THURSDAY 6/30

SATELLITE ENSEMBLE, HANNAH PENN, GALEN CLARK, GROOVY WALLPAPER

(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27.

GROUP DOUEH, DUSU MALI BAND, DJ GLOBALRUCKUS

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See Music, pg. 30.

BARE WIRES, THE OUTDOORSMEN, TAXI BOYS

(East End, 203 SE Grand) While San Francisco gets all the attention for being the hotbed of West Coast rock and roll, one need only make a short trip (not during rush hour) across the Bay Bridge to find bands that are equally as rock and roll, and just as druggy and fun. Oakland's Bare Wires don't play the noize card like Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees; instead they crank out smooth, power-glam anthems that bring to mind Gary Glitter (pre-Asian incarceration) and Slade, whose biggest hit as it happens was "Cum On Feel the Noize." Bare Wires' "Don't Ever Change" is a bona fide anthem in the spirit of 1973. There was probably far less plaid and platform shoes involved in the making of the song, but it's comforting nonetheless. MARK LORE

KNIFEY SPOONY, YOUTHBITCH, MIDNITE SNAXXX, FORSORCERERS

(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) Don't be fooled into thinking that the three ladies of Midnite Snaxxx are just another set of tattooed gals with Bettie Page haircuts. Though they are, Midnite Snaxxx are also seasoned veterans of the "Budget Rock" underground scene of the Bay Area. Drummer Tina Lucchesi started out in the Trashwomen, a female tribute band to the group that launched thousands of rock careers with "Surfin' Bird," and has been making noise in SF/Oakland ever since. Along with guitar player Dulcinea Gonzalez (of the Loudmouths) and bass player Renee Neal, Midnite Snaxxx's repertoire belongs to the Ramones-inspired canon, employing the expected derivative riffs and vocal affectations while a deceptively original and inspired energy lurks behind each song. Also on the bill is local act Youthbitch, a raucous bunch who utilize an organ and various percussion to round out that classic garage sound. MARANDA BISH

FRIDAY 7/1

WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL: MACEO PARKER, REBIRTH BRASS BAND, ROBERT CRAY BAND, CHUBBY CARRIER AND THE BAYOU SWAMP BAND & MORE

(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito Parkway) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27.

IN THE COOKY JAR SOUL NIGHT: DJ COOKY PARKER

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27.

THE BUGS, SUGAR SUGAR SUGAR, HEY LOVER

(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) The new 7-inch from the Bugs crams a whopping six songs into its grooves, including the title track, an infectious piece of bubblegum called "Double O-Yeah." It's the kind of song you could listen to again and again without getting tired of it, partly because it's over in a hot minute—along with the other five short 'n' speedy songs on the record, released on German boutique imprint Labil. Along with a few indelible melodies, there's a Silver Kings cover and some damaged art-punk non-songs, none of which sound like they took any time at all to map out—which I mean in a good way. Celebrate the release tonight with the duo (Mike Coumatos and Paul Haines), who have evolved into the kind of slop-pop institution that's becoming increasingly hard to find. NED LANNAMANN

AND AND AND, TXE, SAM TRUMP, DJ QUEASY

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Hiphop heads and indie-rock kids are similar in so many ways, but the genres seldom cross paths and the two camps remain strangers, often within the same crowd. No more, says Frsh Slcts, the vowel-free collective of music lovers behind an innovative series of shows that pair local performers with other musicians who—get this—don't sound alike. You'll get an earful of And And And's ramshackle indie rock, the inspirational hiphop rhymes of TxE, and a set from trumpeter/vocalist Sam Trump. Your music library is diverse and not limited to a single genre; no reason the shows you see should be any different. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

THE FLESHTONES, CHARMING BIRDS

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) On one previous record, the Fleshtones covered Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown," and on their latest, Brooklyn Sound Solution, they cover the Beatles' "Day Tripper." You are right in thinking these dead-horse songs need never, never, ever be covered, but the New York garage rockers—who are among the original torch-carriers that led to the garage rock revival of the early '00s—are quite happy living in a bubble where fashion, culture, and rock 'n' roll haven't changed one whit since the '60s. So instead of innovation, the Fleshtones offer a retro dance party with tons of energy via surf-rock guitar solos, vamping R&B, swingin' drums, and a big ol' boner for the Nuggets comps. Considering they've been at it since the halcyon days of CBGB, it's clear they're true believers. NL

