AU, Plankton Wat, Pollens

(Rendezvous) Portland's AU (pronounced "ay you") create freak folk worthy of that noble nomenclature. Their sound rises from the soil into the ether in phantasmagorical flourishes, like a less celebrated, less dub-enamored Animal Collective. Check out "Sum" from their self-titled 2007 CD for proof of their chaotic, demonic-fairy sublimity. Their songs are shimmering chimeras, as enchanting as they are chilling. Also from PDX, Plankton Wat (aka Dewey Mahood) purveys what he calls "zoned drones." The description is on point and, as a zoned-drone connoisseur, I can assure you that Plankton Wat excels at this crucial task. You have to respect a man who—in addition to his Manuel Göttsching—like guitar playing—uses mbira, flute, phase shifter, and ring modulator. Mahood translates natural peace into sound waves. It's love at first hear. DAVE SEGAL

Monsters of Folk

(Paramount) Look, ma, it's a supergroup! My Morning Jacket's Yim Yames, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst, She & Him's M. Ward, and Bright Eyes' Mike Mogis are Monsters of Folk. Bow down to their genius—and then prepare to be underwhelmed. The much-lauded quartet's self-titled album is essentially pleasant folk-rock lite. Much of the 15-track disc makes Crosby, Stills & Nash sound tough and gritty. Monsters of Folk (tongue-in-cheek moniker noted) seemingly gathered all this high-voltage star power to cut a mellow record of middling, ambling songs in hopes that fans of the members' other projects will scoop it up so they can smugly discuss it 20 years hence, when it'll be a trivia-game answer. (MOF will augment this gig with songs from the individuals' respective catalogs.) If mediocre is the new awesome in the collective consciousness, as is becoming increasingly apparent, then Monsters of Folk will rock your world. DAVE SEGAL

Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds, the Lights

(Sunset) About 15 years ago, my favorite band was the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Their anything-goes style of rock and roll really appealed to me at the time. I loved Spencer's faux-Elvis delivery and the way a guitar lick could suddenly fly in and wreck you. I loved the raw experimentation of the band, the way it felt like a big joke but also like the most serious thing in the world. And then it was gone: Suddenly, the Blues Explosion lost their wildness, and they never got it back. The elder Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds have that same kind of chunky garage-band energy, and they're only getting better right now. PAUL CONSTANT

Bob Mould, Spiral Stairs

(Neumos) Having co-powered the best American band of the 1980s through a legendary string of releases, Bob Mould could've hung up his guitar in 1987 with laurels enough to rest on for the remainder of his life. Instead, Mould's post—Hüsker Dü existence has been a whirlwind of creativity, ranging from his ongoing musical output (solo, with Sugar, and as part of Hedwig and the Angry Inch's studio band) to scriptwriting for World Championship Wrestling. But writing and performing his own music remains Mould's deepest calling, and new album Life and Times finds him blasting through a fresh set of tracks combining the depth and richness of his 1989 solo LP Workbook with the straightforward blast of Sugar. Also on the bill: Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg, the Pavement/Preston School of Industry founder who'll open the show with a solo set. DAVID SCHMADER

And there's always more in our complete music calendar listings.