THURSDAY 2/18

STS9, ST. ANDREW

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) STS9 (formerly Sound Tribe Sector 9) want to take you on a journey. The Santa Cruz, California, quintet have become a bankable entity on the ever-lucrative jam-band circuit with the sort of gritless, exploratory space funk one can languorously shake one's dreads to. STS9's new studio album, Ad Explorata, sounds vaguely similar to the interstellar overdriving electro jam-athons sluiced out by Ozric Tentacles; it's... okay. Admittedly, hearing STS9 on one's office computer is a drag; experiencing the band on a good system in a club or outdoor fest while tripping nads has potential to be a wow-intensive time. But STS9 lack the mad-scientist inventiveness and spirit to surreally take you to the other side. DAVE SEGAL

THEE OH SEES, PAST LIVES, ASSS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) If there is one band capable of making the leap from Terminal Boredom darlings to MTV2 mainstays, my money is on Thee Oh Sees. Armed with an explosive live show (which nearly destroyed Rotture's back patio last fall), the mindfucking charisma of frontman John Dwyer (who you may recognize from Zeigenbock Kopf, among others) and, top-notch, country-tinged garage punk records aplenty, this band is ready for extraordinary things. Perhaps the reason why Thee Oh Sees will stand atop the smoldering rubble of their crashed and burned garage revival counterparts—even years from now—is, besides sheer talent, their uncommon maturity and work ethic. Rumor has it they might ditch their moniker and become known as Thee Oh Say Can You Sees, so catch them now with their original name. KURT PRUTSMAN Also see My, What a Busy Week!

RICKIE LEE JONES

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) It seems like the moment Rickie Lee Jones and Tom Waits stopped being music's premier white-kid jazzbo couple, the public stopped having room in their hearts for both of them. While Waits developed a new sound, Jones busied herself expanding hers. Over the past two decades she has never dropped the easy cool that made her self-titled debut album so necessary 30 years ago. At its best, Rickie Lee Jones' music feels like it doesn't even know you're listening to it, breezily bopping after the same sanguine muse for years with no endpoint in sight. DAVE BOW

BLACK HEART MOON, THE ENVELOPE PEASANT, DUSTIN HAMMAN

(Alberta Street Public House, 1036 NE Alberta) Catherine Odell looks like she's become quite comfortable as the frontwoman for Black Heart Moon... if she isn't comfortable, she's got me fooled. It's a different role for Odell, who spends most of her days as cellist for Portland's Horse Feathers. Now with a new project and a different view from the stage as guitarist/vocalist, Odell has established herself as an able songwriter on the band's first LP Lovers and Makers, a stunner of an album that blends country and folk with off-kilter pop. Setting up tonight's show is another notable songwriter in former Harvester frontman Sean Harrasser, who's taken on the moniker the Envelope Peasant. The songs will stun. The between-song banter will at times confound. Pocket dictionaries are recommended. MARK LORE

CARPET CULTURE: NUCULAR AMINALS, THE ANGRY ORTS, TOTAL NOISE

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) The drummer for Portland's Angry Orts, Matthew Hernandez, is also a mailman. This past summer, he was joined in matrimony to their siren of a vocalist, now Sara Hernandez, solidifying the band's feeling as a family affair. Since releasing their debut album in 2008, the Orts—also included are Aaron Ettlin on guitar and James Puryear on bass—have built a loyal and enthusiastic fanbase, the sort of followers that put on dance parties and pack the house every night as their favorite group plays a cohesive brand of high-energy, heart-pounding rock. A new album is under way, slated for release this summer, and if this sounds like your kind of posse, tonight is the perfect time to join—a free show with the lovely and inspired Nucular Aminals. MARANDA BISH

FRIDAY 2/19

THE JOGGERS, PAN TOURISMOS, POINT JUNCTURE, WA

(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) See My, What a Busy Week!

ALKALINE TRIO, CURSIVE, THE DEAR AND DEPARTED

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!

SLOUGH FEG, WITCH MOUNTAIN, DARK BLACK, NORTHERN SWORDS

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See Music.

STS9, VIRTUAL BOY

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See Thursday's listing.

