THURSDAY 12/17

THE FIX: MASEO

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) See My, What a Busy Week!

ROLLERBALL, THE GOLDEN BEARS, ARCH CAPE

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Rollerball will never be accused of being straightforward, but they come something close to it on new album Two Feathers. The umpteenth release from the local avant-noise-prog-whatever band contains a few warped pop songs in which the band follows Amanda Mason Wiles' saxophone and Mae Starr's voice into a bong-hazed back lounge. There's also some of the band's patented weirdness, some of which is based around Starr's repeating keyboard figures and some of which has no roots at all. Two Feathers comes paired with a DVD that collects some of the long-running band's videos over the past two decades, which serves as a local music history lesson in and of itself. Rollerball is joined on the bill by the splendid Golden Bears, who are hard at work on the follow-up to their tremendous Wall to Wall LP, and Arch Cape, the alter ego of Norfolk & Western drummer Rachel Blumberg. NED LANNAMANN

FLIGHT 64 BENEFIT: JIZZ WISARD, LIFESTYLES, JEFFREY JERUSALEM, THE SINGING KNIVES, BIGJOY, SHARON IS KAREN, DORIAN DEAU BIRD

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) You may have never noticed the collective printmaking studio located just off NE Alberta, occupied as you were with stuffing your face full of pizza at Bella Faccia. Just adjacent is Flight 64, a cooperatively run space with 20-25 rotating artists sharing a place to work and to show their projects while saving costs. Yet we all know that the Alberta Arts District ain't cheap, so tonight's show is a benefit for the space, featuring musicians with a complementary aesthetic. One such artist is electronica man-about-town Jeffrey Jerusalem, who churns out ultra-crunchy, soaring, major-chord dance jams. His debut, Grimace, is described by his label—the local imprint Lasercave—as "heartfelt techno from a tropical Bar Mitzvah in the future." If that doesn't sell you on him, I don't know what will. MARANDA BISH

THE PORTLAND ROUND: TAHOE JACKSON, MIKE COYKENDALL, DLUX THE LIGHT

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) There is no place northwest of the Mississippi that's got more soul than Portland. Nope, nowhere. This is easy to forget when trying to shuffle and sort through all of the music that is created here, but luckily the 10th Portland Round exists to remind us of this lovely fact. Performing will be Tahoe Jackson, who belts it out in a way that invokes Etta James, Nina Simone, and even Dusty Springfield (white girls can have soul, too). Her bluesy groan will make you want to dim the lights as your hips sway the evening away. Plus Jackson will be sharing the stage with other Portland staples (not to be confused with the Staple Singers), all bound together to tell you one thing: Forget about the funky girls in Oakland. Portland's where it's at. RAQUEL NASSER

FRIDAY 12/18

PORTUGAL. THE MAN, WORLD'S GREATEST GHOSTS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See Music.

THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE, BLUNT MECHANIC, MONARQUES, KIM DE LACY

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See Music.

BRITTAIN ASHFORD, SHELLEY SHORT, KAYLEE COLE

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See Music.

ROSIE THOMAS, JOSH OTTUM

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) If the title "A Very Rosie Christmas" makes you want to tie up a noose of popcorn string and hang yourself next to the mistletoe, fear not. This is not a Very Rosie O'Donnell Christmas. Instead, "A Very Rosie Christmas" is the work of the far more talented—and funnier—Rosie Thomas, touring in support of her 2008 holiday album of the same name. A former standup comedian, Thomas has a gifted stage presence and is willing to pull out all the stops for an evening of holiday splendor and Christmas tunes—some originals, some standards. Don your fave Christmas sweater, fill your flask with the eggiest of nogs, and have yourself a wonderful evening with Rosie by your side. Spoiler alert: Your mom wasn't really kissing Santa Claus, it was just your dad in a Santa outfit. So stop crying, they aren't getting divorced. At least, not yet. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

TOYS IN THE HOOD: COOL NUTZ, TRAGEDY, KNOTHEAD, PDS

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Ain't no party like a West Coast Christmas party! Tonight Saint Nutz and his li'l helpers are throwing down an Xmas banger for all the b-boys and girls who want to celebrate the holidays with local hiphop flavor. If you're naughty you have to pay a $10 cover. However, if you're nice, simply bring a toy to be donated (via the Salvation Army) and you won't have to open your wallet at the door. This kind of admission policy is just as feel-good as the brand of rhymes Cool Nutz has been dropping since the earliest days of Portland hiphop. It might take a Christmas miracle to make it through local horror-core openers Tragedy and Knothead; however, roasting Cool Nutz on an open fire is a fine way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. KURT PRUTSMAN Also see My, What a Busy Week!

