Friday Oct. 21
Iron and Wine, Calexico
Roseland,
9 p.m. $22, all ages
Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam sings and plays music shrouded in fragile guitar folk. His debut album, Iron and Wine, earned him praise and fans. Carrying hints of a southern Bible-belt bluegrass past, Beam’s music charms the ears with charming melodies and, hopefully, the also-charming banjo. Don’t let “folk” turn you off.
Saturday Oct. 22
Ninth Annual Night of the Murder Ballad: Dirty Martini, Tony Furtado, Heroes & Villians, Pete Krebs, Little Sue, Laura Mitchell, Jeff Rosenburg, Rachel Taylor Brown, Vagabond Opera, Skip vonKuske and more.
Fez Ballroom, 316 S.W. 11th Ave.
9 p.m. $8, 21+
Local musicians perform death ballads. Do you need another reason to go? The night will be a wonderful warm up for the wonders of October, and that holiday that we celebrate at the end of the month.
Marriage Records double-CD release party: Drakkar Sauna, Andrew Kaffer, Privacy
See right.
Sunday Oct. 23
Sage Francis, Sole, Sol. iLLaquits of Sound
Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St.
9 p.m. $15 advance $19 day of show, all ages
Rapping in Rhode Island? Yes, Sage France began as an 8-year-old rapping into a tape recorder, later growing into a man who earned himself a cult following with a varied reputation, a hip-hop god or a hip-hop ruin. Francis is Epitaph Records’ first hip-hop signing, and for a reason. Take a break from indie-rock and breath in some fresh air, and some fresh music.
Monday Oct. 24
We are Wolves, Show Me the Pink, Pom Pom Meltdown
Holocene, 1001 S.E. Morrison St.
9 p.m. $5, 21+
The first and only time I saw Show Me the Pink was this summer. I was driving down with two visiting friends towards Pix. We passed a run down building filled with people, catchy music pouring outside. We stopped, reversed and wonderingly entered. Nothing’s better then finding good music by accident, except listening to fun music on purpose. Prepare for a beautiful night of danceable rock.
Wednesday Oct. 26
Lucky Madison and Failing Records Showcase: Binary Dolls, Sexton Blake, Recall 7
Berbati’s Pan, 321 S.W. Ankeny St.
$5, 21+
Portland’s burgeoning Binary Dolls play music worth listening to. The three-piece band create a mood that sounds sparse and urban, a challenging edge heard in their music that echoes Radiohead and Broken Social Scene. But the comparisons don’t threaten the bands unique identity and sound. Smart lyrics and smart musicians – this is a band to look for and listen to. Local musician Sexton Blake music is subdued and charming, spare and introspective lyrics combined with electronic keyboard and guitar creating a wonderfully crafted sound. Sometimes electronic music doesn’t transfer well live. Regardless, give it a listen.