TRUCKSTOP DARLIN', THE TUMBLERS, MCDOUGALL

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) In addition to polishing off their weight in whiskey, the blue-collar musicians of the Tumblers have polished their sound on full-length number two, America Toil. The local sextet's debut, The Earth Shall Become My Throne, was a tears-in-beers collection of heavy burden country rock capped by the robust vocals of Tyler Gaston and Dean Gorman. Toil isn't a grand departure, but it's significantly less mournful than their previous material, as numbers like the bluesy "Canary in a Coal Mine" take an abrupt change in direction when a jaunty little whistle solo appears in the middle of the song. The title track is straight-up Americana, a bold rock number propped up by an excellent slide guitar hook that lingers long after the song—and the ice that cools your bourbon—melts away. EAC

HIPHOP FOOD DRIVE: S1KONES, TRAGEDY 503, SPEAKER MINDS, BAD HABITAT, COOL NUTZ, HIVES INQUIRY SQUAD & MORE

(Bossanova, 722 E Burnside) There are many unsung heroes in Portland's hiphop scene. Chief among them is Jessie Sponberg, AKA Ozone, a living embodiment that being "positive" goes far beyond wearing a backpack and spitting about how you "got knowledge" on the mic. Actions speak louder than words, and his latest action is Food Wars 4—a free hiphop event that doubles as the culmination of a dry food campaign to benefit local families in need through Impact Northwest. Music fans hungry for a gratis sampling of local acts will also be satiated, from tried and true vets Cool Nutz and Destro, to the hyper harmony punch of must-see-live-to-believe Rose Bent. Add the enchantingly demented Hives Inquiry Squad, up-and-comer skater favorite ElleMC, plus far too many others to mention, and you've got yourself a party done proper. RYAN FEIGH

SATURDAY 7/2

WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL: LUCINDA WILLIAMS, BLACK JOE LEWIS AND THE HONEYBEARS, ROSIE LEDET AND THE ZYDECO PLAYBOYS & MORE

(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito Parkway) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27 and Music, pg. 28.

MIDNIGHT SNAXXX, GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH, LEADERS, CHEMICALS

(East End, 203 SE Grand) See Thursday's listing.

IN MONO, SWIM SWAM SWUM, GOUSEION, DJ EPOCH

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) Ark of War, the largely instrumental debut album from In Mono, sees the band's mastermind Paul Lynch finding common ground in all his previous musical endeavors, including his work as DJ Tan't and his time in college playing in a drone band with Talkdemonic's Kevin O'Connor. The album is stuffed with heavy programmed beats, somewhere west of Pretty Hate Machine, and big-screen sustained guitar, somewhere south of Permanent Waves. There's also a nomadic darkness that's a little too glossy to be called noir, and sometimes the lockstep drumbeats sound a little videogame-y. But when Lynch throws all the pieces of his sound into the wind, as on the graceful flurry of "In Lust" or the guitar whirligigs of "Eat Your Love," In Mono brings the listener fully into its beautiful, strange world. NL

YOB, DARK CASTLE, WIZARD RIFLE, SLOTHS

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) It's interesting to think that modern doom metal started just down the road in Eugene, Oregon. Perhaps not entirely, but since the mid-'90s YOB has had a heavy—really heavy—hand in bending and shaping the genre, heaving glacial riffs that have the power to slow pulses and rattle beer mugs off tables. The trio is set to unleash their new record Atma in August, five songs that clock in at a sludgy and doom-y 55 minutes. Opener "Prepare the Ground" is a wretched steamroller of a song (and a taut nine minutes) that lies low in the muck for the first two minutes until Mike Scheidt's vocals propel things into otherworldly dimensions. YOB is both frightening and beautiful, as there aren't many bands out there that have the uncanny ability to deliver such melody while coming dangerously close to hitting the brown note. ML

BROTHERS YOUNG, BRIGHT ARCHER

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) When I say that the music of Bright Archer—the nom de plume of one Johanna Kunin—is similar to Joni Mitchell, I say that not as a lazy (male) music scribe desperately trying to add up the obvious components (sincere female voice alongside a piano's plaintive notes) to form some half-assembled opinion. It's the most sincere of compliments, as Bright Archer's dizzying new LP Hidden Systems harkens back to Mitchell's untouchable 1969-75 run (Clouds through The Hissing of Summer Lawns), but sans the vintage nostalgia of that fabled era. Kunin's earnest vocals and simple yet subtly elaborate song structure portray an artist at her creative peak. Songs like the stark title track wield a titanic amount of emotional weight, while her road-trip love affair "Sunrising" exhilaratingly changes pace at the song's midpoint, seamlessly reinventing itself for the final two-minute home stretch. EAC

