THURSDAY 2/16

SONGS FOR JOEL: BRITT DANIEL, ISAAC BROCK, CORIN TUCKER, SAM COOMES, REBECCA GATES, DREW GROW, LAURA VEIRS, KELLI SCHAEFER, DJ HWY 7, JANET WEISS
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) Yes, you know many of those illustrious names above. The name you need to know, though, is Joel Burrows: He's is a longtime fixture in the Portland music scene, having played in countless bands, and last year he was hit by a van and suffered a serious head injury; he still requires ongoing medical attention. Janet Weiss (of Wild Flag and Quasi) has put together an astonishing bill of local talent to raise funds for a wheelchair insert that Burrows requires. The super-limited tickets to the event are already sold out, which is hardly surprising, but you can still help Burrows by donating to the Paypal fund at joelburrowsfund@gmail.com—and I suppose you can lurk around the alleyway on SW Ankeny for a glimpse of stars like Spoon's Britt Daniel and Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock playing an incredibly intimate show. Donate, though—that's far more important. NED LANNAMANN

THE COUP, BUCK 65, BUSDRIVER
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Despite the deep artistry of his beats, Rich Terfry's Buck 65 has always seemed as much a performance artist as a straight-up hiphopper—he's less likely to get a radio hit than a MacArthur "genius" grant. This slight sheen of performance artistry goes into full bloom during Buck 65's live shows, where Terfry rules the stage as carnival barker, impresario, storyteller, and spazz dancer. You will love him, and tonight's whole bill is great, also including the Coup and brilliant LA rapper Busdriver. DAVID SCHMADER Also see My, What a Busy Week!

SYMPHONY X, ICED EARTH, WARBRINGER
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Iced Earth were the first band that made me appreciate the melodic, anthemic metal that, on paper, sounds goofy. A 32-minute trilogy dedicated to the Gettysburg Address? Check. A set of concept albums telling the story of the Setians, a group of people who were on Earth before humans and who were actually aliens? Check. Songs inspired by films like Soylent Green and V for Vendetta? Check! Total nerdtown. But once I saw them live, I stopped laughing and rocked the fuck out. They deliver it all irony free, with a lot of headbanging, killer guitar riffs, and both piercing falsetto and growling-monster vocals. I still may not know shit about the metal genre overall, but I know Iced Earth put on a show even the serious thrashers can appreciate—once they get over how geeky it all is. MEGAN SELING

FRIDAY 2/17

100 YEARS OF JOHN CAGE
(YU Contemporary, 800 SE 10th) See My, What a Busy Week!

PORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL: THARA MEMORY
(Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway) Read our article on the Portland Jazz Festival.

MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ANVIL
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) After the release of the critically acclaimed documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil in 2008, Canada's kings of heavy metal persistence Anvil rode a furious wave of success. They re-released their 13th album This Is Thirteen, appeared on late-night TV, headlined sold-out tours through Europe and the US, and basically grabbed the glory they fully deserved. After all the hype faded and their name fell off the ends of everyone's tongues, Anvil did what they've done all along: They kept going. They released Juggernaut of Justice last year, did more touring in Europe with the likes of Saxon and Alice Cooper, and now they're on tour with the Michael Schenker Group (despite the fact that Schenker scoffed at Lips in the Anvil! film). Even though they're not a household name anymore, Anvil will no doubt still be brimming with joy from their ride. Seeing a grown man with a child-like glow play his guitar with a dildo is quite the heart-warming experience. ARIS WALES

WITCH MOUNTAIN, SONS OF HUNS, BISON BISON
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Witch Mountain's South of Salem has been kicking around on vinyl since spring 2011, eventually garnering critical acclaim and landing on all kinds of year-end lists (including those softies over at NPR). But did you know that Profound Lore is re-releasing it on compact disc? Remember those? The best-looking doom metal band on Earth is set to play a CD release show, with only 1,000 copies to spare (they also include the bonus track "Iron Long 2010"). This will be the final show with bassist Dave Hoopaugh, who's stepping down to concentrate on family and new endeavors. All that aside, Witch Mountain should be seen live. The band's not-so-secret weapon, vocalist Uta Plotkin, brings enough druggy blues swagger to lift these heavy metalheads above the rest of the pack. MARK LORE

SATURDAY 2/18

GAYCATION SIX-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!

DIE ANTWOORD, TYLER TASTEMAKER
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Read our article on Die Antwoord.

ANTHONY SANCHEZ BENEFIT: CHICHARONES, COOL NUTZ, VURSATYL, MANIMALHOUSE, LIVING PROOF, DJ SPARK, EMINENT
(Ted's, 231 SW Ankeny) There are many benefits to being involved in the local music scene, but health insurance usually isn't one of them. Anthony Sanchez of Runaway Productions recently experienced this firsthand after a life-threatening accident put him into a coma and left him with extensive medical bills. Tonight his friends have put together a show to help cover some of those costs, as well as pay tribute to a man who has done a lot of important behind-the-scenes work around town as a booker, promoter, and music fan. While Sanchez doesn't limit himself to working with any one genre of music, his decade-plus dedication to local hiphop is evidenced tonight with a lineup featuring some of Portland's finest. RYAN FEIGH Also see My, What a Busy Week!

POLIÇA, DJ COPY
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Minneapolis' Poliça has easily made the most viable use yet of Auto-Tune; you almost don't notice it—much less curse its presence—until you're already sufficiently rapt by vocalist Channy Leaneagh's seeming spectrality. Produced by Gayngs' Ryan Olson and mixed by Spoon's Jim Eno, the band's debut, Give You the Ghost, is an electronic reconstruction of rhythm and blues—with emphasis on the rhythm—merged with progressive rock sensibilities, though that seems too succinct to express the full range of music being made here. Regardless, there are few moments as smooth and enlivening as those first on "I See My Mother" or "Wandering Star," when that beat drops and Leaneagh's voice—equal parts metallic and angelic—soars in. There is no doubt that this album is one of the best of the year thus far. RAQUEL NASSER

ANIMAL EYES, HOLIDAY FRIENDS, IRONWOOD RUN
(Ella Street Social Club, 714 SW 20th Pl) Animal Eyes, like their symphonic indie-rock antecedent Typhoon, didn't originate in Portland, but they somehow produce the sort of work that's come to typify this city's music scene: sprawling prog-pop mini-masterpieces, augmented by unconventional or "distinguished" instrumentation. On paper, that partnership might sound like overwrought bullshit (and ELO's second album and Kiss Symphony are proof that it definitely can be), but none of the orchestral amenities on Animal Eyes' great debut, Found in the Forest, seem like they're there to cover up careless songwriting, and they don't ever get in the way of the songs themselves. MORGAN TROPER

BAD ASSETS, AUDIOS AMIGOS, FLASH FLOOD AND THE DIKES
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) Audios Amigos is what a spaghetti western might sound like if Ennio Morricone used a stompbox. The Portland instrumental quartet is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to bulldoze through surf, country and rock at immortal volumes. And the term supergroup isn't completely off base, as these amigos include members of Thee Headliners, Don't, and American Friction. I saw their first show, and I must say I've never witnessed a crowd come to life like I did that night—the dance floor filled up, alcohol sales tripled, and I am almost certain half a dozen babies were conceived. Do with that what you will. ML

STIRLING MYLES, LOG ACROSS THE WASHER, ZACH ZAITLIN
(The Waypost, 3120 N Williams) Probably one of the healthiest barometers of the status of the DIY folk underground the last few years has centered on the efforts of Alameda and its vocalist/guitarist Stirling Myles. With a bevy of cozy house shows spotlighting touring and local talent, self-booked tours, and a successful Kickstarter campaign last year to help along completion of the excellent Seasons/Spectres, the band has met the small-fish-big-pond ethos with a shrug and a lot of hard work. Currently in the studio finishing tracking on their upcoming album Procession, and on the cusp of a West Coast tour through the month of March, Myles offers this stripped-down set of Alameda numbers (with perhaps a few new tracks slipping through) in advance of one of the more highly anticipated local records of 2012. RYAN J. PRADO

SUNDAY 2/19

LET IT RAIN: KELLI SCHAEFER, NAPALM BEACH, ANCIENT HEAT, ATOLE
(Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park) See My, What a Busy Week!

CURSIVE, UME, VIRGIN ISLANDS
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Read our article on Cursive.

BOB MOULD
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Bob Mould's 2009 album Life and Times sounded like a man coming to terms with his own legacy, at turns churning out mature alt-rock and introspective punk-lite with timeless imagery and his singular vocal bravado. To be sure, the former Hüsker Dü frontman has come a long way from the days of pioneering fuzzy hardcore on punk classic Zen Arcade or the fiery pop-punk of Sugar's Copper Blue. He'll be parlaying some of that grandfatherly insight via his current tour to support his new autobiography, See a Little Light. Expect an intimate affair with Mould alternately reading passages from the pages of his memoir, as well as strumming out impossibly catchy rock cuts from his extensive back catalog. RJP

NATASHA KMETO, DANNY CORN, THE GREAT MUNDANE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The title track from Natasha Kmeto's newest record, The Ache, is a meditation on an artist's struggle with her own ambition and process. It's a bold subject, considering how easily that type of thing can come off sounding corny or self-important. In the case of "The Ache," it comes off as poignant and relatable. Kmeto's delivery is remarkably sincere, and her lyrics are on par with the poetic introspection of high-end singer/songwriter fare. The weird and amazing thing is that her voice is a sultry R&B voice and her music is pure experimental electronics. It's like Flying Lotus meets PJ Harvey, but PJ Harvey sounds like Alicia Keys. To find that kind of soul and emotion lodged in the bizzaro, cutting-edge soundscapes of the future beat scene is something quite special. Also special: Tonight's release party for The Ache is free. Given Kmeto's current trajectory, that's probably not going to happen again. AVA HEGEDUS

MONDAY 2/20

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
(Salmon Street Studios, 109 SE Salmon) See My, What a Busy Week!

THE FRESH AND ONLYS, DISAPPEARS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

PORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL: CHARLES McPHERSON, RANDY PORTER TRIO
(Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th) Saxophonist Charles McPherson is probably most famous for having worked with two of the towering geniuses of jazz, Charlie Parker and Charles Mingus. While the three never got around to forming their long-promised supertrio Charl3 (sometimes referred to by Parker as "Charlies & Angels," and by Mingus as "Charleses in Charges"—the three frequently "bickered up a storm" over possible band names), to judge McPherson solely on the basis of his impressive collaborations is to do him a disservice. Having fronted 20 albums—including 1965's great Con Alma! and 1966's excellent The Quintet Live!—the figure who emerges from McPherson's recordings is one driven by precision and craft. On first listen, McPherson's music seems solid but unremarkable—but as his albums open up, McPherson's skill and confidence sneakily, powerfully reveal themselves. This is the sort of subtle jazz that seems good, but only because it doesn't make a big deal out of the fact it's great. ERIK HENRIKSEN Also, read our article on the Portland Jazz Festival.

TUESDAY 2/21

SCOUT NIBLETT, PRIVACY, TOM BLOOD, JORDAN DYKSTRA
(Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny) See My, What a Busy Week!

PROFESSOR GALL'S MARDI GRAS BALL: 82ND AVENUE BRASS BAND, MARACABOOM
(Secret Society, 116 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!

GRIMES, BORN GOLD, SWAHILI
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Read our article on Grimes.

PORTLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL: MARDI GRAS AT THE MISSION
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Read our article on the Portland Jazz Festival.

THE BUDOS BAND
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) For seven years, the Budos Band have been giving hope to band nerds everywhere: One day, when the braces come off and the acne fades, that trombone might actually be a catalyst, rather than an encumbrance, to getting laid. With the grimiest sounding horns and the tightest percussion, the Budos have created a fantasy of the urban underbelly that sounds sexy and cinematic rather than in need of an intervention. Though it's possible to detect an ever-so-slight trajectory toward rock, their Afro-funk-soul albums are otherwise interchangeable, each just as fiercely efficient as the last. This isn't a criticism, because their songs are never anything but a pleasure to have in your ears. The real mystery is that 10 obvious perfectionists could translate such composed instrumentals into live shows resembling the most gloriously dissolute dance parties. REBECCA WILSON

WEDNESDAY 2/22

DAMIEN JURADO
(Jackpot Records, 3574 SE Hawthorne) See My, What a Busy Week!

VERONICA FALLS, BLEACHED, GHOST ANIMAL
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) The name Veronica Falls sounds like the title of a Daphne du Maurier novel, filled with mystery and romance and beauty and inescapable tragedy. The band Veronica Falls puts all those things into their music, a sweetly nerve-frayed take on '80s jangle-pop that boasts thumpingly elementary rhythms, twisted lyrics, and lots of electric guitar strum. The London group's self-titled debut was one of last year's best, and their live show offers both frayed-sweater vulnerability and fist-pump power. They've just released a brand-new song, "My Heart Beats," and it's just as good as what's come before, which means you won't regret carving "Veronica Falls" into your notebook cover anytime soon. NL

DRAMADY, RLLRBLL, BROTHER EGG
(Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick) If RLLRBLL (AKA Rollerball) were a person, he or she would now be old enough to vote; in Portland band years, this means they are approximately 97 years old. Their staying power is due partly to flexibility in lineup—now a trio—as well as in sound. RLLRBLL's surprising hop-skipping among genres and insistence on experimentation over the years may also explain why they've stayed under the radar. Their latest, Murwa Mbwa, upholds their tradition of weird diversity. Over a slim five songs, RLLRBLL swing between the driving drum-and-bass post-rock of "Coffee with Donnie" to the melodic synthpop of "Wah Kitty." RLLRBLL's real secret is not their eccentricity but in the fact that even their most droney and unintelligible songs are beautiful, and the pop tracks are never quite like anything you've heard before. RW