Wednesday February 13top

Neil Masson Trio

  Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway., 228-2000. All ages. Map

Will West

  East Burn, 1800 E Burnside St., 236-2876. All ages. Map

DJs Atom 13, Soil

  East Chinatown Lounge, 322 NW Everett St., 226-1659. Map

8-Bit Disco: 8-Bit Generation, Laromlab, Robotcowboy, E*Rock, B*Retta

[COMPUTER LOVE] Ever wish you had a family tree mapped out for your favorite music genre? Well, if you happen to have a deep-seated love for music that marries computer chips and the Internet, then you're in luck with French film 8-Bit Generation. Serving as a visual and aural map of chip music's history (the genre's songs are constructed primarily using technology from old video-game systems and computers), the short film will be shown this evening accompanied by music to make any computer-loving heart beat even faster. Asterisk-loving DJs E*Rock and B*Retta provide support for out-of-town bit and blip dance acts Robotcowboy and Laromlab. There are enough electronic stimuli here to bring on system overload. NILINA MASON-CAMPBELL. 9 pm. Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., 239-7639. $5. 21+. Map

Andy Combs (9 pm); Portland Songwriter's Association Showcase (6 pm)

[CREEP FOLK] It may be hard to believe, considering how much fun Andy Combs' recordings—chock full of banjo, foot-stomping and demonic backing vocals—are, but his live shows may actually be more fun! Armed with piano, strings, a more-than-versatile voice and tons of personality, Combs leads his audiences in chant- and stomp-alongs, pitting crowd halves against each other and smiling all the while. His recent video for "The Bloodship" (from last year's The Robot in the Clouds is a fine example of what to expect: It features a Huck Finn-lookin' Combs (who actually resembles a young David Bowie) floating down a river atop (what else?) a raft before arriving at a cryptic dance party of woodland weirdos. Finally, Portland's received a songwriter who gets as much of a kick out of his talent as everyone else does. AMY MCCULLOUGH. 9 pm. Mississippi Pizza, 3552 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3231. Cover. 21+. Map

Thursday February 14top

Borikuas (6 pm)

  Andina, 1314 NW Glisan St., 228-9535. All ages. Map

Basia Bulat, Amoree Lovell

[SINGER-SONGWRITERS] As I understand Canada, the members of Arcade Fire regularly walk down the stalls of their horizon-spanning indie farms to select another singer-songwriter with which to bless the American public. Basia Bulat (they've already run through everyone with anything resembling actual names) appears to be the current selection, and while sufficiently Feist-y for commercial service, Bulat doesn't so much tweak her essential girlishness as ignore it completely. A restless, bristling folk dominates—moments of calm quickly ceding to prettily histrionic cries and hummingbird acoustic strums that, while offering nothing particularly new, keep one listening. Local pianist-chanteuse Amoree Lovell employs similar emotional dynamics (think third-wave Lotte Lenya) with rather more considered songwriting. JAY HORTON. 8 pm. Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. $10. 21+. Map

Seoul Bro. #1, The Way Downs

  Jolly Roger, 1340 SE 12th Ave., 232-8060. All ages. Map

Bill Beach (6 pm)

  London Grill, 309 SW Broadway., 228-2000. All ages. Map

Amelia, Silk & Olive

[SULTRY POP] Tonight's incarnation of local jazz-pop group Amelia is actually a stripped-down return to its early days as a duo: Sans upright bass and full-kit drums, singer Teisha Helgerson (who also plays brushed drums and guitar) and guitarist Scott Weddle will take the band's sultry pop sound down a notch to folkier, even country-ish levels. This song-centric approach ought to make the most of Weddle's surf- and Djano-tinged six-string expertise, as well as Helgerson's rich, sorrowful voice. It's a change-up perfectly intimate for the V-day occasion, not to mention Mississippi Studios' warm, personal space. Let's just hope "Better Than Sleeping Alone" doesn't make people overanalyze their dates too much. AMY MCCULLOUGH. 8 pm. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+. Map

Dr. Theopolis and Jesus Presley (Main Theater, 7 pm); Subversive Zone w/ Steel Stiletto, Acroyear, Nightmare Generator (Lounge, 9 pm)

