CRATE DIGGERS
(White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th) With Oregon's own Discogs co-hosting, Crate Diggers returns for another dope day of digging for buried vinyl treasure in the bins of some the best record dealers in the Northwest. Plus, the afterparty features incredible DJ sets from Doc Martin, Rick Wilhite, and more! NED LANNAMANN

FERNANDO, THE DELINES, MIKE COYKENDALL
(Star Theater, 13 NW 6th) Several albums into a solo career that followed his turn in '90s LA band Monkey Paw, Portland's Fernando Viciconte has a new one that's coming out next month via Fluff and Gravy Records. As is to be expected, it's an engrossing collection of experimental, imaginative rock and folk, with flame-tinged edges of '60s garage and American-style psychedelia. But Leave the Radio On, which features appearances from a phone directory's worth of local musicians, almost didn't happen. Viciconte underwent throat surgery during the album's lengthy gestation period, almost losing his voice in the process. Thankfully, the voice won out, and the album's a cornucopia of North American sounds—mariachi horns sit comfortably next to twanging pedal steel guitar on highlight "El Interior"—as guided by Viciconte's expert songwriting. Tonight, Fernando's all-star band will include a guest appearance from REM's Peter Buck, who also appears on Leave the Radio On. NED LANNAMANN

THE LONESOME BILLIES, TRAVESURA, JAKE RAY
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Portland country band the Lonesome Billies make music that's soaked in whiskey, dirt, leather, and probably more than a little bit of horse musk. There's twang aplenty on their debut album, It's Good to Be Lonesome, the release of which the band will celebrate tonight. Hokey cornpone routines like the call and response on "God Damn It, Bill" probably go down a sight better during their live show than they do on the record, but those moments are a small distraction from an otherwise toothsome platter of vintage pearl-snap country. Even though the album contains some black humor and a few allusions to country's tear-in-the-beer tradition, the Lonesome Billies are chiefly interested in giving you a whoop-it-up good time, putting the "unh!" back in country. NED LANNAMANN

FAILURE, THE NEW REGIME
(Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell) Brian Eno once said that the Velvet Underground only sold 30,000 units of their first album, but everyone who bought a copy started a band. If that's true, then the Velvet Underground's modern successor is Failure. The union of multi-instrumentalist songwriters and producers Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards sired only a handful of records in the '90s, but those releases, especially their double album Fantastic Planet, had an outsize impact. Failure's textured blend of hard rock and atmospheric pop became the template for much of the gothic rock of the '00s. The group got back together last year for a reunion tour, and just traded the theme of deep space for that of sleep paralysis on their comeback album, The Heart Is a Monster. JOSEPH SCHAFER

NORTH WEST HESH FEST: YOB, ACID KING, SWEAT LODGE, DIESTO, SCHOOL OF ROCK, DJ NATE C
(Dante's, 350 W Burnside) You could say Jonathon Galyon first dreamed up North West Hesh Fest as a teenager growing in Tennessee attending rock shows—from sweaty punk affairs to lit-up arena performances. "Almost every band is connected to some part of my past," he says. "I never imagined I'd be doing this." Galyon's Southern drawl is still thick, but his connection to the Pacific Northwest is not so distant. He moved to Portland from Kingston in 1999 and lived here until 2003 (he also did a short stint in 2007)—years during which he worked at Dante's and went to plenty of rock shows. It seemed only a matter of time before Galyon would do something in Portland. In addition to bands like Pentagram and Acid King, North West Hesh Fest—his first production here—includes plenty of local heavies and rock 'n' rollers, including Sons of Huns, P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S. and Dead Moon. "To me Fred Cole is up there with Johnny Cash," says Galyon. "He's a great American songwriter who did everything from scratch." MARK LORE Read our rundown of North West Hesh Fest.

COMA SERFS, FRUIT JUICE, GENTLE BENDER
(Twilight Café and Bar, 1420 SE Powell) With back-to-school sales in full swing, it's time to dust off that letterman jacket in anticipation of homecoming weekend. If you're not planning a return to your alma mater, this bill has you covered, with local surf-psych outfit Coma Serfs returning from a national tour in support of their Holy Smokes EP. Meanwhile, Gentle Bender, the drum- and bass-driven garage-rock duo formerly known as Needles and Pizza, return home from an extended stay south of the border. They'll have a new EP in tow, No Punks in Zihua, which was written in the coastal city of Zihuatanejo and recorded in Mexico City. Of course, no homecoming dance would be complete without a punch bowl, and Olympia glam-rockers Fruit Punch are bringing the goods. With a sound reminiscent of the New Pornographers channeling T. Rex, Fruit Punch make for a refreshing departure from the punk and hardcore scenes currently dominating the Olympia underground. CHIPP TERWILLIGER

PIGWAR, BROWNISH BLACK
(Alberta Street Pub, 1036 NE Alberta) PigWar finds its roots in the haze of smoked-out '70s blues and rock clubs, melding classic rock 'n' roll and R&B with current psych-era twists into an electric blend all its own. The return of Ropeadope Records artist/producer Teddy Presburg to Portland two years ago quickly revived a long-dormant collaboration with folk artist and frontman Garrett Brennan, whose revivalist energy commands not fire and brimstone but sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Live, PigWar rounds out Presburg's multi-instrumental psych-jazz with an impressive band that includes 1939 Ensemble's Josh Thomas and David Coniglio. They're sharing the bill with fellow soul revivalists Brownish Black, so this is a night for fans of in-your-face, down-'n'-dirty soul. JENI WREN STOTTRUP