THURSDAY 8/19

PORTLAND FOLK FESTIVAL: ROLL ON COLUMBIA SCREENING: PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT, JACKSTRAW

(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) See our Portland Folk Festival picks.

PORTLAND FOLK FEST: SEA OF BEES, BEAR FEET, STEFAN JECUSCO

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See Music.

LADY GAGA, Semi precious Weapons

(Rose Garden, 1 Center Court) See Music.

JACK LEWIS & TWIGS LVOV, SUN FOOT

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) Tonight marks the release of Jack Lewis' fourth album, Lo-Fi Lvov—his first since relocating to Portland in 2006. It's a total blast of a record, full of detached cool plastered over with pre-chewed, sticky bubblegum giddiness, like the Velvet Underground and the Archies having a barbecue together, or playing volleyball, or sitting in each other's laps and sharing secrets. Brother Jeffrey Lewis' guest deadpanning is unmistakable on the hurtling, Pavement-y "Broken Song," while Ross McLeron (formerly of Southern Belle) and Simon Beins (of the Wowz) make appearances elsewhere. According to Lewis, the beach-party trot of "How to Dance on New Year's Day" is about "the difficulty I encountered when I tried to get some friends to dance on New Year's Day (circa 2005)," and it's highlighted by the perfectly wistful phrase, "You only see each other once a year or less." When Jack urges you to the dance floor, it's hard to resist. NED LANNAMANN

NIGHT OF THE FLY SHOWCASE: YOUNG X, T&E, LOGICS, MATTY, DJ FLO, COOL NUTZ

(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Young X is a 21-year-old, up-and-coming Portland emcee with a laidback flow whose age is only evident in his stylistic stretching and redefining of what hiphop means. More comparable to peers Wiz Khalifa and Wale than to the older street styles of E-40 or Too Short, Young X's natural ability combined with his tenacious persistence and insistence that he get his due makes him a natural candidate for Rookie of the Year in the big leagues of Portland hiphop. Rounding out the squad is fan-favorite T&E and veteran leadership provided by coach/player Cool Nutz. This lineup, featuring a bench full of role players—including ringer Matty brought in from Salem—makes this team a formidable unit that is damn near unbeatable and hungry for a ring. RYAN FEIGH

CASIOKIDS, LIGHT POLLUTION, FAKE DRUGS

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Polyvinyl Records is touting Topp stemning på lokal bar, the first full-length from Bergen, Norway's Casiokids, to be "the first Norwegian-language pop music ever to be released in the US." I'm not sure how you verify a claim like that, but I'm willing to take them at their word, considering all the other Norwegian music I've heard is either of the death metal variety, or of the Anglo-aping, folk-twee pop variety, sung by blondies whose grasp of the English language is far superior to mine. Casiokids aren't all that different, but instead of clothing their music in stark, Nordic pluckings, they've embraced a day-glo, danceclub sound for their gratuitously catchy melodies. Fat bottoms, trembling falsetto vocals, relentless but encouraging beats, and synthesized timbres that have no rightful place in nature all make up the Casiokids sound, which on a good night can sound like Sigur Rós on a shit-ton of ecstasy, raving to Balearic tracks at a dusk-'til-dawn Ibiza beach party. NL

HUNGRY GHOST, HORNET LEG, ORCA TEAM, THERAPISTS

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) If you're not already well versed in Pacific Northwest musicology, you best do your homework and research Unwound (featuring Sara Lund) and Irving Klaw Trio (featuring Andrew Price). Now that you're up to speed, know that Lund and Price have been performing as Hungry Ghost for several years, and now add the talents of Lorca Wood from seminal garage rockers the Drags to their already mind-blowing band. I apologize for all this name-dropping, but it's important to know how much history will be present in the room tonight alongside some of our city's freshest. Knowing this, expect the music of Hungry Ghost to speak for itself, as it will to audiences around the country on a tour this fall with the Corin Tucker Band (for whom Lund is also drumming). MARANDA BISH

 

WITCHBURN, KLEVELAND

(Devils Point, 5305 SE Foster) Seattle's Witchburn could mount any stage in any town and instantly command the attention of everyone in the room. It's not because three of the five members are enticing female rockers, or that their massive Down-meets-the-Sword riffage can't be denied. Witchburn wins over every crowd they step in front of because they have confidence sans ego. The band isn't out to prove they kick ass, they know they do. Their lyrics preach self-empowerment and the damning of all naysayers, and it's quite clear that they live by these words. Witchburn's live shows are serious face-melters, so make sure you bring a bucket. ARIS WALES

