WEDNESDAY 9/2

LOCH LOMOND, EDNA VAZQUEZ
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE GET UP KIDS, THE HOTELIER, JOSH BERWANGER BAND
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Not many bands would attempt the bold move of bringing a band like Worcester, Massachusetts-hailing punk quartet the Hotelier along as tour support. Fortunately for us, Kansas City's Get Up Kids are game. It's a perfect pairing, really, and it gives the Get Up Kids the opportunity to pass the torch from the emo movement's fertile Midwestern heyday to one of the standout acts of its current resurgence. Hotelier singer/bassist Christian Holden's ability to deliver dense lyrics steeped in sentiment and sincerity makes the band's sophomore album, 2014's Home, Like Noplace Is There, a thrilling record to hear and later unpack piece-by-piece. CHIPP TERWILLIGER Also see All-Ages Action!

RAINBOWS, FOG FATHER, DJ EL DORADO
(Dig a Pony, 736 SE Grand) Rainbows is Wild Ones bassist Max Stein's musical collaboration with Paurl Walsh, owner of Seattle's ExEx Audio studio, and their ground rules for the project prohibited all guitars and required that every vocal track be processed. That means Rainbows' new three-song cassette EP, Let's Kiss, is a digital morass of synth squelches, pulses, and garbles, sounding at times like a broken-music-box version of bitsynth game music and at other times like club-ready futuredisco spearheaded by helium voices. Party Damage Records is releasing Let's Kiss on September 11, and Rainbows have since evolved into a live band that even includes—gasp!—guitar, which brings this music out of the studio and into rooms filled sweat and heat, where it's bound to take on new life. NED LANNAMANN

GRAVE BABIES, SO PITTED, HOT VICTORY
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Grave Babies feed on the malevolent sensuality of New Order's darkest moments. The appearance of Mark Gajadhar from Blood Brothers onstage and behind the boards ought to be a tip-off here: Even at their sweetest moments, Grave Babies are compelled by a malicious force at their very core. They are joined by So Pitted, a fellow Seattle trio who are basically unmatched in terms of sheer gonzo ingenuity. Live, the band combines anarchic heaps of guitar and childish melodies with plodding, sludgy rhythms. They understand just how powerful their live show is, too; they have no "official" label releases, just a set of live recordings and a few oddities on their Bandcamp page. MAC POGUE

THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS, THE CHURCH
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Classy '80s-rock-nostalgia alert. England's Psychedelic Furs have had more stateside commercial success than Australians the Church, but the two bands make for a copacetic double bill. The Furs' first two albums—The Psychedelic Furs and Talk Talk Talk—form a bruising diptych of charred glam and ruefully melodic post-punk. Subsequent albums had good songs scattered throughout, but the Furs had lost much of their earlier grit and strangeness. Nevertheless, Richard Butler's nicotine-foghorn voice remains an unforgettable force of anti-nature. The Church—who elegantly rock in a slightly melancholic, slightly psychedelic vein—have been quietly building a formidable catalog over the last 34 years. This may not be their Heyday, but they still have much to offer. DAVE SEGAL

DIET CIG
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) With acts like Lvl Up, Mitski, and Frankie Cosmos inhabiting their ranks, the currently rising crop of State University of New York at Purchase alumni seem poised to take the DIY indie-rock world by storm. Meanwhile, just up the thruway in the sleepy college town of New Paltz, another fertile scene is laying down its roots. First, twee-punk trio Quarterbacks made a splash earlier this year with their fantastic self-titled full-length, and then, New Paltz duo Diet Cig announced their arrival by means of a debut EP, Over Easy. Recorded shortly after guitarist and vocalist Alex Luciano and drummer Noah Bowman met, the EP delivers messy, confessional bedroom twee-pop that's been amped up a notch. Luciano's energetic delivery is the highlight here, and she uses this to bolster the band's live show by pogoing her way into the audience and beckoning for sing-alongs, tethered only by a lengthy guitar cable and Bowman's loose rhythm. CT

THURSDAY 9/3

WATERFRONT CONCERT: OREGON SYMPHONY
(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito) See My, What a Busy Week!

