WEDNESDAY 4/8

EAR CANDY: PALO VERDE, POLST, SEI HEXE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

BLUE CRANES, ANNA WEBBER SIMPLE TRIO, GAVIN CASTLETON
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Anna Webber's compositions, particularly on her most recent LP Simple, can be scattered affairs, as the Canadian-born saxophonist daringly combines straightforward, Joshua Redman-like melodies with jagged spurts of sound akin to the bleats of late-period Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra sideman Marshall Allen. The music can be starkly beautiful, too, thanks to thoughtful accompaniment by pianist Matt Mitchell and the up-for-anything splay of drummer John Hollenbeck. Webber arrives in town with this trio in tow, and will be joined on this bill by one of our city's best representatives, the equally inventive quintet Blue Cranes. ROBERT HAM

THURSDAY 4/9

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, PERFUME GENIUS
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Belle and Sebastian.

DISAPPEARS, CLAY COLE, BLACK IS BRIGHT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Since their debut album, 2010's Lux, Chicago-based Disappears have been taking garage and punk and dressing it up in krautrock. Imagine Can covering the Velvet Underground, and you're in the vicinity. The band released their fifth full-length, Irreal, earlier this year. It doesn't deviate much from their regular M.O., but this one's a colder, sparser collection. Normally the band's highlights are tied to the moments when they're at their most indulgent, but Irreal works as something like Swans lite—isolationism filtered through a martial groove. It doesn't offer much in the way of hooks or melodies to sink your teeth into, but it rewards your patience. Disappears aren't meeting you halfway; you have to come to them. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN

CABANA, THE EMPTY, BRAKEMOUTH
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) While Portland and Austin continue to slug it out in the battle to maintain above-average levels of weirdness, Seattle quartet Cabana seems content in embracing their city's straitlaced reputation, having named their 2014 album Normal City. That isn't to say that Cabana don't have it in them to get a bit strange. They certainly do, and the playful energy that comes along with the band's shape-shifting approach makes them easy to fall for. At the flip of a switch, Cabana are able to effortlessly move from spaced-out, psychedelic garage-rock to heightened moments of high-octane shoegazing, while maintaining a strong sense of lucidity that makes their sound equal parts calming and animated. Tonight, Cabana close out a West Coast tour that began with an air-tight performance at Treefort Music Fest, so you can be sure their live show will be as sharp as it gets. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

BANE, BACKTRACK, MALFUNCTION
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) When it was announced a year ago that perennially name-dropped hardcore lifers Bane were releasing their fourth and final album, it was strange news. The band's been around for two decades, but with a small number of releases under their belts it seemed somewhat premature, despite their hectic live schedule. It might not be altogether surprising, then, to hear they're doing a victory lap. Touring in support of that final album, Don't Wait Up, Bane had farewell stint in Asia earlier this year, runs through the US on a tour that stops tonight at the Star Theater, and will finish up (ostensibly) with a scorcher of a European goodbye with Comeback Kid and My Iron Lung. Catch the neo-legends as you can. And pick up all that change you dropped on the ground. RYAN J. PRADO

GENTLE BENDER, HAVANIA WHAAL, GOLDEN HOUR, FUTURE ITEMS
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) Golden Hour's debut full-length, Don't Be Cute, is one of the best, and least recognized, albums to come out of Portland this year. The self-released album's 10 songs are all infectious anthems of slightly angular power-pop and post-punk, contained and minimal while also carrying an undeniable sense of immediacy. They nod to everything from Grass Widow to the Breeders to Tiger Trap, and the lyrics are both poetic and political, some of them recreating the feeling of being 14 and hearing "I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" for the first time. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON

FRIDAY 4/10

EZZA ROSE, BALTO, WHITE GLOVE
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE REPLACEMENTS, YOUNG FRESH FELLOWS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) All the indie-rock folks—maybe with their progeny in tow—who fancied themselves losers and underdogs in the '80s are in for a walloping nostalgia wallow tonight. It's kind of funny that the Replacements—who comported themselves as loveable, shaggy fuck-ups during their heyday—are now playing big rooms like the Crystal, at $49.50 a pop (not including fees). It's testament to frontman Paul Westerberg's über-relatable songwriting style and knack for indelible melodies that range from weepily poignant ("Unsatisfied," "Here Comes a Regular") to rambunctiously anthemic ("I Don't Know," "Take Me Down to the Hospital") that the Replacements still compel three decades after their peak. Only Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson remain from the original lineup, but few will mind, as they tear through everything from their early ramshackle punk blowouts to their major-label ballads, their middle-aged savvy tempering their former youthful tempestuousness. Just try not to mar "Alex Chilton" with your off-key singing, okay, Replacements fan? DAVE SEGAL Read our article on the Replacements and the Young Fresh Fellows.

CHRIS TOMLIN
(Moda Center, 1 Center Ct) Chris Tomlin is headlining the Moda Center, which may cause godless Mercury readers to wonder, "Who is Chris Tomlin?" Fair enough. Tomlin is arguably the most successful Christian musician of the past dozen years. He's placed 19 songs in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart, which is a thing, and is an ever-present force on Christian radio. He's the master of modern worship music: Five of Tomlin's tunes are among the 25 most popular worship songs in churches right now, according to CCLI, a Christian-music licensing company. He's won 19 Dove Awards (AKA the Christian Grammys—the "Christ-ies"!) and one actual Grammy. And his 2013 album Burning Lights became the fourth Christian album ever to debut atop the Billboard 200. If soaring pop-rock with faith-focused lyrics is your thing, Tomlin's your man. If it's not, Tomlin'll be okay, as he consoles himself with the sound of an arena full of people singing his songs back at him. Jesus. BEN SALMON

JUNIOR BROWN, THE EASY LEAVES
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) It took a little while for people to catch on to Junior Brown when he came onto the scene in the early '90s. He didn't fit snugly into country music's pop-lite aesthetic at the time; Brown was too much of the real deal. There was something sorta campy about a guy with a 10-gallon hat playing a "guit-steel"—the electric guitar/pedal steel hybrid Brown invented—so it took a British label to release his 1990 debut, 12 Shades of Brown. Of course, now Brown is known worldwide. He's an accomplished player, and he's got a silky deep voice to boot. And while country music has morphed over the past 25 years, Brown just keeps plugging away, leaving naysayers in the dust. MARK LORE

LOREN CONNORS
(Yale Union, 800 SE 10th) The organizers at Yale Union continue their peerless run of performance bookings with a very rare appearance by Brooklyn-based guitarist Loren Mazzacane Connors. The 65-year-old musician is one of the most fluid players around, willing to bend his shimmering, droning electric tones and pinsharp acoustic work to suit anyone that shares his exploratory spirit, be it noiseniks like Keiji Haino and Thurston Moore or folk picker John Fahey. Though his concerts are becoming more infrequent due to Connors working against the unstoppable effects of Parkinson's disease, he fights on with the aim of playing and documenting his efforts until it becomes physically impossible for him to perform and record. Let's rage against the dying of the light with him. RH

HIS NAME IS ALIVE, CYNTHIA NELSON BAND, WL
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Good luck finding a catalog as nonsensical as the one belonging to His Name Is Alive. Over the course of two decades, bandleader Warren Defever has employed a revolving ensemble that's crafted 4AD-approved goth-folk, twisted psych-pop, soulful R&B, blues, noise, and even a tribute album to free-jazz saxophonist Marion Brown. On the 1993 classic Mouth by Mouth, they hit pretty much all these modes at once. And since there's no such thing as a "His Name Is Alive sound," Defever is free to do pretty much whatever he wants. And since there hadn't been an HNIA concept album in the vein of Yes and King Crimson, he decided to make one with last year's Tecuciztecatl. MWS

SATURDAY 4/11

NIGHT OWL RECORD SHOW
(Eagles Lodge, 4904 SE Hawthorne) See My, What a Busy Week!

