SUPER PICK

NEGATIVE GEMINI
(w/George Clanton; Thurs June 28 at Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Lindsey French’s future-pop project Negative Gemini represents the platonic ideal for a modern artist growing up in the easy-access era of streaming services and broadband internet. The Virginia-bred, New York-based musician has spent much of her life absorbing shoegaze, hip-hop, electronic pop, psychedelia, and sounds from the avant-garde. French’s early albums, like 2013’s Forget Your Future, were engaging, if a little unsteady as she strove to find the right balance of elements, resulting in songs that hewed too close to her source inspirations. But as she’s grown as a performer and producer, and she’s found harmony in her sound—what she’s put out in the past few years has been positively astonishing. French’s latest release as Negative Gemini is Bad Baby, a six-song EP and her current creative peak. It calls back to the 1990s, when dream-pop bands like Curve and Slowdive were embracing the beats and production methods of the dance floor. French doesn’t stop there—opener “Infin Path” takes a hard turn into finger-snapping R&B, and the title track takes its slow, skittering groove into darkwave with the application of a lightly stomping drumbeat. By the end of the EP, she has moved into minimalist pop territory, stripping back as much as she can without falling into silence. What comes to the fore is her voice, an imperfect instrument that breaks and strains in a manner that’s endearing and thrilling rather than off-putting. That alone sets French and Negative Gemini apart from the rest of the crowded pack of young artists: She makes her mistakes sound fucking cool. ROBERT HAM

KRALLICE Wed 6/27 Tonic Lounge Koichiro Kojima / Courtesy of the artist

WEDNESDAY 6/27

THE GET UP KIDS, THE CASKET LOTTERY
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The Get Up Kids have aged better than most emo luminaries. They were never self-important or purposely opaque like the Kinsella brothers, and they never truly sold out like Jimmy Eat World. Even when the Kansas City band’s songs were unmistakably adolescent in tone—like “Don’t Hate Me” from their 1997 debut Four Minute Mile and “Valentine” from the similarly excellent follow-up, 1999’s Something to Write Home About—lead singer Matthew Pryor never seemed weird or wanton like his bro counterpart, Brand New’s Jesse Lacey. Additionally, some of the Get Up Kids’ most compelling music was made after their emo “golden period”—their 2002 record On a Wire utilized richer, more adventurous arrangements, foreshadowing the contemporary emo scene’s dalliances with ’70s rock. (See Turnover’s Good Nature and the Sidekicks’ Happiness Hours.) The group’s new EP, Kicker, is being touted as a return to form, and it certainly recalls them at their emo-est. If you’re a cynical, pants-pissing dotard like me, it might seem strange that the Get Up Kids would suddenly return to the straight rock-band format after spending the last two decades trying to prove they could do other stuff, too. But you also can’t blame them for wanting to capitalize on the so-called “emo revival,” considering this is a style of music they, you know, helped pioneer. MORGAN TROPER

KRALLICE, WAYFARER, MANIA
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) Wayfarer is a rock-solid combo out of Denver that fuses the dark art of black metal with the rugged aesthetic and expansive vision of the American West. The result gallops and thunders and ever-so-slightly twangs. Tonight also marks the return of New York City’s Krallice, whose technical aptitude and adventurous spirit have been setting the pace for US black metal bands for more than a decade. Their most recent album—last year’s Go Be Forgotten—proves they haven’t lost a step. Krallice doesn’t get out this way too often, so you’d better catch ’em while you can. BEN SALMON

MÁSCARAS, JO PASSED, AH GOD
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) I first caught Jo Passed at a house show in Seattle, and four months later they signed to Sub Pop. Granted, they’d been buzzing for years prior in their hometown of Vancouver, BC. Last month Jo Passed finally dropped their debut LP Their Prime, which has all the characteristics of typical house-show bands: screeching guitars, hard-hitting drums, and slightly high-pitched vocals coming from a guy who could perhaps use a haircut. While album opener “Left” slowly blooms through layers of violins and guitars, the following track, “MDM,” is an impressive blast of electricity and noise that somehow contorts into a radio-ready melody. Their Prime nails the feeling of existential dread that all modern youths have felt at one point, whether it’s through the fast-paced and aptly titled “Millennial Trash Blues” or through the slower and more anxiety-inducing “Places Please.” ANNA KAPLAN

