THE FALLOUTS, MR, AIRPLANE MAN, THE CHARMING SNAKES
(Sunset) New York's Mr. Airplane Man aren't some Janey-come-lately to the stripped-down garage scene. Currently touring on their third record, these two ladies whip up a truly gutbucket garble of busted blues punk. (They're the kind of girls who probably actually own Howlin' Wolf and Devil Dogs records.) Nowhere near manipulative and superficial enough to "make it big," they just drag houserockin' blues through now-gal troubles and into the 21st century. ERIC DAVIDSON
SOME GIRLS, THE PIECES, ELECTRIC KISSES
(Crocodile) Some Girls is Juliana Hatfield's new band, and Feel It is a fucking good power-pop album. Hatfield hit moments of incandescence with the early-'90s indie-pop Blake Babies, and her solo material has been spotty at best, but 1998's Bed was a surly, off-handed bright spot. Plus, her talents--petulant and droll lyrics and great jangle-pop guitar--make Hatfield sound like she's having a blast. NATE LIPPENS
FRIDAY 10/10
QUASI, HELLA, BRENT ARNOLD & THE SPHERES
(Crocodile) See preview, page 52.
BLUE SKY MILE, SLAMDADDY, NAMESAKE FOR NOISE, VENICE LOVE IN THE STARS
(Ground Zero) See Underage, page 64.
BANDS AGAINST BUSH
(Graceland) See Live Wire, page 55.
STRANGER GENIUS AWARDS PARTY: PRINCESS SUPERSTAR, ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE, LIFESAVAS, THE HELIO SEQUENCE,
(ConWorks) See Stranger Suggests, page 39.
TURIN BRAKES, MATTHEW RYAN
(Chop Suey) Britain's Turin Brakes have what a lot of other confessional bands don't: temperance. Their songs are personal but never embarrassing because the sonic front--a bit '70s psychedelic and a touch '90s Britpop--does the emotional railing, allowing the pretty vocals and naked lyrics to be absorbed rather than stomached. Now, Matthew Ryan's album Regret Over the Wires grates, but the addition of a full band should translate his distinctive vocals and writerly lyrics into a fine live performance. KATHLEEN WILSON
SATURDAY 10/11
Gillian Welch
(Moore) See Drunk by Noon, page 59.
DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE, KULTUR SHOCK, CIRCUS CONTRAPTION, BUTTER SPRITES, SCAPE, DJ KO, DJ's GOATMAX1, HIDEKI, KAMUI, BUMBLEBEE
(Jem Studios) See preview, page 52.
SHADOWS FALL, HIMSA, THESE ARMS ARE SNAKES, THIS DAY FORWARD
(Graceland) The Seattle band Himsa's dense sound is coupled with gruff, demonic vocals that reign over the chaos like a human thunderstorm breaking over a hurricane, pulling you into the eye of their stormy sound and then pummeling you with the beats. Overall, a very intense affair, tightly packaged to knock you on your ass. JENNIFER MAERZ
BANDS AGAINST BUSH-THE GLORYHOLES, EASTSIDE UICIDES, THE LITTLE KILLERS, MEXICAN BLACKBIRDS
(Sunset) The Little Killers' debut is a roughshod runover of Johnny Thunders' slash 'n' burp power-pop hooks, and a gravelly-piped goon spouting off 'bout his butterfingers. The drummer has little interest in impressing, opting for bashing harder right after a slipped stick while the bass player anchors the wild ride. Live, the laughs and warping will have to come from all the booze-guzzling such a bopping blitzkrieg brings about. ERIC DAVIDSON
SUNDAY 10/12
NILE, KREATOR, VADER, AMON AMARTH, GOATWHORE
(Graceland) See preview, page 47.
BANDS AGAINST BUSH--YOUNG PEOPLE, SHOPLIFTING, DEAD SCIENCE, JOSH PLAGUE
(Luscious) See Live Wire, page 55.
GORKY'S ZYGOTIC MYNCI, THE KINGSBURY MANX
(Crocodile) Welsh band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci is known for making albums that swell with strings and whimsical orchestral pop. On their latest album, Sleep/Holiday (Sanctuary), much of that expansiveness is gone, and it isn't until the last couple of tracks that the evocativeness of yore reaches out and grabs at the listener's heartstrings. The Kingsbury Manx sound like much more than they are, a North Carolina band whose influences--Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel--hang heavily on their sleeve. That said, new album Aztec Discipline is a beautiful piece of pop, dreamy and bright. KATHLEEN WILSON
MONDAY 10/13
BOBBY BIRDMAN, Y.A.C.H.T., PARENTHETICAL GIRLS (Aftermath Gallery) In the case of Bobby Birdman, the voice is only the beginning. The Portland native's latest release, the laptop EP Heart Caves, reenvisions the '70s-rock-steeped layers of the phenomenal Born Free Forever as enveloping electronics--and the results are beautiful. Touring with Birdman is Y.A.C.H.T., the one-man electronic wizardry of Jona Bechtolt, one half of Portland's powerhouse the Badger King. ZAC PENNINGTON
TUESDAY 10/14
PHONECIA, RICHARD DEVINE, OTTO VON SCHIRACH, DINO FELIPE, NICK FORTé, DJ AURA
(Chop Suey) See Data Breaker, page 63.
DEMOLITION DOLL RODS, JACKIE HELL AND THE CONTROL TOPS, URSULA AND THE ANDROIDS
(Sunset) See Stranger Suggests, page 39.
WEDNESDAY 10/15
ELECTRIC BLANKET
(Vito's) See Stranger Suggests, page 39.
YETI BENEFIT FEATURING JOLIE HOLLAND, THE LIGHTS, NOV. 16, THE DEAD SCIENCE
(Re-bar) To help keep his music/art/general smartypants journal, Yeti, alive, editor Mike McGonigal is holding a benefit show/auction at Re-bar. For your money, he is promising an indie smorgasbord: auctioned-off gift certificates to local indie stores, the voices of indie rock stars on your answering machine messages, and a show featuring a bunch of, well, indie acts, including Jolie Holland (formerly of the Be Good Tanyas), Nov. 16, the Dead Science (an avant-jazz/noir-pop combo), and the Lights, a local band I can't stop singing the praises of (their Beautiful Bird debut is pure cracked bliss). JENNIFER MAERZ
