SUPER PICK 4/5
SOCCER MOMMY, MADELINE KENNY
(Thurs Apr 5 at Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) “I don’t wanna be your fucking dog,” Nashville singer/songwriter Sophie Allison announces sharply at the beginning of “Your Dog,” one of the standouts on Clean, her newest record under the Soccer Mommy moniker. “I want a love that lets me breathe/I’ve been choking on your leash.” The whole song feels claustrophobic; her voice is strained, the drums are rigidly precise, and the guitars swarm like angry bees. There’s no space to breathe, yet somehow, Allison carves out enough to make an indie rock anthem. It’s the perfect thesis statement for Clean, an album that soberly reflects on growing up, clawing for autonomy, and seeking liberation from constrictive relationships, mindsets, and insecurities. It’s Allison’s proper studio debut (released via Fat Possum Records) and follows last year’s impressive Collection, which fleshed out bedroom recordings she’d previously uploaded to Bandcamp. (Speaking of Bandcamp, Soccer Mommy’s bio on the site self-describes as “chill but kinda sad,” which I can confirm is very accurate.) Wth versatile guitar work and her emotive voice, Allison grapples with feeling used and disappointed (“Still Clean”), longs to be as confident as the stoner girl at school (“Cool,” which contains the record’s catchiest hook), and compares herself to the girl who’s “bubbly and sweet like Coca-Cola” (the slow-building “Scorpio Rising”). It all comes back to Allison’s strained declaration of independence on “Your Dog,” which, despite the Stooges reference, actually calls to mind lyrics from the Tom Petty song “Wildflowers”: “You belong among the wildflowers/You belong somewhere you feel free.” Fittingly, she closes the record with her own track called “Wildflowers,” where she sings, “Wildflowers don’t grow in the city/I dreamt the sidewalk broke in two.” Feeling free doesn’t come easy on Clean, but with “Wildflowers,” it seems like a possibility. CIARA DOLAN
WEDNESDAY 4/4
KULULULU, SHEERS, DOMINOES GONZALEZ
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Sheers’ new mini-EP An Occasion exists at the unlikely (but captivating) crossroads of classical, trip-hop, and R&B. Its three songs center on the gossamer vocals of Lily Breshears, her cascading harp, and asymmetrical, jazzy rhythms. Standout track “An Outs” builds from a music- box piano melody, the meanderings of a rogue clarinet, and Breshears’ Joanna Newsom-like voice, periodically distorted to sound like an angry troll as she sings about the restrictive expectations of being ladylike. It’s exceedingly strange and beautiful, like something you’d find in a futuristic speakeasy. The Portland trio will celebrate its release with the art-punk extraterrestrials of Kulululu and Dominoes Gonzalez. CD
THURSDAY 4/5
THE THESIS: DEAD PHONE DUMMIES, NATURALLY GROWN MISFITS, DJ VERBZ
(Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington) For the last three years (and counting!) the Thesis has prided itself on creating both a monthly platform for local, high-quality hip-hop and a first-Thursday destination for fans and creatives. That’ll likely be the case again this month, with Thesis vets Dead Phone Dummies headlining, Naturally Grown Misfits, and a special appearance from Fountaine. Full disclosure: I help out with the guest list, and in recent months the show has sold out quick. Don’t be late! JENNI MOORE
JUNGLE, OMAR APOLLO
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Ever since 2013, UK modern soul and funk outfit Jungle have been on the rise. Now a seven-piece band, Jungle is perhaps best known for its irresistible music videos featuring people bustin’ a move while wearing fresh Adidas gear: Two older gentlemen have an amicable dance-off (“Time”); a six-year-old slays at breakdancing (“Platoon,”); group choreo in “Busy Earnin”; and a couple of dudes show off their ability to dance while roller skating (“The Heat”). It’s safe to say their show tonight will be a sweaty one. Wear comfy shoes. JM
OUT FROM THE SHADOWS FESTIVAL: DIE ROBOT, NAKED LIGHTS, DEATHCHARGE, RITUAL VEIL, THE WHEAL, OVER, VIBRISSAE
