Iz Here would be on it, and right near the top would be Eve, the stunning new work from Rapsody, K.R.I.T.’s opener on tour. If you made a list of 2019’s best hip-hop albums, K.R.I.T.’s newest effort K.R.I.T. The former is the hometown of Southern rap’s current symbol of consistency, Big K.R.I.T., who has spent the past decade grinding like an independent artist (despite a Def Jam deal) and cranking out music that set his thoughtful, drawled rhymes against beats as durable and dependable as the mighty Mississippi River. But as hip-hop has aged, its footprint has grown into the suburbs and also small towns like Meridian, Mississippi, and Snow Hill, North Carolina. (Thurs Oct 10, 8:30 pm, Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison, $8-10) JENNI MOOREĬRITIC’S PICK: Big K.R.I.T., Rapsody, Domani Harrisįor decades, rap music in the American South has been dominated by the big cities of Atlanta and, to a lesser extent, New Orleans, with a special nod to Houston and Miami. Indie rock/synth pop trio No Aloha round out the bill for an unforgettable night of female-fronted guitar rock. Their upcoming show in Portland gives audiences a chance to see them perform tracks from their 2019 album While My Father Sleeps, and also catch a set from Plastic Cactus, a Portland-based band that makes a cool, harmony-forward brand of desert-inspired surf-rock.

Led by Olivia Rose’s often-dulcet-sometimes-rough vocals, this four-piece absolutely slays live. Rock band Oh, Rose is really from Olympia, Washington, but I’d like to claim them as one of my favorite local bands anyway. As shiny as this new product is, it doesn’t overwhelm the warm, vibrant tone of her voice or her smart, wise-to-the-world lyrics. Most famous for her sardonic AF viral 2017 hit “Pretty Girl,” Clairo has traded in her lo-fi sound for more lush, practiced production in her latest album, Immunity. I first heard this 21-year-old’s astute, bedroom pop live when she opened for Khalid earlier this year, and it’s pretty easy to see why he chose her as a touring partner. and Clairo’s name has been popping up with increased regularity. Little known fact: I have a team of music-savvy youths that keep me informed of what “the now generation” is listening to. (Thurs Oct 10, 8 pm, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, $15-17) BEN SALMON If you’re not yet convinced, know this: Joan Shelley’s music will provide you with a safe place to hide from the real world. Together, they’ve consecutively recorded three near-perfect albums, and this year’s Like the River Loves the Sea might be the best of the bunch. Live, Shelley is faithfully accompanied by world-class acoustic guitar player Nathan Salsburg. The Louisville, Kentucky-based artist’s music overflows with alluring melodies, gentle arrangements, and simple-yet-powerful ruminations on the human condition and how we fit into the big picture.

If you only have room in your life for one folk singer, make it Joan Shelley.

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