THURSDAY 10/8
POH-HOP XI
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See Music.
ROBYN HITCHCOCK AND THE VENUS 3, GOLDEN BLOOM
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Last year brought the re-release of what will forever be my favorite Robyn Hitchcock albums—1985's Fegmania! and 1986's Element of Light, which I encountered as a Beatles-and-R.E.M.-obsessed teen and love to this day. But I've never heard Hitchcock music I haven't liked, up to and including this year's Goodnight Oslo, made with the Venus 3 and packed with more of the bookish, Syd Barrett-meets-John Lennon psycho-Britpop that is Hitchcock's life calling. DAVID SCHMADER
FRIDAY 10/9
RICHMOND FONTAINE, FEDERALE, KELLY BLAIR BAUMAN
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) See Feature.
POH-HOP XI
(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) See Music.
THE PRIDS, LOOKBOOK, SOFT TAGS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Tonight marks the release of Lookbook's new album, The Look and Feel, but that's not all. It's also the launch of the new This-a-Way record label—er, excuse me, recording collective. This-a-Way was founded by Mistina Keith of the Prids (also on the bill tonight) and it's functioned as a record label in the past, but now it's reinventing itself by embracing the new media of today, focusing on digital releases (and vinyl, for fetishists). Other artists in the new collective include We Miss the Earth, and the weird, wonderful Soft Tags, who are set to release a double album on This-a-Way in November. But for now, This-a-Way couldn't be off to a better start, with Lookbook's album carving a quite unique path between disco and rock. Shades of goth and krautrock darken what otherwise could sound like vacant dance floor motions, and they do a splendid cover of early U2 B-side "Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl" to boot. Lookbook never makes the mistake of sounding too mechanical, and are all the more dance-worthy because of it. NED LANNAMANN
TEAM EVIL, THE HAND THAT BLEEDS, JANA OSTA
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Team Evil sounds like it should be the name of a bad screamo band that your little brother is dying to see at Warped Tour. Thankfully, they actually sound more akin to folk-inspired indie rock. Having played with the likes of Alan Singley and Pants Machine and Experimental Dental School, these guys clearly like to mix things up, bouncing from the experimental to the soothing. The voice of lead singer Skyler Norwood (also of Point Juncture, WA) is thin and a tiny bit raspy, with a barely there quality that seems to whisper and drag at your ears in a soothing way. Backing vocal harmonies and mellow guitar hooks complete the package, putting listeners into a complete state of calm. THEODORA P. KARATZAS
NOMEANSNO, PACK AD, RAPIDS
(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Mention a punk band that's been around for 30 years and chances are you're referring to weathered alcoholics playing dive bars on the outskirts of town, or a group shamelessly pandering to the next generation of Warped Tour attendees, or even some sad reunion tour featuring one original member. Nomeansno, thankfully, are none of the above. Rather, the band continually favored challenging audiences' minds over challenging "the man." Through the span of their career, the trio amassed an impressive catalog of cerebral punk, brimming with odd time signatures, polyrhythms, and unique instrument interplay—a distinction that's led several critics to cite them as a primary influence on the math-rock explosion of the '90s. Even after three decades, Nomeansno are as relevant as ever. BRIAN COOK
BLACK ELK, MICO DE NOCHE, NETHER REGIONS
(East End, 203 SE Grand) It would seem that sometimes, letting your influences be heard loud and clear can pay off. Portland ensemble Black Elk creates thunderous, chaotic, theatric rock with clear allegiance to the band that brought noise to the forefront in the 1990s: Jesus Lizard. Black Elk's music is similarly pounding and schizophrenic, and the resemblance is especially present in vocalist Tom Glose's onstage strut and screech, which takes cues from Lizard's David Yow. This year Jesus Lizard finally followed the reunion trend, and Black Elk has been slated to open for them on their Northwest tour dates, including an upcoming Portland show on October 22. That must be some sort of dream come true. Tonight Black Elk headlines a show that will no doubt be as formidable and primal as their name. MARANDA BISH
THE VARUKERS, DOOMSDAY HOUR, HELLSHOCK, DEATHRAID, RIPPER
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) Some consider second-generation UK punks the Varukers to be the first of the so-called D-beat bands, formed two years after Discharge arguably invented the hardcore martial-punk style in 1977 (vocalist Anthony "Rat" Martin now also sings for Discharge). Less discussed are the Varukers' early singles, certain to be rolled out on this 30th anniversary tour, which show pop sensibilities not convenient for texts glorifying the darkness of the UK82 scene. Granted, this was the "pop" championed by skinheads and brawlers, but hindsight is 20/20: "Soldier Boy" and "Dance 'til You're Dead" are singalong, chiming anthems—with a fart and a burp, respectively. Added to uptempo pummeling, proto-thrash riffing, and disregard for the status quo, it's punk. But like punk inventors the Ramones, the pop roots show. MIKE MEYER
RAILER, STARRY SAINTS, PINK NOISE
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) The last 20 years may as well never have happened, according to the synth-meisters of Pink Noise. Their new self-titled EP can be downloaded for free at their website, and it's chock full of outdated synth pads, watery-fake '80s drum sounds, and New Romantic guttural crooning. Judging by their thrift-store-bin apparel and Flock-of-Seagulls hair-swoops, it seems the three lads of Pink Noise are in on the joke, and their goofy, goth-tinged synth pop hits its intended mark precisely, sounding utterly unoriginal and entirely authentic. NL
SATURDAY 10/10
MONO, MASERATI
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!