  Mount Tabor Legacy, 4811 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 232-0450. Map

Wade Matthews & Stephane Rives Duo w/ JP Jenkins & Matt Hannafin

  New American Art Union, 922 SE Ankeny St., . All ages. Map

Gejius, The Hermit, Rasheeda Ameera

  Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place., 241-8696. All ages. Map

Shadow Mortons, DJ Hornet Leg

[SUPER GIRL GROUP] I have to say, I write this listing with some reluctance—not because I'm unexcited, but because I foresee so much awesomeness that I'd like to keep it to myself. That, however, just wouldn't be fair, considering the all-star cast of Northwest faves rounding out all-girl power ensemble the Shadow Mortons. The garage-rock threesome of well-known bassist Joanna Bolme (Quasi, the Jicks), drummer extraordinaire Janet Weiss (ex-Sleater-Kinney, Quasi, the Jicks) and underground legend Rebecca Gates (the Spinanes), Shadow Mortons is, in Bolme's words, "our ‘60s girl group that we do every now and then just for fun." Now that I've let the cat out of the bag, I can only hope enough people are busy getting busy (or trying to) to keep this Valentine's-hosted V-day show attendable. AMY MCCULLOUGH. 9 pm. Valentine's, 232 SW Ankeny St., 248-1600. Free. All ages. Map

Vagabond Opera and Portland Cello Project Valentine's Spectacular

  Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 284-8686. All ages. Map

Friday February 15top

Portland Jazz Festival: Ornette Coleman (7:30 pm)

[JAZZ] See music feature. 7:30 pm. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway., 248-4335. $28-$75. All ages. Map

5th Annual Johnny Cash B-day Bash: Joshua James & the Runaway Trains, Kate Mann & Myrrh Larsen

[GOLDEN COUNTRY] It’s been nearly five years since the Man in Black slipped quietly into the afterlife, leaving his fans to don that long, black veil he sang of in Folsom so many years ago. And although his legacy is eternal, so too is the void left by the surly ol' sonofabitch. Luckily, for the fifth annual Johnny Cash Birthday Bash, Joshua James & the Runaway Trains are keeping the steam engine sound of Johnny and the Tennessee Three alive and well. Along for the ride are Kate Mann and Myrrh Larsen, hopefully ensuring a proper June-style scolding during “Jackson.” Expect classics, rarities and, hopefully, a rousing trip through the galaxy via “Highwayman.” AP KRYZA. 9:30 pm. Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash St., 226-0430. $7. 21+. Map

King Tim 33.3 and Seoul Bro. #1

  Beulahland, 118 NE 28th Ave., 235-2794. All ages. Map

Bad Boy Bill, Nick Rockwell, DJs Evan Alexander, Drisc, Surreal

[HOUSE] Chicago house legend and arguably America's pre-eminent homegrown DJ, Bad Boy Bill is known both for bravura turntablism (sometimes using six decks at once) and incorporating hip-hop textures within—wait, this is silly, yeah? Those handfuls of readers who've heard of the former William Renkosik know his work and influence far better than your author, and all others are only curious as to whether he'll attract girls, better dealers and those sunken dance casualties endlessly nattering about the glories of the mid-’80s Midwest. Stocked pond, my friends. JAY HORTON. 9 pm. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. $25 advance, $35 day of show. All ages. Map

Blue Cheer, Danava, Red Fang

[OLD ROCK GODS] A thunderous blues group very much of its place and time (’60s S.F.; the group was named after a popular brand of acid), Blue Cheer was virtually the first proponent of stoner rock—that blend of raw stomp and none-heavier riffage leavened with just enough experimentalism to dissuade heshers. As Queens of the Stone Age and friends push the genre mainstream, one would've expected the trio to be newly enshrined as living icons. Whether from their insistence upon recording new material (i.e., 2007's biker-bar band vanity What Doesn't Kill You...) or sheer endurance after four decades, the trio falls ever further from memory. What a long, surprisingly dull trip it's been. JAY HORTON. 9 pm. Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. $15 advance, $18 day of show. 21+. Also see album review, coming soon. Map

