WEDNESDAY 2/17

LOCHNESS MOBSTERS, POISON BEACHES, WAVE ACTION
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Portland's Wave Action seizes the indelible motion of surf music. Their constant turmoil—waves are nothing if not ceaseless—evokes the head-over-heels tumble of surf masters the Ventures and power-poppers the Barracudas. But where does this juxtaposition take us? Portland's landlocked shores could never furnish a ride on a surfboard, and surf music's puppy-like joie de vivre seems at odds with Wave Action song titles like "Dreams" and "Emaciation." Melodically, the band finds kindred spirits in Joy Division's more rambunctious moments and the Cure's pop sensibilities. Post-punk's dour gloom has always served as a red herring for its navel-gazing romanticism; Ian Curtis was never his own biggest fan, but he certainly was the most devoted. Maybe post-punk's inner tumult needs surf's zen-like embrace of instability. There goes Wave Action, playing the part of Swayze in Point Break, wading past the 30-foot breaks in search of the unknown. Vaya con dios, bros. MAC POGUE

PHILL NIBLOCK
(Yale Union, 800 SE 10th) It will look like an 82-year-old man staring at a laptop. He will touch his equipment sparingly. There will be a steady sound—perhaps a sound you won't expect—multiplied in several ways, layered on top of itself with growing intensity until it's suddenly astonishing that this steady sound is still playing but is now, somehow, an orchestra. An intuitive musician with no musical training other than decades of experiments and experience, Phill Niblock was a fixture in New York's avant-garde art and music scene in the 1960s. He remains a relevant filmmaker, composer, and musician, but none of those details really explain why Phill Niblock is better at drone music than everyone else. I think it's his sense of humor, but that's just me. SUZETTE SMITH

THURSDAY 2/18

PARTY BOYZ ZINE RELEASE: EYELIDS, MY BODY, GOLDEN HOUR
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

PDX JAZZ FESTIVAL
(Various locations) Read our article on the PDX Jazz Festival.

PULSE: RARE DIAGRAM, BLOSSOM, COCO COLUMBIA, LAMAR LEROY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) It's rare to find a show with a lineup as intentionally diverse as Holocene's new quarterly Pulse event. The showcase brings together a disparate pool of under-the-radar Portland artists, each likely on deck for larger stages in the very near future. The night will feature three co-headliners: the key-based neo-jazz pop of Coco Columbia, the hemisphere-spanning soul of Blossom, and the multi-disciplinary pop of Rare Diagram, with a DJ set by futuristic spinner Lamar Leroy thrown in for good measure. The cross-pollination of scenes is great for local music, and it's also great for local radio—$1 from each ticket sold goes to supporting the volunteer-run nonprofit XRAY.fm. RYAN J. PRADO

MEAN JEANS, NEW SWEARS, DAISY DEATHS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Imagine a parallel universe where some network executive has green-lit a talent-based reality show featuring local garage-punks the Mean Jeans as judges. Let's call it So You Think You Can Party. The show becomes a global phenomenon. Despite the liver-damaging challenges thrown their way, Ottawa power-pop quartet New Swears cakewalks past the competition. The party rockers seem to live off pizza, cheap beer, and gravity bongs, while somehow maintaining the ability to combine four-part harmonies, soaring guitar solos, and catchy handclap-driven breakdowns on their infectious 2014 album, Junkfood Forever, Bedtime Whenever. Tonight's perfect pairing is a one-off, Mean Jeans vs. New Swears, which is probably for the best; an extended co-headlining tour would surely lead to overcrowded drunk tanks and eventual deportation. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

THE MUSICAL BOX
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) Before Genesis became the Phil Collins-shepherded '80s pop machine everyone knows and tolerates (at best), they were one of the weirdest and most original bands in rock music history. Formed in 1967 with original frontman Peter Gabriel, the group released a quartet of near-perfect art-rock records in the first half of the '70s: Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, and their tour de force, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway—the only sprawling double LP with an incomprehensible narrative that isn't reprehensibly dumb. Montreal's the Musical Box pay tribute specifically to Gabriel-period Genesis—right down to the double-necked Rickenbackers and elaborate costumes that make Ziggy Stardust seem like Ronald McDonald. Tonight they'll perform six of the eight songs on Selling England by the Pound, as well as a variety of other "hits" from the era. MORGAN TROPER

FRIDAY 2/19

QUASI, SALLY TIMMS, SUN FOOT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

SIOUX FALLS, BLOWOUT, ROD, DRUNKEN PALMS
(Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway) Read our article on Sioux Falls.

