WEDNESDAY, MAY 30
Cascadia ’10 This Northwest Afrobeat group (its Facebook page jokingly lists its hometown as “Lagos, Washington”) specializes in meandering, instrumental jams. With Julia and The Dream. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9:30 p.m. $6.
Destruction These German metal lords are wreaking havoc in support of their newest album, last year’s Day of Reckoning. Be prepared to thrash your ass off. With Warbringer, Vital Remains, Coven, Beneath All Kaos, Reficul. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312, studioseven.us. 6 p.m. $17 adv./ $20 DOS. All ages.
Ian Moore & the Lossy Coils On his latest release El Sonido Nuevo, this Austin songwriter showcases his unique ability to apply ’60s-inspired pop hooks to the traditional alternative-country format. With Wheeler Brothers, Redwood Son. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 8:30 p.m. $10.
Seattle University BOTB Showcase Redhawk bands duke it out to see who’s the best Seattle U has to offer. With Karl Sundin, U-Crew, Br’er Sun. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. $8 adv./ $5 with SU ID. All ages.
THURSDAY, MAY 31
Bo$$ Fam This party-rap crew celebrates the release of a collaboration with fellow local hip-hop group Boombox Massacre. With Second Family, Awall, PETA Tosh. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212, highdive seattle.com. 9 p.m. $8.
Illmaculate A fixture of the Portland underground hip-hop scene, this rapper and Sandpeople member recently released Skrill Talk, his first non-mixtape full-length. With Cool Nutz, Mikey Vegaz. Nectar, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020, nectarlounge.com. 8 p.m. $7.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground This carnivalesque indie-rock ensemble takes to Barboza to cram an entire psychedelic circus onto a very small stage. With Sounds Major. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $10.
FRIDAY, JUNE 1
Deception Past This old-school country group’s performance is part of the ever-expanding Noise for the Needy lineup. With Legendary Oaks, Ole Tinder, Keaton Collective. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 322-9272, comettavern.com. 9 p.m. $8.
Holiday Friends Playfully folksy, harmony-laden pop from Moscow, Idaho. With Ascetic Junkies, Simon Kornelis. The Rogue & Peasant, 3601 Fremont Ave. N., therogueandpeasant.com. 9 p.m. $5.
Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band This show marks the release of MSHVB’s Prehistory EP, the band’s first release since 2010. With Wintersleep, You Are Plural. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088, columbiacitytheater.com. 9 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2
The Maine Once I got a tube of Chapstick with a The Maine sticker on it as a promotional item. They are apparently five guys with haircuts, unchapped lips, and, I guess, a band. With Lydia, the Arkells. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxonline.com. 6 p.m. $20 adv./$25 DOS. All ages.
Mico de Noche Active since 2001, this local four-piece plays brutally sludgy stoner metal. With Smooth Sailing, Grenades, Princess. Comet Tavern. 9 p.m. $8.
Side Saddle Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and other country superstars of years past are the inspiration for this diva-centric honky-tonk group. With the Outlaws, Shane Tutmarc, Country Lips. Columbia City Theater. 9 p.m. $8.
The Thermals The Northwest’s favorite pop-punkers, whose most recent release was 2010’s Personal Life LP, headline this sure-to-be-popular Noise for the Needy Benefit. With Little Cuts. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $13.
The Torn ACLs Nondescriptly catchy indie pop is this local group’s specialty on January’s Make a Break, Make a Move. With The World Radiant, Jeff Waggoner. The Rogue & Peasant. 9 p.m. $5.
The Valley This punk show is a KEXP Audioasis benefit for something decidedly less aggro: the Seattle Digital Literacy Initiative. With Police Teeth, Dude York. Sunset Tavern. 10 p.m. $7 adv./$8 DOS.
SUNDAY, JUNE 3
Daughtry Fronted by American Idol fourth-place finisher Chris Daughtry, this band’s latest is 2011’s Break the Spell. With SafetySuit, Mike Sanchez. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 467-5520, stgpresents.org. 7:30 p.m. $30.75–$50.75. All ages.
Piano Piano This experimental-rock trio’s only recording is an untitled three-song live demo whose expansiveness and intricacy recalls a heavier version of post-rock. With X Suns, They Rise We Die. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $5. All ages.
Proud Wonderful Me This recently formed four-piece plays straight-ahead indie pop. With Lanford Black. Nectar. 7 p.m. $5.
Stryper The Christian glam-metal band from Orange County hits Seattle tonight, and one can only hope they come clad in their signature black-and-yellow attire ready to throw Bibles into the crowd, as they have since 1984. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094, elcorazonseattle.com. 8 p.m. $27.50 adv./$30 DOS. All ages.
MONDAY, JUNE 4
Clubscouts On Fathers Against Blue Tigers, they meld garage-rock tendencies with pop hooks. With Creech, The Cyprus Experiment. The Crocodile. 7 p.m. $5. All ages.
Mountlake Terrace High School Jazz Ensembles Mountlake Terrace boasts one of the nation’s best high-school jazz programs, and its top band recently played the prestigious Essentially Ellington competition at New York’s Lincoln Center. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729, jazzalley.com. $20. 7:30 p.m. All ages.
TUESDAY, JUNE 5
Ex-Girlfriends Vicious, raucous garage-punk with an Iggy Pop influence (check out “Superqueen” on their Bandcamp site) and some serious manpower (seven members). With Danny the Street, Sweet Pups. Chop Suey. 8 p.m. Free.
Freddy Cole Quartet Cole, a Grammy-nominated vocalist and pianist and brother of Nat King Cole, released Talk to Me last year. Jazz Alley. 7:30 p.m. $24.50. All ages.
Strong Killings Sound on the Sound named this band’s self-titled debut the best local punk record of 2011. With The Volume, Choirs. High Dive. 8 p.m. $6.
