THURSDAY 6/3

PDX POP NOW! COMPILATION RELEASE: DEELAY CEELAY, THE ANGRY ORTS, TOPE, GREAT MUNDANE

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Truth be told, I wish I didn't have to write about PDX Pop Now! every year. Because while the infallible local music festival is a summertime institution like no other, its existence hinges on the fact that Portland still (still!) has yet to establish a stable all-ages music scene. Beyond the insular house-show circuit and the shaky foundation the law forces upon venues without age restriction, Portland's all-ages community is constantly in need of support. My point being, do not make tonight—and a few days in late July and early August—your only all-ages music experiences of the year. There is so much great Portland music out there, much of which is documented on PDX Pop Now!'s new double-disc compilation. You'll get a copy when you set foot in the door. EZRA ACE CARAEFF Also see My, What a Busy Week!

JAPANTHER, JAGUAR LOVE, THE SPROCKETTES, SISTAFIST, NATHAN DETROIT

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) As part of their Coin Toss Tour, NYC's Japanther and Portland's own Jaguar Love will call heads or tails to see who plays first tonight. Whichever slot Japanther plays is sure to be a dance party. They cite the Ramones, girl groups, and hiphop as influences. Sunny keys and classic punk guitar riffs smother nonstop drumbeats, topped with pleading lead vocals, doo-wop backups, and the occasional rap, in a style that captures the essence of fun- and music-loving young people. Tonight's show supports their new release Rock 'n' Roll Ice Cream, and includes a supporting roster of equally outrageous local acts, such as female trash-rappers Sistafist—self-described "sassy drunk bitches dripping in gold," who lay down rhymes over two live DJs. MARANDA BISH

HERE COMES A BIG BLACK CLOUD, PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE, TINY KNIVES, DON HELLIONS, DRAGGING AN OX THROUGH WATER

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) There's so much noisy local talent here it makes me giddy. Dragging an Ox through Water is always sure to please and/or frustrate with his low-key one-man droniness, while Purple Rhinestone Eagle bring Monster Magnet-style stoner metal with a vengeance. What I'm really looking forward to is the bad acid trip of Here Comes a Big Black Cloud, a band that combines the lean aggression of '80s hardcore with a metal mentality reminiscent of Steve Albini's more famous act of a similar name. Five bands for five dollars and two bleeding eardrums. You can't lose! DAVE BOW

CAGUAMA, THE GREATER MIDWEST

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Just as the Pacific Northwest has its celebrated sound, so does Northern Mexico have its trademark Norteños ("of the north") style. Portland's Caguama artfully blends these disparate influences to create music rooted in traditional ranchero and Norteños, mixed in with local strains of Americana and rock 'n' roll. This bi-cultural style resonates less of Manu Chao-type globalization than it does classic acts like Mexico's Los Tigres del Norte, even evoking modern country-rock tendencies on songs like "Juarez Cowboy." Having just released their self-titled full-length on Portland's the Union Records, tonight kicks off a month-long residency at Slabtown, where they will perform each week with diverse acts ranging from Hispanic rappers to post-punk solo bass players. MB

FRIDAY 6/4

HOLOCENE TURNS SEVEN: MIRACLES CLUB, REPORTER, OPERATIVE, GOLDEN RETRIEVER, LINGER & QUIET, DJ BRKFST SNDWCH

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

DOLLY PARTON HOOT NIGHT

(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) See My, What a Busy Week!

FIRST AID KIT, SAMANTHA CRAIN, BROTHERS YOUNG

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) At this point, First Aid Kit might still be best known for their YouTube cover of "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" by Fleet Foxes, but expect the duo—composed of Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg (ages 19 and 17, respectively)—to surpass the novelty of that viral video. Their debut EP was originally released on the Knife's label; the sisters' younger brother attends the same school as Fever Ray's son. Meanwhile, The Big Black and the Blue, their debut full-length, has been released by Wichita. It's a collection of wide-open folk with calico harmonies, dusty bluegrass strumming, and some clean Nordic lines to give it just a hint of glistening otherworldliness. By covering Fleet Foxes, the sisters proved their harmonies are without peer; with the new record, they've shown they can write careful and devastating songs of their own. NED LANNAMANN

JESSE MALIN, CHRIS SHIFLETT & THE DEAD PEASANTS, THE WANDERERS

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) When the former D Generation frontman ditched punk rock and went it alone as pseudo-grizzled, streetwise, singer/songwriter man, he was taken under the wing of one Ryan Adams—proof that the bed-headed stick together. Malin's The Fine Art of Self Destruction was produced by Adams and follows a similar path to Adams' Gold LP—except for the part where it literally goes gold and Elton John swoops by in his gold-plated hovercraft. The advantage of Malin's lack of chart time is that he isn't squandering his gift, proof of which can be heard on Love it to Life, a nice extension of his working-class anthems of love, loss, redemption, and styling gel. My only qualm is that Malin—ever the New Yorker at heart—writes about that city like it still retains its grit and charm from the Ed Koch era. While he might sing of a "St. Mark's Sunset" and "Burning the Bowery," Malin's New York hardly resembles present-day Manhattan. To do that, he would need to write about pet boutiques and Whole Foods. EAC