Friday 8/20

The Hold Steady, Jaill

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

JEREMY WILSON FOUNDATION BENEFIT: DR. THEOPOLIS, CASEY NEILL AND THE NORWAY RATS

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Sadly it's become an all-too-familiar tale: Musician gets sick, musician doesn't have insurance, musician loses everything in an attempt to get better, friends help with benefit show. But for Jeremy Wilson—a staple in Portland music, from his role in Dharma Bums to his recording work—there is a bit of a twist. Following his 2006 diagnosis with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (a disease that lives up to its intimidating name), the Jeremy Wilson Found-ation was launched. Not just set up to help the artist himself, the foundation will use a crisis fund to help other local musicians facing the prospect of financial ruin following a medical emergency. Down the line, the nonprofit plans to establish a group plan for musicians without health insurance. Here's hoping the Jeremy Wilson Foundation makes it so these familiar scenarios become a thing of the past. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

THE MUMMIES, THE LEADERS, THE JINXES, CYCLOTRON, LARRY AND HIS ANGRY GENERATION

(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) "Portland may be stupid enough to give us a second chance, but we know enough to keep the engine running." So warn garage rock legends the Mummies as they prepare to play the Pacific Northwest for the first time in 20 years, and of all the reunion shows going on these days, this one will be truly the shit. At the height of the soulless '80s, the Mummies took everything that's at the heart of rock and roll and combined it with drugs and everything good/bad about their home state of California (sleaze, surf, grandiosity, and cinematic antics). Onstage, the Mummies destroyed audiences while playing raunchy gutbucket jams clad head to toe in the white rags of mummification (making it hard to play their instruments), and offstage they trademarked the concept of "budget rock," recording music as cheaply as possible, often with battered equipment, and even touring in an ambulance from 1963. This devotion to badness has earned the band plenty of admiration, and it's not hard to see why; even today, there are no bands quite so recklessly, fearlessly true to rock and roll as the Mummies. MB

THE RAINY STATES, AND AND AND, SOCIAL STUDIES, DJ SCOTT OSETH

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) With their previous full-length In Basement Air, it felt like we were only hearing a small slice of what the Rainy States were capable of. Now with the just-released The Push and the Plan, a more fleshed-out glimpse of the co-ed pop group's bountiful sound has emerged. While it still has a few missteps along the way—"Cadillac" is as bulky as its namesake, while "Across States" feels unfinished—The Push is jangle-pop bliss capped by the airy voice of Betsy Johnson and slight rasp of her co-vocalist and sibling Benjamin Johnson. The album's finest moments come early with the lurking "New Castle," and at the end, with dramatic closing number "Stone and Mortar." EAC

BRETT GAFFNEY MEMORIAL: RED FANG, LORD DYING, JASON GAFFNEY

(Plan B, 1305 SE 8th) Brett "Big Bad" Gaffney died on May 24 at the age of 34—much, much too soon for the unheralded guitarist, whose work with bands Ociffer and Diamond was some of the finest, rippingest rawk this town has seen. It's fitting, then, that Portland's heaviest bands pay tribute to him at tonight's memorial, which also serves as a fundraiser to defray costs from his untimely death. Red Fang are at the head of Portland's hesher class, possessing a burly, bullying sound that emanates your older stepbrother's juvenile delinquency: stale beer, jean vests, muscle cars, and a really, really painful and undeserved beating when you least expect it (What do you mean stop hitting yourself? You're hitting me with my own fist!). In other words, Red Fang is fucking fun, and so is Lord Dying, another bruiser of a metal band, similarly poised to be the next big heavy thing—if you are prepared. Trust us, you aren't. NL

JOHN HEART JACKIE, WHAT HEARTS

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) Tonight the musical duo John Heart Jackie celebrate the release of their debut album, We Are Gold Mounds. The draw of Jennie Wayne and Peter Murray has as much to do with their minimalist folk songs' ethereal, far-off delivery as with the down-home immediacy they manage to combine it with. There is something boy- and girl-next-door about the two that lulls the listener into a poignant sense of comfort. The songwriting can be too breezy and compromising at times, but when Wayne and Murray embrace the sadness and euphoria they mostly hint at, the understated power they generate is a thing to see. DAVE BOW

FRAN HEALY

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Way back when, Coldplay and Travis were neck-and-neck in the grand ol' sweepstakes of non-threatening pop bands that invaded from across the pond in the late '90s (sorry Starsailor, you lost). While The Man Who has aged far better than Parachutes, Coldplay won out in the end, relegating Travis to a band whose stateside popularity never quite equaled their overseas devotion. Now Travis frontman Fran Healy is testing the solo waters in preparation for his forthcoming first solo album. Wreckorder features his famous pals—most notably Neko Case and Paul McCartney—and the soft melodies you've come to expect from Healy. Who knows, perhaps in an alternate reality you might be watching Chris Martin solo tonight. EAC

Saturday 8/21

SUMMER SLAM!: FLOSSTRADAMUS, RUDE DUDES, SISTAFIST, SERIOUS BUSINESS, LIONSDEN, DJ COLBY B, DJ AUTOMATON, CORY O

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) See My, What a Busy Week!

