WEDNESDAY 4/1

DE LA SPRING HAPPENING: OHIOAN, MÁSCARAS, DOWN GOWN, SMOKEY KINGDOM, BOZART, CONSUMER, DJ SHOWDEER, DJ DBMONKEY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

JEREMY ENIGK, JEN WOOD, MARK NICHOLS AND THE EVEREXPANDING EXPERIENCE MACHINE, HIP HATCHET
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE ANTLERS, SHAPRECE, MUSÉE MÉCANIQUE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See All-Ages Action!

TOBIAS JESSO JR., OKAY KAYA
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on Tobias Jesso Jr.

HAPPYNESS, ULTIMATE PAINTING, GENDERS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) If you ask me, two of the best albums of 2013 were made by the English pop bands Veronica Falls (Waiting for Something to Happen) and Mazes (Ores and Minerals). So you can understand my excitement when I heard about Ultimate Painting, a collaboration between members of each of those bands. Late last year, Ultimate Painting put out a self-titled record on the amazing Chicago label Trouble in Mind, and it's as wonderful as one might hope, as long one's expectations aren't unreasonably high. It's as jaunty as Mazes in places, and as charming as Veronica Falls in others, with some of the Clean's motorik pulse and Stephen Malkmus' guitar tone and the Velvet Underground's deadpan warmth tossed in here and there. The result is an ultra-catchy, mildly psychedelic, sinewy little slice of indie-pop perfection. Tonight, Ultimate Painting plays Mississippi Studios with Happyness, and that, friends, is a can't-miss. BEN SALMON Also, read our article on Happyness.

YONATAN GAT, ETERNAL TAPESTRY, HORNET LEG, SELECTOR DUB NARCOTIC
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) My first experience with Israeli-born guitarist Yonatan Gat was about a decade ago with his now-defunct maniacal punk band Monotonix. While vocalist Ami Shalev was typically the center of attention—scaling walls, using audience members as tackle dummies—it was hard not to be mesmerized by Gat, who had a Jimmy Page-esque flair about him. He's an incredible guitarist, but even if he only knew three chords, he'd still wield that guitar like a rock 'n' roll weapon. Gat now performs under his own name, recruiting musicians of equal ability and blowing audiences away. If there's a guitar god for the new millennium, it's Yonatan. So help me Gat. MARK LORE

YOUNG THUG, TRAVIS SCOTT, T SPOON
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Against minimally surmountable odds, Atlanta emcee Young Thug has become a star. The androgynous 23-year-old is a paragon of strangeness; with his skintight women's wear and punk hedonism, he seems like the wrong horse to bet on. On Thugga's 2013 mixtape, the fantastically wasted 1017 Thug, he followed his muse down a series of bizarre rabbit holes. Off-key was Young Thug's default setting. He neither rapped nor sang, instead yelping about the ameliorating effects of "lean," or Promethazine cough syrup. It was clearly the record he wanted to make. Atlantic Records sanctioned this—projectile word-vomit and all—in the belief that Young Thug, already a teen idol back home, knew what he was doing. Tha Tour: Part 1, last fall's collaboration with Miami rap mogul Brian "Baby" Williams and dope boy heartthrob Rich Homie Quan, represents a vast change of scenery for Thugga. The snug, soothing production is heavy on new-age piano and brings out his tender side, as he harmonizes gently on "Givenchy" and "Tell 'Em." M.T. RICHARDS

THURSDAY 4/2

WILDFANG TWO-YEAR BIRTHDAY: SUMMER CANNIBALS, CHARTS, DJ NATASHA KMETO
(White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th) See My, What a Busy Week!

TWERPS, LA LUZ, THE WOOLEN MEN, WILL SPROUT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Twerps.

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis, and cutting his teeth in Chicago with Big Joe Williams, Little Walter, and John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite comes from a time when bluesmen played hard and lived harder. Musselwhite has been the go-to blues harmonica guy for everyone from Tom Waits to INXS—that's his harmonica you hear during the opening credits of The Wire. Recently, Musselwhite teamed up with Ben Harper and released Get Up!, which earned him his first Grammy in 2014 for Best Blues Album. Charlie Musselwhite is a goddamn national treasure, and don't let anyone tell you any different. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