SATURDAY 6/5

PORTLAND MERCURY 10-YEAR BIRTHDAY PARTY: EXPLODE INTO COLORS, ASTRONAUTALIS, THE MEAN JEANS

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Good god, our Mercury anniversary promotional onslaught will not die. But fear not, I'll keep this brief. In addition to patting ourselves on the back for wasting the past decade, tonight's event is really about the music. There will be various DJs on two floors (and outside, between 7-10 pm, when it's all ages), plus a show in the (large) downstairs room of Rotture. Hosted by the best/only vegan beatbox extraordinaire Fogatron, you'll get sets from the Mean Jeans, mind-blowing emcee Astronautalis, and the final performance ever from Explode into Colors. Oh, and it's free. See you there. EAC Also see My, What a Busy Week!

TYPHOON, FINN RIGGINS, BOY EATS DRUM MACHINE, Y LA BAMBA, JARED MEES & THE GROWN CHILDREN, THE DENOUEMENT, YEAH GREAT FINE

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Tender Loving Empire survived a wretched economy, just moved into its new digs, and the label released some damn fine records from Typhoon and Y La Bamba—what's not to celebrate? Well, Jared and Brianne Mees, along with the rest of the gang, are celebrating for all the cerebrating that's gone into keeping the label and boutique rocking and rolling for three years. Of course, the aforementioned bands are slated to play, along with Boy Eats Drum Machine, LA's the Denouement, and Idaho good-time rock band Finn Riggins. Jared Mees and the Grown Children will be there, too. The band has been touring incessantly, and last time I saw them they were in full-on, go-for-the-throat arena rock mode. Or, as the kids on Twitter say: They killed it. MARK LORE

SEARCH PARTY, BLUE HORNS, AZUL YAEL

(Lola's Room, 1332 W Burnside) Deturn, the debut album from local band Search Party, is an ear-soothing reminder that radio-friendly guitar rock has not totally disappeared into the rising indie glut. Every polished song is calculated for maximum hook, with wailing Geddy Lee-like vocals from bassist John Craig and versatile guitar from Tommy Illk. "Someday" contains hints of Ted Leo, while "Pick up the Pieces" could be from the Police's early catalog. Craig, meanwhile, has also just released a pair of solo singles, including "Broken Branches," whose proceeds are going to benefit the Open Prosthetics Project, a sort of open-source innovation team for developing new prosthetic designs and sharing them with the world for free. NL

THEMSELVES, TALKDEMONIC, HURTBIRD, HOSTILE TAPEOVER

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Themselves are the Anticon duo of Doseone (raps) and Jel (beats). Jel is a maniac on the MPC sampler, favoring buzzy light-industrial productions and performing them live with a frenetic, finger-tapping flair that takes the term "hunt and peck" out of the computer lab and back to its predator-fowl roots. Doseone is a battle rapper ranged so far afield from anything resembling conventional hiphop that he's wholly bereft of worthy opponents. Instead, he's left to the balletic shadowboxing of tracks like the calmly snarling, fast-talking "Oversleeping" (off latest album CrownsDown). Beyond his dizzying way with dense wordplay, Doseone also displays damn near Shakespearean levels of voice-acting ability, ranging from growls to pinched ranting to sotto-voce soliloquy to loopy falsettos. ERIC GRANDY

GOOD OLD WAR, YUKON BLONDE, AUDRA MAE

(Hawthorne Theatre Lounge, 1507 SE 39th) Unless you were Pete Wentz's personal assistant, the legacy of Days Away is likely unfamiliar to you. The largely forgettable band hitched a ride at the peak of Fueled by Ramen's horrific rise to prominence in the music industry, yet never found a willing audience. From their ashes came Good Old War, which ditches the emo pretense (and haircuts), instead focusing on quality of music and avoiding all the common pitfalls that haunted their peers (Saves the Day, etc.) in their failed attempts to get "serious." Good Old War's self-titled sophomore release is a lovely recording of sun-drenched harmonies wrapped tight in the frayed fringe of Americana—proof that even the most emo of skeletons rattling in the closet can be quieted over time. EAC

SUNDAY 6/6

BORN RUFFIANS, STRANGE HOLIDAY, YOUNG RIVAL

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

HOLY FUCK, NICE NICE, FAKE DRUGS

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) My, What a Busy Week!, and Music.