BABES IN TOYLAND, FEA, CHOPPERS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Babes in Toyland.

BRANDON FLOWERS, REY PILA
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Having at no point been even slightly enamored with the Killers' brand of U2-lite Vegas pomp, I was taken aback—aback, I tell you!—when I followed a friend's dubious recommendation, tried out Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers' new solo album, The Desired Effect, and found it to be... not bad. Yes, it traffics in the bafflingly pervasive '80s production effects that were sorta, kinda neat three or four years ago (the work of producer Ariel Rechtshaid, who's been cashing hefty checks for repeating the sorta, kinda innovative tricks he pulled with Sky Ferreira and Haim, most recently on Carly Rae Jepsen's "All That," which steals from Prince lock, stock, and barrel). But Flowers gravitates toward the untapped, uncooler sounds of the '80s: the Glass Tigers, the Lionel Richies, the Icehouses, the ...Nothing Like the Suns, the No Jacket Requireds. As such, there's an earnestness and—yes—a relative freshness that makes The Desired Effect's Vegas-strip neon-pop pretty charming. Of course, it also contains a totally boring "I'm on Fire" rip-off, so let's not go overboard with enthusiasm here. NL

THE THESIS: MIC CAPES, GRAPE GOD, D3, VERBZ
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) The Thesis is a monthly showcase that has grown over the last year to become the premier hip-hop event in town. The affordable door price combined with eclectic booking creates a welcoming environment to hear good local music and the opportunity to network with local rappers, DJs, photographers, writers, and artists. North Portland rapper Mic Capes is on the cusp of releasing his heavily anticipated full-length, Concrete Dreams, later this month. In the meantime, singles from the project are available on his Bandcamp, and he'll likely give his fans a taste of that new material tonight. D3 is also debuting new material, dropping a new video for his track "Kush Too Strong." Grape God is one of the most unique hip-hop artists in town, and his wavy, time-travel style is refreshing and inimitable. RYAN FEIGH

ARCTIC FLOWERS, SILENT ERA, STEEL CHAINS, REMNANTS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Honing in the dissonant goth-punk of Joy Division and mixing it with the dirty-jangle rock 'n' roll of bands like X and the Wipers, Arctic Flowers are veterans of the Portland punk scene that are anything but burnt out. In 2014 the four-piece released their sophomore LP, Weaver, on Deranged Records, and it was like a 30-minute bloody satanic rapture. Tracks like "Tell My Horse" and "Weaver" are speedy bursts of aggression where the four horsemen relentlessly slay everything in sight, but it's in the slow, terse instrumental "Cold Air Dead Hand" that Arctic Flowers' true bleakness comes out, letting the listener know that there will be no survivors. Arctic Flowers haven't been as active as a full band as they have been in the past, but they've kept busy, with lead singer Alex Carroccio co-running the local punk space Black Water Bar. CAMERON CROWELL

FRIDAY 9/4

BEY DAY: DJ RONIN ROC, HOLLA N OATES
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

ARIANA GRANDE, PRINCE ROYCE
(Moda Center, 1 N Center Ct) Read our article on Ariana Grande.

JENNY DON'T AND THE SPURS, ROSELIT BONE, DUSTY BOOTS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) A band that boasts the ranks of Portland musical royalty (the Wipers' Sam Henry and Pierced Arrows' Kelly Halliburton) issuing its debut full-length would be noteworthy enough as is. But Jenny Don't and the Spurs, whose self-titled album sees its release at tonight's show, will win you over even before you flip the jacket to look at the musician credits. Playing vintage country and western straight out of the lonesomest corners of mid-20th century America, Don't and her cohorts sound nothing like a museum piece; rather, there's grit, sadness, and an edge of danger to these rumbling-boxcar country songs. To give Jenny Don't and the Spurs a proper welcome, the group performs a release show tonight, as well as an in-store at Music Millennium on Saturday afternoon, and another show Saturday night at the LaurelThirst. NL

