WEDNESDAY 1/7

THE JAYHAWKS, TRAPPER SCHOEPP
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) The bulk of Minneapolis roots-rock band the Jayhawks' 30-year arc can be split into two eras: 1985-1995, which produced four albums of gentle jangle-twang fronted by songwriting duo and harmony soulmates Gary Louris and Mark Olson; and 1995-2003, which birthed three records—pop-rockers Sound of Lies (1997) and Smile (2000), plus 2003's rootsier Rainy Day Music—helmed solely by Louris after Olson left the band. Tonight, the Aladdin will host the Jayhawks, and in this case that means the lineup that recorded Sound of Lies and toured after Olson's initial departure. The show is part of a tour to support reissues of the second-era Louris albums, which means you'll hear lots of sparkling acoustic pop and Louris' beautiful Byrds-meets-Big Star melodies. And if you're holding out to see the Jayhawks with Olson, stop. An August story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune detailed a rift between the band's founders; said Olson: "I don't ever want to see Gary Louris again." BEN SALMON Also see All-Ages Action!

THURSDAY 1/8

CHAIN AND THE GANG, HOODED HAGS, SAVILA
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

MIDGE URE
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Midge Ure's long career in the pop music world hasn't been nearly as celebrated here in the States as it's been in his native UK. That is, if you don't have a penchant for '70s and '80s synthpop. Ure got his start as a member of Visage, the glitzy group behind dancefloor classic "Fade to Grey," before taking over as leader of the equally plush-sounding Ultravox. Along the way, he also contributed to some of Thin Lizzy's late '70s albums and co-wrote the now ubiquitous holiday single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Ure arrives here to promote his seventh solo album, Fragile, a strong collection of modern, synth-kissed pop that finds the 61-year-old singer/songwriter striving for understanding in both romantic and spiritual concerns, and showing off his still-youthful-sounding vocals. ROBERT HAM

POLYSEMY, SEGMENT
(The Waypost, 3120 N Williams) Sometimes isolation can be a source of great inspiration for a musician. The artist known as Polysemy apparently lives off the beaten path near Ashland, and uses that relative disconnectedness to feed his gonzo synth-and-sample driven psychedelia. The sound of his most recent single, "Look Out," calls to mind some of the Orb's eviler moments and the freaked-out pop of the Legendary Pink Dots. Joining him tonight is Segment, an equally zonked recording project that delights in jagged, disconnected beats, like a CD player trying to make sense of a scratched up LeVert disc and samples of what sound like an agitated silverware drawer. RH

FRIDAY 1/9

EJ'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY: THE JIMMIES, FIREBALLS OF FREEDOM, LUCKY THIRTEENS, THE WEAKLINGS, THE GODDAMN GENTLEMEN, SHANN MORTIMER
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) See My, What a Busy Week!

ZOLA JESUS, DERADOORIAN, GOLDEN DONNA
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Zola Jesus.

PIG DESTROYER, ATRIARCH
(White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th) Pig Destroyer's Mass & Volume EP is an impressive work on its own. Taken in context, it's altogether mind-blowing. After the Virginia band finished recording its outstanding 2007 album Phantom Limb, Pig Destroyer spent an unexpected extra day in the studio laying down tracks that diverged significantly from its typically brutal, quick-hit, grindcore sound. In 2013, those tracks were sold digitally as a fundraiser for the family of Pat Egan, a longtime Relapse Records employee who passed away. And last year, Relapse released them as Mass & Volume. At only two songs and nearly 26 minutes long, the EP finds Pig Destroyer exploring its own ornery take on doom, which trades thudding riffs and spooky incantations for unnerving feedback drones and Scott Hull's demonic hate-snarl. So one of the world's great grindcore bands used bonus studio time to mess around and make a killer doom EP? Yup. All hail Pig Destroyer. BS

THE COOL WHIPS, THE VERNER PANTONS, KINKED
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) The Cool Whips don't just offer up retro sounds—their new album, Goodies, is a full-fledged, Farfisa-dipped immersion in nostalgia, from the Archies/Andy Kim-style bubblegum melodies to the decidedly childlike point-of-view in songs like "Tickle Me with a Featherduster" and "Pink Lemonade." In fact, "On the Seesaw" is, literally, a playground romp, including the telling lines, "I'm gonna make her mine as quickly as I can/But first I gotta grow up and turn into a man." Goodies evokes a bright, sunshiny day somewhere around the dawn of the 1970s, when youngsters were inheriting their older siblings' hand-me-down Monkees 45s as the big kids went off to smoke grass and listen to Sabbath. Tonight the Portland four-piece celebrates the release of the effervescent album, which was named "album of the week" by a Swedish internet radio show called Ice Cream Man Power Pop and More. And if there's anything the Swedes know, it's pop music. NED LANNAMANN

