THURSDAY 11/26

PEACHES, AMANDA BLANK

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week.

FRIDAY 11/27

SUPERNATURE: MATTRESS, REPETITIONS, DJ COPY, DJ BJ

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See Music.

DEASTRO, MAX TUNDRA

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Both Max Tundra and Deastro are prodigious, precious one-man electro-pop bands. But where Max Tundra is hyperactive (playing all parts himself, jumping from one of many instruments to another live) and arch (odd songs about internet romance, references to Kevin Blechdom and Maya Deren, a love song for his favorite synthesizer), Deastro is mellow (playing with a live band to flesh out his compositions) and earnest, singing more straightforwardly emotive songs. His productions are precise and pleasurable, though—they're busy, frequently beautiful things that take just slightly less careening turns than Tundra's songs. ERIC GRANDY

THAT 1 GUY & THE MAGIC PIPE, HEATBOX

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) The one-man band is one of the least-loved of musical commodities, regardless of how impressive. It is inarguable that That 1 Guy knows his way around his homemade steel pipe/gut-bucket monstrosity (dubbed the "Magic Pipe") better than anyone else on the planet. He regularly tours with polarizing guitar whiz Buckethead, and has even recorded with Tom Waits, giving him any outré cred he wants. It is also inarguable that he dubbed his first album Songs in the Key of Beotch and that his biggest single is named "Buttmachine." I'd go further and say That 1 Guy is more or less what would happen if Dr. Seuss and Les Claypool fused with that guy who had a crush on you, but you kind of felt sorry for him and scared of him at the same time. Sure he plays a mean Magic Pipe, but is it worth sitting through "Buttmachine"? DAVE BOW

GWAR, JOB FOR A COWBOY, THE RED CHORD

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Shortly after the towers fell, our country was in a vulnerable position. That, of course, didn't stop GWAR from making their annual stop at the Roseland shortly after 9/11, where they doused the all-too-willing crowd with (fake) blood. If memory serves me right, an oversized, gushing prop penis made an appearance as well. Later in the show a large figure of the Pope was decapitated to generous applause. Osama bin Laden was next, and the crowd absolutely lost it. Then the band lobbed off the head of George W. Bush and... nothing. Granted, this reaction wasn't what you'd expect from a crowd still dripping in fake blood, but if anything it shows that for a few brief, confusing months following 9/11, people—GWAR fans, even—actually liked President Bush. Now that is the craziest thing that will ever happen at a GWAR show. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

DON'T AND TRIPLET, THEE HEADLINERS, DUSTY SANTAMARIA, THE WAYWARD GIRLS, DJ HWY 7

(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) What do you do when you're a pair of old school Portland rockers suffering from a vicious breakup... from each other? You could wallow, move away, or you could start a band together. That's what Jeremy Terry (AKA "JT Halmfilst") and Holly Morgan (AKA "Hotbox") of Thee Headliners did seven years ago, and their musical collaboration has risen from the ashes of their former relationship. In an ever-popular male-female duo, Holly lays out the drumbeats and JT plays guitars, in a caustic mix of the various genres they love; this includes rockabilly, punk, surf, and Americana. Their second full-length, Rain & Blood, out this year on Starcleaner Records, was heralded as a truly strange and glorious hodgepodge of sounds. If only more heart-wrenching breakups led to such musical glory. MARANDA BISH

SATURDAY 11/28

THE HELIO SEQUENCE, PANTHER, RAMONA FALLS

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week.

VIC CHESNUTT, JACKIE-O MOTHERFUCKER, LIZ DURRETT

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See Music.

