POP/ROCK By Erin K. Thompson
Pure Bathing Culture/Friday, July 6
The Portland duo of Daniel Hindman and Sarah Versprille recently released an exciting self-titled debut EP, four songs of lovely, gauzy dream-pop that make for an ideal soundtrack to a lazy summer day. With Bryan John Appleby. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088. 9 p.m. $10.
The Young Evils/Tuesday, July 10
Having recently topped Paste magazine’s list of Washington Bands You Should Listen to Now, the local pop favorites are releasing a new EP, Foreign Spells, a sharper-edged follow-up to their popular 2010 debut Enchanted Chapel. Easy Street Records, 20 Mercer St., 691-3279. 7 p.m. Free. All ages.
American Idol Live/Wednesday, July 18
The top 10 contestants on the most recent season of America’s most popular TV show are on the road, featuring that hunka-hunka-burnin’-love who was crowned the champion, Georgia guitar-strummer Phillip Phillips. KeyArena, 305 Harrison St., 628-0888. 7 p.m. $40–$85. All ages.
The Intelligence/Thursday, July 19
Lars Finberg took some time away from Thee Oh Sees to record a new full-length with his long-running garage-punk outfit The Intelligence; tonight serves as the local release show for Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me. With Unnatural Helpers, Dream Salon, The Wimps. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $12. All ages.
Shearwater/Friday, July 20
Ex-Okkervil River keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg’s elegant pop band has a new album, Animal Joy, out on Sub Pop; they share the bill tonight with one of Sub Pop’s most recent signees, the easy-riding Australian quartet Husky. With Shenandoah Davis. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $12. All ages.
Dirty Projectors/Monday, July 23
In the last few months, DP has released two new songs, “Gun Has No Trigger” and “Dance for You.” Both feature crisp beats and stirring vocal melodies, and both will appear on the band’s upcoming sixth studio album, Swing Lo Magellan. With Wye Oak. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 8 p.m. $22.50 adv./$28 DOS. All ages.
The xx/Wednesday, July 25
This slick British pop-rock trio has been the cool kids’ favorite band since the popular success of their 2009 Mercury Prize-winning self-titled debut. Tonight’s show, already sold out, comes in advance of the band’s hotly anticipated second LP, Coexist, due in September. With Jacques Greene. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 7 p.m. Sold out. All ages.
Magic Trick/Friday, July 27
The Fresh & Onlys’ Tim Cohen is touring in support of Ruler of the Night, the latest album from his atmospheric pop side project Magic Trick. His Hardly Art labelmate La Sera opens tonight’s show. With Foxygen. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 7 p.m. $10.
Dum Dum Girls/Saturday, July 28
If you missed them at Sasquatch!, catch Sub Pop’s sexiest girl band (along with local bliss-rock quartet Craft Spells) playing tonight’s Little Big Show; 100 percent of the profits will benefit the National Film Festival for Talented Youth. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 877-784-4849. 9 p.m. $15. All ages.
COUNTRY By Gwendolyn Elliott
Justin Townes Earle/Friday, July 6
Try as he might, the younger Earle can’t escape his dad Steve’s presence; his latest release, Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, even contains a doleful track—”Am I That Lonely Tonight?”—about hearing his father on the radio. With Tristen. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 8 p.m. $20 adv./$23 DOS.
Rats in the Grass/Saturday, July 7
This White Center bluegrass quartet will keep your toes tapping with their fiery, punk-styled string tunes. With Whisky Swillers, Bottlecap Boys. Conor Byrne, 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-3640. 9 p.m. $8.
Chatham County Line/Wednesday, July 11
With traditional bluegrass instrumentation, soaring harmonies, and exceptional songwriting, this suit-and-tie-sporting North Carolina quartet—half of whom used to back up Tift Merritt—tour through Seattle in support of their sixth album, Sight and Sound. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $12.
Seattle Men of Steel/Friday, July 20
If you think all music sounds better washed in the wall of reverb and twang produced by a pedal or lap steel guitar, be prepared to get drenched at this bill of some of Seattle’s finest players, including Zoe Muth’s “Country” Dave Harmonson, Orville Johnson, Bob Knetzger, and Dan Tyack. Columbia City Theater, 4916 Rainier Ave. S., 722-3009. 9 p.m. $10.