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) In just four years, XRAY.fm DJ Dave Cantrell’s Out from the Shadows Festival has grown from a relatively modest affair—just one day with 11 bands, nine of them local in 2015—to one of the premiere post-punk/darkwave gatherings anywhere. This year, the event spans three days at the Tonic Lounge, with bands from across the US and beyond. Highlights are abundant up and down the lineup, but don’t miss the ominously throbbing murk-pop of Azar Swan, the melancholy new wave of Wingtips, and the icy post-punk perfection of Actors, plus local shadow-dwellers like Ritual Veil, Die Robot, and Arctic Flowers. New this year: Out from the Shadows will benefit not only XRAY.fm (as it has in the past), but also the Sexual and Gender Minority Youth Resource Center. BEN SALMON
THE MAINE, THE WRECKS, THE TECHNICOLORS
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Throughout my teenage years, the Maine was one of my favorite bands. Their music conjures so many nostalgic memories—for instance, their sentimental track “(Un)Lost” (from 2015’s American Candy) played serendipitously on the drive to my high school graduation. It was ridiculously cheesy, but there’s something about the Arizona rock band’s ability to capture a particular feeling of helplessness that I shared in that moment. Listening to the Maine’s newest album Lovely Little Lonely, I’m reminded of what I always loved about the band: introspective lyrics and pop hooks that will get stuck in your head for weeks. DELANEY MOTTER
SAMA DAMS, KELLI SCHAEFER, POOL BOYS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) On their new album Say It, Portland trio Sama Dams shifts slightly away from the intimate, fidgety synth-pop of its last album, 2016’s Comfort in Doubt, in favor of a fuller, more dramatic, less claustrophobic sound. Songs like “Pockets” bring Lisa Adams’ voice to the forefront, allowing her to drape a pop melody across plucked strings and zigzag rhythms, while “Driving By” and the title track give Sam Adams room to showcase his R&B-influenced vocal style. The common thread throughout Say It—indeed, the sound that makes the album such an addictive listen—is the interesting use of keyboards and synth, often distorted in some way. These tones sometimes feel grimy and sometimes bulbous, occasionally retro and often futuristic; they slither and flutter through the songs like a living, breathing being. Say It is an endlessly fascinating sonic concoction, and a confident step forward for Sama Dams. BS
FRIDAY 4/6
CHROMEO, PHANTOMS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Their fifth album, Head Over Heels, doesn’t have a street date just yet, but that’s not stopping Montreal electro-funk meisters Chromeo from taking their uber-catchy, booty-motivating disco party out on the road. And if advance singles “Juice” and “Bedroom Calling” are any indication, the duo’s ’80s-cribbing dancefloor manifestos are sounding as fresh as ever. NED LANNAMANN
OUT FROM THE SHADOWS FESTIVAL: BLOODY KNIVES, ACTORS, BOOTBLACKS, TEARFUL MOON, VOIGHT, WIRE SPINE, HEXHEART, SICK WISH
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) See Thursday’s preview.
THE SOFT MOON, BOY HARSHER, VIVE LA VOID, DJ IAN HICKS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The Soft Moon is a good post-punk band from Oakland that deserves your attention, but the most interesting thing about this bill is that it includes one of the very first live sets by Vive la Void, the new solo project of Moon Duo keyboardist Sanae Yamada. Vive la Void’s self-titled debut will be out next month on Sacred Bones, and it’s a killer cloudland of steadfast drones, pulsating synth, motorik rhythms, and Yamada’s transcendental vocals, all dressed up for an endless journey to the outer zones. With Moon Duo, Yamada has had a hand in making some of the best trance-inducing music of the past decade. Vive la Void stays right on course. BS
JONATHAN DAVIS, PALISADES
