Wednesday, Jan. 15

Benefit for the Philippines

With The Redwood Plan From the first note of Green Light

Go, The Redwood Plan lets you know you’re in for a wild ride. The dance punk quartet’s sophomore album opens with “Panic On,” whose cinematic bass riff accented with trumpets immediately brings tense, exciting chase scenes to mind. Lead singer Lesli Wood (formerly of Ms. Led) has a Debbie Harry–like voice, full of both attitude and charm, that’s effective at rallying the troops to dance, especially in “We Are the Team” and “It Goes Something Like This.” Though there are a few ever-so-slightly softer moments (“The Scenery & Melody,” “The One”), for the most part, Green Light Go is The Redwood Plan at its most high-energy, and the band doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Proceeds from this show will help the Philippines rebuild after typhoon Haiyan. With PonyHomie, Gems, Hearts as Thugs. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. $10 suggested donation. 
21 and over. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY

Thursday, Jan. 16

Folk music isn’t just about perfect harmonies and tranquil finger-picked guitars. Pocket Panda embraces the genre’s gritty, country roots, juxtaposing qualities like warm violin tones and gruff vocals. These are simple songs carrying a worrisome load, and Pocket Panda defers to downer ballads and wilting orchestral arrangements instead of upbeat celebrations. With Sebastian & The Deep Blue, Maiah Manser. Chop Suey. 8 p.m. $7. 21 and over. DUSTY HENRY

Lazer Kitty, in its own words, specializes in making “soundtracks for the cosmos.” Its new album, Moons, begins with just a whisper that conjures images of a massive ship (spaceship?) sounding its foghorn on a calm, misty sea. The record takes you on a wild ride, both peaceful and contemplative. Catch these musical space cadets tonight supporting touring Los Angeles ambient pop band StaG. With Kairos. Columbia City Theater, 4916 Rainier Ave. S., columbia
citytheater.com, 722-3009. 8 p.m. $8 adv./$10 door. 21 and over. JESSIE MCKENNA

Portland-based Left Coast Country marries upbeat fiddle-driven tunes and traditional Carolina bluegrass with Dawg-style mandolin and a West Coast jam aesthetic. It’s the sound of Appalachia zipping through our forests of Douglas fir. With American Nomad, the Blackberry Bushes Stringband, Lucy Horton Band. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020, nectarlounge.com. 8 p.m. $5 adv./$8 DOS. GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT

Jonny Lang Before Fight For My Soul hit the shelves last year, it had been seven long years since Lang’s previous solo release. In that time, Lang grew up, and so did his sound. Sure, there are the obligatory displays of epic blues-guitar virtuosity, but overall his songs are tighter and surprisingly more contemporary. Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, 425-888-1234, snocasino.com. 7 p.m. $40.55 and up. CORBIN REIFF

Golden Gardens’ mesmerizing dreampop is filled with sinister magic, foreboding mythos, and gothic auras. Aubrey Bramble and Gregg Neville use electro beats and shimmering guitar lines to conjure a bleak atmosphere, and Bramble’s fascination with the occult and mythology seeps through in her otherworldly lyrics and wistful vocals. With Wind Burial, Kylmyys. The Sunset, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9 p.m. $6. 21 and up. DH

Southern Culture on the Skids Despite the creative stall generally signaled by remaking an old record, as SCOTS did with last year’s Dig This: Ditch Diggin’ V.2, the Southern-fried rockabilly trio remains a live band worth experiencing, where instrumental chops and exuberance sit nicely side by side. With King of Hawaii. Through Friday. The Tractor, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 9 p.m. $15. 21 and over. DAVE LAKE

Friday, Jan. 17

Stag With its 2012 self-titled debut finally on shelves and a new EP, Test Patterns, getting nice airplay on KEXP, this group the station describes as “the love child of Cheap Trick and Guided by Voices” is out to bring its sound to the masses, and they’ve got the chops to put on one hell of a show. With Brother James and The Soul-Vation. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, the
barboza.com. 7 p.m. $8. CR

Minimalist and psychedelic space rock seem like competing ideas, yet San Francisco’s WOODEN SHJIPS defies that notion. Last year’s excellent LP Back to Land shows the band can make interesting psych music without relying on constant panning effects and layers of noise; sparse arrangements allow every piece of woozy, ’70s throwback rock to be heard. With Kinski, Black Whales, DJ One Eye of Portable Shrines. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $13. 21 and over. DH

Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals

Walk Through Exits Only, the solo debut from Pantera vocalist Anselmo, quickly makes it clear that this isn’t a Down or Superjoint Ritual album, but rather a cacophonous, brutal, and at times atonal one, which, while unequivocally metal, also borders on the avant-garde, with a frenzy of blast beats, arpeggiated guitar runs, and Anselmo’s growl. In a word: challenging. With Author & Punisher, Hymns. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazon.com. 8 p.m. $22 adv./$25 DOS. DL

2013 was a banner year for Justin Timberlake. He briefly reunited with ‘N Sync, appeared in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis, and hosted and guested Saturday Night Live twice. He also managed to find time to release two much-lauded albums, parts 1 and 2 of The 20/20 Experience. If he took the stage tonight and did nothing but smile and wink for an hour and a half, would anyone leave disappointed? KeyArena, Seattle Center, 684-7200, keyarena.com. 8 p.m. SOLD OUT. CR

Los Lobos is 40 years young! The genre-bending five-piece will play a trifecta of anniversary performances at the fabulous Triple Door. Los Lobos has been called Latin rock, cowpunk, Americana, folk, roots rock, and just plain rock, but you can’t slap a label on a band that essentially created a genre all their own—and that’s something to celebrate! Through Sunday. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. 7 p.m. $65–$80 adv. All ages. JM