Cornbread Ball/Saturday, July 21
Grab a hunk of cornbread and a bowl of Slim’s famous chili and kick up your heels at this marathon bill of country roots rock. With Rafael Tranquilino, F-Holes, Disco Cowboys, Billy Dwayne & the Creepers, John Hamhock & The Rooster Run Band, Hartwood, the Twang Junkies, Tom Howard, Dave Russell. Slim’s Last Chance Chili Shack, 5606 First Ave. S., 762-7900. $10.
Chris Isaak/Sunday, July 22
With a mellow croon and a catalog built on the rock-and-roll sounds of Sun Studios (notably Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley), last year Isaak issued Beyond the Sun, an album of covers to honor the music of his heroes. With Shawn Colvin. Chateau St. Michelle, 14111 N.E. 145th St., Woodinville, 425-488-1133. 7 p.m. $45–$69.50.
The Sons of Warren Oates/Monday, July 23
This stripped-down, lo-fi three-piece puts a good measure of country twang into the new folk tradition, featuring the songwriting of Jason Dodson, the banjo of Kevin Barrans, and the sprightly fiddle of Seth Warren, all of the Maldives. With Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Michael Ray and the Plastic Sheets. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $12. All ages.
Sawyer Brown/Thursday, July 26
With more than 50 singles on the country charts, these Star Search winners have been pleasing crowds since the early ’80s with hits like “Step That Step” and the early-’90s country-pop tune “Some Girls Do.” With Gloriana. Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, 425-888-1234. 7 p.m. $29–$125.
Ronnie Dunn/Saturday, July 28
In 2011, Dunn (of “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” pop-country duo Brooks and Dunn) went solo and released his self-titled debut; hit single “Bleed Red” peaked at #10 on the Billboard country charts. Emerald Queen Casino, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, 253-594-7777. 8:30 p.m. $45–$105.
THE HEAVIES By Dave Lake
This Is Hell/Friday, July 6
This Long Island hardcore band adds a healthy dose of thrash to their sound, making their latest LP Black Mass a face-pummeling crossover good time. The riffs are gnarly, the tempos are blistering, and the live show is equally potent. With The Greenery, Xerxes. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372. 7 p.m. $8. All ages.
Lake Union Pub Reunion/Saturday, July 7
A dozen of the loudest bands to have frequented the long-dormant Lake Union Pub, which offered punk, metal, and indie sounds throughout the ’90s, will attempt to relive some of the magic of yesteryear. With Piss Drunks, Positive Greed, Bristle, Zeke. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave. N., 374-8400. 3 p.m. $10.
The Gaslight Anthem/Sunday, July 8
If Springsteen were a punk, he’d sound like Brian Fallon, leader of The Gaslight Anthem, which may explain why the Boss has joined the band onstage and asked them to open for him. Tonight’s intimate show will precede the band’s fourth LP, Handwritten, but don’t plan on Springsteen showing. With Dave Hause. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. Sold out.
Steel Panther/Wednesday, July 11
Hollywood’s Steel Panther cleverly skirts the line between homage and parody, but fans of ’80s glam metal won’t care whether this is tribute or trickery once the hair is teased and the Spandex stuffed, and they’re singing along to “17 Girls in a Row,” “Weenie Ride,” and “It Won’t Suck Itself.” Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 628-3151. 7 p.m. $20 adv./$25 DOS. All ages.
Agalloch/Thursday, July 12
This Portland metal band can be post-rock one minute and blistering black metal the next, and with songs that frequently push past the 10-minute mark, they can be lots of other things in a single song as well. Few metal bands are as versatile or exciting. With Taurus, Eight Bells. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $12. All ages.
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators/Friday, July 13
Whereas his first solo record featured a number of singers, including Chris Cornell and Ozzy Osbourne, the top-hatted guitarist’s second album, Apocalyptic Love, features just one: Spokane’s Myles Kennedy, who boasts a four-octave range and an album of unreleased material with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., 467-5510. 7 p.m. $33.75 adv./$38.75 DOS. All ages.
