Wednesday, April 2
A Happy Death I’m going to be honest: I asked to write about this band before I even heard its music based solely on its name, which the Portland group lifted from Albert Camus’ first (and only posthumously published) novel. A sort of rough draft for The Stranger, the book holds a place in my heart for its more hopeful brand of existential quandary. As it turns out, the band is fantastic, too (thank God). Dark and psychedelic, A Happy Death delivers rumbling, brooding barn-burners as likely to erupt with existential angst as to shimmer with transcendental synth washes. A sort of delightful darkness—a happy death indeed. With the Madcaps, the Sun Thieves. 2 Bit Saloon, 4818 17th Ave. N.W., 708-6917, the2bitsaloon.com. 9 p.m. $5. MARK S. BAUMGARTEN
While branding itself in black and white, stagewear and music videos included, California-based five-piece the Neighbourhood combines indie rock with R&B vibes to create an original urban-rock sound. The band had a big year thanks to its smooth single “Sweater Weather” from 2013’s I Love You, and will try to keep the momentum going with upcoming project #000000 & #FFFFFF. With Kitten, Born Casual. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444, showboxonline.com. 8 p.m. $26.50 adv./$29 DOS. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Sharon Jones was already an unlikely story, her career as a fiery soul singer not starting until age 40. Now 57, the Atlanta native is recovering from stage 1 bile-duct cancer and touring on an excellent album that sat on the shelf for a year while she underwent chemotherapy. This unfortunate, harrowing, and scary period has refocused the music media’s attention on Jones for the moment—and it’s a good moment for the singer and her backing band, as reports suggest the act is delivering some of the most vibrant performances of her powerful career. The attention will, one hopes, elevate her to her proper place in pop-music history as one of the soul greats. So, yeah, you should go to this show. (Repeats Thurs.) With James Hunter. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxonline.com. 8 p.m. $29.50 adv./$31.50 DOS. All ages. MSB
Paper Machete takes modern indie rock and filters it through funky grooves. Thudding, R&B-drum-machine-like thumps and ethereal organ sounds resonate underneath chunky guitar chords throughout the band’s 2013 album Birthday!. Its sonic experimentation doesn’t distract, but instead underlines its emotive melodies and lyrics. With Last Great Fire, Gerhardts. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. $6. 9 p.m. 21 and over. DUSTY HENRY
When Zach Davidson first formed Seattle’s Vendetta Red, he served as the city’s mainstream emo offering, and his voice fell right in line with the genre’s ragged yet soaring essence. Now he’s debuting a new project, Zach Davidson and the Irresistibles, live. With Aaron Daniel. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. $5. 8 p.m. 21 and over. DH
Thursday, April 3
Gothic doom surrounds Strap on Halo’s discography. Layla Reyna’s vocals rise like smoke over reverby guitars and electronic drum loops. The haunting sounds of industrial rock suit her vocals as she belts out frightening songs about the occult, and dreamy melodies only serve to advance the nightmare ideas she’s trying to get across. With DJ Augustine Strange, DJ Coldheart. the Spider Ferns. Highline, 210 Broadway Ave. E., 328-7837, highlineseattle.com. $8. 9 p.m. 21 and over. DH
In a 180-degree turn from Deftones, the metal band he’s fronted since the late ’80s, singer Chino Moreno gathered Chuck Doom and Far’s Shaun Lopez to form ttt, or Crosses. The band’s self-titled debut features remastered versions of its first two EPs, plus five new songs. Lead single “the Epilogue” shows a new side to Moreno’s voice that’s both soothing and powerful. With JMSN. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/neptune. 8:30 p.m. $20 adv./$22 DOS. All ages. ACP
Friday, April 4
Good to Die’s Constant Lovers is constantly loving its thrash-guitar lines. The band’s new album, Experience Feelings, is guitar hook after guitar hook of roaring buildups and hard stops. Joel Cuplin’s voice shrieks with fervor, never releasing the listener from his intensity. With Gaytheist, Tartufi. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005. chopsuey.com. $8. 9 p.m. 21 and over. DH