Sonata Arctica, Visions Of Atlantis, Oakhelm feat. members of Fall of the Bastards (Theatre); The SKR Project (Balcony)

  Hawthorne Theatre, 3862 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 233-7100. All ages. Map

Bill Beach (6 pm)

  London Grill, 309 SW Broadway., 228-2000. All ages. Map

Bark, Hide and Horn; Or, the Whale; Band of Annuals (10 pm); Lindsay Mac, Anna Fritz (7 pm)

[SCIENCE ROCK] Music nerds know the term “math rock” as something like a Rubik’s cube of pseudo-genres—all intricate layers of cascading guitars and tricky time signatures. So how about this one? Local four-piece Bark, Hide and Horn plays ridiculously catchy folk songs that could create a whole new entry in the Music Snobs Dictionary: "science rock." Frontman and songwriter Andy Furgeson has created a whole slew of tunes based on characters picked out from old National Geographic stories, and the band sets his vivid scenes of snails mating to a vibrant background of trumpet, bass, vibraphone and analog synths. The band just finished mastering its first full-length, and tonight’s intimate show should highlight a bevy of new tunes. Try to pay attention while you rock out—you just might learn something. MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. 10 pm. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. $7 advance, $8 day of show. 21+. Map

Portland Jazz Festival: SF Jazz Collective

[JAZZ] The Frisco-based nonprofit SF Jazz is like the Lincoln Center of the West Coast, with a stated mission to advance new forms of jazz and celebrate all the diverse places it's already been. The SF Jazz Collective is the organization’s bread-and-butter project, bringing together eight top-notch jazz masters each year to tour internationally as emissaries of jazz education, exhibition and preservation. It's led by one of the more dynamic young jazz musicians to emerge during the ’90s, saxophonist Joshua Redman. In addition to playing new compositions from the octet's members (who include tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, Eric Harland on drums, and Grammy winner Robin Eubanks on trombone), the Collective's performance will pay tribute to legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter. LANCE KRAMER. 9:30 pm. Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway., 248-4335. $36.75-$62.25. All ages. Also see music feature, coming soon. Map

"Big E" Eric Schwieterman and Groundscore

  Nine Muses Acoustic Tavern, 2715 NE Belmont St., 236-3848. All ages. Map

Cover Your Hearts: Charmparticles, Climber, Oh Darling, Curious Jones, Dr. Theopolis, Tango Alpha Tango, Castle, Jonah, UHF, Derby (9 pm); Dusty York Trio (5 pm)

[SOFT ROCK OF THE ’80S] Yeah, you read that genre correctly. Tonight, some of Portland's best shoegaze (Charmparticles), power-pop (Derby) and Radiohead-eque (Climber, Jonah) groups take the stage to pay tribute to their favorite ’80s ballads. Ah, the ’80s, when any songwriting blunder could be cleaned up quick with a dab of Casio or a few dooks on the ol' cowbell. My guess is that more than a few skeletons will exit their closets this evening. While it makes sense that popsters like Derby and Jonah would have a few guilty ’80s soft-rock pleasures (I really want to hear one of ’em do Rod Stewart's "Forever Young," or maybe Bryan Adams' "I Do It for You" (recorded in 1991, but everybody knows the ’80s didn't end until 1992), but what is Dr. Theopolis going to pick? So long as it's by Eddie Money, I'm game. CASEY JARMAN. 9 pm. Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave., 248-1030. $7 advance, $8 day of show. 21+. Map

Von Super, LKN

[GLOOM FOLK] A visit to the MySpace of Von Super, a.k.a. local songwriter Alexandra Ford (ex-Safari), reveals a virtually topless-and-panty-clad Ford (hold your mouse, boys—I'm sorry to report nipple coverage) looking dejected and grasping a bottle of white wine in front of a tiger-print background. I kid you not. It's a bit over the top and, as Ford admits in her own caption, "racy," but it's actually a pretty good indication of what's to be found in her music: sultry emotion, a bit of wildness and some good ol' singer-songwriter self-deprecation. The gloom and doom of Ford's downtrodden folk can be a bit suffocating at times, but her voice is downright lovely, occasionally calling to mind Thom Yorke's acoustic version of "Fake Plastic Trees," sung by a hot, freckled brunette. AMY MCCULLOUGH. 9:30 pm. Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place., 241-8696. $6. 21+. Map

