THURSDAY 11/27

M83, SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See review.

DJ SQUEAL, DOCTOR LOVE, VIBE COP

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See listing.

FRIDAY 11/28

RAISE THE BRIDGES, JOSH MARTINEZ, SERGE SEVERE

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) See listing.

GREEN RIVER

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) See review.

THE SEA & CAKE, SAD HORSE, ARISTEIA

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See listing.

GO FEVER, LUMERIANS, ETERNAL TAPESTRY, NEW DARK AGE

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Inherently less experimental than those they'll be sharing the stage with tonight, Go Fever have one boot placed in the loose-knit nature of sprawling atmospheric rock, and the other in the bubblegum bliss of neatly assembled pop tunes. It's a lovely combination, proof that there is still plenty of uncovered ground in the rock 'n' roll landscape, and it's a trek Go Fever are up for. On tracks like "Bad Penny" and "Alright," the band's monolithic wall of sound tumbles down upon the bouncy faux-Brit vocals of Tony Hilsmeier, thus creating a curious pile of audio rubble that deliberately smothers an otherwise sunny pop number. It's pop music, bruised and battered, and when it works, it's absolutely glorious. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

SHUT UP & DANCE: THE GENTRY,

DJ GREGARIOUS

(Fez Ballroom, 316 SW 11th) The newest from Hillsboro's the Gentry, Sex by the Unit, literally comes packaged in a condom wrapper, ostensibly a statement on the disposable nature of current music in general. You peel open the foil and, with shaking, anxious hands, remove the contents with anticipatory arousal. After you—fumblingly, desperately—insert it into the slot, it grinds mechanically to familiar, established beats, with synths and maxed-out guitars pumping furiously to create the maximum amount of friction. Its seven songs do their best to sound naughty, but the not-quite-full-length ends prematurely with the sinking feeling that you've been played—yet again. The question is, what do you do with the disc after it's been spent? Are you supposed to put it back in the wrapper? Flush it down the toilet? I suppose the environmentally conscious choice is to wrap it neatly in a tissue and deposit it in the garbage. NED LANNAMANN

WILD SWEET ORANGE, TEA FOR JULIE,

BOY EATS DRUM MACHINE

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) It's a shame that alternative radio is so fervently loyal to the music supervisors of Grey's Anatomy—seriously, name the most recent alt-rock radio success not originally featured on the clichéd hospital drama—but these are desperate times for both radio and the bands reliant on airplay, so we won't place any blame here. I suppose that means Alabama's Wild Sweet Orange are next in line for some sort of modern rock greatness, as their sticky sweet assembly of Coldplay's mass-appeal pop hooks and the rural charms of fellow Southerners Kings of Leon have garnered them attention on both the FM dial and the aforementioned ABC drama. But if your "I Saw Them When" cash should be lining any pockets tonight, it's those of openers Tea for Julie and Boy Eats Drum Machine. Tea for Julie aim for their stars with a pristine and polished rock sound (Grey's Anatomy endorsement pending), while Jon Ragel's wildly inventive vehicle for skewed pop music, Boy Eats Drum Machine, transcends the rigid parameters of what rock music is supposed to be. EAC

SATURDAY 11/29

WU-TANG CLAN

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See listing.

ANDAZ: DJ ANJALI, THE INCREDIBLE KID

(Fez Ballroom, 316 SW 11th) See listing.

METAL

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) No, Metal is not a metal band. The brainchild of Eric Lee and Artistery head Aaron Shepherd is quietly ambient, with nary a hard hit, screeching vocal, or satanic pentagram to be found. The new Fearful, out on 12-inch vinyl with accompanying CD, is spectacularly pretty; it soothes ragged and frayed edges like a warm, pacifying balm. Its closest thing to a pop song, "In the Dark We Are Not Alone," is conversational and simple, locating the dream-space of Santo & Johnny's "Sleep Walk," while the rest of the album generously expands on its ideas with delicacy and craft. Despite its minimalist trappings, Fearful never meanders and never circles back on itself; it follows thought processes along their natural course, illuminating every dark corner of the listener's mind with frankness and compassion. It's a remarkably good record, both relaxing and revitalizing. NL

THE DECEMBERISTS, LOCH LOMOND

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) It'd be easier to write about the Decemberists anywhere on Earth other than in their own backyard, in a paper that's probably shot them more ink than a frightened deep-sea octopus. It'd be easier still if the band didn't represent such a large slice of the Northwest scene. Having just wrapped up their triad of autumnal vinyl-only releases (With Always the Bridesmaid: A Singles Series, a collection of tracks not quite wonderful enough to make the cut for the upcoming full-length LP, but still worthy of vinyl treatment courtesy of local label Jealous Butcher), the band returns home to more than just a sold-out show at the Crystal Ballroom. With every new move, new album, or new song, their stock rises and falls with the finicky hometown crowd. Something tells me they don't have anything to worry about. RYAN J. PRADO