DJ NEON INDIAN
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Since 2016, Alan Palomo has released more film scores than Neon Indian albums and appeared in as many Terrence Malick movies as his own music videos. Whether this shift in focus signifies the end of Neon Indian as a recording project is hard to say. Thankfully, despite Neon Indian shows growing few and farther between, his sights haven’t yet left the dance floor. It simply appears that for the time being, Palomo the bandleader will give way for Palomo the DJ. When discussing the latest Neon Indian release (2015’s Vega Intl. Night School) with Under the Radar Magazine, he cited “[wanting] to inject the joy of DJing into the feeling of listening to [the] album.” At Palomo’s DJ set at Holocene, we’ll experience that joy unfiltered, effectively enrolling us in a different—yet equally engaging—type of night school. BEN WEINSTEIN

THURSDAY 6/28

NEGATIVE GEMINI, GEORGE CLANTON
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our Negative Gemini super pick.

BOYTOY Fri 6/29 Bunk Bar Noelle Duquette

FRIDAY 6/29

BOYTOY, DEATHLIST
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Boytoy plays the kind of smoky rock ’n’ roll that sounds like an impossible dream collaboration between Vivian Girls and the Cramps. The Brooklyn band’s new album Night Leaf is full of fuzzy harmonies, jangly surf guitar riffs, psychedelic organ tones, unexpected bongos, and lyrics about the usual suspects: love, loneliness, desire, and rage. CIARA DOLAN

MIDDLE KIDS, DUNCAN FELLOWS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Middle Kids’ brand-new debut LP Lost Friends kind of sounds like Mitski became an honorary Haim sister. Elton John loves it! And for good reason—between throbbing electric guitar riffs, Fleetwood Mac-style layered harmonies, sucker-punch drums, and frontwoman Hannah Joy’s powerhouse voice, which sometimes cracks with the intensity of her emotions, the Australian band is clearly onto something. It’s not necessarily extraordinary, but standout tracks like “On My Knees” show that Lost Friends isn’t your average indie rock debut. CD

WRECKLESS ERIC, SCOTT McCAUGHEY
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Emerging from the original Stiff Records roster—a stable that also included Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, and Nick Lowe—Wreckless Eric has forged a similarly prolific, if not quite as commercially visible career. His magnum opus is the timeless punk anthem “Whole Wide World,” which was originally released on a Stiff sampler in 1977. Following his exit from Stiff, Eric formed a few bands, the most notable of which, Captains of Industry, released just one album before breaking up. His new record, Construction Time and Demolition, contains the sneering attitude and innate power-pop songcraft that made his earlier work so delightfully vibrant, as he experiments in raucous pop-rock ragers, contemplative garage-rock, and psych dissonance. Opening tonight’s show: the legendary Scott McCaughey of the Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, and the Baseball Project. RYAN J. PRADO 

HERE LIES MAN, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, THE SHIVAS
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Typically, heavy rock ’n’ roll can’t move too far in one direction, lest it lose too much of the heaviness. With their 2017 self-titled debut and recent follow-up You Will Know Nothing, Los Angeles’ Here Lies Man might have accomplished a major Darwinian shift for heavy riffage. Their unique style and press release begs the question, “What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat?” Weighted, blues-based guitar riffs abound on You Will Know Nothing, but they run over bouncy rhythms and hand drums that feel ceremonious, or even ritualistic. The vocals and their delivery are also repetitive and chant-like. Throw in some trippy keys and other psych elements, and Here Lies Man will have you dropping all your inhibitions and dancing your way into a sweaty religious experience. ARIS HUNTER WALES