Snow Bud and the Flower People, Dirty Lowdowns, The Clementines

Twilight Cafe & Bar, 1420 SE Powell Blvd., 232-3576. All ages. Map

Saturday February 16top

Keren Ann, Dean & Britta

[DREAM LOVERS' POP] Dean Wareham needs a break. For the past 20 years he’s steadily released some of the best intricate yet deceitfully simple rock tunes of the post-White Light White Heat era (that's Velvet Underground, kids). From his days in the lauded pre-shoegaze trio Galaxie 500 to fronting the critically underrated Luna, Wareham has now pared his vision down to a simple duo arrangement with bassist- wife-hottie Britta Philips. So don’t hate him for touring behind a remix album: He’s still wielding his trusty guitar, shooting fiery washes of feedback over his tales of lost love and missed opportunities. How’s that for domestic bliss? MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. 8 pm. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 233-1994. $17.50 advance, $19 day of show. All ages. Map

Guyve, Curious Hands, Rex Hamilton, Mongoloid Village

  Backspace, 115 NW 5th Ave., 248-2900. Map

The Clampdown, Shake Appeal, School of Rock Show Band

  Berbati's Pan, 231 SW Ankeny St., 248-4579. All ages. Map

Portland Jazz Festival: The Bad Plus (2 pm)

[JAZZ FUSION] With a bevy of influences and a penchant for split-time experimentation, the Bad Plus drifts seamlessly across the jazz spectrum, from dizzying, rapid-clip explorations to deep grooves to Latin jazz—often in the same song. Ethan Iverson displays a bravado on the ivories, seemingly intent on hitting every key possible (particularly on a strange, classical-style rendition of Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man”). And drummer David King could well be considered a calculated psychopath due to the furious fills he blasts throughout the trio’s infectious compositions. Seldom is "experimental” jazz as pleasurable as this. AP KRYZA. 2 pm. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. $26-$46. All ages. Also see music feature, coming soon. Map

Portland Jazz Festival: The Spanish Harlem Orchestra

[TRUE-SCHOOL SALSA] The 13-piece Spanish Harlem Orchestra is led by Oscar Hernández, a legit purveyor of salsa music who came up in the ’80s playing piano for Panamanian salsa legend Rubén Blades. Hernández's compositions for the SHO stay true to the classic salsa dura (heavy salsa) sound, a bright cacophony of brass, hectic percussion and call-and-response among the band members. It's an intoxicating wall of rhythm that should move even the most reluctant dancer. JIM SANDBERG. 9:30 pm. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St., 225-0047. $26-$46. All ages. Also see music feature, coming soon. Map

Smoochknob, The Smoochgirls, Love Meter

  Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. All ages. Map

Six Organs of Admittance, I'm a Gun

[PSYCH FOLK] Listening to the polarizing psych folk of Ben Chasny’s Six Organs of Admittance project, you realize why his music is so fucking weird. Chasny’s always been stuck between his love of simple, traditional folk songcraft and feedback-drenched, psychedelic sheets of pure noise. Instead of pushing his eccentricities into different projects, Chasny (who also spews magic from his axe for Comets on Fire) combines both his loves into weird yet oddly comforting tunes under his primarily solo moniker. His latest release, 2007’s classic rock-ish effort Shelter from the Ash, refines some of Chasny's hippier tendencies, eschewing the 14-minute megajams of his previous album for more streamlined songs, but I’d be damned if they weren't still meant for a live setting. MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. 9 pm. Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. $10 advance, $12 day of show. 21+. Map

Nic Fury

[YEEEAH!] Self-described as one who "stays in the mix like a Lil John song," Fury is a man of many angles. Head of L.A.-based 20 Kliks Records, he has a lengthy list of collaborators to fill out his hefty brand of hip-hop. Expect some unexpected freestyling, plenty of mic-passing, and a whole load of head-bobbing. MARK STOCK. East Chinatown Lounge, 322 NW Everett St., 226-1659. Cover. 21+. Map

