THURSDAY 1/31

BANE, STRIKING DISTANCE, CHAMPION, STAY GOLD, OUTREACH

(Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine) Carrying the torch for harDCore comes Striking Distance, boys who play their punk fast, aggressive, and mostly devoid of metal. Whether the more than 20-year-old harDCore torch needed to be carried is up for debate--at this point, it's sort of like bands in the '90s doing Aerosmith-style music (ie, grunge). (I think they actually dropped the harDCore torch on purpose. As much as I didn't like the new Fugazi record, they're doing something different for a reason.) But Striking Distance does not have any special retro-hardcore outfits (unlike the completely offensive Grateful Dead crap-ass Beachwood Sparks), nor do they seem to be a bunch of poseurs who just want to whine about their hard-ass, white-boy lives. Their music is quite good, and full of energy, so I'm sure this is fine. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

NICE NICE, SUPERSPRITE, ONE HUMAN MINUTE

(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy) Nice Nice is totally brilliant. A duo featuring Jason Buehler (guitar, pedals) and Mark Shirazi (drums), the band plays improvised music at its most disoriented-yet-gripping. Nice Nice runs the gamut of sound--one minute, they're crashing into you with an art-fuck, no-wave barrage of whistling robot noises like a busted-up R2D2... and suddenly they've lapsed into a screechy version of dub or funk or punk or other rhythmic territory. Seriously, they'll make your mind blow up. Listen to their dainty CD3 on Archigramophone Records, and you'll agree Nice Nice is headed to interesting places. One Human Minute is a new project with Paul "Strategy" Dickow and Michael "Mome Raths" Hamilton, and Supersprite is Howard Gilliam, who also makes the rad electronic shit. JS

OLDOMINION NIGHTCRAWLERS

(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) Every Thursday at the Tonic, the Oldominion crew invites local emcees with all kinds of styles to come out and spit. See Music pg 15

NELLY FURTADO, CITIZEN COPE

(Roseland, NW 6th & Burnside) One thing I've learned the hard way, is that if you hate Nelly Furtado, then be prepared to gain a lot of enemies. I discovered this disheartening fact after once comparing her loathsome personality to that of Adolf Hitler. After receiving tons of hate mail for that statement and having time to think it over, I've decided to revise my previous declaration: What I meant to say is "Adolf Hitler was more talented than Nelly Furtado." And while there aren't a whole lot of Hitler fans out there, I suspect I will get a letter or two about that statement as well. So let me clarify: Hitler was truly an untalented artist, but I have a feeling even he wouldn't lower himself to cut a record in which he performed a bad imitation of Billie Holiday over some hippie beats. OH! Now I take it all back! Nelly Furtado isn't worse than Hitler, she's worse than the Spin Doctors! (Thanks for listening, and keep those cards and letters comin'.) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY

SLAUGHTER & THE DOGS, EPOXIES, BELTONES, RIFFS

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) Having heard the new Slaughter & the Dogs release, Beware Of..., I can't, in good conscience, recommend this show to anyone but the late-'70s English punk/glitter/pub rock band's truest fans. For those interested: Wayne Barrett--the band's original singer, with whom the Dogs released "Cranked Up Really High" and the New York Dolls covered "Who Are the Mystery Girls"--is currently fronting the band, which should make lapsed listeners happy. And, to the band's credit, Beware Of... is not a terrible album. It's just lumpy and mediocre. When they cover "Hard Day's Night" they sound very old. Then they follow it with "Hell in New York," a straight-up, embarrassing ripoff of Iggy and the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog." It's at that point that I start to feel really sad. JEFF DeROCHE

FRIDAY 2/1

SAGE, DJ WICKED, ALTER ECHO

(Ohm, 31 NW 1st) Sage is a 26-year-old drum 'n' bass deejay/fashion model who's attained national acclaim for her cut skills (not to mention co-owning a label with Elektra, Phylum Recordings). If that's not enough, Wicked and Alter Echo will spin hiphop and dub hop, respectively. Your ass is going to be sore tomorrow, and it AIN'T FROM ANAL SEX. (Well, maybe that's why, but what I mean is, you'll be dancing all night long. Um.) JS

FU MANCHU, LOADED, INJECTED

(Berbati's, 231 SW Ankeny) Stoner rock has rarely been heavier (or simpler) than that of Southern California's Fu Manchu. The most leaden and riff-heavy '70s rock influences are given an extra dose of groove-laden psychedelia, as well as an ample amount of what may or may not be irony--it's hard to tell if this is unabashed tribute or we're-all-in-on-it comedy. Former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan fronts the minutely less-heavy Loaded. He's backed by former New American Shame member Geoff Reading and Alien Crime Syndicate's Mike Squires and Jeff Rouse. KATHLEEN WILSON

