THURSDAY 1/10
LUPE FIASCO, OPTIMUS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week! and Music Feature.
THIS BIKE IS A PIPE BOMB, DRUNKEN BOAT, VENA CAVA, P.O.P., DESTROY NATE ALLEN
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) Remember before you were jaded? This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb remembers. For almost a decade, they've been playing the sort of reckless, raucous, earnest-yet-immediate folk-punk you used to listen to before you became such a hyper-judgmental, post-ironic hipster jerk. But while you got snide and way too cool for school, TBIAPB managed to stick to their guns (all-ages shows, rare interviews, their DIY collective-run record label Plan-It X) and put on fun, kick-ass shows, all without a single ounce of pretension. If you ever listened to Operation Ivy without shame, still listen to early Mountain Goats, or if you've ever thrown a house show, it's impossible not to love This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb. HANNAH CARLEN
THE SECTION QUARTET, PSEUDOSIX
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) The Section Quartet are billed as "the loudest string quartet on the planet." Wait, is that a good thing? I'm all for ambitious descriptions, but I hardly associate a string ensemble's quality with their ability to reach an extreme level of volume. Granted, maybe if a band claimed to be "the loudest black metal band in the Nordic fjords," I'd take a bit more interest, but when it's a quartet of band nerds from California clutching stringed instruments, it just ain't the same. Regardless, the Section Quartet perform rock songs on the cello, and while their Fuzzbox recording is a bit forgettable, they seem like an act that begs to be witnessed in the live setting, onstage, bows in hand. Tonight, they'll tackle their own material in addition to covering songs from Radiohead's OK Computer, all the while heavily squinting as they pay homage to Thom Yorke's lazy eyelid. EZRA ACE CARAEFF
EGYPTIAN LOVER, SAD MUSIC FOR HAPPY HUMANS, WHO CARES
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) You may not be on a first-name basis with Egyptian Lover, and you may have a hard time naming any one of his songs, but when the first few bars of "Egypt, Egypt" (his 1984 club hit) come in, all unfamiliarity will go out the window. And why is that? Because "Egypt, Egypt" is to electro-heads what New Order's "Blue Monday" has always been to budding hipsters and '80s-themed dance nights. The song is inescapable, and whether you can name it or not, it's been played by a DJ somewhere, every day, for the last 24-plus years. But don't worry, the dude is more than a one-trick Lover, and if nothing else, he is definitely going to bring the jams and the party. ROB SIMONSEN
LEIGH MARBLE, JARED MEES & THE GROWN CHILDREN, STUART VALENTINE
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) There are some singer/songwriters whose gentle crooning about love lost, and love found, is perfect while sipping your evening latte down at the café. That's fine. Lord knows we all need a little tenderness from time to time. Leigh Marble, though, is not one of those singer/songwriters. This baby-faced powerhouse is more likely to inspire you to spike your soy, break the mug over some chump's head that's looking at you the wrong way, and then scoop up your best friend's girl, leaving him holding a biscotti and wondering what the hell just happened. So go ahead—drop a shot of espresso in your Guinness and regret it all in the morning. You can blame it on Leigh. ANDY YOUNG
FRIDAY 1/11
THE MOTHER HIPS, WEINLAND
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!
