MUSIC NEWS For fans of Olympia's Dub Narcotic Sound System, their tour has been terminated due to a single car accident in Montana that injured all three members of the band: Heather Dunn, Chris Sutton, and K Records founder and owner Calvin Johnson. All are currently recovering in the hospital.

THURSDAY 10/23

JOHN CAMERON MITCHELL SIGNING
(Jackpot Records Downtown, 203 SW 9th, 5:30 pm) Since John Cameron Mitchell is going to actually be at Jackpot in the flesh, I'm kind of hoping someone in town has the nerve to dress up like the Tommy Gnosis character from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and protest Mitchell. Just put on some leather pants, bad goth eye-shadow, upside-down cross on the forehead and make an ugly scene at Jackpot. Accuse Mitchell of stealing your songs for the Wig in a Box benefit album he's here to promote. Carry a protest sign, make things really awkward, yell a lot and then finally get your ass tossed out on Burnside, or maybe even arrested. Come on, this town needs more pranks, don't miss this opportunity. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

STATE DEPENDENT, ROOM 101, DJ MAKEOUT
(Viscount Ballroom, 722 E Burnside) Portland's center for swingin' dance is gradually starting to throw some straight-up concerts into the mix. It's a lovely space, with great acoustics, so why not? Plus, Union Jack's is right around the corner for the after-party. Tonight check the new band, State Dependent, as well as Room 101, an old standard that plays sophisticated, yet friendly rock-pop. JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS

PREFUSE 73, FOUR TET, BEANS
(Berbati's, 231 SW Ankeny) Like the Def Jux crew, there can be no argument that Scott Herren, aka Prefuse 73, is changing the face of hiphop. The only question is, is that a good or bad thing? Herren, an Atlanta, GA native, is a sonic architect if you will, cutting, splicing, and basically putting tracks through a meat grinder and reassembling them with the organized chaos of a mad scientist. Earlier this year, Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives was a masterpiece of juxtaposition, pitting his glitchy non-organic beats against the smooth flows of emcees as well as Herren's own, at times haunting, answering machine messages. No doubt an innovator, where the next step is gonna leave him remains to be seen. CHAZZ MADRIGAL See Music pg 21

HOUSEBROKEN STARRING DJS GARFELDY YAP, DJ STAY IN SCHOOL, PROFESSOR KRUPKY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) If there is a DJ to see in this town it's DJ Stay in School. With a mod mix of two-step and UK garage, you get the freak with the chic, and Mr. Stay in School ain't bad to look at either. KATIE SHIMER

LICK GOLDENSKY, PLAYING ENEMY, HOT CROSS, ANODYNE, BLOWUPNIHILIST
(Meow Meow, 527 SE Pine) Hot Cross' music is mathy, melodic, dynamic post-hardcore that, when working, owes a debt to At the Drive-In, and builds intensity through the driving riffs on their debut, Cryonics. But the vocals are a mix of on-key backing choruses and dry-throated bellowing--a combo that pushes things too far into that dreaded "screamo" territory for my taste. Maybe it's a completely different thing live, I dunno. This show should be worth it for the hardcore-metal intensity of Playing Enemy alone, though--just steer clear of bassist Shane Mehling, whose instrument can turn into a de facto weapon when he gets that Exorcist gleam in his eye. JENNIFER MAERZ

KONSPIRACY: RUDEMENT, SLEIGHTED, SYNCHRONICITY FREQUENCY, ACROYEAR 1, MURK VISUALS
(Tonic, 3100 NE Sandy) Rudement equals George Johnson, who uses his bass, plus beats and samples to create a sort of primal electronic, which if you'll notice is an oxymoron. Anyway, that back room at the Tonic feels rather primal, too, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to hump people at random. KS

