THURSDAY 2/3
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS WITH LANCE BANGS: MISTER HEAVENLY, CARRIE BROWNSTEIN, DJ NIGHTSCHOOL
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!
BLACK DUB, ROCCO DELUCA
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) Read about Black Dub.
AGAINST ME!, CHEAP GIRLS, FENCES
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Read about Against Me!.
MIKE COYKENDALL AND THE GOLDEN SHAG, WHALEBONES, PEARLY GATE MUSIC
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Hot on the heels of last year's The Unbearable Being of Likeness recording, as well as an album and tour with She and Him, journeyman musician and producer Mike Coykendall somehow found time to record a new double album with his band the Golden Shag. No word as to exactly when the new album will be released, but a tune from it, titled "As Lost as You Are," turned up on End Hits, the Mercury's music blog. It's a Tom Pettyesque churner, a guitar-driven rock rumbler with energy to spare. "As Lost as You Are" is of a piece with Coykendall's solo idiom, unfancy and purposeful rock and roll that clearly shows—despite his many gigs backing other talents—Coykendall's solo stuff is no slouch. NED LANNAMANN
ROBOT KOCH, BOY MEETS CLUB, BROWNBEAR, DJAO
(Crown Room, 205 NW 4th) Please don't write off Robert Koch (AKA Robot Koch) as just another dubstep producer riding the wave of wobble bass popularity. Sure, he's put out a track or two that fall into the aggressive "bro-step" territory, but the man is a talented and prolific producer with a wide range of styles that span from sexy club beats to elegant downtempo. The fact that Koch chose to set up shop in Berlin—as opposed to dubstep epicenters like Bristol or London—can be heard in the diversity of his sound. In addition to his solo work, Koch is the man behind Jahcoozi, whose Barefoot Wanderer made many a critic's year-end list, including my own. Released on Ellen Allien's Bpitch Control record label, the album shows off Koch's knack for working with strong female vocalists (the alluring Sasha Perera in this case) without being overshadowed by them. AVA HEGEDUS
SAUCY YODA, GRRRL FRIEND, BOOM!, NUCULAR AMINALS, MYTHOLOGICAL HORSES
(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) By now you've likely heard the news that local all-ages institution the Artistery is facing a developer's wrecking ball and will sadly close their basement door for good next month. Portland's youth-friendly music scene likely won't be the same again, but dry your eyes and take advantage of the Southeast showspace while it's still here. Tonight's headliner Saucy Yoda is the nom de plume of one Melodie Langer, a sometime Portlander who traverses the States—and not just the continental ones, she just wrapped up tours of Alaska and Hawaii—with her bawdy lo-fi party jams. Langer channels the profane freakiness of Peaches but does so with a modest production budget. EZRA ACE CARAEFF
SEAN FLINN AND THE ROYAL WE, GREYLAG, MBILLY
(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) Write Me a Novel, the 2010 debut album from local indie-folk outfit Sean Flinn and the Royal We, plays like a movie soundtrack for a long-lost Sundance film. Every song is a story, told through both Flinn's arrangements and his lyrics. Of course, all of these are rural love stories complete with meadows full of wildflowers, birds flying overhead, and a roaring fire when the protagonist finally arrives home. Nonetheless, the music of Flinn is calming, yet intriguing, and with openers Greylag and Mbilly rounding out the bill, you've got an indie lover's wet dream. COLLEEN SMYTH
FRIDAY 2/4
GIRL TROUBLE: KM FIZZY, DJ MAGIC BEANS, DJ WOMB SERVICE, DJ CUICA, DJ HONEY OWENS, PASHLY, PATRICIA FURPURSE, LINGER
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!
SLABTOWN BENDER: THE PAUL COLLINS' BEAT, HEAD, THE TRANZMITORS, APACHE, THE MEAN JEANS, THE BLIND SHAKE, & MORE
(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Portland's most beloved and booze-soaked rock 'n' roll fest returns, kicking off a weekend with one of the strongest Bender lineups yet. Tonight brings notable touring acts like veteran Minnesota rockers the Blind Shake. They're a fine example of the power of Midwestern wreckage, as two brothers, Mike and Jim Blaha, battle with fierce vocals and guitars (Mike on baritone, which adds a unique, melodious tone), while Dave Roper explodes on syncopated drums. Locals on the bill include perennial partiers the Mean Jeans and the Pure Country Gold duo, who have dropped the bombshell that this will be their last show for the indefinite future. This is a thought too devastating to comprehend, as no group brings a get-down dance party to Portland's backyards and bars like Patrick Foss and Jake Welliver. So for tonight, maybe for the last time, let's get down. MARANDA BISH Also see My, What a Busy Week!
