Wild Combination: A Birthday Tribute to Arthur Russell
The world would have surely come around to the avant-disco and minimalist classical music of the late Arthur Russell eventually. But what has helped spur a dedicated cult following around this New York legend were a pair of compilation albums, released in 2004, that revealed to a new generation of fans what a formidable talent we lost when he passed away in 1992. Since then singles like âKiss Me Againâ and âIs It All Overâ have popped up regularly in DJ sets, and folks started to hear the influence he had on artists like LCD Soundsystem and Fischerspooner. To celebrate what should have been Russellâs 66th birthday, Holocene is throwing a party that will include performances of his work by Chanti Darling, Moorea Masa, and Shy Girls member Noah Bernstein, DJ sets, and a lecture by artist Matt Marble. ROBERT HAM
May 21, 7:30 pm, Holocene, $8-10
Vikesh Kapoor, Haley Heynderickx, Claire Puckett
Some of Portlandâs finest folk musicians will gather at Beacon Sound tonight to celebrate the release of Vikesh Kapoorâs new single, âDown by the River.â Unlike the Neil Young song of the same name, this lovelorn ballad does not end in murder. Kapoor strums gold-tones from his acoustic guitar, revisiting bygone memories to bid âfare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well.â Heâll be joined by Haley Heynderickx, who tapped into some ancient energy on her 2016 EP Fish Eyes, and the classical shredding of Claire Puckett. CIARA DOLAN
May 19, 8 pm, Beacon Sound, $10
Sun Blood Stories, Indira Valley
Boise's Sun Blood Stories bring their psych-tinged high desert rock to the Alberta Street Pub in support of their new full-length, It Runs Around the Room with Us. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization working for civil rights of LGBQT people and for those living with HIV.
May 19, 7 pm, Alberta Street Pub, $10
David Luning, Izaak Opatz, Caroline Keys
Izaak Opatz is the best songwriter youâve probably never heard of. As leader of Missoula band the Best Westerns, Opatz dabbles in off-kilter country and roadhouse rock (see the bandâs fantastic 2014 record High Country). Februaryâs Mariachi Static is his solo debut, buoyed by wry tunes that bring twangy, back-porch pop into the 21st century. âOne Way or Anotherâ is a punky track about attending a former loverâs wedding, and on âArmâs Length Away,â Opatz praises downed WiFi and the absence of cell service as welcome barriers that prevented him from reaching out to an ex after a long night at the bar. He sprinkles honesty into his music with a wink, using the three-minute pop song mold for cerebral (and fun) meta-modern country. RYAN J. PRADO
May 20, 8 pm, White Eagle, $8
Sam Coomes, Thollem's Hot Pursuit of Happiness, Rebecca Cole
With nothing more than his trusty vintage organ, mid-â60s rhythm box, and restless vocal attack, Portland indie rock fixture Sam Coomes twists up off-kilter-yet-groovy experimental pop that springs to life like a circuit breaker being magically flipped on at some long-abandoned carnival midway. If you havenât witnessed Coomes performing in support of his 2016 solo debut, Bugger Me, tonightâs show presents the perfect opportunity to remedy that. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
May 20, 9 pm, The Know, $7
Welcome to Twin Peaks
Ready your coffee and pie, because [MOURNFUL SYNTHEZISERS GO HERE]⊠it is happening again! David Lynchâs beloved forest noir Twin Peaks returns this week. Did the Good Coop make it out of the Black Lodge? What were Laura Palmer and Ronette doing inside the theater in Mulholland Dr.? Lynch probably wonât give us concrete answers, but weâre sure to be richly entertained. (And mildly terrified!) Also entertaining, minus the terror: the Fixinâ Toâs Twin Peaks tribute night, Welcome to Twin Peaks. Gear up for the revival with tunes inspired by noted Peaks soundtrackers Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti [MOURNFUL SYNTHESIZERS GO HERE]. Performers include Vexations, WL, the Other Place, and Stochastic Mettle Union. Sounds way more fun than a silent drape runner! MEGAN BURBANK
May 19, 8 pm, The Fixin' To, $7 (Twin Peaks premieres on Showtime Sun May 21, 9 pm)
The Minders, Mo Troper & the Assumptions, Boreen
Twenty years ago, the hot thang in indie-pop was the Elephant 6 Collective, a family of bands that played a particularly psychedelic and Beach Boys-influenced brand of pop-rock. The headliners were Neutral Milk Hotel, the Apples in Stereo, and the Olivia Tremor Control, and one of the affiliated groups was the Minders, a Beatles-lovinâ combo out of Denver. A great secret of the Elephant 6 Collective is that the Mindersâ 1998 album Hooray for Tuesday is every bit as good as anything else any other E6 band released. Itâs a perfect pop record. Eventually, head Minder Martyn Leaper moved his operation to Portland, where he put out a couple more releases (including 2006âs essential Itâs a Bright Guilty World) and then disappeared, more or less, for a decade. Which brings us to last yearâs Into the River, the first Minders album in 10 years. Recorded with local studio wiz Larry Crane, itâs a wonderful reminder of Leaperâs extraordinaryâand underappreciatedâtalent for marrying memorable melodies and lush, jangling guitars. BEN SALMON
May 19, 8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, $6
Rotties, Cockeye, Bleak Cities, DJ Alligator Heart, DJ Listen Lady
Portland punks Rotties and Cockeye lead the charge on this birthday blowout show, with Bleak Cities and DJ's Alligator Heart and Listen Lady lending their support to the proceedings.
May 21, 8 pm, The Know, $6
Beat Parlor Presents: The Glow
The second of two back-to-back parties from Young Gifted and Black, this beats-focused night presented by Beat Parlor features house music prodigy Elbert Phillips and a slew of PNW DJs thatâll keep us dancing. JENNI MOORE
May 19, 10 pm, Jade Lounge, $5
Lithics, Angel Food, Cobra Collection
Lithics minimalist post-punk pulses and chirps, manically pushing forward and pulling back, while building insistent loops before pretending to fall apart, as vocalist Aubrey Hornor brings an understated, bordering-on-spoken-word nonchalance. This restraint, at least on record, keeps the tension high, while also keeping something bubbling below the surface, waiting. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON
May 20, 8 pm, Turn! Turn! Turn!, $5