KID ROCK, FOREIGNER
(Amphitheater Northwest, 17200 NE Delfel, Ridgefield, WA) I was going to write a suitably snarky blurb for Friday's Kid Rock show at Amphitheater Northwest. Highlights of my mental draft included his role in Joe Dirt (one of my favorite terrible movies) and something about seeing him hanging out with Guy Fieri on TV. But then I went to kidrock.com and saw that his current Cheap Date tour (with Foreigner opening) features $20 tickets, free parking, and relatively inexpensive beer. And that's a pretty cool thing to do for your fans. Except you have to go to Walmart or a LiveNation box office to get the best deals. Blech. And apparently in California the other night, "he played a camouflage piano and thanked Chevy for subsidizing" the ticket prices. Oh yeah, and his bawdy blend of twang, Southern rock, and rap has hovered somewhere between ignorable and horrible for two decades. Next time, Kid Rock! I'm coming for you! BEN SALMON

THE WHITE BUFFALO, ISRAEL NASH
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Hopefully by now everyone has gotten over the fact that the White Buffalo's Jake Smith sounds a little bit like Eddie Vedder when he sings. There was once a whole generation of singers who actually tried to do that. Smith, on the other hand, isn't trying to do anything but pen dark and dirty tales from the Americana underbelly, and he's doing a good job. White Buffalo is on the heels of just releasing its third studio album, Love and the Death of Damnation, a brazen patchwork of full-bodied ballads and country-rock serenades. Songs like "Chico" wriggle in and out of lap-steel moans, peppy trumpets, and watery vocal effects, and if you've watched Sons of Anarchy, you've heard "Come Join the Murder" in the series finale, which was co-written by Smith and nominated for an Emmy this year. Contemporaries like Sturgill Simpson and Whitey Morgan might be getting more attention, but Smith's turn in the spotlight could be closer than you think. RYAN J. PRADO

SATURDAY 9/5

SUGAR TOWN'S SOUL SUMMER CARNIVAL
(The Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd) See My, What a Busy Week!

"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC
(Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon) See My, What a Busy Week!, and All-Ages Action!

MIKAL CRONIN, THE CAIRO GANG, LITHICS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Although he cut his teeth as a sideman for Ty Segall, Mikal Cronin's 2011 debut record suggested a formidable pop songcraft that towered above his peers. There's a sense of unbridled enthusiasm and willingness for exploration (the "Our Prayer" intro and weird Jethro Tull-esque flute duel tacked onto the end of "Is It Alright," for example) that pervades that record and prevented Cronin from sounding like just another stoner with a few Nuggets compilations. By his second effort, MKII, Cronin had stripped away the entire self-conscious garage-rock sheen and abruptly transmogrified into a beautiful, pure-pop butterfly—songs like the immaculate, wide-eyed "Weight" and "Shout It Out" sound like Brian Wilson writing songs for the Kinks. Cronin's latest, the logically titled MKIII, boasts neither the experimental bent nor the unremitting perfection of Mikal Cronin and MKII. But judged on its own merits, it's still a damn good pop record that even occasionally reaches the transcendent heights of its predecessor ("Made My Mind Up" is one of Cronin's very best). MORGAN TROPER Also, read our article on the Cairo Gang.

LEE SCRATCH PERRY, CHERIMOYA
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Lee Scratch Perry is like the Fall in that his most noted work was released generations ago, yet he still continues to quietly push boundaries. The man behind Jamaican classics by the Congos, Max Romeo, and Junior Murvin, Perry popularized the use of lush tape echo and poinging spring reverbs as instruments in their own right. Today he continues to make reggae, as evidenced on 2015's soul-influenced Holiness Righteousness and the throwback dub of 2014's Back on the Controls, but he also stretches expectations with oddballs like 2008's Repentance, a sublimely gnashing whirlwind of reggaeton destined to irk any dorm-room roots reggae fetishists. MP

