THURSDAY 7/22

PDX POP NOW!: Nick Jaina Band, Atole, Kelli Schaefer, Andrew Oliver Quartet

(Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE VERY MOST, SPONDEE, CANOE

(Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi) Boise, Idaho's the Very Most were scheduled to come through town last August, but a tragedy in the family of frontman Jeremy Jansen–whose sister is the Parenthetical Girls' Rachael Jensen–forced the cancellation of their Portland date. So it's very welcome news indeed that the Very Most make their long overdue return, bringing the intricate and infectious sunshine pop of their latest album, A Year with the Very Most. That record is made up of the four seasonal EPs the band released over the course of last year–Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter–for a varied thematic trip through the calendar, bolstered by a twinkling pop approach and richly knit arrangements that call to mind the Beach Boys and LAKE. The album's full of highlights, but the one that might resonate the most right now is the giddy "You're in Love with the Sun," an ode to summertime that's as perfect as pop gets. The sun will still be brightly shining as the Very Most play this early show, so don't be late. NED LANNAMANN

Miniature Tigers, The Spinto Band, Rauelsson

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) None the worse for the Delawarians, the Spinto Band seems to have a steady hand reserved exclusively for crafting disgustingly contagious pop songs. Just when I thought I'd finally gotten the song "Summer Grof" out of my head, I was assigned this piece; here's to another two years of awkwardly singing "I won't lie, I won't lie, I won't lie, I won't lie" under my breath in public places. While the Spintos (not to be confused with the beans you might wrap up in your burrito) have quietly held their place amongst jubilant pop brethren Phoenix and Ra Ra Riot, the October release of their new EP, Slim and Slender, will certainly aid in reminding you of their superiority. But! Why wait for the fall (oh, my god) when summer is upon us now and you have two perfectly good dancing feet? RAQUEL NASSER

MNEMONIC SOUNDS, CLIMBER, CHARMPARTICLES

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The electropop of Mnemonic Sounds skitters and chatters in a language of glossy, round bubbles of synth from Peter Suk, paired with the cheerfully tousled vocals of Megan Danielle. Their debut album, Muscle Memories, is energetic pop that takes its cues from acts like the Postal Service and Passion Pit, but what Mnemonic Sounds offers is more immaculate than either, with human voice and electronic sounds seamlessly interlocking. Both Suk and Danielle have worked separately on musical endeavors (Danielle as a solo act, Suk with Non Sequitur), but each has found an ideal collaborator in the other, and Muscle Memories launches Mnemonic Sounds into the forefront of Portland's electronic pop scene. NL

Dark Dark Dark, The Drowning Men, Lindsay Clark

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) If you don't yet have a favorite twisted lounge act, make Dark Dark Dark your top candidate. Built around the existential piano rumblings of Nona Invie–whose gorgeous voice evokes the likes of a Regina Spektor or Laura Gibson but stands entirely and uniquely alone–a revolving cast of musicians creates an orchestral effect with choir-like vocals, accordion, and the occasional triangle, in what can only be called "lush instrumentation." Coming together from as far apart as New York, New Orleans, and Minneapolis, the group is already taking pre-orders on their second album, Wild Go, set for release in October. See them now as their sound and energy reach crescendo. MARANDA BISH

FRIDAY 7/23

Jimmy Cliff, Trevor Hall

(Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon) See My, What a Busy Week!

The Need, Bangs, C aveRage, Thrones

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See Music.

Blitzen Trapper, Avi Buffalo

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See Music.

The Night Marchers, Obits, Old Growth

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Drive by Jehu reunion! Well, sorta. You'll get your ex-Jehuites onstage tonight, but don't you dare think you'll exit stumbling onto Burnside with "Here Come the Rome Plows" ringing in your ears. Just be pleased to witness a double dose of scorching garage punk courtesy of the enigmatic John Reis and his Night Marchers, plus former bandmate Rick Froberg and the Obits. Considering their lengthy collective career of larynx shredding, this pair should be running on fumes by now, but just one glance at their onstage presence and recently recorded output suggests otherwise: Froberg is still as jittery as a livewire, while perennial badass Reis is one smoking jacket away from becoming punk rock's Dean Martin. Normally I'm a strict lobbyist for earplugs, but fuck it. Take them out and let tinnitus be damned. You're going to want to get close enough to feel this one. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

Beach Fossils, The Whitsundays

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Starting off as the solo recordings of singer Dustin Payseur, Brooklyn's Beach Fossils has morphed into a full band and is touring the country in support of a solid debut full-length for Captured Tracks. Laidback Phil Spector melodies splay out on a towel with the melancholic guitar-play of early Cure, moping around, getting sunburned together, and making a solid summertime record in the process. As some sort of bizarre tour kickoff, guitarist Sennott Blake announced via BrooklynVegan.com that he was leaving the band three days before tour, adding, "If you are interested in playing guitar for Beach Fossils, get in touch via email beachfossils@gmail.com ASAP and be ready to leave Friday." As of press time, the band has not found a new guitarist, so grab your Danelectro and Twin Reverb and start looking for a place in Brooklyn–you could be like Marky Mark in Rock Star but for reals. ETHAN JAYNE