SCREECHING WEASEL, THE MR. T EXPERIENCE
(Dante’s, 350 W Burnside) Helmed for the last 30 years by formidable songwriter Dr. Frank, Berkeley legends the Mr. T Experience are still one of the more overlooked acts of the 1980s and ’90s Bay Area punk explosion. Forged in the bowels of venues like 924 Gilman St. alongside bands like Green Day, Operation Ivy, and Jawbreaker, the Mr. T Experience broke through the local scene with their 1988 sophomore release Night Shift at the Thrill Factory. Their 1992 LP Milk Milk Lemonade remains a bona fide punk classic, and probably the band’s best-known release. Following numerous lineup changes and multiple albums on Lookout! Records, Dr. Frank began writing books, the first and third of which helped outline the band’s most recent record, 2017’s King Dork Approximately: The Album. Chicago punk legends Screeching Weasel (which is now essentially just frontman Ben Weasel) might be the headliners tonight, but the question must be asked: Are you experienced? RJP

Saeeda Wright at My People's Market Courtesy of the artist

SATURDAY 6/30

MY PEOPLE’S MARKET: BLOSSOM, FOUNTAINE, FARNELL NEWTON
(Memorial Coliseum, 300 N Winning Way) Mercatus’ My People’s Market, a lovechild between Travel Portland and Prosper Portland, is a newly recurring event/storytelling platform that highlights POC-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. The marketplace platform was created in an attempt to “honor the past, celebrate the present, and re-imagine the future,” while helping business owners of color reach the booming tourism industry, and strive for equity in a mostly-white Portland. After a successful event launch in November, My People’s Market returns this Saturday, and the all-day multicultural function is set to be even bigger and better than the first. Hosted by Carlos the Rollerblader and rapper [E]mpress, there will be more than 100 POC-owned vendors on site, an excellent lineup of music (including Blossom, Saeeda Wright, Fountaine, and Farnell Newton), and showcases from A Beat Happenin’ and New Expressive Works. In addition to live music and LOTS of food and drink, there will also be a walking tour of the historic Albina district, live mural painting by the Morpheus Youth Project, yoga, short plays, and much more. With an after party put on by YGB (Young Gifted and Black/Brown) at No Vacancy, Saturday’s festivities are sure to be lit. JENNI MOORE

FRIENDS OF NOISE ALL-AGES PRIDE CONCERT: MAARQUII, [E]MPRESS, KIDS’ TABLE, BRODY GRAY
(S1, 7320 NE Sandy) Time to blast the final night of Pride month into safe-space outer space. Nonprofit Friends of Noise partners with show venue S1 to put on this all-ages concert with a bill that is entirely local young queer performers. I’ll go just to see genderqueer hip-hop star Maarquii do something all-ages appropriate. Also performing is dynamic rapper [E]mpress and poppy garage rock siblings Kids’ Table. Teens take note, Portland Mercury Copy Chief Jenni Moore teaches a media savvy workshop at 3 pm. SS

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, JAPANESE BREAKFAST
(Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon) With How to Solve Our Human Problems (Parts 1-3), the Scottish song-confectioners of Belle and Sebastian have delivered three EPs of danceable, huggable pop, expanding their tenderly optimistic worldview across 15 immaculately crafted songs. Get to tonight’s show in time to catch Japanese Breakfast, whose rough edges show a bit more—her latest, Soft Sounds from Another Planet, is pure emotion, delivered exquisitely. NL

THE SIDEKICKS, THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE, LEE COREY OSWALD, MO TROPER
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) Read our story on the Sidekicks.

