WEDNESDAY 10/28
RED FANG, WILD THRONE, THE BUGS
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!
MAC DeMARCO, ALEX CALDER, THE COURTNEYS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See All-Ages Action!
SAWYER FAMILY, MOTHERS WHISKEY, DJ MIKE V
(Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan) Read our article on Sawyer Family.
YONATAN GAT, MUJAHEDEEN, SAVILA
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Caveman shredder Yonatan Gat retains much of what made his former band Monotonix such a phenomenally energizing, physical experience. As with his previous group, Gat's performances are feverishly brief, hyper-addled posi-blasts. Blink and it's over. Also like Monotonix, Gat's mostly instrumental guitar/bass/drums trio prefers performing smack-dab in the middle of the audience rather than onstage. Closing the distance allows the room to rise and fall with the same breath. Gat's more a dynamic feel-player than a technical wizard, making such proximity particularly affecting. But this isn't Monotonix Redux. Missing is the transcendent, daring, dangerous, confrontational performance art. Gat also relies less on stoney, punk-metal riffage, casting a wider net by wrangling rhythms and scales from across the globe. His drummer, an absolute animal, is more than up for the task, a whirling dervish whose beats roll like high-speed centrifuges. Together they're like a goddamn tornadoâyou know, kind of like Monotonix, only a hair less destructive. ANDREW R TONRY
GOLDEN HOUR, MO TROPER AND THE ASSUMPTIONS, SNOW ROLLER
(The Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont) Golden Hour's heartfelt devotional punk has been a soothing force in the Portland DIY scene. Their self-released tape, Don't Be Cute, is as vibrant as it is gritty, with all 10 songs recorded live in one or two takes. The trio's unified lead vocals and harmonies make for brutally honest, unpretentious storytelling and one of the best local releases of the year. Live, Golden Hour are characterized by piercing individual yawps and deep stares into each other's eyes, making it clear these musicians have a special connection. Opening tonight's show is Portland melodic-grunge four-piece Snow Roller, playing their first show with some new additions: bassist Mac Pogue (Alien Boy, Drunken Palms, and Mercury contributor) and guitarist Jackson Walker (Helens, Robot Boy) join founding members guitarist/vocalist Collin Kritz and drummer Nathan Tucker. Mo Troper (yet another Mercury contributor) and his new band, the Assumptions, join them. CAMERON CROWELL
TAV FALCO'S PANTHER BURNS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) Since the late '70s, Tav Falco has been the platonic ideal of a garage rocker. The nattily attired gent from Memphis with the matinee-idol looks has spent the past 30-plus years perfecting an unhinged sound that combines the raucous splay of rockabilly, deeply felt soul and R&B, and an X factor that could be a chemical imbalanceâor chemically induced. Along the way and with his ever-morphing band, Panther Burns, Falco has produced some lo-fi classics like his 1981 debut, Behind the Magnolia Curtain (recorded with the late Alex Chilton), and 1992's Life Sentence in the Cathouse. He arrives in Portland backed by an all-star band that includes former Minutemen/Stooges bassist Mike Watt and Nick Cave/Residents associate Toby Dammit. ROBERT HAM
S, HASTE
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Seattle label Hardly Art has made a habit of shining a spotlight on talented acts up and down the West Coast, and in doing so, they've become one of the most consistent imprints going. While you should already be aware of the label's on-the-rise acts like Chastity Belt, La Luz, and Tacocat, those are just the tip of the iceberg. Seattle-based songwriter Jenn Champion, formerly a member of sadcore pioneers Carissa's Wierd (and known until recently as Jenn Ghetto), currently makes devastatingly confessional indie-pop under the name S. Her first album for Hardly Art, Cool Choices, was the break-up album of 2014, and it contains some of the best moments of Champion's two-decade career. If you're planning on chowing down a Bunk sandwich tonight, be sure to take care of that beforehand. Mr. Show may have taught us that sad songs are nature's onions, but the teardrops Champion will elicit will just make your delicious Cubano salty and soggy. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
TAJI, LEO ISLO, BIBLIOTHEK