BRONCHO, WYATT BLAIR, THE SHIVAS, PSYCHOMAGIC
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The buzz from South by Southwest—and you hear a lot of buzz from South by Southwest this time of year—is that Oklahoma's Broncho blew the roof off of a lot of showcases. Free beer can lead to that kind of praise, but after some cursory listens to Broncho's new wave-inspired post-punk (single "Class Historian" is fantastic), it's entirely possible that for once we're not having the proverbial smoke being blown up our asses. The band just came off a tour with Billy Idol and a short East Coast run with the Growlers, so they've been in great company. RYAN J. PRADO

MONOPHONICS, GENE WASHINGTON AND THE IRONSIDES, DJ AQUAMAN
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) If you grew up listening to George Clinton, got high to the Budos Band, and jammed out to Fela Kuti, you're going to enjoy Monophonics. The Bay Area soul outfit employs trippy guitar solos, tight horn lines, and slow but mighty beats that rival the Dap-Kings in funkiness. They've recorded with Blackalicious, played on the same bill as R&B greats like Al Green and Booker T, and their five musicians play with enough energy and girth that they sound like 15. Monophonics' upcoming album, Sound of Sinning, promises the same retro feel as their prior albums, but it's a little bit more up-tempo, and innovative while simultaneously imitating '60s and '70s funk. ROSE FINN

DRUNKEN PRAYER, SARAH GWEN
(LaurelThirst Public House, 2958 NE Glisan) Drunken Prayer is the musical project started by Portland's (and Asheville, North Carolina's) Morgan Geer, and sometimes, as it often is with projects, Geer is the only member. This is the case with his "Mostly Solo" tour through the West Coast. Drunken Prayer has gone through all kinds of lineup changes and sound experimentation, and most of the time Geer comes across like the bastard child of Tom Waits and Merle Haggard. On the latest 7-inch—covers of the Band's "Evangeline" and Willis Alan Ramsey's obscure "Satin Sheets"—Geer offers nothing but laidback-as-fuck country, and this is where he's at his best. Sarah Gwen released her first record, Elephant, way back in 2012, and has since only played sporadically, which is a shame, but makes it all the more crucial to see her when she does perform. I know I'm not alone in eagerly awaiting Elephant's follow-up. SEH

FRIDAY 4/3

CATHOLIC GUILT, BAD FUTURE, THE ESTRANGED, VIVID SEKT
(Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway) See All-Ages Action!

FLY BY NIGHT: MYKE BOGAN, TOPE, HOT 16, BLOSSOM
(Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler, SW Naito & Salmon) The recent collaboration between KPSU and We Out Here magazine has been one of the most positive things to happen to the Portland hiphop community in recent memory. Their monthly showcase, The Thesis, highlights some of the best local talents at a low cover price. The event has been a boon for music fans looking to discover new artists as well as a place for DJs, musicians, and emcees to network and cross-pollinate. Tonight finds them celebrating their biggest party yet, with an event on a boat. Headliner Myke Bogan is one of the few local rappers who has transposed his skills to a national stage. Don't let his stoney flow fool you—Bogan is a charismatic and energetic live performer, perfect for a party of this magnitude. RYAN FEIGH Also see My, What a Busy Week!

CHARLIE PARR, BETSE ELLIS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Charlie Parr's been around for a long time doing Charlie Parr things: ancient folk music, old-time country blues, traditional songs, and so on. But you can tell he's feeling restless. His 12th record, 2014's Hollandale, was his first instrumental effort, chockablock with meandering, improvised acoustic drones. It was Parr's way of setting aside his usual sound and exploring the world of solo guitar music, à la John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and Robbie Basho. Now he's preparing to release his 13th album, Stumpjumper, on a new label, Midwestern folk-focused Red House Records. It's his first offering where he's backed by a band, and the first song from it, "Over the Red Cedar," features vibrant, lightning-fast picking and Parr's strong, clear voice delivering an appealing melody. It sounds like he's having a blast. Stumpjumper comes out at the end of April, but before that, Parr's touring the West with fiddle wizard Betse Ellis. BS

ORQUESTRA PACIFICO TROPICAL, ANCIENT HEAT
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Orquestra Pacifico Tropical is every bit the fun, rhythmic party that their name suggests. Their beats and style fit into their cumbia genre, and it's so zesty and infectious that even Mormons could dance to them. True to their roots, the Orquestra employ a multitude of percussive instruments, accordion, horns, and sprawling songs that truly capture the essence of what is essentially Colombian afrobeat. The Orquestra has started playing more shows in the last few years, gaining recognition and a fandom as they go. With Portland's music scene so saturated with indie ensembles, it's refreshing to hear and see a little tonal diversity, and to go to a local show that might actually get our stiff hips moving. ROSE FINN

SATURDAY 4/4

ACTION BRONSON, THE ALCHEMIST
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!