KULTURSZENE: KATE SIMKO, M. QUIET, 31AVAS
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Based out of Chicago, Kate Simko is at the forefront of a new generation of techno DJs that prefer to reel in the ridiculous excesses of the genre, in exchange for some intelligent mixes and restrained DJ flair. Simko's work behind the tables relies on a foundation of stylish, minimal beats, tempered rhythms, and enough thumping bass to keep things bumping all night long. Consider her the thinking woman's DJ, one who keeps the dance floor moving without ever dumbing it down. For her DJ work, and collaboration with Chilean Andres Bucci in Detalles, Simko has assembled a bevy of cooing press clips—this preview being just one of many. EAC
NAPALM BEACH, OLD GROWTH, DIRTY LOWDOWNS
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Legend has it that singer/guitarist Chris Newman of proto-grunge act Napalm Beach spent the first half of the last decade on the streets of San Francisco, homeless and using heroin. His MySpace page acknowledges a "never-ending battle with addiction," but it also outlines his recent accomplishments. He's now living in Portland—where Napalm Beach formed in 1980—and playing with Divining Rods and others, making good on a musical promise he gave the Oregonian in 2002: "I'm going to do it again. I don't know how I lived without it." Newman's psychedelic-tinged blues chords and surreal, painfully mortal vocals paved the way for Kurt Cobain's stylistic pay dirt (Napalm Beach and Nirvana crossed paths live and on Tim/Kerr Records' 1992 Wipers tribute). This is a rare one-off reunion show with a band that inspired our region's most famous—and infamous—music. MIKE MEYER
THE PRIDS, DJ MISPRID, CITYROCKER
(East End, 203 SE Grand) Time to check in on our fave goth-pop trio, the Prids. To the Goth Cave! It's been a long run for the Prids—their first record came out over seven years ago—but their dance card for 2008 has already filled up quite nicely. Says bassist Mistina Keith, "We're touring Europe this year, planning another couple epic US tours (in 2006 we were out three months straight, some of that with Built to Spill), and David [Frederickson, guitarist to the Prids, ex-husband to Keith] and I have been talking about going full force with our own label, and releasing our records ourselves and keeping it more DIY than ever." If all those ambitious goals aren't enough, Keith is also hosting (and DJing) her own night at East End. Called "Expressway to Your Skull," the evening will find Keith spinning records from "unsucky bands," in addition to the occasional live act as well. EAC
ETERNAL TAPESTRY, ROLLERBALL, PLANTS, BRAVE PRIEST
(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) The swirling, heavy mass of post-Kraut rock and group improvisation that makes up the shimmering core of Eternal Tapestry has now been captured deep in the analog grooves of a shiny LP. I pity the poor slab of vinyl that is forced to house the mighty heft of the fittingly titled Mystic Induction, a record that, lord willing, should be available in time for tonight's show. Joining them will be the sparse and holy Brave Priest, the joyful psychedelic aneurysms of Plants, and—if your heart wasn't already palpitating with this lineup—the sinister cabaret Rollerball will be present as well. The only thing missing is you. EAC
SATURDAY 1/12
THE HEAD CAT, BLACKOUT RADIO,
STOOD-UPS
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!
REBOOTING DEMOCRACY CONFERENCE: , DJ BEYONDA, COPACRESCENT, TYLER STENSON
(Montgomery Park, 2701 NW Vaughn) See My, What a Busy Week!
CARCRASHLANDER, GRAVES, LAKE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See Music Feature.
GABRIEL TEODROS, SLEEP, BAMBU,
DJ PHATRICK
(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See Music Feature.
LEADFACE, LAST REGIMENT OF SYNCOPATED DRUMMERS, DJ BLISS, DJ MICHAEL, DJ D-LYTE
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) See Music Feature.