JUST LIONS, SABONIS, DAD ROCK, KULULULU
(Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton) See All-Ages Action.

PDX JAZZ FESTIVAL
(Various locations) Read our article on the PDX Jazz Festival.

COOL NUTZ, MANIAC LOK, DRAE STEVES, DJ FATBOY
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) When the history of Portland hip-hop is written, it's fair to say that the story will be dominated by the contributions of Terrance "Cool Nutz" Scott. The emcee, manager, promoter, and label owner has been the most prominent face of Portland hip-hop for more than two decades. While many artists either fade out after that much time or become caricatures of their former selves, Cool Nutz uses his veteran status to promote young emcees and to serve as statesman and godfather to our local scene. He also continues to put out new music on the regular, dropping two new albums simultaneously this month: Collabos II and NPY (Neva Play Yaself). The single from NPY, "Best and Worst (Remix)," features on-point guest verses from Detroit's Slum Village, a deeply soulful hook by Bosko, and excellent production by Tope, proving that Cool Nutz brings out the best in those who work with him. Tonight he celebrates his dual releases with Portland's finest up-and-coming emcees. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

EMILY WELLS, LORNA DUNE
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Sonic deconstructionist Emily Wells is a master in the art of poetic, structured play. Ripping at the seams of classical technique with the Knife/Lykke Li-style electronica, Wells is a one-woman orchestra, spinning a transfixing web that blends the familiar with the experimental. The captivating artist's new album, Promises—self-released on her own label, Thesis and Instinct—is smoky and contemplative, influenced by a life-altering trip to China. In contrast to her 2012 hip-hop/art-pop-driven album, Mama, Wells' new release is a dark, mature, raw, and cultured meditation on what it means to be alive, thorns and all. JENI WREN STOTTRUP

VHS, PISS TEST, DARK/LIGHT, MICTLAN
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Piss Test are an Andy Rooney-like figure in the Portland scene. Their music—a paean to the good ol' days of proto-punk by way of Killed by Death compilations—refuses to adhere to what's in vogue. Their subject matter, however, almost always reacts to their environment. Piss Test's ST EP2 dresses down punk superficiality with "Leather Jackets in the Heat," while the recent PT ST EP 3 gripes against the economics and commodification of music with "Better Pay Your Publicist." "Vegan Coffee" sneers at the tedium of monogamy and "Methamphetamine for Cocaine Prices" pokes fun at the trendiness of crank (I think). MP

FAMINE FEST: SADISTIC INTENT, UNHOLY DEATH, ACEPHALIX, REEKER, & MORE
(Panic Room, 3100 NE Sandy) If nothing satiates your musical appetite like 20-plus bands and total sonic hell, don't worry—Famine Fest has returned to fill your belly with its extreme metal underground glory, spanning two pulverizing days. Looking for the audible equivalent of total evil? Then witness Vancouver, BC's Mitochondrion and local demons Triumvir Foul, whose blackened death metal sounds like it climbed out of a bone-filled well in the heart of a haunted forest. Does the sound of a bulging septic tank rolling down a rocky hill intrigue you? Ripping death and thrash metal bands like Bend's Reeker, and Los Angeles' Sadistic Intent and Sakrificer will have you caked in gore and speed-drunk before the weekend's over. Basically, if being decapitated by unhinged riffs and having your bowels voided by blast beats doesn't sound like your slice of heaven, steer clear of this one. (Sadly, Japan's Coffins and Oakland's Noothgrush had to drop off the bill.) ARIS HUNTER WALES