ALL-AGES ACTION PRESENTS: SEACATS, OUR FIRST BRAINS, SISTER PALACE
(Parkway North at PSU's Smith Memorial Student Union, 1825 SW Broadway) See All-Ages Action!

DEFECT DEFECT, PRF, VIOLENT PARTY, TENSOR
(Black Water Bar, 835 NE Broadway) See All-Ages Action!

HOUNDSTOOTH, NO LA LA
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Read our article on Houndstooth

MAGMA
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Read our primer on Magma.

THE OO-RAY, BRUMES
(Townshend's Alberta Street Tea House, 2223 NE Alberta) Ted Laderas' work under the name the OO-Ray has been, to date, lovely enough, using his multi-tracked cello and light synth tones to provide a placid feeling. You get no such calm on the OO-Ray's latest album, Empty Orchestra. The songs are built with the same unyielding, enveloping spirit as William Basinski's Disintegration Loops. They are big, swarming MIDI productions that don't let you escape from the sound. It's like standing in the middle of an orchestra as it works out a slowly dripping rewrite that stretches out the opening chords of Also Sprach Zarathustra to epic lengths. ROBERT HAM

IBEYI, FLO MORRISSEY
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Are Ibeyi the French Cuban Björk? Well, they're not quite that quirky or as well connected to some of the world's greatest electronic-music producers, but the Díaz twins (percussionist/vocalist Naomi and pianist/vocalist Lisa-Kaindé) show skewed inclinations similar to Iceland's most famous musical export. (Björk is still bigger than Sigur Rós, right?) On their self-titled 2015 debut album for XL Recordings, Ibeyi favor strange meters, stark beats, unison chants, and melodies that sometimes shimmer into the ether in odd ways. And other times Ibeyi simply sound like Starbucks-tronica—kind of innocuous and conventional. Fortunately, they mostly elude blandness and achieve a deceptively off-kilter species of torch-singer triphop. DAVE SEGAL

OUT FROM THE SHADOWS: SOFT KILL, THE ESTRANGED, ARCTIC FLOWERS, SHADOWHOUSE, UNDERPASS, LUNCH, VICE DEVICE, VATS, DEAD CULT, COMM
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) The little radio station that did, XRAY.FM, is a year old, and we're glad of it. Championing locally sourced content, local music, and the local-yokel kind of talk radio that makes you cry with laughter (see: the Heavy Breather show on Tuesdays at 6 pm), the station is a go-to source for what's rad in the city for lots of people. In the pursuit of perpetuating that status, XRAY DJ Dave Cantrell has organized Out from the Shadows, a festival that highlights the best that Portland's darkwave and post-punk scenes have to offer. Featured acts include the blazingly great punkers the Estranged and the murky musicality of Vice Device. RJP

NOIZEMAKERS, HYPERACTIVE, DANNY THE WILDCHILD, PHIDELITY, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF TECHNO
(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Are 12-hour dance parties your thing? Here you go. This event starts in the afternoon and ends when the law says it's time to go. Chicago's DJ Hyperactive headlines the show and has been around for more than two decades, developing a cult following for his flavor of driving techno. For the drum-and-bass heads, Danny the Wildchild will be in the house. This guy has pumped up the jam at raves for as long as I can remember. You can be certain that a bevy of DJs with lovingly tended record crates will be holding it down tonight, so get ready to work it out on the dance floor. Bunny suits not required. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD

CJ BOYD, CONSUMER, THE BINARY MARKETING SHOW
(Mothership Music, 3611 NE MLK) The off-kilter electro-pop of Portland duo the Binary Marketing Show sounds as if it were created partly in outer space and partly underwater. Their music floats and sinks in a lo-fi haze of blissful and slightly uncomfortable textures. Imagine Yo La Tengo singing over Matmos tracks, or a more disturbed Cock and Swan, or People Like Us' sound collages being turned into pop songs. Live, the Binaries mix synths, woozy vocal effects, drum machines, samplers, guitars, and horns into a hypnotizing and playful performance. It's smart, lyrically interesting, and shares almost nothing with the barrage of clean-cut, ready-for-college-radio synth-pop happening these days. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

SUNDAY 4/5

THE PREATURES, THE BOTS, BLOODS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD, THE SMITH STREET BAND, JEFF ROSENSTOCK, CHUMPED
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See All-Ages Action!