Saturday, Jan. 18

The fellas of The BGP have put in a lot of work to perfect their live act over the past 10 years, and it continues to show. Known for its lively brand of blue-eyed soul, the act’s biggest break might have come in 2011 with a spot on season six of America’s Got Talent, but it’s the electric mix of husky soul vocals and hip-swaying storytelling that keep the masses coming back. Barboza. 
7 p.m. $10 adv. 21 and over. KP

Pharaohs of the Sun’s music doesn’t move in slowly. It rushes at you with math-rock guitar arpeggios and ever-ascending vocal lines. It’s very in the tradition of ’90s emo, like Diary-era Sunny Day Real Estate. The rhythm section grooves relentlessly to lay down the foundation for its post-rock embellishments: a vibrant mix of testosterone and meditation. With Heartless Breakers, We Say Bang, The Great Um. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212, highdiveseattle.com. $8. 9 p.m. 21 and over. DH

Martin Luther King Celebration No better way to celebrate the venerated civil-rights icon’s 84th birthday than this evening of joyful noise, sorrow-tinged blues, and gospel tunes performed by a triumvirate of the city’s best chanteuses: Elnah Jordan, Lady A, and Josephine Howell. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., 906-9920, theroyalroomseattle.com. 9 p.m. No cover. CR

D.I. Casey Royer started as the drummer for Social D before forming D.I. in 1982, whose success never quite equaled that of the bands it influenced, like Pennywise and Face to Face. When Royer was last in the news, in 2011, it was for OD’ing in front of his 12-year-old son, but let’s hope that’s all behind him. With Hedon, Dying Off, Expired Logic, The Sky Rained Heroes. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312, studioseven.us. 
7 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. DL

10th Annual Elvis Birthday Tribute Benefit show My favorite story about Elvis Presley is the time he was hanging out in Memphis with a couple of cops from Colorado when they got a hankering for a Denver delicacy called the Fool’s Gold Loaf: a hollowed loaf of bread stuffed with peanut butter and a pound of bacon. So they hopped in Presley’s private jet, flew to Colorado, and downed a couple of the bad boys on the tarmac of Denver International. Presley’s an American original who deserves a federal holiday, but for now, in Seattle, a tribute show marking his birthday, to feature the full range of his chameleonic catalog, is a great start. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Downtown Seattle Emergency Service Center. With Roy K. Combo, Andrew McKeag (PUSA), Hart Kingsbery, Mark Klebeck (King of Hawaii), Country Dave, Liam Fitzgerald (The Rainieros), Marshall Scott Warner, Angelatini (The Starjays), Tony Laborie (The Still Creek Brothers), Kevin Campion, Nick Streeter (The Western Bluebirds), Marieke Benner. Tractor Tavern. 9:30 p.m. $10. 21 and over. DANIEL PERSON

Sunday, Jan. 19

It’s no surprise that White Lighter, the latest release from Portland-based Typhoon, made a number of best-of lists last year. The band’s emotive indie rock is the type of stuff that rivals the music of the National or of previous tour mates Frightened Rabbit. Its textured orchestral arrangements and smooth melodies translate well to the stage, too. With Ages and Ages. Neptune Theatre, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/neptune. 8 p.m. $15. KP

Monday, Jan. 20

Imagine Jonathan Richman were in his 20s . . . now. What kind of weird shit would he be making? With his new EP Unltd Cool Drinks, the music of Zach Burba—known onstage as iji—is a good candidate. Burba’s irreverent, nasal tone wraps cheeky lyrics around a lush pop landscape full of everything from ’80s synth (with serious Spandau Ballet vibes on “No Monument”) and drum machines to congas, bossa nova rhythms, and playful sound effects. With Netherfriends. Lo-fi, 429 Eastlake Ave., 254-2824, thelofi.net. 8 p.m. $7. GE

The Los Angeles–based Superhumanoids have been earning rave reviews lately—accolades like “Band to Watch” (Amazon) and “Best Live Set of 2013” (San Francisco blog Yours Truly). Its debut LP, Exhibitionists, has roots in ’80s synth pop, with catchy, danceable, moody beats. With James Supercave. Barboza. 8 p.m. $12 adv. 21 and over. MICHAEL F. BERRY

Tuesday, Jan. 21

Convene. Improvise. Record every moment. Those three goals brought Crooks on Tape together in 2010. After capturing hundreds of hours of material over two years, the psych-pop band released its debut album, Fingerprint, in October. Pieced together from those improvised sessions, Fingerprint is surprisingly cohesive given its spontaneous origins. Spurts of various instruments, including brass, keys, and synthesizer, create a spacey landscape for vocals that bounce between sounding natural and mechanically affected, and drummer Joey Galvan’s percussion adds stability to guitar and bass riffs that can sometimes seem on the edge of derailing. This, though, is all intentional—the Los Angeles–based trio is only three years old, but its members are already industry pros: John Schmersal and Rick Lee were members of indie-rock group Enon, and Galvan is a former member of alt-country band Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $10. All ages. ACP

Kansas City, Mo.’s Kutt Calhoun is among the artists being groomed by Tech N9ne via his Strange Music label. His flow can turn on a dime, and the production on his most recent album, Black Gold, gives him plenty of space to maneuver. All this adds up to radio-friendly songs that don’t sacrifice technique. With Saint Warhead, Ripynt & Carl Roe, MC Sav, Cliff Tha Sav, Chris Kemp, and Filthy McNast; hosted by Neema. Nectar Lounge. 8 p.m. $13 adv./$15 DOS/$30 meet and greet. MFB