Amon Tobin, Friday, August 7: ThereaE™s a Brazilian film called House of Sand, and itaE™s about the immutability of the soul set in a barren and parched desert wasteland where the longing cries of its characters cannot be heard. Amon Tobin shouldaE™ve done the score. Since the late aE™90s, the Brazilian producer has created compositions that fuse dark, meandering electronic frequencies with walking-dead drums: jungle meets bossa-nova meets jazz meets techno. The rise and fall of the sound corresponds with the arching EKGs of the listener, making for a kind of full-immersion experience with only whataE™s heard. TobinaE™s last album, Foley Room (titled after the area where sound recordings for films are made), saw the brooding artist in him in full evil bloom, as he incorporated found sounds in the world into his panoramic orchestrations. This is mood music for people who arenaE™t in the mood. With Pitch Black, Dirty and Grym. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St. 709-9467. 8 p.m. $15. Note b KEVIN CAPP

Cosmic Panther Land Band, Friday, August 7: Not too much can be said yet about the Cosmic Panther Land Band, except that judging from their name, they donaE™t take themselves too seriously. Essentially a pick-up band of players from the Moondoggies, Maldives, Pica Beats, Widower and Shim, CPLB formed in early 2009 and has played exactly one show so far. Jason Dodson (Maldives) and Kevin Murphy (Moondoggies) collaborate to write songs for the band. Sort of like the Maldives, the eight-person band operates based on the idea that the more talented musicians, the better. Judging from their other affiliated groups, expect lots of vocal harmonies and the wall of countrified sound that the Maldives have cultivated over the years. With Grand Hallway, Picoso, Benjamin Doerr. South Lake Union Discovery Center, 101 Westlake Ave. N. 7:45 p.m. All ages. Free. Note by ERIK NEUMANN

Nebula, Friday, August 7: By my sophomore year of college, the crew I hung out with had pretty much exhausted the following records: Blue CheeraE™s OutsideInside, Black SabbathaE™s Vol. 4, MudhoneyaE™s Superfuzz Bigmuff, The Stooges Fun House, and KyussaE™ Sky Valley. There was nothing wrong with those records (matter of fact, there’s still nothing wrong with them), but after so many nights spent listening to the same old, same old while chugging Coors Light and prescription codeine, we needed a new taste. ThataE™s when NebulaaE™s 1999 album To The Center came to us. A power trio comprised of former Fun Manchu members, Nebula took pride in numbing eardrums with its fuzzy riffs, space rock meanderings, and blues choogling. Though their music tasted much like those latter-day stoner greats, it was new and that’s all we cared about. Since then, theyaE™ve barely strayed from that latter-day psych formula, as evidenced in the bandaE™s latest Heavy Psych. Like the blatant title suggests, Nebula does what it does andaE¦well, if it ainaE™t broke, why fix it? With the Entrance Band, Scott Kelly, A Storm of Light, Valis. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St. 324-8000. 8 p.m. $12 adv. Note by BRIAN J. BARR

Rod Stewart, Friday, August 7: When he was in Faces, Rod Stewart rocked. He even rocked a little once he left Faces. But the Rod Stewart of todayaE”whoaE™s basically a straight (maybe), watered-down version of Elton JohnaE”definitely doesnaE™t rock. Know how I know? Let me tell you a little story. Friends of a friend were supposed to have their wedding at an uber-edgy art space on Capitol Hill. Night before the wedding, theyaE™re informed that the space is double-booked. Owing to well-heeled parents, theyaE™re somehow able to audible and move their wedding to a ballroom at the Edgewater. While the space is a lot more sterile than where theyaE™d planned to bond themselves for life, it was still pretty radaE”until they received a visit from security, telling them that a very important guest in a suite four floors up was upset with the volume at which their deejay was playing the music. That important guest was Rod Stewart. In other words, if youaE™re going to skip a show this summer, skip this one. The fact that White RiveraE™s traffic situation is the longest-running joke in concertdom should provide extra incentive. White River Amphitheatre, 40601 Auburn-Enumclaw Rd. 8 p.m. $45.50 Note by MIKE SEELY

Screaming Females, Friday, August 7: A little-known trio hailing from the New Jersey town of New Brunswick, Screaming Females might not have been the obvious choice to tour with Jack White and Alison MosshartaE™s new supergroup the Dead Weather. And yet the band did just that, tearing up the turf and building some serious buzz in the process. While frontwoman Marissa Paternoster does the bandaE™s name plenty of justice, bassist Mike Rickenbacker and drummer Jarrett Doughtery arenaE™t in fact females at all. No matter. The trioaE™s swampy garage-punk is in fine form on Screaming FemalesaE™ new third album, Power Move, on the New Brunswick indie label Don Giovanni. Guided by PaternosteraE™s feral bark aE“ and yes, that curdling scream aE“ anthems like the album-opening aEœBellaE are shaggy triumphs of distortion and propulsion. As with MosshartaE™s regular gig with the Kills, Screaming FemalesaE™ current tour is poised to make Paternoster a poster child for no-nonsense rock release. With Shellshag, Wildildlife, and Loving Thunder. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St. 322-9272. 9 p.m. $6. Note by DOUG WALLEN