JOURNEY TO FREEDOM LAUNCH PARTY: DEAD PREZ, TYREE HARRIS, AARON OB SMITH, URBAN TRUTH, SPEAKER MINDS, LUCK-ONE, TONY OZIER
(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) Even when they're dormant, Dead Prez can still put all other emcees to shame. Information Age, their much ballyhooed full-length, has been delayed for years, yet the duo of stic.man and M-1 have kept us satiated with Pulse of the People: Turn off the Radio Vol. 3 and its free sequel, the DJ Drama collab Turn Off the Radio Vol. 4: Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz. While it's been rumored the political hiphop outfit might be joining ranks with Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint—and thus becoming labelmates with the single greatest artist of our generation, Willow Smith—there is still no release date set for Information Age. Ask them what's the holdup at tonight's intimate launch show for the educational Journey to Freedom Project. EAC
ETERNAL TAPESTRY, PACIFIC CITY NIGHTLIFE VISION BAND, FENCES
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) Pacific City Nightlife Vision Band is not a band that plays often, or in one place. When they do, it is a collaborative experiment between a couple of tuned-in musicians and their electronic apparatus. Scott Simmons (former member of Eat Skull and present proprietor of beautiful Portland record shop Exiled Records) and Spencer Clark (the SF-area musician who performs under the alias Vodka Soap and as part of psychedelic duo Skaters) occasionally join forces to bend minds with improvisational keyboard distortion and weirdness. The result is said to be deconstructive and mesmerizing, so if that sounds like what you need, you shouldn't miss this. Hosting tonight is Portland's Eternal Tapestry, who play more formulaic, equally far-out music, a fresh batch of which is forthcoming on a full-length from Thrill Jockey next month. MB
JAMES ANGELL, TOD MORRISEY, 1776
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) While his last two releases have been generously spaced out throughout the past decade, pianist/singer James Angell was a Portland fixture "back in the day" (if acts like King Black Acid or his former band Nero's Rome ring a bell, you've likely heard of him). Tonight he celebrates the release of Private Player, a lush selection of shimmering rock numbers that in their best moments share the moodiness of The The's masterwork Dusk. Angell's sappy arrangements and decadent vocal stylings can come off a bit overindulgent at times, but seeing how his previous work caught the ear of Duran Duran's John Taylor, there is definitely an audience for the music of Private Player. EAC
SATURDAY 2/5
MOTÖRHEAD, CLUTCH, VALIENT THORR
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Read about Motörhead.
SLABTOWN BENDER: NOBUNNY, PAT TODD AND THE RANKOUTSIDERS, LIQUORBALL, HANK IV, FLASH FLOOD AND THE DIKES, & MORE
(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) It's likely that many people won't have the slightest clue who any of the bands are that're playing this year's Bender. But for those who fancy themselves connoisseurs of music of the weirdo/obscuro variety and can count the years spent record-bin diving on more than one hand, the Bender is garage rock's answer to Hajj. And tonight's show might be the most diverse of the lot, with the left-field country of Flash Flood and the Dikes and the unpredictable stomp of Bay Area punk rock harbingers Hank IV. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it's tonight's rare performance from La La Land's Liquorball that will have rock 'n' roll oldsters lining up in the cold. The band—fronted by former Monoshock member Grady Runyan—came out of hibernation in 2009 with the release of Evolutionary Squalor. It should be noted that Runyan also runs renowned Ventura, California, vinyl mecca Grady's Record Refuge. Notice a theme here? MARK LORE Also see My, What a Busy Week! and read our article on Nobunny.
FERNANDO, CASEY NEILL AND THE NORWAY RATS, THE WELFARE STATE
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Fernando Viciconte originally released True Instigator two years back as a free download on his website. Viciconte thought it would be his final album, but R.E.M.'s Peter Buck took him aside at a show and offered to play on his next record. Thusly compelled out of retirement, Viciconte is now giving True Instigator a proper release, and a proper release show to go along with it. The album's a wide-ranging, crimson-hued rock record that begins with a cover of Hank Williams' "Angel of Death" and moves through a pageant of Fernando's pop, country, and Latin-tinged songwriting. What's more, Fernando and Buck have plans to record some new material this coming year. NL
FINN RIGGINS, APEX MANOR, WORLD'S GREATEST GHOSTS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) In just a few short years, Los Angeles retro power-poppers the Brokedown changed their name to the Broken West, released two albums (2007's terrific I Can't Go On, I'll Go On and 2008's less-memorable Now or Heaven) and promptly broke up. Now lead singer Ross Flournoy has formed a new band, Apex Manor, whose debut record The Year of Magical Drinking sounds like the best moments from the Broken West's all-too-brief career. It's a breezy, peppy collection of pop songs that whirr along with ease, motored by the kind of sunny emotions that can only really be expressed in a song. If you blinked and missed the Broken West, don't make the same mistake with Apex Manor. NL
THE FLASHBULB, THE ABOMINABLE TWITCH, BARTEZ, PROTMAN