VESPERTINES, AVEO, 20 MINUTE LOOP

(Blackbird) The Vespertines are this local group who have just released their EP. They're pop-a-rrific, indie, and seem like they should be happy and ironic all the time. Aveo are the very Smiths-like up and coming stars, and 20 Minute Loop should go quite nicely with these two bands, as they are fuzzy, pop/smarty pants rock, and have called their own music "freakpop." KD See Seven-inch Sendup pg 15

GRAVITY AND HENRY, UTAH ANVIL, JON SELF

(Red & Black, 2138 SE Division) There are tons of bands on the radio that want to be heartfelt--the Gin Blossoms (although they've all died now), Nickelback, Creed, perhaps. They're all terrible, with vocalists that are so cheesy that if you dated them, you'd surely have to ditch after they subjected you to way too much eye contact. Point being, Gravity and Henry is what these bands want to be, but never, ever will: honest and real. They're filled with emotion and longing and sweet draining vocals, and acoustic guitar and cymbals. KATIE SHIMER

SATURDAY 2/2

OLDOMINION, HUNGRY MOB, BOOM BAP PROJECT, CHILDREN OF THE THORN, MC SUBVERSE, MYG, KABLEROC, RASS KORROSION, AL1, SAWEEF, MADGESTIQ, MC AUG DOG, DJ BIGGZ, DJ MARQUEZ, OPEN MIC W/DJ SKRILLA

(Tonic Lounge) This will be fantastic, featuring a million great emcees and deejays from all over Portland, Seattle, and the Bay. JS See Music pg 15

EVANGELINE, BRENDA WEILER, THE COUNTRYPOLITANS, LEA KRUEGER

(Fez, 316 SW 11th) Tonight is a comparative study in contemporary alt-country female voices at their best. It is truly not just being diplomatic to say that one of tonight's singers is better than the other; just different. Although she shares her mic on about half the songs, Jennifer Potter is the shining star in the Seattle-based Evangeline. The band covers two ends of the country-western spectrum, without spending much time between, switching gears from quick-tempo, git-along-lil'-doggy jigs, to slow shuffling lullabies. Potter's voice easily moves from something near a yelp on the high-spirited songs, to a honey voice that oozes both sadness and sweetness. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Ames from the local, hard-working Countrypolitans, performs steely, unbendable honky tonk. PHIL DOT BUSSE

SEXTIONAL, DISAPPEARER, YELLOW SWANS

(Red & Black) Sextional is a newish band starring Emily from the Haggard, Tami from Tami Hart, and Nicki from Rotophone. They play their dark, aggro sex rock whenever Nicki is visiting from Los Angeles. JS

3 LEG TORSO

(Laurelthirst, 2954 NE Glisan) People frequently make the argument that if you like modern music, you like traditional music, whether you know it or not. 3 Leg Torso deftly navigates the paradoxes of modern/traditional and chi-chi/folk. Their instrumental songs are intelligent chamber music pieces hybridized with Middle Eastern, Tango, and Eastern European traditions. The result is a dervish of energies that raise the hair on your arms. It's a visceral reaction that signals a reawakened susceptibility to old themes, though the recombinant style suggests progression and grand possibility. This is what the passing of time might sound like in one corner of the world, surfing the flux of history and immediacy. MARJORIE SKINNER

THE GETTER FLASH, eE, GUESTS

(Meow Meow) Though it's pronounced like one long "e," California's eE can be described by any number of words beginning with the letter M: melodious, mellifluous, mellow... you get the drift. A cello augments a spare lineup of acoustic and electric guitar and thoughtful, understated drumming; check out the band's recent album, Ramadan (Curry Records), for a satisfyingly subtle listening experience. Fans of Mojave 3 or Carissa's Wierd, or even Radiohead's quieter moments (as well as devotees of the band Seam, whose Sooyoung Park recently joined eE's lineup) will find much to love in tonight's performance. KW

MODEST MOUSE, HELIO SEQUENCE

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Dear Isaac, I am real sorry for making fun of you for losing Mercury Music Trivia. The fact is, EVERYONE is a winner in the omniscient eye of God. If only you would turn to Him, you would see that your life would be Lighter, BRIGHTER and More Beautiful. Love, Julianne. PS. When is your new record coming out? P.P.S. Psych! I hate God!

SWORDS PROJECT, MAGIC MAGICIANS, COBRA HIGH

(Berbati's) The Swords are Portland's superstars of orchestral rock, featuring crescendo-decrescendo dynamics, string instruments, guitars, and sparse vocals. They make very pretty music that encompasses the gamut of emotion. JS

SLACKJAW, WOKE UP FALLING, AVENUE OF THE STRONGEST

(Blackbird) Slackjaw is a Portland band that has a brand frickin' new album out, and it's called Darkest Hour. While the vocals on the album are a little too radio grunge, the instrumentals are dark, dramatic, and have lots of layers, so you can listen to it more than a few times and not get sick of it. Extra plusses: the cello, lovely behind the drums, and the bass, which is consistent and grounding. KATIA DUNN