OAKHELM, THE FUNERAL PYRE, BOOK OF BLACK EARTH, BOOK OF BELIAL
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) The skeleton key of black metal is also one that opens doors to folk music, and it's always surprising to walk in on a dude softly plucking his lute when you're expecting Darkthrone. On Betwixt And Between, Portland's Oakhelm fall into this Viking sect of black metal, embracing acoustic instruments, swagger, and women ("Skal Shanty," "Maybon Shore") during breaks from electric lunacy. Still, they're scarier in blast-beat mode. "Of Wood and Blood" and "Immram" open and close the debut, respectively, with crickets, lap-around rhythm (lead singer/bassist Pete Jay was in Assück), general barbarism, and colorful guitar leads that say more than Jay's aggressive bark. Even at their harshest, Oakhelm structure songs within a boxy jig. It's strange, but consistently folkish. Similar to the melodic pairing of power-metal guitarist Ralph Santolla with death-metal band Deicide, Oakhelm successfully graft angelic wings to an ungodly genre. MM
THE MINUS 5, CASEY NEILL AND THE NORWAY RATS, OH DARLING
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) It sort of seems like former Young Fresh Fellows frontman Scott McCaughey lives the dream life. Able to spin endlessly inventive and singable webs of rock, he has attracted through the years an unbeatable list of collaborators to his pop collective known as the Minus 5. Seemingly, the dude can play with anybody the wants, and has, including Colin Meloy, Robyn Hitchcock, Wilco (with whom he cut an entire collaborative album), Mary Lou Lord, and even the Presidents of the USA. That said, you won't see any of those folks onstage tonight (actually, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if local boy Meloy, who cameos on the stellar track "Cemetery Row" off M5's 2006 self-titled album, made an appearance), though you might see M5 regulars Peter Buck (yes that Peter Buck), and the Posies' Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Whether you're a fan of McCaughey's '60s-tinged jangles or not, you likely won't encounter music played better than you will with this crew. JUSTIN W. SANDERS
SHOLI, THE DEAD SCIENCE, VALEDICTION
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Seattle's the Dead Science generate compelling tension from the contrast between Sam Mickens' probing falsetto and the bass-driven rhythm section of Nick Tamburro and Jherek Bischoff. That Bischoff's bass playing can shift from thoroughly rock oriented to a more timeless, jazz-influenced style helps to fuel the Dead Science's range. In fact, when you read interviews with the trio that indicate they're a rock band with a background steeped in the avant-garde, it doesn't really come as a surprise. 2005's Frost Giant alternated moody rock numbers with sparser pieces, while the following year's Crepuscle with the Dead Science EP found them refining the elements of their sound even further. TOBIAS CARROLL
SUNDAY 1/13
CRASH ROMEO, SAY NO MORE, KILL YOUR EX, WRITE THIS DOWN, SHIPSHAPE & BRISTOL FASHION, THE GREENERY, FALCO DOES IT DIRTY
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) It's been years since I've said this, but there was a recently a great article in Spin on the "emo voice" and the studio trickery used to forcefully propel the grating boyish whine—one that all nü-emo frontmen must have these days—to the forefront of the mix. No band fits this profile better than the chunky suburban bumpkins of New Jersey's Crash Romeo. Signed to once respectable hardcore label Trustkill, the Romeo lads are just another pasty lot of limp rocking mall-punks lobbying for Top Eight status on your li'l sister's MySpace profile. Also, dudes, check a mirror before proudly boasting of your multiple clothing sponsors (wait, there's a clothing line called Selfless Murder Clothing? That's for real? You didn't just make that shit up?), because Vidal Sassoon was not lying when he spit that "If you don't look good, we don't look good" line. Big ups Vidal. EAC
MONDAY 1/14
PWRFL POWER, MATTRESS, AH HOLLY FAM'LY
(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) See My, What a Busy Week!
TUESDAY 1/15
Today is the Michigan primary. If Obama doesn't win, I'll burn Ypsilanti to the freakin' ground.
WEDNESDAY 1/16
MODERNSTATE, GHOST TO FALCO, RIBBONS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) If Modernstate (the twisting, lilting, gorgeous head-trip of Sam Schauer) isn't already among your favorite Portland artists, just start by thinking of him as Portland's own Caribou—a rare performer that somehow makes his incredibly dense, arresting, beautiful songs seem airy, almost effortless; easy, but never simple. Ghost to Falco, a one-man band with all-star supporters, walks the spare, folk-meets-electronic line, not unlike Quiet Countries but with a stronger vocal focus. And Jherek Bischoff (Ribbons) may just be the most prolific NW artist you've never heard. His many playing and producing credits include Dead Science (with whom he is performing here on Saturday), Xiu Xiu, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Yellow Swans, Parenthetical Girls, Degenerate Art Ensemble, and tons more. Ribbons alternates between a built-out orchestral sound and his more indie rock sensibilities, experimenting, of course, but with a pop-influenced song structure and a sweeter, spacier tone. HC
