Music previews for the week of January 14-20.WEDNESDAY 1/14
NELS CLINE AND JULIAN LAGE
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Nels Cline and Julian Lage.
THE KNOW'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY: THE ESTRANGED, DIVERS, LUNCH
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) The Know's 10th anniversary celebration heads into its sixth night with three great local bands that have all become lineup linchpins at the venue. Punk outfit Lunch get things going, and the band should have plenty of new material to showcase, as they're currently putting the finishing touches on their upcoming LP, Let Us Have Madness Openly. The album is due out soon on Mass Media Records, and Lunch recently unveiled the video for the album's first single, "Not an Ocean," a track that sees the band embracing some of the darker edges hinted at on 2013's melodic, rowdy Johnny Pineapple 7-inch and Quinn Touched the Sun cassette. The Estranged sit at the other end of tonight's show, providing a dose of shadowy and atmospheric post-punk, with Divers filling the center spot with their unhinged and picturesque heartland rock. CHIPP TERWILLIGER
TOPE, ILLMACULATE, THADDEUS DAVID, BLOSSOM, VERBZ
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Broke Boy Syndrome, the latest release from Portland native Tope, is 12 tracks brimming with the bravado of a homegrown rap-game Jay Gatsby. Features from California rappers Blu and Cashus King speak to Tope's growing fanbase and national reach, while Portland producers also get their shine. Lawz Spoken, Trox, and Stewart Villain are among the litany of local collaborators, alongside Farnell Newton on trumpet and vocal hooks from both Blossom and Dizz. Illmaculate almost needs no introduction—his lyrical dexterity, thematic brilliance, and battle-rap prowess is legendary. Seattle emcee Thaddeus David of Moor Gang balances out the evening of Northwest hiphop artists at the top of their game. RYAN FEIGH
THURSDAY 1/15
AND AND AND, HOSANNAS, AH GOD
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Read our article on And And And.
THE KNOW'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY: DANAVA, FELLWOODS, HOLY GROVE
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) The Know continues its 10th anniversary bash with a lethal lineup of local heavy rock. Danava is stirring again, coming off a killer show with British metal legends Satan and a late-night affair at Rose City Strip; one has to hope some studio treats are on the way. Fellwoods have definitely been lying low, and remain one of Portland's best-kept secrets. If you like early-'70s proto-metal—tight riffs and a singer who sounds like he wears extra-tight pants, Fellwoods are your band. Rounding out the bill is Holy Grove, who bang out unholy doom riffs and go heavy on the witchcraft and blacklight imagery. Go ahead—party like it's 1971. MARK LORE
RUSTIE, NADUS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Scottish producer Rustie's music resides in a place between genres. His two full-lengths—the 2011 masterpiece Glass Swords and last year's Green Language—wobble delightedly around the edges of dubstep, glitchy hiphop, and straight-up EDM, never content to really rest in one camp or another. That has allowed Rustie (AKA Russell Whyte) to bend his lens-flare synth melodies and rattletrap beats to fit remixes for Bloc Party and Jamie Lidell, and, on Green Language, a Philly-soul-inspired Vocoder turn by London artist Redinho and some particularly crazed verses from Danny Brown. Rustie's current tour, the biggest of his career, will apparently involve immersive 3D graphics that should feel perfectly overwhelming at Holocene. ROBERT HAM
SLUTTY HEARTS, THE SUICIDE NOTES, ROTTIES
(Sandy Hut, 1430 NE Sandy) Looking on the brighter side of last year's numerous venue closings, 2014 also saw the beloved Sandy Hut dive raise a formidable stage of its own. The bar has begun to host stacked lineups of touring and local bands, and tonight's bill sees three of Portland's most compelling outfits join forces to deliver a diverse range of garage-rock that's guaranteed to make you dance your ass off. The brawny, metal-tinged punk-rock of Rotties gets things started, before giving way to the retro girl-group harmonies and bubblegum pop-punk stylings of the Suicide Notes. Finally, Slutty Hearts take the stage in celebration of their brand-new cassette, No-Tell Motel. Released on Cassingle and Loving It Records, the tape has the four-piece channeling some lush, driving, new-wave pop that's sure to go down as smooth as the Jell-O shots you'll be lining up all night. CT
FRIDAY 1/16
MAGIC SWORD, COPY, CUFF LYNX
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!
TENNIS, THE SHILOHS
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) See My, What a Busy Week!
BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Keith fingered the metal band on his left hand, remembering the bittersweet look on Brooke's face when she finally left for good. "We're just not growing," she had said, but Keith knew she meant he was the one who wasn't growing. She'd complain about how he still played the same videogames he'd played when they met in college: GoldenEye, Mario Kart, even RBI Baseball on the original Nintendo that still worked perfectly fine. And it bothered her how he hung with the same crew: Andy, Mack, Capp, and Pratt, all bros for life. It annoyed her that he'd still drink a 12er of the same Coors Light every weekend. But most of all, she hated how he listened to the same exact CDs—Sublime, DMB, Hootie, BHTM, all the others. He couldn't explain how comforting that music remained, how nourishing it felt to revisit his youth, flash-frozen at that moment in time. He rubbed the metal band again. It was as smooth as the top of his head, these days. "Rise and fall, turn the wheel," Keith hummed, gazing out the window. "'Cause all life is is really just a circle." NED LANNAMANN
CALIFORNIA X, BEACH PARTY, ROBOT BOY
(SMART Collective, 6923 SE Foster) Amherst threesome-turned-quartet California X's first LP, Californiax, is an extremely solid debut that feels largely indebted to O.G. Massachusettsian classic rock-via-punk exemplars Dinosaur Jr., Pixies, and even early Ben Deily-led Lemonheads. What California X may lack in musical inventiveness, they make up for with style and sheer songwriting prowess. Unbeatable kickoff "Sucker" is a poster child for the perfect, slow-burning album opener, and elsewhere the band sounds like Weezer if they actually had an edge, like on guitarmony-laden "Pond Rot" and unavoidably catchy highlight "Spirit World." The group's second LP, the hot-off-the-presses Nights in the Dark, sees the band foregoing some of the first record's no-holds-barred velocity for an even more developed melodic sense, extending their appeal and shedding the Dino resemblance in the process. Also playing are Portland-by-way-of-Boston band Beach Party, one of the city's most under-discussed bands, punk or otherwise. Their most recent release, Demons, is a snotty emo micro-masterpiece that brings to mind the best of the Get Up Kids, Promise Ring, and Superchunk, in that order. MORGAN TROPER
ILL-ESHA, AMP LIVE, OCTABAN, CHASE MANHATTAN
(Refuge, 116 SE Yamhill) A chameleon of many styles of electronica, including glitch-hop, trap, downtempo, and drum and bass, multi-instrumentalist and composer Ill-esha (Elysha Zaide) has enjoyed sucess for nearly 15 years in the electronic music industry. The Denver-based artist is a jill of all trades—DJing, producing, singing, and curating events throughout the span of her career. She is a one-woman show and her ever-changing live performances are a sight to behold, combining electronic and live elements, including her voice, and exuding a compelling freestyle energy. CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
POST MOVES, LITTLE STAR, JEREMY LEE FAULKNER
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) As Blazermania continues to tighten its grip on the city of Portland, it's not shocking to see some of the local music community fully embracing their love of basketball. While Stephen Malkmus may have had indie-rock's best hoops reference of 2014 when he sang, "If you flood the lane on me brother/Watch out for my step-back three" on the song "Chartjunk," Sam Wenc of Eidolons went equally hard in the paint with his solo project, Post Moves. Last year, Wenc released Little Jews, the debut album from Post Moves, and the follow-up to the superbly titled Moses Malone Ass Attack EP. The release offers up a collection of lo-fi, Tascam four-track recordings, full of soft-spoken vocals and fragile melodies. Tonight's performance is a rare live outing for Post Moves, so don't miss the opportunity to catch these songs in the flesh at the quaint and comfy Turn! Turn! Turn! nightspot. CT
SATURDAY 1/17
THE KNOW'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY: THE PAUL COLLINS BEAT, THE MEAN JEANS, RICH HANDS, PSYCHOMAGIC
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) See My, What a Busy Week!
EZZA ROSE, NICK JAINA, WATER TOWER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on Ezza Rose.
CHUCK PROPHET AND THE MISSION EXPRESS, THE PARSON RED HEADS
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Chuck Prophet has quietly been one of the most consistent songwriters of the past decade. If you know, you know—from his early days in Tucson-based Paisley-turned-country band Green on Red to his solo work and collabs with Alejandro Escovedo. In 2012 he wrote an entire album about his home base of San Francisco, and recently released his latest album, Night Surfer, to deserved fanfare. The record hits all the rock and jangle-pop pleasure centers, and it's made even more inviting by the contributions from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, the Tubes' Prairie Prince, and Bill Rieflin from Ministry. If you're not familiar with Prophet, it's never too late to tune in and rock out—and let people marvel at your fine taste in music. ML
SISTER PALACE, HOODED FANG, BAGHEERA
(High Water Mark, 6800 NE MLK) Sister Palac, a relatively new project featuring members of similarly great Portland bands Eidolons and Golden Hour, produced one of 2014's best local releases with The Purple Tape, a collection of six woozy, infallible pop songs that managed to pull off sounding like a dream synthesis (mine, at least) of C86, Velocity Girl, Pavement, and Third-era Big Star without seeming anachronistic or derivative. Tonight, the group celebrate the release of their new tape, Count Yr Blessings, which—if stellar Bandcamp preview track "Corporeality" is anything to go on—finds the group cranking their amps and swapping The Purple Tape's slightly lethargic essence for a heightened dynamic sensitivity. (It should also be noted that they do an amazing live cover of the Cranberries'"Dreams.") MT
CHUNG ANTIQUE, MOON DEBRIS, THE DOVECOTES
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, 8 NE Killingsworth) It might seem premature to tout a band's first-ever show, but the Dovecotes put up a remarkable album on Bandcamp earlier this month, and no matter how green the group is in front of a crowd, these melodies aren't going anywhere. Humdrum, the Portland four-piece's first effort—actually performed largely on record by Hugh Jepson, formerly of Corvallis band Fjords—is beguiling, almost deviously complex pop, with dreamlike, watery passages alongside sharp-strummed folk rock. It all coheres marvelously on songs like "Light" and "Never Knowing When." There's even room for more expansive passages, as on the lovely, meandering intro to "Saltwater" or album closer "Any Day." It's perfect music for a lazy, sun-dazed afternoon—Jepson has mastered a casual, compulsively listenable twist on indie rock that, even this early on in the Dovecotes' history, is sure-handed and satisfying. NL
SUNDAY 1/18
BIG HAUNT, OLD WAVE, LUZ ELENA MENDOZA
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Old Wave.
