THURSDAY 1/14

I'VE GOT A HOLE IN MY SOUL: DJ BEYONDA, IAN SVENONIUS

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

FIN DE CINEMA'S VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS: NURSES, GULLS, THE SLAVES

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) A couple years ago, a group of Philly musicians came together under the name the Valerie Project to play a new score for the weird and beautiful 1970 Czech vampire movie Valerie and Her Week of Wonders. Now, courtesy of Fin de Cinema, three Portland bands are doing a similar thing with the film. We asked Holocene's Gina Altamura about what to expect at tonight's presentation, in which each band takes on a third of the movie. "The Valerie Project tended to stay in very much the same universe as the original score: orchestral folk. By contrast, the performers of Fin de Cinema are totally approaching it from their own musical universe, reinterpreting the film itself through their own lens instead of paying tribute to the soundtrack and sticking close to it. Nurses will score the first section, followed by Gulls, and then the Slaves. There will be no sound effects or dialogue—there will be subtitles, though! This is going to be a weird and grand approach." You can check it out for free, but a $2 donation is strongly encouraged. NED LANNAMANN Also see My, What a Busy Week!

KAY KAY AND HIS WEATHERED UNDERGROUND, BLUNT MECHANIC, PONY VILLAGE

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Ben Barnett has spent most of his musical life writing songs and performing under the guise of Kind of Like Spitting, an unpredictable project that released eight albums, including their standout, 2002's Bridges Worth Burning (one of my favorite records of last decade, for its aggressive drumming, shamelessly honest lyrics, and guitar riffs even heavier than the thoughts that were clearly weighing on Barnett's shoulders). Soon after that, Barnett disappeared from my radar. Kind of Like Spitting ceased to release new material after 2006, and it all felt like a dream. But now Barnett is back! And while it's too early to tell how I feel about his new band, Blunt Mechanic (I've only heard two songs), it's exciting that such a fearless songwriter has returned to the spotlight. MEGAN SELING

FRIDAY 1/15

THE TWANG

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See Music.

NUDITY, ETERNAL TAPESTRY, MACROCOSM, THE PINK SNOWFLAKES

(East End, 203 SE Grand) With Olympia space-rock band Nudity, we'll just have to take it one song at a time. In 2008, the Krautrockers came out with a stellar 12-inch that boasted a pair of epic versions of "The Nightfeeders," a heavy mothership of a song that's unrelenting in its forward momentum. A forthcoming comp appearance aside, that 12-inch is the extent of the Nudity discography as of now, but a band like this is about interplay and exchange, and that kind of spontaneity is generally immune to being contained on disc. At any rate, Nudity's turbulent brand of Hawkwind-style grooving makes good on the promise that psychedelic rock can rarely fulfill—that of a transporting, hallucinatory quality without the aid of drugs. NL

GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, VELELLA VELELLA, ARCH CAPE

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Velella Velella rocked my quaint little existence way back in 2006 with their live-band dance rock—think RJD2 run through the filter of Pacific Northwest indie rock, or a less restrained Sea and Cake—but have gone silent in the following years. The Seattle band was the first non-Portland act to ink a deal with local label Hush Records, the product of which was their underappreciated The Bay of Biscay, which they quickly followed with the Flight Cub EP the following year. While I cannot explain their absence in the years since, I can wholeheartedly welcome Velella Velella's return. Dance enthusiasts Guidance Counselor, and the latest venture from musician-about-town Rachel Blumberg, Arch Cape, will join them. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

THE KNOW'S 5TH BIRTHDAY: ORGANIZED SPORTS

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) To celebrate five years of bringing rock and cheap beer to the masses of Northeast Portland, the Know will feature local boys Organized Sports, a perfect band to highlight the occasion. Playing together for a little over a year, Organized Sports' obliterating, breakneck hardcore sound gives way to a damn entertaining live show. Splitting time between house shows and performances in lowbrow bars, the band's entire recorded output can be found in a pair of cassette releases. By all appearances Organized Sports does not give a fuck about anything but making music and playing shows, which nicely sums up our town's underground music scene and the very bar that hosts them tonight. MARANDA BISH

SATURDAY 1/16

THE ROBINSONS, Y LA BAMBA

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See Music.

