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Friday, August 21st 6 PM DJ HARP OUTDOOR STAGE See listing for 11 pm Thursday show at Zoot Suite. 7 PM THE ORIGINAL P OUTDOOR STAGE In the '50s, they were the Parliaments. Then they played as Funkadelic in the '60s and '70s. Fuzzy Haskins, Grady Thomas, Calvin Simon and Ray Davis have been jamming together for the past five decades, on their own or with George Clinton-fronted ensembles. As a core part of the P-Funk crowd, the four were inaugurated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Now touring as a 14-piece band under the name the Original P, the foursome and its newfound friends promise an evening of funk, sweat and illusion. (JEMM) 8 PM FONDA EJ'S Fonda vocalist and organist Emily Cook moved to Los Angeles three years ago and met guitarist and singer David Klotz, who shared her love of Nancy Sinatra's attitudinal pop. The two, along with drummer Aaron Ryder and bassist Aldo Bigante, began playing out and eventually recorded the songs on their '98 EP, Music for Beginners (Top Quality). The L.A. quartet's sound derives from the simple "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" philosophy, but it's translated with an enriched, more diverse approach that incorporates layered guitars and jazzed-up rhythms, bringing the whole shebang into a more Euro arena inhabited by the likes of Stereolab and Sleeper. For those who appreciate punchy pop with bi-gender vocals, Fonda's a find. (RM) PAUL K. JIMMY MAK'S This Lexington, Ky., songsmith used to front the Weathermen, but he's touring in support of the solo effort A Wilderness of Mirrors (Alias). Paul K. writes dramatic narratives, delivering his folk- and pop-hewed rock songs with a poignant emotional punch and an author's flair for language. (RM) CHRIS RAEL MISSION THEATER As frontman for the New York City band Church of Betty, Chris Rael has earned high marks for his ability to bridge the musical gaps and traditions of Indian classical music and American rock. The band followed up its 1993 album Kashi by collaborating with Pakistani singer Najma Akhtar on an album of pop songs from Hindi movies. For the last two years, Rael has enlisted musicians from Manhattan's downtown rock scene to continue his eclectic East-meets-West experimentation under the Church of Betty flag, but here he performs under his own name, presumably solo. (RM) FILIBUSTER ROSELAND Filibuster isn't your average ska band. The Sacramento septet features turntablist Robb Rossi, who scratches and helps bolster the rocksteady beats and sultry horns. Together since '91, Filibuster last year issued its second record, The Means EP (Skunk), revealing a stylistically funky framework similar to the punk/reggae/ska hybrids of Sublime and Spearhead. The band has toured the West Coast several times, including stints playing select dates on the Warped and Skunkfest traveling circuses. (RM) PEER GYNT SANDOVAL'S Here's a statement we've never seen in a press release before: "Peer Gynt's Mountain Blues is a truly unique concept which combines the raw power of the Norwegian Middle Ages with an international blues flavor." "Power" must have lost something in the translation, because the songs on this Oslo guitarist's albums barely rise above an easy-listening whisper, and blues doesn't seem to fit either, unless you make the stretch and compare this with Eric Clapton's recent work, which could almost be called blues. But who cares? According to the same press release, "Peer Gynt is a living firecracker on stage." Now that's truly unique. (RM) KASSTEN ALONSO UMBRA PENUMBRA Like many of Portland's emerging writers, Alonso works in a large downtown independent bookstore named Powell's. He gained enough inspiration working within a city of books to write an entire novel of his own, named core. (SW) 8:30 PM CAROLYN ALTMAN UMBRA PENUMBRA Creativity abounds in this Portland renaissance woman. Altman, a member of the local Dangerous Writers group, has produced a variety of work, including performance pieces and a novel-in-progress. In the past, she has worked as a dance choreographer and an educator. (SW) 9 PM NANCY KING WITH STEVE CHRISTOFFERSON ALEXANDER'S Mesh the crisp piano playing of Steve Christofferson with the unparalleled supple voice of Nancy King and it's an evening of jazz that's not to be forgotten. They'll cruise through classic and contemporary tunes at this special appearance. (JK) LUCKY ME ASH STREET SALOON Lucky Me is cobbled together from a well of vintage rock reserves, including the Posies' Jon Auer and former Engine Kid stickman Jade Devitt (who currently drums for Medicate as well). Tacoma resident Nylene Schmeichel shopped her songs around for nearly five years before hitting on this lineup of solid musicianship with a love for blistering, psychedelic squalor. (KO) TRA LA LA BERBATI'S PAN Fronted by Honey Owens, a charming Portland guitarist and vocalist with a knack for peppy melodies, Tra La La plays potent guitar-driven pop reminiscent of the Breeders. The six-month-old band has been working on its chops in local clubs and in the studio, where it plans to record an album for release in the near future. (RM) CRIB COBALT LOUNGE Thurston Moore-approved ambient artist Crib, the nom du drone of Los Angeles bass manipulator Devin Sarno, recently released its 10th album, She Is Church (on Sarno's own WIN label). On record and in concert, Crib evokes waves of deep sound from the instrument and equipment, twiddling knobs to prod listeners to life or escort them into a blissful listlessness. Sarno has some impressive credits, having guested on a That Dog album and recorded a 12-inch duet with guitar guru Nels Cline. (RM) BELL EJ'S Bell's 1996 debut, A Clear Sense of Beauty, placed thoughtful lyrics into an emotional rock framework. The Seattle band recently released Perfect Math, a 6-song mini-album that explores melodic texture even more deeply; frontwoman Vanessa Veselka plugs into the same socket that electrifies the work of Patti Smith or Come's Thalia Zadek. Most of the time, Veselka's strong, cool voice is unpretentiously caked with layers of dirt and pain, but occasionally she dusts off her vocal chords and reveals some surprisingly clear melodies. The basic rock flavor of Bell's songs--think Tom Verlaine or Neil Young--keeps them chugging along at a pace designed for contemplation. (AI) LEW JONES ACT FLANDERS STREET BREWPUB Lew Jones has been putting out records for 20 years. His voice has always been at the forefront, leading a forceful tone in his unusual, guitar-heavy rock tracks. Jones can also switch to gentle folk and blues styles on the more listenable acoustic ballads, which showcase his ample blues guitar skills. (LB) FAITH & DISEASE GREEN ONION After Faith & Disease's first three albums, you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a critic who called them "Goth." It was a fair assessment: keyboards arched like a cathedral doorway and bass lines plumbed the depths of de profundis while Dara Rosenwasser's voice hovered like a gauzy angel. On Insularia, however, they float a little closer to Earth. Instead of broad, orchestral arrangements, the Seattle quartet limits itself to a supple chime and nap time somnolence, not unlike the Cowboy Junkies (whose song "Witches" is covered). It may alienate doom-and-gloom fans, but it should give Faith & Disease the chance to fly free of genre limitations and into higher realms. (JG) CATHY CROCE JIMMY MAK'S Cathy Croce writes insightful songs from a decidedly feminine perspective, though not with the fierceness of Ani DiFranco. The Seattle singer-songwriter sets her detailed tunes to cabaret and pop backdrops, singing with a restrained jazz prowess. She released the full-length CD Putting Words in My Mouth back in '96 and has spent the ensuing years playing in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. (RM) HUMMINGFISH KEY LARGO I didn't like Hummingfish when I caught one of its shows in the spring of 1997, but the rest of the crowd sure did. I kind of like this Portland band now, especially after listening to the clever and endearing