THE SHRINE, DIRTY FENCES, R.I.P.
(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) The Shrine follow the green-bud scent of Fu Manchu, soundtracking skate vids and mosh pits with their riff-heavy stoner rock. In fact, the Shrine recently visited Japan for a tour that was set up by Tsuyoshi Nishiyama, skater and owner of the Felem Skates skate shop. Needless to say, the band got a slightly different experience in the Land of the Rising Sun. Here in the States, metalheads and punkers love the Shrine, too. And for good reason: The trio's latest, Bless Off, is an unrelenting riff orgy, taking the best of Sabbath and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, packing it into their own bowl, and smoking it. ML

MONDAY 4/6

YELLE, HIBOU
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE DOUBLECLICKS, JOSEPH SCRIMSHAW, MOLLY LEWIS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

PEACH KELLI POP, WYATT BLAIR, PSYCHOMAGIC
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Spring has sprung, people aren't miserable anymore, and the sun is shining in Portland (depending on when you read this). For those of you who've survived, Peach Kelli Pop's infectious bubblegum pop-punk is a sound for sore ears. Formed in 2009 by Canadian drummer Allie Hanlon, Peach Kelli Pop has grown into a full live band, with two bouncy, funny, sugary pop albums to their credit. On the horizon is the release of the third, III, a collection of fast-paced rockers inspired by vintage videogaming ("Princess Castle 1987") and mannequin love ("Plastic Love"). RJP

TUESDAY 4/7

BOYZ II MEN, OREGON SYMPHONY
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Halll, 1037 SW Broadway) See My, What a Busy Week!

RED BULL SOUND SELECT: GARDENS AND VILLA, HELVETIA, GRANDPARENTS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!

STROMAE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) After a half-decade of significant international success but little traction in America, Stromae seems to finally be breaking through here. The Belgian dance-pop star's recent appearance at SXSW was one of the buzziest of the festival. He'll stop in Portland on his way to a highly anticipated set at Coachella. And in October, he'll headline a cool little performance space in New York City called Madison Square Garden. It's about time we caught on—Stromae's music is pretty irresistible. It's super upbeat and danceable, powered (but not overwhelmed) by electronic throb and flecked with global flavor. His voice is warm and sturdy, and his lyrics often deal with issues like prejudice, violence, and class conflict, a rarity in dance music. Add it all up and Stromae is the total package. For proof, visit YouTube, check out his massive hit "Papaoutai," and push the video a little closer to 250 million total views. BS

ELIAS STRING QUARTET
(PSU Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 SW Park) The folks at Friends of Chamber Music have been bringing the finest small-scale ensembles to Rose City for 76 years, and they're currently playing host to the Elias String Quartet for a pair of concerts. Following Monday's gig, tonight's program boasts a brilliant trinity of legendary composers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, zeroing in on a pair of late-career masterworks from Britten and Beethoven. Both compositions are steeped in a slightly blurry, unresolved melancholy that seems to continually raise questions and avoid easy answers, so mentally prepare yourselves for a night of rather intense introspection. The more I listen to English marvel Benjamin Britten, the more I fall in love with him, and the opportunity to witness his sublime Quartet No. 3 in G Major, Op. 94 performed live and gloriously unplugged within the intimate walls of PSU's Lincoln Hall should not be dismissed lightly. And don't be late: A delightful helping of F.J. "Papa" Haydn kicks off the show. BRIAN HORAY

IAMSU!, ROME FORTUNE
(Alhambra Theatre, 4811 SE Hawthorne) With his dyed blue beard and woozy flow, Rome Fortune is one of the best freaks that hiphop has produced since fellow Atlantans Outkast decided to get real, real gone. The mixtapes that Fortune's unleashed on the world since 2012 are nasty and hypnotic, built with a mind for mood and waking up the third eye. Or, as he told Spin magazine last year about his method for directing producers like Childish Major and Bassnectar: "I'll be like, 'Hey, man, I want something that sounds like a laser gun shooting a dolphin underwater.'" He adds a psychedelic swirl to the devilish things the South's hot climate inspires. RH