THURSDAY 8/12

Deschutes Brewery Street Fare: Sallie Ford and The Sound Outside, AgesAndAges, Loch Lomond, Y LA BAMBA, Langhorne Slim & Chris Funk

(NW Davis between 10th and 11th) See My, What a Busy Week!

HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR, STRENGTH, LINGER AND QUIET

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) See Music.

MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, LYNCH MOB, SISTER SIN

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) For those unlucky souls who missed Scorpions and Dokken last week, here is your second chance to glimpse some legends of the '80s: George Lynch (of Dokken fame) and Michael Schenker, who graced two Scorps albums plus all the good UFO albums. Lynch's band, Lynch Mob, performs bluesy bar-rock tinged with heavy metal, sounding like a band your dad might start after he leaves mom during his midlife crisis, but thankfully Lynch's exceptional guitar licks help keep these songs afloat (or from driving off in the Camaro he bought with your college fund). Schenker on the other hand doesn't use all kinds of flashy tricks and pizzazz like Joe Satriani or Yngwie Malmsteen to prove he's got chops. He writes solid rock and metal riffs first, then puts his magic guitar skills subtly behind them. Plus Schenker played his first gig with Scorpions when he was just 11 years old. So suck it, Satch. ARIS WALES

FRIDAY 8/13

SMMR BMMR: MAYYORS, WOVEN BONES, BURNING YELLOWS, METH TEETH & MORE

(Plan B, 1305 SE 8th) See Music.

REPORTER, WAMPIRE, SOFT METALS

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music.

THRONES, SUBARACHNOID SPACE, ARANYA

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Chances are you still had a retainer and were riding a Huffy when SubArachnoid Space first began flattening eardrums and rattling skulls back in San Francisco 14 years ago. Now the band is primed to call it a day, pulling out of PDX Pop Now! and allocating this show as their final performance. While it was never easy to pin down their massive monolithic sound—copious use of the following terms were generally accepted: "stoner," "drone," "metal," "trippin' balls"—SubArachnoid Space simply carried on, creating a masterful sound well outside the grid of any quaint genre expectations. Tonight's show will feature unreleased new material, old favorites, and your final chance to push close to the stage and feel the band's heavy sound rumble through your chest one final time. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

CALEB KLAUDER BAND, WOODY PINES

(Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd) Caleb Klauder's other band, Portland's own Foghorn Stringband, is one of the finest old-time music ensembles in the country, but with his eponymous band, Klauder goes slightly more contemporary—slightly. Backed by a crack team of musicians, Klauder makes good ol'-fashioned country music, brushing on honky-tonk, rockabilly, Western swing, and maybe a bit of calico-print gospel, too. Klauder plays guitar and mandolin, and sings with a tarnished, weathered voice that sounds like it's coming from an old AM broadcast from the early part of last century. His latest, Western Country, features among others the talents of sometime-Richmond Fontaine member Paul Brainard on electric guitar and pedal steel, plus Foghorn's Stephen "Sammy" Lind and What Heart's Sophie Vitells both on fiddle. Like Foghorn Stringband, the Caleb Klauder Band reeks of authenticity, and Western Country is a total, absolute pleasure that hits the sweet spot without trying too hard—proof that Klauder is one of the very best at what he's doing, and that there's way more to the Portland music scene than meets the indie-rock eye. NED LANNAMANN

CHROMEO, HOLY GHOST, TELEPHONED, RUDE DUDES

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) There is a certain kneejerk reaction that Chromeo—the dual effort of Dave 1 and the unfortunately named P-Thugg—is just another mouthbreathing revisionist dance act chumming the ocean of '80s pop for something to repackage and resell to a generation numb to the irony of it all. Yet the Montreal pair couldn't be more sincere, grounded, and intelligent—you don't get your Ph.D. in French literature between tours (as Dave 1 currently is) if you are too busy ripping off Val Young grooves. Never claiming to reinvent the dance scene, this proletarian pair is intent on throwing the best damn party ever on a nightly basis during their Business Casual tour (booking hotshit DFA duo Holy Ghost to support is a great start). EAC

NICE NICE, MIRACLES CLUB, TERROR PIGEON DANCE REVOLT

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) Nice Nice has settled quite nicely atop its spaced-out wall of sound—it's amazing what a clamor the two-piece can make together. The duo's twitch and glitch touches on... well, everything. On their Warp debut Extra Wow, Afro-Cuban rhythms dance with neo-psychedelic noise and krautrock skronk. Nice Nice will match wits with New York's Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, a much larger group that comes to the party dressed in costumes made from stuffed animals and has been known to incite onstage pillow fights. You've been warned. MARK LORE

