This’s a damn fine week for shows but consider this one before anything: Series_ at Reed Chapel with Yellow Swans, Ghosting, Valet, Ilyas Ahmed, and …Worms. Says Zachary Reno, of the noise-drone project Ghosting, “Series_ started in 2003 at Dunes as a monthly night to showcase local and traveling artists working with improvised/freeform electronics/noise/psyche/and other out sound-based composition. It was founded by [myself] and Peter Swanson [and] went on for a little over a year then moved on to become a sporadically occurring event.” The show’s Saturday. It’s free and all ages.

Another good experimental show is the Ear Venom, New Dark Age, Nate Carson, Josh Hydeman, Bird Costumes deal at Food Hole. (Bird Costumes is the guitar/tape loops project of ex-Hustler White keyboardist Daniel Osborne.) Also on Saturday.

Jason Bell from Stars of Track and Field writes to say his band is being scouted by the majors, some of which have offered to buy out the group’s contract with indie label SideCho Records before their first CD comes out June 6. The band has no plans to jump ship and leave SideCho, however, and Jason says, “Another label would have to come to the table with a great deal for SOTAF and for SideCho.”

Great deal news: Scott Magee from Heroes and Villains is setting up Pdxport, a “promo/booking/publicity/all-around-band-connecting entity” that will bring local bands to Seattle on a regular basis and provide all the PR, flyering, and upfront costs. Says Magee, “Once a month three bands from our fair city will journey north to play a great show organized by Pdxport. All styles will be included. Pdxport will then organize press/flyers/ads to help increase the show’s draw. In time Seattle will come to love Portland bands.” Pdxport’s first showcase is this summer with Binary Dolls, Point Juncture, WA, and Heroes and Villains.

Finally, even though we all talk shit about it, everyone’s band is on MySpace. It just is as it is. But the Mercury’s working on our own all-locals version that will be free of dickish corporate rule, predatory pedophiles, and ridiculous singing ads. The Mercury Musicians’ Directory doesn’t officially debut ’til April 27, but the page is already up and ready to go at portlandmercury.com/bands. You can add songs, photos, whatever you want. Make the switch and tell Tom to get fucked.

Here: adam@portlandmercury.com