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Thee Oh Sees are the hardest working underground band today. Their relentless touring schedule and recording output over the last few years might even surpass the Beatles (okay, maybe that's a stretch, but the band has released at least two full-lengths and nearly a dozen 45rpm singles every year). Last night at Dante's, the four-piece San Francisco band, fronted by the enigmatic crack John Dwyer, played a prime time set supporting the recently reunited Detroit garage stomp legends The Gories. Thee Oh Sees brand of garage rock is like none other, and it only continues to get better. The band ran the gamut from 3-minute long jangling, indelibly catchy dirty pop songs ("I Was Denied"), to 10-minute long hallucinogenic, krautrock-inflicted jam outs ("Warm Slime"). For the duration of their forty minute set, the crowd was in full motion, pogoing, fist pumping, crowd surfing, and smiling.

Dante's was at capacity during their set, which caused a huge line to form outside. If you went outside to smoke, you had to get back in line, so most people stuck it out inside so they'd get to see The Gories. People were stoked when The Gories, lead by The  Dirtbombs Mick Turner, finally came onstage after 12:30, but their rudimentary, stripped down garage rock lacked both the energy and variation that Thee Oh Sees brought. Maybe it's just because I don't know their songs very well, but after six or so songs, I felt like I heard enough. Sure, they might have been a huge influence on the cavestomp doo slop of King Khan and BBQ Show, but two guys playing guitar, and a drummer who played on two toms and a kick (no cymbals, no snare) isn't the most exciting thing in the world, unless you're a huge Gories fan. And that, I am not.

Garage rock is my bag, for sure, and some of the acts I recommend you check out tonight fall under that category. Firstly is Seattle's Unnatural Helpers, who are playing at Ash St. tonight with NW garage patriarchs Pierced Arrows, and the legendary San Diego punk rock Hispanics, The Zeros. Anyone under 35 will feel young at this show. The Helpers, who I've considered to be Seattle's version of the Minutemen, are all about brevity, with few songs clocking in over 2 minutes. Their punchy, sharp-tuned songs get coated with singer/drummer Dean Whitmore's graveled voice. When you feel like the songs are really gonna blow up, they cease, leaving you wanting more. It's like a delicious tease that keeps on tickling.

Over at Doug Fir, the two-piece psychedelic gar-runge band Jeff the Brotherhood will be opening for Japandroids. JtB's Heavy Days was one of my favorite records of 2009, filled with lots of distorted effects, catchy hooks, and muscular riffs. I missed them when they came through the Northwest last year. I wouldn't recommend you do it this time either. This band could be huge.

But if you find yourself in downtown, and you can't get into Ash St., head over to Dante's to check out Michigan's insulated lo-fi garage band Tyvek, who are opening for NoMeansNo (they would've been better fitted opening for Thee Oh Sees, as they did in Seattle two nights ago). This Terminal Boredom-loved band has released a slew of singles over the last four years, some good, some just okay. But they have a knack for putting some mess on a really good, catchy song.

Or, if you plan on getting massively baked, your best bet will be at the Roseland for the legendary, recently reunited doom/sludge band Sleep (members of this band went on to play in High on Fire and Om). Do it to it!

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Travis Ritter is freelance music critic/reporter for The Stranger, The Portland Mercury, lightintheattic.net, spin.com, and Village Voice Media, who just moved to Portland from Seattle. He is passionate about live music, collecting records, and not owning an iPod. You can follow him on Twitter @TritTwit, which he should really update more frequently. (Oh, technology…)