SUPER PICK

CORNELIUS, ROCKETSHIP
(Wed March 14 at Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) By 1997, Japanese musician Keigo Oyamada was already well known in his home country, having hit it big with Flipper’s Guitar, one of the leading bands in the Shibuya-kei orchestral pop scene. But that year, Oyamada released his third solo album, Fantasma, under the name Cornelius, and its exhilarating, genre-defying sound carried his name and reputation around the world. Fantasma took the glorious melodies of the Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach and pushed them through Beck’s cut-and-paste aesthetic, incorporating bits of rock, hip-hop, jazz, tropicália, electronica, indie pop, funk, and soul. (A good example of the album’s unconventional structure is the song “Chapter 8 ‘Seashore and Horizon,’” which veers back and forth between dreamy Cornelius-led interludes and an acoustic song performed by indie-pop heroes the Apples in Stereo, with sections separated by the chunk-chunk sound of flipping a cassette tape.) Fantasma is a crate-digger’s delight, a masterwork of musical collage, an incredible headphone experience, and a high point of indie’s ’90s heyday. Cornelius released Point in 2001 and Sensuous in 2006 before going underground for about a decade to focus on remixes, production work, soundtracks, and other film music. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, of course, so last year, when Cornelius announced a new album called Mellow Waves, a whole generation of indie rockers rejoiced. Mellow Waves isn’t as genre-allergic or fascinating as Fantasma, but its sound is most certainly reflected in the title. It’s lush, laidback, and effortlessly beautiful–solid evidence that all these years later, whatever Cornelius touches still turns into odd-pop gold. BEN SALMON


WEDNESDAY 3/14

JANE SMITH, AMENTA ABIOTO, SHAYLA LAWSON AND THE OCEANOGRAPHERS, DJ MAX, DJ DEENA BEE
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) To celebrate the launch of Shayla Lawson’s latest poetry collection, I Think I’m Ready to See Frank Ocean—which discusses oceans, THE Ocean, breakbeats and heartbreak—Mind the Bird Media presents a book launch, poetry reading, and Frank Ocean tribute concert! Stellar Portland artists such as Amenta Abioto, Jane Smith of DNVN, and more will take the stage to pay homage to Frank’s worshipable catalog. JENNI MOORE

REMAMBRAN, FAMILY VIDEO, BEING A LIVING THING
(Pop Tavern, 825 N Killingsworth) Remambran’s songs are worlds where both the existence of a persimmon tree and the absence of a Dairy Queen feel emotionally significant. The long-running project of Los Angeles songwriter Mallory Watje, Remambran doesn’t put out albums often, and they’re rarely greeted with reviews or media attention. They’re loose around the edges–never big conceptual pieces, just collections of songs–but each is a treasure chest of casual pop. Some people I’ve played Remambran for simply hear a voice that’s vaguely reminiscent of early Joanna Newsom, and write it off. But when I listen, I hear a songwriter with a clarity of vision that doesn’t come along every day. Remambran’s surface-level ease belies Watje’s acrobatics with lyrics: She slips from narrative to koan gracefully, makes poetry of passing revelations, and bestows inanimate objects with a weight they don’t often carry in life. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

WATAIN, DESTROYER 666, DEGIAL
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE CĂ©sar E. ChĂĄvez) Sweden’s Watain and their new album Trident Wolf Eclipse are about as intense, hateful, and blistering as black metal can be. The LP’s nine tracks of echoing darkness and tremolo chaos come as close to representing the rot and sticky blood of a Watain show as anything the band has ever recorded. Tonight, they’ll share the stage with the Australian thrash maniacs of Destroyer 666, who don’t make it to the mainland very often, so this will be a rare chance to hear songs from 2016’s anthemic Wildfire and their new EP, Call of the Wild. It’ll also be a chance to see if frontman K.K. Warslut continues his recent antics of spouting misogynistic rhetoric onstage and threatening fans with violence. With bands like Taake cancelling US tours because of their history with neo-Nazi symbolism, and others like Young and in the Way being removed from festivals and ultimately breaking up due to allegations of sexual assault, the line between performance and reality in extreme metal is increasingly blurry. Watain aren’t strangers to confrontational behavior, either, and Destroyer 666 has also been accused of racist sentiments. Regardless of the quality of their music, given the current socio-political climate, these bands could easily find themselves in hot water. ARIS HUNTER WALES


