THURSDAY 8/11
TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND, BETHURUM COLLECTIVE, AC LEWIS OF SUNTZU SOUND
(Chop Suey) See Data Breaker, page 57.
OPERATICA ELECTRONICA W IQU, DJS EL TORO, BLUBLUEDAY
(Showbox) See preview, page41 and Stranger Suggests, page 25.
JIM WHITE
(Triple Door) See preview, page 35.
FOGHORN STRINGBAND, THE CROOKED JADES
(Tractor) The tunes of San Francisco bluegrass troupe the Crooked Jades hark back to an era before commercial radio, circa 1880–1930, when music was primarily an "entertainment" practiced in parlors and at barn dances. As such, a certain degree of amateur sloppiness might be permissible from this enthusiastic string band, but no such allowances are required. Over 11 years, the quintet—which now includes singer/mandolin player Jennie Benford (Jim & Jennie & the Pinetops)—has crafted a beguiling sound that is polished but never slick, offering a refreshing respite from the nonstick surfaces of modern pop. KURT B. REIGHLEY
OZZFEST FEATURING BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SHADOWS FALL, AND MANY MORE
(White River Amphitheatre) Old-school rockers, whose headbanging no longer sets hair in motion, attend Ozzfest to see an icon from their own age group entertain three generations. Black Sabbath outshines almost everything on this turbulent all-day bill, but Iron Maiden is the most compelling ancient attraction. Bruce Dickinson's banshee wail has held its pitch better than Ozzy's, and Maiden's three guitars still snarl and bark like Cerberus' heads. Their sets define everything metal should be: heavy, skillfully played, larger-than-life, quick-paced, and lyrically violent or fantasy-fiction literate. The group's generous use of spectacular pyrotechnics and ghoulish stage props enhance their killer live reputation. ANDREW MILLER
FRIDAY 8/12
THE GOSSIP, BLOOD BROTHERS, GET HUSTLE, ATHLETIC AUTOMATON
(Showbox) See Stranger Suggests, page 25.
HELSING JUNCTION SLEEPOVER FEATURING CALVIN JOHNSON, MOUNT EERIE, THE BLOW, EMMA ZUNZ, REBECCA PEARCY, AND MANY MORE
(Helsing Junction Farm) See preview, page 39.
SKY SAXON & THE SEEDS, THE HUNCHES, SCUZZTONES, BRAINHOLE
(Funhouse) The Seeds plowed a monolithic garage-punk furrow in the '60s that blueprinted the Nuggets modus (disregarding Future, their oft-ludicrous foray into psychedelia). Led by Sky Saxon, whose snotty sneer and thwarted-cocksman grunt epitomized first-wave punk vocalization, the Seeds laid down ultra-primitive spurts of teen nihilism. The band's eponymous 1966 debut remains as essential to its time and genre as does the Ramones' self-titled bow. Everyone knows "Pushin' Too Hard" and "Can't Seem to Make You Mine," but "Evil Hoodoo" and "No Escape" are the real nut-kickers. DAVE SEGAL See also preview, page 43.
22-20S, MARJORIE FAIR, KING ELEMENTARY
(Crocodile) Of course England's 22-20s are four White Stripes years late, panic-milking the dead garage rock 'n' blues horse. With road-trip electric guitars and a nonstop stomp of rumbled-out drums, they attack a similar space as Primal Scream's uncomfortable mid-'90s sideslip into Dixie Americana. On top of that, King Elementary use their Mississippi high-school graduate youth and hardcore control to stalk around the corpse while Marjorie Fair wear idyllic loneliness like hippies giving Travis a summer-burned dead-brush makeover. But they're all, respectively, produced by Brendan Lynch (Paul Weller), Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Camper Van Beethoven), and Rob Schnapf (Elliot Smith, Beck). What do they know that we don't? GUY FAWKES
SATURDAY 8/13
HEAD OF FEMUR, SPINTO BAND, DEAR DARLING
(Paradox) For those who've had the good fortune to hear Head of Femur's latest record, Hysterical Stars, you already know that the eight-strong band conjure some panoramic indie rock, with the baroque stylings and multiple harmonies as an added bonus. Not self-consciously quirky, but marked by everything from horns to snippets of antique electronics, the band make for a fine display of how to make chaos work. It's all a huge mishmash of color, urgency, and vibrancy, with some breathless vocals swooping in to offer up the possibility of hope. JON PRUETT See also Underage, page 59.
