WEDNESDAY 11/14

PWRHAUS, WHITE HINTERLAND, OLD FRIEND
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Read our article on PWRHAUS.

THE FAINT, TRUST, ROBERT DELONG
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) When the Faint's 2001 watershed LP Danse Macabre vaulted into the collective subconscious of electro-loving indie rockers, it was a weird time to pledge your allegiance. Everything coming out of Omaha, Nebraska—meaning every release from Saddle Creek Records—was being heralded with golden accolades before anyone even had a chance to hear it. The Faint were one of those bands whose pre-buzz lived up to the hype, fusing the finicky malaise of Todd Fink's wanna-be Robert Smith warble with danceable punk rock that would quietly influence (or at least boost the popularity of) a wave of early '00s bands. To celebrate the Saddle Creek release of the deluxe version of Danse Macabre, the band is playing the album in its entirety live for the first time. Your best Ian Curtis moves are strongly encouraged. RYAN J. PRADO

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, REBIRTH BRASS BAND
(Rose Garden, 1 Center Ct) I'm always surprised when a person with otherwise perspicacious tastes tells me they like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Like, totally fucking astonished. The group's fans' stock defense seems to be that they're one of the only rock bands to successfully combine so many disparate genres—but to that I say the synthesis is shallow and diluted. The oft-touted reggae aspects of the band's music are laughably amateur, and Will Ferrell look-alike Chad Smith has less "groove" in his entire body than Bootsy Collins does in a single toenail; Anthony Kiedis (winner of the "most likely to roofie your lemon drop" superlative in high school) could very possibly be the worst lyricist alive; Flea is comparatively decent but his dexterity alone isn't enough to rescue the band from the utter recesses of inanity. This is not a case of a once-great band turning to shit—these guys have always been lame. Chances are they're exploiting your misplaced nostalgia if you feel differently. MORGAN TROPER

THE PHARMACY, THE DANDELIONS, WHITE FANG
(East End, 203 SE Grand) Seattle's the Pharmacy continues to crank out simple psych pop that doesn't answer to anyone. The raw energy of their new full-length, Stoned and Alone, comes from the garage, the production brings the sophistication of the Kinks' The Village Green Preservation Society, and the songs are the kind of earworms that will take you back to the days of listening to record albums in your room with your friends. Needless to say, the record—and the Pharmacy—are a good time. And with the songs averaging around two minutes, they also serve as a good life lesson: The good times never last... and say yes to drugs. MARK LORE

STEVE WINWOOD, THE WOOD BROTHERS
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway) Cor blimey, wottya mean Steve Winwood is da fookin' most versatile British rock star of all time? That's lollicock, tha's wot that is. Ever'one knows I'm the bloody most, ya doss cunt. All roight, all roight, so the tosser sang like a l'il black bugger for the Spencer Davis Band and did some bloody brill-yant organ work with Traffic, including those roight bloody flawless Mr. Fantasy and John Barleycorn albums. And those first solo records, wot wiv all the bloody synthesizer, fit roight up there with Stevie Wonder, you say. But don' forget 'oo 'elped 'im out wiv Blind Faith. And woz 'e ever in Cream? Did 'e ever play lead guitar in da bloody Yardbirds? Did the wanker ever write "Tears in Heaven"? Has 'e ever done a song wiv bloody Babyface??? Bloody bollocks is wot that is. Wanker. ERIC BLOODY CLAPTON

REBIRTH BRASS BAND, LOVEBOMB GO-GO MARCHING BAND, MANIMALHOUSE
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Boosted by the ratings push from HBO's Treme, the generation-spanning, NOLA-repping Rebirth Brass Band has finally received the recognition they deserve. Formed in 1982, the band has undergone numerous lineup changes, performing as a second-line attraction through copious touring and for tourists in the French Quarter. The group's 2011 LP Rebirth of New Orleans reached number one on the CMJ Jazz charts and also snagged the group a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album. On those heels, Rebirth is currently on a national tour opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers; after their opening set at the Rose Garden tonight, the whole Rebirth crew is hoofing over to Dante's for a more intimate set of brassy swagger. Flea has been known to join them during their opening slots. Will he continue that tradition within these fiery confines? Guess you'll have to see for yourself. RJP

THURSDAY 11/15

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

CALEB KLAUDER COUNTRY BAND
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE COUP, SPEAKER MINDS
(Bob White Theatre, 6423 SE Foster) The new Coup album, Sorry to Bother You, uses new sounds to get their message across: a plucky, fuzzy, Afropunk-funk approach that was foreshadowed on 2006's Pick a Bigger Weapon. Sorry to Bother You mixes on-point geo-local-sociopolitical raps from Boots Riley with wailing, jumpy, Fishboney, Madness-esque funk-rock and West Coast new wave—a tall order, but they pull it off, with help from no less than Killer Mike, Das Racist, Vernon Reid, and Japanther. LARRY MIZELL JR.