THURSDAY 3/15

XYLOURIS WHITE, SECRET DRUM BAND
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Every night in Portland’s music venues, you’re bound to find someone playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and maybe even banjo. But you don’t often see a lute–that ancient half-egg-shaped instrument that looks like a stubby guitar but sounds crisper, brighter, and more resonant than its six-stringed cousin. The lute’s old-world quality is the centerpiece of the groovy, organic, mesmerizing, and omnivorous sounds of Xylouris White, the moniker of Greek lute player George Xylouris and Australian drummer Jim White. The duo’s new album Mother is different, but not difficult; it’s accessible, but it’s not like everything else. It’s a distinctive and restless blend of folk music, punk spirit, avant-jazz dance rhythms, stirring drones, and eastern hemisphere vibes. Shout-out to the lute, and shout-out to Xylouris White. BEN SALMON

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, THE DIRTY HOOKS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Stone Temple Pilots have never quite gotten their due. The band formed in San Diego and jumped on Seattle’s “grunge” gravy train with their 1992 debut, Core, a record loaded with the hopeless lyrics of Scott Weiland, who sounded like a chain-smoking Eddie Vedder. If Stone Temple Pilots faded after that album, they’d have been nothing but a footnote. But instead they went on to record some fantastic records, like 1994’s Purple and 1996’s Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, which demonstrated Robert and Dean DeLeo’s knack for power pop and big arena hooks. For the past two decades, Stone Temple Pilots have been on-again, off-again; Scott Weiland (who died in 2015) was replaced by Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington in 2013, until his death last year. This would topple most bands, but they’re still forging ahead with another new singer, Jeff Gutt (who appeared on the reality series The X Factor), and a new record out later this year. While a big piece of the band was lost with Weiland, the DeLeo brothers are its soul. We’ll have to wait and see if Stone Temple Pilots is still worthy of a place in 2018. MARK LORE

MATTRESS, TEMPORAR 
(White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th) The self-described “loner post-punk trash pop” Robert Waldorf makes under the Temporar moniker combines catchy synth melodies, Nintendo game sounds, and baritone vocals inspired by John Maus and Stephin Merritt of the Magnetic Fields. Over the past couple of years, Waldorf has sporadically released tracks and opened for David Liebe Hart (of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!), but he’s finally celebrating the release of his debut LP, Waiting. Though the album technically came out late last year, tonight’s release show is the first Temporar performance of 2018. Coupled with Mattress’ dark electro-pop, it’ll be a night of moody aesthetics and pulsating beats. CERVANTE POPE


FRIDAY 3/16

SHE|DIVINE: SIREN AND THE SEA, LISA VAZQUEZ, BROWN CALCULUS
(White Eagle, 836 N Russell) This week the creators of Girl Fest are unveiling a brand-new seasonal concert series called She|Divine, with the inaugural lineup headlined by Siren and the Sea. The Portland electro-pop band embodies the haunting sounds of the ocean, with murky waves of synth, electric drums, and intertwining guitars plunging listeners into dark, tranquil waters. Then the siren appears, as frontwoman Cristina Cano muses about existential dilemmas in her signature velvety croon. It’s faintly spooky, transportive music; tickets are just $7, which is a small price to pay for a trip to the ocean. MARY CUMPSTON


SATURDAY 3/17

DAYDREAM MACHINE, SHADOWLANDS, YOUNG ELDERS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our story on Shadowlands.