CHARTS, LIQUIDLIGHT, AUTONOMICS
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) There are an extra-ordinary number of local bands playing release shows in Portland this week. One that might fly under the radar is LiquidLight, a quartet that's just released its new EP, Reactionary. LiquidLight is Anthony Medici, Cory West, Zackary Rodrigues, and Joseph Arnstein, and together the four men create a mesh of gentle psych, strummy indie-rock, and buzzy pop music that aims for the sugary universe inhabited by bands like Sloan, Superchunk, Zumpano, and Guided by Voices. Each of the six songs on Reactionary is catchy, but two are worth noting: "Nothing Is Real" for its airy, elongated chorus that effortlessly shimmers and glides, and "Temporary Minds," a snappier power-pop number you'll be involuntarily humming in your head long after it's over. Both are great; more importantly, they hint at a band with tremendous potential as a pop-rock powerhouse. Put 'em on your radar now, before they're on everyone else's. BEN SALMON
THE KNOW'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY: MIC CRENSHAW, MAZE KOROMA, GRAPE GOD, LAMAR LEROY, NORTHERN DRAW
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) The final night celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Know features the past, present, and future of Portland hiphop. Mic Crenshaw is a community organizer, veteran emcee, and co-manager of KBOO. He recently released a track with New York duo Dead Prez and has performed all across Africa as part of the Afrikan Hip Hop Caravan. Maze Koroma and his Renaissance Coalition cohorts are almost always described as psychedelic, and while the adjective is apt, on its own it belies Koroma's gritty grounding and commanding cadence. His head may be floating in space but his feet are firmly planted in the streets. Grape God's inimitable flow is almost too unique to be summarized. Think Shock G's nephew swerving on syrup, sipping soup, and smelling paint fumes. All together, this bill is a breath of fresh air for those averse to contrived hiphop hype. RF
MONDAY 1/19
TAKÁCS QUARTET
(PSU Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 SW Park) The folks at Friends of Chamber Music have been welcoming world-class players to Portland for more than 75 years, and tonight and tomorrow, they host four of the best with a sublime program tucked up their collective sleeve. The Takács Quartet, having performed in legendary concert halls around the globe for several decades, is what's known in certain classical music circles as "the shit." Tonight they'll kick things off with a stormy, one-movement wonder in C-minor by Schubert before moving on to an utterly fascinating work by everyone's favorite ethnomusicologist, Béla Bartók. Written in the late 1920s under a Hungarian summer sun, Bartók's String Quartet No. 4 displays his penchant for trippy harmonics birthed through mind-blowing techniques like a slippery glissando and an aggressive barrage of pizzicati. King Beethoven rounds out the setlist with his epic seventh quartet, now standing tall for two centuries as a revelatory conversation between a cello, a viola, and a pair of fiddles. If you're only going to witness one string quartet in your life, you can do no better than this. BRIAN HORAY
TUESDAY 1/20
PATTI SMITH
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!, and read our article on Patti Smith.
TAKÁCS QUARTET
(PSU Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 SW Park) See Monday's listing.
THE DECEMBERISTS
(Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th) Merry Decemberists Day, everybody! The city has declared today—the day the Portland band releases its seventh album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World—a citywide holiday in honor of the literary group, with a proclamation from the mayor himself. After a ceremony, the Decemberists will play at Portland City Hall, and this isn't actually all that odd, as it's far from the first musical performance the downtown government building has seen in recent years. PDX Pop Now! used to do a great annual event in the outside courtyard, and composer Ethan Rose staged his eerie, elaborate Between Rooms and Voices vocal piece inside the echoing building in 2010. So, what's really "weird" about this, Portland? I'll tell you: Decemberists Day is taking place in the month of January. And more: The final track on What a Terrible World is called "A Beginning Song." Cuckoo! Topsy-turvydom! Barnbrackery! NL