PORTLAND FOLK FESTIVAL: DAMIEN JURADO, DAN BERN, DOLOREAN, DUOVER

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See our Portland Folk Festival picks.

LOT 13 CURATED BY THE PORTLAND FIELD RECORDING PROJECT

(Lot 13, N Mississippi & Shaver) See our Portland Folk Festival picks.

Sunday 8/22

LUCINDA WILLIAMS, SERA CAHOONE

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

PORTLAND FOLK FESTIVAL: THAO AND MIRAH, LAURA GIBSON, AMY ANNELLE

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See our Portland Folk Festival picks.

THE DO-OVER: HAYCOCK, JAMIE STRONG, ALOE BLACC & SPECIAL GUESTS

(Produce Row, 204 SE Oak) See Music.

JAPANTHER, MUHAMMADALI, SHAKES, SEASON OF NIGHTMARES

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Has anyone ever been faced with the odd quandary of choosing between TBA (as in the Time-Based Art Festival) or charmingly lowbrow Northeast dive the Know? Perhaps they will tonight, since Japanther is performing at TBA in a few weeks (on September 9, to be exact), albeit for a very different crowd than the one expected tonight. Which show shall you see? You might as well play it safe and catch both shows of hyperactive inspiration from Japanther. Just in case. EAC

Monday 8/23

ONEIDA, AU, LIGHTS

(Berbati's Pan, 10 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

TED NUGENT, VAL HALLA

(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) These days it's impossible not to experience Ted Nugent without your support being seen as a political gesture. The de facto voice of right-wing rock and roll, the Nuge is like a Glenn Beck rant (sans the tears) set to a wailing guitar solo, right down to the title of his current tour ("Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead"). Of course, the Motor City Madman used to make some pretty great songs—if you disagree, at least you can concur that he should be credited for introducing "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang" to our modern vernacular—but now Nugent's legacy is limited to crackpot lines about our secret Muslim socialist president who'll make us all gay marry our vegan cousins, and a level of unashamed hucksterism (coffee, jerky, hunting gear) that would make Gene Simmons blush. If you decide to pony up for tonight's VIP package ($600 plus a $4 transaction fee—because when you are a millionaire every penny counts), you'll get a meet-and-greet with Nugent backstage, 8x10 glossy photo, and an entry for something called a "PorkSlam Hunt." PorkSlam? Huh, sounds pretty gay if you ask me. EAC

Tuesday 8/24

BORIS, RED SPAROWES, HELMS ALEE

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) See My, What a Busy Week!

TRUMANS WATER, ASTROLOGY

(East End, 203 SE Grand) It's been quite some time since we heard from the brothers Branstetter: Kirk and Kevin, the two San Diegans who started the caroming clang of their band Trumans Water way back in 1991. Their last full-length was in 2003, but that's because the brothers spend time on opposite sides of the globe: Kevin in France, and Kirk right here in Portland. A new disc—Trumans' 13th overall—gets released today on Asthmatic Kitty, and O Zeta Zunis is just as loopy as the "squiggle-core" band's previous work. This time 'round they're joined by the Bugs' Mike Coumatos on bass and the Last of the Juanitas' John Schier on the drum kit. To add to the good news, Asthmatic Kitty is going to re-release the Trumans Water back catalog. You really couldn't ask for anything more: new record, old stuff reissued, and an honest-to-goodness live show tonight. So welcome back, Trumans Water; you been gone too long. NL

EMILY WELLS, SARAH JAFFE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The lovely folk music of Sarah Jaffe walks a fine line. The 24-year-old has spent time touring with likeminded acts like Midlake and Lou Barlow, but just as easily she shifts gears and supports Norah Jones. It's a nice balancing act, one abundantly clear on Jaffe's debut long-player, Suburban Nature. The Denton resident (a city that in recent years has become the best musical outlet in the Lone Star State) expresses a natural ease throughout Suburban Nature, one that extends from the teenage remorse of lead single "Clementine" ("We were young, we were young, we were young, we didn't care") to the album's ambitious closing farewell, "Perfect Plan." No matter if your allegiances align with the Sebadoh frontman or with NoJo, chances are you'll walk away from this show a lifelong Jaffe supporter. EAC

Wednesday 8/25

PETE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, THE MAGIC MIRRORS, LIGHT FOR FIRE

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See Music.