THURSDAY 11/18

THE FIX'S FOURTH ANNIVERSARY: PETE ROCK, CL SMOOTH, REV. SHINES, DJ KEZ, DUNDIGGY

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE WELFARE STATE, THE SATIN CHAPS

(White Eagle, 836 N Russell) The Crack City Rockers are no more, but Eric Gregory and Kenneth Coleman stuck together and formed the Welfare State, recruiting Freddy Trujillo of Caguama on bass and 8-Foot Tender's Greg Odell on the drums. The Welfare State's debut full-length, High Times, contains plenty of spiraling guitar lines, whipcrack drums, and laconically delivered vocals. It's the sound of '60s folk-rock delivered with late-'70s aggression, all dialed into a setting of medium cool. The songs conceal a songwriting complexity not immediately evident on first listen, but the Welfare State make their instrumental prowess sound easy, and allow their bar-friendly rock to jump around under its own steam, never sounding labored or jaded in the process. NED LANNAMANN

HIVES INQUIRY SQUAD, DOC BROWN EXPERIMENT, JOSH MARTINEZ, ABADAWN, GEPETTO

(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Hives Inquiry Squad is a local hiphop duo, Gavin Theory and Lucas Dix, who lyrically spit spastically erudite showers over densely layered sonic productions that often demand and reward repeat listens. Doc Brown Experiment bring their instrumental funk/jazz hybrid, and in addition to both groups showcasing sets of their own, they plan to combine forces for a few songs together including a classic '90s hiphop cover jam or two. The show also doubles as a release party for Gavin Theory's Metal Legged Mix, an impressive undertaking that seamlessly weaves together snippets and samples of mostly local acts, but also a few national, including a sneak peek at two new tracks from the Squad's full-length Edifice, due out early next year. The mix is available for free to attendees, and that alone seems worth getting your head in the door. RYAN FEIGH

THEMES, THE NEW TRUST, NOT TO REASON WHY

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Themes are a Portland band, but they weren't always. Nomads at heart, Jacy McIntosh and Kelsey Crawford called Minneapolis home before relocating here in 2008, making music that's fully flowered with dramatic swirls, buzzfire guitars, ghostly piano, and male/female vocals, resulting in a seductively homespun version of 21st-century American goth. Meanwhile, hailing from Themes' one-time hometown of Santa Rosa, the New Trust's sound is not nearly as cloaked in mystery, although its brightly snappy, guitar-fueled arrangements fuel angst-riddled songs with such universal, potty-mouthed themes as "You've Got to Be Fucking Shitting Me" and "Chill the Fuck Out." Their latest, 2008's Get Vulnerable, eschews the comfort of major chords for the rifle crack of tightly wound tunes like "To Hell, via Jail" and "Wretched and Unwanted." NL

FRIDAY 11/19

SKELETRON, AND AND AND, FOREST PARK, ROBOT UPRISE

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

RAPIDS, PURE COUNTRY GOLD, WAX EDISON, JAGULA

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Read our article on Rapids.

SPACEFUNK: BRYAN ZENTZ, LET'S GO OUTSIDE, MAXIMUS, THE PERFECT CYN & SAPPHO, PIPEDREAM, MISS VIXEN, TRAVISMODE, NICODEMUS, JIMM

(Bamboo Grove Salon, 134 NE 2nd) According to my calculations, Portland is home to exactly two internationally renowned techno producers: Bryan Zentz and Let's Go Outside (Steve Schieberl). The two have some things in common. Each is a prolific producer with countless tracks on an abundance of important electronic music labels—Zentz most notably on Plus 8 and Cmyk, Schieberl on Soma and his own imprint, Slant. Both have traveled the world, played among the very best of the best, run their own record labels, and influenced techno music and design trends worldwide. Anywhere else on the planet, it'd be a pretty huge deal to see either one of these guys on their own. Tonight the stars align, and they play back to back in their hometown. Oh yeah, the party is sci-fi themed with prizes for best dressed, so you can get a little more mileage out of that robot costume leftover from Halloween. AVA HEGEDUS 

DAWES, THE MOONDOGGIES, THE ROMANY RYE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) When I first got my mangy paws on Dawes' debut record, North Hills, I listened to the second track ("Love Is All I Am") roughly 17 consecutive times on a round-trip between Portland and work in Lake Oswego. And when I arrived back home, I proceeded to carry on in this fashion with each track, compulsively pressing repeat; for some reason, this album needed to be experienced in absolute excess. And in those moments of musical gluttony, it became clear: While there are many acts doing what they're doing, particularly in the nether regions of the Golden State, Dawes does it best. Vaguely religious folk-rock with choirboy harmonies and frequent lyrical nods to mortality is not likely to sound this good anytime soon. Go straight to the band's first single, "When My Time Comes," for a cross-section of this. RAQUEL NASSER

