THURSDAY 2/10

EISLEY, THE ELECTED, THE COLORS
(Nocturnal, 1800 E Burnside) The Elected is Blake Sennett, the dude from Rilo Kiley who used to sing like Elliott Smith. Only now he doesn't rip off Elliott and makes high plains indie country with fellow Rilo kid Jason Boesel (who's now drumming for Bright Eyes.) Blake's debut, Me First, is a little Wilco, a little M. Ward, but mainly his own baby--with piano, ronky harmonica, and some nice backing vocals from Azure Ray's Orenda Fink and Rilo singer Jenny Lewis (who a press release recently called, "Jenny Lewis of Jenny Lewis fame." Awesome.) It's likeable stuff, but not as personality heavy as Rilo, or haunting and tender as ol' Elliott. Still, not a bad night o'tunes. ADAM GNADE



LUNA, MIDNIGHT MOVIES
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Music, Pg 27



MATISYAHU, THE PUNK GROUP, THE BUTTERY LORDS
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week! Pg 9



PANTHERS, FORMLESS, LITTER MEET
(Meow Meow, 320 SE 2nd Ave) Brooklyn's Panthers' new album, Things Are Strange, is on Vice Records. Still reading? Alright, it's Fugazi'd dance punk, and--oh, come on, you can't still be reading?! Okay, it's actually not that bad: A member of Turing Machine, three kids who were in Orchid; decent politicking lyrics; good confrontational stage prez. Their first disc, Are You Down??, was pretty notable (and not only because they name-checked themselves in THREE song-titles.) It was a rousing, hectic pacer that freight trained past its peers with a good knowledge of taking sweet stuff from yesterday and today and turning it into quality punk. The new one's not quite as fevered, but still cooks pretty hot. AG



ROLLERBALL, P.A.F., FAL LI'L RYAN
(Noir, 203 SE Grand) Anyone stuck in that rut of going to show after Portland show and growing tired of seeing pop band after cutesy/country-tinged/punky/throwback rock band needs an introduction to Rollerball. Basically finding themselves in the very same attitude, the members of this outfit gave up their more traditional style years ago, evolving into the collaborative mishmash that they are, with a thumb in nearly every pie. Often inhabiting the mellower side of what must necessarily be called "free jazz," their sounds are experimental without being gratuitously abrasive or pretentious. MARJORIE SKINNER



FRIDAY 2/11

HAPA
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) When the music is compelling enough, listeners can overlook language barriers. American audiences absorb Josh Groban's pop-operatic Italian and the Buena Vista Social Club's percussive Latin jazz without understanding a word. Likewise, Hapa, whose concerts create more indoor warmth than a tanning lamp, needs no translation for its Hawaiian lyrics. New York native Barry Flanagan relocated to Maui in 1983 and started composing soothing slack-key guitar solos. Honolulu-born vocalist Nathan Aweau joined the group two decades later, turning Flanagan's gusting melodies into breezy harmonies. Master chanter Charles Ka'upu interrupts Hapa's tropical tunes with his exotically arrhythmic delivery, making his cameos resemble Ol' Dirty Bastard's unhinged infringements on Mariah Carey's feathery "Fantasy." ANDREW MILLER



MATCHBOOK ROMANCE, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, FROM FIRST TO LAST, THE MATCHES
(Meow Meow, 320 SE 2nd Ave) Emo has never been particularly subtle (what else could a band from upstate New York named Matchbook Romance possibly sound like?) but it's not without its exceptions. Billed as co-headliners for now, admittedly everything that Motion City Soundtrack does well has already been done before: as blunt as the Pixies, as vaguely poetic as all those second wave Midwestern emo acts and as equally irresistible as any record in the entire Husker Du catalog, but without the red hands or loss of identity that should come with it. Their greatest asset is singer/budding film director Justin Pierre's voice, which sounds pretty much how he's going to look onstage: uncomfortable, shaky, defiant, and brave. Internet mavens are advised to scream out "Let's get fucked up and die!" if you want to act like you've already heard their brilliant second album, which isn't out until June. TREVOR KELLEY



SCREAM CLUB, PRINCESS, DK PDX, ROMANTEEK
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Tonight marks the Portland debut of Chicago duo Princess--a group that awkwardly straddles the fence between eclectic experimentalism and tongue-in-cheek electro hiphop. Christ, I'm tired of writing shit like that. But in Princess' case, I'm not entirely sure if they're merely another chapter of the gimmicky, lowbrow electro-fold, or--like billmates Scream Club--they somehow transcend it. From listening to an admittedly scant number of their songs, I'm almost inclined to side with the latter--their music leans toward a slightly more evolved musicality than what one might expect from their polyester façade. In other words: if this cheese stank, it'll be hard to tell completely 'til they're within smelling distance. But you may want to bring a nose plugÉ just to be safe. ZAC PENNINGTON