House Hooligans: DJ Professor Stone (Saganaki Lounge); DJs Izm, ATM, Flipsta, Rascue (Minoan Ballroom); DJ Brett (Taverna)

[SO MANY BEATS PER MINUTE]  The sticky, cavernous dance floors of the Greek Cusina are the perfect place to get high-BPM buck wild on a Saturday night. DJ Flipsta finesses brisk, heavy house mixes (Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne's “Lollipop” over electro); DJ Professor Stone supplies softer, smoother house grooves (melodic instrumentals); DJ Izm's attention-deficient sets cover house, hip-hop and everything in between; and DJs Brett and Rascue fill in all the funky, breakbeat cracks. SARA MOSKOVITZ. 9 pm. Greek Cusina, 404 SW Washington St., 224-2288. Cover. 21+. Map

Love Spell feat. DJ Lea Luna

  Hawthorne Theatre, 3862 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 233-7100. Map

Wanderlust Circus, 3 Leg Torso

  Hippodrome, 315 SE 3rd Ave., . All ages. Map

A Tribute to Billie Holiday: Liv Warfield (8 & 10 pm)

[JAZZ STANDARDS] Local soulstress Liv Warfield will tackle Billie Holiday tonight, and it's an interesting concept. Holiday, of course, is widely considered to be the greatest jazz singer of all time. In fact, it's kind of blasphemous—in the roots-conscious world of jazz—to suggest anything else. Warfield is often mentioned as the top voice in Portland R&B, and her style employs enough improvisation and vocal gymnastics to make her a prime candidate for taking on some jazz standards. But whether the sultry Warfield can channel a world-weary, deeply emotive Billie Holiday remains to be seen. You'll have two chances to find out tonight at Jimmy Mak's. CASEY JARMAN. 8 & 10 pm. Jimmy Mak's, 221 NW 10th Ave., 295-6542. $15 ($25 for both performances). 21+. Map

The SKR Project

  KJ's Bar & Grill, 2002 SE Division., 234-1420. All ages. Map

Beth Willis Trio

  Mark's On the Channel, 34326 Johnson Landing Road, #17., 543-8765. Map

Miz Kitty's Parlour w/ Little Sue, Midnight Serenaders, Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers, Swing Papillon (7 pm)

  Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St., 223-4527. All ages. Map

Rachel Taylor Brown, Ali Ippolito, Ali Wesley (10 pm); Lila Nelson, Phil O'Sullivan (7 pm)

[CARNIVAL FOLK] Three of Portland's more recognizable, unique female voices take the small stage tonight, and it should be quite a treat. Rachel Taylor Brown gets in the sandbox Brian Wilson-style, playing with percussion and creepy ambient noise while she sings the overdubbed choruses of her rock operettas—her voice more akin to Superchunk's Mac McCaughan than any female vocalists that come to mind. Of the two Alis, Ippolito is the one whose sound is like an adventurous Parisian musical sung by Portishead's Beth Gibbons, and Wesley is the one spinning understated, down-to-earth folk-pop that can't help remind a bit of her bandmate, Scott Garred (the man behind Portland's Super XX Man). A common thread here is that none of these women rely on predictable/sappy love songs to round out their repertoires. Thank goodness! CASEY JARMAN. 10 pm. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 288-3895. $7 advance, $8 day of show. 21+. Map

Rollie Tussing & Dave Duffield

  Muddy Rudder Public House, 8105 SE 7th Ave., 233-4410. Map

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, DJ Chill as Chillest Illest, Soul P., Twisted Insane

[GANGSTA HARMONY] Before Bone Thugs, it's pretty certain no one thought of Ohio as gangster (or thought of Ohio at all, for that matter). But after E. 1999 Eternal, the group's 1995 sophomore album, unleashed classics "Tha Crossroads" and "1st of tha Month," everyone knew Cleveland was where those songs came from and that it's hard there. Bone's most recent release, Strength & Loyalty, has shown there's still a place for their signature thuggish barbershop-quartet style. The album has gone gold, and BTH is now a trio. And the crew's back on top, collaborating with big-name guests (after a fallow period wherein Phil Collins was the only name of note). JIM SANDBERG. 8 pm. Roseland, 8 NW 6th Ave., 219-9929 (Grill), 224-2038 (Theater). $20 (TicketsWest). All ages. Map