FRIDAY 10/24

NIGHT OF THE MURDER BALLAD W/ JEN BERNARD, WENDY BERNARD, KATE BLACK, RACHEL BROWNING, NICOLE CAMPBELL, CARMINA LUNA, AND MORE!
(Fez, 316 SW 11th) Last year in an interview with the Mercury's own Jamie S. Rich, Night of the Murder Ballad organizer Jen Bernard made a solemn promise that by this year she would have produced "the ultimate grisly Murder Ballad." You can bet your ass we're gonna be there to make sure she keeps that promise. Every October Jen pulls together some of her favorite local singers to get ugly--in song that is. Murder Ballads are narratives of crimes of passion, mysterious deaths, and tragic accidents; musical fables that reflect the fears and true life dramas of human consciousness. With a door price that's roughly the same as a five day rental of the third season of X-Files and a 40 oz. of PBR, you can celebrate your morbid obsessions without having to kill for the money. CZM

THE MEDIAM, HIGH SPEED SCENE, RONSTER, THE JOLENES
(Twilight, 1420 SE Powell) See Music pg 21

ENTOMBED, NOCTURNE, SINGLE BULLET THEORY, STONECREEP
(Conan's, SE 39th Hawthorne) The first couple of records from the Swedish band Entombed on Earache were so fucking good that I'm just stoked they're playing. Most likely the headbanging at this show should be quite impressive and if you're up front, keep your mouth shut because there is nothing worse than a mouth full of some greasy metal head's hair. And I'm saying this from experience. I once ate about two pounds of Jesus' hair at a Brutal Truth show and it was nasty because Jesus had just gotten down from the cross and didn't have time to shower. KS

UPRIGHT DUB ORCHESTRA, THE ITALS
(Mount Tabor, 4811 SE Hawthorne) For bouncy, angst-free, brassy tuneage, check the Upright Dub Orchestra. They have a big sound to go with their big horns, not to mention some driving Mediterranean-sounding beats to get the party started quickly. JWS

BIG PIMPIN' WITH MIKE ORBIT, FLIPTSA, RNA, WON D'FUNK
(Level, 13 NW 6th) I would never, ever, ever go to Level on a Friday night, but such is the plague of claustrophobic yuppie haters. Because downtown Portland on Friday and Saturday evenings ends up being what many consider to be "amatuer night" (bars steeped with makeupped girls from Beaverton, frat boys wearing pleated pants, people who vomit), I prefer the safety of the Sandy Hut or Bonfire Lounge. Regardless, if you like a night filled with high heels, dancing girls, and music you'll recognize, check this night out, pimp. KS

THE LIGHTS, DUTCH FLAT, BUILDING PRESS, BASTINADO
(Ash Street, 225 SW Ash) The Lights debut, Beautiful Bird (Bop Tart Records), apparently four years in the making, is setting everybody's pants aflame, and with good reason. Vocalist Craig Chambers' propensity to sound like he's joking when he's serious, and like he's serious when he's joking has earned him comparisons to Ye Olde Steve Malkmus, but The Lights' dark, wry dynamism approaches early Beat Happening as much as it does Wowee Zowee. Hooky jams like "Hawaii" and "Your Boyfriend Has a Pretty Machine" are delivered with dirty, thick precision--it's rock with an eyeroll. But not, like, an "I'm waaay cool" eyeroll. Get ready to drop yer jaws. JOAN HILLER

SATURDAY 10/25

OM TRIO, DJ BRIAN FOOTE
(Fez, 316 SW 11th) The OM Trio keeps on groovin'. This Bay Area band is a touring machine, always on the move, never dishing up the same show twice. Their music is jazz and funk and even metal, all thrown into a large, thick-bottomed pan with two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Heat the pan on medium, and shake frequently. Soon: Pow! Pow! Pow! A big bowl of fluffy popcorn appears. Mix with salt, two pats of butter, a little garlic and chili powder, and enjoy some gooood eatin'! JUSTIN WESTCOAT SANDERS

HIEROGLYPHICS, DEL THA FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN, SOULS OF MISCHIEF, CASUAL, PEP LOVE, LITTLE BROTHER, ENCORE
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Bay Area rapper Del is preoccupied with the everydayness of being--the daily bits and pieces that make up most of our reality. The gangsta world is charged by the dramatic presence of a loaded gun; Del's is chilled by common things, like toothbrushes, or casual experiences, like sleeping on a couch. In fact, in gangsta rap, the fantastic or the spectacular (a drive-by shooting, a drug deal gone horribly bad, and so on) is reflected by a precise mirror, by clear rhymes; whereas for Del, the ordinary is refracted by a fantastic mirror, by the spectacle of his rhyme skillz. CHARLES MUDEDE

