THURSDAY 1/6

THE BABIES, KAREN, VIRGIN BLOOD

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) After releasing two 7-inch singles last year, the Babies are readying their self-titled full-length record, set to come out on February 8 on Shrimper Records. If you haven't heard either of the singles yet—and you should, they're both terrific—you have surely heard music by members of the Babies before: Cassie Ramone is singer and guitarist for the famed Vivian Girls, while Kevin Morby is bassist for Woods. Ramone and Morby started off as roommates and have now become a fully functioning band, rounded out by drummer Justin Sullivan and bassist Nathanael Stark. While much has been made of the Babies' cross-pollination of Vivian Girls' sparkly garage jangle and Woods' woolly folk-rock, it's an accurate approximation of their dizzying, delightful sound. This is the first don't-miss rock show of the new year. NED LANNAMANN

FRIDAY 1/7

LIVING PROOF

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) See Music

RIVERCITY MUSIC FESTIVAL

(Red Lion on the River, 909 N Hayden Island) A couple changes to this year's annual RiverCity Bluegrass Festival: For one, it's now called the RiverCity Music Festival, allowing for a wider range of acoustic-based performers who don't strictly fall into the bluegrass category. For another, it leaves its home at the Oregon Convention Center for more northerly climes at the Jantzen Beach Red Lion, which holds two stages plus functioning restaurants and bars—no small thing. This year's three-day lineup boasts the likes of Texas songwriter Guy Clark and a Nashville supergroup called the Time Jumpers, plus nearly 20 other acts, including local strummers Jackstraw, who are worth the trip to Jantzen Beach even without all this other stuff going on. NL

TROUBLE NEEDS YOU: THE ALL NIGHT CHEMISTS, BRET VOGEL, TY VAUGHN, DJ RAD!, DJ CHAZZ MADRIGAL

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Any Mozophile worth his weight in gladiolas knows that DJ night Trouble Love Me is the finest tribute to the Smiths and Morrissey that Portland has to offer. But there's more to life than dancing the night away while you ogle the shirtless man slithering on the rocks in the "November Spawned a Monster" video (wait, there is?); hence the introduction of Trouble Needs You. Raising much-needed cash for One Hundred for Haiti—which aims to donate $100,000 to the Centre de Sante Saint Martin II clinic—this sliding-scale benefit features cover sets from All Night Chemists (with DJ Chazz Madrigal on vocals), Bret Vogel (Crosstide, Incredible Yacht Control), and Ty Vaughn (Broadway Calls). Do it for the Moz and do it for Haiti. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

PICTUREPLANE, TEENGIRL FANTASY, DJ HOT AIR BALLOON, SEX LIFE DJS

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) If you attempted to Google the words "Teengirl Fantasy" a year ago, results likely would have brought up tons of barely legal porn sites, Chris Hansen, or worse. Fortunately, the Ohio-based bedroom pop duo have reached enough success this year to warrant top search results. Though Teengirl Fantasy are decidedly nostalgic (their animated gif-heavy website is hosted by Angelfire, straight out of 1995), the band leans on dreamy, warm, synthesized beats and vocal samples to create chilled-out slow jams and Hypercolor-wearing house tracks where late-'80s R&B meets electronic music of today. Their 2010 debut, 7AM, is as much an eye-opener as the title, with a mix of syrupy slow romance jams that could help one get the hottest American Apparel employee into the sack, and bountiful dance grooves for the we-were-too-young-to-rave generation. TRAVIS RITTER

AARANGATANG, ON THE TUNDRA, THE PENTACLES, SLEEPY SEEDS

(The Knife Shop at Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Garage-rock bands breed like rats, so at any given time there are way more of the things than the public can absorb. One can become blasé about this state of affairs, especially in 2011, some 45 years after the genre's first-wave peak. But the form is durable and people still love it for good reasons: When it's done well, garage rock delivers visceral thrills with tight, no-bullshit impact. The parameters are narrow and familiar, but the effects can be oh so satisfying. Oakland quintet the Pentacles excel at these garage-rock maneuvers, but unlike many in the style, they emphasize immediately infectious melodies over abrasiveness and rawness. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Pentacles tour in the near future with the Fresh and Onlys and attain a medium-sized indie success. DAVE SEGAL

SATURDAY 1/8

BIG POOH, PHILLY'S PHUNKESTRA, DJ ZIMMIE

(Crown Room, 205 NW 4th) See My, What a Busy Week!.