Strung Out/Friday, July 18
The long-running Southern California punk band will play their two most popular records, Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues and Twisted by Design, in their entirety tonight. With Such Gold, Handguns, The Loss. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 7 p.m. $18 adv./$20 DOS. All ages.
Teenage Bottlerocket/Monday, July 23
Quick, how many bands can you name from Laramie, Wyoming? If you could only come up with one, chances are it’d be these guys—tonight focusing on the short, catchy, Ramones-inspired punk-rock songs from their fifth album, Freak Out! With the Dopamines, Elway, Right Your Wrongs, Kids on Fire. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 7 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. All ages.
Angry Samoans/Saturday, July 28
In their 35-year career, the Samoans have released only four albums, but that means that tonight the L.A. punks can play just about every song they’ve ever recorded. With 13 Scars, Super Nothing, the Greengoes, Overboard, Chump Change. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 7 p.m. $10 adv/$12 DOS. All ages.
HIP-HOP By Todd Hamm
Project Lionheart/Friday, July 6
Project Lionheart’s sound is still developing, but The Concrete Project, which opens, is a SoCal band that makes fluid, upbeat music that’s easy to listen to and worth showing up early for. With Blue Tracks. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $10.
Frank Ocean/Friday, July 13
Odd Future’s strangely placed pop star saw his stock jump about as much as it could in the past year. From releasing his own well-received mixtape, nostalgia, ULTRA, to guesting on one of last year’s biggest commercial albums (Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne), Ocean is making all the right plays. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 8 p.m. Sold out. All ages.
Talib Kweli/Tuesday, July 17
On “Distractions,” the first single from Kweli’s forthcoming album Prisoner of Conscious, the famed Brooklyn lyricist relies less on his trademark personal sentimentality and more on the bottom-up sociopolitical criticism of the moment. With J. Pinder, Raz, DJ Vega the Virgo. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $25. All ages.
Meek Mill/Wednesday, July 18
This Philadelphia MC and Rick Ross protégé has some larger-than-life club-bangers to his name, and his loudmouth verses have proven to be just the kind of fuel that gets a place jumping. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444. 7 p.m. $34.50 adv./$40 DOS. All ages.
Members Only Third Anniversary/Thursday, July 19
Previously held on the roof of HG Lodge as a prime unofficial Capitol Hill Block Party get-down, the local party consortium-turned-record label is moving their birthday party indoors this year, with festivities that feature flagship group State of the Artist as well as crowd favorite Hi-Life Soundsystem, a rare Nite Owls (Barfly, El Mizell, and Mr. Hill) reunion, and master selectors dj100proof and DJ Swervewon. With Shaprece, Thaddeus David, Parker and Lace Cadence. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 8 p.m. Free.
Dark Time Sunshine/Saturday, July 21
This group tonight celebrates the release of ANX, the follow-up to the beautifully adventurous Vessel, which stood as the best local rap album of 2010. MC Onry Ozzborn and beat-giant Zavala will be smack-dab in the middle of a tour, so this should be a special homecoming. With Sadistik, Mr. Hill. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 9 p.m. $10. All ages.
Snoop Dogg/Sunday, July 22
Though he’s fallen into the mass-produced, made-for-TV (or, most recently, straight to DVD—see Mac and Devin Go to High School with Wiz Khalifa) web of pop culture over the years, the West Coast legend has a heap of classics in his bag of tricks that have forever changed the game, and he can still start a party at the drop of a hat. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444. 7 p.m. $39.50 adv./$45 DOS. All ages.
Big K.R.I.T./Wednesday, July 25
Released earlier this year, Live From the Underground, K.R.I.T.’s major-label debut, occasionally approaches glory-days Dungeon Family listenability; although it rarely stays there, Krizzle has amassed a catalog of smooth Southern jams large enough that carrying a worthwhile live show won’t be a problem. With Casey Veggies, Big Sant. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 8 p.m. $20. All ages.