THE SPITS, THE COPS, THE CHARMING SNAKES
(Chop Suey) Normally, the Spits are not fans of our men in uniform. The punk band's semi-serious anti-establishment rancor is part of the deep-seated fun of their lyrics—they're more likely to sing about throwing a brick through a squad-car windshield than get friendly with the fuzz. And yet tonight they pair up with the police—or rather the Cops, who are punks in spirit and Clash-like in sound, as well as the Charming Snakes, whose most recent record was a noisy rave-up of evil-eyed post punk. This is also a birthday celebration for the Spits' Sean Wood, who turns an age too young to have fathered the new-school punks looking up to the band, but old enough to put the kids in their place should they step outta line. JENNIFER MAERZ
SUFFERING AND THE HIDEOUS THIEVES, THE EPOCHS, IN PRAISE OF FOLLY, DISSONANCE
(Vera Project) I have great respect for a man who runs his own merch table. Great respect is due, then, for Jeff Suffering, mastermind behind local music collective Suffering and the Hideous Thieves. He sits behind stacks of jewel cases and T-shirts ("All My Friends Are on Prozac"), hat at his elbow, and handshake ready. When Suffering takes the stage, though, you realize that this is a man who arm wrestles with God. He spits at the mic and bruises his knees—singing about rats, wicked hearts, lullabies, Jeffrey Dahmer, and puckering veins. His Hideous Thieves employ violins and bass, keyboards and mermaid-style backup singers. Everyone is furrowed yet smiling; everyone knows that this is the good shit. MAIREAD CASE
SUNDAY 8/14
PELICAN, BIG BUSINESS, RED SPARROW
(Neumo's) See preview, page 36.
THE OLD HAUNTS, THE FE FI FO FUMS
(Funhouse) If Tom Verlaine dug Dead Moon, the resulting musical expression might turn out something like the Old Haunts. The band is one of the best things Olympia has going these days—and one of the better garage-y bands in the Northwest overall. Although they're heavy on the low end, the band are more about brains than brawn, with murky melodies caked in a vintage mud, and piano and organ embellishments furthering the old-timey vibe to some of their songs. On the Haunt's most recent record, Fallow Field, they brush up against some blues so shady they're practically black. And that spookiness is all part of their charm. JENNIFER MAERZ
ROLLERBALL, SIX FOOT SLOTH, REMORA, BILL HORIST
(Sunset) Drama queens with serious avant-garde credentials, Rollerball shapeshift with subtle grandiosity among out rock, jazz, drone, Gypsy, and Afrobeat without the taint of dilettantism. Their great recent Catholic Paws/Catholic Pause adds yet another layer of mysterious beauty to the Portland ensemble's stunning repertoire. Fellow PDXers Six Foot Sloth make emotionally resonant, elegantly scrappy indie rock that you kids love like your crazy iPods. Remora, led by Brian John Mitchell's glum, Leonard Cohen-ized vocals, slog out a Bedheaded breed of slowcore rock ideal for wallowing in self-pity. For better or worse, humans will always need Remora's kind of music. DAVE SEGAL
MONDAY 8/15
KID606, DJ COLLAGE, DROP THE DIME, KNIFEHANDCHOP, EATS TAPES
(Chop Suey) See preview, page 33.
TUESDAY 8/16
DEVIN DAVIS, TIM SEELY, ONALASKA, MODEL PHOTOGRAPHER
(Chop Suey) See preview, page 33.