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Jonathan Davis, the lead singer of Korn, chose a good time to release his solo debut, Black Labyrinth. Nu-metal is now hip, for some reason, despite the zeitgeist’s aversion to everything this style of music embodies: white dudes with dreadlocks, white dudes throwing temper tantrums, unaddressed mental illness and trauma as an excuse for abuse, and white dudes rapping. The current, inexplicable cachet surrounding nu-metal seems to have originated in the underground, as most trends do; I’ve heard multiple people who play in hardcore bands argue that Slipknot’s Iowa is one of the heaviest records of all time. Modern hardcore and screamo certainly owe a lot to nu-metal in their monochromatic humorlessness, and a band like Code Orange wouldn’t seem out of place on Korn’s “Family Values Tour.” Now, finally, the People Whose Opinions Matter have caught on: Last fall, Pitchfork ran a piece titled “The Unlikely Resurgence of Rap Rock” that was littered with bursts of laughable hagiography. (“Korn’s sound was really about stasis or paralysis: How you feel when you are trapped and have no further room to maneuver. From this purchase, Davis grilled relentlessly inward. ‘I have no place to run and hide,’ he insisted.”) In some ways, this pendulum swing is predictable—every generation buries its adolescent tastes only to proudly exhume them as adults, like naked baby photos that become Facebook profile pictures. But any straight-faced critical reappraisal of nu-metal feels like poptimist retconning at its absolute worst. Sometimes the music you liked as a kid actually just sucks. MORGAN TROPER
BRIANA MARELA, EVER ENDING KICKS, MINDPARADE
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) On her most recent LP, Call It Love (released last year by Jagjaguwar), Olympia’s Briana Marela examines the ecstasy and serenity of love—being in the thick of it (“Be in Love”), craving more of it (“Give Me Your Love”), and ultimately, watching it drift away (“Quit”). Aided as always by her looping pedal, Marela soundtracks the cyclical nature of falling in and out of love with kaleidoscopic ringlets of heavenly electro-folk. Plenty of albums focus on the intoxication of new romance and the seismic devastation of breakups; few track the whole process with such honesty and empathy. Throughout Call It Love, Marela lets pop hooks coexist with ambient synth waves, and the result is dreamy and surprisingly uplifting. She’s one of the best musicians in the Pacific Northwest—don’t miss the chance to see her work her magic in an intimate setting. CD
SATURDAY 4/7
BLOSSOM, BELLS ATLAS, AMENTA ABIOTO
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Any chance to experience Blossom live is worth your time and money—she’s the undisputed queen of Portland soul, and her debut LP Tease (with producer Hot16) was one of the best records of last year. Throughout, Blossom’s velvety voice glides over slow-burning beats (“Superwoman”) and throwback funk breakdowns (“Loves Coming”), and the result is hypnotic, empowering, and sure to make you move. CD
ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICALE, CHANTI DARLING
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Anytime Portland’s Orquestra Pacifico Tropical take over a stage, it’s a reason to party, and that goes double tonight when the sprawling cumbia ensemble pull into Holocene to celebrate the release of their new album, El Tren. It’s a fitting name for the band’s latest collection of locomotive rhythms and soulful psychedelic outbursts, so grab yourself a ticket to ride and hop aboard the dance party of the weekend. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
ALVVAYS, FRANKIE ROSE
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Though they’re probably best known for the 2014 anthem “Archie, Marry Me” (and for severing a perfectly good “w”), Alvvays’ latest album Antisocialites pushes their windswept pop into brand-new waters, especially on tracks like “Dreams Tonite” and the breathless “Lollipop (Ode to Jim).” The Canadian band will be joined by Frankie Rose (Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls), whose strangely beautiful 2017 LP Cage Tropical sounds like the Go-Go’s got sent to outer space. CD
HUNGER, LAVENDER FLU, DAY DOS
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Read our story on Hunger.
MØTRIK, ABRONIA, CENTER PIECES
(The Fixin’ To, 8218 N Lombard) Read our review of Møtrik’s new record, Safety Copy.
OUT FROM THE SHADOWS FESTIVAL: ASTARI NITE, AZAR SWAN, ARCTIC FLOWERS, ANNEX, WINGTIPS, CREUX LIES, DANCING PLAGUE, WALK ONTO SUN
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) See Thursday’s preview.