Villagers, Duover, Justin Power

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Technically speaking, Villagers aren't even supposed to be here. The Dublin band is in transit to a festival up north, and this hastily booked date marks their first West Coast appearance, and by god, do not miss them. Throughout their debut recording, Becoming a Jackal, Villagers frontman Conor J. O'Brien delivers each and every word in a sinewy cadence and unassuming sexuality. In the album's sweeping title track, O'Brien sings of jackals fattened on souls, fresh meat, and being offered an unmade bed–the combination of which is alarming considering that the babyfaced singer doesn't look old enough to order a Guinness, let alone sing in a manner that'll make you weak in the knees. Fans of London's Veils, Brooklyn's Antlers, or just good music in general regardless of its geographic origins will want to be front and center for this. EAC

SATURDAY 7/24

Oregon Ballet Theatre's Uprising: Weinland, Laura Gibson

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Theater and Sold Out.

The Ocean Floor, Ah Holly Fam'ly, Kele Goodwin

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) When Lane Barrington joined Church (sorry, Hosannas, but it'll always be Church to me), his expressive drumming took the band to dynamic new heights. All the while Barrington maintained his own project, the Ocean Floor, which he is now pursuing exclusively along with Shannon Rose Steele. Tonight marks the release of Pop Quiz, the Ocean Floor's playful yet meticulously crafted full-length. On top of acoustic guitar and Barrington's marvelous percussion, the duo sprinkle in all kinds of counterpoints, including strings, horns, keys, winds, and more. Everything here is effervescent, pastel, heartwarming, and cute. And while the wildly orchestrated tracks on "Pop Quiz" shimmer and shift like dense constellations, live the duo figures to offer a more intimate, stripped-down approach. Nonetheless, Barrington and Steele have the talent to make the minimal every bit as sparkling. ANDREW R TONRY

The Dead Weather, Harlem

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Does anyone really like the Dead Weather more than the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, or even the Kills? Or, at this point in Jack White's victory lap as the only mainstream alt-rock guitarist worth a damn, do we not get to ask such questions? Sea of Cowards, full-length number two for this side project of a side project, is infinitely better than its predecessor Horehound, but that isn't exactly a compliment worthy of the massive talent that anchors the Dead Weather. Instead, it's merely another stopgap, a way to kill time between releases from their other bands. EAC

Version: Scientist, MonkeyTek, Jon AD, Ryan Organ, Jagga Culture

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) I'm just going to come out and say it: Dubstep has fallen embarrassingly off track. What started off as a promising subgenre made from equal parts Jamaican dub and UK garage has quickly devolved into a frenzy of grating chainsaw noises and macho chest bumps. The warmth and groove that defines the bass sound of traditional dub got lost somewhere in the shuffle, and tonight is a rare chance for redemption. Dub pioneer (and King Tubby protégé) Scientist is teaming up with dubstep contemporary Alter Echo for a first-time live collaboration. As source material, the two will mix only elements of songs released by Portland's Lodubs Records–a label that has adamantly resisted the dubstep dumb-down–including upcoming material that hasn't come out yet. This all came about because the infamous and elusive Scientist contacted Lodubs claiming he could bring out "a hidden third dimension" in the label's sound. True story. AVA HEGEDUS

Grand Archives, Casey Neill AND The Norway Rats, S

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) A couple weeks back Carissa's Wierd reunited in Seattle. You weren't there. Chances are you weren't at any of the band's previous Portland shows in the early '00s either, since those were equally as memorable for the music onstage as the depressingly sparse turnout. But there are second chances in music fandom, and if you've had the pleasure to experience any of Carissa's Weird's cripplingly sad music without ever actually witnessing the real thing onstage, tonight is a good place to start. The whispered bedroom vocals of Mat Brooke and Jenn Ghetto have since been pried apart, but you can hear Brooke fronting Grand Archives and Ghetto in her solo project, S–the latter of which is a real treat, since Ghetto was dormant for a handful of years, only recently returning to where she belongs with a new solo disc, I'm Not as Good at it as You. You missed out the first time; let's not have that happen again. EAC

SUNDAY 7/25

AgesandAges, AAN, EZRA CAREY

(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

Zola Jesus, Pete Swanson, The Slaves, DJ Yeti

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music.

Oregon Ballet Theatre's Uprising: Weinland, Laura Gibson

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Theater and Sold Out.