PORT O'BRIEN, JARED MEES AND THE GROWN CHILDREN, SEAN FLINN AND THE ROYAL WE, QUIET LIFE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Unscientific studies show that the sad existence that is your life will infinitely improve if you just listen to Port O'Brien's "I Woke up Today" every single morning. Find me the cold soul immune to their chaotic pep of overlapping vocals and inspired message, and I shall drive a stake through that creature's lifeless heart. Port O'Brien co-founder Cambria Goodwin was recently snared by the tantalizing Portland honey pot and is now a resident of our city, which means we all win. The more Port O'Brien the better, but let's not smother their delicate indie pop with our love just yet, since the band might not be here to stay. Since their inception they have aimlessly been adrift—from Alaskan canneries to the vast open road of tour—so while Port O'Brien might lay their head in Portland, they'll vanish when the next wind blows. Just like daddy did. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

HURTBIRD, PINK WIDOWER

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) A couple years back the mediocre likes of Flobots scored a minor hit boasting about their no-handlebar bicycle-riding skills. Big freaking deal. Hurtbird can top the 'Bots in both hiphop flow and bicycle swagger ("I Like My Bike" could serve as a local two-wheel anthem and should be the soundtrack to any late-night bike lane adventure). Their brand-new Nature vs. City stomps through hiphop's sacred grounds with a destructive urge to destroy and creatively reassemble the storied franchise. Much like the Anticon folks—or Seattle's Astronautalis—Hurtbird pile their flowing vocals atop a vast selection of warm, live-band instrumentation. It's unlike anything you have ever heard before, and that's a damn good thing. EAC

SATURDAY 2/20

DHARMA BUMS, YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS, DERBY

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, and Our Town Could Be Your Life.

GAYCATION'S FOURTH ANNIVERSARY: KIM ANN FOXMAN, DJ SNOWTIGER, MR. CHARMING

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

OCEAN AGE, WISHYUNU, AAN, HOUSEFIRE

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Their first time at bat, local band Ocean Age have delivered a startlingly great release. The refreshing Forest EP, which was carefully crafted and honed at home by the band over a period of four months, is like a deep swim through a clear, cool lake. Shimmering synths buttress folk-influenced melodies, dance-able basslines nestle up against abstract ambient sounds, and vocals range from gentle bedroom murmur to choirlike exaltation. The band evokes all manner of influences, from Animal Collective ("Bella") to the Ruby Suns ("Hopscotch") to Tangerine Dream ("Stranger Friend") to Fleet Foxes ("Tree"), but they have command of a sound that is all their own. Forest is a flat-out gorgeous record that hits hard-to-reach pleasure points, and the EP's abbreviated length only makes us hungry for the inevitable long-player. NED LANNAMANN

BLUE GIANT, CARCRASHLANDER, AGES & AGES

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Team Blue Giant recently played musical chairs with their lineup; Seth Lorinczi departed for the Golden Bears cave and the band replaced him with the single busiest musician in Portland, Dave Depper (Loch Lomond, Norfolk & Western, Jolie Holland, way too many others to mention here). The band will test out this lineup on the road with a multi-week stretch supporting the Fruit Bats, a tour that kickoffs tonight. Speaking of local musicians with well-worn dance cards, Cory Gray's Carcrashlander supports the Giants. Gray might rival Depper for most liner note appearances, and his Three Mile Pilot-esque solo vehicle makes him the Chief Assassin of hired guns. EAC

VISQUEEN, HEY MARSEILLES, BLACK WHALES

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Visqueen's 2009 album Message to Garcia is not a secret communiqué to the Grateful Dead's late nine-fingered guitarist—thank goodness—but rather a fuzzy, ecstatic tribute to Visqueen frontwoman Rachel Flotard's late father. The Seattle four-piece effortlessly marries garage rock, power pop, girl group sounds, and even a lonesome twinge of country for a record that's deservedly received plaudits from as wide-ranging sources as NPR and Duff McKagen. If Flotard at first sounds like a harder-rocking version of Neko Case, that's understandable—she frequently sings backup for Case, and Case lent her pipes to Message to Garcia. But Visqueen's songs are in a category of their own: melodic without being cloying, hard rocking without being boneheaded, subtly emotional without being gutless. And as evident as it is that Message to Garcia is a wonderful, life-affirming record, it's becoming more apparent than ever that Visqueen is one of the Northwest's finest bands. NL

SWOLLEN MEMBERS, POTLUCK, COOL NUTZ, LUCK-ONE

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Over the past 13 years Swollen Members have gracefully sidestepped the novelty of being both half white and half Canadian. Instead, everyone from Ghostface Killah to Talib Kweli have all put their stamp of approval on this most respected of underground hiphop duos. With good reason, too. From beats to rhymes, emcees Mad Child and Prevail have stayed hungry and never let their quality control sag over the years. Even now, Prevail must mean it when he rhymes: "If there's one thing I've learned from life, there's much to lose/I know/That's why we never duplicate shows/[If] you're just an imitation, you can die like white buffalo." DB

