WEDNESDAY 1/27

A CELEBRATION OF DAVID BOWIE
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

SARCASTIC DHARMA SOCIETY, CITY HALL, CO-FOUNDER, SAID GONER
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Tonight's show harkens back to the halcyon days of Portland's long-running anarchist bookstore and all-ages venue, Laughing Horse Books. Mat Vuksinich's Sarcastic Dharma Society defined the large room's sound with their reverb-heavy Live at Laughing Horse. The project is a mutating, freeform rock group anchored by Vuksinich's quavering, Conor Oberst-esque voice, and they bookend the night opposite Adam Ciresi's Said Goner. The quartet plays ragged, amplified folk-punk tunes, leaning heavier on the punk part of the equation, as in the early days of Against Me! Tonight will act as a time capsule for a Portland that's recently departed yet still held in memory. MAC POGUE

JOHN CAGE'S RYOANJI
(Redeemer Lutheran Church, 5431 NE 20th) John Cage's Ryoanji is one of his most esoteric yet lyrical pieces of music. Inspired by Cage's visit to a Japanese Zen garden, the score uses the composer's rough sketches of stones as the performers try to translate them into sound, with notes rising, falling, and bending based on the shape of Cage's outline. Through it, a percussionist holds a steady but intermittent beat, meant to invoke the music used in kabuki dance performances. Tonight, three of Portland's most adventurous players—flautist John C. Savage, oboist Catherine Lee, and percussionist Matt Hannafin—dare to take on this late-period Cage work at a show that also includes opening sets of sound art by Loren Chasse and Branic Howard. ROBERT HAM

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) One could argue that the term "world music" entered the global lexicon immediately following Ladysmith Black Mambazo's legendary performance of "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" with Paul Simon on SNL. The group's beautiful synchronization of body and voice captivated the imagination of almost everyone who saw it, kick-starting an American interest in African sounds that continues to this day. The deserved success Ladysmith Black Mambazo subsequently garnered after that gilded moment vindicated a career that has spanned more than a half-century and several generations. Countless albums, accolades, and Grammys (they were nominated again this year) have not slowed down South Africa's favorite ambassadors one bit, and to witness them breathe their brand of revival-style a cappella through rich Zulu spirituality in person is nothing short of rapturous. CHRIS SUTTON

THURSDAY 1/28

EIGHT BELLS, JAMAIS JAMAIS, NEST
(High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK) Read our article on Eight Bells.

CHARTS, SOUVENIR DRIVER, FOG FATHER
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Portland garage-pop quartet Charts hit the ground running in 2011, releasing a run of undeniable EPs that saw the band hone their sun-drenched blend of power-pop and quickly transform themselves from lo-fi wonders into one of the most infectious bands in the city. Tonight the pop-rock outfit celebrates the release of their first full-length album, Break. It's a big occasion, as it marks the band's first release since 2013's "Vacation" 7-inch. Break finds frontman Michael Rowan and his band picking up right where they left off, delivering a full dose of polished and insanely catchy pop-rock that's just waiting to seep into your head. Tracks like the breezy and carefree "Fake Vacation" will instantly transport you far from winter, while the fanged, surf-tinged rocker "Help You Out" shows the band can be just as effective when they show a more menacing side. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

FRIDAY 1/29

THE LAVENDER FLU, PATSY'S RATS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on the Lavender Flu.

TALIB KWELI, HI-TEK
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Talib Kweli is one of the most prodigious and prolific hip-hop artists of the past two decades. From his early underground tapes to his work with Mos Def in Black Star and his spotless solo run, Kweli has a been a powerful voice in hip-hop. He formed the project Hip Hop for Respect with Mos Def way back in 2000 in response to the officer-involved shooting of 22-year-old Amadou Diallo in New York. Kweli remains an intelligent activist, speaking out against police brutality while tirelessly recording and touring. Last year alone saw his name attached to no less than five releases—there's no better time for Talib Kweli to be on a prolific run. MARK LORE Also see My, What a Busy Week!