UNITED STATE OF ELECTRONICA, MENOMENA, THE NATIONAL
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Featuring members of Pink Floydy outfit Wonderful and lady rock up-and-comers The Catch, United State of Electronica are here to THROW THE SHIT DOWN. They are REALLY, REALLY SERIOUS about their partying, but think B-52s meets Toni Basil more than Andrew W.K., not that there ain't hints of the latter in the band's new jam, "It Is On." These kids are STARS--they ham and strut their stuff like there ain't no tomorrow, and it's all in the name of making the audience lose their abandon and dance. Which ain't hard to do when you're looking onstage at eight good-looking, crazily-dressed ladies and men belting out the most cheer-friendly, hooky dance pop on the West Coast. Look for the giant, Sesame Street-like foam U, S, and E onstage. And the smoke machine. Ya can't miss it. JH

RANDY NEWMAN
(Aladdin) I love Randy Newman because he makes me feel okay about being short. Don't get me wrong, I'm not midget small--more like gets-mistaken-for-a-prepubescent-boy small--but Newman's 1978 hit "Short People" always gave me something to rally behind. I hear the same goes for yuppies and his playful ode to yuppness, "I Love LA." He's just a nice guy. Thanks, Rando! ALSO, rumor on the street says Randy's cutting an album this spring where he pokes fun at (but simultaneously embraces), the Taliban, Paris Hilton, and Mexico. Up to his old tricks! Randy for Prez! ADAM GNADE

THE WAIFS, CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS
(Dante's) In the Janurary 2002 issue of Revolver, writer Craig New constructed the following sentence about Australian three piece, the Waifs: "The Waifs have more passion in their music than the entire catalogue of Helen Hunt movies." Hmmm. Jangly and sincere, why not save re-watching As Good as it Gets for Sunday night instead? KS

36 CRAZYFISTS, SYX, UNJUST, ANATOMY OF A GHOST, THE MEDIAM
(Paris, 6 SW 3rd) Alaskan hard rockers 36 Crazyfists bring their huge riffs and melodic metal to the Paris theater. The Paris theater is the absolute right place for a band called 36 Crazyfists. KS

SUNDAY 10/26

PRA DJ NIGHT
(Colosso, 1932 NE Broadway) The ever-flourishing pirate radio clan known as the PRA hits the decks tonight highlighting a dozen of the best shows on the station. Every half hour, a new DJ spins a sample of their show, matching a face with the hush-hush broadcasts of many anonymous voices. Sip on a Lime Richard and revel in the sincerity of radio run on true love and not the dollar. KEVIN O'CONNOR

BRITISH SEA POWER, AUDIO LEARNING CENTER
(Dante's) British Sea Power play bookish pop, meaning that the members are intelligent and well read rather than merely cheery and in love. It's lovely bookish pop, though, so don't despair. KS See My What a Busy Week pg 19

MONDAY 10/27

ROPE OR BULLETS, THE CULOTTES, LA ROCK, THE DIVIDED, DAVE DONDERO
(Meow Meow) See My What a Busy Week pg 19

GOOD RIDDANCE, DROPKICK MURPHYS, CASUALTIES, ROGER MIRET AND THE DISASTERS
(Crystal, 1332 W Burnside) Faithful fans believe that pop punk, realm of commercially viable albums, and corporate-sponsored tours can remain a bastion for the same nihilistic, up-the-system rhetoric delivered by its pricklier, less-melodic predecessor. With its ambitious attempts to give this belief validity, Good Riddance justifies the diehards' trust. The group's debut album For God and Country was one of the '90s most eloquent musical statements, filled with lyrics that read like riveting muckraking exposés and sound like rousing calls to arms. Since then, singer Russ Rankin has filed the gruff edge off his voice, but he still uses second-person admonitions (change your xenophobic point of view), straddling the border between confrontation and self-righteousness. While anger and idealism still propel its output, Good Riddance has bolstered its career longevity by increasing the scope of its subjects and the emotional range with which it deals with them. ANDREW MILLER

