TOE, STARRO
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) It's rare for Japanese band Toe to make their way Stateside, so when they do, you don't want to miss it. With a new album, Hear You, on deck for later this month, Toe's hypnotic, mathy rock is propelled by irresistible rhythm and an impressionistic approach to composition. NED LANNAMANN

GOOD CHEER RECORDS COMP RELEASE: OUR FIRST BRAINS, LITTLE STAR, MR. BONES, ROD
(Velo Cult, 1969 NE 42nd) Earlier this year, Blake Hickman of Good Cheer Records had the idea of putting out a compilation of the bands he and co-label head Morgan Troper felt operated outside of the local mainstream indie scene. The Sounds Like... Good Cheer Records, Volume 1 comp contains new tracks by local standouts Blowout, Robot Boy, and Our First Brains, alongside Seattle all-ages proponents Jason Clackley and Super Projection. Good Cheer Records has a lengthy purpose statement on their website, but Sounds Like... is a more effective manifesto. The songs are alternately scrappy and polished, boastful and introspective, wild and measured. They come fully formed, ready to be heard. Taken all at once, the songs sound of a whole—perhaps the mark of a great compilation, and no small feat for the diverse Portland music scene. MAC POGUE Read the full article on Good Cheer Records.

TRANS AM, HOT VICTORY, SPECTRUM CONTROL
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) It's been nearly two decades since post-rock chameleons Trans Am released their self-titled debut (the trio has been around even longer), and they continue to make noise of all stripes, flipping the middle finger to trends and making a racket as they see fit. Trans Am still adheres to their strong krautrock influences (there's plenty of Kraftwerk and Neu! to be heard on their latest LP, Volume X), but they also continue to dip into metal, punk, and other forms of electronic music. It's been a blessing and a curse. Trans Am should be applauded for their adventurous spirits, but that daring (or maniacal) attitude has also left them with something of an uneven catalog. It's best to follow the band's attitude and just dive in. MARK LORE

KAYO DOT, MOTH DUST, HANG THE OLD YEAR, U SCO
(Panic Room, 3100 NE Sandy) Kayo Dot may wear the aesthetic tapestries of doom and black metal, but the heart of their work resembles the avant-pop forays of Chicago post-rock groups like Tortoise and Gastr del Sol. Coffins on Io, the latest by Toby Driver's long-running project, injects a love of Berlin-era Bowie and Eno, both sonically and melodically, into the fold, resulting in bizarro longform pop. Kayo Dot are joined by U Sco, an experimental trio whose math- and noise-informed rock sounds like a composer reassembling sheet music after it's gone through the paper shredder, then handing it to the orchestra to fill in the gaps. MAC POGUE

WATERFRONT BLUES FESTIVAL: BUDDY GUY, QUINN SULLIVAN, TURKUAZ, STONE FOXES, & MORE
(Waterfront Park, 1020 SW Naito) Throw some canned goods in a sack (they're good for admission or post-legal-weed hunger pangs) and slowly roast yourself red while listening to the blues. The Waterfront Blues Festival is back, and this year's lineup features Allen Toussaint, Buddy Guy, Macy Gray, some Allmans, and dozens more. DIRK VANDERHART

AYE NAKO, FLEABITE, LABRYSE
(Foggy Notion, 3416 N Lombard) Sonically, Brooklyn-hailing punk outfit Aye Nako align themselves with the catchy, fuzzed-out stylings of fellow Northeast pop-punk acts like Swearin' and Potty Mouth. Just one listen to their incredibly heartfelt and underrated debut, Unleash Yourself, should be more than enough for the album's sharp hooks to dig in. Aye Nako have claimed the self-described genres "homo-pop" and "queercore" to describe their sound, and Unleash Yourself expertly utilizes the familiar pop-punk genre to provide a lifeline to young listeners who might be struggling with issues of gender identity. On "White Noise," the new single off the band's upcoming EP, The Blackest Eye, Aye Nako have turned their attention to the pressing issue of race and its skewed depiction in the media. It's easy to draw surface-level comparisons to '90s guitar-rock acts, but Aye Nako's ability to tackle crucial subject matters head-on makes them a vital and relevant force in contemporary underground music. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

BIG BUSINESS, NORSKA
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) It's probably beyond debate now that Big Business is one of underground metal's most respected acts. Following an amicable split from the titanic (now-defunct) metal label Hydra Head after 2009's Mind the Drift, Coady Willis and Jared Warren started their own label (Gold Metal Records), began doing their own public relations (press inquiries are handled by guitarist Scott Martin), and took responsibility for booking their own tours. Battlefields Forever, their third release on Gold Metal, is an absolutely seismic collection, charging from the get-go with driving, battle-ready drumbeats and the symbiosis of Warren's ferociously crunchy low-end rounded out by Martin's sludgy accompaniment. That the band isn't one of the more recognized in the world is understandable, even after they were brought on by the Melvins to round out that band some years ago. They're no strangers to Portland, though; the band was just here on the hugely received Mastadon/Clutch tour in April at Roseland. Big Business is better than both of those bands. RYAN J. PRADO