WEDNESDAY 9/3

PANTHER ATTACK, POINT JUNCTURE WA, HATS OFF
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

LIEW NIYOMKARN, WEATHER EXPOSED
(Revival Drum Shop, 2045 SE Ankeny) Percussion mecca Revival Drum Shop recently moved out of its NE Portland location—along with its neighbors Tiga and Beacon Sound—and landed in the more agreeable Buckman neighborhood. Moving along with the shop is the Creative Music Guild's Outset Series, a run of biweekly concerts highlighting experimental fare that Revival has hosted for the past year. This month's first installment should send the many snares in the shop a-rattling thanks to the work of Liew Niyomkarn. The Bangkok-born, LA-based composer uses electronics to disorienting effect, distorting field recordings and found sounds into dark, bubbling puddles of noise and incident. On her latest release, Landing, she mixes those manipulated moments with tracks of recorded rain spatter and other ambience. The combined pieces have an effect that is both stirring and strangely droll. ROBERT HAM

YOUR PEST BAND, WILD MOHICANS, DEFECT DEFECT, PISS TEST
(Boogie's Burgers and Brew, 910 E Burnside) Post-Beatles power pop has historically had a difficult time finding an audience stateside, a tragic reality that has contributed to the decline of its most fabled practitioners (the untimely suicides of Badfinger's Pete Ham and Tom Evans; Alex Chilton's descent into drug-induced musical tumult; Eric Carmen's transformation from rocker into straight-up balladeer). But it's been something of a different story in Japan, where the genre's had a fervent following—best evidenced by Cheap Trick's Live at Budokan—and, as a result, produced some of its own noteworthy acts. Among these are frighteningly energetic Tokyo punks Your Pest Band, whose newest LP, 2013's In My Doom, showcases a wide array of punk and pop influences, ranging from Hüsker Dü (opener "Monolith") and the Marked Men ("How Do You Think") all the way to early Beatles (the title track) and Slade ("Here"). Your Pest Band shamelessly reference and indulge in pop's past without coming off as saccharine or cliché. MORGAN TROPER

RUBY PINS, RAT COLUMNS, LANDLINES
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) If you're a fan of the genre-twisting lo-fi pop played by San Francisco trio Grass Widow and have somehow yet to acquaint yourself with Ruby Pins, do yourself a favor and remedy that situation immediately. It's the solo project of Grass Widow drummer/vocalist Lillian Maring, and the songs that make up Ruby Pins' self-titled debut were slowly pieced together over three years during the downtime between her Grass Widow touring and writing duties. The album was recorded using a single mic and a laptop during a summer spent in the small coastal town of Port Townsend, Washington. The end product resembles a revealing cross-section taken from the towering redwood that is Grass Widow. While the pleasing pop sensibility remains, the three-part harmonies are nowhere to be found, allowing for Maring to explore darker sonic realms from a deeply personal perspective. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

THURSDAY 9/4

BEYONCÉ'S BIRTHDAY: HOLLA AND OATES, RONIN ROC
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

CASTANETS, ALAMEDA, OLD LIGHT
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) After taking a slight detour as Raymond Byron and the White Freighter, Ray Raposa returns this year with the project he started more than a decade ago: Castanets. Decimation Blues is another folk-leaning record loaded with bells and whistles, all built around Raposa's tender vocals. It's a sometimes-weird amalgam that leads to some interesting moments, although "interesting" comes in both good and bad. Drum machines and synthesizers come and go in songs like "My Girl Comes to the City" and "Be My Eyes," sometimes distracting from his sad-bastard tales and even sadder vocals. One thing is certain: It'll be interesting to hear how it all plays out in the live experience. MARK LORE Also see My, What a Busy Week!

BENEFIT FOR JORGE: BLOOD BEACH, THE WOOLEN MEN, HOODED HAGS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) I don't know Jorge Páez, but it sounds like he has excellent taste in music. His Barcelona booking company, Hell Yeah Bookings, has brought great Portland bands like Hornet Leg, the Woolen Men, and Blood Beach across the ocean for European tours. Sadly, Páez's mother in Lima, Peru, recently suffered a brain stroke, and the medical bills are mounting up. That's why a bunch of rad folks in Portland are staging tonight's benefit—to help out Páez's family as best they can. Haunted-beach-party surf-rockers Blood Beach are reuniting specially for tonight's show, and their horror-show psychedelia has been missed around these parts. Garage-janglers the Woolen Men and accelero-punkers Hooded Hags are the other fine folks making tonight's show happen. But you can count yourself among tonight's very real heroes if you give generously at the door. NED LANNAMANN