G. Love & Special Sauce We will always have a soft spot for the performer of “Cold Beverages.” With Ethan Tucker. The Showbox. 9 p.m. $25. SW
It’s far too easy to take Girl Trouble for granted. The Tacoma garage-rock stalwarts have been bouncing around western Washington’s club circuit and beyond for three full decades, propelled by Von Bondie’s thumping drums and the Big Kahuna’s gritty guitar lines. But performances have become more of a rarity and should be treasured. As Von Bondie told Seattle Weekly when the band celebrated the reissue of its debut Hit It or Quit It last year, “We have been very involved in caring for elderly parents. Not very ‘rock,’ but it’s a responsibility we take seriously.” With Dirty Sidewalks, DJ Tim Hayes. Slim’s Last Chance, 5606 First Ave. S., 762-7900, slimslastchance.com. 9 p.m. $10. 21 and over. MSB
Ra Scion and Vox Mod Former Common Market affiliate RA Scion has teamed with synth-pop producer Vox Mod for a decidedly “turnt” crossover project. The partnership seems mutually beneficial as it gives newfound energy to Scion’s flow and viciousness to Vox Mod’s vibrant beats. It’s a Watch-the-Throne-like pairing, but it strives for experimentation over luxury. With Noah Gundersen, Daniel Blue. Sunset Tavern. 9 p.m. $7. 21 and over. DH
Chinook Fest Lineup Perhaps no festival in Washington is making so valiant an attempt to bridge East and West than Chinook Fest. The annual event, held at Jim Sprick Community Park in the southeastern foothills of the Cascades, was started by members of local outfit Cody Beebe & the Crooks and is a sort of roots-rock rave, enveloping a wide range of acts that fall somewhere on the flannel spectrum. Who exactly will rattle the leaves off the trees at Jim Sprick this fall will be revealed tonight, along with a taste of some raucous country blues, courtesy of Southern California band and Chinook alum, Robert Jon & The Wreck. With Rust on the Rails, Sweetkiss Momma, Nick Foster, and more. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $10. All ages. MSB
Saturday, April 5
Mind Over Matter, the second album from California-based alt-rock quintet Young the Giant, is full of the same guitar-driven rock jams fans have come to know and love, including lead single “It’s About Time.” But there are a few surprises. Songs like “Firelight” and “Camera” show a more subdued side of the band, while “Paralysis” closes the album on a synth-heavy note. (Repeats 8 p.m. Sun.) With Vance Joy. The Showbox. 9 p.m. $29.50 adv./$32 DOS. All ages. ACP
Joe Ely is a chameleon. He has spent the last 40-plus years jumping from album to album, alternating genres and styles with every new project. Joined onstage by David Ramirez, look for Ely to take a break from the Tex-Mex flavored rock & roll of late for a new exploration of traditional American folk music. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.com. 8 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. CORBIN REIFF
Simon Hutchinson, a composer and instructor at the University of Montana, plays his iPad like an erhu, making long strokes across the screen to elicit exotic sounds for Western ears. For the fifth time since 2008, students from UM and Western Washington University will present the Electroacoustic InterExchange, a description of which is just as elusive as the title suggests. Suffice it to say that music from iPads will be just the beginning, with Kinect controllers, a Wiimote inside a ball, and something called “computer vision” all employed in the performance of songs like Hutchinson’s “Ballad of Mike Mansfield,” proving that it’s not just students from Evergreen who can be complete and awesome weirdos. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., 906-9920, theroyalroomseattle.com. 5 p.m. Free. All ages. DANIEL PERSON
Michael McDonald The former Doobie Brother is still going strong. Emerald Queen Casino, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, 253-594-7777, emeraldqueen.com. 8:30 p.m. $50 and up. SW
Dum Dum Girls Sub Pop’s lo-fi girl-pop group released its third full-length, Too True, in January. With Blouse, Grave Babies. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. SW
Bruce Cockburn The Canadian folk rocker always brings a political bite to his tunes. The Neptune. 9 p.m. $46.50. SW
Sunday, April 6