SATURDAY 12/19

LIVE WIRE!: JOHN DARNIELLE, NURSES, RALPH HUNTLEY AND THE MUTTON CHOPS

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!

PORTUGAL. THE MAN, JARED MEES AND THE GROWN CHILDREN

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See Music.

SUPERNATURE: DAT'R , FAKE DRUGS, DJ COPY, DJ BJ

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Electro-dance-rock duo Dat'r previewed some tunes from their upcoming record—reportedly titled In Defense of the Corporate Jet—at Holocene a couple weeks ago with an impressive stage show that incorporated lights and video footage into a dizzy, whirling display. Paul Alcott and Matt Dabrowiak fiddled with their endless array of joysticks and controllers, triggering samples and hooting exhortations into the mic; the heavily layered music was intended to be as physical as possible, meant to jack directly into whatever part of the human body it is that compels one to gyrate on the dance floor. (It's the ass, I believe. Pretty sure it's the ass.) But these are two very smart guys, and there always seems to be a suggestion of something in Dat'r's music deeper than simple dancebeat grind. You can ignore this, of course, but Dat'r's sonic complexity—and their elaborate visual presentation—can sometimes overwhelm to the point where your body stops dancing and just stands there, slackjawed. They're part of the Supernature bill, as are the new Fake Drugs, which contains members of Portland dance-floor standbys Pyramiddd and Guidance Counselor. NL

PORTLAND SLEIGHRIDE: MICHAEL HURLEY, PENDEJO, STEVE TURNER AND HIS BAD IDEAS, THE DOUBLE U, FLASH FLOOD AND THE DIKES

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) There's nothing we Americans love to do more during the holiday season than quaff alcoholic beverages and gorge on platefuls of starch-laden vittles. Add a little music and you have yourself a party. Slabtown is hosting the Portland Sleighride, a celebration of music and merriment that may or may not include the following: ping pong, hula hoops, a kissing booth, inflatable snowmen, an Ernest Borgnine look-alike contest, honky-tonk go-go dancers, and competitive eating. One thing I do know for certain is that there will be live music from brilliant, unsung folk legend Michael Hurley. Joining him will be a plateful of not-so-starchy musical acts, including Mudhoney's Steve Turner (and His Bad Ideas), Pendejo, the Double U, and Flash Flood and the Dikes—an all-American value at six bucks. The festivities and potluck kick off at 6 pm; music starts at 8 PM sharp. MARK LORE

COOTIE PLATOON, CUNTIFIERS, THE MIDDLE AGES, STUTTER

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) My deal-breakers for pop punk are: (A) bands that cater specifically to pre-teen girls, or to boys who feel like pre-teen girls; (B) bands that are both sad and screamy. What are you so sad about? All anyone expects out of you is three chords and a whine—that's the best job in the world! Cootie Platoon doesn't fit into either of those categories, so they're gold in my book. Their music is like a Technicolor middle-school wet dream, throwing out F-bombs like their mom might walk in at any moment. And they're called Cootie Platoon! How fucking cute is that?! DAVE BOW

DRUNKEN PRAYER , THE BEAUTIFUL TRAIN WRECKS

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) The Beautiful Train Wrecks just released their debut album, Rainy Day Parade, and it's probably as close to mainstream country as a Portland band is gonna get: simple two-step beats, familiar major-chord progressions, cleanly enunciated lyrics. There's a hint of an older, classic sound with some echoes of Hank Williams and Ernest Tubb, but on the whole the Beautiful Train Wrecks are more Opryland Theme Park than Grand Ole Opry. When lead singer Lucas Alberg cheerfully sings, "I came from California with a gun" with all the showtune bravado of a Broadway singer, you don't believe him the same way you would if, say, Merle Haggard delivered that line—or Willy Vlautin, for that matter. NL

BENEFIT FOR KEEBLER: THE SODA POP KIDS, THE RIFFS, RAMONES, CHEMICALS

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Let your Christmas coin go to a worthy cause—sorry, Zhu Zhu Pets—in this benefit for East End's Jason Keebler. Left with a bevy of medical bills that sadly do not accept music-scene cred as proper payment, Keebler's woes have resurrected a pair of deceased acts in his benefit: the Soda Pop Kids and the Riffs. If you're a glass-half-empty kind of jerk, just come for a lineup of energetic acts that won't be around tomorrow. If you're a bit more optimistic, do your part for someone in need. That warm sensation you feel in your chest is your pride, and the whiskey. It's mostly the whiskey. EAC