EMILY JANE WHITE, SWALLOWS, JENNY HOYSTON

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Provided that Rotture doesn't explode in a fireball of awesomeness on Saturday night during the Mercury anniversary party, here's the perfect chance to revisit the scene of the crime with some repentant balladry. San Francisco's Emily Jane White writes mystic, misty-eyed gothic folksongs that are preternaturally calm on the surface, but conceal an inescapable undertow. Sounding a little like Tiny Vipers' stark black-and-white sketches filled in with streaks of dark blue, crimson, and burnt yellow, White's delicate tunes are gorgeous and personable, containing both the intoxicating aloofness of Nico and the homespun friendliness of Laura Veirs, often within the same verse. NL

MISFITS, TOXIC ZOMBIE

(Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside) Punk purists claim that the only "real" Misfits is Danzig-era Misfits, but honestly, their 1997 Michale Graves–fronted album American Psycho has some solid jams on it. That was 13 years ago, and though they've tried, longtime Misfits bass player Jerry Only (the sole original member) & Co. haven't released a single good thing since. These days, the horror-punk crew's lineup is a who's who of aging punk legends—Dez Cadena and Robo from Black Flag round out the trio and maybe add a bit of legitimacy to an act that "real" Misfits fans think died 27 years ago. Who can hate, though? It's not like punk rock has some grand retirement plan. KEVIN DIERS

SOUTHERLY, LOOKBOOK, PONY VILLAGE

(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) Name fight! This Lookbook is not the similarly named local trio–instead they are a duo from Minnesota. Three on two, if a name fight breaks out. The smart money is on Portland's Lookbook. But before fisticuffs commence, Lookbook (known here as Lookbook, MN) makes some damn fine music, most notably on their recent Wild at Heart LP. Their electro-pop flair brings to mind Phantogram and a less artistically bold Fever Ray. Since there is plenty of room for both bands, how about we get all Judgment of Solomon and chop this baby in two? Lookbook, MN, you are hereby known as Look. Portland's Lookbook, your new name is Book. You're welcome. EAC

MONDAY 6/7

MORNE, NUX VOMICA, DETONIZE

(Blackwater Records, 1925 SE Morrison) Imagine you're a crewperson on a rickety boat somewhere near Iceland trying to escape the aftermath of nuclear winter: the constant swells and storms of the ocean, the gray sky, the certainty of a bleak future, the chaos. Morne will be your soundtrack. At times Morne is slow, yet powerful; fast, but not too eager. Their influences and provenance end up creating a unique, atmospheric sound that offers no promises and no comfort. While a lot of people instantly point to Axegrinder as inspiration, according to frontman Milosz Gassan, no one in the band listens to Axegrinder. There are obvious hints of Misery, crust-metal pioneers Sacrilege, and little bits of Neurosis. With members coming from Grief, Filth of Mankind, and Disrupt, it is fitting that the end result is a gloomy mix of droning metal with crust-punk precepts. JAY WILLIAMS

THE SADIES, KURT VILE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Even if the Sadies go down in history as "the little backing band that could," that legacy would inspire a lot of jealousy. Heavy hitters from John Doe to Neko Case have called up the brothers Good to lend a little twangy magic to their live sets. It's about time, though, that the Sadies are recognized for the formidable talent they bring to the stage on their own. The latest Sadies album, Darker Circles, is yet another solid slab of Canadian roots rock drenched in reverb and possessing an effortlessly raw charm. Along with opener psych-pop rocker Kurt Vile, this should be a night for first-class '60s revivalism. DB

TUESDAY 6/8

BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY, TRAGEDY

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!

TOPP TWINS

(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Folk-slash-comedy duos can be a deadly combination, but two New Zealand pairs have proven the combo can actually work. Bret and Jemaine aside, that leaves the Topp Twins, two folksinging comedian lesbian sisters who over the decades have become something of a Kiwi national treasure. A documentary on the pair, The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, was a surprise hit at PIFF earlier this year, and now Jools and Lynda Topp come to Portland for their first-ever live appearance. They'll wear a bunch of tacky costumes, talk in silly voices, yodel songs that are both heartfelt and comical, and probably talk about Jools' battle with breast cancer (she won). If this all sounds completely baffling to you, that's understandable, but keep in mind these gay icons' first Portland show is something of a historic occasion. NL

THE RUMBLE: BLOOD BEACH, CHASING KINGS, PRIORY

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) One can only hope that Portland's Blood Beach actually take their name from the campy 1980 horror flick in which Venice beachgoers get sucked into the sand by a mysterious, bloodthirsty creature—if you missed it, it was a good one. Blood Beach, the band, is similarly raw and rough around the edges. "Soft Serve" is a garage rock nugget taken to new heights by an overzealous Theremin player. The Texas transplants have eased into Portland's underground rock community, having already shared bills and basements with bands like Magic Johnson and Mattress. Good, grimy fun—and I have a feeling those lo-fi recordings of theirs don't truly do them justice. ML

DELOREAN, TEENGIRL FANTASY

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Just a few short weeks after their last Portland appearance, Barcelona electro-dream ensemble Delorean—not to be confused with Portland alt-country band Dolorean—return to our fair city on the official US release date of their new full-length album, Subiza. The group has received heavy buzz, but it's all entirely deserved; their gorgeous dance candy is flawless on record, but it takes on a fiery power in the live setting, with real drums and bass propelling the beats forward with exhilarating momentum. The last time they were here, some of the excitement got lost in the far corners of the Hawthorne Theatre, so this chance to see them in the much cozier Mississippi Studios is not to be missed. NL

WEDNESDAY 6/9

TORTOISE, DAS BOTON

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

WOODS, ART MUSEUMS, THE MANTLES, EAT SKULL

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music.