RASHEED JAMAL, BIG MO, LANG, NATURALLY GROWN MISFITS, DRAE SLAPZ
(Kelly’s Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Tonight, Portland rapper Rasheed Jamal celebrates the release of his latest full-length, Sankofa. According to Jamal, the title is an Akan phrase meaning “looking to the past to solve present issues.” While echoes of his past in Central Arkansas bubble to the surface, both stylistically and thematically, the ultimate effect is more cosmic than nostalgic. Interstitial vocal samples stitch seams between 13 wildly unique tracks, creating a multifaceted reality that shoots for the stars and finds the exploded ashes scattered. Seattle rapper Lang brings his inimitable wavy style south on a bill already bursting with Big Mo on the mic and a Drae Slapz beat set. Naturally Grown Misfits, the young duo of Portland emcees Daelonz and 5EyedJedi, are bold lyricists with a gleeful, defiant irreverence that’s just plain ol’ buck-wild fun. RYAN FEIGH
CEREMONY OF SLUDGE: HOLY GROVE, ANCIENT WARLOCKS, DISENCHANTER, OLD LIE
(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) See My, What a Busy Week!
THE LIGHT, CRIME DESIRE, RAW NERVES
(Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway) As someone who has a lot of hang-ups about modern hardcore—both musical and social—I admire how self-aware Raw Nerves are. They aren’t afraid to poke fun at the genre’s inherent machismo, and they constantly revel in goofy barbecue metal inanity, employing pick slides and pentatonic leads all over their most recent LP, Futile Efforts. They wouldn’t be worth discussing if they were mere satirists, however, and Futile Efforts is also a vital punk record by a vital punk band that exemplifies the impact aggressive music can have (while realizing it can sometimes be pretty stupid, too). MORGAN TROPER See All-Ages Action!
IAN PAIGE, SPECTRUM CONTROL, MAGIC GARDENS, STAR CHILD
(Mothership Music, 3611 NE MLK) When he isn’t hosting his fine show Headbanded on XRAY, Ian Paige explores the world of psychedelia and new age music via his engrossing duo Planets Around the Sun and in his own solo guitar compositions. In each case, the goal is to bring about a beautiful trance state in the listener, the kind that leaves you feeling tingly and warm in all of your extremities. Paige is sadly saying farewell to our fair city with this performance, which finds him playing solo and collaborating with Dewey Mahood, the former Eternal Tapestry axeman who now seeks similar mind-altering musical experiences with his project Spectrum Control. ROBERT HAM