THURSDAY 7/2

LOVE GRENADES, BIG MOVES, LOVERS,REVERSE DOTTY & THE CANDY CANE SHIVS

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

AT DUSK, TEAM EVIL, ALAN SINGLEY, MICHAEL ROCKSTAR

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) See Music.

NURSES, Y LA BAMBA, MORNING TELEPORTATION

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) When this paper's Andrew R Tonry first started singing the praises of Nurses, way back in the spring of '08, I assumed their motley living-in-a-van gypsy existence was the calling card of a rough and tumble punk act. Imagine my surprise when Nurses turned out to be a sun-soaked pop band peddling sweet melodies and arrangements that beam radiant blasts of colorful optimism. They clean up nicely on their Dead Oceans' debut Apple's Acre (out this August), laying claim to the role of visionary pop act and preparing to no longer be this town's best-kept musical secret. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

THE BETTER TO SEE YOU WITH, PRIZE HOG, ELITIST

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Not since Courtney Love called east side skinhead band Lockjaw "neo-Nazi thugs" in a 1982 Portland scene report has a local group been panned so bluntly in the pages of Maximumrocknroll fanzine: "This is absolutely the worst record I've ever had to listen to all the way through," writes a critic in the June issue, reviewing the Better to See You With's self-titled LP. "Does anyone actually like this band?" asks MRR. "Like" isn't the word, but "Dainty Bones"—halfway through the CD version, out in September on Atavistic Records—begins a tight rotation that spans three destructive tracks. A siren warns to take shelter. A flash of hailing grindcore pounds the streets. Tina Fae Knutson shrieks, "Dangle from my legs!" as the life is simply torn out of her. MIKE MEYER

PATTERNS, NEW FACES, OCEAN AGE

(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) Don't let the name fool you, local band Patterns doesn't abide by its title. Not only have they made frequent name changes (four, last time I checked) but they practically change their tone and style with each song. Channeling everything from electro-rock to slow folk ballads, Patterns jumps around the musical spectrum, haphazardly forming songs to fit every occasion. The constant amid this playful mess is singer Ricci Swift's deep crooning and catchy lyricism, set against drum-driven melodies. With only one release under their belt, 2008's Wading Through Grass EP, tonight's show will hopefully offer a glimpse into a possible Patterns full-length, if that's what they're still calling themselves. PHILIP GAUDETTE

PIKELET, JOSH ARMISTEAD, GROUPER,

(The Wail, 5135 NE 42nd) It's been a pretty good year for Grouper's Liz Harris. Coming off of a recent tour with Animal Collective, Grouper's ambient sound and delicate vocals are stark, yet striking. She'll be teaming up with Australians Pikelet and Josh Armistead for what will surely be a killer evening of folk-inspired ambience, thanks to Pikelet in particular, whose history as a hardcore/punk drummer can be heard in her sugary sweet vocals and multi-instrumental exploration. THEODORA KARATZAS

FRIDAY 7/3

GAYTRIOTIC: DJ SNOWTIGER, MR. CHARMING, DJ GIRLFRIENDS, BOYJOY

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL SCHOOL, FIST FITE, DOUBLE DAGGER

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See Music.

GEPETTO, MACKLEMORE, MIC CRENSHAW, ATLAS, STATE OF MIND, DAPS

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) In the great timeline of Portland hiphop, local emcee Gepetto would fall under the post-Sandpeople/Braille category. Respectfully borrowing from the upbeat bounce and positive flow of these indispensable staples, Gepetto drops his Hypocrite LP tonight, a soul-baring and neatly assembled collection of conscious rhymes and soulful beats. The record is a push and pull of songs that run the gamut from social calls to action to open-book emotional purging. The good moments outshine the misguided ones, and given some time Gepetto might just make his impact on local hiphop with no strings of influence attached. EAC

REVEREND BEAT-MAN, DELANEY DAVIDSON, THE EEGOS, THE LORDY LORDS, COCO COBRA & THE KILLERS

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Rev. Beat-Man is a swearing and swaggering (and Swiss) evangelist for trashy, garage-punk blues. He croaks froggily about being a hard man in a cruel world and plays his guitar like it's Sun Records all over again—but darker, druggier, and schtick-ier. His tour-mate, Delaney Davidson, is a New Zealander whose quiet country-blues has deeper, more gothic depths. Davidson plays Johnny Cash to Beat-Man's Jerry Lee Lewis. They make a nice counterpoint, but we all know who would win in a fight. Brooding beats histrionic any day. BRENDAN KILEY

ALBINO!, LAFA TAYLOR

Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Bands with exclamation points in their names put undue pressure on themselves. Talk about raising listeners' expectations! (I'm looking at you, Wham! and !!!) So, what about these Albino! cats? Do they earn their exciting punctuation? Depends how you feel about afrobeat emulators whose skin lacks pigmentation (okay, the overwhelming majority of Albino!'s members look to be white). Racial makeup aside, these Berkeley, California, musicians approach Fela Kuti's brainchild with a reverent, understated brio. They have Fela's big band's ability to sound at once militarily precise and joyfully loose, enabling you to orderly freak the hell out to their intricate percussive interplay and triumphant horn charts. DAVE SEGAL

SATURDAY 7/4

JONNYX AND THE GROADIES , THRONES, KIT, GAY DECEIVERS

(Worksound, 820 SE Alder) See My, What a Busy Week!

DIRTY PROJECTORS, WHAT'S UP?, DJ HOT AIR BALLOON

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music.

CASUAL ENCOUNTERS: DJ AUTOMATON, DJ JENNY HOYSTON, DJ NOLITA

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

TIPPER, DANNY CORN, SAQI

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) British producer Tipper doesn't just make music, he understands the science behind sound. Evidence of his enthusiasm for sonic experimentation can be found in the use of ultra-low frequencies, an album released in surround sound, and the 10,000-watt sound system installed in his ride. His most recent album, appropriately titled Wobble Factor, gets into all the bass elements that have made dubstep so popular, while still keeping the quirky glitch that's defined his music for over 10 years. Although it's technically accurate that he's often slotted into the "nu skool breaks" category, I tend to think of him more as an IDM guy. He has all of the curiosity of Aphex Twin and intelligence of Autechre, and succeeds in making his sound translate to a dance floor. AVA HEGEDUS

SUNDAY 7/5

WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL: SHARON JONES & THE DAP-KINGS

(Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito) See My, What a Busy Week!

AH HOLLY FAM'LY, CELILO

(rontoms, 600 E Burnside) The local record slingers at Lucky Madison were wise to swoop up the delicate chamber popsters in Ah Holly Fam'ly before some national labels with less noble intentions came calling. The painstakingly deliberate Fam'ly ensemble—seven members strong—recently wrapped up Reservoir, their first recording for the label that should see the light of day come October. Meanwhile, Celilo avoids the opulent arrangements of tonight's headliners, instead settling on a rustic back porch take on hazy Americana. EAC

MONDAY 7/6

Happy Birthday, Inspectah Deck.

TUESDAY 7/7

THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE, DALLAS COUNTY POTENTIAL, JAMES McFARLAND

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See My, What a Busy Week!

WEDNESDAY 7/8

NATALIE PORTMAN'S SHAVED HEAD, COPY, HEY CHAMP, GLINT

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!