THURSDAY 12/2

TENDER LOVING EMPIRE WINTER FORMAL: PANCAKE BREAKFAST, LOCH LOMOND, AAN , DJ DREW GROOVE

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!

ARCHERS, BLOOD BEACH, SONS OF HUNS, NUCULAR AMINALS

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Read our article on Archers.

JAM FOR A.M.: OLD GROWTH, THE MEAN JEANS, SCIENCE OF YABRA, LANA REBEL AND THE LOVE LASERS

(Bossanova, 722 E Burnside) Amaren Colosi once took my photograph. It was at some sweltering house show buried deep in the dregs of industrial NW Portland, and Colosi had a photobooth set up in the living room. I mention this because after all these years I still remember her name and how kind she was to all at the show. Now it's time for us to return the favor. Stricken with ovarian cancer, Colosi is the worthy recipient of this benefit show, compiled of some of the finest and most entertaining bands Portland has to offer. Old Growth and Science of Yabra unleash the rock and roll in ferocious little doses, Lana Rebel and the Love Lasers are vintage rhinestone country, and no one—and I mean no one—parties like the Mean Jeans. Cancer, you don't stand a chance. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

THE CHAPIN SISTERS, BROTHERS YOUNG, NEEMA

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Nieces of Harry, the Chapin Sisters—Abigail and Lily—both have crystal-clear voices that pair perfectly together, with a tint of vintage country and western twang that adds to their sincerity. The sisters' second record, bearing the not especially imaginative title Two, opens with the windswept a capella lines of "Sweet Light," proving that, wow, these girls can really sing. In fact, they were the ideal choice for backup vocals on She and Him's recent tour—their warm but not overly glossy singing is not that dissimilar from Zooey Deschanel's. The record was recorded in the New Jersey countryside (yes, there is such a thing) and is a low-key, pretty album with a charming homespun vibe. Its low point is the annoying, faux-Native American "Digging a Hole" (whose chorus actually goes, "Hi-ya ya ya!") but that's more than counter- balanced by tunes like the splendid, heartfelt "Palm Tree." There's a third Chapin sister—Jessica Craven, actually their half-sister and daughter of horrormeister Wes—who contributed to Two but took a break from the band to raise a child. NED LANNAMANN

FRIDAY 12/3

THE BOOKS, BLACK HEART PROCESSION

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!

CURREN$Y, NIPSEY HUSSLE, DOM KENNEDY, SMOKE DZA, FEIND, CORNERBOY P

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

ROSE BENT, SPEAKER MINDS, KING WOLVERYNE, RICH JAMES, PORTLAND GEORGE, YUNG MIL, KARMA

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Read our article on Rose Bent.

LUCERO, DRAG THE RIVER, I CAN LICK ANY SONOFABITCH IN THE HOUSE

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) As far as major label debuts go, Lucero's 1372 Overton Park was a bit of a letdown. All hangover and no drunk, the recording felt uninspired when compared to the Memphis band's wonderful back catalog. But take comfort in knowing that Lucero does their finest work with their collective backs against the wall. With a series of failed record labels in their wake, Lucero went to work their way, starting their own imprint and embarking on a seemingly nonstop tour regimen that has taken up the better part of a decade. Frontman Ben Nichols continues to sing like he has a mouthful of whiskey and sandpaper, and the band's underdog anthems still have the power to floor you. Once they break out their cover of Jawbreaker's "Kiss the Bottle"—a song that might as well be theirs at this point—all shall be forgiven. EAC