JONNYX AND THE GROADIES , THRONES, STAG BITTEN, CULL

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) Soon after Southern California spazz-punk outfit Miracle Chosuke caught a break and released their debut album on Dim Mak Records, they tragically disbanded without so much as a promotional tour. Shortly after the fallout, drummer Andrew Taylor retreated to Portland where he started a new project, Stag Bitten. While still borrowing Le Shok-like swagger from his previous effort, Stag Bitten channels bands like Big Black and Hüsker Dü for brutal results. What's amazing about this band's live show is how they can transform most any audience into a wild pack of newbie moshers. If you have a weak bladder you might want to steer clear of Stag Bitten, since this band could even wet Slayer's manties a little bit. KP

SUNDAY 12/20

PANTHER, PATTERNS

(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) Dry your eyes, tender Pantherites. While the art-rock duo are hanging up their pelts after tonight's final performance, let's remember all the good times, shall we? The legendary beginning in 2001, when Charlie Salas-Humara performed a guerilla set at Pioneer Courthouse Square that was shut down by the fuzz. Doubling in size when drummer Joe Kelly joined ranks for 2008's 14 KT God. And let us not forget the expansion of sound with this year's underappreciated Entropy. Kelly is trading the drumsticks for... um, whatever tools one uses to make custom furniture (hammers? glue sticks?), while Salas-Humara can't/won't stay quiet for long, and already has a new project on the way. As Salas-Humara puts it, "We have finished the painting, so to speak." That'll do, Panther. That'll do. EAC Also see My, What a Busy Week!

THE CAVE SINGERS, HALEY BONAR, FENCES

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Upon the summer release of their second album, Welcome Joy, on Matador Records, the Cave Singers made the jaunt down I-5 from Seattle to do a couple in-stores here, but in October they had to cancel their first proper show in Portland since the record's release. Consider this a makeup date, just in time for the holidays, and while it's overdue, it's as happily anticipated as ever—Welcome Joy has endured many repeat listens to become one of the year's most comfortable, gratifying records. The Cave Singers' sturdy folk-rock accommodates their unassuming but graceful melodies, fronted by Pete Quirk's unconventional voice, which is sounding more believable and soulful than ever. They'll be joined on the bill by recent Portland transplant Haley Bonar, whose brightly lush songs are more-than-welcome additions to the local music scene. NL

MONDAY 12/21

ROBBIE FULKS, JENNY SCHEINMAN

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

TUESDAY 12/22

DREW GROW AND THE PASTORS' WIVES, THE BEAUTY , KELLI SCHAEFER

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Local label Amigo/Amiga is releasing fine singles from two of its acts tonight. Drew Grow and the Pastors' Wives' "Company" is a loose, shambolic jam that sounds a little like an exorcism; Grow sings in a blunted falsetto over a roller-rink organ and groaning baritone guitar, as drums, shaker, and tambourine lurch around him. There's always something prayerful about Grow's songs, and this one maintains its tight grip on the firmament—evolving into an ascending choir hymn—even as it collapses, gloriously. Kelli Schaefer's "Gone in Love" is a more sober, if no less exhilarating, meditation that displays Schaefer's elegantly gorgeous voice overdubbed atop itself. She's backed by flurried acoustic guitar, cello, and what sounds like wind chimes, for what could be an off-center Christmas carol. I feel like I've said this before, but Grow and Schaefer are quite simply making some of the best music in Portland right now, and here's your chance to find out for yourself before the year is over. NL

WEDNESDAY 12/23

CHICHARONES, STATE OF MIND, ADADAWN

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) Christmas comes early for hiphop heads looking for a fix of beats and rhymes in the live music no-man's land that is late December. Compiled of the sandpaper-rough vocals of Josh Martinez, the speedy delivery of Sleep, and an unnamed DJ stuck wearing a pig mask, Chicharones provide whipsmart party jams that are more addictive than the fried pork products from which they take their name. Clearly without fear, Chicharones even braved the murky depths of the Christmas music scene, dropping their goofy contribution to the hiphop holiday canon, "Straight Outta Noggin." While it's no "Christmas in Hollis" (or even Eazy-E's "Merry Muthafuckin' Christmas"), the song will surely do for eggnog what decades of emcees have done for Cristal. EAC