Love Traktor, an album that rolls over the 1994 release, Hover. The quartet that is Deb Talan, Jeff Inlay, Mark Buchanan and Andrew McGough has become an established favorite among Portlanders who prefer down-home rootsiness to over-the-top punk. But you don't have to fall into that category to marvel at Talan's effervescent songwriting and her lilting, Irish-tinged singing (think a bubblier Dar Williams). (CM) JUPITER AFFECT LALUNA This young band boasts that all four members were previously male models. Now they are here to save the musical world from the negative effects of humorless grunge music. Uniting pop and rock to create melodic, catchy songs without fear of overpowering listeners, Jupiter Affect may be the super-heroes to save rock music. (JK) COLE MARQUIS MISSION THEATER Cole Marquis made his debut as part of 28th Day, a mid-'80s Chico, Calif., band that also featured Barbara Manning. He later moved to the Bay Area and played in a variety of projects before forming the Snowmen (which he'll perform with at 1 am at Sandovals). His only solo releases to date are a 1986 cassette with the ahead-of-its-time title Alone in a Room and a 1990 offering that hinted at his predilection for ethereal, melodic tunes, Starlight Drive-In. A decade later, Marquis steps away from his band and out of his room to exhibit his thoughtful, whimsical songs. (RM) FOR STARS MOUNT TABOR PUB The latest California act to emphasize the space between chords rather than pummel the listener with them is San Francisco's For Stars, which tiptoes in the footsteps of bands like Acetone and Radar Bros. The quartet's shimmering self-titled debut, released earlier this year on Future Farmer, is a brilliantly restrained rock record that only speaks above a whisper when it has something to say, as in the mid-tempo mini-masterpiece "Field of Fire." Carlos Foster sings in a near-falsetto throughout, sometimes stretching to hit high notes (and succeeding even when he misses), parlaying his witticisms into touching ruminations on life as a member of the urban jet set. For Stars may not cause much of a ruckus, but sometimes quiet music speaks the loudest. (RM) GORDON POKERFACE Gordon recently emerged from the studio, where it recorded its forthcoming debut for Brendan O'Brien's Epic-distributed 57 Records. The buzzing L.A. rock quintet has been on an upsurge since securing its lineup earlier this year. (RM) SQUISH ROCCO'S PIZZA Making toe-tapping pop music reminiscent of Squeeze, XTC and Crowded House, Squish focuses on smooth, lyrical vocals and chronicles emotions ranging from love to jealousy. The earnest approach rings throughout the songs on its recent debut for Pinch Hit Records. (JK) ENGINE 54 ROSELAND Listening to Run for the Money, Engine 54's debut for Portland's Simmerdown label, you're almost transported back in time to Kingston in the mid-'60s, when rocksteady and ska were the soundtrack of the streets. Funny thing is, this is a band from Olympia, Wash., a town more renowned for its punk, grunge and indie-pop lineage than for its soulfulness. Dylan Ksa takes care of that element, crooning over the rocksteady beats and silky horn runs flowing from the nine-piece backing band. Except for a cover of "Be My Guest," all of the traditional-sounding songs on the record are originals, which, considering the apparent authenticity and high quality, makes this band all the more remarkable. (RM) LISA MILLER & THE TRAILER PARK HONEYS SANDOVAL'S Lisa Miller's country/rockabilly/blues/funk creates a delightful home-style jam with a righteous edge. A master songwriter, Miller's songs range from the satirical "Trailer Park Honey" and "Housewife From Hell" to mournful ballads. Backed by a strong contingent of local artists, including members of Golden Delicious, Miller will make you want to kick off your shoes, crack open a Bud Light and laugh at the dysfunctional aspects of your own life. (JK) WARREN PASH SATYRICON On a tour opening up for Pete Droge, Warren Pash decided that Portland was the place for him; a year ago he packed his bags and made the move north from Los Angeles. Since he settled here, performances at the Aladdin, the LaurelThirst and Artichoke have given this pop songsmith a chance to show locals what he learned honing his acoustic craft in L.A. for several years. Pash's Americana-tinged ditties, sung with a voice and style similar to that of Tom Petty in his mellower moments, tend toward the thoughtful and sensitive realm, without going overboard. Fittingly, Pash has opened up for such like-minded musicians as Jeff Healy and Lucinda Williams. (LB) JULIE JONES AND THE THINGS YOU ARE THE SPOT Julie Jones has been a part of the Portland music scene for well over a decade. With a handful of bands behind her, she has joined forces with other talents to form Julie Jones and the Things You Are. This New-Age, jazzy rock combo orbits around Jones' sultry vocals and skilled keyboard playing. (JK) BIG JIM STAGE 4 THEATER This fixture of Portland's scene plays a mix of old-time-R&B-influenced rock 'n' roll and Pacific Northwest-flavored rock. Formed by Seattleites Pat Kearns (vocals, guitar) and Jeff Spane (bass), Big Jim relocated to the Rose City in 1995, secured Andre Simard as drummer and began showing up regularly on local stages to perform its sometimes winding, sometimes blinding tunes. Taking cues from past masters such as Chuck Berry and modern forces like the Melvins, Big Jim is hell-bent on keeping the rock 'n' roll spirit alive. (RM) FIVE GEARS IN REVERSE TONIC LOUNGE There must be a stimulant in Bellingham's water supply; Five Gears in Reverse produce clean-shaven pop songs with the promising edge of that northwest Washington city's former residents, The Posies. The quartet pushes lighthearted songs like "Half the Time" and "Dakota" above college radio simplicity by employing powerhouse backbeats and crisp, soaring vocals. (KO) STEVEN CAMDEN TUGBOAT BREWPUB A decade ago, Australia's Steven Camden arrived in San Antonio, Texas, and assembled a band to back his soulful, country-informed tunes. After soaking up a bit of Americana, he returned to Melbourne and found a new group of musician friends to work with. They recorded his five-song debut, Home Recordings, an album of honest acoustic ditties that resemble Harvest-era Neil Young, complete with plaintive banjo and meditative violin. Still based down under, Camden continues to grow as a singer-songwriter, with one eye trained on discovering an American audience for his thoughtful songs. (RM) TOM SPANBAUER UMBRA PENUMBRA Aspiring Portland writers who long to get daring often turn to Spanbauer, author and instigator of the popular "Dangerous Writing" classes. His novel The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon won the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award. His third book, The City of Shy Hunters, is scheduled for publication next winter. (SW) TRIPOLI ZOOT SUITE The newest band in the Sweet Mother stable, Tripoli continues this evening of danceable urban electronica. (RM) 9:30 PM KIMBERLI RANSOM TUGBOAT BREWPUB Leave Kimberli Ransom alone with her guitar and impressive vocal range and you're in for some satisfying, albeit predictable, folk songs. But if she brings in a host of back-up musicians, as she did on Living with Her Hair on Fire, you get a jumbled melange. Chances are Ransom will hit the stage solo, delighting fans who appreciate female singer-songwriters like Shawn Colvin. (CM) CHUCK PALAHNIUK UMBRA PENUMBRA Palahniuk is going Hollywood in the best possible way. His award-winning novel, Fight Club, is currently being made into a movie with the hippest of hip stars: Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter and Brad Pitt. Palahniuk will publish two more books, Survivor and Invisible Monsters, in 1999. While writing Fight Club, he worked at a Portland truck manufacturer; selling film rights for his novels is undoubtedly more lucrative. (SW) 9:45 PM DJ NASIR ZOOT SUITE DJ Nasir (a.k.a Nasir Rasheed) demonstrates that intelligent people make intelligent music. Originally from London, England, DJ Nasir moved to