WITCH MOUNTAIN, HOLY GROVE, ZIRAKZIGIL
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Portland-based doom stalwarts Witch Mountain released one of the better heavy albums of 2014, a slo-mo collision of spine-shuddering riffs, psychedelic sludge, and bluesy swagger called Mobile of Angels. Its roll-out was a bit unconventional, however; vocalist Uta Plotkin, whose jaw-dropping performance is a highlight of the record, announced she was amicably leaving the band after one final tour, which ended in Portland two days before Mobile officially hit the streets. Core Mountaineers Rob Wrong (guitar) and Nathan Carson (drums) spent the winter finding a suitable replacement: Kayla Dixon, a Clevelander with a theater background and perhaps the only set of pipes on the planet capable of succeeding Plotkin. That's hyperbole, of course, but video of the band's recent tour across the South proves that vocal duties for Witch Mountain are in good hands for the foreseeable future. BS

SUNDAY 4/12

WAND, VEXX
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on Wand.

GARTH BROOKS, TRISHA YEARWOOD
(Moda Center, 1 Center Ct) Now that the line between pop and country has been all but erased, and a certain starry-eyed starlet has basically had a monopoly on the country music charts, it's easy to forget those glory days of the early-to-mid-'90s, when a young, baby-faced kid from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was the undisputed king of country radio. With his latest album, Man Against Machine, Garth Brooks has once again taken on the recording industry, bypassing traditional digital marketplaces and selling the album through his personal digital music outlet. That the album (his first in 13 years) debuted at the top of the country music charts, and that he continues to easily fill arenas—including five shows at Portland's Moda Center this week—proves that, after all these passing years and trends, Garth Brooks endures. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY Also see My, What a Busy Week!

MONDAY 4/13

GARTH BROOKS, TRISHA YEARWOOD
(Moda Center, 1 Center Ct) See Sunday's preview, and My, What a Busy Week!

THE HAGUE, BLOWOUT, BEACH PARTY
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) In February, Philadelphia rock outfit Beach Slang made a surprise daytime appearance during a Sunday matinee show at the Sandy Hut. The combination of day drinking and some heartfelt rock music of the highest order made for one of the best bills I've seen all year. Beach Slang aren't playing tonight, but Blowout and Beach Party, the two fantastic Portland bands that helped to make that afternoon so memorable, will be present. Blowout's debut EP, We All Float Down Here, is a collection of five raw and sincere pop-punk gems that pack more catchy riffs and heart-wrenching honesty in its 13 minutes than most full-length albums. Beach Party's underappreciated 2013 release, Demons, is another example of a brief master class in hook crafting. The band's hyperactive style is as dialed in as it gets, calling to mind the undeniable emo-tinged punk found on the Promise Ring's classic Nothing Feels Good. CT

TUESDAY 4/14

KIMBRA, RADIATION CITY, MIKKY EKKO
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

SOUL'D OUT MUSIC FESTIVAL: CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES, BADBADNOTGOOD
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE HELIO SEQUENCE, ADVENTUROUS SLEEPING
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) It's not rare for revered Portland duo the Helio Sequence to flirt with pop sensibilities. It's just that they're buried beneath the complex atmospheres of the Helio patina, a proprietary wash of warm electronic accoutrement and tight instrumentation. For the first glimpse into the band's sixth album, a self-titled release due out May 18 on Sub Pop, the band dropped "Stoic Resemblance," an example of their honed-in pop focus. The song, anchored by the metronomic percussion of Benjamin Weikel, touches on heavy psychedelia, at first sparse with only a chirping bass and a thumpy drum beat. Brandon Summers' jittery, hard-driving melodies sweep up the song's disparate sonic detritus for a great preview of the album to come. RJP