Wednesday, April 20Scott H. BiramScott H. Biram is a troubadour in the truest sense of the word. It seems like he’s passing through town, like, every other month, always dishing out a surprisingly raucous folk/blues sound that’s reminiscent of the old masters. His percussion is a stomp box, he yodels (very well), alternately tunes his guitar in the middle of songs, and only takes breaks to tell stories that are actually funny. Tractor Tavern, 9 p.m. $10 Also Saturday, April 23Arlo GuthrieThe easygoing, wry folk legend hasn’t made a record in a while—his last was 1996’s Mystic Journey—but his stage show is always an up, whatever other activities he’s been up to recently. Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-893-9900, 8 p.m. $20–$39GuruApparently this longtime Gang Starr frontman (“the reverse Eric B.,” a friend called him, referring to his duo’s balance of power being the opposite of that of rapper-carried Eric B. & Rakim) has a new album coming out next month called Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures. Could be great, could be otherwise; we shall see. Byrdie and Cancer Rising open. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $16AdemaThese SoCal nu-metallists recently signed with Earache Records, which is a little like Death Cab signing to Death Row. Though they sound slightly different now, it’s not enough to make them seem any different than before. New American Standard, Soblivios, and Of Another open. Studio Seven, 7 p.m. $14/$17Thursday, April 21Wayne Horvitz & Sweeter Than the DayJazz-etc. keyboardist presents his acoustic-oriented project, Sweeter Than the Day, who evolved out of Zony Mash and have moved into their own terrain over two CDs. City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave., 206-684-4186. Noon. FreeBlack MountainVancouver’s Black Mountain disdains modernity on their self-titled Jagjaguwar debut, flipping between strummy psych-rock and heavier stuff. Frog Eyes and the Vells open. Neumo’s, 7 p.m. $8Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz BandCrossing Latin jazz, R&B, and soul, veteran conga player Sanchez leads a nine-piece unit that includes George Ortiz on timbales, Tony Banda on bass, Serafin Aguilar on trumpet and flugelhorn, David Urquidi on baritone sax, Javier Vergara on saxophone, Francisco Torres on trombone, Salvador Vasquez on bongos and tres, and David Torres on piano. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $27.50/$25.50 Also Friday, April 22–Sunday, April 23Sound Tribe Sector 9No, it’s not a science-fiction novel—it’s a jam band that’s heavily influenced by dance music of the post-rave variety. So you can liquid-dance and do the hippie tree dance at the same time! Showbox, 8 p.m. $18/$20Friday, April 22By the End of TonightThis outfit avoids the most common pitfall of instrumental “post rock,” by not laboring over too many math equations during the songwriting process; they avoid the second most common (and arguably more damning) pitfall by not getting all melodramatic while playing the resultant songs. VERA Project, 7:30 p.m. $8/7Suzzy & Maggie RocheTwo of three New York sisters who’ve recorded 10 folk records as the Roches, Suzzy and Maggie recently released Why the Long Face, their second album as a duo. It’s a perfectly pleasant tour of several decades’ worth of folk styles, from the gently mournful opener “I Don’t Have You” to the Joni Mitchell–esque call to action “Who Cares.” Century Ballroom, 7 p.m. $20/23Transmissionary 6Like much of the lush folk/rock finding a medium in Portland’s quality Film Guerrero label, Transmissionary 6—side project of the Walkabouts’ drummer Terri Moeller and Willard Grant Conspiracy’s Paul Austin—go along very well with a vacant living room, a joint, and a rainy night. Rendezvous, 10:30 p.m. $5Steve VaiMissed Joe Satriani last week at this venue? Well, you won’t want to miss this if you want faster-than-light-speed fretboard action from a guy who knows his scales, and is ostentatious as hell about proving it. Eric Sardinas opens. Showbox, 8 p.m. $25The Country Joe BandThe ’60s folk-rock vet keeps on keeping on with three fellow members of his early band, the Fish. Though best known for his Woodstock appearance, he’s