MT. HELENS VIETNAM BAND, THE GLOBES, AGESANDAGES

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) While the story of Mt. Helens Vietnam Band is familiar by now, it's still astonishing that drummer Marshall Verdoes is so young. The 15-year-old is the full-steam-ahead engine behind the Seattle band, made of Verdoes' older brother and guardian Benjamin, and Benjamin's wife Traci Eggleston, plus bassist Jared Price. As a result one might expect more of a dippy, family-communal vibe to their music, but newest record Where the Messengers Meet has some dark corners to it, with off-kilter songwriting, eerily quiet passages, and some spooky heavy rock. Be sure to arrive in time for Ages- andAges, the handclap-happy, backup-vocal-drenched, country-rock Portland ensemble that is steadily becoming one of the best live draws in town. Their debut full-length Alright, You Restless comes out next year on Knitting Factory Records, and it's at the top of our list for 2011's most eagerly awaited releases. NL

HORSE FEATHERS, Y LA BAMBA, SARA JACKSON-HOLMAN

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Horse Feathers and Nirvana make an unlikely pairing, but for Horse Feathers' latest 7-inch single, Justin Ringle and company dusted off their copy of Nevermind when picking a song to cover. Yet instead of a slower track from the album the band went with the normally caustic "Drain You." The results? Absolute perfection, an endearing and genuine cover that pays tribute to Aberdeen's finest, but does so on Horse Feathers' musical terms (with swelling strings buffered by Ringle's soft voice). Y la Bamba are also part of this two-night stand, and although Lupon is still fresh on record store shelves, the band just debuted a handful of robust new songs for a recent Bar Bar apartment recording session. New songs and Nirvana, you can't beat that. EAC

DARKBLACK, SPELLCASTER, DEAD BY DAWN

(The Knife Shop at Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) The current trend in heavy metal is tradition. Bands the world over make careers out of producing records that completely mirror the styles and sounds of old. While some are fantastic at such revisionism, they really aren't bringing anything new or exciting to the table. Enter Portland's DarkBlack, a band that embraces the sound of the past without mimicking it. Instead, they inject their brand of soaring heavy metal with extremely complex (and at times jazzy) rhythms and harmonies. The band's latest endeavor Midnight Wraith, an EP released by Stormspell Records, contains five tracks that sound like Iron Maiden songs as written by Albert Einstein. Thus, DarkBlack has now wrestled intricate and nuanced metal away from the Canadians! Sorry, Rush. ARIS WALES

BLACK PRAIRIE, OLD LIGHT, RITCHIE YOUNG

(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) Chances are your 2010 hasn't got a damn thing on Black Prairie's. The last dozen months have seen the bluegrass-by-way-of-the-Eastern-Bloc ensemble—made up of more than a few Decemberists—appear on the scene, ink a record deal, release their debut LP Feast of the Hunters' Moon, and tour the States. This will be your final chance this year to bask in their old-timey sound, and considering that their other band has a new record in the queue, it might be some time before you hear from Black Prairie again. Their latest is a tour-only EP that you can swoop up at the merch table, one that has unreleased material, a haunting remix of "Red Rocking Chair" that makes the band sound like Portishead, and a cover of Gram Parsons' "Hickory Wind" that'll make you weak in the knees. Joining them is Old Light, whose matured rock album The Dirty Future just might be one of the best local releases of 2010 that you have still yet to hear. EAC

SATURDAY 12/4

ETHAN ROSE: BETWEEN ROOMS AND VOICES

(City Hall, 1221 SW 4th) See My, What a Busy Week!

LES SAVY FAV, REPORTER

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Read out article on Les Savy Fav.

HORSE FEATHERS, Y LA BAMBA, JOSHUA ENGLISH

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See Friday's listing.