THERMALS, 31 KNOTS, 1999
(Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week! Pg 9



KELLER WILLIAMS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Keller Williams plays improvisational folk with missionary zeal, injecting so much eager-to-please energy and goofy humor into his performances that even the normally jam-averse might be inspired to go for a twirl. Not all of his gleeful attempts at crowd conversion work (his "Rapper's Delight" makes the Wedding Singer granny's version seem soulful), but even his failures are hard to hate. Like an unfunny stand-up comedian who can make people laugh through pure personality power, Williams gets fans dancing without the requisite funk grooves. While he coasts on charisma during some covers, Williams smokes on acoustic guitar during his superior singer/songwriter originals. ANDREW MILLER



SATURDAY 2/12

ACCEPTANCE, OVER IT, KILL RADIO, BLUE TURNS WHITE
(Solid State, 221 SE 9th) Acceptance: muscley modern boy rock with an emotional edge. Yeah, that sounds kind of bad, but really, they're not all that bad. I'd certainly rather hear one of their chugging guitar songs on alternative radio rather than Gwen Stefani's humongously stupid song where she laments, "if I were a rich girl." Bite me, Gwen. "If I were a magical genie," I'd sentence you to an eternity of scrubbing out Acceptance's toilet with your tongue. KATIE SHIMER



MOSE ALLISON
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) I've always had troubles with the sound of the piano. Not that I was ever forced to play them 88s, but to me, piano always meant CHURCH, at least MY church--a resentment that followed me into my "jazz" appreciation "phase." So, how excited was I when I FINALLY got to knows Mose. Mose is the king of cool, modern jazz. He has a grand shuffling, swinging ker-plunk-a-plunk, always effortless in his execution--even his sorta uncomfortably nasal voice suits his style. And his style suits my SOUL... he's so laid back and easy, he's always good for the mood, any mood. In fact, since the '50s his weight of coolness cut a swath both ways, through blues (rock) and jazz, at the same time providing the soundtrack for one smoke filled, blocked revolution. MIKE NIPPER



MORGAN GRACE, ZIETGEIST, AMOREE LOVELL
(Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th) On her website, Morgan Grace lists Def Leppard as one of her primary influences, and I imagine the boys in the band would have no problems with this. Morgan is a "hot rock chick," to be sure, but she has a solid music theory background, some real chops, and a fantastic voice. She's so good I once saw her hold an entire donut shop full of drunks utterly captive with raw power. Then again, I'm probably totally biased, because her website features not one, but two, photos of her drunkenly canoodling with my old housemate at our housewarming party. But this good time girl has a nice side: she helped us clean up all the beer cans the next morning. CORTNEY HARDING



ROCK N ROLL FASHION SHOW FEATURING THE NICE BOYS, PUNK GROUP, THE WIGMEN, DJ MOISTY
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week! Pg 9



HANK WILLIAMS III, HAZARD COUNTY GIRLS
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) "You can run but you can't hide," they said. Three years after I wrote a semi-scathing Hank III review, I'm still getting hate email. Death threats from self-proclaimed Nazis, racist slurs, rampant typos and savage abuse of the English language. It rolls on. So, 2005, where's Hank? He's working on a new record for starters, his first since 2002's Lovesick, Broke, and Drifting. Word is it's almost done, though still untitled, and will be "classic outlaw country." He's also playing in the Pantera side band, Super Joint Ritual, and a brand new group that's supposed to sound like Anal Cunt. But the main thing his site talks about is homey's new hobby... monster truck racing computer games! HOW OUTLAW COUNTRY CAN YOU GET?! AG



SUNDAY 2/13

BLACK MOUNTAIN, BRANNICK
(Dunes, 1905 NE MLK) See Music, Pg 14



INTERPOL, BLONDE REDHEAD
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Somehow Blonde Redhead have remained the most vital and modern of rock bands for the entirety of their decade-long career. Over their last two records they have come to a place of utter pop eloquence, synthesizing their main inspirations (Serge Gainsbourg, The Beatles, DNA) into new and stunning shapes in ways few other current bands even approach. The stark counterpoint of Kazu Makino's emotionally blown out, dramatically sexualized singing and Amedeo Pace's frayed yet powerfully coiled voice frame the band as a direct amplification and abstraction of their personal relationship. Their highly trained but willfully deconstructed musicianship lends their songs both the emotional sweep of the greatest classical music and the palpitating rhythmic hypnotism of rock and roll ancient to the future. Their latest, last year's Misery Is A Butterfly, sags with the weight of immense sadness and weary nostalgia. It is a burdened, pain-soaked record that expresses the true quality of love even as it describes love's decay and dissolution. SAM MICKENS



