Dwele / Wednesday, July 7
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Many musicians claim their art is an emotional release, but very few admit that witnessing the fatal shooting of their father is the cause. Dwele does, and while he may be best known for his guest appearances—especially with Chicago MCs Kanye West and Common, most recently on the former's single "Power"—the Detroit nu-soul vocalist has released four studio albums of his own. Featuring the likes of Slum Village, June release W.ants W.orld W.omen is at times gritty and sensual, confident and insecure, and always powerful. Drawing on influences from Stevie Wonder to A Tribe Called Quest, Dwele's music reflects the essences of soul tradition updated to sport a sharp hip-hop edge. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333. 7 p.m. all ages, 9:30 p.m. 21+. $25 adv./$30 DOS. NICK FELDMAN
Mini Mansions / Wednesday, July 7
Mini Mansions is the side project of Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman, and as offshoots go, it ranks up there with Jack White's The Dead Weather. It's a three-piece in which Shuman handles the drums, guitar, and vocals; the result sounds something like if Elliott Smith had fronted a psychedelic pop band—kind of gothy, but also smoothly melodic. Mini Mansions just released a 7" single called "Monk," an absolutely irresistible song with a dark, bluesy melody and sleek, finessed vocals carried along by a bouncing bass line. The single also contains a re-envisioning of Blondie's "Heart of Glass"; the original's jittery, high-strung elements are replaced by a slowed-down tempo and a steady kick drum that transform it into a surprisingly emotive and soulful track. With Ships, Paris Spleen, Mars Accelerator. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 8 p.m. $7. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Portland Cello Project / Wednesday, July 7
Of all the musicians the Portland Cello Project has collaborated with—Horse Feathers, Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, the Dandy Warhols—there's no smarter choice than Shenandoah Davis. Davis is a classically trained opera singer and pianist; the Cello Project is a collective of ultra-skilled cellists who perform everything from Bach to Britney Spears. Davis' ragtime-influenced songs and warbling voice are carefully arranged and near-perfectly layered. A dozen cellists backing her up with their charming arrangements couldn't be a better complement. The cellos and musicians will seamlessly blend into one musical unit—the kind of show the Cello Project was designed to play. With Mighty Tiger. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $8. PAIGE RICHMOND
John Roderick / Thursday, July 8
Usually when a musician announces he'll be talking a lot during a show, it's a dreadful omen—like when Kenny Rogers visited the Puyallup Fair a few years ago. Sure, he played "The Gambler" and all the hits. But the beplasticized Rogers fancied himself a one-man Blue Collar Comedy Tour, spending most of his time cracking awful hick jokes. But when John Roderick promises to engage in a ton of between-song banter, "master-class style," at his Triple Door show (the first of three in a quasi-residency, with subsequent gigs Aug. 14 and Sept. 30), that's something to look forward to. The Long Winters frontman, whose wittiest tweets were recently assembled in a small book, Electric Aphorisms, is preternaturally clever—you don't want him to shut up. He'll do plenty of singing too, resuscitating some of the Long Winters' lesser-played tracks and explaining their origins. Maybe one day he'll stop talking long enough to finish the band's long-awaited LP. With Jason Dodson. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333. 8 p.m. $20. All ages. MIKE SEELY
Carissa's Wierd / Friday, July 9 See preview.
Hobosexual / Friday, July 9
Two-man Hobosexual sounds like a hybrid of '80s hair metal, dirty blues, and Southern rock—John Lee Hooker crossed with Warrant's "Cherry Pie" crossed with "Gimme Three Steps." The gritty, lo-fi guitar + drums formula invites serious early Black Keys comparisons, but Hobosexual gets a little more metal than that. Guitarist Ben Harwood and drummer Jeff Silva have one album out, rife with gross references to pedophiles giving away candy in vans, living in dumpsters, and other themes of impoverished transience. The band's ridiculous handle, which toes the line between gleefully irreverent and offensive, makes it clear that the duo takes nothing about themselves very seriously except for the music itself. With What What Now, Greenriver Thrillers. Blue Moon Tavern, 712 N.E. 45th St., 675-9116. 10 p.m. $5. SARA BRICKNER
Too Beautiful to Live / Friday, July 9 & Saturday, July 10
Too Beautiful to Live, a podcast that smirkingly boasts having "tens of listeners," takes over the 350-seat Columbia City Theater this weekend. Once a KIRO evening talk show, the three personalities on TBTL don't really talk news, sports, or music. They spend their hour musing on things like Amanda Bynes' Twitter habits, an awkward HR diversity workshop, and whether human poop or dog poop is grosser. No surprise that at least one of those gags has also appeared on The Office. TBTL is like a sitcom with the laugh track turned off. For two Summer Slam live tapings, the Long Winters (on Friday, already sold out) and Blue Scholars (Saturday) will play, followed by a karaoke after-party. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S. 9 p.m. $35. MARY PAULINE DIAZ