JARED MEES AND THE GROWN CHILDREN, FINN RIGGINS, WORLD'S GREATEST GHOSTS, TYPHOON
(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) It's probably a cheesy understatement to say Finn Riggins is the ultimate fun band—you know, the one you grin and bop along to in the car because you know they're probably having too much fun making music. Combining everything you know of experimental rock into one nice package, Finn Riggins soak their songs in electronic resonance, harmonized chanting and, well, fun. They're not absolutely nuts, but the sheer production of their latest record, Vs. Wilderness, is staggering; Finn Riggins stomp through each track with spot-on drumming and crunchy guitar that twists and braids through the vocals of Lisa Simpson (that's her actual name), before overflowing into an ooze of pulsating keyboard and electronic viscosity which could generate enough energy to power a small Greek island. Their new album drops tonight at Berbati's. Considering our weather is turning gray and dreary, why not have some fun before we all turn into sour Portlanders? PHILIP GAUDETTE
NUX VOMICA, SQUALORA, JAVELINA, DOG SHREDDER
(Plan B, 1305 SE 8th) Asleep in the Ashes, the new full-length from Portland crusters Nux Vomica, is filled with slabs of huge-sounding metal, but the band isn't afraid to breach any style of music, whether it be hushed, slowly glacial mood-ring drifts or pummeling, battering-scream hardcore. Songs generally grow out from their slow, ominous intros—often stretched out over several minutes—into whiplash fury, and "Corpses with Egos" indeed sounds like the dead coming back to reanimated half-life. Screams and droning guitars collect themselves from strewn-about debris into a fearsome undead warrior, flinging off bits of decaying flesh as it lumbers out into the night. NL
ELLIOTT BROOD, LIGHTNING DUST (EARLY SHOW)
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Born of British Columbia's eponymous Black Mountain family of bands, Lightning Dust is Amber Webber and Joshua Wells. The duo write haunted, intimate songs that stay with you long after the listening has ended. Much of the psychological staying power in their music is due to the spare way the songs are crafted and performed. The pair uses little more than analog keyboards and subtle guitar. This allows Webber's one-of-a-kind vibrato croon to evoke images of love, loss, doubt, and muted hope. Lightning Dust's second album, Infinite Light, is hewn of chilled resilience and seems a perfect companion as we head into the season of mulled cider and crunchy orange leaves. LANCE CHESS
THE STOLEN SWEETS, PETE KREBS TRIO
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) The CD release show for the Stolen Sweets' second album, Sleepytime in Chinatown, will feature more than just music by the gypsy-jazz ensemble—there will be burlesque performers and swing dancing. But of course, the main draw is the Sweets' picture-perfect retro stylings, split between vintage covers and originals by former Hazel frontman Pete Krebs. In fact, you might be able to forget entirely that it is 2009, and that our nation is in financial crisis, and that health care is a mess, and numerous other bad and scary things. The Sweets won't solve any of that, of course. But if you're comfortable with a bit of denial, they'll make them go away for an evening. NL
SUNDAY 10/11
METRONOMY, FOOL'S GOLD, DJ LIFEPARTNER
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!
THE POGUES, SWINGIN' UTTERS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Do I really have to tell you why you should go see the Pogues? Fine: Because Shane MacGowan is the greatest lyricist alive. Because they are the greatest band in the universe to drink to, and because you haven't gotten head-over-heels shitfaced in a good long time. Because MacGowan, when he's actually able to stand on his own two feet (the odds are probably five to one against this happening tonight, but whatever), uses his rough-hewn voice like an instrument in the same magical way that Louis Armstrong always used to. Because the Pogues sound like they know everything there is to know about love and heartbreak and war and sadness and death that there is to know. Because. Period. PAUL CONSTANT
BODHI, THE PIGEONS, BRASS CLOUDS
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Like the garage rock bastard child of the Cramps and Joy Division, Bodhi lurks in the darkest corners of the Portland music scene, putting out some of the hippest-sounding garage rock you could imagine and crooning their way through the drizzly days. Their vocals ooze with swagger, drawling over clunky synths, over-the-top organ bits, and cymbal-riddled drums. A little sarcastic and at times a little rockabilly, the group has managed to piece together a beautiful conglomeration of borrowed sounds, spun them into a grungy musical cloth, and put out something unique and special. Whole and organic, their music stands out as something authentic among the hordes. TPK
MONDAY 10/12
...AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD, FUTURE OF THE LEFT
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!