POINT JUNCTURE WA, O BRUXO, PETOSKEY

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) O Bruxo, we hardly knew ye. The Latin-dance sensation is ending their short run with tonight's show, drawing to a close their short history of electrifying Portland parties and clubs with their death-carnival frontline. David "Papi" Fimbres had this to say about the end of the band: "The reason for our departure is simple: There are children to take care of and this musical endeavor has been hogging up all that precious baby-waking-up-at-4-am-to-take-care-of time." Alas, without an album to preserve O Bruxo's legacy we are simply left with our dimming memories of gyrating to their fierce samba-punk, so let us just say this: One day, O Bruxo, those babies are going to be old enough to need a samba-punk band of their very own, and where will you be then, O Bruxo? Where? Hopefully this party is not over for good. NL

BOB MOULD, TELEKINESIS, COBIRDS UNITE

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Every year, like clockwork, our favorite Hüsker dude rolls through town, and while it might be tempting to take for granted the presence of Bob Mould, please do no such thing. As charismatic as ever, Mould dusts off material from Hüsker Dü, Sugar, and his vast solo catalog, and he does so with the vigor and excitement of a performer half his age. With Mould you get all the old goodies (both "Hoover Dam" and "Something I Learned Today" have made appearances on recent setlists) without the sad nostalgia hayride. Plus, Mould is working on a forthcoming memoir, which I imagine will be something like The Dirt but with better music and at least a few chapters dedicated solely to Greg Norton's incredible mustache in all its curled and waxed glory. EAC

VARIOUS 4-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: MONKEYTEK, RYAN ORGAN, JON AD, DJ E3, LINCOLNUP, BEN TACTIC, SAMIZDAT, DJ SALTFEEND

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Tonight marks the four-year anniversary of Various, the flagship night of dub, dubstep, and other bass-heavy music that rattles Branx every first Saturday. It became uncomfortably clear at last year's anniversary party that the night had outgrown the club's tiny dance floor, and tonight founding DJs Monkeytek, Jon AD, and Ryan Organ finally reap the payoff for sticking with the cavelike industrial Southeast space. A recent expansion of Branx means plenty of elbow room for tonight's celebration—a roundup of some favorite local bass purveyors that have contributed to the Various sound over the years, with unique takes on UK garage, reggae, tropical, hiphop, and just about every other dubstep-related subgenre. It also means there will be ample space for additional sound reinforcement from H.A.S. Systems, which has been facilitating the already enormous boom and wobble all these years. AVA HEGEDUS

BARBARA MANNING, MICHAEL HURLEY, FLASH FLOOD AND THE DIKES

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) California singer/songwriter/guitarist Barbara Manning enlivened the underground-rock landscape in the '80s and '90s with stellar groups like 28th Day, World of Pooh, and S.F. Seals, as well as a grip of albums under her own name. Besides writing immediately catchy songs that nuzzle you with easygoing jangles, niggle at you with subliminal tension, and haunt you with minor-key darkness, Manning excels at covering gems from underappreciated artists (e.g., the Bats' "Smoking Her Wings," Amon Düül II's "Marcus Leid," etc.). Manning was justifiably a pretty big deal in the '90s while recording for Matador, and her overflowing canon of should've-been-hits will surely make for a memorable night at this rare appearance. DAVE SEGAL

LAWNCHAIR GENERALS, MERCEDES, MAXIMUS, DJ RANDY ELJIMAL, DJ MATT E STARR, RICHIE STAX

(Groove Suite, 440 NW Glisan) Seattle's LawnChair Generals (Carlos Mendoza and Peter Christianson) have been making solid house music for a decade. The two started out like most DJs—working at a record shop, playing parties, and eventually making their way to the studio to build on the sounds that inspired them (mainly aspects of Chicago house music). Their take on the Chicago style earned them releases on Om Records, Aroma Records, Uniting Souls and Nordic Trax, along with recognition from top international names like Derrick Carter and DJ Heather. Tonight they celebrate ten years as a DJ/production duo with the After Dark crew, Portland's official authority on quality house music. AVA

C.C. SWIM, TIGER HOUSE, JACK RUBY PRESENTS, PHEASANT

(Factory Underground, 8926 N Lombard) I’m pretty sure Nick Cave and Mega Man have never been listed as influences by any band before C.C. Swim did so on their bio for Backseat Romans. Due out tonight, Romans is the work of Ryan Wilson and Casey Frantum, a duo who create quaint bedroom electro-pop, heavy on the hooks and chirping keyboards. Still relatively new—and it shows throughout the record—C.C. Swim have a ways to go until they fill out their sound, but songs like the jittery “Settling Is Natural” offer glimpses of Passion Pit or the earliest house-party days of Starfucker. EAC

SUNDAY 12/5

ETHAN ROSE: BETWEEN ROOMS AND VOICES

(City Hall, 1221 SW 4th) See My, What a Busy Week!

BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH, MONEYBROTHER

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Read our article on Bedouin Soundclash.

MONDAY 12/6

Happy birthday wishes go out to Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Ulf Ekberg of Ace of Base.

TUESDAY 12/7

THE BLACK KEYS, SLEIGH BELLS, MORNING TELEPORTATION

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

HOT PANDA, HERE COME DOTS

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) Hailing from Edmonton, Alberta, Hot Panda are touring in support of the wildly schizophrenic How Come I'm Dead? An affront to the notion that all albums must proceed in a linear direction, Dead? is a truly baffling collection of songs that run the gamut from standard pop, to keyboard freakout electro-rock, to hiphop (sort of), plus just about everything else in between. It can be a maddening listen, at times as frustrating as attempting to hold a conversation with that one crazy guy on the bus. Yet for the most part it's hard not to be envious of a band so free. Rules? Hot Panda doesn't need your stinkin' rules, man. EAC

WEDNESDAY 12/8

LEONARD COHEN

(Rose Garden, 1 Center Ct) Read our article on Leonard Cohen.

BILL FRISELL

(Everyday Music, 1313 W Burnside) Guitarist Bill Frisell's strength has been his ability to look beyond the ever-receding hairline of jazz to incorporate folk and country picking into his playing. Over a long and prolific career he's recorded dozens of albums, mostly for the upscale boutique-folk Elektra subsidiary Nonesuch Records, finding a delicate and melancholy sound that is uniquely American. His first album with Savoy Jazz, entitled Beautiful Dreamers, is a collaboration with drummer Rudy Royston and Corvallis-born violist Eyvind Kang, documenting a trio that's been playing together since 2008. Meanwhile, Frisell stops into the downtown Everyday Music for a special in-store solo acoustic performance, followed by a Q&A session. NL

THE POSIES, BRENDAN BENSON, AQUEDUCT

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) It's a little bit surprising that the Posies' Blood/Candy, is as good as it is, considering the band's previous two releases, Success and Every Kind of Light, were merely decent at best. Blood/Candy recalls the greatest parts of the Posies' two biggest contributions to the power pop genre, the alt-pop touchstone Dear 23, and the grungier—but just as pretty—Frosting on the Beater. Aesthetically, the album is a cross between the two; it's not too sweet, and not too raucous. And of course, every song off Blood/Candy is catchy as hell: The soaring "She's Coming Down Again" are chief songwriters Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer at their Graham Nash-iest, and "Cleopatra Street" could make McCartney jealous. When people bemoan, "They don't write songs like they used to," they likely aren't referring to the Posies. MORGAN TROPER

JEFFREY JERUSALEM, BRAINSTORM, BILLYGOAT, DEATH WORTH LIVING

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) The folks at InterArts, who bring the No.Fest to St. Johns every year, are teaming up with Redefine magazine for a night of music and mixed media. Quite simply, I don't know what to tell you to expect from this boggling bill, other than a bunch of talented local artists and musicians are going to be all in the same place at the same time. The technically impressive desert-blues-influenced pop of virtuosic duo Brainstorm would be enough of a draw on its own, but electronic singer/songwriter Jeffrey Jerusalem is also on board, as well as the stunning ambient-ish music and stop-motion animation of Billygoat. Add to that a dance performance by Sarah Johnson; a video/dance piece from Lucy Yim, Jin Camou, Rebecca Steele, and Posie Currin; plus more video art installations, and you have a night of sound and vision to rival your trippiest dreams. NL