WHY I MUST BE CAREFUL, BRAINSTORM, TOTAL BROS, CHANT OH'S

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) For most of rock and roll's increasingly lengthy lifespan, the idea of a two-piece band was unthinkable, unless they were sticking to strummy folk harmonies (Simon and Garfunkel) or being supplemented by a team of studio rats (Steely Dan). But the '00s brought us a whole litany of bands with only a pair of members (the White Stripes, the Black Keys, the Raveonettes), and tonight the Artistery hosts a full, local bill of such bands, each of whose entire lineups could fit comfortably in a two-door convertible. Participating in "Two-Piece Night"—a reference to the compact size of each band, although I guess you could wear a bikini to the show if you really want—are the frantic punk freakout of Total Bros, the random drum-and-Rhodes stabbing of Why I Must Be Careful, the free jazz of Chant Oh's, and the ambitious, wide-reaching sounds of Brainstorm, who manage to sound like the entirety of Portland's music scene whirled up in a blender, in a very good way. NL

PUNK WEEKENDER: THE URINALS, THE LEADERS, EAT SKULL, MEERCAZ, LEADERS, MOON DUO

(East End, 203 SE Grand) I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Urinals reunion is lackluster. Only one of the original members remains—the rest have been whisked away to the "Black Hole"—and it'll take the most dedicated of fans to appreciate this string of comeback gigs. Typical of most first-wave reunited punk bands, their energy (which was the backbone of the music when it was created) has unfortunately depleted with age. Not to say the Urinals are geriatrics that should change their names to the Bedpans, but just do yourself a favor and don't get your hopes up (and curse yourself for having been born years too late). With the opening acts consisting of some of the best punk bands this city has to offer (who may be influenced by the legendary band, with or without their own knowledge), this will still certainly be a worthwhile way to spend an evening. KP

HAITI CRISIS RELIEF MUSIC FESTIVAL: FOGATRON, FREAK FUNK, THE MANIMALHOUSE, GET DOWN JONES & MORE

(Prime Time Bar & Grill, 16015 SE Stark) Few causes can justify a trek out to deep southeast Portland, especially a locale in the looming shadow of the land where we all fear to tread: Gresham. But worry not, frightened Portlander, because this dual-night extravaganza combines a genuine cause (Haiti, duh) with a varied lineup of local talent (20 bands in all). Plus, one gets the suspicion that the Primetime regulars have yet to experience the vegan beatboxing supreme master that is Fogatron. Suburban heads shall explode, but for a good cause. EAC

SUNDAY 2/21

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, MARK EITZEL

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Music.

FROM ASHES RISE, BURNING LEATHER, RIPPER, MURDERESS

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) See Music.

HAITI CRISIS RELIEF MUSIC FESTIVAL: THE ADIO SEQUENCE, CELLAR DOOR, ELEMENT 57 & MORE

(Prime Time Bar & Grill, 16015 SE Stark) See Saturday's listing.

SYSTEM AND STATION, SWIM SWAM SWUM, AMBER VOLTAIRE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) System and Station are working on their upcoming full-length record, A Series of Screws, to come out later this year, but in the meantime they have a new EP titled I'm Here to Kill. Recorded with Jackpot Studios audio guru Larry Crane, it's not a change of pace for the long-running band, featuring thickly muscled guitar lines and whipcrack drums in support of frontman's RFK Heise's unambiguous melodies. With echoes of Superchunk and Cursive, the band serves as a pleasant throwback to alternative rock of the '90s, and their spiraling, winding guitar lines share a common ancestor with Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. System and Station have been doing their thing for years—their first release dates back to 1999—and with this recent EP and the promise of the full-length to come later, it's reassuring to know that they'll be continuing to do it for the foreseeable future. NL

MONDAY 2/22

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, MARK EITZEL

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Music.

TUESDAY 2/23

PEPI GINSBERG, PEPPER RABBIT, SECRET CODES

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See Music.

FANFARLO, APRIL SMITH AND THE GREAT PICTURE SHOW

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Even when you think you've reached your quota, you haven't; there is always room for another chamber pop band to squeeze into your crowded heart, even with all of their instruments and band members. And so we have Fanfarlo, an inoffensive Brit band started by a Swede and named after a Frenchman's literary work. Their debut album, Reservoir, travels from track to track with great ease, scattered with the ashes of Arcade Fire and Beirut records past; you may find that your ears are well trained for the type of brassy indie rock they've created. And every so often, a glorious fanfare will unfurl and Simon Balthazar will send his deep warble soaring above the ruckus; you will feel it in your chest cavity. RAQUEL NASSER

LOS LONELY BOYS, ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO, CARRIE RODRIGUEZ

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) As part of their "Acoustic Brotherhood" tour, Los Lonely Boys somehow snagged the legendary Alejandro Escovedo to open for them. Escovedo has been making gripping, rocking singer/songwriter fare for decades now, earning him a well-deserved place in a tiny pantheon of grizzled rock vets alongside Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle. His songwriting always burns with an element of truth, bolstered by his peerless singing and musicianship. Los Lonely Boys, meanwhile, have been darting back and forth between two trademark sounds: Santana Lite and Diet Los Lobos. You are welcome to stay the full duration of tonight's show, of course, but it is not required. NL

WEDNESDAY 2/24

'STACHE BASH

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