the United States to complete his graduate studies in molecular biology and, after a brief stint as a researcher, decided to devote his life to music. What Nasir has brought to the music world is a researcher's love for investigating the unknown and a mad scientist's understanding that anything is possible. He was one of the first DJs in Seattle to spin acid jazz and drum 'n' bass, and he consistently finds obscure and unknown sounds that he plays for audiences with a near pathological devotion. The band Tripoli will also play at this show. (DK) 10 PM MUMBLIN' JIM ASH STREET SALOON Formed in Toronto in 1993, Mumblin' Jim moved to San Francisco a year later and quickly established itself as a reliable source for rock-tinted grooves. Last year organist and vocalist Josh Rifkin led the quartet into the studio to record for Island. Dr. Octagon's the Automator produced a few tracks and added a modern edge to the band's soulful, somewhat retro sound. The deal with Island fell through, however, so the band is now a free agent shopping its record. (RM) PINBACK BERBATI'S PAN Pinback is the brand-new musical project from San Diego indie-rock stars Rob Crow (ex-Heavy Vegetable) and Armistad Burwell Smith IV and Tom Zinzer (both of Three Mile Pilot). Word on the street is that Pinback's material is catchy and enjoyable and might even remind you of Built to Spill or Radiohead. (AI) MISS MURGATROID AND PETRA HAYDEN COBALT LOUNGE You know that tin box that you wind up to hear that creepy tune, and then out jumps a frightening clown? Welcome to the blood-red velvet music of Miss Murgatroid--creator of a would-be Salvador Dali soundtrack sussed-out on accordion. Basing her pieces loosely around elementary melodies, Miss Murgatroid stretches out songs until they turn inward on themselves. She's recorded a couple of albums and recently completed another--which will be released soon on WIN--with help from Petra Haydn. (AI) THIRD GRADE TEACHER EJ'S Sabrina Stevenson headed off the usual grueling band-naming session, affixing her current job title to the quartet she fronts. Third Grade Teacher's music is far from elementary. The Los Angeles ensemble's buzzing punk-pop aesthetic can sound like a sonic time capsule to CBGB circa '77, with Stevenson channeling Patti Smith and Johnny Thunders while her bandmates pluck and pound on their instruments with a charming minimalism that can take some surprisingly anthemic turns. The Teacher's cheekily titled debut, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Al's Bar), includes hook-filled treats such as "Cinnamon" and "Ow Ow Ow." (RM) CHARLIE BRADSHAW FLANDERS STREET BREWPUB If you remember Charlie Bradshaw's acoustic shows from the past, you may be in for a surprise. With the addition of Brian Capati and Dave Lybarger, Bradshaw has transformed stylistically into something raw, something fresh. Taking the folk framework of his singer/songwriter side and skewing it into a harder rock style, this talented Portland musician and his newly formed band will create some resonant sonic waves in the near future. (JK) 11:11 GREEN ONION For superstitious types, 11:11 is the time to make a wish; if you wished for a finger-snappin' funky jazz band, I'm happy to say the genies smile upon you. This party posse from Davis, Calif., can shake it up between tear-the-roof-off funk and sock-'em-in-the-cerebellum free jazz or blend the two together into a rocking concoction cooler than an iced latte. It's like the JB's jamming with Archie Shepp or Funkadelic freaking out with Sun Ra--hip, very hip, and it'll keep you wiggling 'til your waist gives out. (JG) DANIELLE FRENCH JIMMY MAK'S Calgary's Danielle French is about to release a follow-up to her acclaimed '95 debut, Me, Myself & I, a record that earned her comparisons to fellow Canadians Joni Mitchell and Sarah McLachlan (and landed her a spot on the latter's Lilith Fair when the tour stopped in Alberta). The singer-guitarist also garnered airplay for her ethereal pop single "Worthy," which she co-wrote with major-label artist Matthew Good. Expectations are high for French's new material, and this marks her first stateside appearance in a while. (RM) VeG KEY LARGO This trio from Hollywood, Calif., features the former long-term drummer for Bob Dylan, a member of the popular Native American rock ensemble Red Thunder and a lead vocalist and guitarist who's probably excited to have his bandmates freed up to contribute to this promising project. Led by Parthenon Huxley, VeG plays impassioned rock infused with a noticeable pop sensibility. Following in the traditions of both the Beatles and Led Zeppelin, the multiethnic, anti-meat-eating trio can shift from dreamy pop band to anthem-spouting monster within the space of a song. VeG released a groove-littered debut last year on Cactus Boy, and the group is revving up for another record in the near future. (RM) SIX DEGREES LALUNA On their debut CD, Audioporn, Seattle's Six Degrees blip and bleep through nine techno-pop (basically synth-pop with rave beats) tunes like God Lives Underwater surfacing for a few breaths of fresh air. Occasionally they go for the industrialized gusto ("Jesus Loves the Children," "Killing's Divine"), but usually their rocket orbits the planets occupied by Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails' nicer, pre-Pretty Hate Machine demos. I assume their name refers to the degrees of separation between people; this act has potential to separate themselves even more than that. (JG) BIRDDOG MISSION THEATER Birddog's friends call him Bill Santen, but you can call him a guy with a guitar. A couple of years ago, the contemplative singer-songwriter lived in Portland, where he gathered up local musicians like Elliott Smith and Pond's Charlie Campbell and recorded some tunes. A couple of those ended up on The Trackhouse, The Valley, the Liquor Store Drive-Thru (Sugar Free), a seven-song mini-album that's merely an appetizer to his forthcoming follow-up. After a move to Lexington, Ky., Santen has since relocated to Colorado, where he keeps strumming and singing in the tradition of Woody Guthrie. (AI) TOADMORTONS MOUNT TABOR PUB The vocalist-guitarist and bassist from Chance the Gardener, a band dropped unceremoniously from Warner Bros. after a respectable debut, resurfaced in Toadmortons. The Northern California quartet's 1997 album, Beware Mortons Murder Mile (Future Farmer), kicks off with a tribute to one of its most obvious influences, a song titled "Meat Puppets." Rippling with rootsy guitar riffs and propelled by organic rhythms, Toadmortons' songs, such as "Down Before" and "Suck Me In," combine country and rock elements in such a way that they don't fit snugly into either genre--sort of the effect that Wilco has achieved. Steve Bryant's songwriting isn't quite as strong as Jeff Tweedy's, but he's heading in the right direction with his new outfit, which has a new album in the can and a spot on the September release schedule. (RM) TILTED POKERFACE Formed two years ago in Lurgan, Ireland, Tilted thumps out passionate rock accented with screaming guitars and rhythmic rancor. You'd never know the quartet's origins listening to guitarist-vocalist Kevin Harte, who sings in a feverish scowl that's more Delaware than Dublin. If Tilted were from the States, it would be a perfect candidate for the Warped tour; its raging rock tunes would surely go over well with the skate-and-snowboard set. The band's debut EP, Always with Me (Shattered), came out late last year, and a full-length is in the works. (RM) GIFT HORSE ROCCO'S PIZZA Flying in the face of historical advice, I looked this Gift Horse in the mouth and didn't find angry Greeks--nor frustrated geeks, style freaks or meek college rockers. There was a surprise attack waiting for me, but it came under the guise of intelligent, lyrical pop influenced by the Beatles, Bowie and Bob Dylan. Even with those oft-copied songwriters lurking in the shadows, Gift Horse is definitely an animal of the '90s; Bret Levick's vocals combine multiform styles while nevertheless projecting a voice of his own. Definitely one of those Bands