Ok Portland, I’m doing a DJ set at the Beaux-Arts Ball at Portland Art Museum this Saturday night, February 6th. Proceeds from the show will benefit education programs at the Portland Art Museum. Other than myself, entertainment is provided by Morningwood and Lily Verlaine. For tickets and information click here.

Reverend Beat-Man - Friday @ Slabtown
This growling menace from Switzerland (pictured) has done most of the work for me - releasing three volumes of recordings as “Surreal Folk Blues Gospel Trash.” I could think of no better descriptor for his devastating and sexy sound. Leave the so-called blues to the pikers down at Waterfront Park and get thee to Slabtown for this rockin’ showcase.

Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth - Saturday @ Someday Lounge
If one fireworks show simply isn’t enough for you, perhaps some aural pyrotechnics will help satiate you. Might I recommend, in that regard, the blazing metal showcase happening at the Someday Lounge on the eve of the 4th. Not only is it free, but it also features the latest group formed and fronted by Tad Doyle, whose blistering outfit TAD was one of the first groups signed to Sub Pop Records. Word is that Doyle has lost none of his fire, his fury, or his girth. We can only hope his backing band can keep up with him.

Helios - Wednesday @ Holocene
If a dreamy, cinematic approach to instrumental music pleases you as much as it does me, look no further than this fascinating artist. Known to friends and family as Keith Keniff, this Portland native’s music evokes haunting memories, the kind that you either want to revel in for an eternity or that evoke lingering aches from deep within.

Bitch Magazine benefit - Thursday @ Mississippi Studios
Help support your local nonprofit magazine that comments on pop culture, feminism and media, and catch a fine quartet of local talent at the same time. The bill includes the one-man turntable attack of Boy Eats Drum Machine and the plaintive folk rock of Katie Sawicki.

Papercuts - Friday @ Doug Fir Lounge (830 E Burnside)
Jason Quever (pictured), the man who records under the name Papercuts, perfectly acheives the kind of perfect analog, hollowed-out psychedelic pop sound that dozens of Nuggets acolytes would kill for. His latest album, You Can Have What You Want (out on Devendra Banhart’s label Gnomonsong), is a near-masterpiece of Farfisa-laden dreamscapes, over which Quever opines about leaving Earth for good or searching for a royal successor.

Chores/The Pink Widower - Friday @ The World Famous Kenton Club (2025 N Kilpatrick)
A pair of Portland’s best young bands is teaming up for a benefit show in support of Child-Aid. The money earned from this event will help go towards building a library in the town of Las Canoas in Guatemala. That really should be all the recommendation that you need, but the added bonus is getting to see Chores’ raw, grinding rock and the downtempo grooves of The Pink Widower live.

Zaimph - Monday @ Valentines (232 SW Ankeny)
With all the chatter going on about Sonic Youth’s alternate tunings and their arsenal of guitars, it seems like the perfect time to be reminded of what real noise can be eked out of a six-string? Zaimph wrenches sheets of sound from a guitar, mixing it with her own howling voice to create a beautiful, devastating din.

David Byrne - Tuesday @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (1037 SW Broadway)
Your favorite former Talking Head is coming to town this week for a show that will highlight the work that he has done over the years with producer Brian Eno. This will include tracks from their latest collaborative album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, as well as songs from the trio of albums Eno produced for Talking Heads.

Deastro - Tuesday @ Holocene (1001 SE Morrison)
If the ticket price for Mr. Byrne’s show is too prohibitive (it certainly is for me), might I recommend another show taking place on the other side of the Willamette. This one features the fantastic Deastro, a group that produces spritely electro-pop that is equal parts “Baba O’Reilly” and “Blue Monday”.

M64 - Thursday @ Someday Lounge (125 NW 5th Ave)
Tonight’s edition of The Fix - Someday’s weekly hip-hop party hosted by Rev. Shines of Lifesavas - is being used to celebrate the release of a new 7″ single by M64, the collaboration between singer Ragen Fykes and producer Ohmega Watts. The lead track, “Rhythm of the Drums” (a sample of which can be heard on Fykes’ MySpace page), is a lovely slice of dreamy vocals and vintage neo-soul beats. I can’t wait to stop by and pick up my copy.

Talk Demonic. Pic: Alicia J Rose

Today, we introduce a weekly spotlight of Portland-area concerts that we think you should put on your radar. A new edition will be featured here every Thursday.

Holocene 6 Year Anniversary - Friday & Saturday @ Holocene (1001 SE Morrison) One of Portland’s best venues celebrates their sixth birthday with a two-day extravaganza, featuring a fantastic lineup of music. The concerts showcase the two sides of this club’s personality, with Friday highlighting Holocene’s love of forward thinking electronic and dance music. That night’s lineup includes a DJ set from Brooklyn-based house DJ Marcos Cabral and a set by local favorites Linger & Quiet. Saturday leans heavily on indie rock with recent Willamette Week Best New Band pick Explode Into Colors and the drums/viola electro-pop instrumental duo Talkdemonic (pictured) headlining.

Basshaters/Peninsula Project - Friday @ The Wail (5135 NE 42nd Ave) A duo featuring drums and double bass in which neither instrument is played as expected. This San Francisco group ekes out scratchy noise and horn-like tones from the strings and uses their trap kit as a device to rattle instead of roll. The band is touring the Western U.S. with a likeminded bunch of noisemakers from Norway (with a instrumental lineup that includes bass, guitar and tuba) known as Peninsula Project.

Michael Hurley - Saturday @ The Press Club (2621 SE Clinton) One of the many great things about Michael Hurley is that you never really can pin the man down. His name seems to pop up on concert calendars without warning, leaving fans scrambling to rearrange plans so they don’t miss out on one of his peerless performances. Tonight, this long-time blues/folk veteran will be filing the cozy confines of the Press Club with his wizened vocals and arch lyrical visions.

Imaad Wasif - Saturday @ Mississippi Studios (3939 N Mississippi) You can catch this brilliant singer-songwriter opening up for Neko Case at the second of her two shows at the Crystal Ballroom. Or you can make it a late night and stop by Mississippi Studios at midnight on Saturday when Wasif will be performing what’s sure to be either a sleepy or boozy set of beautifully rendered acoustic pop.

The Juan MacLean - Sunday @ Doug Fir Lounge (830 E Burnside) If you ever need proof as to the hypnotic power of dance music, I suggest you drop your tone arm on the masterpiece that is “Happy House” by The Juan MacLean. It wraps the history of house and disco into a tight, 12-minute package custom made for a sweaty dance floor. It’s going to get mighty muggy in the Doug Fir once this group hits the stage.

Portland Radio Authority Benefit - Tuesday @ East End (203 SE Grand Ave) This online, non-commercial, listener-supported station is seeking out a little extra help during this wintry economic climate via this well-curated benefit show. On the bill is art rockers Iretsu and filmmaker Matt McCormick playing minimalist electronica under the name Very Stereo.

State of Mind at the Crystal Ballroom.

1500 high school students crammed Portland’s Crystal Ballroom on May 30th raising $18,000 to help keep music programs in Portland schools. Midway through the night four of their own, students from Grant High, took the stage with their hip hop outfit State of Mind….the place went crazy, check the video.