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Over the last year, Portland-based producer/singer Matt Pahler, AKA Leo Islo, has been churning out track after track of silky, danceable chillwave club bangers since signing with LAMP (Los Angeles Music Project), including the remix EP for the addictive "Oh Dystopia" and the newly released "Higher Living." Drawing similarities to fellow Portland bedroom-pop producer Dan Vidmar (AKA Shy Girls), Pahler resides in the land of the feel-good, pulsating songs that lead to timeless nights spent abandoning yourself to dance at Holoceneâor even on a beach in Ibiza. Rounding out tonight's bill are synthpop producer Taji (whose posi-laden jam "She Loves Good" was released this week) and Bibliothek, who are expected to drop their newest single soon in anticipation of their upcoming December to Remember show with Robert DeLong. JENI WREN STOTTRUP
MR TWIN SISTER, TIMOTHY THE DJ
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Let's be clear: Mr Twin Sister is the same band as the Brooklyn-based Twin Sister that experienced some blog-buzz success in 2010. They just changed their name, adding "Mr" to the beginning (but apparently no period). At the same time, Mr Twin Sister isn't really the same band as Twin Sister. The latter's 2011 album In Heaven is a perfect example of indie-synth-pop that's bouncy but downbeat, and dreamy but meticulous. Twin Sister pulled off mood music without sacrificing craft. On its 2014 self-titled album, Mr Twin Sister does the same, but the band has undergone an aesthetic shift, draping Andrea Estella's breathy melodies in sparkling layers of lush electro-R&B and post-disco digi-funk. It's like Björk gone Balearic, and it's spectacular. Mr Twin Sister is one of 2014's best (and most overlooked) pop albums, and Mr Twin Sister promises a dance party tonight at Holocene. Don't miss it. BEN SALMON
JOHN SHEPSKI AND VACILANDO, NICK FOLTZ
(Al's Den, 303 SW 12th) When you're the boss of one of Portland's finest record labels, you get to play music with some of the finest local musicians. John Shepski might be best known as the head honcho of label and recording studio Fluff and Gravy, but he's also a damn good songwriter in his own right, both solo and with his trippy alt-country outfit, Vacilando. For his weeklong residency at Al's Den, which continues through Saturday, Shepski has invited the best balladeers in town to share the tiny stage, folks like Vikesh Kapoor, Jeffrey Martin, and more. It'll be impossible to pick which night to attend, so you might as well get a room at the Crystal Hotel and hang out all week. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY
CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJECT
(The Goodfoot, 2845 SE Stark) Big afrobeat bands are whip-tight, brightly powerful, and fucking awesome. The more members, the better. There's just something specialâand rareâabout 10 or more humans twined in rhythmic, egalitarian harmony. That collective energy should be further amplified on this night in the cozy confines of the Goodfoot's basement, with Chicago Afrobeat Project, a group with a dorky name and appearance but plenty of bona fides. They began in 2002 and have shared the stage with Tony Allen, legendary drummer for afrobeat forefather Fela Kuti. The Afrobeat Project does covers, including Kuti's marvelous "Open and Close," as well as originals which are reverent of the source material and wholly worthwhile. ART
RiFF RaFF, MIMOSA, I$$A
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Houston rapper RiFF RaFF is often compared to the likes of the Bay Area's Lil B. This isn't because of their similar styles, but their larger-than-life personas which derive almost entirely from their presence and not the music. RiFF RaFF's persona is best described by stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress, who says he attended a show where the DJ played the recorded songs and RiFF RaFF chimed in with a lyric every 15th word or so. Or possibly he's best illustrated by the first show he performed in Atlanta, opening for crass punk band the Black Lips and complaining about the lack of molly and coke backstage. Or possibly it's in the "Tip Toe Wing in My Jawwdinz" music video, where he has a guy dancing with 15 pairs of Jordans tied to his body. Take it or leave it, RiFF RaFF is going to do whatever he's feeling on stage and not care either way. CC
THURSDAY 10/29
JUNGLE SPACESHIP BALL
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!
HANSON, PAUL McDONALD
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE CĂ©sar E. ChĂĄvez) See My, What a Busy Week!, and All-Ages Action!
DILLY DALLY, FORCE PUBLIQUE
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Read our article on Dilly Dally.