WANDA JACKSON, MARSHALL SCOTT WARNER, HIGH FLYERS

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Wanda Jackson is the undeniable Queen of Rockabilly, the woman who claims she put the "glamour"—fringe dresses and high heels—into country music, thus making Dolly Parton forever in debt. Her trailblazing career in the '50s and '60s as one of the first female country singers led to artists like Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen successfully lobbying for her entrance into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. And yet when she tried to sign to Capitol at the beginning of her career, she was told "girls don't sell records." Well, you showed 'em, Wanda. Although she went born-again in the '70s and traveled the gospel route for a spell, in the past couple years revivalist fans convinced Jackson to get back on the "secular" circuit and perform in nightclubs once again. And just last week it was announced that the 72-year-old Jackson will be making a new album produced by Jack White. What a badass. MB

EXPLODE INTO COLORS, MAY LING, BREAKFAST MOUNTAIN, DJ BEYONDA

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The lone argument against the mighty Explode into Colors is that the deafening hype surrounding the band is not matched by anything more than their rambunctious live performance. It seems odd to anoint a band with such praise without any recorded product to back it up. Well, until now. The ladies XIC have recently released a trio of 7-inches—that's nearly two feet of vinyl—with rumor of a proper full-length on the horizon for next year. Tonight's "Awesome Party" will live up to its name as the rhythm-heavy band celebrates the release of "Paper," the final of the three singles unleashed by local label Just for the Hell of it Records. EAC

SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO, JDH, DAVE P, RUDE DUDES

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Simian Mobile Disco's sophomore album, Temporary Pleasure, takes an approach not uncommon for marquee electronic acts—namely, calling up what seems like nearly every vocalist they've ever remixed or produced for a guest appearance. As often happens with this scenario, the results can feel uneven and cobbled together more out of expediency than out of any kind of grand plan for an album. What works: the gauzy, falsetto motorik-lite of "Cream Dream," the corny "Audacity of Huge," the Beth Ditto-led neon disco ballad "Cruel Intentions," the satisfyingly sour, Hot Chip-assisted "Bad Blood," as well as steam-building instrumentals like "10,000 Horses Can't Be Wrong" and "Ambulance" and the minimally vocal "Synthesise." What fails: hip-house track "Turn up the Dial," "Off the Map," which criminally squanders weirdo soul singer Jamie Lidell, and the Telepathe-featuring "Pinball." What never fails: the duo's eyeball-searing, ass-moving, always incredible live sets. EG

ANDAZ: DJ ANJALI, THE INCREDIBLE KID

(Fez Ballroom, 316 SW 11th) Bhangra music made its way from the Punjab region to the rest of the world via Britain's Indian immigrants about 30 years ago. It was conceived by a culture of people that really—really—like to dance. As such, it's nearly impossible to hear the combination of a traditional dhol drum beat and that defining repetitive string hook and not get the fuck down. So enticing is the sound, that Andaz, the monthly bhangra/Bollywood party hosted by DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid, is celebrating its seventh anniversary—placing it way out front as Portland's longest-running modern dance night. Part of what has boosted bhangra's popularity worldwide is that it is perfectly suitable for run-of the-mill ass shaking, with no special routines or costumes required. Those who do want to learn some legit moves can show up early for a bhangra dance lesson complete with a live dhol drummer. AVA HEGEDUS

PRAIRIE, RAUELSSON, JOHN VECCHIARELLI

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) Portland band Prairie makes the kind of music you'd expect from their name: gentle, slow-tempoed folk rock with broad vistas and a reliance on the familiar, turned-over earth that Neil Young has tilled many times. (They even have a song called "Gold Rush.") But every now and then, Prairie gets heavy, with thundering instrumental breaks that sound like a lumbering herd of buffalo. It's this mixture of Weinland-esque folk rock and crashing post-rock that makes Prairie's music so involving. Meanwhile, Rauelsson is the work of Raúl Pastor Medall, a Spanish-born neuroscientist whose album La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha is slated to be released on Hush Records in January. It's a stately, gorgeous record with Medall's easygoing, Spanish-language folk songs boosted by a supporting cast—Laura Gibson, Rachel Blumberg, Ritchie Young, Adam Selzer, Heather Woods Broderick, Dave Depper, and many others—that reads like a virtual who's who of the Portland music scene. NED LANNAMANN

JERKFEST DANCE COMPETITION

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Jerkin' is a new dance craze that originated in Los Angeles high schools and quickly spread virally over the last year in locales like the ATL, NYC, and now, finally, PDX. It's like a fluorescent blur of flailing limbs that is part breakdance, part tap, part skiddly-bop-do-bopping, all courtesy of teenagers dressed like Pharrell Williams. Tonight is Backspace's first Jerkfest and it's still unknown if this craze will fall by the wayside—much like their Macarenafest did—but in the meantime it's a fun jam and worth getting down to. KURT PRUTSMAN

SUNDAY 11/29

YOU WHO: QUASI, PORTLAND UKULELE PROJECT, VURSATYL, DJ ANJALI

(Kennedy School, 5736 NE 33rd) See My, What a Busy Week.