to Watch. (JG) THE DISLIKED ROSELAND Ska music is generally not associated with the famous onion town of Walla Walla, Wash. The Disliked aim to change this, peeling off layers of reggae, rocksteady and punk on its way to crafting third-wave ska. The band's playlist reportedly includes covers of "Teenager in Love" and "House of the Rising Sun." (JK) GRAVELPIT SANDOVAL'S Well-known for live shows that spill over with intense energy, Gravelpit is back with a new sound. In the past couple of years, the Portland band has been making the transition from rock anthems to a more melodic base, even including poppy covers. They've been out of the club circuit for a bit, so it should be exciting to catch Gravelpit back on the stage. (JK) LUTHER RUSSELL SATYRICON Like albums by Jeff Buckley or Elliott Smith, Luther Russell's CD, Lowdown World, rolls along with alternating moments of beauty and gruffness. On the Russell Web site, a fan accurately describes listening to the Portland singer-songwriter: "It's like you're transported to a bedroom where you're hanging out with this really cool guy and you're splitting a fifth of something, and he picks up his guitar and starts to play for you." Russell is often seen playing local clubs as a solo artist or with friends and fellow musicians Warren Pash and Fernando. (BD) LOVENANCYSUGAR THE SPOT A band name like LoveNancySugar could indicate fun, bouncy tunes, but when the group's first album is titled Neo Retro Eroti Pop, that hope is effectively extinguished. LNS turns out droning pop songs that provide a better accompaniment to drinking, not dancing. (CM) SPOIL SPORTS STAGE 4 THEATER Spoil Sports have an infatuation with experimentation that enables them to maintain a fresh, upbeat edge; their quirky, innovative sound meshes indie rock with bubble-gum pop. Smoothly transitioning from energetic, Sonic Youth-style riffs to the bubbly façade of Brit-pop, this young quartet manages to keep its music energetic and compelling, with a twinge of coming-of-age innocence wrapped inside. (JK) DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE TONIC LOUNGE The buzz currently surrounding Death Cab for Cutie rivals that of the sound effects from a 1970s killer bee flick, and here's why: Frontman Ben Gibbard's shadow-heavy rockers are complex balancing acts of engulfing wordplay and supple guitar schematics, earning him comparisons to the Doug Martsch school of prolific songwriting. Luckily, Death Cab for Cutie has a new album due out this month; the band's supply of its eight-song demo, You Can Play These Songs w/Chords, was depleted faster than a table full of Beanie Babies at Wal-Mart. (KO) TAI BURNETTE TUGBOAT BREWPUB New York City singer-songwriter Tai Burnette's debut, Not So Small, is an accessible country-pop record that falls somewhere between the outspokenness of Shania Twain and the reflectiveness of Gillian Welch. Burnette sings with subtle intonations, maintaining a steady lyrical flow over a pretty backdrop of wispy guitar and lilting piano figures. She comes to NXNW to play a gal-with-her-guitar set. (RM) KEVIN SAMPSELL UMBRA PENUMBRA Portland's favorite poet-about-town has served as a member of the Rose City's National Poetry Slam team, publishes local talent through his Future Tense small press and organizes spoken-word events all over town. His published work ranges from How to Lose Your Mind with the Lights On, a demented collection of poetry and prose, to The Patricia Papers, a volume of missives written by a fictional Ozark octogenarian. (SW) 10:30 PM KEITH KNIGHT TUGBOAT BREWPUB Keith Knight's unusual finger-picking style has been hailed around the country. The Austin Music Awards named the mandolin player one of the top ten musicians in the nation. The Charleston, S.C., resident mixes Celtic, calypso, delta blues and folk into an acoustic menagerie. (JK) STEPHEN SPYRIT UMBRA PENUMBRA As the spiritual leader of the Portland spoken-word set, Spyrit encourages his colleagues to get in touch with their inner being through yoga, percussion and, of course, poetry. At Lollapalooza '94, he performed a poem entitled "X" containing the line, "Xpensive discovering that cash, material gain, cannot xplain, xcuse or xorcise the demon truths in the lie." Spyrit always chooses art over moolah. His latest chapbook collection is called Treasure Trash. (SW) PERFUME TREE ZOOT SUITE At first Perfume Tree seemed like another ambient dance band with a Cocteau Twins obsession. With the release of its second album, Feeler, that's no longer the case. Feeler creeps more toward the ethnic dub of Loop Guru than any ethereal art-rock from the 4AD stable, making it an ideal trip-out soundtrack for maturing electro-hippies. The band's live performances increase the flowery feel-good vibe via colorful video projections and watery surround-sound washes of noise. Perfect for a good mellow, fellow. (JG) 11PM CLYDE'S RIDE ASH STREET SALOON With two vocalists, guitar, bass, two percussionists and a three-piece horn section, Clyde's Ride has all the right ingredients to pump out the funk. The San Diego ensemble delivers on its self-titled 1997 debut, a sonic barrage of jaunty rhythms, surging trumpet/trombone combos and soulful male-female vocals. Band members have varying ethnicity and backgrounds, lending the group a worldliness that bolsters its sunny, relentlessly grooving pop-funk aesthetic. (RM) KIM KOEHLER BERBATI'S PAN Kim Koehler's most recent adventure involved six months touring the country, recording shows as she went and dropping off her tapes free of charge at record stores along the way. A 12-year songwriting veteran, the Memphis musician has played with East Tennessee's the Kissing Virus, Thumbnail and Califone. On Koehler's upcoming debut album for Tim/Kerr Records, Jeffrey Bouck from Tripping Daisy and 68 Comeback lends a helping hand. (AI) CHIKA CHIKA COBALT LOUNGE Silver Lake quartet Chika Chika combines the synth-pop sound of yesterdecade with a moddish sensibility to drink-and-drive its wacky nouveau New Wave tunes all over the map. The band's self-titled debut on WIN updates the mid-'80s Factory Records sound of such bands as the Durutti Column and Joy Division but turns the frown upside down. Vocalists Laura Graven and Tom Bogdon convey semi-nonsensical lyrics in songs such as "Tighty Whitey" and "Voom Voom Vooma." There's extensive instrumentation to accompany the synthesized ramblings, making Chika Chika a serious band with a decidedly lighthearted and often onomatopoeic message. (RM) GASOLINE EJ'S Made up of three Los Angeles guys with punk pedigrees dating back to the mid-'80s, Gasoline plays artful aggro songs that employ the type of angular, stop-start musicianship perfected by past masters such as Magazine and the Minutemen. After releasing a debut on Flipside, the fellas returned to the studio and came up with the most enticing songs of their careers for a self-released EP, Stranded. If there's any justice, Gasoline won't be left alone for long, as this trio fills a gaping void in the punk-rock landscape. (RM) PIERRE AND RUTH RADELET FLANDERS STREET BREWPUB Many Portlanders may have encountered this street-corner-playing father/daughter combo, whether it's been on the boulevards or in a local coffee shop. Pierre and Ruth Radelet enjoy the performer/listener interaction that is an intrinsic part of street performance, and it is this that keeps the bluesy combo on the sidewalks with guitars in hand. (JK) LIVING DAYLIGHTS GREEN ONION If the genius of jazz musicians is judged by how they make the complexity of their music accessible to an audience, then the members of the jazz/rock/funk trio the Living Daylights could be considered geniuses. For several years they have wooed audiences on the West Coast with their virtuosity and intricate compositions, and without alienating the listeners with 20-minute solos or a barrage of pointless experimentation. Instead, they prefer to play progressive jazz with a definite pop flavor. Saxophonist Jessica Lurie supplies most of the beautiful melodies, while drummer Dale Fanning and bassist Arne Livingston create the tight