MR. GNOME, TWO TON BOA, KACKALA, JASON SIMMS

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The unexpected juxtapositions of sound that Cleveland duo Mr. Gnome create are notable in their own right. Singer Nicole Barille mewls like a kitten over bone-thumping guitars and tribal drums as the band segues from lullaby to barnburner like going from zero to 60. What makes the band truly special, though, is how they drape their warped sensibility over standard pop song frames, making the strange and ethereal seem familiar. Two people making music so big, operatic, and downright spooky is an awesome thing to see. DAVE BOW

PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE, STAG BITTEN, LICKITY

(Mudai Lounge, 801 NE Broadway) This past week, Purple Rhinestone Eagle joined Twitter—a seemingly strange move by the local trio of ladies who have trail-blazed an all-female approach to the male-dominated world of hard rock through grassroots dedication and spiritual wizardry. With this summer's release of The Great Return on Stankhouse Records, PRE took the sophisticated chaos of their sound to the next level of artistry. The album sonically and lyrically revolves around themes of death and cycles, varying from Nico-tinged psych-pop nuggets like "As Life Leaves You" to grinding, blistering epic meditations like the seven-minute-long "Burn it Down" and "Scorpio Moon." This powerful music speaks for itself in a way the interweb never could. Yet in their bio, they vow to "keep their eyes and ears keenly focused on the present and future of music." Obviously, they recognize that this includes giving it up to the internet every once in a while. MARANDA BISH

SALVADOR, RABBITS, DIESTO, LORD DYING

(Plan B, 1305 SE 8th) Diesto, Portland's premier purveyors of thick-as-molasses doom, have a new record out called High as the Sun on Seventh Rule Recordings (which recently relocated to PDX). The whole album swings like a giant pendulum, heavy and unbelievably slow. Sun takes its listeners to a desolate desert with vast riffs that stretch for miles, echoing vocals, and pummeling rhythms that grow and swell like so many sand dunes. In between the towering riffs, Chris Dunn and Mark Bassett weave guitar harmonies that take some of the weight off your shoulders, even if just for a moment, before they lay out another two-ton sonic slab. Diesto is a doom band that understands texture in a song, thus Sun holds your attention and never feels stagnant. ARIS WALES

SATURDAY 11/20

ROBYN, MALUCA, NATALIA KILLS

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!, and Read our article on Robyn.

BLONDE REDHEAD, ÓLÖF ARNALDS

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

GREG DULLI, SHAWN SMITH

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on Greg Dulli.

RAUL UGALDE MEMORIAL: FERNANDO, WILLY VLAUTIN, POWER OF COUNTY, FREDDY TRUJILLO, THEE HEADLINERS, SCOTTY PRESTON, DAVID MANN, BAD ASSETS, THE CHAIR PROJECT

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) On October 22, Raul Ugalde—frontman for Portland Latin-rock band Caguama, and all-around great guy—unexpectedly passed away at the age of 30. Caguama's music was a remarkable blend of a vast number of influences, including Mexican norteño and corrido, and American punk and country. Ugalde remained a one-of-a-kind performer in the musically rich but often white-bread Portland music scene. Tonight, a group of amigos—including Ugalde's Caguama bandmate Freddy Trujillo, plus Richmond Fontaine's Willy Vlautin, and plenty more—comes together to perform a fundraiser for members of Ugalde's family. It will be a stirring, emotional remembrance of a huge talent that we lost far too soon. NL

LUCK-ONE, SERGE SEVERE, ONLY ONE, LOGICS

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) The emergence of Luck-One in 2009 was a shining moment for homegrown hiphop. He's an emcee whose onstage skill behind the mic is equally as inspiring as the adversity he overcame in his tumultuous past. Sent to prison for a half-dozen years at the age of 17, Hanif Collins was born again as Luck-One, and Beautiful Music—his collaboration with Dekk—turned plenty of heads in Portland and beyond. Set to deliver his debut LP True Theory next year, Luck-One is eating dessert before dinner and releasing True Theory Outtakes tonight, a very strong seven-song EP of more than just a few throwaway tracks that didn't make the cut. At the tail end of "Shine So Bright," Sandpeople's Illmaculate says exactly what we are all thinking: "If this is the outtakes, just think of what the album's gonna be like." EZRA ACE CARAEFF

FLUX 2.0: PANTYRAID, VIBESQUAD, STARKEY, EMANCIPATOR, RAS G, SHLOMO, SHIGETO, DREWBOT 9000, NATASHA KMETO, ATE BIT

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Remember the good old days when the stairway between Branx and Rotture was always open and you could run up and down to check out the different music on each floor and find a shorter wait at the bar? Tonight you can relive the glory with Flux 2.0, the second installment of an annual art and electronic music event with a lineup so packed it requires two clubs. The night culminates with high-energy electro/glitch-hop/party beat sounds from heavy hitters like Pantyraid, Starkey, and Vibesquad. For those who prefer something more nuanced, Brooklyn's Shigeto will be there, hopefully with a sampling from his beautifully sophisticated album Full Circle, which was just released by Ghostly International last week. Speaking of sophisticated, Portland R&B and electronic producer/vocalist Natasha Kmeto represents the crème of the local crop—it will be worth your while to get there early to catch her soulful performance before the machines completely take over. AVA