THE STONE FOXES, JOEL MAGID, FOXY LEMON
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) With a blues-rock foundation and vocals just hidden behind a wall of distortion, the Stone Foxes could easily confuse you into thinking Arctic Monkeys just collaborated with Dan Auerbach. The coolest thing about this band is their Goodnight Moon Project; lead singer Shannon Koehler recruited homeless musicians to play on a track he wrote about living on the streets, and the band collects canned goods at their shows to give to homeless shelters. Based out of San Francisco, the Foxes are modern-day blues slathered on slow, loud rock. Though their gritty vocals and basic chords sound like a lot of bands within the genre, they undoubtedly do it well. ROSE FINN

FOLDING|SPACE: J. ALVAREZ, AUDIOELECTRONIC, TWITCHDOKTOR
(The Rose, 111 SW Ash) Folding|Space is celebrating its two-year anniversary in style. Seattle's J. Alvarez—AKA Chris Roman, who also performs as 214—brings a fresh take on dance music, blending the notorious Miami Bass sound with elements of funk, R&B, and house. With releases on underground electronic labels like Clone, Frustrated Funk, Hypercolour, and Touchin' Bass, he keeps the true spirit of musical innovation alive. His performances run a gamut of styles, offering a taste of the past by way of the future. Also performing is Portland's Closer Festival co-founder AudioElectronic, known for his attentive selections geared toward the most thoughtful of dance-floor junkies. As head of Portland's own Nude Photo Music, he's got an arsenal of grooves to draw from. Prepare to get schooled by some of the Pacific Northwest's most dedicated selectors. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD

FRIDAY 9/5

IN THE COOKY JAR FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
(Eagles Lodge, 4904 SE Hawthorne) See My, What a Busy Week!

FERNANDO Y LOS COCHINOS, TRUJILLO, THE KBs
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Freddy Trujillo's bona fides are unmatched; the local musician has served as bass player for Richmond Fontaine, Fernando, and the Delines—as well as the late, legendary Caguama, the local rock-en-español group fronted by Raul Ugalde, who tragically died in 2010. Trujillo's new album Amexica is the closest thing we'll have to another Caguama record, and it's a diverse, celebratory album that reveals a deep and abiding love of music. Trujillo embraces cumbia, Chicano rock, and Beatles-esque folk and psychedelia across its 40 minutes, paying tribute to Ugalde and Freddy Fender, and examining the topics of immigration and assimilation. It's a remarkable album, deeply rooted in musical traditions but tying familiar genres together in extraordinary ways. Trujillo's record-release set precedes a one-off reunion of Fernando Viciconte's band Los Cochinos, who will revisit Fernando's 1998 album Pacoima for its 15th (more or less) anniversary. NL

BEAR IN HEAVEN, YOUNG MAGIC
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Bear in Heaven hit dead-on where a lot of other bands tend to miss the mark. Headman Jon Philpot manages to create a sound that embodies a moody, desolate nature, with still enough of a clean beat and clear song structure to give the listener direction. The fusion of psychedelic wash and electronic rhythmic movement has a nearly metallic feeling to it, a sort of wild-summer-in-the-gritty-city feel. After their breakthrough, 2009's Beast Rest Forth Mouth, and 2012's follow-up, I Love You, It's Cool, Bear in Heaven has a new album, Time Is Over One Day Old, and an new drummer in Jason Nazaryadapts. ROBIN BACIOR

BEACON SOUND (RE)OPENING: PETER BRODERICK, GABRIEL SALOMAN, GORDON ASHWORTH
(Beacon Sound, 3636B N Mississippi) Portland record emporium Beacon Sound has relocated to N Mississippi, leaving its original home at Prescott Village around the same time as its neighbors similarly find new digs (Revival Drum Shop) or say farewell (Tiga). To celebrate the new store, Beacon Sound is hosting a two-night "(re)opening" party featuring some the best local experimental musicians in the city. The first night serves as a release show for the joint album by Peter Broderick (Efterklang) and Gabriel Saloman (Yellow Swans), released on Beacon Sound's vinyl imprint. It's an intriguing collaboration, with both musicians stretching out and testing their limits over extended instrumentals. The affinity for beauty and calm in much of Broderick's work juts up against Saloman's discordant tendencies—or, at least, I can only surmise that is the case. The nature of the collaboration is entire, as each artist's individual contributions seamlessly become part of the whole. NL

THE MATTSON 2, THE SATIN CHAPS, FEN WIK REN
(Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta) More than anything, the Mattson 2 demonstrate just what a limiting term "jazz" can be—not by its makers, but by its beholders (including myself). The twin brothers' 2011 album Feeling Hands embraces surf rock, shoegaze, Brazilian polyrhythms, and American instrumental post-rock, with a heavy dose of you-gotta-see-this musicianship. But the Mattsons' fluidity and sense of daring is 100 percent jazz, rooted in a love for improvisation and an innate sense of dynamics. They should be something to see, in the flesh, on a Friday night. NL

SATURDAY 9/6

SWANS, CARLA BOZULICH, GROUPER
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

NOFEST
(Various locations, St. Johns) See My, What a Busy Week!