MODEST MOUSE, TALKDEMONIC

(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) There are two Modest Mouses (Mice?). The first is an innovative, exploratory, historically significant band that's cultivated an envious legacy of era-defining, still great-sounding records—and is still up to audacious moves, such as a rumored recent collaboration with OutKast's Big Boi, or Isaac Brock's work on the upcoming soundtrack for Queens of Country. The other Modest Mouse is a bloated, well-past-its-prime arena-rock band churning out tired hits for drunk, inattentive festival-goers, sounding less coherent and relevant with every passing measure. Which Modest Mouse will perform tonight? We can't say, although if their recent, desultory set at Sasquatch is any indication, you might want to park as close as possible to the exits of the Edgefield lot, in case of a quick getaway. NL

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION: THE GNOME SORCERY FEDERATION, UGLY FLOWERS, HOLLYWOOD TANS, LONE MADRONE, CLOAKS, GREY ANNE, MEGAN SPEAR, SCHOOL OF ROCK

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Meow Meow, Satyricon, the Artistery, the Hush, the Grape Drink, the Parlour, Berbati's, Food Hole, Solid State... this is only a partial list of all-age Portland venues that have vanished in the past nine years. Coincidentally, Backspace celebrates their ninth year of existence/survival tonight, a feat all the more impressive when you consider the list of shuttered venues left in their wake. In addition to the slew of local talent sharing a stage tonight, the Backspacers are redirecting the spotlight away from themselves and instead making this a benefit for Music in the Schools. Just when you think they couldn't get any cooler, they go and do something like that. EAC

SUNDAY 7/3

WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL: BUDDY GUY, BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS, CURTIS SALGADO, & MORE

(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito Parkway) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27 and Music, pg. 28.

STEELY DAN

(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27.

SECOND ANNUAL OUTDOOR BLOCK PARTY: RED FANG, DANAVA, LORD DYING, RABBITS, PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE & MORE

(East End, 203 SE Grand) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27.

MONDAY 7/4

OMAR SOULEYMAN, DJ BEYONDA

(YU Contemporary, 800 SE 10th) Come celebrate this great nation's freedom—when our heroic forefathers fended off the British occupiers using fireworks—with an unforgettable night of... Syrian dance music? While a mysterious musician cloaked in a djellaba and singing in Arabic is hardly the most traditional Fourth of July headliner, Omar Souleyman is a goddamn global icon and we're lucky to have him, twice. His first Portland performance, to a packed house last month at Dante's, was an inspiring (and strange) night of hypnotic vocals and a blasting keyboard hooks. Souleyman's trancelike method of intertwining traditional melodies with pulsating dance music has earned him global acclaim and plenty of fans—from Björk to cassette kiosk consumers through the Arab world—and I can't think of anyone I'd rather see on this holiday. America, fuck yeah. EAC

TUESDAY 7/5

Happy birthday wishes go out to the late Huey Lewis, who was stranded on an island for the "Stuck With You" video and has not been heard from since.

WEDNESDAY 7/6

SOFT TAGS, MASSIVE MOTH, THE RESERVATIONS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, pg. 27 and Music, pg. 28.

BURNING YELLOWS, PRESCRIPTION PILLS, ALPS, BLOOD BEACH

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Whether shouting in front of a full band or crooning over a laptop, Cole Browning of Prescription Pills has had a busy and productive first half of 2011. Avoiding repetition in his live sets has helped Browning play constant shows across town without losing momentum. Once known for his energetic and danceable live sets, Prescription Pills have evolved into a more subtle and romantic form of dark pop, and now armed with just his laptop, synth, and a decorative bouquet of flowers, Browning will continue to bring out the dance in the many brooding souls of Portland. ARIAN JALALI

SLAM DUNK, PAT JORDACHE

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Recording for the prestigious Constellation Records, Montreal's Pat Jordache forgoes that label's predominant epic post-rock approach for songs that strike with immediacy. His primary mode resembles that of a low-budget Of Montreal—danceable glam rock gussied up with nonchalant flamboyance. There's a winning, modest hamminess about Jordache's persona that's not too far from Edwyn Collins', and he accentuates that with a sure handle on accessible yet uncloying tunesmithery. DAVE SEGAL