rhythm section. Each musician shines individually, but when they play in unison their talents are blinding. (DK) LAURIE LEWIS JIMMY MAK'S Bluegrass chanteuse Laurie Lewis has eight albums to her credit, including the new Seeing Things (Rounder), a collection of homespun tunes brimming with rich acoustic instrumentation as well as her own remarkable fiddle playing and tastefully twangy vocals. The Berkeley musician spins tender-hearted tales with an Americana slant that makes her work similar to that of folk artists--both musical and visual. She'll front a trio at her NXNW showcase. (RM) THRILLBILLY KEY LARGO The rockabilly music of Thrillbilly appeals to the everyman, and apparently to every company, too. The band's growing list of sponsors includes Portland Brewing Co., Doc Martens USA and Bear Boards; the Portland quintet was named one of six winners in a Polo Ralph Lauren talent search in June, as well. But don't go thinking these guys are commercial or formulaic; they just play great rockabilly music, featuring smart, working-class lyrics, meaty guitar riffs, driving rhythms and down-home harmonies. Blending these elements with a ton of energy, this band is a powerful onstage force. You'll leave the sweaty room knowing you got more bang for your buck. (LB) DIAL 7 LALUNA The Orange County Metro newspaper named this Laguna Beach band one of the "Top Ten to Influence and Shape the New Millennium from Orange County." The five-piece does embody the one-world unity of the 21st century; the group is made up of two black rappers, two white guitarists and a Latin drummer. Dial 7's SoCal/island music combines the best of influences--reggae, hip-hop, funk and classic rock--and its lyrical rhymes-with-a-conscience, tight guitar sounds and indomitable energy have clinched an excited audience in Southern California. Expect a pumped-up, audacious show from these guys. (BD) BINGO MISSION THEATER Four years ago, Kevin "Bingo" Richey left Lawrence, Kan., and landed in Portland with a banjo in his hand, then proceeded to tentatively pluck along with some of this city's finest roots musicians at various clubs. He improved rapidly and helped propel Golden Delicious' psychobilly-folk with his fast-fingered bluegrass style. Earlier this year, Richey turned his nickname into the appellation of his side project and went into the studio to record the just-released H om (Undercover). The album marks a departure from Richey's style in Golden Delicious, as he swims in a pool of witty yet straight-faced Western rock reminiscent of the Meat Puppets, and includes Asian accents courtesy of sitarist Anthony Saffery, who took a break from his regular gig with Cornershop to contribute to Bingo's sprawling debut. (RM) JOAQUINA MOUNT TABOR PUB Joaquina will soon release its Future Farmer debut, a breezy folk-rock effort with straightforward, well-articulated songs about wanting to be famous ("Child Star"), the habits and exploits of canines ("Dogs") and other simple, endearing subjects. The San Francisco quartet's acoustic base keeps it from getting too boisterous, but the band occasionally strums up a racquet similar to Uncle Tupelo's unplugged work, and it's nearly as compelling. (RM) MUZZLE POKERFACE Muzzle plays guitar-driven pop-punk. Although its choice of music is hardly original, the band's enthusiasm and dedication to writing clever three-minute pop-punk songs is. While many contemporary rock groups tend to perform music with hyper-masculine macho posturing or (even worse) pack their songs full of smug irony, Muzzle plays honest, straightforward melodic punk music, loving the rock medium rather than rejecting it. (DK) EVENRUDE ROCCO'S PIZZA The skittering wheels clack along the sidewalk as you skate down the street, but you can't hear them--you're too busy listening to the Evenrude tape in your Walkman. The bass is funky, guitars punky, vocals varied and drums dynamic. You gather speed as the hill steepens and music deepens into a hard-rock anthem. Then you level out with a Sublime-style neo-ska bit and hop over the curb during a Chili Pepper-like hot funk riff. Who is Evenrude, this band of relative unknowns? You're not sure, but they're all California, and that's what really matters. (JG) BLUE BEAT PLAYERS ROSELAND Ska's first revival began in post-punk Britain under the 2-Tone banner, a label whose name reflected the desire to embrace both blacks and whites. Today we need a more expansive palette to paint ska's landscape, especially with the arrival of Japan's Blue Beat Players. Like many Japanese groups, the Players boil their chosen music down to the basic elements--no extraneous bullshit allowed--achieving a pure distillation of rock steady and classic instrumental ska. So what if Tokyo's nowhere near Kingston? When it sounds this good, what does the address matter? (JG) CLODHOPPER SANDOVAL'S One of the pleasant surprises of last year's NXNW, Clodhopper returns with its brand of modern hillbilly rock. Led by ex-American Music Club bassist Dan Pearson, who picks out the melody on a clawhammer banjo, the San Francisco-by-way-of-Missoula quartet's originals and arrangements of traditionals such as "Moonshiner" and "Little Rabbit" have a winsome brittleness that glides out of the speakers like a bird in flight. Clodhopper's debut, Red's Recovery Room, features guest contributions from Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament and singer-songwriter J.C. Hopkins, and it's a laid-back, countrified treat. (RM) DANGEROUS BOB SATYRICON This Portland trio kicks out the jams with a steel-toed cowboy boot. Dangerous Bob rides onto stage with a psychobilly sound, then lassos psychedelic and punk rock elements to keep it from falling into the Southern Culture on the Skids pigeonhole. (RM) SILKENSEED THE SPOT Silkenseed and Marcy Playground may spark chicken and egg debates amongst future KNRK listeners. At once airy and intense, this Portland six-piece is a more intricate and subtle alternative to the already popular, aforementioned band. Come see them perform songs off their recent release, Hurry Home (Rainforest), before they, too start, drawing the big crowds. (JF) SPECTATOR PUMP STAGE 4 THEATER This show may be the perfect departure for anyone who's had their fill of pretty pop lately. This Portland three-piece has stayed true to its heavy rock aesthetic since the band's inception three years ago. Stephanie Smith's vocals vacillate between sexy lows and highs like those of P.J. Harvey, punctuated at times with a powerful punk sass that makes you want to stay on her good side. Michael Carothers lends raw, abrasive, menacing guitar parts, and Rob Duncan sets the pace for the band's tight, concise rock tunes. This is true, in-your-face rock that refuses to compromise. At this show, expect material from the group's upcoming debut, Styrofoam Artifacts, sans the supercool keyboard noodlings of the Flaming Lips' Stephen Drozd, who played on the record. (LB) SEVERNA PARK TONIC LOUNGE Severna Park's melodic rock has more than a few anxiety attacks, with tricky pauses inserted between the blow-out howls and harmonies. The quartet brings a fistful of fireworks to its live performances, with a cloister of revved-up new songs, sychronized jumps and a damn fine Prodigy impersonation. "New Year" recalls the unstoppable guitars of Spoon, while "Hearts on Ice" is a noisy nod to Boyracer. (KO) DAMIEN JURADO TUGBOAT BREWPUB Damien Jurado's endearingly off-key vocals emphasize the all-encompassing joy he obtains from music; rather than trying to hack your heart in two with tales of bad luck and poverty, the singer-songwriter finds a youthful perspective on such matters and follows the thread with his guitar. Best of all, Jurado's honesty comes through simple channels attained by viewing the world with unjaded clarity, much like Lemonheads vocalist Evan Dando. In "The Joke is Over" Jurado proclaims, "They will make fun of you/ but not me," sounding like the protective big brother you never had when the class bully came a' knockin'. (KO) CARL HANNI UMBRA PENUMBRA Portland is a bit too rainy for this poet; he dreams of moving