MUSÉE MÉCANIQUE, RAUELSSON, SHELLEY SHORT
(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) Read our article on Musée Mécanique.

EVER ENDING KICKS, STEPHEN STEINBRINK, HALF SHADOW, WHALES WHAILING
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) Read our article on Stephen Steinbrink.

BEACON SOUND (RE)OPENING: 1939 ENSEMBLE, LIKE A VILLAIN, HASTE
(Beacon Sound, 3636B N Mississippi) See Friday's listing.

LOPEZ, BAR FEEDERS, DEAD BY DAWN, POLST, MERRICK FOUNDATION
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) Twenty years ago, Lopez formed in Wenatchee, Washington. Fifteen years ago, they moved here. They hardly ever play anymore, which is why tonight's gig has ballooned into a two-night deal with a total of 10 bands playing the Kenton Club on Friday and Saturday nights. (Friday's bill includes Gaytheist, whose bassist, Tim Hoff, has played guitar for Lopez since 2001.) You might have to venture back onto MySpace for a streaming sample of Lopez's hardcore 'n' roll, which remains as rhythmic and relentless as a lawnmower. Lopez will close down Saturday night's lengthy bill, and if you think you're walking out of Kenton Club without a single drop of beer spilled onto your nice new shirt, you are sorely mistaken. NL

STUART DEMPSTER
(Yale Union, 800 SE 10th) Stuart Dempster has a long history in the avant-classical and experimental community. His trombone playing is featured on the first recording of Terry Riley's peerless minimalist piece In C, and he has worked with other greats of the modern music world, like composers Pauline Oliveros and John Cage as well as drone-metal icons Sunn O))). On his own, Dempster emphasizes music's meditative qualities, using circular breathing techniques to allow for long uninterrupted drones on his trombone (or his other instrument of choice, the didgeridoo). It is strangely soothing, absolutely enveloping, and will surely take full advantage of the Yale Union building's booming acoustics to have listeners thrumming from within. RH

SUNDAY 9/7

SIERRA LEONE'S REFUGEE ALL STARS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

SUPER PROJECTION, ROBOT BOY, SWEEPING EXITS, ROD
(Laughing Horse Books, 12 NE 10th) Sweeping Exits started back in the heyday of the Portland house-show scene, during the late '00s, alongside bands like Typhoon, Southern Belle, and Eskimo and Sons. After a hiatus, main sweeper Sean Archer revived the project and released a pair of grabby, distorto-pop albums: 2012's Ten Hail Marys and 2013's great, self-titled Sweeping Exits. Archer & Co. have just released a new Sweeping Exits EP, and the five-song Happy is brimming with guitar hooks and sing-along melodies, with flashes of punk flair and solar flare. Tonight's all-ages bill is rounded out by Seattle's Super Projection, local pop-punkers Robot Boy (whose "It's Only a Tuesday" is one of Portland's most enjoyable songs of the year), and Rod, the new band from Profcal's Tommy Celt. NL

EARTH, KING DUDE
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Earth polarized a lot of amp-worshippers with 1993's Earth 2, an album that took doom metal to such sonic extremes that it crossed over into a kind of rumbling serenity. Twelve years later, they caused another upset with Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method, which swapped the full-stack thunder of their early years with a Bakersfield-twang death march. Earth's latest album might not be as pivotal as the aforementioned records, but Primitive and Deadly is still a curveball in the Earth canon. The languid narcotic tempos are still in full effect, but guitarist Dylan Carlson has combined the tranquilized metal of Earth 2 with the nuance and space of Hex, resulting in a heavy minimalist psych record that may be their most accessible work to date. BRIAN COOK

MONDAY 9/8

SUN ANGLE, ANIMAL EYES, TALKATIVE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

STORM LARGE AND LE BONHEUR
(Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta) Storm Large's new band Le Bonheur (get it??) is featured on Large's new album of the same name, and Le Bonheur is a largely orchestral selection of standards and other favorites. Big-band staples like "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "The Lady Is a Tramp" sit beside less expected tunes like Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You" and a bizarre take of "N.I.B." that transforms the dinosaur-stomp of Black Sabbath's original into a fruit-cocktail lounge extravaganza. The real focus, though, is Large's powerhouse voice, which sounds perfectly at home on a whispered rendition of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" and peals with wounded pathos on Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas." (Coincidentally, Neil Diamond covered both of these songs on his 1971 album Stones, but sadly, Large's take on "Crunchy Granola Suite" remains to be heard.) Tonight serves as a release show for Le Bonheur, and Large's outsize stage persona should handily fill up every last inch of the intimate Alberta Rose Theatre—but if you already threw down for tonight's sold-out show, you already knew that. NL