SIREN'S ECHO, THE BLACK NOTES, L PRO, MIC CRENSHAW, ROCHELLE HART, RAY FRAZER, DJ SNEAKERS
(Blue Monk, 3341 SE Belmont) The sweet but poorly used Blue Monk basement space is starting to pick up the pace a bit with underground hiphop shows every Sunday night. Tonight catch the foxy ladies of Siren's Echo as they continue to hype their new album, Psalms of the Siren, and don't miss this sweet deal: $20 gets you and a date dinner specials AND tickets to the show. Hot! JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS



TSUNAMI BENEFIT FEATURING NINTH MAIN, HOPE ALL IS WELL, CROSSTIDE, CAMARO HAIR, OLIVER, SHELTER RED, AND MORE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Ten bands for $10, with all the money heading to Southeast Asia. Last I checked I still thought Crosstide ruled, but that's old news. Fans of the 'tide will also be interested in their equally radio-friendly and delicately angsty local brothers Camaro Hair. And the eight other bands areÉ areÉ ZZZZZZÉ JWS



RISE AGAINST, TSUNAMI BOMB, ALEXISONFIRE, ONLY CRIME
(Meow Meow, 320 SE 2nd Ave) Those old hardcore guys who shave their heads now to hide their receding hairlines probably could take or leave an album like 2004's Siren Song Of The Counter Culture. But I like Rise Against. Even if aging scene purists will insist that this band doesn't exist in the same community they once knew based on the fact that they share the same record label as Slim Thug (and that their singer will begin the encore most nights by playing an acoustic ballad), Rise Against is as close to a necessary major label hardcore band as you can find in 2005 and here's the reason why: they've redefined what hardcore can mean at a point in time when doing so should mean absolutely nothing. Tsunami Bomb singer Agent M (her W2's read Emily Whitehurst) may be the best front woman of the Warped community by default, but it's nice to know that the kids have their own Debbie Harry. TK



MONDAY 2/14

GET HUSTLE, BEEP BEEP, SCARLING, FACT OR FICTION
(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week! Pg 9



MORBID ANGEL, SOULFLY
(Bossanova, 722 E Burnside) In Matthew Barney's parched Cremaster 2, Morbid Angel singer Steve Tucker appeared covered in a hesher-suit of bees, growling into a telephone to murderer Gary Gilmore. A fitting place, it feels, for the frontman of the titanically consistent, Florida-born death metal band to have ended up. From their inception Morbid Angel has had such purity of intent and devotion to death metal that they were forever slated for a brutally loyal, but ultimately small following, and have in recent years often found themselves supporting metal bands of a far lesser stripe (Read: Soulfly). Although Tucker has since been displaced in the endless lineup changes that seem to afflict so many career metal bands, Morbid Angel still hoes the same grim row that they have for nearly 20 years. SM



SECRET MACHINES, MOVING UNITS, AUTOLUX
(Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside) Hindsight is funny: if you look back on the last year of records you pretended to like more than you actually did, and the upswing in interest is Now Here Is Nowhere that followed the Secret Machines fall tour with serious rock band of the moment Interpol, their big-screen pomp rock really seems kind of hollow. The thing about Now Here Is Nowhere is that while no one played drums in 2004 like Secret Machines drummer Josh Garza, it seemed like everyone played music like the Secret Machines, just not as predictably. In a perfect world you would have bought that Autolux record, instead. You would have bought it for a friend. You would have worshipped the drumming. You would have heard individuality. And you wouldn't have even noticed that it was bank rolled by the guys who made The Big Lebowski. TK



WALTER TROUT AND THE RADICALS, D.K. STEWART, DON CAMPBELL
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Trout once played with English star-maker John Mayall in the Bluesbreakers, a stint that led British blues enthusiasts to fall in love with the New Jersey native's fret-frying style. A BBC radio poll ranked Trout sixth in a list of all-time great guitar players, just a few votes behind Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. Some of his albums remain import-only, but Trout has lured a cult following in America with his crisp tones and searing solos. AM



TUESDAY 2/15

TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS, THE JOGGERS, WET CONFETTI
(Bossanova, 722 E Burnside) I had a friend in high school that made me a tape of his favorite hardcore bands. His tape was pretty much crappy, with the exception of one band--the Ted Leo-fronted Chisel. Though Chisel was an awesome mod-pop group in their own right, what now strikes me as even more awesome is that they played their music to a room full of kids in black Hatebreed T-shirts. While that alone took courage, that those same kids have stuck around for a solo career that has seen Leo incorporate dub, Celtic, and other non-traditional influences into his songwriting, demonstrates his remarkable ability to transcend genres, maintain his righteous punk aesthetic, and become the hoodie generation's Elvis Costello. KIP BERMAN



WEDNESDAY 2/16

BRIGHT EYES, JESSE SKYES & THE SWEET HEREAFTER, NEVA DINOVA
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See Music, Pg 14