A.H. KRAKEN, METH TEETH, THE BUGS, BLACK PUSSY

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) There's something utterly disconcerting about the brilliant music of A.H. Kraken. It's not the dissonant tones, or the ruptured guitars; it's not the death-march drumbeats or the wrenching, tribal grime-punk that feels like a collapsing downward spiral after an amphetamine binge. No, it's the lyrics of the Metz, France, band which place their froufrou mother tongue in the context of nihilism. One typically encounters French singing in the plummy chansons d'amour of Charles Aznavour, or in the drizzly lounge pop of Air, or in the accordion-and-cigarette agitprop of Renaud, or in the day-glo bounce of dancehall diva Yelle. But A.H. Kraken's cracked-out noise sounds nothing like those palatable, toothsome entrées. Instead, it cultivates the sound of utter apocalypse, en français: barricades are erected, heads are guillotined, autos are overturned and set on fire, and the only thing on television is a Jerry Lewis marathon. NL

THE HERBALISER, J-BOOGIE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Deep grooves, downtempo, stoned hiphop, cinematic jazz: all are appropriate descriptions of the forefathers of trip-hop, London's the Herbaliser. Sounding like a mix between Portishead and Cypress Hill, the Herbaliser (née Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba, plus a rotating cast of musicians, singers, and rappers) has been providing the soundtrack to any number of journeys through the mind and cruises down the strip since their debut on Ninja Tune over 15 years ago. Previous releases featured Roots Manuva, Jane Grae and MF Doom on the mic. Their latest, Same as it Never Was, debuts Jessica Darling on vocals—with Amy Winehouse in rehab, this 22-year-old ingénue takes frontrunner status to sing the next Bond theme. Touring with a seven-piece band, this show promises to be a skunky good time. KEVIN FRIEDMAN

THE NICE BOYS, BURNING LEATHER, THE EEGOS

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) It is deeply and continually gratifying that the Nice Boys have emerged from the shadow of an unforgettable past. Terry Six formed the band after a horrific van accident claimed the lives of his Exploding Hearts bandmates; their 2003 demise marks one of the greatest tragedies in Northwest music. But the Nice Boys have wholly come into their own, and their great, finger-snapping pop songs don't rely on the context of what came before. The music's youthful exuberance resurrects the tone of the early '70s, as glam riffs cut a slipshod, rockin' path through '50s boogie-woogie and innocent AM gold. The Nice Boys have new material on the way, and like their first album, it's the music of teenage crushes, of staying out too late, of driving around with nothing in particular to do. In other words, it's the stuff of life. NL

CARTUNE XPREZ: HOOLIGANSHIP, MEGA*CHURCH, EXPLODE INTO COLORS, E*ROCK

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Featuring members currently or previously in Japanther, Kickball, and Tender Forever, Portland's Explode into Colors have a pretty rich pedigree to live up to. And in their brief existence—their first show ever being in March of this year—the band has proven they easily have the potential to far outshine their musical backgrounds. Playing a spaced-out version of the dub side of post-punk, the local band sounds like the heir to the ESG throne: Vocals are drenched heavily in reverb, the bass pounds away, and dual percussionists blast everything in their path, leaving no ass unshaken in their wake. Were there a Portland indie rock betting poll, the odds on Explode into Colors being the "Next Big Thing" would be a pretty damn safe bet. ROB SIMONSEN Also see listing.

THE HANSON BROTHERS, PURE COUNTRY GOLD, LEGEND OF DUTCH SAVAGE

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Vancouver, BC, brothers Rob and John Wright are approaching the 30th birthday of their quintessential prog-punk outfit Nomeanso. And while those graying Canucks continue to hone their chops in their primary ensemble, age has not tempered their desire to rock in a more primal fashion. Under the banner of their alter egos, the Hanson Brothers—cribbing their name from characters in the hockey classic Slap Shot and not from any Oklahoma mmm-boppers—the Wrights churn out traditional, rudimentary punk rock. Eschewing the rhythmic complexities and fretboard dexterity of Nomeanso in favor of Ramones-inspired three-chord anthems, the Wrights reveal the two groups' polar nature—which might disappoint the die-hard fans of either camp. Yet the duality works in the Hanson Brothers' favor. The complexities of Nomeanso legitimize the Bros' simplicity, and their base rock moments humanize their lead project's brainy tendencies. BRIAN COOK

SUNDAY 11/30

YOUNG BUCK, COOL NUTZ, ALIAS JOHN BROWN, MEEZALINI

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See listing.