MARK FARINA
(Refuge, 116 SE Yamhill) When DJ Mark Farina moved to San Francisco, he brought an encyclopedic knowledge of his native Chicago's metropolitan soul and filtered it through California's psychedelic breezes. His enlightened breakbeats, augmented by shimmery instrumentation and dub-hued production, became a subgenre called "mushroom jazz," and a series of compilations under that tag made Farina a household name in the downtempo and acid jazz communities. Equally lauded are his skills in house music, where Farina's sunny applications still reverberate through the subwoofers but his execution is more purist and meditative. This adherence to the classic Windy City ethos of his musical roots, coupled with legendarily ecstatic sets, have earned Farina the nickname of House Gangster, and an endlessly consistent schedule of crowd-pleasing club dates around the globe have only strengthened his reputation. CHRIS SUTTON

METRIC, JOYWAVE
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Before the Postal Service and Arcade Fire, there was Metric. The Canadian group is the love child of Emily Haines and James Shaw, who started playing music in Toronto in the '90s. They quickly picked up a drummer and a bassist and formed a solid, influential indie-pop outfit. Haines later became a part of the well-known Broken Social Scene collective and also released a solo album in 2006, Knives Don't Have Your Back. All the while, Metric has been going strong. Their sixth and latest album, Pagans in Vegas, deviates from some of the more somber tones of past work, delving into a video-game-soundtrack feel. Like many Canadian pop bands, Metric's riffs are often catchy, but contain a certain amount of melancholy. ROSE FINN

SATURDAY 2/20

WUSSY, RUBELLA GRAVES
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

PDX JAZZ FESTIVAL
(Various locations) Read our article on the PDX Jazz Festival.

EMILY WELLS, WILLIS EARL BEAL, LORNA DUNE
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See Friday's listing.

FAMINE FEST: MITOCHONDRION, SKELETAL REMAINS, SAKRIFICER, & MORE
(Panic Room, 3100 NE Sandy) See Friday's preview.

THE HARMED BROTHERS, MIKE AND BIRGER, TAYLOR KINGMAN
(Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta) As far as I can tell, no one in the Harmed Brothers goes by the surname Harmed, and no actual siblings are in the band. But the musical bond between songwriters Ray Vietti and Alex Salcido is so deep it wouldn't be unreasonable to think they were related. Musically, their indie-bluegrass and Americana sound is comparable to actual brother band the Avett Brothers, with the same tight harmonies and onstage camaraderie. The Harmed Brothers have gone through multiple incarnations and relocations since forming in 2009, and the current four-piece, led by Vietti and Salcido, put on the kind of raucous live show that comes from countless hours on the road, traveling from town to town, crammed into a small, smelly van—just like a real family. SEH

LANDLINES, TALKATIVE, SAD HORSE
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Tonight's show was initially slated to be a record release for local basement-pop act Landlines. The trio has been waiting to unleash their forthcoming full-length, Problems 24/7, for some time now, but an unforeseen setback in production will have us all waiting just a bit longer. If the band's new release is anything like their last—2014's Log Out, Tune Up, Drop Dead—you should expect a heaping portion of juicy earworms that's guaranteed to have Timon and Pumbaa salivating all the way from the savanna. Not looking to leave anyone hungry, the band is currently teasing the album on Bandcamp with the fantastic single "Post Modern Times." The track finds Landlines at their best, delivering a contemplative, winter-themed lo-fi pop gem that's sure to be buzzing around your head until the full album arrives in the coming weeks. CT

PALEHOUND, GENDERS, LITTLE STAR
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Palehound's debut LP, Dry Food, begins with "Molly," a track with a rapid-fire bass line that feels like a heavily armored Hummer, followed by guitarist/vocalist Ellen Kempner cutting in with one of the most bizarrely catchy guitar riffs in recent memory. It's hard to describe, but it falls somewhere between the angular tones of recently disbanded Boston trio Krill and the British funk of Hot Chocolate. The rest of the album follows suit with its odd mishmash of sounds that seem like they shouldn't work but do. (I mean, if I called them "Americana funk-punk," everybody would assume they sound like your annoying coworker's bar band.) Palehound are among the immensely talented bands on Exploding in Sound Records' roster, a bastion of today's pop-oriented post-punk renaissance centered on New England and New York. CAMERON CROWELL