Bat Makumba, The Lions of Batucada

[WORLD FUNK] When the percussionist shows up wearing little more than a diaper, you know the funk’s about to be brought. But Brazilian group Bat Makumba takes the sound to a whole new level, offering explosive funk interlaced with samba, ska and more. Paired with Portland’s own costumed Carnival army, the Lions of Batucada (members of which typically join Bat onstage at Portland stops), Bat Makumba’s shows offer more of a musical experience than a simple concert. They’re an all-out assault, and when the drums start pounding and the funk hits the fan, it’s impossible not to be shaken by the energy of the group. AP KRYZA. 9 pm. Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th Ave., 248-1030. $10. 21+. Map

Tony Starlight (8 & 10 pm)

  Tony Starlight's, 3728 NE Sandy Blvd., 517-8584. All ages. Map

Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground, Siberian, Brother Sister

  Towne Lounge, 714 SW 20th Place., 241-8696. All ages. Map

Portland Jazz Festival: Tim Berne

[JAZZ] The “legend” goes that Syracuse native Tim Berne bought his first sax on a whim, back when he was a student at Lewis & Clark in the ’70s. Now a seasoned and prolific avant-garde saxophonist and composer, Berne draws on influences that range from Julius Hemphill to Sam & Dave to the Kronos Quartet. He also has a distinct knack for doing something rare in the world of jazz—creating an altogether new sound. A fervently independent musician whose improvisations and free-jazz stylings follow anything but a traditional structure, he’s continued to push new boundaries and definitions of jazz on more than two-dozen albums since the early ’80s, many recorded on his own labels. LANCE KRAMER. 11 pm. Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway., 248-4335. $20 advance, $25 day of show. All ages. Also see music feature, coming soon. Map

Pinback, MC Chris Hutton

[STRANGE BEDFELLOWS] Why is Pinback touring with MC Chris, the Internet-humor rapper whose popularity arose from working on Adult Swim cartoons? Pinback has always seemed to take itself seriously (perhaps too seriously), making the pairing with the entirely ironic MC Chris an odd one indeed. The contemplative, swirling rhythms and ambient drones that make up Pinback's indie pop will probably clash with MC Chris' nerdcore raps like "Mcchrisownz" and "White Kids Love Hip-Hop." Either Pinback frontman Rob Crow is a huge nerd, headed the way of the Aqueduct guy (likely), or the band is making a grab for a larger Internet-savvy fan base. Oh well. In the end, Pinback will play "Penelope" and it'll sound good. JIM SANDBERG. 8 pm. Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell St., 284-8686. $15. All ages. Map

Sunday February 17top

"Sinferno Cabaret"

Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. All ages. Map

Sinferno Cabaret: The Wet Spots, Dagger of the Mind

[SEXY CAMP] Acts surrounding Dante's Sinferno Cabaret often seem chosen at random—deliciously so; nothing better than watching a folk act first realize the audience didn't exactly leave Beaverton to hear music—but those whimsically lewd Wet Spots neatly split the difference. The Canadian duo's high camp is more clever and theatrical than sexy, but, honestly, one could say the same for Sinferno. Dagger of the Mind's so-called "bardcore," meanwhile, presents Shakespearean scenes over iambic pentagrams of metal. Live, vocals properly strained, one'd be hard pressed to tell Coriolanus from Klingon, but the riff's (full of sound and fury) the thing. They rock not wisely but too well. JAY HORTON. 9 pm. Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. $7. 21+. Map