GO FEVER, 1776, THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD

(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) The droning sound of post-shoegazer psychedelic rock has been done to near-death in the wake of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and similarly minded bands, but Portland's Go Fever make it sound vital all over again. They celebrate their self-titled record release tonight, and it's stuffed with basic chord structures, relentless backbeats, and guitars that are either cranked up to overdrive or shivering with tremolo. Go Fever are careful to never bury their catchy pop melodies under the propulsive, jet-engine whoosh, and their tightly knit riffs and lurching bass lines keep things moving at a good clip without getting too soaked in lysergic navel-gazing. Maybe it's a sound you've heard before—right down to Tony Hilsmeier's put-on British accent—but Go Fever is doing it very fucking well, and Go Fever is a fantastic listen. NL

REDWOOD SON, SEAN WAGNER, VIOLET ISLE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) A traditional singer/songwriter with an airy, light voice, Sean Wagner is immersed in penning mid-tempo pop songs, each as consistent and compelling as the last. There is a definitely a Freedy Johnston vibe in Wagner's work—don't scoff, "Bad Reputation" still holds as well up today as it did in 1994. Yet the majority of his material falls into the all-too-comfortable safety zone that is the KINK playlist. Wagner's heart-on-sleeve sincerity is his saving grace, but the same can't be said for headliner Redwood Son, whose heavy-handed roots-based Americana feels like the soundtrack to a very special episode of Grey's Anatomy, where all the characters either die, gets dumped, or longingly stare outside a rain-streaked window while the dramatic music plays. EAC

MONDAY 11/30

JAPANDROIDS, SURFER BLOOD, LITTLE GIRLS, DJ VISION QUEST

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week.

MORRISSEY

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See Music.

TUESDAY 12/1

CHURCH , WHITE HINTERLAND, FEAR NO MUSIC

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) All things considered, Church have had a pretty good year. The Portland quartet picked up a new drummer in Lane Barrington, who congealed their languid, darkly pretty sound into something definitively rhythmic. They released their debut long-player, the excellent Song Force Crystal, and successfully toured the country—three times. 2010 will see the vinyl reissue of their first two EPs—With All Our Love for Francisco the Man and Gold—on Hush Records, with some unreleased bonus tracks for good measure. And a second long-player should be out before 2011, which is excellent news for anyone who's listened to Church; they've quickly vaulted to the top of the list of Portland's best bands, both with their records, and their live shows, which are dynamic, intensely gorgeous affairs. NL

COLD CAVE, FORMER GHOSTS, REVERSE DOTTY & THE CANDY CANE SHIVS

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) What do you do when your self-destructive hardcore band finally exhausts itself? Furthermore, what do you do when one of the most embarrassingly popular modern pop-rock acts—Fall out Boy—plagiarizes large chunks of your lyrics and attempts to pass them off as their own? Well, you take legal action against said pop band, claim a sizeable chunk of cash, and begin crafting brooding bedroom electro pop for your own amusement. Such is the story for Cold Cave, the solo project of former Give Up the Ghost/Some Girls vocalist Wes Eisold. Any hardcore kids looking for vestiges of Eisold's gritty and venomous tirades will be disappointed to hear Cold Cave's fragile and somber numbers. But anyone craving the morose electronic sounds of the early '80s will rejoice to hear this sound resurrected. BRIAN COOK