hardly reliclike—which doesn’t mean they’ll skimp on the classics. Triple Door, 8 p.m. $20Antony & the Johnsons + Devendra Banhart + CocoRosie + William BasinskiWhat began with a locally penned national story about Antony is now a Seattle-exclusive. This bill—these nights—will not be reproduced for folks in Phoenix. You and you alone get Antony on his baby grand and Devendra in his bare feet—at this incredibly special venue, no less. ALSO SEE USEFUL NOISE, P. TK. On the Boards, 100 W. Roy St., 206-217-9888, 8 p.m. $25/$27 Also Saturday, April 23DJ SashaHalf of the biggest DJ team of all time along with John Digweed, who’s edged away from the duo’s massive trance sound, Sasha still brings the big sounds for the big rooms: Giant drums, big whooshing synths, awe-kissed atmosphere, the whole nine. Element, 9 p.m. $22/27Saturday, April 23Puffy AmiyumiIn terms of record sales and, well, almost everything else, Ami and Yumi are Japan’s Britney and Jessica. But they also have a lot in common with more avant/wackster outfits like Pizzicato Five. Most tellingly, they’re the only ones among their peers to have their own Cartoon Network gig. Showbox, 6 p.m. $20The Gris GrisAlthough the Gris Gris don’t necessarily fit in too neatly with rough-and-tumble garage rockers or the freaky San Fran psych scene, it’s actually to their credit that their dreamy yet prone-to-fits garage-made atmospherics are difficult to file but incredibly easy to kick back to. Sunset, 9 p.m. $7LoscilThe alias of Vancouver’s Scott Morgan, Loscil is one of the more imaginative folks on the post-IDM circuit, as demonstrated by his three discs for the Kranky label. Strategy headlines; Nudge opens. Capitol Hill Arts Center Lower Level, 9 p.m. $7Crooked Fingers + Dolorean + Inara GeorgeSEE SW THIS WEEK, P. 39 Crocodile Cafe, 8 p.m. $10 adv./12 adv.Brandi CarlileThe winner of the Best Singer/Songwriter award in 2004’s Seattle Weekly Music Awards, Carlile’s just signed to Columbia, so expect even bigger things from her in the months to come—and check her out before your mom starts asking about her. Neumo’s, 8 p.m. $9Sunday, April 24Tegan and SaraWhile the Canadian folk-rock twin sisters may have a pair of the most fetching haircuts in recent memory, their music’s unfortunately kinda bland. Neumo’s, 8:30 p.m. $15/$17Wayne Horvitz + Robin HolcombSEE THURSDAY. Triple Door, 7:30 p.m. $16The KillersNaming themselves after a fake band in a New Order video, this buzz band is the kind of group whose killer singles (“Somebody Told Me” in particular) never actually compel you to buy their not-bad album, Hot Fuss (Island). Ditto the show, we’re guessing. Moore Theater, 8 p.m. $19.50Todd SniderThe critically acclaimed Nashville-via-Austin folkie is one of the sharpest, funniest, most pointed lyric writers around, as on his latest, East Nashville Skyline (Oh Boy)—check “Age Like Wine” (in which the 34-year-old Snider proclaims himself “Too late to die young now”) for (ahem) proof. South Austin Jug Band opens. Crocodile Cafe, 8 p.m. $15The DonnasSure they’re a gimmick—that’s a problem in popular music when, exactly? They rock, they can write some (though we anticipate their eventual best-of with more acuity than we do their albums proper), and live they rip it up. What more you want? El Corazon, 7 p.m. $13/$15Tuesday, April 26No-Fi Soul RebellionDepending on how you feel about contemporary funk music in general, you’ll either love or hate No-Fi Soul Rebellion’s sound. But if you’re in the latter grouping, frontman Mark Heimer will find you, give you a big sweaty hug or serenade you or something, and before you know it, you’re up in front busting it like a madman. All the while, No-Fi’s better half, Andrea, will be smiling on from the stage, playing an MP3 player that’s shaped like a bass guitar. Crocodile Cafe, 8 p.m. $6M83 + Ulrich Schnauss + Hypatia LakeSEE CD REVIEW, P. 45. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $12FantomasMike Patton’s golden throat has no shortage of angles, though his death-metal shtick isn’t all that much more interesting than the rest of his assorted shticks. Still, he takes chances and has the most fervent fan base this side of Sinatra, or maybe Jandek. The Locust open. Showbox, 8 p.m. $20/$22