THURSDAY 7/28

KATE BUSH NIGHT: PARENTHETICAL GIRLS, NEAL MORGAN, ROCKY AND THE PROMS, PRESCRIPTION PILLS & MORE
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, LE BUTCHERETTES
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Read our article on Le Butcherettes.

TY SEGALL, AUDACITY, THE MEAN JEANS, CYCLOTRON
(East End, 203 SE Grand) Read our article on Ty Segall.

AU, BLOUSE
(Dig a Pony, 736 SE Grand) Named in honor of the best John Lennon song to adorn Let it Be (if you think "Across the Universe" is better, we simply cannot be friends), Dig a Pony is the fancy new liquorin' hole that has taken root in the former Niki's Restaurant spot on SE Grand and Morrison. In lieu of cutting a ceremonial ribbon with a gigantic pair of scissors, the Dig a Pony crew is celebrating their grand opening with a free show from a mighty pairing of Portland bands. Au is the visionary project of Luke Wyland and pals—who have kept us in great anticipation for a follow-up to 2008's Verbs ('09's Versions was great, but with re-recorded material, it was a tease)—while Blouse are the fashionable upstarts whose moody, declamatory rock and roll wowed a sweaty PDX Pop Now! crowd this past weekend. EZRA ACE CARAEFF

PAPER/UPPER/CUTS, 1939 ENSEMBLE, YEAH GREAT FINE, DJ RUMTRIGGER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) David "Papi" Fimbres has played in exactly one zillion bands—including O Bruxo, Pluvial, Sun Angle, and lots more—but Paper/Upper/Cuts are something else: His one-man, heavily rhythmic project sounds like a global collision of every sound that's ever existed. While the dubbed-out palette is largely electronic, Fimbres drops in flutes, brass, live drums, Spanish freestyling, and lord knows what else over the synthetic backing, with sounds ricocheting off one another, either in a violent tumble or in perfect simpatico—or, often, both. The second Paper/Upper/Cuts album, Illa Killa Yellow Space, is out in a yellow-vinyl run of 300 on the Boomarm Nation label, and it's the kind of record that's so giddily stuffed with ideas that it might be disorienting to listen to, if every note and bang and thud were not infused with Fimbres' inexhaustible, undeniable joy. NED LANNAMANN

LEADERS, PROBLEMS, BUCK WILLIAMS, THE KING IS DEAD, ALABAMA BLACK SNAKE, THE HIGHMEN
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Leaders may be best known for an unfortunate fish stabbing in '09, where singer Donald Fite impaled his girlfriend's pet fish after a fight, telling the authorities, "If she can't have me, then she can't have the fish." It's a shame because Leaders are damn good at what they do, and are well received in other parts of the country (and internationally) for being an unforgiving, hard-hitting rock and roll outfit. Their latest release is the inaugural 7-inch from French imprint Import/Export Records and features "State of Shock," a track that crescendos in a fury of fuzzed and frayed guitar, demented keys, back-breaking drum beat, and Fite's dangerously fierce vocals before fizzling into eight minutes of feedback. MARANDA BISH

RX BANDITS, MAPS AND ATLASES, ZECHS MARQUISE
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Once a ska band, always a ska band, right? Okay, well, maybe we can make one exception for Rx Bandits, an ever-evolving Orange County-based four-piece beast of a band. For the past six years, the one-time token ska group on the roster of squeaky-clean lords of the late-'90s pop-punk underground, Drive-Thru Records, have gone through a complete overhaul, keeping their horn section, but easing away from third wave and gravitating toward a more progressive indie-rock-based sound. This is billed as Rx Bandits' "farewell tour," and guitarist Steve Choi has assured that the Bandits will continue in some form, but will cease to tour. Chicago quartet Maps and Atlases are opening the last jaunt, adding a bit of "math-rock cred" to what some might consider "the final skank." KEVIN DIERS

FRIDAY 7/29

WILLIE NELSON
(Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey, Troutdale) See My, What a Busy Week!

ICEAGE, DEATHCHARGE, CULT OF YOUTH, THE PRIDS, ARCTIC FLOWERS, ATROCITY EXHIBITION, DJ AHEX
(East End, 203 SE Grand) At first it seemed as if Iceage was to punk as Liturgy was to black metal. Critically swooned over and unafraid to color outside the lines of the genre, Iceage furrowed many a brow with their unapologetically unique and disjointed take on amplified punk rock. What Iceage do so well on their debut New Brigade is follow in the impressive wake of Fucked Up, a band that treats punk rock not as a definitive genre etched in stone, but as a work in progress that requires change in order to adapt and evolve. The fact that New Brigade was created not by a bunch of savvy music industry veterans but by a handful of Copenhagen teenagers is even more impressive. They are still on their ascent, but if their unbridled momentum continues, Iceage could very well be the face of modern punk for a long time to come. EAC

SNAP!: DR. ADAM, COLIN JONES, COSMO BAKER
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) SNAP! began in 2007 as collaboration between a pair of DJs at the Portland Radio Authority, the former pirate radio station that has since found a home online. Local party promoter Coco Madrid and Chip Brokaw—who emcees and DJs under the name Colin Jones—envisioned a monthly '90s-themed dance party that paid respect to the golden era of hiphop while also allowing for forays into synergetic sounds. It's quite fitting, then, that in addition to current resident DJ Doc Adam, they've managed to book Cosmo Baker for their fourth anniversary celebration. A native of Philly, Baker was an East Coast legend throughout the '90s, influencing contemporaries such as Diplo, ?uestlove, and Rich Medina. Baker tours the globe with his party-rocking abilities, so come witness a master at work, support a local institution, and—most importantly—bust a move. RYAN FEIGH

TU FAWNING, RADIATION CITY, WILD ONES
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) While you were sleeping, Tu Fawning was conquering Europe. The texturally precise local outfit is huge in the old country, touring there multiple times a year and playing everything from squats to those mega festivals (Roskilde) that they do so much better than us Yanks. While Hearts on Hold still has plenty of legs, the band is prepping a new album and they'll be recording some vocals from tonight's show for future use. (No, that doesn't mean you should talk really loud during their set with the hope that your drunken ramblings will be captured for all eternity on the next Tu Fawning record.) Joining them are the fresh-faced tweesters in Wild Ones and the beautiful arrangements of Radiation City. EAC

RACHEL TAYLOR BROWN, BROTHERS YOUNG, MICHAEL THE BLIND
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) If you came for sweetness, keep your receipt. Despite the cuddly title that adorns its cover, World So Sweet isn't exactly an album composed of bubbly odes to all things sugary in this world. Then again, when it comes to the prolific Rachel Taylor Brown, we shouldn't be turning to our speakers and expecting happiness to come gushing out. On her fifth long-player, the local singer/songwriter throws caution to the wind and creates grand pop arrangements assisted by a loyal troupe of Portland musicians (Menomena's Danny Seim, Leigh Marble, and plenty more) that are neatly capped by her (mostly) dour pen. A few musicians on loan is commonplace, but what is unique to World So Sweet is opening track "Intro (Sweetness on Earth)," which quickly develops from rattling ambient clutter to a bombastic rumble of 50 (yes, 50) pianos and a heavenly chorus of voices. With moments like that, who needs happiness? EAC

SATURDAY 7/30

MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES BLOCK PARTY: WORLD'S GREATEST GHOSTS, THE WE SHARED MILK, HELLO ELECTRIC, PORCHES & MORE
(SE 8th & Division) See My, What a Busy Week!

GRAND REOPENING: DJ AKBAR SAMI, DJ PRASHANT
(Ted's, 231 SW Ankeny) See My, What a Busy Week!

BLOOD BEACH, DARK ENTRIES, HAUSU
(East End, 203 SE Grand) Following the group's triumphant set at PDX Pop Now!, the shit-spook punk of Blood Beach has been committed to wax. Return of the Curse of the Creature's Ghost—brownie points if you can correctly identify which late-'90s HBO sketch comedy show its title comes from—is a freaky, unsettling, eight-song voyage into nausea and fear. Does that make it sound unpleasant? It's one of the wonders of Blood Beach that their Monks-y, art-damaged squall is at all times exhilarating and engaging—in fact, it's damn good fun. Their songs are dressed in snarling guitars, disgruntled puffs of sax, and Camella Weedon's horror-movie theremin; their tumbling rhythms approach krautrock's fervor while cheerfully ignoring its lockstep precision. The 12-inch Creature's Ghost is the kind of record that'll make all your other records sound lame in comparison, and tonight's free show is your first chance to get your hands on a copy. NL

ARANYA, LICKITY, BLOOD OF MARTYRS, WIZARD RIFLE
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) The amount of adjectives and genres that it would take to fully describe Aranya's eclectic (yet surprisingly cohesive) style could fill this entire paper. However, the quickest and easiest way to sum up the local quartet's sound would be to call it "ritualistic." With musical themes that seem to have been culled from the four members' subconscious during some mind-expanding-self-discovering, time-bending ceremony, Aranya's forthcoming Cutthroat Spiritual sets the tone immediately with thumping drums and vocalist Uta Plotkin's high priestess vocal wailings that evoke Nancy Wilson, Grace Slick, and Jinx Dawson. From there, the band concocts incantations with heavy stoner riffs, viola, mandolin, and minstrel-inspired segues that could leave you speaking in tongues. ARIS WALES

PORTLAND QUEER MUSIC FESTIVAL: SISTAFIST, LA KENDALL, CJ AND THE DOLLS, SECRET SHOPPERS, NODDY, SLUTEVER & MORE
(Red Cap Garage, 1035 SW Stark) Pride and music festivals have always been two things this city does well, so naturally the two come together for the first annual Portland Queer Music Festival. While it's lacking in marquee names (hurry up and come out of the closet, Ted Nugent!), you'll catch the tranny-pop of CJ and the Dolls, the high-tempo hiphop anthems of Sistafist, the Philly duo Slutever (Best. Name. Ever.), and too many more DJs and performers to list here. The best part, it's an all-day event and admission is a mere $3, or far less than a single shiny quarter per performer. EAC

SUNDAY 7/31

THE BIG FLOAT: RAMONA FALLS, AGESANDAGES, KEEP YOUR FORK THERE'S PIE, ORCA TEAM, BULL RAMOS
(SE Water & Market) See our Feature, and My, What a Busy Week!

POCKETKNIFE, VANIMAL, PEGASUS DREAM
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Tough as Snails, the debut EP from Portland band Pocketknife, is about as friendly an introduction as a band can make. Its six songs are buoyant pop numbers with titles like "Cotton Candy" and "Pillow Talk," each dressed in bubbling synths and hi-hat-slashing disco beats. But the quartet stops short of cloying adorability in favor of lending Tough as Snails just a hint of roiling darkness. There's the languid intro to mini-epic "Normandy," and the black-hearted shadow that looms over "Should I Kiss the Viper's Fang?"—which quotes Bowie's "Quicksand" but whose Teutonic dance-floor sheen might fit better alongside "Joe the Lion." Any lingering bleakness, however, is shunted aside in favor of Pocketknife's melodic breeziness, which was honed at local basement shows and is now on full display on Tough as Snails, recorded at Klickitat Band Camp and newly released on the SoHiTek label. NL

DIRTY MITTENS, ASH REITER, WORLD'S GREATEST GHOSTS
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) The first thing you'll notice about San Francisco singster/songster Ash Reiter is her voice—a breathy, smoky little thing that hints at Chan Marshall and Jolie Holland, and sounds well suited for the coffeehouse circuit. That was before she formed a full band to back her up. Nowadays Reiter's music moves a little more, the quintet (also called Ash Reiter) providing loads of hooks and layered guitars that wonderfully contrast that wispy voice. It's all on display on the group's latest, Paper Diamonds, a record that's folky enough to maintain some of its intimacy, and poppy enough to keep from fading into the background. I like where this young woman is headed. MARK LORE

MONDAY 8/1

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

TUESDAY 8/2

THOSE DARLINS, WHITE ARROWS, MOTOPONY
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) The three women and one gentleman that make up Those Darlins are responsible for some of the finest American music that is currently being performed. Their latest record, Screws Get Loose, boasts song after song of feverishly catchy garage pop, with hints of twang, country blues, and girl-group harmonies lurking at the edges. To a certain kind of listener, it'll sound like Best Coast without the vacant-headed California beach-bum vibe, transposed to the significantly more unforgiving hills of Tennessee (the Darlins' home state). To another kind of listener, Those Darlins will sound like a note-perfect resurrection of classic rhythm-and-blues and rockabilly, a reinvention of vintage rock and roll even as it sports the Darlins' bratty punk charm. The band is all these things and more, wielding a range and confidence that is frankly astonishing. Live, they're even better; this is a band you need to see. NL

THE HUNTING ACCIDENT, SYSTEM AND STATION
(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) Arlo were a staple of Sub Pop in the tumultuous days of the early '00s, when the seminal label seemed on the verge of extinction, a flannel-clad fossil that never got past its illustrious past. That changed, of course, when the Postal Service and the Shins built them an office made entirely out of gold records and returned the imprint to greatness, but during Sub Pop's resurrection the power-popsters in Arlo were lost in the shuffle. Following their split, frontman Nate Greely teamed with half of Piebald (yet another underappreciated act from the same time period) and drummer Pete Beeman (Burning Brides) to form the Hunting Accident. Still possessing that new band smell, the Hunting Accident have a four-song 7-inch debut queued for release later this month and a streamlined—yet not overtly polished—rock and roll sound that stays true to their former bands, no matter how overlooked they just might have been. EAC

WEDNESDAY 8/3

LORD DYING, OWL
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) See My, What a Busy Week!