RIVERCITY MUSIC FESTIVAL

(Red Lion on the River, 909 N Hayden Island) See Friday's listing.

THE MEAN JEANS, WILD THING, SF BLOWS, ROOFTOP VIGILANTES, THERAPISTS

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Portland's first-wave hardcore revisionists Therapists are self-deprecating, degenerative aggressors of the highest honor, unleashing unbridled pogo fury while channeling the spirits of punk's greatest fallen misanthropes. Their manic, wild-eyed lead singer, who roams and writhes around the stage with a mic cord wrapped around his throat, seems possessed by his own inner demons that beckon him to spit in the air or swipe your beer out of your hand. When I first saw the band perform at SMMR BMMR in August, they reminded me of Zero Boys, Black Flag, and early Suicidal Tendencies wrapped in one, honing catchy hooks with raw power and a sneering, fuck-you attitude. Therapists incite the sort of reckless energy that very few punk bands have been able to pull off over the last decade or more. TR

SUNDAY 1/9

RIVERCITY MUSIC FESTIVAL

(Red Lion on the River, 909 N Hayden Island) See Friday's listing.

SOFT TAGS, ARCHERS

(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) Portland tape-hiss folk-poppers Soft Tags just played their 100th show last month, and they're embarking on the new year with a similarly prolific attitude; the mind-bogglingly prolific band's third full-length album is in the works, so expect to hear some new tunes at tonight's 101st show. Meanwhile, main Tagger Richard Shirk has a side project called the Glorious First of June, with an EP prepped (titled Eucalyptus Trees) and some shows lined up. Also on tonight's bill are Archers, the excellent five-piece band featuring brothers Michael and Chris Cantino, who catapulted to the front of the Portland rock scene with a dynamite four-song 7-inch last year. If you weren't paying attention, tonight's your chance to get all caught up. NL

MONDAY 1/10

LITTLE DRAGON, BILLYGOAT

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week! and Music.

VICTOR WOOTEN

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Victor Wooten is known for being arguably the most influential bassist of the last 20 years. Whether he is playing frontman for his band of equally talented brothers or providing support for Bela Fleck, it is Wooten's mastery of his instrument that always draws focus. What really makes the man worth seeing, though, is his consummate showmanship. Wooten loves optical illusions and has studied stage magic and employs both when he plays, elevating what could be pure solo wankery into something much more theatrical. Monday's show will both showcase Wooten's jaw-dropping solo playing and also fundraise for the eco-documentary Play Again. DAVE BOW

TUESDAY 1/11

Happy birthday, Clarence "Big Man" Clemons.

WEDNESDAY 1/12

WILD FLAG, DREW GROW AND THE PASTORS' WIVES

(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!.

DEAD MEADOW, SWEET APPLE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!.

BATMEN, THE PENTACLES, WELSH BOWMAN

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) See Friday's listing.

THE HOOD INTERNET, RUDE DUDES, LIONSDEN

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) While still very palatable, Girl Talk's best days are a thing of the past. All Day was no Feed the Animals, which was no Night Ripper, and while it would be foolish to write off Gregg Gillis, he is no longer the go-to name when it comes to guilt-free mashups that blur the genre lines of pop music and beyond. That crown is now sported by the Hood Internet, whose creative work pairs the most unlikely of sources (R.E.M. and Holy Fuck?) in order to create music for the damaged attention spans of today's youth. Those in attendance should expect a set of all killer, no filler, and a dance floor that just won't quit. EAC

AL JAMES, LIZ JANES, GREYLAG, BRIDGES

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The release show for Dolorean's fine new album The Unfazed sounded great. From outside. In the pouring rain. Laurelthirst was far beyond capacity for Al James' performance that night, so a few unlucky fans—like myself—were stuck shivering in the cold, ignoring the splashing cars careening down NE Glisan and listening as intently as we could. Tonight seems like a better, and drier, option for Dolorean fans, plus it teams the enigmatic James with singer/songwriter Liz Janes. A member of Sufjan's Asthmatic Kitty imprint, Janes has worked with Arrington de Dionyso in the past and this time around she teams with labelmate Rafter Roberts on her jazzy Say Goodbye album. It's a lovely affair of spacious pop songs that remain steadfastly focused on Janes' tender voice. EAC