HORNET LEG, WESTERN HYMN, RIB CAGES

(The Saratoga, 6910 N Interstate) Reggae Fridays at the U&I Tavern are long gone—in fact, the U&I is long gone—but happily, the North Interstate dive has been transformed into the Saratoga and now hosts punk shows every weekend. If you haven't been yet, this Saturday is an ideal time to check it out, as Hornet Leg celebrates the release of their grabby new 12-inch record Still Life, out on Stankhouse Records. The project of the prolific Chris Sutton, Hornet Leg plays buzzing, bluesy numbers with plenty of garage grease. There's the Animals-y dirge-waltz "Ghost House," the vibrantly catchy title track, the knife-fight stop-and-start blitzing of "Those Kids," and the epic freakout of "In Love with Yourself." It's the best and most powerful Hornet Leg have ever sounded, so get yourself to the Saratoga and check 'em out in the beery confines of Portland's newest home for trash rock. NL

ATTACK ATTACK!, PIERCE THE VEIL, IN FEAR AND FAITH, OF MICE & MEN

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Just a few days ago, Attack Attack! guitarist Johnny Franck quit the band via a confessional YouTube video (that says just about everything you need to know about this band). Citing a reason that no one should ever give for quitting rock and roll ("Being out on tour really damages my relationship with God... I put the band above God."), Franck walked away from the world's greatest (and only?) crabcore act, a ridiculous sub-genre of music named for the squatting, spread-legged rock poses of its members. Attack Attack!'s shameless butchering of the remnants of emo/screamo/hardcore is appalling, yet oddly compelling. Like a violent collision between Brokencyde's tour bus and Insane Clown Posse's clown car, the results are so wonderfully horrific that you can't quite look away. EAC

SUNDAY 11/21

MARS RETRIEVAL UNIT, FRUITION, OUTPOST

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Guitarist Rob Sipsky and vocalist/saxophonist Chelsea Luker have been steadily working hard at Mars Retrieval Unit for several years now, honing their psychedelic-funk sound through various lineups. With the release of their first album Two Sides, the local band has fully arrived, boasting a rich amalgam of influences and stunning musicianship that would put other bands to shame. To celebrate the record's release, the band is headlining the hallowed Crystal Ballroom, but such an impressive gig did not come unearned: Mars Retrieval Unit has been steadily playing around town and building up a devoted following, one show at a time. Now sounding better than ever, they seem perfectly poised to go national—you can expect them to make a Bonnaroo crowd very happy at some point in the near future. NL

MONDAY 11/22

LKN, PALO VERDE, THE TYRANTS

(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Most Portlanders are—or at least damn well better be—aware of the shredtastic guitar skills of one Lauren K. Newman (that's LKN to you and me). LKN's latest is a split 12-inch where she crams a half dozen songs onto her side, including one of the strongest offerings to her catalog, "July 5, 2008." That song in particular takes full advantage of LKN's abilities, with its frantic drumming, existential lyrical freakout of spoken-word vocals, and a tightly wound, complex guitar hook that no amateur should dare attempt to emulate. Her splitmates, Cincinnati's Knife the Symphony, travel a different path, with squealing guitars and a yelped urgency that channels the precision and fury of Drive Like Jehu. This split is a piece of wax that you need in your collection. EAC

TUESDAY 11/23

DIMMU BORGIR, ENSLAVED, BLOOD RED THRONE, DAWN OF ASHES

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

PRAIRIE EMPIRE, SHENANDOAH DAVIS, HARLOWE AND THE GREAT NORTH WOODS, NEW HEIRLOOMS

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) Shenandoah Davis' voice tends to linger in the room long after her recordings have stopped. She's bound to leave you longing for more of the drama she creates when her otherwise demure croon scales the cliff face of the higher registers, and then rappels back down with a stunning restraint. In fact, the Seattleite's first full-length, We; Camera, is teeming with these dangerous-but-beautiful moments that suck the breath right out of you. Clearly a classically trained pianist, effortlessly blending ragtime and blues with the frantic trills of Chopin compositions, Davis could easily garner comparisons to Joanna Newsom and Regina Spektor, but that just seems outright lazy. Instead, we'll say it's best to go and see for yourself, for talent like hers is meant to be experienced head-on. RN

WEDNESDAY 11/24

DISCOS DISCOS: DJ ZAC ENO, DJ RUMTRIGGER, NATHAN DETROIT

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

CHAMPAGNE CHAMPAGNE, MAD RAD, HURTBIRD

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Hurtbird.

FERNANDO, MIKE COYKENDALL, MICHAEL JODELL

(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) Mike Coykendall finally got a little "me" time after a spell producing (and musically contributing to) records for Blitzen Trapper, M. Ward, and She & Him. He released The Unbearable Being of Likeness earlier this year—his first since 2005—a taut half-hour of psychedelic pop that's anything but quiet, an album that shimmers and jangles like 1968 with a few extra bells and whistles thrown in for good measure. What Coykendall's got here is a collection of songs that will surely weather time and trends and, of course, outlive fickle music journalists. And it looks as if he might finally have some time on his hands—look for a new double-LP next year. MARK LORE