DAVID JACOBS-STRAIN, ARA LEE
(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) With his boyish good looks, his disheveled curly locks tucked inside a slightly worn mesh cap, and his languid, possibly stoned gaze, you might associate David Jacobs-Strain with the Jack Johnson/Jason Mraz/John Mayer club—and you would be pretty much correct. The thing to keep in mind, though, is that most of these earnest, young, white, singer/songwriter dudes can play and sing very well, and DJS is no exception. He is an accomplished guitar player, and has logged innumerable formative hours on the road, performing at the Newport Folk Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Merlefest, Bumbershoot, and other venerated festivals. Though his last album, 2013's Geneseo, found him stepping outside his folk-blues background and attempting something more like Whiskeytown-era alt-country (he even enlisted Caitlin Cary for vocals and fiddle duties), DJS' strength remains the blues—albeit the kind of blues that is as equally pleasing to the over-50 white guy crowd as the under-30 frat dude crowd. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

THE REVERBERATIONS, LUBEC, GRAND COURIERS, LEVITY
(Sandy Hut, 1430 NE Sandy) Lubec's debut EP, Nothing Is Enough!, recorded back in 2011 just before the band relocated to Portland, remains a terrific, underrated release. It synthesized an undeniable acumen for classic pop songcraft with the dense wooziness of '90s shoegaze, a full three years before referencing the '90s was even remotely cool. The group finally released a proper LP, The Thrall, last September on cassette, and it fully delivers on the expectation a three-year wait between releases can engender. Kick-off "Almost Vince" truly sounds like a C86 classic misplaced in time and the coulda-sworn-it-was-Swedish "Sunburn" is just what the doctor ordered (for your seasonal affective disorder), in all of its luminous, Cardiganish glory. All in all, Lubec are among the city's elite loud-pop heavyweights, and it's nice to see their achievements finally garnering the recognition they've deserved for years. MORGAN TROPER

BARRA BROWN AND THE WISHERMEN, KULULU, TWO PLANETS
(Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta) Like the other members of his group the Wishermen, Barra Brown is young. Twenty-four years old to be exact. Yet the drummer/composer/bandleader has taken great pains to avoid the pitfalls and clichés of other youthful jazz musicians. On the Wishermen's latest recording, Epoch, you'll find no kitschy covers of pop and indie-rock songs, nor any of the puckish attitude that undermines otherwise great albums by still-blossoming talents. Instead, Brown and his bandmates (bassist Chris Friesen and guitarist Grant Sayler) exercise remarkable restraint and cool, leaning toward the placid vibes of the European jazz school while also enjoying the influence of modern electronic artists and hiphop production. It's one of the more stimulating and energizing jazz releases of this early part of the new year, qualities that should treble when these songs are presented live. RH

THE KNOW'S 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: BASTARD FEAST, USNEA, WRETCHED OF THE EARTH
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Has any band nailed the name-change thing quite like Bastard Feast? The Portland nasties' old handle—Elitist—was fine, but the new one (adopted in 2013) does a much better job of conveying these dudes' twisted, sickening sound. In July, Season of Mist released Bastard Feast's sophomore album, Osculum Infame, a genre-hopping horror-show that finds the band slathering brutal sludge and blackened death metal all over its hardcore/crust foundation, with vocalist Joshua Greene contributing howls and growls that sound like they've been shipped in straight from hell. The result is an album that's harrowingly heavy but never stalls out under the weight of all the filth. It's punk rock dragged through the mucky gutters of metal. Or it's extreme metal with a punk pulse. Whatever you call the music, it's worthy of a band with a name like Bastard Feast. They kick off 10 nights of excellent, diverse shows to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of one of Portland last remaining punk-minded strongholds, the Know. BS

SATURDAY 1/10

CHERVONA'S OLD NEW YEAR
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

EJ'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY: GERN BLANSTON, ATOMIC 61, IOMMI STUBBS, DIRTCLODFIGHT, HEAVY JOHNSON TRIO, THE DICKEL BROTHERS
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) See My, What a Busy Week!

