THURSDAY 3/3

RED FANG, THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS

(Portland Spirit) See My, What a Busy Week!

STRYPER

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Read about Stryper.

THE NIGHT BEATS, DRUG PURSE, ORCA TEAM, MIDNIGHT SUN

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The mentally crippling repercussions that shock therapy induced on Roky Erickson could be enough evidence to decriminalize pot today. The great former 13th Floor Elevators leader created a distinctive psych-out from the Texas bayous, heat, and cranking oil derricks, pushing the envelope of noise rock and sound experimentation at a time when most music only held up boundaries. It's cliché to say a new generation has been reborn from the roots of where they came from, but the now Seattle-based Night Beats drank Texas' fetid water, and ate the food from its soil—sonically, these three young men are the long-lost brothers of Roky and the gang. Their drudging, heavy-bliss psychedelic garage will flash before your eyes, and that brain in your head will be rattling around like a shell-shocked ex-vet who needs his meds and a joint. TRAVIS RITTER

SOLAR SHADE, THE JON COHEN EXPERIMENTAL, FOCUS FOCUS

(Ella Street Social Club, 714 SW 20th Pl) Jon Cohen—not to be confused with bluegrass musician John Cohen, who also performs tonight at the Mission Theater—is a Montreal musician who's done time as a member of the Dears and the Social Register. Now Cohen has a project of his own, the Jon Cohen Experimental, and recorded an album, Behold, with the help of some of the luminaries of the Montreal scene. It's a casual, easygoing collection of pop music with a fondness for kaleidoscopic arrangements and the occasional dissonant chord. Now Cohen is traveling solo via Greyhound, accompanied by his patented "Casiotone orchestra and astral projections," to perform his gently psychedelic music up and down the West Coast. NED LANNAMANN

BROKEN RECORDS, US ROYALTY, SEXO TROPICO

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) One would think that with a name like Broken Records there would be some element of fun and looseness to this Scottish sextet. Not so much. These bearded young lads' modus operandi is all melodrama, never more fully evidenced than with a song titled "If the News Makes You Sad, Don't Watch It." To be fair, the band dubbed the "Scottish Arcade Fire" (for no reason whatsoever) have shed some of that rough exterior on their second LP Let Me Come Home, a record that trades in some of the folkiness and pretension for more simple, everyman rock yarns. On wax there are layers of slick production for vocalist Jamie Sutherland to contend with, but live is where Broken Records are more likely to get their message through to new followers. MARK LORE

FRIDAY 3/4

IN THE COOKY JAR: DJ COOKY PARKER

(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!

VIVA VOCE, DAMIEN JURADO, BROTHERS YOUNG

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) There's a new Viva Voce record on the way! The married duo of Anita and Kevin Robinson have been hard at work this winter in their home studio, reverting to their original two-person lineup for The Future Will Destroy You (out June 21). Even better is the news that Kevin has finally returned to his seat behind the drum kit, after having done holy damage to both rotator cuffs during Viva Voce tours past. It's the first time he's played drums onstage in four years, plus there's a bounty of new VV songs—not to mention the added incentive of Seattle troubadour Damien Jurado, who's performing his only Portland date until Pickathon, and who's prepping his 10th record in Cottage Grove, Oregon, with producer Richard Swift. NL

HELLO MORNING, STEVE TAYLOR, GRAHAM PATZNER, THE DIMES

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) In Hello Morning's best moments—and there are plenty of them dispersed throughout the just-released A Fiction—the Portland outfit sounds quite a bit like Travis during those Glaswegian lads' glorious The Man Who era. Charmed, confident, and—on occasion—bombastic, Hello Morning are masterly in the craft of authoring precise pop songs with the masses in their crosshairs. There is a rigid poise to songs like the shuffling "Letters" or the dynamic opening number "The Fear," that soon gives way to warm, hook-heavy rock songs. Coldplay (and Travis) fans anxiously awaiting new material should seek out a copy of A Fiction posthaste. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