MONTHS, HUNGRY GHOST, BITCH'N
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) There's a song on the self-titled debut album from the Portland band Months that's as explosive, fiery, and epic as anything you're going to hear this year. Over eight wire-taut minutes, the breakneck "Annihilation" builds relentlessly, with self-contained skirmishes dotting the song's (relatively) tranquil verses, before a Television-like guitar duel sends the entire thing rocketing into the stratosphere. The song's a straight-up masterpiece, and the rest of Months is basically as good. A band of all-star locals, Months includes Point Juncture, WA's Wilson Vediner and Deer or the Doe's Aaron Miller on guitars and vocals, joined by Courtney Sheedy (Swim Swam Swum, Houndstooth) on bass and Will Hattman (Down Gown, At Dusk) on drums. Tonight is Months' record release, and the chance to hear a live performance "Annihilation" alone should have you beating down the door. Add excellent local bands Hungry Ghost and Bitch'n to the bill and you have the best night of the week, no question. NL

HUNGRY HUNGRY HIP-HOP: RASHEED JAMAL, NEKA AND KAHLO, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi) Tonight celebrates the four-year anniversary of Hungry Hungry Hip-Hop, a monthly event created by Portland native Elan Eichler, who raps under the name Mighty Misc. In addition to the three acts billed tonight, there will be other elements of hip-hop represented as well, including breakdancing, live art, a freestyle cypher, and DJ Kut Throat on the turntables. It will also be a chance to see Portland-via-Arkansas rapper Rasheed Jamal in an intimate venue before he opens for GZA next month. Neka and Kahlo are a duo that create soulful music rooted in hip-hop with multi-genred musical branches, proudly eschewing simplistic binary boxes. Research and Development, the stoney, jazz-infused duo of Rufus Smalltownz and Dusty Fox, gets the party started. RF

MONK PARKER
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) The email that delivered Monk Parker's new album How the Spark Loves the Tinder to my inbox called the Texas singer/songwriter (and former member of the Low Lows) "the missing link between Phosphorescent and Sturgill Simpson." I don't hear the latter's neo-traditional twang in Parker's sweeping, slow-moving Americana, but there is some of the former's psychedelic sparkle here. Mostly, though, How the Spark Loves the Tinder sounds like celestial folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov recording slow-building Neutral Milk Hotel covers at the bottom of a silo filled with glitter and gloom. In a dream, of course. Parker's not doing anything new here, but he definitely puts used parts together in interesting ways. How the Spark Loves the Tinder doesn't demand repeat listens, but it does lure them in. BS

SOCIAL DISTORTION, NIKKI LANE, DRAG THE RIVER
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Social Distortion is somehow still packing venues not named House of Blues or the Hard Rock Café, even into the fifth decade of the band's existence. And while whatever relevance they may have now isn't really up for debate, their influence has been far-reaching, in many different corners of the American rock 'n' roll underground. From punkers to country rockers to rockabilly daddies, Social D has meant a lot to a lot of people, a sentiment put to proof by the caliber of tonight's opening acts. Nikki Lane has emerged the new queen of outlaw country over the past two years, touring pretty much nonstop and embodying the kind of hard-stuff pin-up aura that Mike Ness and his greasers have heralded since the '80s. Drag the River are criminally underrated punks who happen to play country music, featuring Chad Price (All) and Jon Snodgrass (Armchair Martian). Bottom line: attend. RJP

SUNDAY 9/6

"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC
(Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon) See My, What a Busy Week!, and All-Ages Action!

CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION, ICE QUEENS
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) Over the last year, recording engineer Edgar McCrae has been slowly teasing Portland with his original music, from recordings on the Rigsketball compilation to the Builders and the Butchers' annual Christmas album. Now the secret is out with the debut of Ice Queens, McCrae's new indie rock outfit with Minden members James Taylor and Evan Houston on bass and guitar, and former Habesha venue runner Brandon Nikola on drums. Ice Queens does guitar rock well, balancing edgy guitar patterns with tight song structures teetering on the edge of pop, with a touch of darkness topped by McRae's smooth vocals, which call to mind Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. With an EP in the works, it remains to be seen if Ice Queen can capture the same energy live as on the yet-to-be released recordings. If they can, it's guaranteed this fall season will be a little warmer. JENI WREN STOTTRUP