BEAT CONNECTION, MAGIC FADES, ODESZA, SEX LIFE
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Beat Connection's electronic pop extends cleanly out of concentric, pastel arpeggiations. The danceable, fresh-faced disco beats float cleanly on shades of sky-blue synths and rhythm guitar. Lucidity in sequencing yields images of a jade-green lily pad with tropical nods to Friendly Fires, MGMT, and M83. This past summer, Beat Connection released their first full-length, The Palace Garden, and have steadily logged road miles in the United States and abroad opening for Holy Ghost!, STRFKR, and Toro y Moi. TRENT MOORMAN

FRIDAY 11/16

TITUS ANDRONICUS, CEREMONY
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Read our article on Titus Andronicus.

MINUS THE BEAR, CURSIVE, GIRL IN A COMA
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) I was skeptical when Seattle mainstays Minus the Bear released "Lonely Gun," the first single from their new album Infinity Overhead. It wasn't that I thought the song was bad, it was just... okay, no, the song is bad. While the lyrics and chorus have familiar Minus the Bear flavor, the song feels like an out-of-place remix, layering the vocals over some canned electronic bits—wiry synth and dance beats. And then there is saxophone! Why is there saxophone? Thankfully, the more mellow follow-up single, "Steel and Blood," is less, um, confusing, and a better overall representation of Infinity Overhead. MEGAN SELING

ROGER CLYNE DUO
(Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, 1507 SE 39th) Roger Clyne spent most of the '90s fronting the Refreshments, that straightforward rock band whose best known song is the wordless theme to King of the Hill. Less influential than the Meat Puppets and less self-serious than the Gin Blossoms, the Refreshments were part of the same milieu of Middle American rock bands that could never quite escape the long shadow of grunge. Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, a supergroup with members of Dead Hot Workshop and the Gin Blossoms, started the second the Refreshments stopped. They continued with the same occasionally tongue-in-cheek, Spanish-laden dad rock that appeals to those who loved the Refreshments for their clever lyrics. Recently, though, Clyne entered a serious phase. Unida Cantina, the Peacemakers 10th album, is straight-faced and somber, a downturn that doesn't hold a candle to most of the oeuvre, especially its excellent predecessor Turbo Ocho. Tonight and tomorrow, Clyne performs as a duo with longtime drummer Paul "PH" Naffah. REBECCA WILSON

MYKA 9, FACTOR, ONRY OZZBORN, PARANOID CASTLE, GRAVES33
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Myka 9 is a cornerstone of the Freestyle Fellowship, a West Coast original and hella influential stylist—so fuck with him. But let's speak on Banner for Boxed In, the most realized sounds yet from Beacon Hill, Seattle's deeply prolific emcee/producer/visual artist Graves33; something like a basement with a skylight, Banner bridges Graves' dusty DIY ethos to a lofty, ethereal new understanding. Evoking the best instincts of both vintage Oldominion and cold-swept Minneapolis weathervane rap, Graves33 has bottled the feeling of that uniquely autumnal ritual: heading indoors to create, going inward to take stock. Now that Onry Ozzborn—Seattle's dean of dark and thoughtful indie-hop—has at last found the light with his Dark Time Sunshine project, the Northwest needs a moody craftsman like Graves33, who in 2012 has truly hit his stride. LMJ

SATURDAY 11/17

SONS OF HUNS, THE AX, SHUT YOUR ANIMAL MOUTH
(Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan) See My, What a Busy Week!

SUSANNA HOFFS, MICHELE VAN KLEEF
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Susanna Hoffs.

ROGER CLYNE DUO
(Hawthorne Theatre Lounge) See Friday's listing.

VOICE TRAFFIC, MEMORY BOYS, GLASS TEETH
(Red & Black Café;, 400 SE 12th) Memory Boys seem to span the Northwest—their members claim origin in Portland, Olympia, and Whidbey Island—and their music similarly spans the recent pop-music history of the terrain, with echoes of K Records' and Kill Rock Stars' best-loved releases and artists like Elliott Smith and LAKE. The first full-length, Send It Across to Me, is a deviously catchy album, with simple musical ideas that kaleidoscopically expand in front of your ears. Listen to the way "Pact" turns from slow, ground-out chords into a blossoming piano figure and a stunningly warm chorus. Throughout the record, there's church-like organ, Zombies-esque harmonies, bummed-out balladry, sunshiny sing-alongs, and groaning guitar fuzz. These are perfectly constructed pop songs, and Send It Across to Me is a richly interesting and deeply rewarding album—the kind that you hang onto for years and years. It has "all-time favorite" potential written all over it. NED LANNAMANN

