The Slants ~ Sunday, June 7
Sure, it's easy to dismiss the Slants as a novelty act. Simon Young (formerly of the Stivs) formed the band by posting ads in ethnic supermarkets across Portland calling for Asian musicians. Once the lineup was completed, the band began playing gigs at—where else—anime conventions. The approach earned them a devoted fanbase of Asians, Asiaphiles, and geeks galore. And it's actually well deserved, given the quality of their music. The Slants create synthesizer-driven songs drenched in sexy beats, erratic guitar riffs, and the occasional plucking of a koto. Their 2007 demo album, Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts—reworked and re-released last year—is a dark dance album comparable to records by electro-rock bands like the Faint and Depeche Mode. Many of the songs grapple with race relations, but even non-Asians can relate to their pain when they sing about loneliness and feeling like outsiders. With the New Up, Klover Jane. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 8 p.m. $6. ERIKA HOBART
Alex Marvar
Why is Hopewell’s photographer hiding in the brush?
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Still Flyin' and Love Is All ~ Monday, June 8
If your next bromance needs a soundtrack, look into Still Flyin's "Forever Dudes." And hey, it's not gender-exclusive; anyone is welcome to join the San Francisco party band's friends-forever jam. Gestating over a pair of shaggy EPs and including up to 20 members, Still Flyin' brought its overstuffed, reggae-scrambled pop to joyful fruition on the recent album Never Gonna Touch the Ground. Formerly a driving force behind the breathy Masters of the Hemisphere, leader Sean Rawls spins his weed-stoked daydreams into lackadaisical sing-alongs about haunted houses and Aerosmith. In their way, the results are every bit as nervy and erratic as the songs of tour mates Love Is All, who thrive on trebly squeals, shouts, and clatter. With two great albums behind them, the post-punky Swedes knock around like kids in an inflatable castle and like to cover Prince, A Flock of Seagulls, and Faith No More live. Melancholy-voiced singer Josephine Olausson holds together the tumult, and the band lives to jitter and veer another day. With TacocaT. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $12. DOUG WALLEN
B-Real ~ Tuesday, June 9
Cypress Hill stands as one of the most important hip-hop groups of the '90s. Powered by lyricist B-Real's pinched-nasal delivery and DJ Muggs' dark, hyperactive production, the L.A.-based foursome fired up the culture with paeans to bong hits and black-comedy riffs about being pushed to kill a man. That they were the country's premiere Latin group only added to their importance—and mystique. Then in February, nearly 20 years after Cypress Hill emerged on the scene, B-Real released his long-awaited solo debut, Smoke N Mirrors. Featuring guest spots by other West Coast rappers of that era, including Snoop Dogg and Kurupt, the disc finds B-Real cruising down familiar palm tree–lined lanes, from spitting odes to herb to warning of the perils of street life. Conspicuously missing from the disc are his Cypress Hill cohorts, especially DJ Muggs' beats—hard-driving hallucinations that gelled perfectly with B-Real's twisted-clown falsetto. Guess we'll just have to wait for the upcoming reunion album, set for release sometime this year. With Bizzy Bone, Bruce ILLest, Jay Barz, Sadistik, DIV. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312. 8 p.m. $20 adv./$25 DOS. All ages. KEVIN CAPP
