ANALOG HEAT, DEEP TIME, BOUQUET
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Where once there was Yellow Fever, now there is Deep Time. The Austin duo of Jennifer Moore and Adam Jones have renamed—if not reinvented—themselves, and their new record, the self-titled Deep Time, is a stunner. Boasting slinky, coiled, torchy tunes interwoven with dryly jagged pep-rock, the band's music is deceptively weighty, offering layers of drama beneath a cucumber-cool surface. With only two members working in perfect tandem, Deep Time are capable of a precision that bigger bands can't muster, not to mention a subtlety that almost entirely evaporates the more you inhabit their almost disturbingly catchy tunes. Deep Time is smart, savvy pop that never plays down to the listener. It's also one of the year's most appealing and rewarding albums. NED LANNAMANN Also see My, What a Busy Week!.
KRACK SABBAT, ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE, INTO THE OPEN EARTH, BATTLE AXE MASSACRE
(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Armed for Apocalypse have once again set to decimate every waking skull in their path with a new West Coast tour and a still-under wraps sophomore release for Ironclad Records. Following the moderate success of their 2009 debut, Defeat, the Chico four-piece is busy mixing The Road Will End, a filthily composed opus of bowel-opening sludge and menacing thrash. The band's affinity for exploring all points of the metal spectrum has earned them underground accolades and a frighteningly loyal fanbase; for every Down-inspired vocal-bass breakdown or Crowbar-dirty groove, there's still more than enough intuitive crunch in the guitar tandem of Kirk Williams and Cayle Hunter to cement legitimately unique forays. RYAN J. PRADO
THE GOLDEN BEARS
(Al's Den, 303 SW 12th) Weeklong residencies at Al's Den give Portland's best bands a chance to make themselves at home. This week, the fantastic Golden Bears settle in for seven nights of psychedelic-tinged rock and pop. ALISON HALLETT
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