SCHOOL OF ROCK PRESENTS: YACHT ROCK!
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

INCANTATION, FUNERUS, RITUAL NECROMANCY, SEMPITERNAL DUSK
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Last year saw a lot of highly anticipated death-metal records finally come to fruition, including comeback albums from At the Gates and Bloodbath. Neither of those records blew me away, even though both bands were admirably trying to expand beyond the sounds they had been known for previously. The flipside of that was the latest from Incantation, Dirges of Elysium, which found the death metal O.G.s doing absolutely nothing to mess with the formula. And it rules. (See also: Skeletal Domain by Cannibal Corpse.) It wasn't a comeback album, and it wasn't some classic lineup reunited—it was just another 50-minute pummeling of brutal, doom-laced death metal that Incantation does better than almost anybody. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN Also read our article on Ritual Necromancy.

WHITE GLOVE, SLEEPTALKER
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) White Glove made a local splash in 2014 with their very great video for "Division Street," a peppy lament—as much as a lament can be peppy—about the transformation of a once-rundown Southeast Portland boulevard into a canyon of condo towers and Eater Heatmap-sanctioned feeding troughs. While my own feelings about the evolution of the neighborhood run mixed and deep, there's no ambivalence in my feelings toward White Glove's Summertime album. Fifteen short, punky, strummy, chanty tunes cordially make themselves known, drop an egg sac of hooks down your ear canal, then quickly get out of Dodge. The album, recorded with Mike Coykendall, is out on vinyl, and as such, it's a perfect snapshot of where this city is right now. If Division Street had any real dive bars left, that would be where you'd want to see these guys; as the case may be, record emporium/boutique/bar Turn! Turn! Turn! is a more than adequate substitute. NL

RVIVR, NASALROD, BAGHEERA, DIVERS
(Blackwater Records, 835 NE Broadway) Blackwater Records' newly minted vegan café and venue, located at NE 8th and Broadway, is getting its tenure underway with a doozy of a show tonight. You can be sure that Nasalrod frontman Chairman's flying kicks will be in no short supply, and combined with the constant pogoing of bassist Mandy Morgan and guitarist Justin Stimson, as well as the pummeling force of drummer Tim "Spit Stix" Leitch, the boisterous punk-rock shapeshifters are guaranteed to put the new stage through the ringer. Meanwhile, Olympia's Rvivr return to Portland with a new EP in tow. Bicker and Breathe delivers another dose of the band's rapturous and cathartic anthems, and tracks like "20 Below" and "Goodbyes" are some of the best moments in the band's infallible catalog. Rvivr have always been outspoken champions for gender equality in punk communities, and given the crop of like-minded bands to emerge in the past year, their influence suddenly feels palpable. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS, NICK JAINA, THE SUPER SATURATED SUGAR STRINGS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) As this city undergoes all its myriad transformations—favorite watering holes closing, the proliferation of unaffordable and indistinguishable condos, the opening of the city's first cat café (a cat café, Portland?)—it is a relief to be able to depend on our steadfast and unyielding music scene. Since they first began playing on Portland street corners on Halloween 2005, the Builders and the Butchers have been tirelessly bringing their gothic, punk-folk Americana to audiences both local and international. After nearly 10 years together and five full-length albums—most recently 2013's Western Medicine—the band doesn't appear to be slowing down or rolling over for anyone or anything. Powered by a cacophony of ramshackle instruments, Ryan Sollee's evil mortician vocals, and lyrics that are the stuff of camp meetings and nightmares, the Builders and the Butchers don't just play shows, they hold revivals. SEH

CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION, WINGNUT COMMANDER, FEN WIK REN, HAIR FIRE
(Alhambra Theatre, 4811 SE Hawthorne) Wingnut Commander dropped their CD in the mail without any bio or photo or band info or even a website—they didn't even put the disc in a case. (Note to local bands: Don't do that, please.) Perhaps Wingnut Commander thought their music would speak for itself... and I'm a little surprised to say this, but it does. The Portland four-piece's debut EP, Build Soil, is an intriguing, sloped-shouldered collection of kaleidoscopic rock, with easygoing tempos and an expansive palette. Lead single "Over and Out" is a catchy, colorful ribbon dance, but the real highlight is the splendid title track, a mini-epic that locks into a galloping psych-rock groove, then turns a startling corner in its back half, slowing down the quick trot of its first part to a bong-dazed crawl. For a brief moment or two, you have absolutely no idea where the song is going. Coming from a beardish guitar-dude rock band in the year 2015 AD, that's a pretty remarkable thing. NL

THE KNOW'S 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: SMOKE RINGS, IS/IS, AH GOD
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Affordable entry, cheap drinks, and a wide range of local and touring acts have made the Know one of the best bets for catching a great show in Portland. The venue's 10-night anniversary celebration continues tonight with Ah God, the local duo of Chad Davis and Cody Berger from Talkative, who make bright and turbulent lo-fi rock that's sure to have you pining for sunshine. They are joined by Is/Is, the Portland-by-way-of-Minneapolis trio that delivered two of last year's finest releases. Their self-titled album was full of the buzzing, droned-out psychedelic garage rock that the trio has become known for, while follow-up EP Shadow Days saw the band pare down to a duo and craft some sparse yet sweeping, reverb-laden folk.  Whatever sound the band decides to conjure up on its next release, it should be something special. CT