FROG EYES, HELLO BLUE ROSES
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) With all that Frog Eyes leader Carey Mercer has been through in the past few years, it’s not surprising that following this run of live dates, he’s likely quitting the music business. In 2013, the Vancouver, BC-based songwriter was diagnosed with throat cancer, a battle he won handily. Sadly, there seems to be diminishing interest in an idiosyncratic band that plays skittish art-pop driven by a singer whose vocals slide from a gentle purr to a squeaking howl as the spirit moves him. All of that comes to bear on Frog Eyes’ final collective statement Violet Psalms, an album that feels like a line in the sand: Either you’re on board with their wiry, unblinking sound—and Mercer’s arch looks into his own inner workings and the strange things we humans do as we seek connection and understanding—or you never will be. ROBERT HAM

URAL THOMAS AND THE PAIN, JENNY DON’T AND THE SPURS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) No one’s got soul like Ural Thomas, but tonight the local legend brings us something different: “Vibrations” is the first 7-inch single from the Pain’s forthcoming LP The Right Time. A buoyant shuffle, the track contains the sort of youthful optimism touted by Thomas, a septuagenarian restrained only by laws of the space-time continuum. Culled from an era when Thomas rubbed elbows with the likes of James Brown, Otis Redding, and Mary Wells, “Vibrations” saw its original release in 1968. Now reimagined by Scott Magee and the Pain, it’s a wonder to hear this music carefully produced with a nod to the heyday in which it was conceived. Filling a void left by dearly departed revivalists Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones, the band is set to embark on a national campaign to put Portland soul music on the map. BOBBY SMITH

SUNDAY 7/1

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MISSY ELLIOTT AND DEBBIE HARRY!
Hopefully you two are celebrating with a joint party for the ages.

MONDAY 7/2

DARREN HANLON, WHO IS SHE?
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Opening for Australian singer/songwriter Darren Hanlon tonight is Seattle’s newest supergroup, Who Is She?: Robin Edwards (Lisa Prank), Bree McKenna (Tacocat), and Julia Shapiro (Chastity Belt). The “cuddlecore” trio released their debut LP Seattle Gossip last October via Father/Daughter Records, and it’s packed with catchy pop-punk melodies and wry lyrics (like “I’m a young unspecific media professional, you’re engaged to someone you don’t love” on “Romcom”). The album’s 11 tracks include a super-sweet cover of Elliott Smith’s “Whatever” and odes to alleged time traveler John Titor, Jared Leto’s My So-Called Life character Jordan Catalano, and the failed relationship of Courteney Cox and David Arquette (“I’m Getting Courteney Cox and David Arquette Back Together If It’s the Last Thing I Do”). CD

CAMP COPE Tues 7/3 Holocene Naomi Beveridge

TUESDAY 7/3

DON’T SHRED ON ME: SÁVILA, KARMA RIVERA, BLOSSOM, NOCHE LIBRE DJs
(Dig a Pony, 736 SE Grand) As part of an Independence Day tradition, Dig a Pony is hosting two days of cookouts and free shows: offering boozy slushies, Jell-O shots, sparklers, and a great view of the fireworks on July 4. Those who are feeling less than patriotic this year should come support the all-women lineup on Tuesday: There will be cumbia/Latin/world music from SĂĄvila, energetic hip-hop from Karma Rivera, and dreamy neo soul from Blossom. JM

CAMP COPE, PETAL, OCEANATOR
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) The future of rock ’n’ roll is female, and tonight, that future rolls into Portland three killer bands deep. Opening the festivities is Oceanator, AKA solo artist Elise Okusami, whose crunchy guitars and shadowy post-punk vibes combine to sound like ’90s alt-rock updated for the 21st century. Co-headlining this bill is Camp Cope, the badass feminist pop-punk trio from Australia whose How to Socialise and Make Friends is one of the best albums of 2018 so far. And co-headlining with Camp Cope is Petal, AKA Pennsylvania rocker Kiley Lotz, who just released her excellent sophomore album Magic Gone, which will surely resonate with you if you’ve ever lived a life with a human heart beating inside your chest. Believe me when I tell you, Portland: This is one of summer’s can’t-miss shows. BS