Friday, June 20
My Goodness, The Crocodile. The band just released Shiver + Shake. Read our review here.
King Buzzo, Neumos. The Melvins frontman goes acoustic on his new release. Check out what we had to say about it here.
Seaprog Festival “Prog rock” can be a scary word, conjuring images of Geddy Lee’s terrifying soul patch and beady circular glasses staring you down. But “progressive music” by nature isn’t just bound to one sound or one Canadian space-rock band—it’s an amorphous term that just means “music with roots in psych rock that tries something a little different.” Seaprog—an artist-created festival featuring local proggers—ranges from Midday Veil’s Jungian synth-landscapes to Fang Chia’s jazz odysseys to Super Z Attack Team’s brave use of the Chapman Stick, a relative of the guitar that’s wider and designed for tapping. We promise Lee won’t be there to terrorize anybody. With Autumn Electric and more. Through Sunday. The Royal Room, 500 Rainier Ave. S., 906-9920, seaprog.org. 8 p.m. $60 two-day pass. 21 and up. KELTON SEARS
There is much joy in the music of Paper Bird. Residing at the intersection of Appalachian hymnals and bombastic pop, this Denver-based ensemble holds its own in the vast sea of newgrass. Fronted by charismatic sisters Genny and Esme Patterson, their baroque-folk compositions are reminiscent of those of fellow troubadours the Avett Brothers. At first listen, you’ll be hit with the constant vocal harmonies that drive the songs; upon repetition, a wealth of instrumental ear candy unravels in every piece. Their most recent album, Rooms, has a fitting title; each song is a doorway into a different mood and narrative. One leads to swelling strings, while another holds your hand through a soulful, gospel-inspired arrangement. Between faster-paced anthems and slow-swinging ballads, there’s something for everyone here—including the irrepressible smile you’ll no doubt be wearing by the end. With Home Sweet Home, Pocket Panda. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 9 p.m. $10. STIRLING MYLES
Saturday, June 21
Tupac and Biggie. Jay Z and Nas. Now we have Wimps vs Posse. The two Seattle indie-rock outfits will face off in the only reasonable way possible—with a cutthroat round of rock-&-roll Family Feud. The smack talk has already been fierce in anticipation. “You know what, Posse? More like posers!” Wimps said in a diss video posted to their Facebook page. Posse was quick to retaliate, with a video in which they use a Wimps T-shirt to clean up spilled Budweiser and Clamato. Forget Death Row versus Bad Boy—this matchup of Help Yourself Records and Beating a Dead Horse Records might change Seattle . . . forever. The Highline. 210 Broadway Ave. E., 328-7837, highlineseattle.com. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over. DUSTY HENRY
Cartoonish Canadian Chad VanGaalen’s latest album Shrink Dust is more subdued than his other outings. Ambling at about the pace of a carefree space cowboy, the tunes take on an unexpected country twang, albeit one as strange as anything else the artist has done in his Technicolor career. Lap steel guitar slides alongside weird warblings about monsters and the cosmos, but beyond all the fantastical imagery you get the sense that VanGaalen is dealing with some real stuff. He sings that he’s “weighed my sin” and that he’s going to “fall asleep and disappear/Pop some pills to chase your fear.” But as dark as VanGaalen occasionally gets, you never feel as though you’re drifting too far out of his colorful dream world. With Cousins, Hibou. Tractor Tavern. 9 p.m. $12. 21 and up. KS
Scarves, The Vera Project. Read our review of the band’s latest, Empty Houses,
here
.
Sunday, June 22
Merle Haggard & Emmylou Harris To call this show a special treat is an understatement. On one hand, you have the Okie from Muskogee—a country-music legend and one of the genre’s few remaining authentic outlaws. On the other, you have one of the most important and enduring female country stars ever. They’re sharing a bill for one night only—that’s right, this isn’t some 40-city tour, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Though they’ve spent some 40 years working in the same circles, they haven’t crossed paths often (outside of the star-studded track “Same Old Train,” which won a Grammy in 1999). It’s a shame, really. With Harris’ penchant for collaboration and Haggard’s sensibilities, one can only imagine the magic their collective experience and talent will produce. Joining them will be singer Rodney Crowell, a familiar face to those following Harris’ career; last year, the two teamed up for the Grammy-winning Old Yellow Moon. Modern country music bears but a passing resemblance to its earlier history; this isn’t a knock, it’s just the way things are. If you want to hear the real stuff—and with every passing year, your opportunities to do so diminish—head to Woodinville tonight. With Rodney Crowell. Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., 425-488-1133, ste-michelle.com. $60 and up. 7 p.m. CORBIN REIFF
Michael Wohl, The Mix. Read our feature
here
.