NATALIE PRASS, PROMISED LAND SOUND
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) There's a video floating around that shows Natalie Prass and her band playing a cover of Slayer's "Raining Blood" in the A.V. Club studios. It's heavy but melodic, and goes a long way to show just how far Prass' influences reach. It's also a pretty ballsy move for someone who might be new to wider audiences, and someone whose usual vibe approximates easy-listening pop. Prass' self-titled debut album dropped earlier this year, but with a high-visibility tour opening for Ryan Adams (the internet went berserk over a video of Adams covering Prass songs in a dress when she couldn't make a Copenhagen gig earlier this year), and pedigree as a former member of Jenny Lewis' touring band, the future looks good for Prass. RYAN J. PRADO
THE SWORD, KADAVAR, ALL THEM WITCHES
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Like doom-metal elder statesmen Saint Vitus, the '70s hard-rock revivalists in Kadavar were born too late. The German band got their start in 2010, but as far as the sound of their records is concerned, the past 30 years didn't happen. Steeped in the proto-metal of Black Sabbath, Witchfinder General, and Hawkwind, Kadavar takes pains to sound like a contemporary of their three-plus-decade-old influences, right down to the vintage production on albums like the awesomely titled Abra Kadavar from 2013 and the brand new Berlin. Sure, the criticisms are easy and obviousâthis is naked nostalgia after allâbut I was probably born too late, too. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN
WINDHAND, DANAVA, MONOLORD
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) After making a career-defining statement with their 2013 release, Soma, Windhand could easily have turned on the cruise control and squeezed out another near-masterpiece of doom metal. Instead, this Virginia-based quintet went and found their groove. The group's third full-length, Grief's Infernal Flower, doesn't venture into stoner-rock territory, but they have injected a healthy amount of psychedelia into their lava-thick bloodstream. Tracks like "Forest Clouds" and the epic-length one-two punch of "Hesperus" and "Kingfisher" (both venture just beyond the 14-minute mark) have enough swing in their otherwise stomping gait to allow for a little hip wiggling when experienced at maximum volume. RH
FRIDAY 10/30
KRISTIN HERSH
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) See My, What a Busy Week!
HILLSTOMP, THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!
HANSON, CARRICK
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE CĂ©sar E. ChĂĄvez) SSee My, What a Busy Week!, and All-Ages Action!
THE INTERNET
(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) Read our article on the Internet.
WAND, PERSONAL BEST, GRANDPARENTS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) If you were lucky enough to make it out to Pickathon this summer, you're already pretty familiar with the Los Angeles psych-rock outfit Wand. In addition to playing two sets of their own, the band also teamed up with Ty Segall as his backing band, dubbed the Roling Stons. Whether it's the tapwater at Segall's practice space or just some sort of life force flowing from his aura, Wand have likewise hit a prolific stride recently that rivals the garage-rock prodigy's busiest years. 2014 saw the release of Wand's excellent debut, Ganglion Reef, and in 2015, they've already topped that album twice, first with the In the Red-issued Golem, and again with the recently released 1000 Days, which came out on Drag City. All three showcase the young band's ability to wander somewhere between a hushed whisper and a full-on growl, blending shoegaze and stoner guitar riffs into glam-influenced psych-rock with the ease and confidence of a band that's been at it for years. CT
SPOOKFEST: GOLD CASIO, THE LOWER 48, BIKE THIEF, COASTLANDS, LIQUIDLIGHT, A COLLECTIVE SUBCONSCIOUS, NO ALOHA, SHANNON ENTROPY
(The Hallowed Halls, 4420 SE 64th) The Hallowed Halls opened its doors in Foster-Powell this summer, after converting the Wikman Buildingâand former public libraryâinto a state-of-the-art recording studio. The space has one of the largest live rooms for a recording studio in the Pacific Northwest, which begs for a proper party, one they are happily throwing down this Halloween Eve. The first annual Spookfest features an eclectic lineup of local artists including Gold Casio, Bike Thief, the Lower 48, LiquidLight, and more. It's free and all ages, so it might be just the night to put on a costume and check out the studio's acoustics for yourself. JWS
JOHN GRANT, BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The endearing qualities of John Grant's three solo records lie in his ability to be malleable. At certain turns he's a baritone troubadour straddling a sad piano like a bewildered Elton John, and at others he's a club-music maestroâthe mutual threads are Grant's extremely candid lyrics. Exploring the psychoses of dealing with his own HIV diagnosis, his capacity to be seduced, and an attitude that allows him to keep a sense of dark humor, Grant's third solo LP, Grey Tickles, Black Pressure, is a pretty stunning slice of the irreverence Grant has parlayed in the past, with the biggest differences in songs like "Snug Slacks," a kraut-style dark dance-funk tune with Grant playing the role of creepy interrogator to an unnamed beau. Add Grant's established self-deprecation, his observational humor, and smart, exploratory songwriting, and you've got another heavy, funny, sometimes uncomfortable album from one of the best songwriters at it today. RJP
SATURDAY 10/31
GHOSTBUSTERS BALL: DJ COOKY PARKER, BOBBY D, LAMAR LEROY, JIMBO
(Eagles Lodge, 4904 SE Hawthorne) See My, What a Busy Week!
COVERS NIGHT: SAMZIG, HYENAS, BROKEN BODIES, CUNTHAUS
(Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan) See My, What a Busy Week!
THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS, HILLSTOMP
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!