SAINTSENECA, DES ARK, HALEY HEYNDERICKX
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) For those who adore the soulful crooning of artists like Angel Olsen, Shana Cleveland, and Mitski, look no further than Portland's own Haley Heynderickx. She spins sweetly sad ballads into a genre she describes as "doom folk," a mix of angsty, clashing guitars and almost mournful coos. Tonight's show marks the release of her EP, Fish Eyes, a lovely and eerie mix of songs that settles slowly as fog over a misty evergreen forest. One of the standout tracks, "Drinking Song," warms you up like a shot of bourbon on a cold winter night. CIARA DOLAN

BEHAVIOR, DREAMDECAY, PUBLIC EYE, NUMBERED
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) I know nothing about Behavior, except that they have a new album called 375 Images of Angels out on the excellent Iron Lung Records label. Per the Iron Lung website, Behavior "is a new Los Angeles punk band. This is their first album and it is a goddamn winner." This is true. 375 Images of Angels is a tangled web of post-punk chug: ragged guitars, snarled vocals, dull drum thwacks. Behavior occasionally settle into straightforward punk rock, but only briefly—they never miss an opportunity to fuck with the formula. Dreamdecay's a like-minded band from Seattle with an equally nasty record on Iron Lung, and Public Eye's a Portland post-punk band with some solid get-up-and-go. BEN SALMON

SYMBION PROJECT, KODOMO, SKY SYMBOL RITUALS
(The Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand) Symbion Project (Seattle producer Kasson Crooker, making his Portland live debut tonight) has been creating music for 20 years, but somehow has eluded my radar. His 10-track Semiotic LP from last year reveals a composer who favors rich, grandiose melodies and easily danceable rhythms. It's the sort of electronic music that's seemingly weaned on a diet of those Synergy records from the '70s and '80s, but upgraded to 21st-century specs, with influences from '90s rave and IDM, in which exuberant melodies commingle with the textural crunchiness. "Phenomena" and "Impulse" are exceptions, being menacing downtempo creepers with serrated edges in the vein of Mezzanine-era Massive Attack and Tipper's distorted-bass-heavy approach. Crooker's ambitious production flourishes are worth following, and his entrance to the live arena—reputedly bolstered by spectacular visuals—seems long overdue. DAVE SEGAL

SMOKE RINGS, STEEL CHAINS, THE FURIES
(Club 21, 2035 NE Glisan) Smoke Rings' revved-up sound recalls when punk turned into post-punk, a fluid time when punk's grade-school snot evolved into mature macabre. However, Smoke Rings' needling guitars and inverted d-beat drum playing—to which they're indebted to Drive Like Jehu—would have sounded out of place in post-punk's original explosion. While Noelle Magia's voice centers her other band, the placid psych group Havania Whaal, with Smoke Rings she incants around a trio of instrumentalists, driving them further and further into a frenzy. Smoke Rings share the stage with Steel Chains, who create a similar melee through scratchy guitars played with a deficit of reverb. MP

SAM ASHLEY, JOHN KRAUSBAUER, JEFF WITSCHER, SETH NEHIL
(Disjecta, 8371 N Interstate) Berlin-based sound artist Sam Ashley is often called a "modern-day witch doctor." That could refer either to his wish to induce a hallucinatory effect in his listeners by assaulting them with an explosion of multiple sound-library samples, or his willingness to be partially possessed by some sort of spirit, which he then exorcises by playing percussion. Ashley's shamanistic music stirs up the kind of philosophical and spiritual questions that have troubled mankind for centuries and plays with audience's perceptions as they try to figure out exactly how much of all this Ashley actually believes. RH

SATURDAY 1/30

GODHEADSILO
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) In the Pacific Northwest of the '90s, GodheadSilo seemed to be everywhere. They were on all the compilations, their eye-catching records were in every record store, and their no-guitar wall-of-sound was a common point of conversation. But despite their ubiquity, I didn't know anyone who was a dedicated fan. They didn't seem to be a band people were especially passionate about, just an interesting anomaly. Two decades later, many of the Pacific Northwest bands people were passionate about haven't aged well (anyone put on a Hammerbox record lately?), but GodheadSilo's music—sludgy, genre-defying noise-rock—seems to have hardly aged at all. Listening to them in 2016 makes it clear that the dedicated fans of GodheadSilo were out there, and they were taking notes. JOSHUA JAMES AMBERSON Also see My, What a Busy Week!

UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA, LOWER DENS
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark) A lot has happened in Ruban Nielson's life since he came to Portland in 2007. The Mint Chicks—the band he'd formed with his brother six years earlier—broke up, and Nielson worked as an illustrator while starting a new family. Unknown Mortal Orchestra was reluctantly born after he anonymously posted the song "Ffunny Ffriends" online, something he'd written in his spare time. Three full-length albums later, UMO has taken on a life of its own, growing from a lo-fi bedroom project into a full band. UMO's latest, Multi-Love, gave way to more R&B influences while retaining Nielson's mad-scientist ear for layered, oddball sounds. It's also his most personal album to date, dealing with a short-lived polyamorous relationship he and his wife had with another woman. The results are stunning. And it further solidifies Nielson as one of the most creative and real artists in Portland. ML Also see My, What a Busy Week!

JARROD LAWSON AND THE GOOD PEOPLE
(Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th) Jarrod Lawson has been holding a quiet court in Portland for the last several years. The Oregon native held down longstanding gigs at places like Portland Prime and Dookie Jam, impressing audiences with his dewy, acrobatic voice and impressive mastery of the piano. Lawson put out his debut album in 2015, a gospel- and soul-infused epic that featured the cream of the crop of Portland's notable soul community. The album quickly gained notoriety, leading to chart hits in the UK and headlining gigs at festivals across Europe. This week Lawson plays his first proper show in Portland since his album came out, and he'll be flanked by Seattle star Allen Stone, along with his spectacular band, including guitarist Chance Hayden and vocalist Tahirah Memory. It'll be a long-delayed homecoming for a true local. JENI WREN STOTTRUP

JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD, BARNA HOWARD
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Jessica Lea Mayfield makes badass, spooky rock 'n' roll with dusty country twang and synthy outer-space vibes. Think Cowboys and Aliens meets Mazzy Star. Mayfield's voice grows steadily out of her lush, glittery soundscapes, almost like she's creating a whole new dimension with her sparkly pink electric guitar. 2014 brought her grungy third full-length, Make My Head Sing, an alluringly sinister collection of songs like the expansive "Standing in the Sun" and creepiest-love-song-ever "I Wanna Love You." Her sardonic, love-wary songwriting flourishes on the spellbinding "Seein* Starz," where she sings, "You said to me romantically/Together we would always share/A life of pain and infinite/Sa sa sa sa sa sadness." CD

REICH-ANALIA: THIRD ANGLE, SŌ PERCUSSION
(Montgomery Park, 2701 NW Vaughn) Steve Reich, one of America's best-known composers, turns 80 this year, and modern classical ensemble Third Angle saw this as an opportunity to pay tribute to his pioneering work as part of their regular Reich-analia performances. With the help of New York-based ensemble Sō Percussion, they'll present the Oregon premiere of Reich's Sextet, a work with dizzying polyrhythms from marimba, vibraphone, and keyboards that bookend a languid middle section; and Drumming, his mind-blowing 1971 piece that plays with the hypnotic effects of phasing and exhibits a very African influence. RH

SUNDAY 1/31

GODHEADSILO, RABBITS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week! and Saturday's listing.

