SCOTT H. BIRAM, JESSE DAYTON, ROOTJACK
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) I have seen Scott H. Biram play three times, each time with a different girlfriend. The first time was more than 10 years ago, at the Twilight Café. My girlfriend hated everything about Biram, and she dragged a reluctant me away before the show ended. The second was in 2005, at the now-defunct Sabala's at Mt. Tabor. The woman I was dating enjoyed Biram a little too much, asking him to slap her ass after the show, which he happily obliged. The last time I saw Biram was at Dante's in 2010. My girlfriend at the time enjoyed the show well enough, but she and I got extraordinarily whiskey-drunk, and after the show we got accidentally separated from each other. She ended up somewhere on the bus mall, lost and alone, while I was off getting sick in the streets of Old Town. I tell this story to Biram, and he laughs. "Yeah, that's the way it goes," he says. SANTI ELIJAH HOLLEY Read the full article on Scott H. Biram.

MEGHAN TRAINOR
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Pop music has shown an unexpectedly refreshing swing toward inclusivity and body-positivity lately (cf. "Cool Kids" by Echosmith, Bruno Mars's "Just the Way You Are"), and no one represents this trend more assertively than Meghan Trainor. The young songwriter's ubiquitous "All About That Bass" is a self-esteem-boosting atom bomb of throwback pop, all brassy insouciance and hip-shaking bounce, with a touch of PG-13 cursing to underscore the subversion at hand. Title, Trainor's major-label debut, leads off with "Bass" and then essentially offers nine variations on the theme: big band horns, modern R&B and dancehall rhythms, and a knack for non-cloying yet tween-friendly songwriting. Which raises the question: Will Trainor be able to capitalize on her radio-friendly goodwill and translate into something more enduring than a one-hit wonder? Smart money's on no, but it'd be nice to get this one wrong. KYLE FLECK

TOYBOAT TOYBOAT TOYBOAT, COTTON, RAYMOND ANDERSON
(Mothership Music, 3611 NE MLK) Toyboat Toyboat Toyboat have been a formidable staple of Portland's experimental rock scene for some time now. Boasting the less-than-usual configuration of bass, drums, trumpet, and keyboards, the group toe the barely existent line between all-out prog depravity and geometric danceability, best highlighted on the group's latest release, 2013's Ample Fire EP. The result is phenomenally dense pop music comparable to Adrian Belew or Zappa at his least masturbatory—it's undeniably palatable, but perhaps most rewarding for the closet prog dorks among us (hear, hear!). Tonight the group headlines an all-ages bill at the newish instrument store Mothership Music. MORGAN TROPER

ANIMAL EYES, FANNO CREEK
(The Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd) The Spare Room is one of the rare places left in Portland that is still freakin' weird. The venue used to be a bowling alley, but it's now a spacious bar full of character(s) and a killer dance floor. I can't think of a better place for Fanno Creek's catchy, folk-tinged rock songs and Animal Eyes' melodic, thunderous pop to come together. These bands have shared members, gone on tour, and in a way, grown up together in the Portland music community. There's another thing they have in common—the ability to spur sudden mosh pits in an unassuming crowd. This is not a show you're going to want to miss; while you're there, order a mystery shot from the bar. RACHEL MILBAUER

JOËLLE LÉANDRE, DANA REASON
(Redeemer Lutheran Church, 5431 NE 20th) Joëlle Léandre's voice is arguably as important as her double bass playing. Whenever this 63-year-old gets particularly lost in an improvisation, you can hear her singing along, offering up a contrapuntal melody to whatever her hands are plucking or bowing out. It's a fascinating tic from one of the best jazz players in the world, a class that Léandre most definitely belongs in. She's equally adept at interpreting modern classical works, lending the rich tones of her bass and voice to pieces by John Cage and Giacinto Scelsi. Léandre plays two sets tonight, one with local pianist Dana Reason, and a second with an ensemble that includes guitarist Doug Theriault and electronics specialist Juniana Lanning. ROBERT HAM