Wednesday, June 11

If the Moondoggies could be said to have a secret weapon—a bop gun that makes the audience bounce and sway throughout the band’s epic jams—it is Jon Pontrello, who officially joined the band during the making of its latest, and greatest, full-length, Adios, I’m a Ghost. Pontrello is now proffering his magic touch at Fremont Abbey, for which he’s put together a stellar songwriter’s night. The evening will be anchored by inimitable Portland songwriter and raconteur Nick Jaina, whose songs are very good but sometimes overshadowed by his between-song banter, a cocktail of witty and withering observations. Headlining will be Stelth Ulvang, who plays piano for folk-rock band the Lumineers when not writing his own inventive, rollicking, swaying songs about, among other things, springtime and Carl Sagan, and which recall, in a sense, Lou Reed. Opening the night will be multi-instrumentalist Pontrello himself, who will no doubt surprise you. Fremont Abbey, 4272 Fremont Ave. N., 414-8325, fremont
abbey.org. 8:30 p.m. $8. All ages. MARK BAUMGARTEN

Saturday, June 14

In the incredible company of other contemporary composers such as Reich, Glass, Riley, and Part, Yann Tiersen has proven himself one of the greatest arrangers of our time. Yet one element makes him stand out from his peers: his ability to further and modernize his sound. Moving on from the organic textures of piano, strings, and accordion he used in past works, Tiersen has taken up electric guitars and heavy percussion, venturing into post-rock territory. His most recent album, Infinity, continues to explore guitar-driven compositions that aren’t afraid to warp and go out of tune every once in a while. There’s a wonderful balance of darkness as well as reverie within each song, making for quite an engaging listening experience. Artists can feel pressure to keep playing the sounds that have been the most successful, yet Tiersen has shed this weight with great ease. Having won our hearts with his amazing soundtrack for Amelie, he’s unabashedly on to what’s next. With No. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, 
neumos.com. 7 p.m. $20. STIRLING MYLES

Rocky Votolato has been something of a solitary seeker since the breakup of his band Waxwing almost a decade ago, so often playing his weighty ballads alone with an acoustic guitar, and maybe a harmonica, to pin-drop-silent rock clubs. The isolation worked well for the singer, who put together a series of releases that displayed his talent for both muscular and tender song craft as well as devastating lyricism that excised his real-life problems, celebrated its joys, and tracked his autodidactic spiritual journey. Then a couple years ago, after releasing the yogi-inspired Television of Saints, Votolato discovered he couldn’t continue his journey alone. He briefly reunited his rock band and spent some time out of his own head, banging and blurting out songs from the past. This tour finds Rocky once again focused on his solo work, testing some new material with company; joining him will be a full band, including brother Cody on guitar, adding some texture to Rocky’s truths. With Lotte Kestner, Kevin Long. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $14. MARK BAUMGARTEN

Sunday, June 15

Jolie Holland would sound great at any venue in town—as she did the last time she passed through the Triple Door—but the Croc is perfect for the Wine Dark Sea tour, named after her sixth album. She’s never been a conventional songwriter, or singer for that matter, with her luscious, bluesy warble, but had she toed a more pop-oriented line, she could have easily been the next Norah Jones or Madeleine Peyroux. Yet she’s been signed to Anti Records for some time—home to a roster of rebels including Tom Waits, a huge fan—and there’s a growing punk defiance in her catalog. In Sea, a collection of 11 new and daring compositions, Holland’s vocals plunge in and out of ambient noise and distorted guitar like a siren’s call bellowing from a stormy sea. If it’s a swan song of sorts for her Escondida-era fans, best to let them swim back to shore. Where Holland’s heading looks to be a wild ride. With Jess Williamson. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $15. All ages. GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT

Phoenix-based four-piece the Rebel Set features the usual guitar, drums, and bass, but it’s the inclusion of an organ (played by the band’s only female member, Katey Trowbridge) that adds an extra oomph to its sound—the B-52’s meets Link Wray meets the Buzzcocks. The band’s latest album, How to Make a Monster, a co-release by Silver Hornet and Burger Records, is appropriately named for its Frankenstein-esque approach to genre. The cover art looks heavily influenced by that of The Jam’s The Gift and other mod-revival bands, and the music is a fun fusion of ’60s surf rock, ’70s punk, and ’90s lo-fi, all seemingly rebelling against the technology of the digital age. (The group appears aware of this, as it asks you to “make way for the new sound” in “New Rope.”) Each of the 12 tracks are short, sweet, and groovy, the shortest coming in at under two minutes, the longest at an even three—just enough time to bop around and get your heart rate up. It’s the perfect date show for punk-rock princesses and garage-band kings to slam-dance the night away. With Crazy Eyes, Webelos. Lo-fi, 429 Eastlake Ave., 254-2824, thelofi.net. 
8 p.m. $7. 21 and over. DIANA M. LE

Monday, June 16

Singer Jessica Lea Mayfield’s career has taken her from her family’s bluegrass band to proper alt-country-artist status, complete with an endorsement from the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. But with April’s Make My Head Sing . . . , which Mayfield co-produced with her bass player/husband Jesse Newport, it’s safe to say the Ohio native has found her comfort genre: grunge. Though recorded in Nashville, the album—her third—does away with the Music City sheen and the twang of her previous releases, both produced by Auerbach. This time the 24-year-old’s pure, haunting vocals and sharp lyrics cut through the sludge of thick guitar riffs on each track to create a dark, foreboding feel. Lead single “I Wanna Love You,” for example, seems innocent enough, until it’s revealed that the song is written from a stalker’s perspective. It’s a significant shift from her past work, but a bold and empowered one. With Israel Nash. The Crocodile. 7 p.m. $15 adv. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY

Tuesday, June 17

When was the last time you visited a dentist’s office? If you’ve had a root canal or wisdom teeth pulled in the past 10 years, chances are you’ve heard “How to Save a Life” by The Fray playing over the soundsystem. The song managed to collect all the worst things about adult contemporary—cloying piano rock, airy mumblemouth vocals, vaguely Christian themes—and throw it into a bland Metamucil smoothie so easily digestible that the album of the same name went on to become the best-selling digital album of all time. But alas, this is not 2005; we live in 2014, and it would be unfair to dwell on The Fray’s past. Helios, its latest album, sounds like Coldplay, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Lion King–era Elton John all falling asleep together in a cavernous stadium. It’s no doubt playing in a dentist’s office near you. With Barcelona, Oh Honey. Marymoor Park, 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy., 205-3661, marymoorconcerts.com. 6:30 p.m. $44.50–$54.50. All ages. KELTON SEARS

“Coffee black/Cigarette/Start this day/Like all the rest/First thing in the morning that I do/Is start missing you.” With these words begins “Some Broken Hearts Never Mend,” echoing the sentiments of so many Don Williams songs, like “Amanda,” “I Believe in You,” and “You’re My Best Friend.” Neither a rambling, gambling outlaw or a pop-country square, Williams’ persona is unique. In fact, if country music were a game of love, Williams never learned how to play it, his straightforward, plaintive country ballads preferring plain talk over innuendo (like “Turn Out the Light and Love Me Tonight”). Standing 6˝1´ and stocky with a buttery-rich baritone, the crooner’s tender style earned him his lasting nickname, the “Gentle Giant.” Yet it was a title he fully embraced, and fans flocked to his steadfast brand of feel-good country love songs. He hasn’t stopped much along the way, cranking out releases through the ’70s into the ’90s, with a handful in the aughts. His latest, Reflections, finds the singer, now 74, ever steady and still in control of those smooth vocals. And his cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “I’ll Be Here in the Morning” finds him still singing about love. Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, 425-888-1234, sno
casino.com. 7 p.m. $30 and up. GE