GHOST MICE, BACKBITER, WOLFMODE, SHE/HER/HERS (Anarres Infoshop, 7101 N Lombard) It's no disservice to Bloomington, Indiana's Ghost Mice to say that their label defines them more than any sound. Plan-It-X Records, the 21-year-old label run by Ghost Mice singer/guitarist Chris Johnston, defined a big chunk of the sound and ethic of early '00s Midwestern folk-punk, releasing records by This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, Against Me!, and Defiance, Ohio, among others. Ghost Mice fits right in with their labelmates, refusing to use amplifiers for shows, singing about pentagrams, and putting bandanas on any dogs they see (I'm just guessing about that last one). Check them out at the new Anarres Infoshop, an anarchist gathering space (that makes it sound like a featureless void—it's a nice book/zine shop) filling the enormous gap in all-ages and safer spaces in our city. MAC POGUE
SAN CISCO, MOTHXR (Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Against the better judgment of discerning music listeners everywhere, there are somehow still bands bandying about pop-disco hybrids disguised as underground rock and getting away with it. Australian quartet San Cisco have found themselves in this unenviable position on the heels of their second full-length, Gracetown. And, fine, they have their moments where the pap parts for a saccharine-sweet pop tune that stands on its own—like the title track from their 2012 EP, Awkward. Or, okay, that Cardigans-esque melodic high watermark "Wild Things" from the band's self-titled debut. That tune "Fred Astaire" isn't bad either. Never mind, I take it all back. Maybe I love this band. RJP
Senior Editor Ned Lannamann writes about pop culture, music, film, TV, books, travel, tech, food, drink, outdoors, politics, Portland, and other things.
