THURSDAY 7/24

THE DUKE SPIRIT, REPORTER

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) With the release of their second album, Neptune, the Duke Spirit have turned the corner to sure-footed professionalism. Their early work convoked garage with glam, with an ear to the fuzz pop of the Jesus and Mary Chain and the shoegazer sounds of the late '80s. This time around, the garage is stripped back to make room for the glam, which is perfectly suited to the style of lead singer Liela Moss, a blonde powerhouse who's been likened to Nico but whose effervescent enthusiasm couldn't be further away from the German icon's icy cool. With Moss at the helm, the rest of the Duke Spirit is given ample room to dig a deep ditch of moody, bruised rock, while Moss darts above it all, bringing light to every dark corner. NED LANNAMANN

AT THE GATES, DARKEST HOUR, MUNICIPAL WASTE, TOXIC HOLOCAUST

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Calling all punks and longhairs: "Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up!" It's promised in 17 different ways on The Art of Partying, a near-caseload of crossover thrash that would rather be poured into a beer bong than reviewed. Sweden's At the Gates thought it had made a punk record over Slayer beats with 1995's Slaughter of the Soul, an album that has since defined melodic death metal. Fittingly, the band has recalled its members from the Haunted and Disfear for one more tour to show us how it's done. Expect chilling lead guitar (evoking Dissection, which shared the group's practice space) and sobering, suicidal sing-along (uniting Unfun-era Jawbreaker with guttural D-beat hardcore). Do yourself a favor and take tomorrow off. MIKE MEYER

EXTRA LIFE, NAT BALDWIN, YUKON

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Charlie Looker's resume includes studies in improvisational music, six years in the avant-garde rock band Zs, and collaborations with Tyondai Braxton and jazz saxophonist Daniel Carter. Extra Life began its existence as Looker's solo project, now expanded to a full-band sound on their debut, Secular Works. Currently touring the West Coast as a duo, Extra Life's songs carry a magnificent tension, with a musical density hearkening back to the early-'80s work of Glenn Branca and Rhys Chatham. At their best, they combine rock dynamics with a structural and philosophically complex sensibility, with the result being brutally and compellingly immersive. TOBIAS CARROLL

ANNIE & THE DREAMBOATS, SHANNON & THE CLAMS, SCHWULE, HUFF THIS

(5410 NE 17th) Reminiscent of the legendary riot grrrl movement, Annie & the Dreamboats are shimmying into the underground scene with songs promoting big-girl love. Sounding like a young Kathleen Hanna, adorable size queen Annie Maribona belts out a declaration of self-acceptance in the crowd-pleasing anthem, "I'm Awesome," chanting out sassy lyrics: "What do you think when you're walking down the street?/I don't care/'Cause I'm awesome!" Their message: Have fun and love yourself for who you are, regardless of what all those silly fashion magazines think. Speaking of fashion, this show is a benefit for the Dreamboats frontwoman's big entrepreneurial vision, Fat Fancy!, a clothing depot specializing in cute vintage and modern attire for people of size. EM BROWNLOWE

FRIDAY 7/25

SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS, MARC BROUSSARD

(Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon) With hot kicks and greasy licks, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are the current crownholders for the funkiest, grooviest, most soulful band on the planet. You might feel like you're traveling back in time with their classic, retro vibe, but more likely you'll find that their timeless brand of rhythm 'n' blues—and Jones' powerful wail—carries no expiration date. NL

PDX POP NOW!: THE BUILDERS & THE BUTCHERS, DEVIN PHILLIPS BAND, NICK JAINA & MORE

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See From the Crowd to the Stage.