NNEKA, PIGEON JOHN

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) If you need a visual example of how essential the role of geography is to Nneka, just take a glance at the map painted on her face on the cover of her latest LP, Concrete Jungle. You'll run out of pushpins trying to keep up with this neo-soul crooner as she blurs borders from Germany (her current home), to Nigeria (her influential birthplace), all the way Stateside (where Sony Records releases her albums). When it comes to the influence of musically rich families, Concrete Jungle is more Marley than Kuti, which explains why Nneka was handpicked to support Damien Marley and Nas on the road earlier this year. In a time when global boundaries have become distorted, the music of Nneka will prevail. EAC

XDS, ARCHERS, ASTROLOGY

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) If Charlie Salas-Humara had a nickel for every band he's been in... well, he'd have a bunch of nickels. Still, that's more money than most musicians have, plus Salas-Humara embodies a Portland trend in which musicians spread their talents across several bands as a way to cover a variety of musical ground. Since the partial dissolution of the internationally cherished Panther, he has been most active with rock and roll group Ylang Ylang, but side project Astrology provides a unique experience as well. Featuring the jaunty, Minutemen-esque bass stylings of Marius Libman and powerful drummer Mark Onyx, Astrology creates freeform throwback pyschedelia that echoes the now-defunct Explode into Colors, especially Salas-Humara's spacey, chaotic vocals. It seems that where one local supergroup leaves off, another will steam right ahead. MARANDA BISH

AUTOLUX, THIS WILL DESTROY YOU

(Hawthorne Theater, 1507 SE 39th) Autolux does a damn fine job of carrying the shoegaze torch into the new millennium. Their effect-pedal-generated walls of sound should adequately satiate those folks anxiously awaiting Kevin Shields' next move. But tape-echo aficionados are also advised to show up in time for This Will Destroy You. The Texas quartet is part of a certain Lone Star state lineage, drawing from the closing-credits guitar cadence of Midland's Explosions in the Sky and the soothing ethereal swells of Austin's Stars of the Lid. Typically starting with a simple guitar passage as a foundation, the band gradually expounds upon a handful of notes until they've rendered the most gut-wrenchingly somber melodies out a few spare elements. It won't destroy you, but it will certainly move you. BRIAN COOK

SATURDAY 8/14

SMMR BMMR: THE INTELLIGENCE, GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH, THE MEAN JEANS & MORE

(Plan B, 1305 SE 8th) See Music.

VISQUEEN, REBECCA GATES AND THE CONSORTIUM, SCHOENBERG/SIELAFF

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See Music.

THE ANGRY ORTS, THE ASCETIC JUNKIES, NUCULAR AMINALS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) While the Angry Orts had few peers that could match their onstage spunk, the band always seemed to be one good album away from solidifying themselves amongst the elite of Portland music. That album is here. Their new self-titled LP is everything you want of the Orts (tightly wound, bouncy, and with enough massive pop hooks to stretch across 13 songs), but without sacrificing their energetic onstage flair. Their bio might drop names like Sleater-Kinney and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but this quartet also owes a bit to the sadly forgotten Discount (the pre-Kills and Dead Weather outfit of Alison Mosshart), as they smooth out the pop-punk edges to sculpt a wondrous sound devoted to the melodic voice of frontwoman Sara Hernandez. Look out Portland, the Angry Orts have arrived. EAC

THE COOL KIDS, WAVVES

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) I respect the way Nathan Williams responded to his internet-fueled infamy—if you really don't know his deal, read every other review or article about the guy. The young, bedroom lo-fi wunderkind behind Wavves pretty much kept his head down and mouth shut amidst a sea of haters and dropped King of the Beach, a cleaned-up, Zubaz-colored shot back at the world. Too bad the album is just no good. An unfocused love letter to both Brian Wilson and Blink-182, King of the Beach just isn't as catchy, lovable, or hateable as either—it's not unlistenable, but it's far from unforgettable. Under normal circumstances, such a dud would normally turn his attempted triumph into a big whatever, but Pitchfork dug it—which means, like it or not, we'll all be hearing from this kid for at least a few more years. ETHAN JAYNE

THE TEMPER TRAP, BLUE GIANT, BUTTERFLY BONES

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Aussie alt-rock behemoths the Temper Trap straddle that difficult middle ground of radio-friendly pop acts that don't deserve to be showered in pigeon feces (your Kings of Leon), yet are certainly not cut to claim their place in the upper echelons (Radiohead). Their Conditions LP is composed of two types of songs—those that are already hits, or those that will be hits six months from now once the airwaves cease being clogged by constant spins of "Sweet Disposition." This means the music of the Temper Trap is about to become pretty ubiquitous, but don't fight it. At worst they become another embarrassing landmark in your musical travels (like that three-week span when you swore David Gray was the greatest thing ever), and at best you get to hear "Sweet Disposition" a few thousand more times. EAC

LARA MICHELL, A SIMPLE COLONY, MICHAEL JODELL

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) My sympathies for Lara Michell's calendar. The local singer/songwriter splits time in the Stolen Sweets and Dirty Martini, yet tonight she releases a pair of albums not associated with either. The first is World Brand New, her new collaboration with Michael Dodson under the A Simple Colony moniker, which, following a set from Michael Jodell, will lead to her debut of solo album number four, Petals. A spacious and pristine recording, Petals shows no signs of its author's hectic schedule; instead it's hoisted by Michell's soft voice and introspective lyrics. Let's hope she sleeps in tomorrow. EAC

SUNDAY 8/15

RAMONA FALLS, DIRTY MITTENS, MONARQUES, PALMZ

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

SMMR BMMR: CUMSTAIN, TRMRS, WHITE FANG, PURE COUNTRY GOLD & MORE

(Plan B, 1305 SE 8th) See Music.