QUIET COUNTRIES, KELLI SCHAEFER, NICK JAINA , ST. FRANKIE LEE, BAZILLIONAIRE, SWIM SWAM SWUM

(Full Life Coffee, 3301 NE Sandy) As I write this atop a large, teetering pile of money, I am most definitely not for Measures 66 and 67, since these laws will hurt the monocle budget of a billionaire like myself. But those do-gooders that assist the developmentally disabled at Full Life want the measures to pass when they go to the polls on January 26, and they are bringing out a slew of local musicians to help their cause. If the initiatives fail, Full Life—and other groups like it—risk a substantial budget cut. With a pair of stages—the coffee house will feature Nick Jaina, Kelli Schaefer, and an acoustic Quiet Countries, while their main space welcomes St. Frankie Lee, Bazillionaire, and Swim Swam Swum—this all-ages benefit has its heart in the right place, but do they know how expensive it is for me to fill my gold-plated Hummer with gasoline these days? Where's my benefit? EAC

BURNING LEATHER, PROBLEMS, DON'T

(East End, 203 SE Grand) You don't name your band Burning Leather unless you want there to be absolutely no question about what your band sounds like. Needless to say, this quartet's music is about as subtle as their moniker, cranking out the kind of high-octane rock 'n' roll that captivated an army of pimple-faced teenage boys in the late '70s—that glorious time when punk rock made greasy love with NWOBHM bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and it was cool to have a Motörhead patch on your denim jacket. Burning Leather carries the mighty torch through the rock dungeon with burners like "Hell Ride," "The Guns Come Running" and "Road Burn." Again, it's all about as subtle as the mole on Lemmy's face. MARK LORE

HORNET LEG, HUNGRY GHOST, WESTERN HYMN

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) There's a lot of tried and true talent to go around at the Know tonight. Promise of a solid show is in the air, bolstered by countless familiar faces. If everyone's on their game, the bare-bones wailing of Hornet Leg (featuring Chris Sutton, who you know from the Gossip, Dub Narcotic Sound System, and C.O.C.O.), meeting the immersive punk warmth of Hungry Ghost (yes, that is Unwound's Sara Lund on drums) and Western Hymn (former band roll call: Old Haunts, Couch of Eureka, the Bangs) should serve up garage greatness from opener to headliner. DAVE BOW

POINT JUNCTURE, WA, THE MALDIVES, BLACK WHALES, THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) When a person Googles "The Maldives," they are greeted with photographs of cerulean seas and scattered atolls; we don't care about those things in the Pacific Northwest. We care about rock 'n' roll. Scroll down a bit further and you'll find what you're really looking for; Seattle's nine-piece country rock band that has mastered the art of squeezing into small spaces (and sounding like Crazy Horse). Honestly, they barely fit onstage at Mississippi Studios, yet they fit in better than any other band I've seen play there. And yes, listening to seven stringed instruments at once is typically a bit cumbersome for the eardrums, but the members of the Maldives operate like little atolls, rarely crossing over into each other's lagoons and thus avoiding any muddy moments. Also, expect flawless four-part harmonies and a fiddle that comes when it's called. RAQUEL NASSER Also see My, What a Busy Week!

LAST EMPIRE, GOATSOLDIERS, EXCRUCIATOR, FILTH-MACHINE

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) Portland has a vibrant, eclectic metal scene that bends subgenres, creating new and interesting genre mutants. Although it's important to expand horizons, sometimes tradition is in order. Last Empire and Excruciator maintain local flair without deviating too far from our beloved metal masters. Last Empire's triumphant, galloping heavy metal would definitely make our forefathers proud. The band features Joe Preston of Thrones and Melvins fame on bass, and vocalist Brian Allen—who can actually hit all the notes you think you're hitting when you sing along to Judas Priest. However, Excruciator's unbridled, shredding thrash attack will leave you with a serious bangover the next morning. The fledgling quartet has been making waves since their inception last year, and every show is a step closer to watching them conquer the local scene. Strap on your gauntlets and do some neck stretches before attending. ARIS WALES

SUNDAY 1/17

MUSIC TO FOLK TO! FEST: WHAT CAN SKULLS TELL US, ROSS AND THE HELLPETS, OCEAN AGE, SAM COOPER, OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN & MORE

(The Parlour, 2628 SE Powell) See My, What a Busy Week!

MONDAY 1/18

GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, REV. SHINES

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) With alarming frequency (seemingly every four to six months), George Clinton and his vast entourage come through town to preach the funk gospel in their rambling, scatterbrained manner. Trouble is, their sermons have slackened into an undisciplined sprawl of flabbier-than-is-optimal musicianship. Granted, Clinton/P-Funk were never known for their James Brownesque crispness, and their loose long-windedness does have its advantages when the material warrants it. Past their prime they may be, but old George and his debauched troupe have one of the most potent back catalogs in the annals of good-foot-gettin'-on jams—truly the food of the sex gods to which you should be listening 'til you're senile. Occasionally at this late date they can still do those classics justice. At other times, they seem to get lost in a purple haze of pot smoke and hoary scatological "humor." DAVE SEGAL