ZEBRAHEAD, THE MATCHES
(Roseland) I wonder how Fugazi would feel about the fact that allmusic.com recommends them if you like Zebrahead. A mall punk outfit along the lines of Sugar Ray but minus the (questionably) hot frontman, Zebrahead cater to fans of radio rap, Schlitz, and Old Navy cargo shorts. KS

TUESDAY 10/28

TRACY & THE PLASTICS, SLEETMUTE NIGHTMUTE
(Meow Meow) Olympia's Tracy + the Plastics have got what you want. Cool detached vocals with the ever popular "I'm a robot" delivery backed with more bleeps, bloops, and video projections than you can shake a stick at. Like the oft-compared Le Tigre, they have more up their sleeve than just making retro futurist music for disaffected cokeheads. In fact the Plastics may be bringing to electroclash what the MC5 brought to rock and roll in the late '60s. Sure they may not have the 10-minute guitar solo in their set, but a peeling back of the "now sound" exterior reveals a similar sentiment, dissent against convention and preconception. Don't miss the dance party that's sure to cream the jeans of a/v nerds, hipsters, and the politically minded as well. CHAZZ MADRIGAL

SLIGHTLY STOOPID, LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION, THE WYLDE BUNCH
(Aladdin) California is screwed. First Arnold, now Slightly Stoopid--both still running game and kickin' azz in 2003. If somebody would've told me stoner dude Sublime-style reggae-ified "punk" would still be moving units post-Brad Nowell, I would have kicked them in the stomach and set their dreads on fire. But alas, Slightly Stoopid is currently touring behind a record called Everything You Need, and if that doesn't strike you as ironic and depressing at the same time, I will kick you in the stomach, too. AG

THURSDAY, THRICE, COHEED & CAMBRIA
(Roseland) He's a little bit Orange County; he's a little bit rock 'n' roll. Thursday's Geoff Rickly plays the flamboyant yin to Thrice leader Dustin Kensrue's modest, well-read yang, as screamo's two leading valedictorians bring their own unique brand of big smart rock to Roseland this Tuesday. Yes, that break-up is killing us both, kid--but couldn't you at least try to pay attention when The Teach' is discussing current affairs? These and other topics will be broached as the leaders of this genre run circles around matters a bit more meaningful than how girls are mean and midterms totally suck. SoCal vets Thrice may sound like Maiden at times, and Rickly may not be able to hide the million effin' times he's listened to Disintegration, but what else were you going to do--stay home and listen to the dude from Saves The Day sing about his manorexia? TREVOR KELLEY

COVER ALBUM TRIBUTE NITE WITH GRUESOME GALORE, FIST CITY
(Dante's) No frills, no gimmicks; just your favorite bands covering your favorite bands. Gruesome Galore's gonna do T. Rex's album Slider, while Fist City chimes in with The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo. JWS

WEDNESDAY 10/29

PETER FRAMPTON, JOE BONAMASSA
(Frampton autograph signing, Music Millennium 801 NW 23rd, 1 pm, Concert at Roseland) So I was talking to an older family member last week, and she told me people absolutely LOST IT when Frampton got big--that the talk-box thing was straight up revolutionary and blew folks' shit away with its Jetsons futuro steez. And the fact that he broke through with a live album, the uber theatrical, bombasticism Frampton Comes Alive, made people think he was a god. Sadly, the Framp flashed fast and never out-shined FCA. Cool factoid, though: Frampton's 1973 rec was called Frampton's Camel. How sweet is that?! Camels are rad. ADAM GNADE

THE FAMOUS MYSTERIOUS ACTOR PLAYERS, KNIGHT BADGER
(Ash Street Saloon) If you're a fan of the "funny," don't miss the theatrical shenanigans of The Famous Mysterious Actor Players as they bring their monthly brand of sketch comedy to the Ash Street. And since Halloween is rapidly approaching, FMAP has wisely decided on a "spooky" theme for their show, entitled "The Famous Mysterious Actor's All-Star* Tribute to Terror (*stars not included)" which will feature new video, new music, and new skits in a format that may or may not be new. However, what will be new is the inclusion of heavy metal artists Knight Badger who are talented enough to scare the dookie out of Metallica. WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY