THURSDAY 10/11

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

ALEXIS GIDEON: VIDEO MUSICS III: FLOATING OCEANS
(Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy) Read our article on Alexis Gideon.

EXITMUSIC, GRAPEFRUIT
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Boardwalk Empire actress Aleksa Palladino performs with her husband, Devon Church, as Exitmusic, and their morose debut album, Passage, was given a release on indie titan Secretly Canadian. It's a pretty, tense record with widescreen sounds and broad sonic strokes that have been sandblasted into cushiony, comforting breaths of air. Palladino's voice ranges from a gentle coo to an overwrought tremble, and Exitmusic favors sensation over content, resulting in an album that sounds pleasant when it's on and doesn't linger too long in the memory once it's off. Grapefruit is the glittering kosmische turn from Charlie Salas Humara, whose roster of bands has probably hit the triple digits by now, and who refines his thirst for aural adventure with peerless taste. The result is that virtually everything he does is worth some of your attention. NED LANNAMANN

MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) As he's becoming more and more mainstream, Seattle's favorite rapper Macklemore is using his popularity as a platform for social change. He's talking about things on his new album, The Heist, that far too many people in his position would avoid bringing up. He paints the world as a gray cloud with a silver lining. Rather than bashing the people he disagrees with, he presents a call to action for personal and civil rights issues. Macklemore stands up for same-sex marriage, openly discusses substance abuse, and shines a light on growing up in the hiphop community. Producer Ryan Lewis, meanwhile, does a great job of soundtracking the story by creating intensity when appropriate and leaving space where it's necessary. The sold-out show tonight is an affirmation that music fans appreciate the transparency and commentary even in a genre that doesn't always welcome this openness. It's clear, here: Music is a message. ROCHELLE HUNTER

MORBID ANGEL, DARK FUNERAL, GRAVE, ON ENEMY SOIL
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Remember that androgynous Chris Crocker fellow who sobbed all over YouTube in 2007, pleading that the cruel world leave poor Britney Spears alone? I think it's time for Morbid Angel to get an advocate like him. Their most recent release, Illud Divinum Insanus, was the most anticipated, then universally hated and publicly flogged, metal album of 2011. Rightfully so; Morbid Angel's dark wave and industrial experimentations were certainly an ill-advised step for a revered death-metal band to take, especially coming out of an eight-year dry spell. Then came the remix album. It's almost as if they responded to their diehard fans' backlash by producing something they'd hate even worse, just so they would forget about the disappointment of Illud. Whatever the case, it's time to move on and enjoy the show. Let's all stop using Illud as a benchmark for all things shitty and just forget it ever happened. Morbid Angel is seemingly not going anywhere, and ideally they've learned from their catastrophic mistakes. ARIS WALES

FRIDAY 10/12

IN THE COOKY JAR: DJ COOKY PARKER
(Eagles Lodge, 4904 SE Hawthorne) See My, What a Busy Week!

WOODS, EAT SKULL, THE WOOLEN MEN
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Woods.

DEFTONES, SCARS ON BROADWAY
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) In an age when artists seem to live and die on a tastemaker's whim, it's difficult to predict which of today's bands we'll be seeing in 10 or 15 years. Deftones aren't new, but they have outlived most of their contemporaries—of course, a lot of their contemporaries were awful, but I never would have guessed they'd still be making records (to critical acclaim, no less) in 2012. Deftones, who got their start as a noisy hiphop-meets-rock band from Sacramento, got "arty" on 2000's White Pony and have continued down that path for more than a decade. While Deftones albums always have moments of dark thrills, they have also fallen into a tidy formula. I just want to know who's buying the concert tickets for the band's sold-out shows across the country. If I'm still asking that same question in 10 years, I'll take back everything I just said. But don't hold me to it. MARK LORE

CIRCA SURVIVE, TOUCHE AMORE, BALANCE AND COMPOSURE, O'BROTHER
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Even if Circa Survive's brand of histrionic, vaguely progressive emo (or whatever) isn't really up your alley, you have to acknowledge that the band has a number of things going for them. First of all, they're consistent as hell—they've never actually strayed from their intended path, in spite of immense commercial success and a brief major label roundabout, which is testament to the group's artistic integrity. Secondly, and admirably, Circa adheres to a stubborn DIY ethos, reflected in their decision to ditch the aforementioned major label. And last but not least, vocalist Anthony Green is one of the most compelling and original singers in the entire rock genus active today. Their new, self-released record Violent Waves is hard to find fault with, assuming you're into this sort of thing. (Except for the cover, which sucks pretty hard.) MORGAN TROPER

SATURDAY 10/13

DÉJÀ VU: WHITE RAINBOW, YACHT, DJ TAH REI
(The Spot, 2401 N Harding) See My, What a Busy Week!

CORIN TUCKER BAND, HOUNDSTOOTH
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) Read our article on the Corin Tucker Band.

RODRIGUEZ
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Read our article on Rodriguez.

PONY VILLAGE, PALISADES, RUBEDO, THE HOOT HOOTS
(Kelly's Olympian, 426 SW Washington) 20 Sided Records isn't dicking around with the pomp of their first compilation release. The San Francisco imprint is hosting a seven-day, multi-city bash in celebration of End of Days, a collection of most of the label's fledgling lineup, with stops up and down the West Coast. The sixth day comes to Kelly's Olympian armed with label stalwarts Rubedo, an epically ambitious sort of pop-rock trio from Denver. 20 Sided's comp represents as alchemic a slice of sonic pop you could ask for from a label raised on the wizardly foundations of D&D—possibly peaking with Animal Eyes' plaintive "Goat Chasing," a solemn tune representing just one of the Portland contingents of 20 Sided's roster. Other PDX reps include Pony Village ("Heart Failure"), whose tight arrangements and flair for hypnotic guitar interplay are also being featured for the release. RYAN J. PRADO

WRECKLESS ERIC AND AMY RIGBY
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Wreckless Eric (Goulden) watched fellow Stiff Records stiffs Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Ian Dury explode while he was left writhing in comparative obscurity, but he's arguably just as noteworthy. The songwriter's first two records are some of the greatest, most forthright pop-rock records to hail from the New Wave period, particularly the single "(I'd Go the) Whole Wide World," which comes freakishly close to pop perfection. His new collaboration with wife—and formidable songwriter in her own right—Amy Rigby, A Working Museum, is an expectedly exquisite product. Magnificent opener "A Darker Shade of Brown" and suitably great follow-up "Days of Jack and Jill" recall the best and most obvious aspects of Ogden's Nut Gone Flake and the Kinks' post-Village Green, pre-Preservation years, but the real highlight is the buried, jangling, Byrds-y jewel "Rebel Girl Rebel Girl," which to these ears sounds better than most Roger McGuinn originals. MT

KENDRICK LAMAR, AB-SOUL, JAY ROCK, STALLEY, FLY UNION
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) We all know that Kendrick Lamar is easily the best thang smokin' right now, and sure enough, this show is sold out. Everything K-Dot's leaked in the last few—"Swimming Pools," "Westside, Right on Time," and the C-Breezy-type-slapping, Just Blaze-laced "Compton"—have all been hottest fire. From what I recall of his 2011 set at Seattle's Bumbershoot, Lamar's a dope, personable performer, too... except for that moment when he told a young girl in the audience that her name was "Tammy"—as in his Section.80 cut "Tammy's Song (Her Evils)," which is about a pair of women victimized by men—without a trace of irony (hiphop is good for this). A minor gripe, but one that stuck with me. Anyway, his Top Dawg Entertainment/Black Hippy dudes Jay Rock and Ab-Soul are opening, so this is a sure thing. (If you're wondering where Schoolboy Q is, well, just wait a week.) LARRY MIZELL JR.

THE HARVEY GIRLS, WOW & FLUTTER, RLLRBLL
(Record Room, 8 NE Killingsworth) For their new album, Sidereal Time, the Harvey Girls made apparent use of a 20-dollar guitar, which seamlessly augmented their veritable arsenal of sounds—strings, saw, banjo, and a Turkish thing called a saz also feature on the record. Recorded chiefly by husband-and-wife duo Hiram Lucke and Melissa Rodenbeek, it continues the Harvey Girls' string of lovely, weird psych-pop, shrugging off any easy reference point (the group cites baroque pop, bluegrass, and early Disney soundtracks as touchstones, but nothing on Sidereal Time really sounds like any of those). Lucke has added a rhythm section to the Harvey Girls—Rodenbeek is not part of the live band—which gives their oddball, naturalistic folk a more muscular, progressive tint. NL

SUNDAY 10/14

DEEP LISTENING: STRATEGY, ETHERNET, GULLS, DJ INVISIBLE ZIGGURAT
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Working the soul out of a drum machine is no problem for Strategy, AKA Paul Dickow, who indulges us with ever-evolving forms of electronica—most recently delving into a futurized pop with vintage flair. A multi-instrumentalist and veteran producer, Dickow has continued to explore many different styles including ambient, experimental, and straight-up dance music with stellar results. Expect a live performance filled with any combination of drum machines, noisemakers, and synthesizers synced up to lay the groundwork for some impressive improvisation. The night's festivities are presented in part by forward-thinking arts and culture publication Redefine magazine and the experimental Boomarm Records. They have put together an exotic blend of ambient artistry sure to send you into an otherworldly orbit. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD

MONDAY 10/15

GRIMES, ELITE GYMNASTICS, MYTHS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!

BOB DYLAN, MARK KNOPFLER
(Rose Garden, 1 Center Ct) Read our article on Bob Dylan.

TUESDAY 10/16

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

MARK FELL
(YU, 800 SE 10th) Electronic glitch artist Mark Fell's work is challenging, to say the least, and tonight he comes to taste-making performance space YU to perform a live interpretation of his 2010 recording Multistability. The title itself refers to "a psychological effect in which one is unable to perceive a single, stable object within complex or ambiguous patterns in visual, auditory, or olfactory perception." Basically, this means that the crushed-out tones, arrhythmic pulses, wet splashes, and harsh digital pitches will be almost defiantly unmusical—you're going to feel unsettled and perhaps a little queasy. But sometimes having your brain circuits shuffled in the name of art is an interesting way to spend a weeknight, and Fell's performance also promises a trippy light show. Leave the psychedelics at home—this sort of stuff is intended to replicate them, not augment them. NL

BILLY JOE SHAVER, JAKE RAY
(Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan) Read our article on the Reel Music film festival.

WEDNESDAY 10/17

NICK WATERHOUSE, ALLAH-LAHS
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!

CROCODILES, THE SOFT PACK, HEAVY HAWAII
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Los Angeles' the Soft Pack (is it still worth mentioning that they were formerly called the Muslims? Probably not) have always been able to do a lot with very little. Their loose and uncomplicated rock, which had them touted as the next Strokes by some, earned them a lot of initial buzz. Thing is, the Soft Pack really are good, serving up jangly rock fronted by a singer who sounds like he doesn't get out of bed before noon. Their latest album, Strapped, adds a few more bells and whistles (i.e. synths and horns) to the mix, which in the end really don't add a whole lot to the mix. Imagine if they were still called the Muslims? ML

KAKI KING, LADY LAMB THE BEEKEEPER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Kaki King's work has been given a lot of makeovers over the past decade. Her 2003 debut, Everybody Loves You, swam in the high-waisted tides of tricky percussive guitar manipulations, alternately stunning and baffling technical string junkies. And while King's still as engaging as a kind of one-woman acoustic orchestra, her subsequent releases have ranged from minimalist to enormous, culminating with her biggest step yet toward pop with the rockin' 2010 LP Junior. King's sixth studio album, Glow, was just released, and manages to keep a foot in both her past and present, cultivating savage guitar pieces that are augmented by noodling strings, melodic mandolin flourishes, and stirring crescendos. King is, simply, one of the most unique composers making music today, and your bows at her feet will be rewarded. RJP

JASON LYTLE, SEA OF BEES
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Jules Baenziger records under the name Sea of Bees, and her 2009 debut album, Songs for the Ravens, was a positive stunner, the kind of fully realized work that even veteran songwriters can only dream of pulling off. After such an auspicious start, it makes sense that Sea of Bees' second full-length, the oddly titled Orangefarben, might initially seem to suffer from a sophomore slump. (The bill's headliner, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, maybe knows a little something about slumps, Sophtware or otherwise.) As it turns out, Bee's Orangefarben is a strong and lovely record, with melodies just as ravishing as those on Ravens and perhaps a greater sense of confidence. Built on a bed of palliative, soft rock, Baenziger's charming, assured, folk-flecked melodies both comfort and exhilarate. NL