ALBERTA CROSS, HACIENDA

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Word has it that Alberta Cross—the New York-by-way-of-Sweden-and-England rockers—chose their name as an anagram of something, but refuse to say what. Some of our guesses, for your consideration: Teal Crossbar. A Crabless Rot. Ass Orb Cartel. However you arrange it, Alberta Cross are doing the groove-heavy, wailing-dude hard rock thing that every teenage boy gets hooked on after hearing Led Zeppelin IV. There have been countless permutations of this formula over the years—most recently, Wolfmother and the Raconteurs come to mind—and Alberta Cross are pretty good at it, even injecting a little arena-ready Kings of Leon-style bombast into the kind-of-poppy "Taking Control." These days, mainstream heavy rock can be dire waters indeed (again, Wolfmother comes to mind) but Alberta Cross—or, as we have taken to calling them, Rearslob Scat—make it safe to dip in your toe again. NL

BEHEMOTH, SEPTICFLESH, LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH, THOSE WHO LIE BENEATH

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Black metal doesn't always translate well in the live setting. The haunting aura of blearier atmospheric bands can turn into a murky wash onstage. The dramatic power of their more elaborate and symphonic brothers can wind up comical. Polish black-metal band Behemoth promises to avert these common pitfalls thanks to a smart synthesis of styles. Shedding the more blatantly blackened elements of their sound several albums back, they have adopted death metal's mechanical precision and malice, providing the harrowing bleakness of their corpse-painted peers with the riffs and chops of their more technically adept and aggressively precise musical cousins. Behemoth's latest offering, Evangelion, garnered significant praise in the press and metal community, making their rare stateside appearance worthy of your attention. BRIAN COOK

TUESDAY 1/19

STEVE EARLE, HAYES CARLL

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) What's that? You like everything but country music? You also hate America? And God? I don't care. You will like Hayes Carll. Why? Because he sounds like he's spent the bulk of his adult life under neon Budweiser signs, penning cleverly crass songs on coasters while swilling Wild Turkey from a flask and snacking from a basket of Corn Nuts. Carll's song named for the aforementioned Kentucky bourbon "Wild as a Turkey" is possibly the best 2:28 in modern country music, as Carll's lazy growl peers over a noodling pedal steel line and a rhythm section that seems to walk on by. Trouble in Mind is a remarkably accessible record but does not skimp on soul, and how it has not kicked the shit out of Keith Urban's Defying Gravity is telling of Nashville's affinity for nonsense. But you, sensible human, conquer your fear of country music/America/God and go see Hayes Carll. RN Also see My, What a Busy Week!

ANTI FLAG, AIDEN, CANCER BATS, BROADWAY CALLS, TRASH TALK

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Last weekend the New York Times ran a fascinating piece on Fox News head Roger Ailes, who has transformed the arrival of the Obama administration into ratings history and a $23 million annual paycheck. Ailes is probably not a fan of the political anthem punk of Anti-Flag, but he does share a similar conundrum with the Pittsburgh band: When the social climate changes to oppose your views, it only strengthens your message. During the George W. Bush administration, Anti-Flag had a voice that transcended the insular world of punk culture—they worked with the Punk Voter program and made more appearances on CNN than they did MTV—even if their message itself was just a lone liberty spike above the empty anthems of American Idiot. Now that DC leans left, it seems that the band doesn't have the same bite they did when this country teetered on the cusp of multiple wars and Dick Cheney was a lone pretzel choke away from a seat in the Oval Office. EAC

WEDNESDAY 1/20

THE YUMMY FUR, PIE GHOSTS, ASSS, DJ NIGHTSCHOOL

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!, and Music.

TOM TOM MAGAZINE DRUM & ART BENEFIT: HOT BOX, RACHEL BLUMBERG, TARA JANE O'NEIL, JULIANNA BRIGHT, & MORE

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

STEVE EARLE, HAYES CARLL

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Tuesday's listing and My, What a Busy Week!

SHOESHINE BLUE, RAUELSSON, JOHN VECHIARELLI

(Ella Street Social Club, 714 SW 20th Pl) It's not like Shoeshine Blue to make a big splash, but the acoustic-based ensemble has been quietly moving through Portland's folkier corners, powered by the sincere songs of main Shoeshiner Michael Apinyakul. Last year's Howl at the Wooden Moon saw the band opening up to encompass the talents of our vibrant local music scene, including Nick Jaina, Leonard Mynx, and Audie Darling. Meanwhile, the band continues to make their graceful, amber-tinted folk songs without a lot of fuss, which suits 'em just fine. Also on the bill, Rauelsson plays a gig in advance of his record release show coming up in February; his new album La Siembra, La Espera y la Cosecha is a gently rewarding collection of Spanish-language lullabies. NL