OREGON SYMPHONY: DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Maurice Ravel may have been the greatest orchestrator in history. The French composer transformed Modest Mussorgsky’s piano piece Pictures at an Exhibition into the full-blown orchestral suite we all know and love today, with its famous trumpet fanfare, and for his own Bolero, Ravel arranged a single rhythmic motif and a short, simple melody into a steadily crescendoing edifice of musical suspense. Daphnis et Chloé, commissioned as a ballet by Sergei Diaghilev for his Ballets Russes and premiered in 1912, is a near hour of Ravel’s orchestral splendor, with all members of the orchestra showing off their aural colors like a synchronized flock of exotic birds. The story of Daphnis et Chloé follows the love of a goatherd boy and a shepherd girl amid the company of nymphs and pirates and satyrs, but its pagan revelry is merely a clothesline for Ravel to weave his musical ideas together, each sweep and swoop more decadent than the last. Tonight the full music is performed start to finish, instead of the two excerpted suites most audiences hear today. NED LANNAMANN
KATE NASH, MIYA FOLICK
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Throughout her newest EP, Give It to Me, Miya Folick’s songs tend to bend to the will of her voice, commandeering the mood and style in a way that makes even simple, heavy rock ’n’ roll sound fresh again. Opening track “Trouble Adjusting” is a driving grunge-rocker that recalls early Ours or even Live, with “Aging” and the title track also playing off the solid foundation of these ’90s influences. A potent cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” closes Give It to Me, with a pitch-perfect Folick channeling the effortless lilting of an American classic. Tonight she opens for British singer/songwriter Kate Nash, whose new Kickstarter-supported record, Yesterday Was Forever, dropped last month. RYAN J. PRADO
SUNDAY 4/8
OREGON SYMPHONY: DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See Saturday’s preview.
SOFT KILL, CHOIR BOY, VOWWS, VACANT STARES
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) Soft Kill’s new record Savior was inspired by a nightmarish experience on the road: While the Portland band was driving through the middle of nowhere, frontman Tobias Grave’s pregnant wife began to bleed out in their tour van. Thankfully they were able to get her to a hospital in time, and she and their newborn survived. The songs on Savior tiptoe around the perimeter of this narrowly avoided tragedy, mirroring simultaneous anguish and gratitude with combustive post-punk. Tonight, Soft Kill celebrates its release with Salt Lake City’s Choir Boy, whose 2016 debut Passive with Desire sounds like the Cure playing Dracula’s castle. Anchored by the angelic and androgynous voice of Adam Klopp (who also fronts the equally excellent SLC band Human Leather), it’s gothic synth-pop filled out with strings and drum- machine beats. CD
MONDAY 4/9
OREGON SYMPHONY: DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) See Saturday’s preview.
YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Good luck trying to figure out exactly what Yamantaka//Sonic Titan is about upon first listen (or look, for that matter). The Canadian six-piece wears Kabuki makeup—a nod to former founding member Ruby Kato Atwood’s Japanese heritage—and plays music that swings between J-pop, heavy metal, and prog rock. Their new record Dirt is equally fantastical; it takes place on a fictional planet called Pureland 10,000 years after a flood and connects these post-apocalyptic themes to the modern world. The music is chaotic—jagging between metal riffs, smooth jazz sax solos, and synthesizers—with pop hooks and shiny production holding it all together. If you’re not intrigued by this point, chances are Yamantaka//Sonic Titan’s allure might be lost on you, but it’s a refreshing dose of mystique and artiness at a time when many bands share what they’re having for breakfast on social media. MARK LORE
TUESDAY 4/10
THE BREEDERS, POST PINK
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) The Breeders are approaching their 30th anniversary, and they have every right to coast into semi-retirement as a nostalgia act. Pod and Last Splash alone were more than enough to score them a spot in the pop pantheon and a permanent invite to festivals, but Kim and Kelley Deal kept the stunning streak alive with 2002’s Title TK and 2008’s Mountain Battles. This year’s All Nerve, which finds the Deal sisters reuniting with Last Splash’s stellar rhythm section of Jim MacPherson and Josephine Wiggs, is yet another well-timed reminder that Kim Deal is one of our great songwriters. Like the albums that came before it, All Nerve tweaks pop forms without being precious or pretentious about it. The songs are elastic and enchanted, doped and dreamy; they are carefully constructed containers of magic, but Deal’s inimitable gift is her ability to make it all sound so effortless, so impossibly easy, like the sounds were skimmed from a lake or caught in a butterfly net. The Breeders are a treasure. Cherish them. CHRIS STAMM