TOBACCO, STARGAZER LILIES, OSCILLATOR BUG
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Say this for Tom Fec, AKA Tobacco: You know when you're hearing his music. Across five albums by his group Black Moth Super Rainbow and three solo records, plus dozens of other stray tracks, the guy has so consistently reiterated his (admittedly niche) aesthetic—wheezy, woozy electro-pop pumped out via analog equipment—he has practically become synonymous with the style, à la Bill Monroe and bluegrass, or Kanye West and good music. (One of those is a joke.) Fec's latest fuzz-funk salvo is this year's Tobacco album, Ultima II Massage, a collection of dark, slightly unnerving robot-songs built around hiphop beats and distorted deadpan raps. Tobacco projects are where Fec goes to get sinister, whereas Black Moth gets his pop songs. Casual listeners likely couldn't tell a difference—a testament not only to Fec's steady aesthetic vision, but also the reliable quality of his work. BEN SALMON

ROB ZOMBIE
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) I've known people with otherwise perspicacious tastes who insist that White Zombie is one of the best and most significant hard rock bands to have ever existed. Then again, I've heard similar arguments applied to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and early Slipknot. While White Zombie's La Sexorcisto is an undeniably innovative and occasionally graceful—curious word choice, I know—synthesis of funk, metal, and psychedelia, its lasting significance is confined to its bridging the gap between shitty grunge and shitty nü-metal, and pioneering the irredeemably stupid "circus freak/haunted dollhouse" aesthetic that became a defining characteristic of the genre towards the turn of the century. Any artistic credibility Rob Zombie might have had was single-handedly obliterated by the release of his borderline comedic solo debut Hellbilly Deluxe in 1998, which, along with his equally deplorable forays into filmmaking, completely eclipse any and all of his minor triumphs. Just because he used to be better doesn't mean he was ever particularly good. MT

TUESDAY 9/9

ELENI MANDELL, RACHEL TAYLOR BROWN
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

SCOTT AND CHARLENE'S WEDDING, GHOST TO FALCO
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Scott and Charlene's Wedding might be the best band named after an episode of an Australian soap opera. The New York-via-Oz band sounds like a cross between scrappy indie-rock melody factory Guided by Voices and the Moles, a defunct '90s Aussie psych-pop group with a knack for poignant-as-hell tunes. Scott and Charlene's Wedding bandleader Craig Dermody sings with an expressive flatness that's not a million miles from that of Jonathan Richman. Stuff like this can either sound dreadfully pedestrian or surprisingly uplifting. Much of their success rides on Dermody making the most of his limited pipes and plucking listeners' heartstrings with just the right amount of pathos in his lyrics and tunesmithing. When done this well, hard-luck music can really hit those soft spots. DAVE SEGAL

COLONY HOUSE, KNOX HAMILTON, ADVENTURE GALLEY
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Colony House is a fresh-faced trio from Franklin, Tennessee, whose sound is a seamless pastiche of Phoenix's bouncy faux-indie-pop, Coldplay's widescreen soft-rock, and Arcade Fire's all-together-now whoa-oh-whoa-ing. It's big beats, bigger hooks, and biggest feels from the latest in a recent line of handsome white pop-rock bands who seem to be materializing out of nowhere, ready to play arenas. (Think Bastille, American Authors, Kongos, and Rixton. Or don't.) Anyway, Colony House's single "Silhouettes" is so insidiously catchy, it just might have you rootin' for 'em to get that big breakthrough that is their birthright. If that doesn't work, maybe this cute post from their Facebook page will: "If any of you are unable to get into one of our shows due to an age restriction at the venue, bring five friends and we will do our best to play an acoustic set by our van after the show." Well, okay, that's pretty cool. (If that doesn't work, they're playing an all-ages in-store at Music Millennium on Monday, September 8.) BS

HUNGRY GHOST, UNIVERSE PEOPLE, HEY LOVER
(High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK) Hungry Ghost is the Portland-based two-piece composed of drummer Sara Lund and guitarist Andrew Price. The pair of self-described obscure '90s indie rockers create playful and impassioned blues-driven guitar rock that thrives in the live setting. Between Lund's time spent as the drummer for Unwound and the Corin Tucker Band, and Price's stint in the Irving Klaw Trio, the pair have torn apart stages of all sizes throughout town for the past two decades. Tonight they'll be able to add another venue to the list, after they bash through a mesmerizing set of full-volume rock at Northeast Portland's intimate new High Water Mark Lounge. Seattle's Universe People channel a similar level of high-spirited energy on their recently released Universe People... Are Coming to Dance album, so you can expect a full night of unpretentious and genuine rock 'n' roll. CT