to the dry deserts of the American Southwest. Until then, Hanni will continue to write, read and slam his poetry, some of which was collected into a popular book called Night Shift. He also produced one of the region's better genre CDs, Talking Rain: Spoken Word and Music from the Pacific Northwest. (SW) 11:15 PM PIMP DADDY NASH ZOOT SUITE Ignore the name: Pimp Daddy Nash isn't a rapper, he's an electronic mixmaster who lays blocks of beats and samples onto a swingin' foundation of jazz and lounge music. It's fresher than the retro retreads of Tipsy, fatter than DJ Shadow's spacey slabs and heavier than most cheesy acid jazz (or what passes for it these days). What makes these machine dreams vivid is his ability to develop a theme--rather than just repeating it ad nauseam, as most lazy techno twerps tend to do--then glue gob after gob of juicy sounds on top. It's so cool, I won't have to bitch slap him for that horrendous moniker. (JG) 11:30 PM MATT THE ELECTRICIAN TUGBOAT BREWPUB Matt the Electrician isn't particularly noisy or technological. The singer/songwriter's moniker is more fact than gimmick: Matt works as an electrician by day, then writes sensitive, catchy pop songs after the 5 o'clock bell rings. The Austin resident's first album, Baseball Song, includes tracks with Ana Egge and Dave Sanger of Asleep at the Wheel. (BD) CASEY BUSH UMBRA PENUMBRA Bush's writing is often inspired by a passion for the game of chess. In addition to a plethora of poetry in such venerable periodicals as Exquisite Corpse, Rain City Review and Plazm, he has published a chess biography, Grandmaster from Oregon: The Life and Times of Arthur Drake. (SW) MIDNIGHT SUNFUR ASH STREET SALOON Tribal, psychedelic and with a Middle Eastern touch, Sunfur plays dense, swirling rock that's set apart from the rest of the field. Named one of five "San Francisco acts to follow" by Billboard in '97, the quartet recently recorded material to follow up its well-received debut, Comfort As One, including a surging take on the Beatles' one-chord psych-rock masterpiece "Tomorrow Never Knows," which gets a blistering percussive workout in the hands of Sunfur. Live, the band reportedly launches into dizzying extended jams that spotlight guitarist Emilio's nimble-fingered fretwork and the dual-percussionist lineup. (RM) DANIEL JOHNSTON BERBATI'S PAN Words like genius, eccentric, innocent and loony are all used to describe Daniel Johnston. However one chooses to label this fabled Austin singer-songwriter, Johnston's endearing human softness and remarkably witty and clever songs (e.g., "Speeding Motorcycle") are the things that keep the crowds begging for more. Live appearances by Johnston are rare--he hasn't been seen in Portland in years--which makes this performance all the more special. After a decade as an underground legend and a brief stint as a major label artist for Atlantic, Johnston is back in indie land, having recently inked a deal with Portland's Tim/Kerr. (AI) SOLID EYE COBALT LOUNGE Like another optically named experimental electronic music band (the Third Eye Foundation), Solid Eye sculpts horrific futurist soundscapes that could lull even the best-prepared alien into a fidgety trance. The Los Angeles trio's mixed media includes tape loops, crossed radio signals, prepared and abused guitar, unearthly samples and the ubiquitous analog synths. With three electronically inclined madmen at the controls, Solid Eye layers its sounds into a swiveling forcefield that goes beyond sci-fi. The band's forthcoming full-length will appear on WIN when the spaceships land. (RM) AT THE DRIVE-IN EJ'S A furious barrage of melodic intensity, shredding guitars, vicious vocals and unexpectedly literary lyrics, At the Drive-In's first full-length (after a number of EPs and 7-inches), Acrobatic Tenement (Flipside), is a gem. Cedric Bixler fronts the El Paso, Texas, quintet, pouring all of his emotion into each phrase as his mates draw from a diverse musical palette. Rather than stick to the usual three-chord, 4/4 format, At the Drive-In zigs and zags through multitempo passages, strumming out tonally conscious riffs and treating rhythms like dough--the musicians can settle for a cookie-cutter approach one minute, then engage in some handmade mayhem the next. (RM) BUDS OF MAY FLANDERS STREET BREWPUB Remove the conventional rules from bluegrass music and you get Buds of May. With an energetic, foot-stomping groove, the group of Portland musicians plays what they call "free grass" music. The Buds of May repertoire is composed primarily of original songs, though there's a healthy smattering of covers, including a bluegrass rendition of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." (JK) MUNLY DE DAR HE GREEN ONION Munly de Dar He could be called a mix of bluegrass, circus music and the Violent Femmes. As each of the Boulder, Colo., band's songs open up, you think you've put on an old Hank Williams album. Then the strained, honest vocals of Jayson Munly come in and make you feel more at home. Moody but exciting, like a roller coaster ride on psilocybin, Munly de Dar He has been called the "creature created by [a] hillbilly Dr. Frankenstein in his junkyard laboratory." Swing down to hear Munly--and wear your stompin' boots. (KH) 20/20 JIMMY MAK'S This Austin quartet released its soulful Americana debut, Interstate (Oglio), just two weeks prior to the festival. But 20/20 isn't your usual country-tinged act. The band brings orchestral pop and punchy rock elements to its sound, imparting wryly evocative messages about the average Joe's life in a society that reveres sex, Hollywood and art like never before. (RM) THE LAZY EIGHTS KEY LARGO Don't bother trying to pigeonhole the Lazy Eights. The 14 songs on the Reno, Nev., quartet's '97 debut, Big Machine, span a dizzying array of idioms, managing within the course of an album to recall Sting, Paul Simon and Hootie and the Blowfish. Lead vocalist Ben Wilborn wields a closetful of instruments, adding a mandolin vamp here, a fiddle run there and a strummy acoustic guitar all around while his mates extend the songs into jazzy territories. Wilborn's weary croon at times echoes Jackson Browne's, and the Lazy Eights back him up with a contemporary adult musical backdrop that's suitable and occasionally stirring. (RM) FIVE FINGERS OF FUNK LALUNA Led by rapper Pete Miser and sped along by the turntable twists of DJ Chill, Five Fingers of Funk serves up platters of clattering, brassy hip-hop with a healthy side dish of pop. Some say F3 are too white and too polite to be real rap; such critics probably prefer gangsta rappers who spend more days doing time than dropping rhymes. So be it. They can't deny that Miser's got the smooth tongue and clever touch, while the band provides ample horn support and bad-boy bass lines. It's fun without guns in a scene that could use a few smiles between the ego-trip miles. (JG) RICHARD BUCKNER MISSION THEATER This wandering singer-songwriter pulls his car into Portland not only to play NXNW but also to celebrate the release of his third and most varied album, Since (MCA). Revered for his countrified folk narratives, Buckner spins stories with the ease and earnestness of Woody Guthrie, singing passionately about life on the road and all of the complications such an existence brings. The latest effort mixes Buckner's typical acoustic base with a spate of full-band arrangements, adding a sonic depth to his twang-tinged tales. His live performances, whether solo or with accompaniment, are mesmerizing events that spotlight his considerable writing, vocal and guitar-playing talents. (RM) 17 REASONS WHY MOUNT TABOR PUB This is the kind of band that labels and radio stations adore, so it's no surprise that 17 Reasons Why has received significant play on local stations, won the Musician 1998 Best Unsigned Band Competition, and garnered a recent deal with Laundry Room Records. Led by Sattie Clark's strong vocals, this five-piece crafts very likeable pop songs, and its 1997 release, The Dark Years, contains more than one catchy, radio-friendly single. Alternating between emotional