SORORITY NOISE, REMO DRIVE, FOXX BODIES
(Analog CafĂ©, 720 SE Hawthorne) Sorority Noise is embarking on one final tour before going on an indefinite hiatus. Fronted by Cameron Boucher (Old Gray, Small Circle), the Connecticut emo band’s lyrics are often intensely vulnerable, tackling tough subjects like depression and addiction. Accompanying the announcement of their forthcoming hiatus, Sorority Noise released YNAAYT, a rearranged and re-recorded version of 2017’s You’re Not as _______ as You Think that rounds out its harsh edges with softer, orchestral sounds. DELANEY MOTTER

HIBOU, CHARTS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) The main man behind Hibou, Peter Michel, has been part of the indie pop world for all of his adult life. He joined Craft Spells as a drummer when he was 17, and left that band a couple of years later to retreat to his bedroom and record his self-titled debut. Released by Barsuk Records in late 2015, Hibou is a late-summery swirl of jangling guitars, sighed vocals, and bleary melancholy, topped off with a touch of new wave electro-vibe. Earlier this month, Barsuk released the second Hibou full-length, Something Familiar, and those new wave vibes have blossomed into heavier, noisier songs, with roots in Michel’s struggles with anxiety. That means crunchier guitars, darker lyrics, and more synth. But don’t worry, indie pop darlings, these new sounds still dance around Hibou’s basic elements: shimmering guitars and catchy melodies. BS


SUNDAY 3/18

XRAY.FM’S BIRTHDAY BASH: MAARQUII + JVNITOR, MÁSCARAS, THE BEDROOMS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Put on your celebrating pants, because XRAY.fm is turning four years old. That’s four years of excellent community radio, with talk and music to get you through your day. It kicks off with a panel discussion about radio’s vital role in our current democracy, and then it’s party time, with the Birthday Bash featuring music from Maarquii, Máscaras, and the Bedrooms, plus DJs, prizes, mini-cupcakes, and more. NED LANNAMANN


MONDAY 3/19

TIRON AND AYOMARI, BROWN CALCULUS, FOUNTAINE
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Ever since 2011, eclectic LA hip-hop duo TiRon & Ayomari has been on the up-and-up. Their new album, WET: The Wonderful Ego, is another convention-defying project of forward-thinking perspectives and R&B infusions. IT IS SO GOOD. Plus, Portland rapper/singer the Last Artful, Dodgr is featured on the “Ffake Ffrends” track, so maybe she’ll make an appearance? With local faves Brown Calculus and Fountaine also on the bill, tonight is unmissable. JM

DANA BUOY, CY DUNE
(The Know, 3728 NE Sandy) Dana Janssen’s post-Akron/Family output under the Dana Buoy moniker has been rich in nuanced pop amalgamations. His stunning sophomore LP, 2012’s Summer Bodies, is a fluorescent psych-pop gem that in many ways set the stage for Jannsen’s new record, Ice Glitter Gold. It opens with the Euro-dancehall banger “Twisted Sky,” followed by the syrupy melodies of the radio-ready title track, while anthemic moments on songs like “Colours Out” anchor the record with woozy synth and Janssen’s strong vocal calisthenics. On the cusp of spring, an album like Ice Glitter Gold is perfect for late nights and long, breezy afternoons. RYAN J. PRADO


TUESDAY 3/20

PUSSY RIOT
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Dust off those balaclavas—Pussy Riot is currently on their first US tour, and they’re stopping in Portland! The Russian punk band/protest collective first made headlines in 2012 for their “Punk Prayer” demonstration in Moscow, which resulted in the imprisonment of three members for “hooliganism.” But that didn’t silence them; since Trump’s election, Pussy Riot has only gotten louder in their resistance of fascism. CIARA DOLAN Also read our story on Pussy Riot.

THE REGRETTES, MT. EDDY
(Analog CafĂ©, 720 SE Hawthorne) The Regrettes’ 2017 debut LP Feel Your Feelings Fool! soundtracks the confusion, angst, and rebellion of adolescence with punky doo-wop that sources inspiration from Amy Winehouse, Bleached, and Shannon and the Clams. Across 15 tracks with straightforward lyrics and cathartic guitar riffs, the Los Angeles band revolts against daily brushes with the patriarchy; frontwoman Lydia Night sings about societal expectations (“A Living Human Girl”), double standards (“Ladylike/Whatta Bitch”), kicking asses in a skirt (“Seashore”), and the dangers of comparing herself to other women (“Picture Perfect”). Feel Your Feelings Fool! is the kind of album I wish I’d heard as a teenager, years before I knew anything about gender roles or feminism. May the Regrettes empower the next generation. CD