Friday, Dec. 19
If there’s one thing all music fans understand, it’s the pain of having to wait months for new music from a favorite band after it’s begun work on a new release. Lonely Mountain Lovers fans have surely been feeling impatient for new tunes these past few months after the twangy-rock six-piece announced it was entering the studio to record its debut full-length in September. An October update noted the end of the first phase of recording, so new music should be on its way soon. Until then, there’s “Friendly Ghost” and “Be Kind,” two demos the band recorded earlier this year, to tide fans over. With Day Laborers and Petty Intellectuals, Stubborn Son. Columbia City Theater. 9 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and over.
Los Angeles, X’s debut album, is Punk Rock 101. The dual vocals from singer Exene Cervenka and singer/bassist John Doe are off-balance at times; drummer DJ Bonebrake doesn’t stop for a second across the album’s nine tracks; and guitarist Billy Zoom looms large and in charge with big riffs. There’s even a cover of the Doors’ “Soul Kitchen” for good measure. And 34 years after its release, Los Angeles is still one of the most respected punk albums around, landing on multiple best-of lists over the years. On this visit, X is playing two shows—two chances for young punks to learn from these enduring icons. With the Blasters, Girl Trouble, the Boss Martians. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazonseattle.com. Through Saturday. 8 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. 21 and over.
Seattle heavy-metal trio Sandrider takes its name from the people who ride giant sandworms in (Washington native) Frank Herbert’s Dune series. Appropriately, the band’s sophomore album, Godhead, is just as epic. And like the sandworms, Sandrider’s sound is massive and impossible to ignore. Singer/guitarist Jon Weisnewski and drummer Nat Damm, formerly of Akimbo, and singer/bassist Jesse Roberts, of The Ruby Doe, mix raging vocals, sludge-metal guitar riffs, and classic-rock elements into one brutal package, especially on the nearly seven-minute title track. Expect more ferocity on the band’s upcoming split with post-rock quartet Kinski. With He Whose Ox Is Gored, Leatherdaddy. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over.
Saturday, Dec. 20
They say “It’s better to give than to receive,” but I say “It’s better to give while also checking out a show with a stellar lineup like the KEXP Yule Benefit.” It’s a little wordy, but you get the point. This show will help the radio station’s campaign to build a bigger live room for in-studio performances. Garage-rock quartet Cabana will open, followed by indie-rocker Jenn Ghetto, formerly of Carissa’s Wierd, who performs as S, and New York rock four-piece Cymbals Eat Guitars. Strand of Oaks, the folk-rock project of Timothy Showalter, will close with tunes from his latest, HEAL. Neumos. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over.
Held in the Paramount Theatre lobby, A Classic Christmas is a more low-key, but no less spirited, celebration. Soul singer and former The Voice contestant V. Contreras, Mycle Wastman, singer/songwriter Alessandra Rose, producer/engineer Martin Feveyear, and local musicians Jeff Fielder, Rebecca Young, William Stover, and Aaron O’Neill will be on hand to perform tunes from the holiday songbook. The Melodic Caring Project will also be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys during the show. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/paramount. 7:30 p.m. $20. All ages.
Chrome Lakes didn’t waste any time getting the ball rolling after forming in May. After making their live debut at Sunset Tavern playing with Sword for Arrows and Yonder, the rock quintet released a song called “Revolutionaires” and picked up gigs opening for Ohio’s Foxy Shazam at Neumos and The Last Internationale, a project of Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, at El Corazon. If the band keeps this momentum going, there’s no telling what they could accomplish by this time next year. With My Goodness, Haunted Horses. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $12. 21 and over.
Sunday, Dec. 21
Singer/songwriter David Bazan is perhaps best known for fronting Pedro the Lion and for his two solo albums, Curse Your Branches and Strange Negotiations. With the Passenger String Quartet, led by Andrew Joslyn, the songwriter is reimagining tunes from both stages of his career on Volume 1. Longtime Bazan fans needn’t worry; the songs are not reworked beyond recognition. Instead, the orchestral arrangement elevates what Bazan created. The songs feel fresh without losing the emotion behind his lyrics. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv. 21 and over.
Ishmael Butler’s first official Sub Pop signee, Porter Ray, is adding another voice to Seattle’s experimental hip-hop sound with his latest, Fundamentals, the follow-up to the trilogy of BLK GLD, WHT GLD, and RSE GLD. On Fundamentals, soul samples accompany Ray as he raps about the highs and lows of life, including his relationships, drug use, and his brother’s death. There’s no sugarcoating, but Ray’s conversational cadence makes each story worth listening to. With Romaro Franceswa. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $10 DOS. All ages.
Patti LaBelle, aka the “Godmother of Soul,” has earned her title and then some. The singer’s 50-year-plus career includes an extensive discography through work with the BlueBells, as a solo artist, on Broadway and film, and, earlier this year, in American Horror Story: Freak Show, plus numerous awards and nominations for both singing and acting, including nine lifetime-achievement awards from different organizations. But is anyone really surprised that LaBelle has had such a distinguished career? Her voice is unbelievably powerful, yet she makes singing with so much emotion sound effortless. Long live the Godmother. Snoqualmie Casino, Ballroom, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, 425-888-1234, snocasino.com. 8 p.m. $40 and up. 21 and over.