Dinosaur Jr. at the KEXP BBQ, Saturday, August 8: Dinosaur Jr. getting its original line-up back together in 2005, after years of acrimony between frontman J. Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow (and to a lesser degree, drummer Murph)? Shocking! Dinosaur Jr. forgoing the aEœtemporaryaE tag affixed to so many other alt-rock reunions of late, and remaining fully active four years later? Surprising! Dinosaur Jr. putting out two studio albums aE“ 2007aE™s Beyond and the just-released Farm aE“ that not only hold their own against the holy trinity of 1985aE™s Dinosaur, 1987aE™s YouaE™re Living All Over Me, and 1988aE™s Bug, but in more than a few moments are actually better than those recordings? Completely fucking stunning! Other than maybe Mission of Burma, Dino Jr.aE™s got to be the most satisfying and fruitful of all these recent reunions: Guitar god Mascis continues to bring the fury, and the trioaE™s undeniable chemistry aE“ despite whatever rancor thereaE™s been over the years — comes through in their sterling songwriting efforts and fervid live performances. Who knows, though: It could all blow up again, so IaE™d relish every chance to see aE™em, especially since theyaE™re at the top of their game right now. With Viva Voce, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Japandroids, Born Anchors, Champagne Champagne. Mural Amphitheater, 300 Harrison St. 2 p.m. All ages. Free. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

Sean Hayes, Saturday, August 8: HeaE™s been touted by the likes of NPR. HeaE™s performed Irish music at folk festivals in the Blueridge Mountains. HeaE™s written an album based on a fortune-telling chicken he once saw in Alabama. HeaE™s played Jesus in the indie comedy Evolution: The Musical! Unquestionably, Sean Hayes is a musician with a wide range of backgrounds to drawn from aE“ born in New York City, he was raised in North Carolina and made San Francisco his permanent home after falling in with the Bay AreaaE™s music community. HayesaE™ songs reflect a similar freewheeling spirit aE“ sometimes it bounces, sometimes it slows down and gets political. All of it manages to carry a sense of intimacy, particularly through HayesaE™ grainy, penetrating vocals, and his finger-picking skills, on guitar, mandolin or banjo, are often astonishing. ItaE™s all soulful, likeable music, and Hayes seems to be at his best when his songwriting is more confessional, as in 2007aE™s Flowering Spade, which finds him singing, aEœIaE™ll gather your honey/ IaE™ll plant your seed/ IaE™ll be your harvest/ Leave you my sting.aE A charming guy is appealing no matter what state youaE™re in. With Cataldo and honey.moon.tree. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. NW, 789-3599. 9:30 p.m. $10. Note by ERIN THOMPSON

Toumani Diabate and Bela Fleck, Monday, August 10 and Tuesday, August 11: While kora players are generally known for their adherence to tradition, Toumani Diabate is widely celebrated for his distinctly progressive take on the instrument. Ever open to unorthodox collaborations, and to working in the context of blues, jazz, and flamenco, Diabate seems intent on achieving a kind of hybrid-happy liftoff from the previous 70 generations of kora players in his lineage — not so much released from, but rather fueled by their combined history. He appears for four nights in a duet with none other than American banjo icon Bela Fleck. No stranger to free-for-all fusion himself, of course, Fleck, in a sense, has lately been on a quest to reconcile with his own musical ancestry by exploring the West African origins of the banjo. In that regard, the kora, which is often traditionally accompanied by banjo precursors like the akonting and ngoni, certainly represents the right instrumental choice. But DiabateaE™s adventurousness makes him the perfect foil and spiritual co-pilot for FleckaE™s higher purpose. Long revered for his technicality, Fleck is now out to capture the ancient soul of the blues. DimitriouaE™s Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave., 441-9729. 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $35. All ages. Note by SABY REYES-KULKARNI

Down, Tuesday, August 11: Supergroups tend to be short-lived entities. Sometimes they split because a few of their members are aEœon loanaE from other full-time musical endeavors, and sooner or later they have to go back. Other times aE“ and this is probably more often the case aE“ all the supersized egos within the supergroup eventually clash, and the whole thing falls apart. Say what you will about the members of Down (especially frontman Phil Anselmo, whoaE™s reputed to be a first-class dickhead), theyaE™re a supergroup thataE™s somehow made it work for close to 20 years, and put out some kick-ass, hard-charging power-rock along the way. Featuring current and former members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Eyehategod, Down has issued three well-received albums during its existence. TheyaE™ve gone on a few lengthy hiatuses, too, but its five members seem committed to keeping the thing going, and over the past couple of years theyaE™ve toured more heavily than ever before. TheyaE™re also writing material for the next album, tentatively titled Down IV aE“ good chance youaE™ll hear at least a few new songs tonight. With the Melvins, Danava, Weedeater. Showbox SODO, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444. 8:30 p.m. $25 adv., $30 dos. All ages. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

Harlem, Tuesday, August 11: The exploration of minimalism in rock aE˜n roll is hardly a new concept. Fuzzy ease has been in fashion since Lou stood on the corner waiting for the man, but in the past ten years since the White Stripes proved massive sounds can come from little packages (yes, itaE™s been ten freakinaE™ years, Gramps), their success launched a slew of tiny combos who make big noise their business. Austin band Harlem followed suit. Keeping it pure and punk by playing raw, lo-fi and vaguely rootsy on their debut Free Drugs, these kids have perfected a raucous, infectious sound. Down South these kids are getting lots of buzz, and having recently signed with Matador, itaE™s only a matter of sweet time before the rest of the country is feeling them as well. With Consignment, Coconut Coolouts. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave N. 374-8400. 9:30 p.m. $6. Note by MAaE™CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR