THURSDAY 8/14

COBRA HIGH, LION FEVER, THE FORMLESS
(Million, 124 NE Russell) A melding of prog, new wave, and guitar rock, fuzz, synthesizers, keyboards, bass, and classic rock drums, the members of Cobra High manipulate and amaze. Formerly from Portland, the four-piece is getting a ton of support in Seattle, and their latest album, Sunset in the Eye of the Hurricane, is making everyone moist. This conglomeration of genres past, scream singing and, of course, talent is entirely en vogue these days, so give it a taste. KATIE SHIMER



ROD ARGENT & COLIN BLUNSTONE
(Aladdin, 3017 SE Milwaukie) "If a group like the Zombies appeared now, they would own the world." This Tom Petty quote, from the booklet that accompanies 1997's Zombie Heaven boxed set, will be linked for all eternity with that band's keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent and singer Colin Blunstone. It also presumes the existence of some alternate universe in which ultra-melodic British chamber pop is currently a commercially dominant genre, but Petty's enthusiasm is understandable. Groups such as the Zombies, with their inescapable hooks and perfectly nuanced harmonies, should inherit the earth. The band's discography is relatively thin, which means there will be little filler in a setlist drawn largely from the 1968 standout Odessey and Oracle. ANDREW MILLER



LET IT RIDE, THE LIONS, LOVELY
(Berbati's, 231 SW Ankeny) If NME and Mojo readers are an accurate barometer of British taste, Let It Ride will be the releasing a double-CD set live from Wembley within the year. This is because Let It Ride sound like Oasis doing a White Stripes tribute--and if there are two bands the UK can't get over, it would be Oasis and the White Stripes. While vocals sneered out in an affected bluesman tone over repetitive bar-rock noodling may not be the most original idea under the sun, they should be applauded for simply doing what they do in Portland. Where electronics, retro-futurism and a suspicion toward anything too mainstream rule, Let It Ride remain rock'n'roll believers in town that long ago pawned its gear for striped shirts and asymmetrical haircuts. CHAZZ MADRIGAL



STEVE TURNER, MARC OLSEN, DOWNPILOT
(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy) Steve Turner has the notable distinction of being the first member of Mudhoney who actually knew how to play an instrument. Downpilot will transport you directly back to the mid-'90s, when grunge bands like Pearl Jam could make pretty guitar rock and find an audience. JWS



FRIDAY 8/15

DAVE GAHAN, KENNA
(Crystal, 1332 W Burnside) Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan has been through a lot in his 41 years. After rising to arena-sized fame and taking on the posture of Jesus in the infamous Anton Corbijn-directed video for "I Feel You," Gahan became addicted to heroin and threw his life in the dumpster. Slit wrists landed him in the booby hatch before the inevitable speedball caused an overdose--paramedics had to revive the singer three times before he was stabilized. With a brand-new solo album released on Mute called Paper Monsters, Gahan now appears to have his shit together. As is to be expected from a Brit-bandleader-recovering-heroin-addict with a wife and new baby, the album is a bit heavy with meaningful ballads, but the bluesy rock songs are pretty good. Expect Depeche Mode classics and new stuff. KATHLEEN WILSON



GUILTY: DJ RECESS, SOLENOID, SEÑOR FRIO
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) For this fabulous sorta-weekly-ish electro dance night, DJ Recess joins us from Robo.Trash--better known as Seattle's weekly electro dance night. Solenoid will offset the DJism with an incredible, intricate set of abstract and carefully composed electro via live drumpads and computer. If you are not impressed, I'll let Sheed go freely from the Blazers without a fight. JULIANNE SHEPHERD



CRAZY DIAMOND, VITAL SIGNS, ASHLAND
(Conan's, 3862 SE Hawthorne) Tonight will decide once and for all if a Pink Floyd cover band should be allowed to exist. Let Crazy Diamond display their skills and decide for yourself. See also Vital Signs, a mother-f-ing Rush tribute band. KS



MENOMENA, THE PALE, LAKE SUPERIOR
(Blackbird) The piano, an instrument unfairly reviled among rockists and eighth graders, is the melodic stronghold for Menomena, an inventive local trio who are neither rockists nor eighth graders. However, it's the rhythm on which Menomena's compositions rest their pretty heads--airtight, funky drums, bass, and sax capped with an emotive, custard-smooth vocalist who takes his watery piano to its logical percussive end. He is the reason parents are forcing their kids into music lessons everywhere: so they can ultimately make heavenly, unique music that's only rock because it swings. Also, Menomena wrote the Sista Social theme song, which made them famous. JS



NEVILLE BROTHERS, TYLER HILTON
(Roseland, NW 6th & Burnside) Like ingredients in a fine Southern meal, the Neville Brothers are best when consumed together. As the first family of a surreal little country called New Orleans, they're a rich belly-full, almost too good to be true. Family members have been responsible for influential bands like the Meters and influential songs like the standard "Mardi Gras Mambo" and still perform constantly. Aaron may have lent his unbelievable voice to some adult contempo cheese-outs and one too many Linda Ronstadt hits, but as a unit these guys straight up rock the funky second line like nobody's business. AARON MILES



MICHAEL ANTHONY, DEMETRE, ADAM
(1201, 1201 SW 12th) DJ Michael Anthony plays electronic "dance music with a kick in the ass." I also discovered on the internet that he has a weekly spot on Clear Channel's national dance radio show called Thump. Boycott him if you will, but this is one of your few shots to dance tonight. KS



MILK, FINESSE, I, RACOON
(Nocturnal, 1800 W Burnside) When you say the word "finesse," it's a lovely combination of soft consonants and lilting diction. It's that way even if you have a lisp, or an eating disorder. The three boys in Finesse sing lots of alliterative, feathery words such as this, and it unfurls in the soft way you'd imagine: woozy, eyelash-batting harmonic pop, soft as snow, sweet as sunshine. Caress Finesse. JS



DJS SPECIAL K, LOTION PIMP, FATBOY & FLIP FLOP
(Contemporary Crafts Gallery, 3934 SW Corbett) The last time I saw DJs Fatboy and Flip Flop, they were not only spinning some Missy Elliott instrumental joint at the WOMEN IN TRADES FAIR in Tigard, but they were also wearing MATCHING RASHEED WALLACE JERSEYS. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE AMAZING. Ideally, they'll spin wearing the "Keep Sheed" T-shirts I plan on crocheting them; otherwise, they'll simply play another impeccably chosen rap set at an unconventional venue. JS



BUDDY MILLER, NEKO CASE
(Oregon Zoo) When playboy.com ran the poll to vote who's the sexiest indierock chick, Neko Case was the hands-down winner, edging out Scene Creamers' Michelle Mae, Cat Power's Chan Marshall, even our own Ida No from Glass Candy. Case took her victory in stride, saying she'd consider posing for Playboy but not committing to it, while shouting out lady musicians she thinks are hot, like Tiny Davis, Tina Turner, Sheila E, Poison Ivy. Clearly, what makes Neko the sexiest is the same quality she finds in her own favorite women: a profound talent that transcends the constructs of time. Blacklisted is her latest, a torchy, noir country album that will last even longer than Rasheed Wallace. I'm okay with that. JS



MOME RATHS, NUDGE, DJ CHANNEL 1
(Stumptown Downtown) The real Mome Raths (Point Line Plane's Joshua Blanchard and Supersprite's Howard Gillam) haven't played for awhile; the last show involved loads of pretty electronic melodies and crackly ambiance, so check it and see. Rocktronica supertrio Nudge's dubby, live instrumentation keeps getting better, and will perhaps be even dubbier with the presence of NE PDX dub night stalwart DJ Channel 1. JS



SATURDAY 8/16

POINT LINE PLANE, JONNY X AND THE GROADIES, GIFT OF GOATS, SEXY PRISON, PUNISHMENT FOR THE BAD
(Nocturnal) In an effort to break away from their one-minute-song rule, for their six-year anniversary party, Jonny X and the Groadies composed an EPIC, fantasy-based black metal set that went on for approximately 45 minutes, and included speeches about like, the black goat of the woods or some shit. This, plus dance-party antics complete with strobe and superhero spandex ensembles. Sexy Prison are doing something like live mash-ups, except with musical ideas rather than individual songs: by patchworking noize, club music, and spazzy freakouts, it could end in chaos, blown minds, and a writhing pile of sweaty bodies. JS