Portland Jazz Festival: Bill Charlap and Jillian Lebeck

[JAZZ] The son of a Broadway songwriter, Blue Note pianist Bill Charlap never seems to have strayed far from his affinity for the whimsy and charm of the Great American Songbook. His trio, including bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington (no relation), alternate between Speedy Gonzalez-paced ditties featuring prominent walking bass lines and fanciful piano runs to slower, more delicate piano ballads. Charlap’s shared the bill with Wynton Marsalis, Benny Carter, Tony Bennett and Marian McPartland (of NPR Piano Jazz fame). For the festival, he’ll follow the 88-key variations of Vancouver, B.C., native and pianist-songwriter Jillian Lebeck. LANCE KRAMER. 6 pm. Hilton Hotel, 921 SW 6th Ave., 226-1611. $25-$30. All ages. Also see music feature, coming soon. Map

Jean Ronne (9:30 am - 1:30 pm); Eli Reischman (5:30 pm)

  London Grill, 309 SW Broadway., 228-2000. All ages. Map

Portland Jazz Festival: Cecil Taylor, Rob Scheps & Glenn Moore Duo (2 pm)

[JAZZ] See music feature. 2 pm. Marriott-Waterfront, 1401 SW Naito Parkway., 226-7600. $37-$54. All ages. Map

The Diggers, Bliss, Good Apollo, Angels of Avalon, A Blinding Silence, In'r City Radio, Sasuke (6:30 pm)

Satyricon, 125 NW 6th Ave., 231-1606. All ages. Map

Monday February 18top

St. Vincent, Foreign Born

[EXPERIMENTAL POP] Pixie-haired songstress Annie Clark may look all delicate and cute, but just wait till you hear her play the guitar. Girl has got an edge to her—something the dirty and distorted solos she plays on “Now, Now” and “Jesus Saves, I Spend” make painfully clear. Though her elaborate pop compositions bear traces of Kate Bush’s intensity and Feist’s ear for melody, the songs on debut album Marry Me aren’t quite so easy to pin down. Clark has played with Sufjan Stevens, the Polyphonic Spree and, most impressively (at least to my hipster ears), Glenn Branca’s 100 Guitar Orchestra. The album shows why she’s so highly coveted, jumping from guitar blowouts to introspective, almost soulful piano pieces. So don’t even think about popping the question St. Vincent's album title elicits—that was so last year, dude. MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. 9 pm. Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. $12. 21+. Map

Tuesday February 19top

U.S. Bombs, The Hellside Stranglers, Blackout Radio

[PUNK] A legendary pro skater who married Nashville Pussy's Corey Parks and named their son Clash (and, pushing 50, canceled last year's tour for another rehab stint), Duane Peters has lived a sort of punk fairy tale—which, for purists, may be sort of a problem. Over 10 albums, Peters' U.S. Bombs have sorta perfected 100 Club-era aggro anthems that, relative to all available evidence of the frontman-songwriter's life, seem as authentic and meaningful as the conservatory student's Charlie Parker imitations. "Destroy the Nation," Duane? You're more likely to be elected president. JAY HORTON. 9 pm. Dante's, 1 SW 3rd Ave., 226-6630. $10. 21+. Map

DJ Wyld Chyld

  East End, 203 SE Grand Ave., 232-0056. Map

Open Mic w/ Hurricane Hole

  Mark's On the Channel, 34326 Johnson Landing Road, #17., 543-8765. Map

Canoe, Lindsey Pool, Pete Ekstam

[ROCK SOFTENER] How does a band go about embarking on a tour of Borders bookstores throughout the Northwest? For Portland's Canoe, the journey to bookstore domination began with a look and sound softer than a down comforter: You know, stuff that Borders people might actually dig. The outfit does a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel's "Holland, 1945" that's a pretty far cry from the angsty original. Which is OK, except Canoe sucks all the frustration and feedback out (until a carefully controlled explosion at the end of the song), replacing it with spot-on vocal and musical perfection. And perfection is sorta dull, as is most of America: So, far be it from me to try and urge Canoe off its current path. Musicians shouldn't feign weirdness, either. This band will make it to the top a lot quicker than most of Portland's eccentric and disheveled basement-folk outfits. But personally, I'd take a basement over a Borders any day. CASEY JARMAN. 8:30 pm. White Eagle, 836 N Russell St., 282-6810. Free. 21+. Canoe also plays Borders in Beaverton on Feb. 15 Map