Bear in Heaven, Twin Sister, White Hinterland

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on Twin Sister at portlandmercury.com.

DATURA BLUES, SSS, MINDLESS THUGGS

(Ella Street Social Club, 714 SW 20th Pl) Sam Smith, former drummer of No Go Know, unveils the newest work from his solo project, dubbed SSS, at tonight's record release show. This and Not That, the fruit of Smith's labors over an 18-month recording period, is a densely woven series of instrumentals played entirely by Smith that run the gamut from jazzy fusion and syncopated skronk to lyrical interludes and straightforward grooves. At times sounding like a jam session, at others a carefully sculpted piece of brain candy, the record is a tour de force of Smith's prowess on all kinds of instruments. For the live SSS experience, Smith has recruited members of No Go Know, Datura Blues, and Gratitillium to reproduce the intricate sounds of This and Not That, which at times sounds like a slightly folkier, friendlier take on the dense sounds of Stiffwiff. NL

Tecumseh, Barn Owl, Daniel Menche, Ilyas Ahmed

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Newly signed to Thrill Jockey, San Francisco duo Barn Owl (Evan Caminiti and Jon Porras) launch skyward guitar drones into optimally modulated, meditative hazes. Their music is for long-attention-spanned individuals, which is commercial suicide, but for those blessed with the ability to enter Zen consciousness, it's hearty spiritual nourishment. Their new album, The Conjurer, at times bears similarities to Earth's recent Badlands twangy-blues minimalism, but Barn Owl still keep the tonal planes more astral than earthbound. DAVE SEGAL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RESIDUAL ECHOES

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Vermont is an incredible place, filled with gorgeous countrysides and wintry landscapes, but musically it isn't the first place you think of as a breeding ground for wonderful bands. But let's not let the noodling of Phish ruin Vermont for everyone–there's plenty of good music to be found in the Green Mountain State. Case in point: Brattleboro's Happy Birthday, whose self-titled debut has been released on Sub Pop, and thank Christ it sounds not a damn thing like Phish. Instead, it's goofy, skuzzy, punkish pop, overpacked with melodies and buzzing guitars. Happy Birthday could be a slightly nastier version of Girls, and with the promise that they won't collapse under the weight of their own live show. It's a promise they make good on: Unlike those of Girls, the tunes of Happy Birthday are barebones simple, without any kind of conceit, just puckish good fun with jangles and strums in all the right places. NL

MONDAY 7/26

Sallie Ford AND The Sound Outside

(Sellwood Riverfront Park, SE Spokane & Oaks Park) See My, What a Busy Week!

We Are Scientists, Rewards

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with the stylized dance pop of We Are Scientists, but why would these former New Yorkers pen a song entitled "Goal! England!" (in honor/honour of the English national soccer/football, team)? "We've never been huge football guys, but we're pretty big England guys," explains WAS' Chris Cain, an excuse that Clint Dempsey would likely reply to with a swift kick to the nards. WAS is touring in support of full-length number four, Barbara, an album that thankfully doesn't include their ode to the Three Lions, complete with the line "England is the team to beat and Rooney has got the heat." No word on where this "heat" disappeared to during the World Cup. EAC

TUESDAY 7/27

Wolf Parade, The Moools

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!.

Menomena

(Music Millennium, 3158 E Burnside) See Music.

Free Moral Agents, Nocando, Cloudy October, ShE's on Drugs

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Long Beach, California's Free Moral Agents ply a strange blend of ornate goth rock and rock-ribbed dub, without succumbing to the rote tropes of either genre. Featuring the Mars Volta's Ikey Owens on keyboards and the Siouxsie-esque vocalist Mendee Ichikawa, FMA create a cavernous, spectacularly dramatic sound. LA battle rapper and Low End Theory regular Nocando has a great new album on the unimpeachable Alpha Pup Records titled Jimmy the Lock. "If I'm not the future of the West, the West has no future," Nocando bluntly states on "Hurry Up and Wait," just one plausible boast on one of the year's most riveting rap tracks. The rest of the album hits ruthlessly hard, too, like a Cali-fied Clipse. DS

WEDNESDAY 7/28

Parenthetical Girls, Psychic Feline, Anne

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

Young Fresh Fellows

(SW Broadway & Park & Mississippi Studios, 3939

N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

Kinky Friedman

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) I know what you're thinking: Who is the Frank Zappa of country music and why aren't I listening to him right now? Lucky for you, Kinky Friedman–singer, songwriter, author, Jewish humorist, former candidate for Texas governor, and alleged redneck Zappa–takes the stage tonight for an evening of story and song that's likely to include Friedman's celebrated country song about the Holocaust, "Ride 'em Jewboy." DAVID SCHMADER