WILDLIFE, ALBATROSS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Wildlife's Strike Hard, Young Diamond came out two years ago, soaking wet with contemporary Canada. Visceral first takes, synths shouldered up against guitars, yelps in between the grandiose, so on and so forth. Putting a finger on them isn't the takeaway, though—it's the fact that they offer something highly familiar while still nourishing a nascent desire within the listener's ear. I've found myself listening to "Sea Dreamer," the second track from Strike Hard, multiple times on end. Is it Wolf Parade? Not quite, but close—and still "not quite" enough to undermine that closeness. Opinions aside, the first 10 seconds of any track off SHYD are electric enough to push curiosity into pursuit. JONATHAN MAGDALENO

TOO $HORT, CHILLEST ILLEST, STEADY THE BOSS, MANIAC LOK
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) One of the most enduring figures of West Coast hiphop, Too $hort was just 20 when he dropped his seminal 12-minute-long narrative about a young woman named Blow Job Betty, who enjoyed her favorite pastime so much that she refused to accept compensation, despite $hort's best efforts to monetize her skills. More than 25 years later, he's made consistent forays into the spotlight—the third chorus of "The World Is Filled..." on Biggie's Life After Death is a standout—but he's never left his beloved Bay Area underground for long. His 19th album, No Trespassing, came out in February and features cameos by 50 Cent and Devin the Dude, among others. You have to admire his tenacity, and his swagger is still 100 percent intact, but he hasn't matured any. That's fine, except that Too $hort is at his finest when he tells a great story, and not one of these approaches the charm of "Betty." RW

THE POLISH AMBASSADOR, UNLIMITED GRAVITY, ELFKOWITZ
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) The Polish Ambassador (Oakland producer David Sugalski, AKA Ample Mammal) is one of those ridiculously versatile music-makers who sound good—if not great—in a lot of different styles. His extensive catalog includes libidinous down-tempo funk, glitchy IDM, dub, chiptunes, and even a gorgeous, angelic remix of Explosion in the Sky's "Your Hand in Mine." The Polish Ambassador live experience is enhanced by visuals person Liminus and dancer/enthusiasm-generator the Great Red Hype. DAVE SEGAL

ICELAND
(The Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand) Iceland's new EP, Carrion, is about as chilly and corrupted as you might expect from the name, but that doesn't mean there aren't some solid tunes boiling underneath the darkness. The Portland band plays precise, nearly martial post-punk with gothic flair, with echoes of Gang of Four and the Cult via roiling guitar fury and a barebones but undeniable sense of melody. The trio's most appealing when they're stripped down, and there's plenty of lean, mean rock on Carrion, without anything in the way of fat or sag. Fitting in with this issue's theme of decay and decadence (see Feature, pg. 11), Iceland offer a royal, spoiled treat of the best kind, leaving room for a sweet dessert in the EP's swooning closing track "Strangers." NL

SUNDAY 11/18

BEN GIBBARD, DAMIEN JURADO
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

MIKE COYKENDALL, PONY VILLAGE
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) A good word to describe Portland's Pony Village is "dependable." While that may not sound very sexy, there is something to it—a band that over the past few years has delivered some terrific indie pop tunes that are cut from the same cloth as other notable Pacific Northwest bands. If you live here, you could say they feel like home. But not many bands can do that while still sounding fresh. Pony Village main man Ryan Barber has proven himself to be a gifted popsmith, and the band has yet another batch of solid tunes on their new, laidback 7-inch, "Wildwood Drive," which sees its release tonight. ML

WITCH MOUNTAIN, CASTLE, EIGHT BELLS
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) If patience really is a virtue, then Witch Mountain ought to be on a particularly sinister motivational poster espousing the same. In the first 12 years of their existence, they released only one album,  ...Come the Mountain; but in the last two years, Portland has become at least 80 percent more ominous, thanks to their South of Salem LP and this year's follow-up, Cauldron of the Wild. The jaw-dropping catalyst of this dark resurrection is Uta Plotkin, whose voice just might be the most stunning ever to soar in front of a monolith of doom metal. The songs on Cauldron of the Wild tend to be a bit shorter, though none falls under five minutes long. This works so well because of the band's commitment to songwriting and musicianship, and the spiky, nearly psychedelic guitar riffs that create the deliciously menacing atmosphere. RW

MONDAY 11/19

DELICATE STEVE, DANA BUOY
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!.

TUESDAY 11/20

COLD SPECKS, BLIND BARTIMAEUS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Cold Specks.