Charlie Parr’s history does not stretch back as far as his rousing and rugged folk blues suggests. In fact, the Minnesota guitarist didn’t start recording music until the 21st century, but his precise expression on that old National resonator guitar is timeless, delivered with the natural flair of an old hand and putting him alongside heroes like Charley Patton, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Leadbelly. With Betse Ellis of the Wilders, The Blackberry Bushes Stringband. Tractor Tavern. 8 p.m. $10 adv. MSB
Stanley Jordan’s guitar playing is truly awe-inspiring. His two-handed tapping technique makes Eddie Van Halen look like a schmo, allowing him to play more than one guitar at a time and even guitar and piano simultaneously. But he’s not a soulless shredder either, moving between jazz and pop as elegantly as he plays. The Triple Door. 7:30 p.m. $25–$35. DAVE LAKE
Monday, April 7
McCaw Hall is the perfect setting for Bryan Ferry, well suited to his sartorial sophistication and his orchestrated musical output both as a solo act and as the leader of influential art-rock band Roxy Music. At 68, Ferry is just as musically active—and musically daring—as he was as a young man. In 2012 he released The Jazz Age, in which he reworked his older songs as 1920s jazz numbers, while last week saw the release of his version of Robert Palmer’s “Johnny and Mary” remixed by Norwegian dance-music king Todd Torje. Ferry is one of those rare artists who can segue seamlessly between his own material and covers without creating a chasm between the two. His Seattle stop, one of just a few West Coast dates surrounding his Coachella performances, promises “40 years of career highlights,” which will likely include the staples (“Do the Strand,” “Love Is the Drug”) alongside covers of John Lennon, Van Morrison, or even Lana Del Rey. One thing you know Ferry will indubitably deliver, however, is class. With Dawn Landes. McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., 733-9725, mccawhall.com. 7:30 p.m. $45–$65. DL
Chuck Ragan was one of the first punks to reinvent himself as a troubadour when Hot Water Music broke up in 2005. His fourth album, Till Midnight, is his best yet, and his touring band features members of Lucero, Social Distortion, and the Wallflowers. With The White Buffalo, Jonny Two Bags. Showbox. 8 p.m. $20 adv./ $22 DOS. 21 and over. DL
Tuesday, April 8
With LCD Soundsystem gone, the disco-dance-pop crown is up for grabs. Fellow DFA Records artist Factory Floor seems like a suitable successor. Mixing glitch synth lines and harsh drum claps, the band captures the feeling of fever-dancing across an abandoned warehouse. Think Footloose with an experimental, underground soundtrack. With DVA Damas. The Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $12 adv. 21 and over. DH
Martin Taylor has spent the great part of his celebrated career working in collaboration, holding his own while trading guitar licks with the likes of Jeff Beck, Tommy Emmanuel, and Chet Atkins, to name a few. In the intimate confines of Jazz Alley, one of the world’s greatest acoustic-guitar players will show what he can do while riding solo. Through Wednesday. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729, jazzalley.com. 7:30 p.m. $25.50. CR
On his debut album, Sweet Disarray, bespectacled British musician Dan Croll bounces from folk to indie pop to electronica and back, often within the same song. Rather than muddle the music, the 23-year-old Croll’s genre-juggling adds a bit of funk to more heartfelt lyrics. And touches of Afrobeat influence and steel drums make an already lively album even more vibrant. With Panama Wedding. Neumos. 8 p.m. $15. All ages. ACP
More than a year after it was released, “Pompeii,” the fourth single from indie-rock quartet Bastille’s debut album, Bad Blood, is still a radio staple, both in the U.S. and the band’s native England. The group’s lyrics about the city destroyed by Mount Vesuvius make for a percussion-heavy song that’s cinematically vivid and engaging. With To Kill a King. Showbox SoDo. 9 p.m. SOLD OUT. All ages. ACP
For singer/songwriter/globetrotter Susy Sun, naming her sophomore album Wanderlust was a no-brainer. Sun, who has spent time in London, Greece, and Spain, sings about love lost and gained in her textbook indie-pop voice while backed by the Passenger String Quartet. As a special treat, Wanderlust includes “Piano Impromptu,” which lets Sun’s background as a classically trained pianist take center stage. With Naomi Wachira, Whitney Lyman. Triple Door. 7:30 p.m. $15 adv./$18 DOS. All ages. ACP