DANAVA, CHRISTIAN MISTRESS, LECHEROUS GAZE

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Christian Mistress is well versed in the preachings of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, and the Olympia band delivers a sermon of traditional metal steeped in dark tales of death and mythological underworlds that swallow you whole. If their six-track debut Agony and Opium isn't filed alongside your collection of primitive metal and thrash records, it ought to be. Agony and Opium is made from a tried-and-true formula that dilutes some of metal's glorified machismo with the forceful, clairvoyant, and punky siren call of its female vocalist, Christine Davis. The band rips through extended solos, strewn over thrashing punk anthems to pump a fist to. They'll be in good company alongside the thunderous space heavies in Danava. TR

SECT, THE PERFECT CYN, DJ SAPPHO, PIPEDREAM

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) SECT is an acronym based on the names of four respected Boston-based producers: Sergio Santos, Eli Goldstein, Charles Levine, and Tanner Ross. Goldstein and Levine are also the minds behind Soul Clap, the slowed-down slinky house outfit that commanded 2010's dance music circuit with endless high-profile bookings rooted in an unwavering trust that the two will deliver an epic party every single time. Ross is aligned with the San Francisco quirky house music empire Dirtybird/Mothership Records, most notably as one half of sinister techno duo Voodeux. Together as SECT, the group recently put out a promising first release on Culprit Records, in which chunky midtempo basslines prop up layers of deep melody. The sound is obviously made for party time, but the subtle manipulation of Mulatu Astatke's classic Ethiopian jazz horn section in "Man of Wisdom" also harbors a certain classiness and musicality that demonstrates SECT's credibility as serious artists. AVA HEGEDUS

KISSES

(Peter's Room at the Roseland, 8 NW 6th) If Kisses' debut album, The Heart of the Nightlife, sounds like a travelogue of far-off, exotic locations, that's no accident. Jesse Kivel, one-half of the Los Angeles duo (and also a member of the button-down pop band Princeton with twin brother Matt) earned his living as a travel writer, going to resorts and hotels in unknown locations, and letting his travels bleed over into the music. With Jesse Kivel joined by keyboardist Zinzi Edmundson, Kisses makes a photo-flared version of Italo disco, juxtaposing the chilly sheen of late-'70s/early-'80s dance music with unraveled-sweater indie-pop melancholy. It's a winning combination, uncovering a very human and compelling sound beneath the sine-wave synths and stock drum-machine beats. NL

REAL TALK: ILL CAMINO, TRANS FAT

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Real Talk is a new hiphop dance party that usually resides upstairs at Rotture, but tonight they'll be flexing their skills in the roomier Branx digs. Wonder why? Perhaps there is a super (sorta) secret band that will be taking the stage tonight. A band with a history of name changes. A band that refuses to bill itself with some predictable anagram (like, say, Creak Turfs) that anyone can solve. I guess you'll just have to muscle your way to the front of Branx to get a glimpse of who this just might be. Or just wait until everyone ruins the surprise on Twitter. Your call. EAC

OROKU, EALDATH, MURDERESS

(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) A great way to let laymen know that metal is a legitimate form of musical expression is by incorporating an instrument that, to them, doesn't necessarily belong. Something classical is always best. Seattle's Oroku and local act Ealdath have both chosen the brooding sound of a cello to let close-minded fools know they mean business. The somber groans of the instrument give Oroku's already depressive D-beat an even more desolate touch. Ealdath's medieval down-tempo doom does well with the cello's dark tones (today's letter is "D," apparently). Or, if you don't know any classically trained musicians, you can just stomp the throats of everyone in the room like Murderess does so well. Churning out metallic D-beat (again!) with snarling vocals, soaring guitar harmonies, and punishing drums, Murderess is the band that has it all. Except for an oboe. ARIS WALES

HOT MESS: BRENMAR, DOC ADAM, LINCOLNUP

(Tube, 18 NW 3rd) No matter what moniker you apply to your dance night, chances are it won't live up to Hot Mess. The long-running first Friday party at Tube is indeed both hot and messy—in the best possible way—as their "triple platinum certified bananas dance party" slogan is very well earned. Tonight put on your party hats and celebrate four years of packing the Tube by importing Brooklyn-via-Chicago DJ Brenmar to spin his addictive blend of R&B, hiphop, and house. Did I mention Hot Mess is always free? Well, it is. EAC