Juicy J/Saturday, July 28
Talk about a stereotypical rap show: There’s somewhere in the ballpark of 20 names on the (comically animated) concert flyer. Don’t fret, though—a few of them (Smoke DZA, Joey Bada$$) should provide an enjoyable soundtrack while you wait . . . and wait to get capital-C Crunk with Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 8 p.m. $18. All ages.
Brothers From Another/Sunday, July 29
What better night to catch the Seattle (although they stay in California during the school year) duo than on their headlining debut? Their fun-loving attitudes should be accentuated by the kind of energy that only underage kids can bring to a bar. With Dave B, Shelton Harris. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 7 p.m. $8. All ages.
DJ/ELECTRONIC By Eric Grandy
JK Pop!/Thursday, July 5
Bounce back from your Fourth of July flag-waving with some decidedly un-American dance pop, courtesy of JK Pop!’s devoted survey of Japanese and Korean boy bands, girl groups, and chart hits. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951. 9 p.m. $3.
The Beat Down/Thursday, July 12
Beats in Space host and deep-disco/house crate-digger Tim Sweeney headlines this Capitol Hill Art Walk afterparty—with live vibraphones from the Mystic Vibes. With Nark, Kadeejah Streets. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 9 p.m. $8.
Donato Dozzy/Friday, July 13
This Italian electronic artist appears in two guises tonight: DJing his own deep-house and techno tunes, and performing live with even deeper ambient-house duo Voices From the Lake. With Cyanwave. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 233-9873. 10 p.m. $15 adv./$20 DOS.
Tearist/Friday, July 13
Live performance is so central to this L.A. goth-industrial duo that their debut album, Living: 2009–Present, was a collection of live show recordings. Tonight they bring their pulsing scrape-and-wail to Second Sight. With DJs Rxch Wxtch, Ozma Octavia, Sh6rl6s6, Bryce Brown. Electric Tea Garden, 1402 E. Pike St., 568-3972. 10 p.m. $10.
Capitol Hill Block Party: Decibel After Hours With Justin Vandervolgen/Friday, July 20
Dubby house producer Vandervolgen was the not-so-secret weapon behind Out Hud and !!! (as evidenced by his absence on their recent records). Miracles Club are a vogueing, Day-Glo live house outfit out of Portland. Together, expect them to turn out the Capitol Hill Block Party in high style. With Nordic Soul. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 11:30 p.m. $30 (Friday festival ticket).
Photosynthesis 5/Friday, July 20–Monday, July 23
A three-day outdoor electronic music and art festival in remote, scenic Neah Bay will naturally lean to the hippie side of things (workshops include Incense Making, Beginning Kundalini, and Intro to Kabbalah/Shamanic Practice), but amid the psy-trance expect headliner [A]ppendics Shuffle to deliver some plenty serious house and techno. Hobuck Beach Resort, 2726 Makah Passage, Neah Bay, photosynthesisfestival.com. $80–$105.
Capitol Hill Block Party: Decibel After Hours With Diplo/Saturday, July 21
Following a sure-to-be-daggering mainstage set as Major Lazer, Mad Decent boss Diplo hits Neumos’ stage to blow up the after-hours. With Astonomar, 214. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 11:30 p.m. $30 (Saturday festival ticket).
Flammable: Sunshine Jones/Sunday, July 22
Jones, of old-school San Francisco soundsystem Dubtribe, hits the West Coast’s longest continually running house weekly, Flammable, for what’s sure to be a party steeped in good-time tradition. Re-bar, 1114 Howell St., 233-9873. 10 p.m. Free.
Official xx Afterparty With Jacques Greene/Wednesday, July 25
After opening for indie-electro gloomers the xx at the Showbox, Montreal producer Greene hits the Barboza basement to light up the afterparty with rhythmically tricky yet simply soulful house tracks. With Justice + Treasure, Sounds in Silence. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951. 9 p.m. $8.
Machinedrum vs. Salva/Friday, July 27
Prolific veteran producer Machinedrum has turned his sights to bass music lately, putting him and L.A.’s Salva in good company with Bellingham riser Cedaa. With Jamison Just. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005. 9 p.m. $12.