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, MARISA ANDERSON
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Simply put: It is so nice to have Godspeed You! Black Emperor back. The publicity-averse Canadian post-rock/drone collective—birthed in Montreal in the mid-'90s—is responsible for one of the very best catalogs of the past two decades, despite (or perhaps thanks in part to) a seven-year hiatus from 2003 to 2010. Last year, the band released its fifth full-length, Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress, its shortest official studio album since 1997's F# A#∞. Predictably, Asunder doesn't feel quite as earth-movingly epic as Godspeed's 2012 comeback, 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!, but with a heaping portion of heavy guitar riffs, orchestral swells, darkened drones, and apocalyptic crescendos stretched across its 40-minute run time, it's certainly a worthy addition to the discography. Two nights of live Godspeed You! Black Emperor will be a wonderful feast for the senses. Hope you have a ticket, because both nights are sold out. BS Also see My, What a Busy Week!

LEE COREY OSWALD, DOWSING, SPECIAL EXPLOSION, ALIEN BOY, LITTLE STAR
(Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne) Lee Corey Oswald have to be one of Portland's most criminally underappreciated bands. The four-piece has been active since 2008, and in that time they've released a steady output of albums and EPs that seamlessly blend elements of folk and tuneful punk-rock, landing the band somewhere between the Plan-It-X Records roster and the Mountain Goats. Last year, frontman Lee Ellis released a solo LP on No Sleep Records, Me and This Army, and his band garnered some much-deserved exposure as one of the few bright spots on the Vans Warped Tour. For 2016, they've added Nick Vicario of Wild Ones on bass, and have a handful of tour dates lined up, including an opportunity to put that festival experience to use at Boise's Treefort Music Fest. Tonight they headline a stacked lineup alongside a pair of infectious emo quartets in Dowsing and Special Explosion. CT Also see All-Ages Action!

NEW MOVE, LOLA BUZZKILL
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) It's been a strange gestation period for New Move's debut album. Originally finished in 2013, the brain behind the band, Jesse Bettis, was sidelined after being stabbed by an intruder during a party at his home. The momentum he'd been pursuing dutifully on his new project was put on hold. Fast-forward two years and New Move is back on track. On the excellent self-titled debut, Bettis mines hook-heavy, textural pop-rock in the vein of Brian Wilson, receiving ample assistance from a ringer of a backing band that includes drummer (and the album's producer/engineer) Jeff Bond, keyboardist Pedro Wilcox, baritone saxophonist Alex Bekuhrs, and bassist Seth Mankoski. Songs like "The City Life" expose Bettis' affinity for melody, firmly steeped in nostalgia for '50s rock 'n' roll. Elsewhere, "Lost in the Woods" fidgets in a heavy groove pocked by fussy pianos and smart instrumental dynamics. RYAN J. PRADO

THE DOVECOTES, DUDE YORK, HONEY BUCKET
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Since debuting with 2011's Gangs of Dude York, Seattle three-piece Dude York has primarily existed as the songwriting vessel of guitarist Peter Richards. Their 2014 sophomore LP, Dehumanize, carved out a distinctive, pop-oriented, post-punk sound that has come to characterize Seattle DIY label Help Yourself Records. After taking a yearlong break from releasing new music, last week the group quietly released a single of two very loud new songs, one of which passed the songwriting baton off to bassist Claire England. Her tune, "Love Is," begins with funky muted verses that turn into an unhinged chorus of "Love is toxic but I'll dive in," along with a slightly country-toned, Pixies-ish guitar solo. England's first effort just might be my favorite Dude York track yet. CAMERON CROWELL

EAGLE ROCK GOSPEL SINGERS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Of all the young bands with "gospel" in their names, the Eagle Rock Gospel Singers are one of only a few who are actually sincere about it. Hailing from the Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock, the ERGS (as I like to call them) sing songs about loving Jesus, praising Jesus, and all other things having to do with Jesus—not at all in a preachy way, just in a Jesus-is-our-homeboy way. Boasting upward of 11 members, the ERGS meld indie-folk melodies and harmonies, à la the Head and the Heart and the Lumineers, with the kind of devotional country-bluegrass you'd expect to hear at an Appalachian tent revival rather than a rock club. Touring in support of their debut full-length, Heavenly Fire, the ERGS' stop in Portland is their second visit to the only city in the country more godless than LA. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY

NILE, SEASON OF SUFFERING, CHRONOLOGICAL INJUSTICE, WORLD OF LIES, BOUDICA
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) For more than 20 years, Nile has been one of the most widely heralded technical death-metal bands in the game. And it's a pretty saturated game, with loads of Lovecraft-preaching, Ancient Egyptian folklore-slinging bands zig-zagging across the country. South Carolina's Nile have taken their modest notoriety and channeled it into enraged dioramas of sound, bleak philosophical manifestos, and an amazing instrumental technicality that hits you like a wave of severed heads on songs like "Negating the Abominable Coils of Apep," the second track on their mind-scrambling eighth record, What Should Not Be Unearthed. Guitarist/vocalist Karl Sanders emits apocalyptic growls over lightning-quick progressions on similarly darkly hued tracks like "In the Name of Amun." You will not leave this show with cuddly feelings. RJP

MONDAY 2/1

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, VAST PLAINS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week! and Sunday's listing.

ENFORCER, WARBRINGER, CAULDRON, EXMORTUS, EXCRUCIATOR, GLADIUS
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) Read our article on Enforcer.

MARLON WILLIAMS, SHELLEY SHORT
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) For a 25-year-old New Zealander, Marlon Williams sure could have fooled his audience into thinking he's a middle-aged veteran country singer from Nashville. The deep, velvety smoothness of his voice and subtle undertones of melancholy in his melodies sound like he's experienced more love, heartache, and sunsets than the entire population of New Zealand combined. Williams got his start singing in choir at his Christchurch boys' high school, starting the band the Unfaithful Ways when he was 17. His first solo album comes out in America next month on the Dead Oceans label. In Johnny Cash's footsteps, Williams haunts the listener with a modern twist on old-school country melodies, with guitar riffs that will seep into your skin and envelop you like a childhood blanket. ROSE FINN

THE SOFT MOON, SEXTILE, WE ARE LIKE THE SPIDER
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) The Soft Moon is the creative project of San Francisco musician Luis Vasquez. From his 2010 self-titled debut LP to last year's Deeper, he's essentially been the musical equivalent of a flickering light in a back alley, both broken and eerily alluring. Vasquez has emerged among a slew of fantastic post-mall goth contemporaries, like Los Angeles' Chelsea Wolfe and Corners, whose veins flow with '80s synth-goth blood, but whose skin is scarred with an even more terrifying modern electronic glitch. The world of the Soft Moon is a sci-fi dystopia in which everybody has pacemakers under the control of Vasquez, who will either decide to make you dance or convulse in unison. CC

TUESDAY 2/2

JULIA HOLTER, CIRCUIT DES YEUX
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week! and read our article on Julia Holter.

A CERTAIN SMILE, BUBBLE CATS
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) A Certain Smile namecheck the Sarah, Slumberland, and Creation record labels in their Bandcamp profile, triangulating a very deliberate era of twee (before it got Sebastian-ed by Belle) with pre-mainstream shoegaze. The foursome recalls a more excited Galaxie 500, with breathy vocals of '90s dream pop that infuse things with a touch of pep. The crew perfects the twee motif with a name that nods to either a French novel, song, or movie. They play with Bubble Cats, a rambunctious stony blues-rock band who really hold a gun to the head of any music fan who says that names don't matter. MP

EMILY KING, MOOREA MASA
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Emily King has been on the cusp of a well-deserved breakout since her Grammy-nominated turn on her debut album, East Side Story. The New York-based soul/R&B songwriter has opened for just about everybody you can think of, most recently at Edgefield with fellow queens Lucius and Sara Bareilles, impressing audiences with her easy presence and smooth stylings. On her latest album, The Switch, the whispery-voiced singer elevates classic arrangements, touching from Motown in "Distance" to Prince in "Sleepwalker" and playing with modern syncopations in "The Animals." The Doug Fir's stage may be one of the more intimate venues you will see her in the coming years, so bring the apple of your eye, snuggle in close, and let King's magic cast a spell. JWS