KING DUDE, DRAB MAJESTY, BIG HAUNT, TETRAD VEIL
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) If King Dude hasn't finished reading Anton LaVey's The Satanic Bible, he's surely got a copy open on his coffee table. So much of Dude's aesthetic traces similar contours, from doomed power ideology to graphic design. On the cover of his latest record, King Dude is shrouded in smoke, flanked by animal skulls and candles. Wearing a red-and-black Dracula cape, he grips a gold Gretsch guitar. In this world of hateful ghouls, tainted vixens, and blood-red wine, rock 'n' roll is Dude's holy water. And as much as he relies on occult imagery, King Dudeâreal name: Thomas Jefferson Cowgillâcovets songwriting craft. He bows down at the altar of traditional song structures and craven ballads with plinking pianos, thudding drums, and distorted guitars. His voice, a croaking, growling, sneering baritone that plumbs the depths, certainly fits. About the only thing that doesn't mesh with the unceasingly dramatic cosmology is the name: King Dude. But he's totally serious about all of thisâthe angels, the devils, and the clichĂ©s. There's not a wink to be found. ART
SUNDAY 11/1
SHANNON AND THE CLAMS, SHOPPING, THE WOOLEN MEN, GAZEBOS
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!
JENNY CONLEE AND STEVE DRIZOS, BLUE CRANES
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Long considered to be the secret weapon in the Decemberists' well-stocked arsenal, keyboardist Jenny Conlee has, from the start, helped elevate that band's folk-pop wanderings with her emotive accordion and piano work. So it should be little surprise that her new solo record is a sheer delight. Recorded with husband Steve Drizos, French Kayaking Music is a lovely collection of instrumental bagatelles that journey from the streets of Paris ("The Melon Stand") to the sun-kissed reservoirs of the Colorado River ("Lake Powell"). As we go along with the couple, we are treated to shuffling ebullience, lovely mood pieces, and even a little ragtime jazz, all of it feather-light and played with remarkable skill and spirit. The album serves as a soundtrack to the documentary Voyages Without Trace, which follows a 1938 expedition of actual French kayakers. RH
MONDAY 11/2
L7, SUMMER CANNIBALS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!
VETIVER, LOCH LOMOND
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!
EL VY, MOOREA MASA, LOST LANDER
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on El Vy.
RYN WEAVER, ASTR, HOLYCHILD
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) ASTR have been labeled "dance/soul/crazy-jump-around-music" by the Village Voice, and it's a sound that could only have come from New York: dark, poppy, electronic, and almost always sporting a body-bumping beat. ASTR is two New Yorkers; Zoe "ASTR" Silverman on vocals and Adam "ASTR" Pallen on keys and production. They may seem relatively unknown, but the two are no strangers to the music industry. Silverman's father started hip-hop label Tommy Boy Records, and Pallin composes music for film and television and was once a member of the band Little Jackie. ASTR are in their infancy, having only put out the Varsity EP and a few singles, but their sound is so clean, polished, and tantalizing, you'd think they'd been dropping underground club faves for years. ROSE FINN
TUESDAY 11/3
PATTY GRIFFIN, DARLINGSIDE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!
VETIVER, TALL TALES AND THE SILVER LINING
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!
EL VY, MOOREA MASA, HIBOU
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on El Vy.
NOAH GUNDERSON, WHITEHORSE
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) If you've lived in the Northwest for a while (and you care about music), you've no doubt heard the name Noah Gundersen. The singer/songwriter is only in his mid-20s, but he's been an up-and-comer in Seattle's stuffed music scene for years. No more. Gundersen's newest album, Carry the Ghost, is a stunning example of what can happen when a talented musician grows up a bit, grapples with life's big questions, turns said grappling into songs, and then employs a skilled producer like Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Fleet Foxes, a billion other great bands) to capture it all. The quiet, emotionally charged folk songs on Carry the Ghost explore universal themes of life, love, loss, and spirituality, and they're delivered via tastefully sparse arrangements and Gundersen's show-stopping voice. Tonight, Canadian husband/wife folk-rock band Whitehorse opens for Gundersen, making the Aladdin the place to be for lovers of melodic roots music. BS
DOM FLEMONS, SQUIRREL BUTTER
(The Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) Look, there's no denying Dom Flemons has great talent. In addition to being an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Flemons is a historian, musicologist, and educator, and, as a founding member of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, he helped to bring awareness to African Americans' contributions to string-band music. But I sometimes feel somewhat uneasy when I watch Flemons perform. His performances often have a bit of a minstrel feel about them, and, though I know he's coming from an honest and sincere place, I wonder if his inevitably mostly white audience is coming from the same place. Flemons is in town for a week, hosting workshops and performances at various locations to benefit Bubbaville, a nonprofit arts organization supporting old-time music and dance. The man is worthy of respect. I hope he receives and accepts nothing less. SEH