ROOTS OF ORCHIS
(Holocene) Warm, instinctive, dub-inflected hiphop rhythms from this live California band, which includes bass, amazing drumming, samples, turntablism, and very pretty melodic elements. It's a shame more emcees aren't seeking out their stuff, because they're great, and it sounds vaguely incomplete without a lyricist--but maybe that's just me falling victim to the rapper imperialism that overtook hiphop culture in the early '80s. Maybe not, though. Maybe if you are an emcee, you should go see if they will let you rap over their incredibly tight, downtempo hiphop beats. JS



SUNDAY 8/17

2 BUCKS SHORT, DISLIKES, CIVIES,

LOW TOLERANCE
(Ash Street) 2 Bucks Short is not just what the Blazers would have been if they'd traded our beloved Sheed for the trazillion-dollar contract that is Kenyon Martin. It is also a Eugene-based four-boy band who--despite the fact that they take the East Bay Limey pop-punk accent so far they sound like they're auditioning for Guy Ritchie's Snatch--I can tolerate, because said Limey singer harmonizes pretty well and their scrappy guitar melodies are TOTALLY TRIUMPHANT, like the most upbeat misanthropic pop-punk ever, without crossing over into cheemo territory. JS



DESERT CITY SOUNDTRACK,

THE MINDERS, DAVID SINGER, SHED SHOT,

THE SWEET SCIENCE
(Blackbird) This is kind of a huge-ass show. The Minders are one of those crazy-fun, ex-Elephant 6 pop groups. David Singer and his band Sweet Science (as opposed to Seattle's beloved Sweet Science, now known as Dead Science) have been making sweet, lush alterna-pop since Singer appeared out of Chicago in 2000. And of course if you're a fan of the post-hardcore, epic emotional rock, Desert City Soundtrack is just about as good as it gets. JWS



MONDAY 8/18

THE LOVEMAKERS, HEADPHONE, FROM BUBBLEGUM TO SKY, MAE SHI
(Blackbird) I love San Francisco's Lovemakers much in the way I love Sheed--wholly, and without reserve. While I was initially turned off by their music, because they are playing '80s music in the most tributary way possible--most of their songs sound like covers of the Cure, except when they are actually covering the Cure--they were redeemed in my eyes once the main singer and electric violinist (who has a crimped, poofy hairdo exactly like Stacey Q) ripped off her velcroed black '80s dress to reveal ANOTHER '80s dress underneath. Costume changes, lights, drama--they're not nostalgic so much as they're like Stars on Ice, or a Las Vegas impersonator show: spectacular and unironic in their love for the decade that gave us Mallory Keaton, inspirational BMX bike movies, and Rasheed Wallace's first year at Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. JS



GODLINGS, LASERHAWK, THE FORTH
(Tonic) This is a great show to take someone who's visiting from somewhere remote enough to not know the term "shoegazing." Like a seafood dinner, these three bands represent what tourist brochures like to call "local flavor." The Godlings are a little sunnier than the darker, punkier openers Laserhawk and The Forth, but they all share earnest lyrics and heavy guitar, melodic, emotive singing. The Forth are masters of stilting, off time, jerky verses that smooth out into anthemic choruses. MARJORIE SKINNER



YELLOWCARD, GOB, DON'T LOOK DOWN,

OVER IT
(Meow Meow) Read any bio or press material about Yellowcard and it becomes clear that their claim to fame is that they have a violin player in the band. Wow, a violin player! In a band! Well fuck me raw, this is incredible! In reality, the band, a frosted-tipped pop-punk band who sorely lack decent songwriting or one shred of originality, do little justice to the aforementioned violin. Instead, the violin is (poorly) used to add depth to the band's shallow material--and also as major label marketing tool for a band that is utterly unlikable, violin or no. CARMELO MARTINEZ



TUESDAY 8/19

ODDABILITY, SLEEP, LOCKE
(Tonic) Locke is a WA-based hiphop artist whose moniker apparently comes from political theorist John Locke, so you can bet he's digging on some underground. However, he doesn't recycle the same tired ideas; his production is certainly laidback and stoic in that underground fashion, but his beats could almost stand on their own as whole songs, his melodies are really strong and there's a certain adventurous, interpretive element within his electronics that usually gets hiphop artists tagged as experimental. Lyrically, the man is personal and contemplative. Witness: "If I could press pause/ in the grand scheme of things/surroundings deadly still/spread out my wings... if I could press pause/I would never move/I would always win my enemies would always lose." I declare this the official new mantra of the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2003-04 season. JS



MINIBAR
(Dante's) Among those who like to play name games, a goofy Star Wars-themed model that combines car models and prescription drugs has become popular. A less geeky pursuit would be to capitalize on the U.K.-bands-embracing-Americana movement by pairing a big-in-Britain unimoniker with a U.S. roots icon's surname. Now you've got a cosmopolitan handle like Beckham Dylan! Simon Petty would also qualify, but Minibar's singer came about his name naturally. With equal ease, his group's sound, captured in regal form on its new disc Fly Below the Radar, combines the murky mood swings of its native Northern England with dusty-plains steel guitar. A MILLER



ACCEPTANCE, SPITALFIELD, FALL OUT BOY, TROUBLE IS
(Meow Meow) The only thing worse than bad high-school poetry is bad emo song lyrics. Tonight's lineup showcases some of the worst songwriting ever put to music. Sadly, there is not enough room in this entire paper to list all the wrongdoings of these offenders, but let's take a look at my personal favorite. It's from Chicago "hairmo" (new term for emo bands with so many cheesy hair styles they resemble a Fantastic Sam's ad) band, Spitalfield, from the laughably titled song, "I Love The Way She Said 'L.A..'" Lyrics: "She goes to California/Oh California is not so far/When I close my eyes and wonder where you are and you wish upon a star." Just in case you were curious: No, your eight-year-old sister did not write that. CM



WEDNESDAY 8/20

JEFF LONDON, MATT KEATING, COLIN MELOY, CORRINA REPP, DOUG SHEPHERD
(Berbati's) A proper sendoff to Jeff London, the Hush Records songwriter who's leaving town, probably on a train with a dog and like, some Chekhov: it's practically the entire Hush Records roster, including Decemberists leader Colin Meloy. If you're into acoustic guitars and being subdued, it's time to shine. JS



PANSY DIVISION, TAKE THE BLAME, THE DIVIDED
(Blackbird) Long-running Bay Area punks Pansy Division--who did for queer punk boys in the '90s what Le Tigre's JD Samson is doing for mustachioed lesbians now--have a new record, Total Entertainment, which continues their tradition of man-love punk rock songs like, "He Whipped My Ass in Tennis (then I Fucked His Ass in Bed)." JS



DYNASTY, PANTHER, MR. AND MRS. EVIL
(Million) Jibz Cameron is currently the best thing about Gold Chains, backup singing and striking out in all sorts of twisted choreography like a busted-up fly girl. In Dynasty, her band with Mono Pause's Diana Hayes and Numbers' Indra Dunis, Jibz's buzzy synths and the ladies' jilted-prom-date vocals waffle between sounding like minimal pre-house, "TO THE MAX," and Janet's outtake numbers from Rocky Horror (as on "Loneliness"). It's a drag that ladies this talented are at times shooting as low as the ironic '80s idiom, but there are redeeming qualities to their eponymous record on Tigerbeat6--one of them being creepy-ass lyrics, as in the stalker number "Amy's Song": "I think about you/all of the time/PLEASE CALL ME." Their paean to freaking it in the woods, "Animals," is breathy and eerily seductive, and the spat vox of semi-media-protest song "My Information" break out into a din of ominous keyboards. Either way, it'll be a super-fun dance party, especially if you come dressed as Krystal Carrington. JS



BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS, JACK JOHNSON
(Columbia Meadows) If I'm allowed to exemplify Ben Harper's grandparents as living testament to their kin's wealth of musical knowledge, it's only because they deserve it. They own the Claremont, CA-located Folk Music Store, which stocks every otherworldly geetar, harmonica, and hand-drum you can think of and, rumor has it, sometimes offers celebrity-taught (or cousin-of-aforementioned-celebrity) guitar lessons. Judging from the success of his career as a performing songwriter, it's safe to assume little Bennie spent his formative years in their stead. Maybe Jack Johnson should stop by the shop for a lesson or two. While his surfer-folk ditties may fly easy with the Dave Matthews set, they seem to lack everything that Johnson's wave rider career possesses--namely, strength and sex appeal. LAUREN VIERA