DRATS!!!, CAGUAMA

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Released on the cusp of the Reagan years, the film Over the Edge perfectly captured the height of suburban white flight ("Welcome to New Granada, where people come to escape city life") combined with some (unintentionally hilarious) moments of teenage boredom turned violent. The gents in local band Drats!!! love the film (they also love exclamation marks!!!) so much that they've penned an entire rock operetta in its honor, which they will be performing in its entirety tonight. Titled Welcome to New Granada, the operetta features the loose garage rock of the band as they tell the story of a little town gone horribly wrong. And if you need help keeping up with the story, the band will provide programs—but keep in mind the only thing you need to remember from the film is the timeless line: "A kid who tells on another kid is a dead kid." And don't you forget it. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

DJ SHADOW, CUT CHEMIST, THE MIGHTY UNDERDOGS, REV. SHINES

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Here is my list of the sexiest tunes of the triphop era: "Superheroes" by Esthero, "It's a Long Road" by Funki Porcini, "Original Bedroom Rockers" by Kruder & Dorfmeister, "Sexy Selector" by Rockers Hi-Fi, and, of course, "What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1—Blue Sky Revisit)" by DJ Shadow. Found at the end of DJ Shadow's Endtroducing..., the tune has a slamming beat, a horn that longs to caress a beautiful body, and a bass line that forms the curves of a beautiful someone. At the end of a loop, there's a sudden eruption of depth charges; released from a quick scratch, a choir is devoted to the Gods of procreation; and as warm things sonically shimmer in the moonlight of a transfigured night, a woman sings to her man in English and a man sings to his woman in Spanish. The erotic atmosphere is thick, moist, and marvelous. DJ Shadow knows sex inside and out. CHARLES MUDEDE

FLEET FOXES, THE DUTCHESS & THE DUKE, HARPER SIMON, ERIC EARLEY

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Christ-like in shaggy appearance, Fleet Foxes frontman Robin Pecknold launches incense-smoke-thick harmonies with bandmates Skyler Skjelset, Casey Wescott, Christian Wargo, and Josh Tillman on their eponymous debut. The fruit of agnostic Seattle, the folk pop quintet takes motley '60s influences and churns them into nondenominationally sacred songs like "Blue Ridge Mountains," the equally stellar "Heard Them Stirring," and the arresting single "White Winter Hymnal." It's an invitation to jukebox discipleship, with Pecknold's trademark exalting tenor reminiscent of climbing an alpine mountain or catching a sun break in their cloud-covered home. JALYLAH BURRELL

THE MELVINS, BIG BUSINESS

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) It's tempting to dismissively state that after twentysomething records in twentysomething years, there is nothing more to be said about the Melvins. What new insight could anyone possibly bestow upon such an institution? But the band is always new to somebody. They're not some dinosaur act that keeps pulling the same aging flannel-clad metal heads out of the woodwork. No, there is always a fresh crop of hungry music fans that finally "get it." Even the longtime fans have some room for fresh discoveries in the output of King Buzzo and Dale Crover. Everyone likes "The Bit" the first time they hear it, but it may take years for "Goggles" to really sink in. And that is why the Melvins continue to be relevant and vital. BRIAN COOK

SUMMER BUMMER: THE PITY FUCKS, HOWIE & THE HOTKNIVES, CAFETERIA DANCE FEVER & MORE

(Twilight Café and Bar, 1420 SE Powell) In its essence, Cafeteria Dance Fever is a garage noise fest featuring the catchy pop-punk songwriting of lanky frontman Cain Hendricks. Standing firm, he strums his fuzzed-out guitar while singing monotone melodies about rotten hot dogs, ripping out eyeballs, and plague-infested rats. Meanwhile, brothers Tim and Mark Janchar (who, besides rocking out in CDF, founded local garage-pop label Hovercraft and curate venue/art space Worksound) fuse in feedback-pierced guitar riffs fueled by intense, pants-splitting high kicks and guitar mutilation that often ends in broken necks and splinters. They're just one of many acts taking part in the Summer Bummer event, which begins in the afternoon in the parking lot of BC's American Saloon (2433 SE Powell); at 6:30 pm, the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers will lead a procession down SE Powell to the Twilight, where the Bummer continues. EB

SATURDAY 7/26

GIRL TALK, PANTHER, MONKEY TRICK

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Girl Talk is not a DJ, a mashup-making hack, or some clown with an iPod and dance party dreams. Instead, Gregg Gillis is an artist of sound whose obsessive ability to cram so much music into one thumping mix joyfully satiates modern culture's desire to gorge itself on as much as possible. EAC

PDX POP NOW!: STARFUCKER, ATOLE, LOCH LOMOND, PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT, LIVING PROOF, BLIND PILOT & MORE

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See From the Crowd to the Stage.