GREG ATTONITO

(Red and Black Cafe, 400 SE 12th) Sorry, Bouncing Souls fans, but you probably won't hear "These Are the Quotes From Our Favorite 80's Movies" tonight. But that doesn't mean you should miss this chance to see Souls frontman Greg Attonito in this intimate Portland stopover alongside children's author (and wife) Shanti Wintergate. There will be acoustic music—presumably from Attonito—and collaborative artwork on display as well. It's a far cry from your typical Bouncing Souls concert—if you attempt a circle pit, you will ruin everything for everyone—but this change of pace seems to suit Attonito well, and it just might do the same for you. EAC

SATURDAY 3/5

KELLI SCHAEFER, AAN, CAMPFIRE OK

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) Read about Kelli Schaefer.

DEICIDE, BELPHEGOR, BLACKGUARD, NEURAXIS, PATHOLOGY, WILD BOAR CANNERY

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Read about Deicide.

PURE COUNTRY GOLD, THE MEAN JEANS, HEY LOVER, DJ HWY 7

(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) A few weeks back Pure Country Gold dropped a bombshell when they casually mentioned—oh, by the way—that their Slabtown Bender performance would likely be their final show ever. Jerks. Thankfully the duo of Patrick Foss and Jake Welliver is giving us one final chance to shed some tears in our domestic beers with this official farewell bash. Expect the band to blaze through all your old favorites and be the recipient of more awkward drunk hugs than a wedding receiving line. While none of us want to live in a world without the disorderly garage clatter of PCG, and songs like "You Got to Bro Up to Bro Down," we're just going to have to get through this together. Be strong. EAC

ALAMEDA, PORCHES, OK BIRD

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) Portland bands have been known to get stringy; something about this incessant rain makes us yearn to drown our sorrows (or slit our throats?) with the lonesome bow of the violin. While some may overindulge, though, Alameda has found a safe spot among the frantic bow wielders, artfully blending classical arrangements with indie rock sensibilities for an understated and beautiful outcome. Lead singer/guitarist Stirling Myles is an earnest-voiced fellow with two female counterparts, cellist Jessie Dettwiler and Jennifer Woodall, a symphony clarinetist who ups the woodwind's cool factor (fourth-grade self, rejoice!). And so it stands, the trio's ready-to-release debut album, Seasons/Spectres, is bound to find a good home among us maudlin cave dwellers, with "New Leaf," the band's lead single, graciously alluding to those first hopeful specks of spring. RAQUEL NASSER

STRANGLED DARLINGS

(Alberta Street Public House, 1036 NE Alberta) There are two Strangled Darlings: mandolin player George Veech and cellist Jessica Anderly. That unconventional pairing of stringed things forms the backbone of the duo's first full-length, The Devil in Outer Space: An Operetta. The record—its Satan-astronaut plotline not quite discernible to me, except in the title track—is a collection of alternately choppy and rollicking tunes helmed by Veech's lit-nerd lyrics and confrontational vocals. Strangled Darlings channel out a unique pocket in the local folk music scene, sidestepping a few of its old-timey affectations and sounding very much of the minute. NL

A HAWK AND A HACKSAW, DENVER, EZZA ROSE

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) A Hawk and a Handsaw's newest album, Cervantine, treads familiar ground—if you've been paying attention to folk music, you've heard this Balkan-tinged sound before. But like the best music, it rewards attention. At the edges of the music, A Hawk and a Hacksaw welcome in Middle Eastern elements, other European folk music, and even a little bit of Indian flavor. Those elements often gradually expand to take over the songs, bending them in directions you wouldn't think possible. Sometimes, as in the album closer "The Loser [Xeftilis]," flamenco and gypsy music combine to twist the song into something that sounds like a whole new genre. This is world music, and I mean that in the best, most un-Putumayo-like way possible. PAUL CONSTANT

SUNDAY 3/6

CRYSTAL CASTLES, SUUNS

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

YANN TIERSEN, BREATHE OWL BREATHE

(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) The classically influenced moodscapes of French musician Yann Tiersen approach Franco-folk and avant-garde rock, but he's best known for the whimsical soundtrack to Amélie. Tiersen made an appealing and approachably brainy pop record with last year's Dust Lane, with catchy but compositionally complex songs—like "Fuck Me"—that could catch the ears of Andrew Bird and Broken Social Scene fans. Tiersen is joined by the mighty triumvirate of Michigan's Breathe Owl Breathe, who make engagingly daffy hippie music—shown to best effect on last year's winning Magic Central, an album that makes Breathe Owl Breathe's modus operandi (living in a cabin; skinny-dipping; making drugged-out jangle-folk tunes) sound completely irresistible. NL

PEGASUS DREAM, HOUSEFIRE, VANIMAL, DOUBLEPLUSGOOD

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Last fall, enterprising young electro band Pegasus Dream experienced a setback when one of their prized instruments—a keyboard that cost nearly a grand—was stolen from their vehicle. Thanks to a successful internet fundraising campaign, they drummed up enough funds not only to replace it, but also to pay for a getaway to the coast, where they dedicated themselves to exploring new material—including collaborations with visual artists. Portland transplants since 2009, the trio create dreamy dance music that draws on the lyrical posturing of Of Montreal and upbeat synth sounds of Starfucker. Tonight marks the re-release of their full length Painting Pantheons on local label Sohitek Records, plus the debut of some of the sight and sound experiments that came from that getaway. MARANDA BISH

MONDAY 3/7

SOFT KILL, VICE DEVICE, PRESCRIPTION PILLS, DJ NIGHTSCHOOL, DJ LINOLEUM

(Tube, 18 NW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

TUESDAY 3/8

FORBIDDEN FRIENDS, ERSATZ, KAREN

(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) See My, What a Busy Week!

OLD LIGHT, THE GOLDEN BEARS

(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) See My, What a Busy Week!

REVOLVER, HEY ROSETTA

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read about Revolver.

WEEDEATER, ZOROASTER, KVELERTAK, ANCIENT AGE

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Trying to define the sound of Norwegian six-piece Kvelertak is like sitting through an entire Anal Cunt record: difficult, pointless, and damn near impossible. Might as well try, though: Take the urgency of classic punk rock, mix it with the snarl of black metal, toss in some AC/DC and translate it all into Norwegian. But even that doesn't do them justice. Riding high off the hype received from topping a dozen or so year-end best-of lists, these guys are a breath of fresh air amid a sea of try-hards. Fuck genre boundaries, this band does it all. Headlining this show is Southern-fried sludge-metal trio Weedeater, the perfect comedown from a couple of confusingly chaotic openers. KEVIN DIERS

WEDNESDAY 3/9

DIAMOND RINGS, PS I LOVE YOU, MNEMONIC SOUNDS

(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!

CHEAP TIME, IDLE TIMES, DEAD MEAT, FERGUS AND GERONIMO

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Make no mistake—Fergus and Geronimo do and say as they please. The Texas-bred, Brooklyn-based duo's debut long-player, Unlearn, fearlessly bulldozes through garage rock, doo-wop, and more, gathering up whatever rubble proves useful along the way—like, you know, a tender flute line that follows the melody of "Wanna Know What I Would Do?," a punk-injected blip that bluntly suggests scenesters fuck off. This sort of youthful panache is interestingly matched with Andrew Savage's plainspoken delivery on his portion of the record (sharing songwriting and vocal duties with other bandmate—presumably Geronimo—Jason Kelly). If I were you, I would go to this show and pray for "Forced Aloha"; it's a good day when some singer peers out over a strumming, Built to Spill moment and groans, "Your life is nothing/But a loveless beach house fuck/Sö good luck." RN

TAPES 'N TAPES, DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR., THEMES

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Minneapolis' Tapes 'n Tapes are one of those former blog-buzz bands that have carried on for years after the initial spike in attention, making you wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place. They're simply middling students in modern indie-rock 101 who arose at a time when "mediocre" somehow became the new "awesome" in the hive mind and the critical consensus-making machine. Detroit's Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are where T&T were in 2005, and while they're slightly more interesting sonically than their tour mates, they too are nothing about which to throw exclamation marks. DEJJ show more concern for chillwave-y atmospheres and danceable beats while maintaining a healthy regard for melody. DAVE SEGAL