in Reverse also covered Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise," which was hilarious in absolutely no way that anyone in the band intended. Couple all this with some not-infrequent misogynistic lyrics, and it's enough to make you wonder why you even bother. MWS

MATT AND KIM, FRINGE CLASS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) It's hard to believe that Matt and Kim have been making music together for more than a decade. The New York duo have evolved from their straightforward keyboard-and-drums indie-pop/dance-punk to, five albums later, basically trap producers that jump into the crowd and twerk to their beats. They've gone from low-budget commercials with Biz Markie to covering "You Got What I Need" at Lollapalooza; from throwing drum sets at each other when they opened for Blink-182 to choreographing a "Harlem Shake" video. To call Matt and Kim a band would only describe half of their constantly shifting stage personas—it would be more accurate to think of their live set as "memes IRL." CC

HALEY HEYNDERICKX, ESMÉ PATTERSON
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) With her otherworldly presence, Haley Heynderickx's music casts a long shadow. The gifted songwriter, vocalist, and guitar player may be young, but she's quickly built a name for herself as an artist to watch not only among Portland musicians but on the national level, too, thanks to her audition for NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. She mesmerizes onstage, letting space build between her chords, pillowing her distinctive, lilting vocals and letting the songs breathe and soar. She recalls Angel Olson, and was influenced early on by Nick Drake and Bob Dylan, learning bluegrass guitar after showing interest in the instrument. These influences still inform her songwriting, including the hypnotic track "Fish Eyes," a newly released single in advance of Heynderickx's debut EP in late January. JWS