NO AGE, MIKA MIKO, ABE VIGODA, GUN OUTFIT

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) "Tropical" punk band Abe Vigoda takes the clean, repetitive guitar lines of South African mbaqanga music favored by bands like Yeasayer and Vampire Weekend, and infuses them with frenzy and confusion. Their third album, Skeleton, is both expansive and intensely focused, with echoey guitars atop tightly compacted melodic phrases, and grooves repeated to the point of trance. They evoke a Carnival parade that took a wrong turn down a dark, inaccessible side street, with costumes and dancers piling up into a festive, fleshy mound. It's difficult to think of a kind of dancing that would be inappropriate for this music. Abe Vigoda came up through the famed Smell scene in LA and share the bill with scene figureheads No Age, who have a similarly deconstructive approach to accessible, feel-good pop music. NL

THE WATSON TWINS, TIM FITE, NEWSPAPERS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) While many a gal has plundered from the tomb of '60s girl-group acts (beware the curse of the Hollywood Jills), the Watson Twins' foray into vintage pop is as tasteful as they come. Known best for their rootsy earlier days and the time spent outshadowing Jenny Lewis (whom they backed on her Rabbit Fur Coat tour) the identical twin sisters are fresh on the road in support of Fire Songs, an album true to its title with slow-burning love songs that shine bright with a pair of overlapping vocals, restrained songwriting, and one feisty cover of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven." It's passionate, original, and just downright compelling. And speaking of '60s girl-group graves, can someone roll the Pipettes into one? EAC

LIVE WIRE!: WILLY VLAUTIN, RICHMOND FONTAINE, DERBY, RALPH HUNTLEY & THE MUTTON CHOPS

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) I loved the hell out of both Willy Vlautin's novels, The Motel Life and the recently published Northline. Both were tender and sad and riveting and had characters that were vivid and heartbreaking. Vlautin brings these storytelling gifts to his songs for the band Richmond Fontaine as well. Oddly, however, I have never completely warmed to RF like I have Vlautin's novels, despite being a fan of their whispery, lap steely, alt-countryish grooves. I think it's because Vlautin, for all his writing prowess, doesn't have the most compelling singing voice. It's appropriately raspy and whiskey-soaked, but it also sounds careless to me, as if Vlautin himself could give a shit, so long as his voice sufficiently communicates his great stories—which it does. I was therefore nearly shocked recently when I heard him reading from Northline on his website. His reading voice was rich, resonant, deep, haunting, expressive, and memorable—everything I hope to hear when he sings, and rarely do. I'm convinced now that the live OPB radio event Live Wire! is thus the perfect venue to experience Vlautin in performance mode. You'll get a taste of the band (two songs maybe), but a good, hearty bite of the man, who I believe will be interviewed and who will read from his book... in that voice... that sweet, sweet voice. JUSTIN W. SANDERS

SUNDAY 7/27

PDX POP NOW!: NEW BLOODS, NORFOLK & WESTERN, SANDPEOPLE, WHITE FANG, EAT SKULL, PURE COUNTRY GOLD & MORE

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See From the Crowd to the Stage.

THE HOLD STEADY, THE LOVED ONES

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See Return to the Party Pit.

JAY REATARD, CHEAP TIME

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Four singles into a six-single deal with Matador Records, Jay Reatard encompasses every aspect of garage and punk, channeling the Stooges, Talking Heads, and the Ramones through a murk of sweat and scabs. But buried under the snot and attitude is a genuinely great pop songwriter, with tunes that worm their way into your skull and refuse to vacate the premises. His latest 7-inch is a split with Deerhunter in which they take turns covering each other's songs, and by the looks of the picture on the sleeve, sharing some other things as well. Meanwhile, Nashville's Cheap Time play punk pop boiled down to its crudest essences—forward momentum, budding sexuality, and the desire to party all night long. NL