(Whiskey Bar, 31 NW 1st) Benn Jordan has made music under a ton of different pseudonyms, but he's best known for his work as the Flashbulb. What started out as mostly a drum and bass/breakcore thing has gracefully matured into a distinct project crafted from equal parts jazz and electronics. His newest album Arboreal, released on Jordan's own Alphabasic record label, strikes the perfect balance of these elements and shares a likeness to Squarepusher's 1999 jazz/IDM opus Selection Sixteen that just can't be ignored. Jordan's interest in Chicago's experimental jazz scene is apparent in the live drum work on tracks like "The Great Pumpkin Tapes" and "Springtime in Distance," while the less organic beats of "Meadow Crush" recall his early electronic influences. The beauty and simplicity of sparse piano notes carefully placed on top of the ethereal background of "Dread, Etched in Snow" demonstrates Jordan's sensitivity and strong ability as a serious composer. AVA
THE QUICK AND EASY BOYS
(The Goodfoot, 2845 SE Stark) The Quick and Easy Boys might be the only band in Portland to sport mustaches unironically and boast funkiness unapologetically. Essentially, these Boys do what they do with little regard to some mystical cool factor. They'd like you to think of their music as the celestial trinity of the Minutemen, Funkadelic, and Willie Nelson rolled into one. Thing is, they deliver—especially live. A power trio in the truest sense of the word, the Quick and Easy Boys keep it loose and dirty. Need a funky bass line? You got it. Overdriven guitars? There's plenty of that, too. Best of all, they have a sense of humor. These guys are the life of the party, and one day might wield enough power to make that bell-bottomed-overalls-and-cowboy-boots ensemble seem like a good idea. Unironically, of course. ML
SUNDAY 2/6
SLABTOWN BENDER: HOLLY GOLIGHTLY AND THE BROKEOFFS, THE RANTOULS, ROYAL BATHS, & MORE (6 PM)
(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Holly Golightly is one inaccurately named woman. She's all but barreled through the last decade and a half with roughly 13 solo records—spanning from garage rock to blue-eyed blues and swaggering jazz—not to mention collaborations with UK blues-punk pioneer Billy Childish and the White Stripes, to name a few. This latest project finds the infamously freewheeling Brit in the throes of rough 'n' ready American music, and so lands Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs (or perhaps "Brokeoff," as it's only her and one curious character named Lawyer Dave) on their third record, Medicine County. At this point, you can expect stomping country waltzes and hollow blues riffs with Holly and Dave singing together like drunken, hillbilly clones of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. Though, given the track record of Golightly, it might be best to attend tonight's Bender performance without any preconceived notions, for you can never be sure what she'll do next. RAQUEL NASSER Also see My, What a Busy Week!
YEAH GREAT FINE, BIRDS & BATTERIES
(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) "Strange Kind of Mirror," from Panorama, the new album from Bay Area band Birds & Batteries, is a positively dazzling song, based around a guitar motif that falls and rises around an elusive melody. Written on the occasion of a friend's wedding, it shows the heart beating underneath Birds & Batteries' sometimes slick veneer. There's an organ pulse, and a wistful pedal steel, and airy falsetto vocals, and a clipped drumbeat that marches like the passage of time—gentle but relentless—all carefully constructed for maximum effect. The rest of Panorama isn't quite as good as "Strange Kind of Mirror" (how could it be?), but it's an inventive, enjoyably skewed pop record that possesses serious brains, not just in the lyrics but in the heady and surprising arrangements that boast some welcomely bizarre '70s-style synths. NL
MONDAY 2/7
LED ZEPPELIN 2
(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) For power, grace, indelibly monstrous riffs, and acidic Sturm und Drang arrangements of blues songs, Led Zeppelin were damn near unparalleled. Drummer John Bonham's death in 1980 ground the juggernaut to a halt, but the lust for Zep's music continues unabated to this day. Which opens a door of opportunity for a tribute group like the Chicago-based Led Zeppelin 2. These guys have LZ's sound down to an artful science, plus the singer—Yakuza's Bruce Lamont—even keeps his shirt unbuttoned onstage (details are important!). Guitarist Paul Kamp mimics Jimmy Page's excoriating flourishes with panache, Chris Klein embodies John Paul Jones' quietly spectacular contributions on bass and keyboards, and drummer Ian Lee replicates Bonzo's dexterous bludgeoning—and he has a gong. Good times (probably not bad times). DAVE SEGAL
TUESDAY 2/8
TROMBONE SHORTY AND ORLEANS AVENUE, LOS AMIGOS INVISIBLES, DJ SANTO
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) See My, What a Busy Week!
WEDNESDAY 2/9
COWBOY AND INDIAN, HELLO MTN, ARI SHINE
(The Woods, 6637 SE Milwaukie) See My, What a Busy Week!
EL REY, CHARMING BIRDS, WOW AND FLUTTER
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Fronted by Will Johnson (formerly of Moonshine Hangover), Charming Birds are a departure from the local singer/songwriter's whiskey-soaked previous work. This tightly wound rock outfit celebrates the release of their basement-recorded (in a good way) EP, The Moses Diaries. This half-dozen-song debut is a no-frills collection of gruff-voiced upbeat rockers that make for the ideal soundtrack to downing a few cheap beers at the tail end of another endless work week. The distinct depth of Johnson's gritty delivery and the band's unkempt nature make for one of the most promising releases of this young year. EAC
MARCY PLAYGROUND, THE PARSON RED HEADS, MARK TWAIN INDIANS, NORMAN
(Dante's, 1 SW 3rd) Sex? Yes, please. Candy? Sure thing. A concert from relatively forgettable '90s alt-rockers Marcy Playground? Eh, no thanks.