FUZZ, OLD LIGHT, GRANDPARENTS
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!


REAL ESTATE, WOODS
(Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark #110) See My, What a Busy Week!


THE WAR ON DRUGS, JOSEPH GIANT
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) The War on Drugs had a banner year in 2014. The Philly band released the gorgeous Lost in the Dream, their best effort to date, and one of last year's best records. And they were everywhere. There aren't a lot of albums with songs that are equal parts Neil Young and Can, which goes a long way in explaining what makes Lost so good. A manufactured controversy courtesy of Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek kept them in the news even when their songs weren't on the radio. Ramblin' rock forms the backbone of what the War on Drugs does, but dream-pop, psych-rock, and krautrock form the rest of the skeleton. That balancing act keeps the classic-rock tropes from becoming rote and the art-rock tendencies from becoming gimmicky. MATTHEW W. SULLIVAN


THE MINDERS, THE WELFARE STATE
(Bunk Bar, 1028 SE Water) It's 2015—do you know whatever became of your favorite Elephant 6 band? If it's the Minders, then you've been teased by fits and starts in recent years: two or three singles, some lineup changes, a handful of shows—all of it hinting at a full-fledged reboot that never seemed to materialize. That all changes tonight as the Minders officially launch a crowd-funding campaign for Into the River, which will officially be the first release from Martyn Leaper's band in nine years when it emerges in October. Bits of the new record have appeared if you've known where to listen, much of it boasting strings (courtesy of the Portland Cello Project's Douglas Jenkins, no less) that hearken back to a slightly different part of the Brit psych-pop spectrum that's always informed Minders songs. The show also serves as a mini-tour kickoff for seven West Coast shows the band will play with old E6 cohorts Neutral Milk Hotel. Minders, reanimate! JEREMY PETERSEN