ballads comparable to those of Jewel and uptempo, polished pop, this band is easy to take. (LB) FLOURISH POKERFACE Flourish released its eponymous six-song debut on LobeCandy in early '98, then proceeded to take its power-pop show on the road, including a slot at the Los Angeles Poptopia festival. The EP includes a few choice cuts, such as the Replacements-like "Welcome Mat" and "Single File," an existential mid-tempo tune about conformity. The Tacoma quartet recently became a trio, with lead vocalist and guitarist Mike Clark staying up front and bassist Ben Bradford and drummer Steve Lambert keeping the rhythms behind him. (RM) HOT BUTTERED POOL ROCCO'S PIZZA Spinning a web of peculiar pop and Japanese lyrics, this trio from Osaka, Japan, sounds like a classic-rock mix tape that's been mailed across the Pacific Ocean and sent back with a cleverly composed reply. Hot Buttered Pool swivels and sways with a Jon Spencer-like bravado throughout its debut EP, Caroline, with lead singer and guitarist Toru Nakamura striking a number of poses: He's a rock star, a sensitive guy, a pop crooner. It's an entertaining act, and it has helped spread what they call the "Hot Buttered sound" through a few continents. The trio has toured the United Kingdom, earned airplay on U.S. and Australian college radio and found itself supporting Olympia's Fitz of Depression on a Japanese jaunt a while back. (RM) EASY BIG FELLA ROSELAND There are approximately as many ska bands today as fortune cookies consumed daily in China. Similarly, many of those groups are dry, stale and should be tossed out with the leftover lo mein. But Easy Big Fella must be loaded with preservatives: No matter how many times I pull back the lid, the music smells fresh. Sample the honey harmonies in EBF's cover of Bunny Wailer's "Rude Boy." Nibble at the fat thigh of "Rumpshaker." Or swallow the sweetness of "Locked in the Chapel of Love." I'm sure you'll agree that Easy Big Fella is a hella tasty ska treat. (JG) WOODEN CIRCUS SANDOVAL'S This Simi Valley, Calif., quartet cranks out melodic rock filled with arena-rock hooks, but the band is shrewd enough to eschew the big bounding rhythms that push others into haughtiness. Wooden Circus' self-titled debut is due out early next year; it reels with competent guitar solos from six-string slinger Dave Wardzinski and confident vocals from Paul Kenny. The two, along with a tight rhythm section, meticulously craft songs with a trace of Southern rock attitude and a dose of contemporary fervor. (RM) LITTLE SUE SATYRICON Little Sue, a.k.a. Susannah Weaver, is the reigning queen of underground country in Portland. Her traditional-style songs go down like perfectly aged whiskey and warm apple pie baked to perfection. Her brick-solid voice carries a lonesome and longing melancholy similar to Emmylou Harris or Patsy Cline, and her deceptively simple and clever lyrics match the strength of her delivery. A fixture at the LaurelThirst's hootenanny-like affairs, Weaver often enlists a cast of first-rate backing players to help convey her warm musical message. (AI) SYLVIA'S GHOST THE SPOT This Portland band combines the mysticism of Bauhaus with the psychedelic hippie-rock sensibilities of Phish to create a scary and trippy sound. With a multitude of guitars and synthesizers spinning madly out of control, Sylvia's Ghost is abstract Goth rock at its best. (JF) THE SECLUDES STAGE 4 THEATER A relatively recent addition to Portland's punk-rock community, the Secludes play in-your-face, barking three-chord tunes that reverberate with youthful enthusiasm and energy. Made up of guitarists Ammon Child and Jason Rall, bassist Jeremy Child and drummer Adam Bailey, the Secludes are out in the open when it comes to performing their zooming, zestful material. (RM) MICRO MINI TONIC LOUNGE If you're able to resist a toe tap here and a head nod there when listening to Micro Mini's shimmy-heavy Get in the Go-Go Cage (Collective Fruit), get thee to a hormone therapist. The quartet skirts around Cars terrain with the starry-eyed "Heir Apparent," gulping down quarts of Moog lemonade, while Lance Paine and Amy Barnet roll out a blanket of charming wordplay. Interesting that Micro Mini dared to ask "Why's there a film crew following you around?" while MTV was raiding Seattle for Real World footage. (KO) KAZ MURPHY TUGBOAT BREWPUB Though he's a longtime Seattle resident, Kaz Murphy plays the kind of Southwestern desert folk-rock that's always popping up as incidental music in movies that feature dirty, emotionally disturbed cowboys in Cadillacs speeding down dusty, abandoned highways. The reverb-laden strums from his promising 1996 debut, One Happy Camper (Liquid City), still echo through the canyons today. Murphy has assembled a four-piece backing band to interpret the Ry Cooder-meets-Tom Waits tunes, presumably with some fresh material mixed in. (RM) RITAH PARRISH UMBRA PENUMBRA She's not only one of Portland's more lovely and talented spoken-word divas but also an actress, a writer, a former member of the Raging Hormones improv group and a tap dancer. She has staged a one-woman show, Bite Down Hard, and was one of the top 10 individual finalists in the 1996 National Poetry Slam. She is the author of two books, Pink Menace and Ribbed for Your Pleasure, and she's known across the country for her excellent performance tribute to womanly flatulence. (SW) DRAGONFLY ZOOT SUITE The trip-hop/ambient group Dragonfly proves that ambient music can be thoughtful and involved rather than just background noise. While some DJs opt to create dreamy, ethereal compositions that put you in a trance-like state, Dragonfly's music is too elaborate to invoke such passive listening. Each song is a lush production saturated with layers and layers of electronic samples, sound effects, and thundering beats. Because Dragonfly's music is performed with such clarity and direction, it won't pound you into a stupor. (DK) 12:30 AM BRIAN CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON UMBRA PENUMBRA You can't throw a tomato at a Portland spoken-word performance without hitting Hamilton. As one of the poetry community's mainstays, he works tirelessly to promote other artists as well as his own work. He is the publisher and editor of Quiet Lion Press and Rain City Review. His most recent collections of poetry include The Detective Poems, Angels in Exile and Skin. (SW) 1 AM TARKIO ASH STREET SALOON These boys from Missoula, Mont. take a strong pop base and add a few country elements--usually fiddle and banjo--resulting in a hybrid similar to that of Wilco. Tim Bierman's boyish voice has a painfully earnest quality recalling that of Matt Wilson in his Trip Shakespeare days. Smart melodies coupled with some impressive harmonies complement Bierman's style on Tarkio's new CD, I Guess I Was Hoping for Something More. This band knows when to draw from country, but, thankfully, it never strays too far from its pop roots. (LB) THE PARADISE MOTEL BERBATI'S PAN After numerous releases on Australian labels, Melbourne's the Paradise Motel has finally made it to the United States via a compilation of previously issued songs, Left Over Life to Kill, on Portland's Tim/Kerr. Gentle-voiced singer Merida Sussex paints morose, evocative tales over a stark musical backdrop of echoing guitars, soaring violin and reverb washes. Comparable to the late-'80s 4AD sound and to Mazzy Star, the Paradise Motel may soon be Americans' prime ethereal-rock destination. (RM) BETH CAPPER COBALT LOUNGE Beth Capper's excellent forthcoming CD on WIN, Complimentary Mood Enhancer, combines a taste for electronic experimentation with a knack for almost folky songwriting. Capper and her assembled squad--which includes a screechy violinist, straight-faced bassist and others--pack dizzyingly dense sounds into a bevy of two- to three-minute tracks that touch down in the music landscape somewhere between Aphex Twin's remixes of Beck songs and Japanoise pop artists like Buffalo Daughter. (RM) REO SPEEDEALER EJ'S This Texas band lured crowds away from the established clatter at this year's South by Southwest in