M.A.N.D.Y., BRENT KETTNER, ANTON LOSHE, DUG CRATES

(The Station, 2410 N Mississippi) M.A.N.D.Y.'s Patrick Bodmer and Philipp Jung have known each other for over 20 years. Despite an inclination to become adult professionals, their shared infatuation with dance music and clubbing had the two throwing underground parties and producing tracks even after their separate detours to university. They slowly made something from nothing with DIY promotion tactics, and after getting noticed by DJ T and Booka Shade, the pair started the now prominent Get Physical label. Their sound is often described as electro-house, but that label is a bit misleading. The massive bass element is there, but there is an artful subtlety in the details, along with skilled, intuitive selection that keeps people interested on the dance floor beyond the bangers. That should work out nicely tonight, since rumor has it they are planning a four-hour set in honor of their first Portland appearance. AVA HEGEDUS

MONDAY 7/28

THE ERGS, HUNCHBACK, RED DONS, THE REVISIONS, UH-OH

(Exit Only, 1121 N Loring) A perfect fit on local label Dirtnap, New Jersey's the Ergs gleefully cram every fleeting moment of your teenage punk years into one two-minute pogo-happy punk song. Upstairs/Downstairs is innocent, unapologetically dorky, and the most inspiring foray into pop-punk that you'll hear in ages. The Ergs play two shows in town this week, including an acoustic in-store on Wednesday at Green Noise Records. EAC

TUESDAY 7/29

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN, HORSE FEATHERS, HARPER SIMON

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) With summery pop tunes, a breezy delivery, and an easygoing charm, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down are the perfect band for these warm summer evenings. Thao Nguyen sings with the friendliness and honesty of an old pal, and before the night is over you'll sure to be singing along. Meanwhile, Harper Simon—son of Paul—will kick off the show. NL

THE SUBWAYS, FIST FITE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Oh, man. The Subways! Long time since I heard that name! I remember I used to tell Ryan he had to listen to them, but he was always too busy getting all broody over Marissa. Don't ask me, man—he was always rocking to Journey, like they had anything on Jem or Keane or Rooney! But yeah, last summer the Subways came through and played the Bait Shop. I went alone, but c'mon—ever since Ryan moved to Berkeley with Taylor, and ever since Summer "reassessed things" and disappeared into thin air with that dude who looks like Anakin Skywalker, it's not like the ol' iCal has been overflowing, right? Anyway, I've seen better crowds at the Bait Shop. When I walked in, I was all, "Whoa, is this the Bait Shop or the Fortress of Solitude?" The Subways, who were the only other people there, didn't think that was very funny. I wish Alex still worked there—she always thought I was pretty funny. But now she's gone, too. Just like everybody else... Sometimes, when I'm trying to fall asleep, I whisper into Captain Oats' ear how lonely I am. SETH COHEN

WEDNESDAY 7/30

AQUEDUCT, BOAT, GRAVES

(Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Pl) You know those arms-crossing mopey kids who refuse to even tap a goddamn toe at rock shows? Well, the fast, catchy, rich music of pop rockers Aqueduct is like kryptonite to them! Or like garlic! If they were vampires. Or Superman. ANYWAY. From Seattle by way of Tulsa, Aqueduct cranks out synthy beats that will have even the most ardent wallflower bouncing like a pogo stick. Yes, that means you. EH

TITUS ANDRONICUS, FAUNTS, SAD HORSE, HOT VICTORY, ROB WALMART

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Better Than Shakespeare.

SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS, FINCH, FOXY SHAZAM, TICKLE ME PINK

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) On July 1 of this year, on the very day that Fort Collins, Colorado's Tickle Me Pink was to celebrate the release of their debut album Madeline, they instead endured the shocking news that bassist Johnny Schou was found dead at his home at the age of 22. Against all odds, and at the behest of what the band figured Schou would have wanted, they chose to continue with their planned US tour opening for Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Finch. In lieu of perpetuating any modicum of pity, the real reason you ought to check out the band lies in their salient songcraft, a fusion of post-emo lamentation anchored by the kind of epic vocals and potent missives that made bands like Ours and Anberlin somehow eerily connected. RYAN J. PRADO