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About Willamette week. (Portland, Or.) 1974-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 2017)
MUSIC = WW Pick. Highly recommended. blend the cinematic blast of Mogwai with the sophisticated baroque infl u- ence of Rachel’s. On their recent and excellent LP, Clear Language , they reduce their previously broad array of instrumental elements to a reduc- tive pallet of keys or guitars eeking out melodies that are as accessible as most radio hits. Benoit Pioulard’s recent Lignin Poise , meanwhile, is another subtle ambient master- work from Thomas Meluch. Released by Portland’s own Beacon Sound, it blends a soothing cacophony of hums with delicately plucked musical phrases reminiscent of Max Richter or Dustin O’Halloran. CRIS LANKENAU. The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave., 503-222-2031. 8 pm. $15. All ages. Prices listed are sometimes for advance ticket sales. At-the-door increases and so-called convenience charges may apply. Event lineups are subject to change after WW’s press deadlines. Editor: MATTHEW SINGER. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR LISTINGS, go to wweek. com/submitevents and follow submission directions. All shows should be sub- mitted two weeks or more in advance of event. Press kits, CDs and especially vinyl can be sent to Music Desk, WW, 2220 NW Quimby St., Portland, OR 97210. Please include show or release date information with all physical mail- ings. Email: msinger@wweek.com. Fax: 243-1115. City of Caterpillar, Thou, Dreamdecay, Longclaw [EPIC PUNK] City of Caterpillar’s run in the early aughts was far too brief, but the band, which shared members with screamo deity Pg. 99, was around long enough to bless that blighted decade with a stun- ning self-titled album. Combining the post-hardcore chaos of ’90s pioneers like Angel Hair with the apocalyp- tic grandeur of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, City of Caterpillar’s sole full-length is a crucial document of a time before “screamo” became a bad word and a suitable soundtrack for a world that is even more screwed than it was 15 years ago. CHRIS STAMM. Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., 503-206-7630. 7:30 pm. $17.25. All ages. ings from outstanding London label 4AD, Torres is perhaps its most angular yet poetic voice. Having toured with an impressive cast of musicians, including Okkervil River, Sharon Van Etten and Lady Lamb, the Nashville-based artist is poised for her own breakout. Combining the unpredictable and theatrical elements of PJ Harvey with the electronic pop elements of Eurythmics, Torres is a deeply engaging presence. The brood- ing, goth-inspired side of newest eff ort Three Futures only adds to her intrigue. MARK STOCK. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 503-231-9663. 9 pm. $13 advance, $15 day of show. 21+. [MINIMALISM] Somewhere between post-rock and avant-garde orchestral chamber pop, Austin duo Balmorhea [INDUSTRIAL GOTHIC] Among the latest off er- TOP 5 FIVE DRUGS TO DO WHILE LISTENING TO THE WAR ON DRUGS High Voltage #57 Recommended Song Pairing: “Red Eyes” While this outstanding track from 2014’s Lost in the Dream is more about crying than getting ripped; it’s also one of the fi nest examples of leader Adam Granduciel’s driving rock genius, so it deserves a clear-headed uplifter. 2 Light Alcohol Recommended Song Pairing: “Best Night” This track kicked off Slave Ambient in 2011 and remains Granduciel’s best opener, a shimmery number that’s nice to hear while sipping on your fi rst glass of zin or bourbon. Or maybe Two Towns or a light lager. 3 Solitary Cigarettes After You’re Already Drunk Recommended Song Pairing: “Strangest Thing ” You may fi nd yourself rummaging for the hidden pack and out on the back patio staring up at the moon after the family’s been asleep awhile. You can take a drag, picture yourself looking out over the Schuylkill as that opening reverb rushes in. 4 Master Kush Recommended Song Pairing: “Thinking of a Place” “Thinking of a Place” begins in Little Bend, South Dakota, rides down a river of sound and ends in a baptism of guitar and piano. You can listen in any and all states of mind, but one of those times, maybe get good and stoned, put on some headphones and get lost in the music. 5 Codeine-laced Cough Syrup Recommended Song Pairing: “In Reverse” If the doc signs off and you fi nd yourself holding a bottle of cherry- fl avored gold, might I recommend the closing track from Lost in the Dream? Slather on some VapoRub, go to bed early, and let the soundscape and opioids wash you away. WM. WILLARD GREENE. SEE IT: The War on Drugs plays Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, with Phoebe Bridges, on Wednesday, Oct. 11. 8 pm. $29.50-$45. All ages. Willamette Week OCTOBER 11, 2017 wweek.com P.O.S., Sean Anonymous Balmorhea, Benoit Pioulard Torres, The Dove & The Wolf 30 THURSDAY, OCT. 12 S H AW N B R A C K B I L L WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11 [INDIE-RAP] P.O.S. is the busiest rapper in music. Though he’s only put out fi ve solo albums in the past 13 years, his voice can be heard everywhere, with the hip-hop collec- tive Doomtree, the indie supergroup Gayngs and the hardcore punk outfi t Wharf Rats. No matter the project, the one thing you’ll always get with P.O.S. is unfl inching honesty and a poetic swagger akin to Burroughs. His latest eff ort, Chill, dummy , fea- tures an eclectic list of collaborators from the brilliant Open Mike Eagle and inimitable Busdriver to indie golden boy Justin Vernon and the legendary Kathleen Hanna. Songs like “Faded” show the rapper’s dexterity on the mic—rather than densely thud- ding against the beat, his voice fl oats like a smoke ring drifting skyward. JUSTIN CARROLL-ALLAN. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave., 503-288-3895. 9 pm. $20. 21+. Sisters, Rare Diagram, Sheers [EASYGOING POP] If you were a fan of the dazed, rose-tinged grooves of synth-happy pop duo Sisters’ fi rst album, Drink Champagne , their second eff ort and fi rst for Tender Loving Empire, Wait Don’t Wait , shows there’s a lot more where that came from. So far, the singles point to a less dreamy, more mel- ody-driven sound. “Let Me Go” was vibe-y enough to snag a spot on Apple Music’s newest indie play- list, with lyrics touching on the ways we can make this fucked-up world a better place. SOPHIA JUNE. The Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont St., 503-754-7782. 9 pm-11:45 pm. Call venue for ticket prices. 21+. FRIDAY, OCT. 13 Sun Kil Moon featuring Magik*Magik Orchestra, Josh Haden [SLOWCORE] Back in 2014, Sun Kil Moon, aka Mark Kozelek, managed to piss off a good deal of his fans by calling North Carolina festival- goers “hillbillies” and, in the same breath, started a small feud with indie darlings the War on Drugs. In 2015, he added a few more enemies to his list when he made deroga- tory comments during a perfor- mance toward a female journalist. But some was forgiven once the grumpy songwriter teamed up with British experimental band Jesu’s Justin Broadrick to create a bril- liant combination of spoken word- meets-shoegaze on the simply named 2016 album Jesu/Sun Kil Moon . Shortly after reeling his fans back in, Kozelek released his epi- cally long, 129-minute eighth album, Common as Light and Love Are Red Valleys of Blood . Over pensive folk arrangements, the latest Sun Kil Moon project delivers a new string of heartbreakingly conversational songs about life, death, Trump and the occasional cute cat. SHANNON ARMOUR Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 503-234-9694. 8 pm. $20 advance, $22 day of show. All ages. Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker), Charlotte Cardin, Heathered Pearls [ELECTRO POP] After spending the last fi ve years making music