LIZ PHAIR, MAT KEARNEY
(Crocodile) It's hard not to want to turn the clock backward with Liz Phair. Her defiant 1993 debut, Exile in Guyville, was the soundtrack to every scorned indie girl's frustrations, empowering the heartbroken with moxie and wry lyrical prowess—and its 1994 follow-up, Whip-Smart, nearly lived up to that title. Since then, the 38-year-old Chicago native has grown up, and while her progression through life has been natural, her settling into songs that are now more appropriate for that latest Meg Ryan chick flick than Riot-leaning ladies is disheartening. Let's hope there's still a little "Fuck and Run" left in Phair for her devoted fans tonight. JENNIFER MAERZ
COLDPLAY, BLACK MOUNTAIN
(White River Amphitheater) The color of the day is not "Yellow," but black, as in Black Mountain—as in how the fuck did this band get on the Coldplay bill? No matter the means used to place the supremely talented Vancouver band with Gwyneth's babydaddy, if nothing else this bill shows those Coldplay boys have some taste. Black Mountain are one of the best things rock's got going these days. Get to White River early to hear the next coming of Led Zeppelin-meets-Sabbath-meets-Neil Young—salt-of-the-earth rock 'n' roll with soil under its nails and soul in its heart. JENNIFER MAERZ
BOB JAMES QUINTET
(Jazz Alley) Pianist Bob James' career contains some of the most absurd extremes of any jazz musician ever. His 43-year tenure includes recordings with electronic-music innovators Robert Ashley and Gordon Mumma (1965's Explosions, on which James played the piano's innards), a few '70s albums that boast tracks sampled by dozens of hiphop and electronica producers, the Taxi theme, time in supergroup Fourplay, and anodyne pop-jazz crossovers with David Sanborn and Earl Klugh. Mock his fluff-intensive catalog, but James' version of Paul Simon's "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" possesses one of the funkiest breaks ever, and for that, respect is due. Ask Grandmaster Flash. DAVE SEGAL
WEDNESDAY 8/17
CKY, FIREBALL MINISTRY, THE KNIVES
(El CorazĂłn) See Stranger Suggests, page 25.
DATETENRYU, MASTER MUSICIANS OF BUKKAKE, BILL HORIST
(Sunset) Judging from the band's Live in Jittoku 2001! CD, Japanese quartet Datetenryu—who formed in 1971, but have largely remained unknown in the West—love Keith Emerson's flamboyant organ-fondling for ELP and generally favor the British wing of the prog-rock pantheon. Datetenryu's attack balances heavy, jammy peregrinations with mellifluous melodic flourishes and occasional florid bouts of showmanship, solidifying their prog instincts. They'll have a hard time overshadowing local guitar antihero Horist and blustery third-eye-punchers Master Musicians of Bukkake. DAVE SEGAL
SUICIDE MACHINES, LOST CITY ANGELS, BULLETS TO BROADWAY: Thurs Aug 18, El CorazĂłn
DINOSAUR JR., LOVE AS LAUGHTER, ALASKA!: Sat Aug 20, Showbox
OASIS, JET, KASABIAN: Fri Sept 9, Everett Events Center
BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB: Wed Sept 14, Neumo's
XIU XIU: Tues Sept 20, Neumo's
NINE INCH NAILS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, AUTOLUX: Fri Sept 23, KeyArena
THE QUEERS, THE INDEPENDENTS: Sun Sept 25, El CorazĂłn
SIGUR ROS, AMINA: Wed Sept 28, Paramount
IDLEWILD: Fri Sept 30, Neumo's
THE PLOT TO BLOW UP THE EIFFEL TOWER, THE KING COBRA: Tues Oct 4, El CorazĂłn
FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES, BEAR VS. SHARK, SINCE BY MAN, THE FALL OF TROY: Thurs Oct 6, El CorazĂłn
THE COUP, LIFESAVAS: Thurs Oct 6, Neumo's
TRIAL (REUNION SHOW), THE WARRIORS, DEAD UNKNOWN, THIS TIME TOMORROW: Sun Oct 9, Neumo's
AGAINST ME!, THE EPOXIES, THE SOVIETTES, SMOKE OR FIRE: Thurs Oct 13, Neumo's