CANDYE KANE

(Duff's Garage, 1635 SE 7th) Growing up in San Diego, for some reason or other, you cannot escape the legend of Candye Kane. The "BBW singer and sex activist" has a noteworthy history—as a former stripper and plus-sized porn star—that eclipses her lengthy but limited musical output: a vintage rockabilly sound seeped in simplistic blues. While Kane plays the role of the original Beth Ditto—sans the soulful howl and punk ethos of the later model—she is still without a doubt a unique and enigmatic personality whose very presence onstage is proof positive of the welcoming nature of underground music. But more often than not, it's her one-trick-pony past—the whole "outspoken bisexual porn star" thing—that is used to spice up an otherwise tepid dose of bar-band blues rock. EAC

ANDY COMBS AND THE MOTH,

THE UGLYSUIT, QUAIL LUNGS

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) It seems remarkable that Andy Combs and the Moth would be headlining ahead of a band like the Uglysuit. Signed to the venerable Touch and Go label, the Uglysuit are perhaps the most straight-ahead artists on the label—sweet and anthem-heavy, with psychedelic touches of Yoshimi-era Flaming Lips (and from Okie, no less). The Uglysuit are so palatable, it's difficult to believe they're not the biggest thing on the planet right now. Still, it's Andy Combs and the Moth that rule this show. Most easily compared to Tom Waits' jangly dark side, the Moth combine boot-stomping, atonal growlers with that nearly impossible combination of the experimental and the orchestral. HANNAH CARLEN Also see listing.

SARAH DOUGHER, LAURA GIBSON, SAW WHET

(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Sarah Dougher's list of accomplishments and background make for an impressive resume: Besides a series of acclaimed solo albums and stints in groups like the Crabs and Cadallaca, she's also an academic and activist, and has been known to bring her areas of expertise together. For instance, 2005's Harper's Arrow is a 16-song album that invokes both the poetry of Homer and issues pertaining to contemporary war. Dougher's pop sensibility keeps her music fully accessible: Her songs are characterized by tautly played guitar and a barbed, melodic vocal approach, and she's equally at home creating memorable character sketches and exploring different facets of political issues in her lyrics. TOBIAS CARROLL

MONDAY 12/1

PORTLAND FUNBOOK RELEASE: MUSTAPHAMOND, CAFETERIA DANCE FEVER, DJ GHOST DAD, FLASPAR

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See listing.

SHWAYZE, CISCO ADLER, SKEET SKEET, KRISTA

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) I had a guilty pleasure—and no, it most assuredly was not listening to Schwayze, or anything Cisco Adler has ever farted out. It was watching a TV show about Adler's unintentionally hilarious Malibu band, Whitestarr. A vacant product of the Hollywood privilege system, Adler is so incredibly ignorant he fails to realize the hollowness of the fame that surrounds him on a daily basis; instead, he seeks it out while lacking both talent and ideals. And my God, what's worse than a sellout that doesn't need the money? Ankle-biting human-shit like Adler alone are a fair refutation of capitalism. Dude is worse than a ringtone. Usually in music criticism, this would be overstatement, but here I feel it's fair: If I were his dad, I'd cut my dick off and give my money away to charity. ANDREW R. TONRY

TUESDAY 12/2

DUB TRIO, MIDDLE CLASS RUT, BLACK COBRA

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See listing.

CHEDDA: DR. ADAM, DJ MATT, DJ KELLAN

(Crown Room, 205 NW 4th) See listing.

DIR EN GREY, THE HUMAN ABSTRACT

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Dir En Grey's searing popularity in Japan, and their subsequent ascent in the States, hasn't come without merit. The metal outfit intends, mostly, to fill a gap in the lower 48 by augmenting their traditional pick-squealing, chugga-chug riffage with slivers of experimental noise—mostly synth and effects pedal combos, sounding part 8-bit videogame, part nü-school screamo. The only thing that's certain about Dir En Grey, in fact, is that they're fucking pissed. And what better conduit for expressing the pains of an oppressive world than with maniacal onstage posturing and rumors of live self-mutilation? Wait a second... maybe these guys are awesome. Only one way to find out! RJP

WEDNESDAY 12/3

ROOT BEER & FRENCH FRY, DOUBLEDUTCH, CHROME WINGS

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See listing.

AL JAMES THE UNFAZED, WILLY VLAUTIN, TRACKER

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See review.