Jackpot Records owner and festival curator Issac Slusarenko has amassed a collection of obscure, yet highly relevant films for this year's festivities. From the history of the Mellotron (whom the Beatles and Kanye owe props) to the rise of Rough Trade. The highlight of the week will undoubtedly be the non-celluloid performance of Thurstan Moore collaborating with Jandek.

• Brooke Weeber

No score and seven years ago, Jackpot Records held its first film festival. Decidedly low concept from inception, the premise remains: we show films, you watch for free. Behind the scenes it’s a bit more involved: we spend months wandering the celluloid highway looking for masterpieces that may be a bit off the map. Over the years we’ve landed some genuine Portland premiers, had extremely colorful director appearances (Pinky, we’re looking at you) and evaporated the minds of young and old alike with ridiculously rare clips and features that genuflect before no genre. It’s our way of saying, “Look at all this cool stuff we found!”

Cool stuff indeed. The 1964 concert film "The T.A.M.I Show" is dusted off for a fundraiser kick-off Thursday, April 22nd. They suggest a $5 donation and I suggest you don't be a dick.

For complete festival info, click this delightful link.

Those sweet sweet kids, Mimicking Birds are setting off on a cross-country tour to promote their new, self-titled, and Isaac Brock produced new records. Perhaps he-who-should've-taken-up-painting, Jakob Dylan, has taken a liking to the Portland trio's ethereal swoon—they'll join the son of Bob, man-who-could've-done-ANYTHING-but-write-songs, for a number of dates. The tour starts Friday at Eugene (in one of my very favorite venus). Go to it, hippies!

Apr 2 - Eugene, OR - Sam Bond's Garage +
Apr 3 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern +
Apr 5 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court #
Apr 6 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
Apr 8 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
Apr 9 - Munhall, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead*
Apr 10 - Covington, KY - Madison Theatre*
Apr 11 - Atlanta, GA - ATL Room
Apr 13 - Louisville, KY - W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre*
Apr 15 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre*
Apr 16 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground*
Apr 17 - Albany, NY - Empire Center At The Egg*
Apr 19 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theater*
Apr 20 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre*
Apr 21 - New York, NY - Town Hall*
Apr 22 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live*
Apr 23 - Washington, DC - 930 Club*
Apr 25 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre*
Apr 26 - Chicago, IL - Park West*
Apr 27 - St Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theatre*
Apr 28 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater*
Apr 29 - Des Moines, IA - Vauderville Mews
May 1 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep

+ supporting Black Prairie
#supporting Gavin Castleton & NightNight
*supporting Jakob Dylan

About damn time. After a few scattered shows and plenty of SXSW performances, the Shinsy/Danger Mousey project known as Broken Bells has just announced their first show in Portland. They'll be at the Wonder Ballroom on May 24th. No word on when tickets go on sale, but we will keep you updated.

*Update!*
The show is all ages and tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10 am. They are $30 advance and $34 day of show. Wow, not cheap.

Fans celebrating a reunited Pavement in true '90s slacker fashion will not be spending Memorial Day Weekend with "The Band That Ruined Lollapalooza." Organizers announced today that the Sasquatch! Festival has sold out in record time. This year's impressive and broad line-up (including recent additions Bobcat Goldthwait and They Might Be Giants) is the likely culprit for such enthusiastic sales.

In completely unrelated news, tickets for tonight's John Mayer concert are still available.

If April 6 can't come soon enough for you, click on over to NPR for a first peak of Feast of the Hunters' Moon, the latest soundtrack from the Twilight films.

Wait, what? Feast of the Hunters' Moon isn't about werewolves with chiseled abs? It's the debut album from Black Prairie? Huh, who knew?

Black Prairie is made up of 60% Decemberist (the remaining 40% is carbon), and their lovely expanded take on (mostly instrumental) bluegrass makes for one fine recording. The band's CD release, and Portland debut, will be this Thursday at the Woods.

• michael orlosky

Every year the good students at Lewis & Clark (and their tuition-paying parents) put on the excellent Sunburn Festival, and the 2010 lineup looks to be their best. They'll be importing Baltimore party connoisseur Dan Deacon, fresh from his headlining gig at the somewhat controversial MtyMx festival, along with the Nerdcore emceeing of MC Chris, plus sets from local acts Akron/Family, Explode Into Colors, Hosannas, Ohioan and TVP. The show is free for students and $5 everyone else, and all this takes place on April 10th, inside Stamm Hall (located in the Templeton Student Center). Get ready for some hilarious stammdancing jokes.

Hmm. Curiosity. Piqued. Purposely getting my hopes up even higher, Brownstein went on to say that a Sleater-Kinney reunion and record could possibly be in the works. "We spent 11 years committed to that band, heart and soul. To get back into it we have to be in that place where we can immerse ourselves fully. I think it will happen. We have to loop around, and we're at the far end of the circle, away from the band, but I think we will come back and revisit it."

Screw the Health Care Bill, THIS is real news! Obviously, we will keep you posted. Geez, I'm still getting over Devo getting back together... this one may take awhile.