ENSEMBLE MIK NAWOOJ
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Ensemble Mik Nawooj flips everything on its head. There's the name (that's composer Joowan Kim's name spelled backward) and also the Oakland group's unconventional approach to hip-hop, classical, and jazz, elements of which are fused together into expressive compositions that have their own narrative arc. They can take a classic hip-hop track like Wu-Tang Clan's "C.R.E.A.M." and turn it into an urgent piece of social commentary, with dramatic strings, operatic vocals, and piano chords that add multiple layers of melody. One gets the sense that this group is trying to accomplish much more than just create interesting music. KATHLEEN RICHARDS

MICK LEARN BENEFIT SHOW: TANGO ALPHA TANGO, PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT, BRANDON SUMMERS,LIKE A VILLAIN, SAMA DAMS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) If you've ever seen a show at the Doug Fir, the chances are very good that Mick Learn was doing sound that night. The audio engineer is a fixture of the Portland scene, and he recently broke his arm very badly, requiring intensive surgery, metal plates, and lots of hospital bills. Good times. For two nights, some incredible local bands will perform at the Doug Fir to raise money for Learn's medical expenses. It's an impressive showing, including Portland Cello Project, Denver, Tango Alpha Tango, the Helio Sequence's Brandon Summers, Modern Kin's Drew Grow, and lots more. Tickets are on a sliding scale, so you can donate as little or as much as you're able. Can't make either show? The Jeremy Wilson Foundation is also raising funds to assist Learn in this vital time of need; go to thejwf.org/mick-learn for more info on how you can help. NL

MONDAY 9/7

THE MELVINS, BIG BUSINESS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!

MICK LEARN BENEFIT SHOW: DENVER, MCDOUGALL, SYMMETRY/SYMMETRY, DREW GROW, REBECCA MARIE MILLER, JOY PEARSON
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See Sunday's listing.

BILLYGOAT, PREGNANT, IBQT
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) The long-running Sacramento-area music project Pregnant often sounds like feel-good California pop deconstructed and put back together in an unfamiliar order. Or indie kids collaborating with freejazz ravers. For this tour, the group will be playing selections from their "Your Song" project: 110 songs written over the past few years for friends and fans. The songs—which include such infectious gems as "Maddy (Your Song)" and "Pepper (Your Song)"—all seem based on personal interactions with the song's namesake, or perhaps from notes given by fans, and are all intricately composed and surprisingly great. The physical manifestation of this project is a cassette that contains 21 of the songs, with a download code for all 110. It comes out this week on Death Records. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

CULT OF LUNA, MINSK, SUBROSA
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Portland's about to enter an autumn packed with incredible heavy shows, but first the Star Theater hosts a terrific triple-bill Monday night. The headliner is Swedish post-metal giants Cult of Luna, and critically adored Salt Lake City avant-doom act Subrosa is along for the ride as well. In between will be Minsk, the veteran Midwestern band whose newest album—The Crash and the Draw, released by Relapse Records last spring—is a towering amalgam of heavy post-rock, melodic sludge, atmospheric black metal, and skyscraping psychedelia, with songs that unfold slowly over six, nine, or sometimes 12 minutes and longer. That's a lot of adjectives and genres and numbers, but the bottom line is this: Minsk is equal parts brutal and beautiful, and they're responsible for one of the prettiest, heaviest albums of 2015. They'll hold their own on a killer bill. BS

TUESDAY 9/8

DAM-FUNK, BOBBY D
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE ART OF WALT DISNEY: INTERPRETATIONS FROM THE DISNEY SONGBOOK: JAMISON WILLIAMS
(Vagrant Eye Projection Museum, 53 SE 80th) Florida-based saxophone player Jamison Williams says that he "specializes in experimental deconstructionism," a great descriptor for his exploratory improvisations and his jagged, joyous interpretations of familiar material. His performance in Portland is an extension of his many years vivisecting songs found in Disney films. He sticks with the classics—"When You Wish Upon A Star," "It's A Small World," and so on—and turns them into terrifying thrill rides of agitated chords and familiar yet warped melodies. If Banksy were as smart as he thinks he is, Williams' work would be playing on a loud loop through the artist's dark Dismaland installation. ROBERT HAM