TOKYO POLICE CLUB, FREELANCE WHALES, ARKELLS

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) I may have jumped the gun on Tokyo Police Club. The first I heard of them was their 2006 EP, A Lesson in Crime. It was great, but by the time they got around to releasing their first full-length record, Elephant Shell, in 2008, I had already moved on to other things. So I very nearly slept on their latest album, Champ, and I'm glad I didn't: Even on first listen, it's obvious that it's their best work yet, loaded with lockstep grooves and brazen melodies. These Ontario lads were just a bunch of teens when Tokyo Police Club first started; they've evolved into excellent songwriters, kicking off Champ with the startlingly good one-two punch of "Favorite Food" and "Favorite Color," the latter of which has one of the most undeniable hooks of any song this year. NL

SYMMETRY/SYMMETRY, TANGO ALPHA TANGO, WATER AND BODIES

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Oregon band Symmetry/Symmetry have titled their debut album Have Cake, and that is exactly what they'd like for you to do: have some cake, goddammit. They've claimed that they'll be serving free cake at tonight's album release show, and if that wasn't enough of a draw, they'll be playing the entirety of Have Cake from start to finish. It's an immaculately constructed collection of arty mood-rock, with big ambitions and sweeping arrangements. Recorded over a year and a half at Salem's Marigold Studios, where Symmetry/Symmetry members Daniel Jones and Joel Uram ply their trade behind the boards, there's not a mussed note or fluffed run in the 14 tracks. Live, the band punches a bit harder, giving the band's tightly composed songs a bit of a looser feel—the perfect soundtrack for a cake fight. (No. Joking. Do not start a cake fight.) NL

MONDAY 8/16

SONGS FOR MOMS, STREET EATERS

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) I'm not sure whether the name is supposed to be ironic or not, but the ladies of Bay Area punk trio Songs for Moms actually do kick out jams that my mother could get into (full disclosure: My mom really loves the Violent Femmes, X, and anything Shane MacGowan has ever done). Though their powerful vocals and heart-on-sleeve explorations in punk storytelling flirt with country, Celtic, and folk influences, Songs for Moms refrain from taking a definitive plunge into either of the three. The bouncy, unpredictable results carry an empowered swagger, honesty, and femininity—both live and on their newest, strongest record, I Used to Believe in the West—that you can take home to mom. EJ

TUESDAY 8/17

HOT HOT HEAT, 22-20S, DERBY

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

WEDNESDAY 8/18

ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO AND THE SENSITIVE BOYS, AMY COOK

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!

ONUINU, SOAP COLLECTORS, ADVENTURES! WITH MIGHT, YOUR CANVAS

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) I'm not sure how I feel about this latest cassette revival. It seems largely to be done, with varying degrees of irony, by musicians who were often too young to have actually lived through the cassette era. Tapes never sounded very hot. Rewinding was never fun. And now it is so unbelievably cheap to burn a CD—or post an mp3, for that matter—that manufacturing a run of tapes is best suited for the format-obsessed and the willfully weird. But the good thing about the tape revival is that a lot of new bands are receiving exposure as a result. Nascent cassette label Apes Tapes is putting out their first release, the Mixed Ape compilation, and tonight's launch party includes sets from Onuinu, Soap Collectors, Adventures! With Might, and Your Canvas, all hardily exploratory bands with skewed and fragmented sounds, regardless of the format. So perhaps the tape revival will tidily end in a couple years, when these cassettes—as all cassettes eventually do—break and clog your deck with ribbons of useless brown tape. 'Til then, there's plenty of good music to be heard. NL

DIGABLE PLANETS

(Mt. Tabor Theater, 4811 SE Hawthorne) Sadly, most hiphop reunions—or any show following long periods of dormancy—should be approached with great caution. As any Wu-Tang fan who witnessed some half-assed variation of the band with only U-God onstage can attest, you never know what you'll get. It's been nearly two years since Digable Planets got "Cool Like Dat" in Portland, and while we're not sure of the status of the band since Ishmael Butler went from "Butterfly" (his smooth-flowing Digable moniker) to Shabazz Palaces (his newest role, which is currently docked at the evolutionary forefront of modern hiphop), odds are you'll get enough of the early '90s lineup to suffice. EAC