FLEXIBLE PATTERN: MACHINE DRUM, ML, DECEPTIKON, GLOMM, N-GRAVA, DJ FUSSIK

(Reed College Student Union, 3203 SE Woodstock) An awesome iDM event. See My What a Busy Week pg 13

SUNDAY 2/3

GONG SHOW NEW BAND REVUE

(Satyricon) Look deep into yourself and admit that you hate watching shitty bands, especially when they open for bands you actually want to see. Don't you wish you could just boo some bands off the stage? Me, too. Well, it will give you great satisfaction to know that the event formerly known as New Band Night has turned into the Gong Show, in which a cache of local musician-judges hit a gong when the band onstage sucks ass. It's devilish fun, and even if your band gets gonged off, at least you get credit for having enough balls to get up there. JS

HOT COCOA NIGHT W/JEFF LONDON, KIM BAXTER, LUTHER RUSSELL, RECLINERLAND

(Meow Meow) Jeff London hosts Hot Cocoa Night, in which people get together and drink hot chocolate and sit around and listen to people sing with no mics and acoustic guitars. Tonight's guests include the AGSFB's Kim Baxter, and Mike "Reclinerland" Johnson. JS

ARLO, FRENCH KICKS

(Blackbird) See Music pg 15

SUZANNE VEGA

(Aladdin, 3017 SE Milwaukie) After several albums designed to make the audio engineers of the world drool with envy, the megatalented Suzanne Vega has produced a record without her longtime collaborator/producer/ex-husband Mitchell Froom. Actually, to say without Froom is a misnomer, because he's present in many of the tunes on Songs in Red and Gray, as a character, or specter, or goat. The record is full of Vega's trademark lyrical discursiveness, as well as her trademark emotional candor, which serves to make the record a harrowing romantic post-mortem. If you only know her via the hits "Luka" and "Tom's Diner," you've got some catching up to do. SEAN NELSON

MONDAY 2/4

JETLAG, SICKSHIFT, GUESTS

(Meow Meow) Sickshift is a punk/skate/slightly metal band from Santa Barbara. On their free time, the members of Sickshift enjoy playing Trivial Pursuit, taking walks on the beach, and engaging in inappropriate activities with dogs. Just kidding. I actually don't know much about this band, except they really are a punk/skate/slightly metal band from Santa Barbara. KD

TUESDAY 2/5

ALL GIRL SUMMER FUN BAND, JAMES MERCER, CALVIN JOHNSON, THE DIMES

(Meow Meow) The All Girl Summer Fun Band, a quartet of ponytailed sock-hoppers with a penchant for sweet riffs, release their debut record on K tonight. They're sexless and squeaky clean, and very fun to dance to, if devoid of content. Portlander James Mercer, the guitarist and vocalist from The Shins, will play a set as well. Perhaps we can even hear him perform The Shins' single, "New Slang," before we start hearing it everywhere, as the band sold it to those great supporters of the arts and bastions of culture, the McDonald's Corporation. I guess that means The Shins aren't vegetarians. JS

WEDNESDAY 2/6

IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS, VUE, THE HUNCHES, CATAHOULA HOUNDS

(Blackbird) The blues have never been too attractive to me; they just get me so down. But the Immortal Lee County Killers have taken the moaning of the blues and jolted it with a gazillion volts of postmodern angst. It is eye-opening stuff, in the same way as if your underwear were on fire. El Cheetah plays his slide guitar like Sid Vicious chewing hot peppers. Though the chords are the same ones of the blues, El Cheetah speeds up the shuffle and pumps his music through three amps simultaneously. Paired with the fist-smashing drummer J.R.R. Tokien, the blues have never been so invigorating. What is most remarkable is that El Cheetah's daytime job is as a professor of economics at University of Alabama. Either that says a lot about him, or a lot about the University of Alabama. PDB

ARROYO SECO, SCIENCE OF YABRA, UNDER A DYING SUN, BOX THE COMPASS

(Red & Black) Under a Dying Sun is a California band that, with their crazy boy/girl vocal interplay, metallic emo riffs, and pared-down structure, reminds me of Portland's (hopefully not permanently) defunct "greatest basement punk band in the universe," The Snacks. Yes... it's true. They have spastic time changes, brooding bridges, and lady vocals that soar over male screams, etc. It'll be great fun, in that wonderful, carefree, patchwork DIY way. JS

GOING TO SEATTLE?

Thurs 1/31: eE (Crocodile); Sean Croghan (EMP)

Mon 2/4: Teen Cthulhu, Spencer Moody (Graceland)

For more info, visit

www.thestranger.com

New Releases Feb 5: Aes Rizzle ("Daylight" EP)*, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Beat Happening (7-CD box set)*, Breakestra*, Tanya Donelly*, Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician*, Vincent Gallo, Herbert*, Kyle Fischer, Mirah*, Orthrelm*, Panthers*, Radio 4*, Snd, Sofa Surfers, Squarepusher*, Stratford 4, Tennessee Twin*, Tristeza

* = may actually turn out okay