MAZE KOROMA, RIPLEY SNELL, MIKEY FOUNTAINE, LEMAR LEROY, TON JUNGIR
(The Rose, 111 SW Ash) Support some local Portland hip-hop this weekend and check out the release party for Renaissance Coalition and Eyrst emcee Maze Koroma's forthcoming EP, Osiris. The project, one of many shorter offerings from Maze slated for release this year, will drop on February 26, and Koroma describes it as a reflection on the past while looking toward the future. The first single, "2002 Pt. 1," came out at the end of January and features local producer Neill Von Tally. The show will also include performances from Ripley Snell (who, chances are, will probably bring his coffee pot), and Fountaine, who's been taking the Portland hip-hop scene by storm lately. There will also be DJ sets from Lemar Leroy and Ton Jungir. SKYLER WALRATH

SUNDAY 2/21

DANA BUOY, MRCH, FOREIGN ORANGE
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

GOTHAM A GO-GO: BAT-MANIA, THE HAUER THINGS, DJ GREGARIOUS
(White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th) See My, What a Busy Week!

PDX JAZZ FESTIVAL
(Various locations) Read our article on the PDX Jazz Festival.

ACEPHALIX, USNEA, WITCH VOMIT
(Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway) San Francisco death metal crew Acephalix has traveled an aggressive arc since their inception. Abandoning their earlier focus on crust-metal grime, vocalist Daniel Butler has led the band in a gutturally heavy revival of sorts, invoking the wrath of the riff on their 2010 release, Aporia, a punishing metal blitzkrieg that's also steeped in d-beat punk. They later perfected a harrowing death-growl on 2012's Deathless Master, which was equally evil sounding. Arbiters of Portland doom will be pumped that Usnea is on the bill for this all-ages maelstrom of mayhem. RJP

MONDAY 2/22

KNEEBODY, DAEDELUS, NAYTRONIX
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder record label had a killer 2015, most notably because of the surprise success of Kamasi Washington's modern-jazz masterpiece The Epic and the rise of bassist and producer Thundercat, who played a major role in shaping Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly. Those two cast long shadows, but they're not Brainfeeder's only artists pushing jazz into new(ish) and unexpected places. In late November, the label released Kneedelus, an outstanding collaborative album by intrepid jazz-fusion band Kneebody and veteran electro/hip-hop producer Daedelus that succeeds as both the head-bobbing soundtrack for a future-party on Planet Cool and a seamless tribute to the coexistence of jazz and hip-hop. Laidback and laser-focused at the same time, Kneedelus is a buzzy, wide-eyed voyage through a beat-driven cosmos—sometimes ecstatic, often melancholy, always worth traveling along. BS

TUESDAY 2/23

COEUR DE PIRATE
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Read our article on Coeur de Pirate.

JULIEN BAKER, HALEY HEYNDERICKX
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Julien Baker.

MIGOS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Atlanta trap trio Migos have been the kings of club bangers since their 2013 mixtape, Y.R.N. Young Rich Niggas, with their seemingly endless stream of vocal hooks over simple yet infectious beats. Their staccato cadences are instantly recognizable, and have even inspired Drake to try his hand at their flow in a remix of their single "Versace." While some have rightfully pointed out that each Migos song blends into the last, their familiar sound also contains an absolute self-awareness and some overlooked humor (just see the Christmas carol intro to "Hannah Montana"). The repetitious vocal hook of "Versace" finds itself in just about every song on Young Rich Niggas, and why not? (Try to find a word that sounds better coming out of your mouth.) After a major-label debut with last year's Yung Rich Nation, Migos released a sequel mixtape to Y.R.N. last month, and it's more of the same pop/hip-hop, with a laundry list of callouts to people copying their flow and fashion. CC Also see My, What a Busy Week!