A HAWK AND A HACKSAW, DAMON AND NAOMI
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) One of the best things to happen to music in the last few years is the surge of competent, spirited traditional music (see also: Beirut, Orkestar Zirkonium). A Hawk and a Hacksaw have the same wind instruments and accordions that the other purveyors of Balkan folk music have, but they've got some tricks that other bands don't: Nobody else has thought to mix Middle Eastern strings, for instance, into a traditional waltz. And nobody else has a percussion section that booms in quite the satisfying way that A Hawk and a Hacksaw do. They experiment with blending non-traditional international vocal and instrumental tricks into a sound that feels respectful and innovative. PC
D-CLONE, DEATHCHARGE, WARCRY
(East End, 203 SE Grand) When it comes to echoing the basic tenet of Discharge and D-beat—that war should be fought with noise, not music—Japan's D-Clone go one louder than the many discore bands who carry that flag around the world. (D-Clone's very name can be read as a statement of total, selfless dedication to the cause.) They arrive equipped with a cutting-edge stockpile of effects pedals that morph primitive punk chords into jet engines, rushing water, and the no-future thermonuclear winds Discharge could only tape onto their tissue-burning "Cries of Help" in 1982. Even D-Clone's amplifiers have been decorated to look like Discharge album covers. If Japan's noise-beyond-noise Incapacitants crossed paths with Portland's unhinged punks Nerveskade, whose vocalist/lead guitarist Jakke also plays in openers Deathcharge, they might sound like this tribute to the abandonment of wartime society. Punks, headbangers, and artists: Arise! MM
TUESDAY 10/13
THE RAINCOATS, EXPLODE INTO COLORS, PANTHER, DJ MAGIC BEANS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week! and Music.
AU, NICE NICE, BRAINSTORM
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!
SLIPKNOT, DEFTONES
(Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way) Think Romeo and Juliet had it tough? Then please go to YouTube and do a search for "Juggalos and Maggots why cant we be friends?" You won't be sorry. In this video, two Kentucky-area pals, named "Juggaloninja117" and "Slipknot," proclaim their undying friendship and thusly make their mark on history. You see, apparently Juggalos (fans of Detroit clown-rappers Insane Clown Posse) and Maggots (fans of Des Moines masked-metallers Slipknot, who are playing a show in Portland tonight) have a long-standing, bitter feud—but Juggaloninja117 and his Slipknot-loving friend don't let this stand in the way of their relationship. "We're all one and the same," preaches Juggaloninja117. "If we both say fuck the mainstream, and fuck them richy ho's, why the fuck can't we be friends?" Amen, brother. Like Jim and Huck, or the Fox and the Hound, their love is not bound by the constraints of our bigoted, hypocritical society. NL
WEDNESDAY 10/14
MONSTERS OF FOLK
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See Music. 23.
STAR WARS IN CONCERT
(Rose Garden, 1 Center Court) See My, What a Busy Week!
LAKE, KARL BLAU, MISS MASSIVE SNOWFLAKE
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) A few years ago, LAKE was just a batch of lo-fi heartfelt songs by Ashley Eriksson that were put out on Karl Blau's subscription CD program, Kelp Monthly (now "Kelp Lunacy Advanced Plagiarism Society"). LAKE's folk, which touched humorously on themes of nostalgia and childhood, was easily the best kept secret of the Northwest. With their latest release, Let's Build a Roof!, the band has taken on an incredibly daunting sound that's been harnessed and polished by Karl Blau to near perfection. Danceable and poppy, the Olympia six-piece bops along with just the right amount of synth woven into their organic, orchestrated folk, which now sounds bigger, crisper, and more professional than their original incarnation. The initial charm of LAKE is still present—their songs are warm and welcoming and just barely under the radar—they've just grown up a bit. So catch them before it's too late. They will hold you close and not let go. PG
BUTTHOLE SURFERS, PSYCHIC ILLS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) The classic '80s Butthole Surfers lineup—Gibby Haynes, Paul Leary, Jeff Pinkus, King Coffey, and Teresa Taylor—will appear for this tour, meaning we can expect a vertiginous tour through some of that decade's most absurdly outré, brain-bonking psych rock, if all goes according to plan. Will Gibby set his hand on fire and spew spontaneous surrealistic brilliance? Will Coffey and Taylor still be able to bang the tubs in time? Will Leary still peel off those searing, acidic leads? Will the scabrous Sabbath homage "Sweet Loaf" be accompanied by those lovely synchronized leg kicks? Will "Lady Sniff" befoul the air? We wait on tenterhooks in anticipation. DAVE SEGAL