Austin and into the netherland of the anti-festival South by So What, the slamdance of the music festival world. You may have gone to high school with these doughnut-popping bad boys, who use their well-groomed pudge to wail on instruments so enthusiastically you'll want to throw your barrettes at 'em. (BD) CROSSEYED FLANDERS STREET BREWPUB The 6-year-old band Crosseyed recently released its second album, It's a Shame, which furthers its expansive roots-rock sound. The Seattle quartet's '96 debut, Crosseyed Cat, did well on regional sales charts, positioning the band for even more success with its latest disc. Equally adept in the blues, rock, jazz and folk idioms, Crosseyed has distinguished itself with a keen ear for accessible yet crafty music. (RM) JOHN FAHEY TRIO THE GREEN ONION As one of the most important American guitarists of the 20th century, John Fahey transcends the confines of learned technique, going straight for the gut with his incredible self-taught style. He raised himself on John Hurt's finger-picked blues in the '50s, gained popularity as a so-called "folk musician" in the '60s and '70s, rode out the '80s in relative obscurity, and now plays abstract slabs of electric guitar music with his trio when he's not collaborating with younger experimental musicians like Jim O'Rourke. (JF) TOMMY TUTONE JIMMY MAK'S The 1982 song "867-5309/Jenny" was such a big hit that it guaranteed Tommy Tutone a place in rock history--and karaoke machines--for all time. Sadly, the song also relegated Mr. Tutone to the "one-hit wonder" file. Until recently, Tutone recorded in virtual oblivion, but now, 16 years after flashing his smile across the land via a heavily rotated MTV video, the rock star-turned-computer programmer is back with a new album, tutone.rtf (Rich Text Files) and primed for a rock resurgence. (AI) KEROSENE DREAM KEY LARGO Two of Portland's distinct rock music scenes--punk and hippie--don't have too much audience overlap. But Kerosene Dream's classic folk, filled with harmonica and often-beautiful vocals, can make even the staunchest hardcore fans take pause. The five Portlanders who make up the Dream have all played in a variety of local folk-rock and jam bands. Instead of relying on instrumental solos, they write careful, Neil Young-esque songs and perform them with obvious, but not manipulative, earnestness. (BD) HUNGRY MOB LALUNA An intelligent and mightily danceable blend of hip-hop, funk and soul designed to stimulate a thought in your brain and a boogie in your butt. (JG) XING MOUNT TABOR PUB Sounding like an '80s New-Wave band, Xing could easily record a soundtrack for a John Hughes movie. The Portland five-piece maximizes its front line of guitar and keyboards with plenty of percussion and three-part vocals. Look out for Xing's upcoming album on Laundry Room Records. (BD) CINDERLEAF POKERFACE Though it's logical to assume that all emocore bands spring from either the mid-Atlantic or Pacific Northwest regions, Cinderleaf, which mysteriously joined the gang upon forming early last year, is from San Antonio. The band's '98 full-length What If I Can't Shine? (Vaporlamp), is up there with Sunny Day Real Estate and Jawbox, blending earnest vocals, relentless guitar riffs and rhythms that surge and swell like a wave pool at an amusement park. The quartet's frontman, who goes by the name J, sings with a Bob Mould-like intensity and interacts with fellow guitarist Andy Pape, turning out roiling tune after roiling tune. (RM) THE JIMMIES ROCCO'S PIZZA Green Day wrote the song "Longview" to detail the masturbatory boredom of life in the lower-middle-class suburbs. The Jimmies, however, who grew up in the Washington town named in that tune's title, needn't bother to listen to the lyrics: They lived them. Fortunately for us, they also write songs cataloging their experiences, bequeathing upon the world a series of honest, infectious anthems about searching for jobs, girlfriends and truth in a world that too often disappoints. The band itself resembles the characters that inhabit its songs: Its members are hard-working, tirelessly idealistic and willing to drive the extra mile to live life their own way. (JG) ATTABOY SKIP ROSELAND Las Vegas' addition to the skacore ranks is Attaboy Skip, an eight-piece band that places equal emphasis on guitar and horns. Fronted by rudeboy Bronson Mack, the rollick-and-roll band has released two EPs that could earn it a job in the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' factory. With a two-guitar, four-horn attack, Attaboy Skip puts the "bomb" back in "bombastic." (RM) SNOWMEN SANDOVAL'S Popular in Germany and gaining momentum on this side of the sea, the Snowmen incorporate loping melodies and involved instrumentation to hook listeners. The San Francisco foursome is piloted by Cole Marquis, who writes sad lyrics set to not-so-sad-sounding songs. The Snowmen follow up last year's In Orbit and a spirited show at NXNW '97 with Last Days of the Central Freeway, to be released in October. After the band's show, stick around to score the cutest stickers you've seen since Mrs. Grossman's. (CM) FERNANDO SATYRICON Fernando Viciconte is one of the more mercurial musicians in Portland. Just when you think you have him pegged as a country folky, he goes and gets himself a rock band. To shake things down and mix things up more, Fernando's latest musical twist is as a Spanish rocker. Considering that Fernando is playing Saturday night with Los Cochinos, it's a pretty good bet that this version of Fernando will perform in English. (AI) A nat HEMA THE SPOT In the true spirit of independent experimental music, Portland's A nat HEMA refuses to make electronic music to be used as a soundtrack for corporate advertisements. You won't hear this band backing a Nike commercial. Instead, with samplers, synthesizers and turntables in its control, the trio sticks to nonsensical fragments of sound and stupid human tricks unsuitable for Letterman. (JF) JR. SAMPLES STAGE 4 THEATER "We have been accused of being a bunch of guys who just want to drink beer, play music and have a good time, and if that's a crime, we're guilty." These words, from Jr. Samples' frontman Kelly Manahan, are a better description of the band than any witty media-speak could convey. Today's music scene is saturated with hyphenated genres like "avant-joy-core," when sometimes all you need is rock 'n' roll--the kind played by Link Wray, Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins and some cat named Presley. Now, these boys ain't purty, but they are the kind of dirty, drag-strip-and-a-Stroh's fun that'll make you smile. Remember the last time that happened? At a Jr. Samples show, you will. (JG) REVOLUTIONARY HYDRA TONIC LOUNGE Revolutionary Hydra represents the lo-fi branch of Bellingham recording collective Elsinor Records--but wait before groaning at the mention of a band containing 4-track fetishists. The Hydra keeps its tracks short but focused, devoid of senseless recording trickery or rough edges. The songs course with obscure wit, minus the college-boy snobbery, and the fuzzy melodies stumble into each other like drunken dance partners, without collapsing into repetitive basement malaise. (KO) THE ANGEL (OF 60 CHANNELS AND JAZ CLASH) ZOOT SUITE The electronic music scene--like its rock, punk, jazz or hip-hop counterparts--is dominated by men. If you sift through the (sigh) "electronica" section of any record store or go to any DJ-style club, you will find a cluster of male DJs, yet only a sprinkling of female ones. This only makes a performance from producer and artist the Angel more exciting. The L.A.-based diva is responsible for remixing songs for the Brand New Heavies, hip-hop group the Pharcyde and many others, as well as producing songs with Frente's Angie Hart and House of Pain's Cokni O'Dire. If that wasn't enough, her music can also be heard on three movie soundtracks (Gridlock'd, Til There Was You, Playing God). Her solo DJ work is a dark, chaotic miasma of heavy beats, pounding bass loops, and eerie vocal work that combines ambient, hip-hop and exotic pop influences. (DK)