HATEBREED, CANNIBAL CORPSE, UNEARTH, BORN OF OSIRIS, HATE ETERNAL

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Cannibal Corpse is notorious as a punchline-first, band-second act due to their ridiculously gruesome song titles ("Addicted to Vaginal Skin" anyone?). This is a shame because they've long been standard-bearers for heavy-ass, uncompromising death metal, inspiring legions of lesser bands (including their co-headliners for this tour, Hatebreed). Cannibal Corpse took the baton from groups like Morbid Angel, putting focus on aggression and speed first, musicality second (the latter infamously dedicating their second album to Mozart—LAME!). Though it's possible to overstate their importance, the brand of death metal that's currently experiencing a mild cultural reexamination—thanks, Dethklok—would not exist without this band. Of course, this scene is mostly sweaty, pent-up dudes who want to hear "Necropedophile," but where would these guys go if it weren't for Cannibal Corpse? DB

WEDNESDAY 12/2

ALAN LOMAX IN HAITI LISTENING PARTY, DJ HWY 7

(Mt. Tabor Theater, 4811 SE Hawthorne) See Music.

MATTRESS, TUNNELS, CHROME WINGS, AS/SS

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music.

THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, 1776

(Dunes, 1909 NE MLK) Hear, hear! Despite their misleading name, 1776 aren't a musical American Revolution. However, you should still check out their Yardbirds-styled psychedelic rock. Oddly enough, 1776 are a magnificent throwback to what made rock really rock in the first place—the British. Like Pink Floyd, the Stones, and Led Zeppelin, 1776 unabashedly emancipate rock 'n' roll from being anything other than a glorious journey through a whole lotta love of late '60s classic rock. The band also incorporates more modern influences like Holy Ghost Revival and Dungen, which sounds more like a reinvention of your dad's dusty, old record collection. Tonight's probably your last chance to get within mudsharking distance of them, as their show following this will be their album release party where they'll be opening for labelmates the Dandy Warhols. KP

JUSTIN NOZUKA, SAM BRADLEY, ELIZABETH AND THE CATAPULT

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Elizabeth and the Catapult have a familiar sound that can't necessarily be classified as bubblegum pop, nor is it full-fledged theatrical baroque pop. Rather, it is an adult contemporary supercell—a hybrid with an apparent jazz influence and spatterings of classic rock sensibility. Elizabeth Ziman's songs, mostly contained on Verve Records' Taller Children, are cutesy, piano-driven Regina Spektor types, complemented by her smooth voice and polished pitch. Also, her drummer, Dan Molad (part of the Catapult... the pinion wheel, perhaps?), is the former drummer for Brooklyn indie pop act Via Audio. Truthfully, there is nothing groundbreaking going on here, nothing to hurl you into musical epiphany, but if you're into it, you're likely to enjoy it best with a cosmopolitan, votive candles, and Sex and the City reruns. RAQUEL NASSER

BLUE HORNS, SEAN FLINN & THE ROYAL WE, THE NIGHTGOWNS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The lo-fi synth sound—those buzzes and chirps we all remember from 8-bit videogames—is seemingly ubiquitous these days even outside the bitsynth scene, but Tacoma band the Nightgowns offer a unique take on the sound, using those chintzy but surprisingly charismatic timbres to leaven their potent, deliberate pop songs. Some of their songs are a little too archly dramatic, but their best are mellowed in those vintage tones, which have aged like a fine wine resting on its side in a deep cellar. In the Nightgowns' capable hands, the harshest of sine waves is matured into a honeyed, richly complex backdrop for dimly glowing, romantic jams. They open for Blue Horns, who currently are Portland's jumpiest rock band, with watertight melodies that are damn near unsinkable. NL

JONATHAN RICHMAN

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Jonathan Richman is somewhat of an enigma these days. He rarely does interviews, opting to quietly tour and release new music with longtime drummer Tommy Larkins. That said, Richman still fills clubs and halls all over the world, playing before rabid audiences that are as smitten by his music as they are by his charm and boyish good looks. Over the past few years the former Modern Lover has written music for soundtracks (the underrated Revolution Summer) and played behind fellow Vapor labelmate Vic Chesnutt on his latest, Skitter on Take-Off. Richman will head back to the studio to record the follow-up to 2008's Because Her Beauty Is Raw and Wild. Of course, if you're reading this, chances are you know that already. MARK LORE