Thursday November 5

Daniel Menche, Acre, Brandon Nickell

[AMBITIOUS AMBIENCE] Even if Daniel Menche weren’t a pioneering noise artist, he’d still be at the top of Portland’s scene by process of simple attrition. The man’s career stretches back to 1993 and contains upward of 40 (!) releases, of which not a one so much as hints at comprising Menche’s furiously left-of-center soundscapes. Using everything from radio crackle to the resonant capacities of his own body, Menche has developed his singular oeuvre by picking sounds out of odd places and sticking them together into a sweeping, gorgeous and occasionally terrifying collage. This show finds him in the one week or so of the year he’s not spending recording, so catch him before he retreats once again to creative seclusion. SHANE DANAHER. The Artistery 7:30 pm. $6. All ages.

Friday November 6

Swim Swam Swum; Deer Or The Doe; Point Juncture, WA

[DON'T KEEP IT LIKE A SECRET] Of all the rock bands in Portland, Swim Swam Swum might get the least credit. Maybe it's because of the bands constantly shifting lineup (singer/guitarist Matt Taylor is the sole consistent member) or the fact that certain songs in its catalog could be described to the uninitiated as, well, emo. But on the trio's new album, Circumpolar Westerlies, all these potential reservations are rendered mute from the first blast of opener "Belly Aches." All trebly guitar and Taylor's throaty delivery, "Belly Aches" morphs from a blast of perfect pop-punk to something even grander with a bridge that features both acoustic guitars and cowbell. The band still occasionally sound like mid-'90s Promise Ring—especially on "Not in Your Way," which would fit perfectly on Nothing Feels Good—but it's more reference point than blatant rip-off. The rest of Circumpolar Westerlies is nearly as good, which makes missing this show—and downplaying this band—a terrible mistake. MICHAEL MANNHEIMER. The Artistery 8 pm. $6. All ages.