SUNDAY 1/11

CRYSTAL BALLROOM'S 101ST BIRTHDAY FREE-FOR-ALL: YOU WHO, COOPER AND THE JAM, & MORE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

EAR CANDY: THE FOURTH WALL, SMALL SKIES, NEIGHBOR WAVE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) End-of-year music discovery has become something of a holiday pastime for me. Extra free time to dig into some of the bands that I've haphazardly followed on Bandcamp throughout the year often leads to some great finds. Local quartet the Fourth Wall's Lovely Violence is a perfect example of this year's excavation: The second album by the Hawaii transplants, Lovely Violence is an aptly named collection of dense and delicately crafted pop-rock tunes that run through a gentle melodic vein. Frontman Stephen Agustin's lyrics are clear and earnest, and although the songs encounter plenty of stormy, noise-driven flourishes along the way, the album's strong and appealing framework never feels in danger of unraveling.  It's well worth checking out, and tonight you can catch the band's live show for free as part of the Mercury's ongoing Ear Candy showcase at Mississippi Studios. CT Also see My, What a Busy Week!

THE KNOW'S 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: SUN ANGLE, MARRIAGE + CANCER, HURRY UP
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) And on the third day, the gods bequeathed upon the Know a triptych of disparate, experimental art-rock projects to help ring in the still fledgling year. If you've made it this far into the Know's scorching succession of 10th-anniversary celebration shows, you're to be rewarded with the prog-funk-punk fusion of Sun Angle, anchored by percussionist and multi-band maestro extraordinaire, Papi Fimbres. Sun Angle's brand of Minutemen-inspired mayhem coalesces in the live setting into feverish interplanetary mischief, uniting Fimbres' Latin-tinged rhythms with Charlie Salas Humara's nuanced guitar chops and bassist Marius Libman's understated low end. Similarly, Marriage + Cancer traverse an often trippy rivulet of crunchy noise-pop, reminiscent of early Sonic Youth if Lee Ranaldo were weaned on organ-swathed horror films. Strap on your rad caps, friends. RYAN J. PRADO

DR. FRANK, BEACH PARTY, FASTER HOUSECAT
(Sandy Hut, 1430 NE Sandy) Adolescence is a goofy and anxious time, and '90s pop-punk mainstays the Mr. T Experience were the perfect teen-angst soundtrack for teens who maybe didn't have much to be angsty about. Their charm endures even from the grizzled perch of adulthood: I dare you to resist those manic Lookout! Records hooks, that obsessively clever wordplay, that self-awareness flirting with self-consciousness. (Sample lyric: "Even Hitler had a girlfriend/so why can't I?") In 2007, MTX's frontman and driving creative force, Frank Portman (Dr. Frank), churned out an astute, wryly hilarious YA novel of adolescent misfittery, King Dork. The foray into fiction came as no surprise to any MTX fan who'd ever run out of breath trying to sing along with Portman's hyper-articulate lyrics, but only the most diehard would've predicted just how fun and funny his debut novel would be. Eight years later, Doctor Frank has finally unveiled the sequel: Tonight's show celebrates the long-awaited release of King Dork Approximately. Expect some deep cuts from the MTX catalogue. ALISON HALLETT

MONDAY 1/12

THE KNOW'S 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: RED FANG, GAYTHEIST, DRUNK DAD
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) See My, What a Busy Week!

TUESDAY 1/13

THE KNOW'S 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: 1939 ENSEMBLE, DRAGGING AN OX THROUGH WATER
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Assuming that the Know is still intact following the venue's Night Four bill of Red Fang, Gaytheist, and Drunk Dad, tonight (Night Five) brings what's sure to be a welcome respite from the ear-piercing decibels still pinging around that room. But while 1939 Ensemble doesn't revel in heightened levels of volume, their engaging experimentalism transcends the shackles of free jazz, infusing elements of gritty lounge, post-punk, and ethereal chimes and tones. The group's vibraphone-heavy quilt-work was given life on their excellent debut LP Howl and Bite, released in 2012 on Jealous Butcher Records. Now operating as a trio with the addition of Josh Thomas, the group's sophomore release, Black Diamond Pearl, is expected early this year, again through JBR, and features M. Ward and Mark Orton, among others. RJP