Wednesday, March 20

Hayden Toronto musician Hayden Desser has toured with Feist and The National, fitting pairings for his genteel, melancholic indie rock. With Lou Canon, Ghosts I’ve Met. Tractor Tavern, 5231 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 9 p.m. $12 adv./
$15 DOS.

Service Animal On January’s The Gravity Bear Demonstration, this local rock quartet incorporates elements of psychedelic and electronic music. With Conduct Party, Animals in Cars. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 
8 p.m. $6.

The Spinning Whips This punk group plays straightforward, bar-ready rock ’n’ roll. With Mystery Ship, Branden Daniels and the Chics. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088, columbiacity
theater.com. 8 p.m. $8.

Thursday, March 21

Iceage Recently the buzz around this Danish hardcore band’s suffocating second album You’re Nothing 
has been supplanted by (overwrought, according to some) blog debate about the group’s association with white-supremacist iconography. The songs are admittedly sharp, but so are those of bands with fewer associations with skinheads. With King Dude, Gag. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951, thebarboza.com. 
7 p.m. $12 adv.

Sera Cahoone Sub Pop–signed songwriter Cahoone released Deer Creek Canyon late last year. With Gregory Paul. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, 
thetripledoor.net. 8 p.m. $15 adv./$17 DOS. All ages.

Veronica Falls released its sophomore album Waiting for Something to Happen last month on Slumberland, and it’s a quintessential record for that label: fuzzy, fractured guitar pop laden with boy/girl harmonies and nostalgic longing. With Brilliant Colors, Golden Grrrls. Tractor Tavern. 9 p.m. $12.

Friday, March 22

Kingdom Crumbs This Seattle collective—Mikey Nice, Jarv Dee, Jerm D, and Tay Sean—is responsible for one of last year’s best local hip-hop records, Kingdom Crumbs. Their cloud rap–influenced sound isn’t novel (think Main Attrakionz with more lyrical depth or a less-obtuse Shabazz Palaces), but it’s always interesting and occasionally brilliant. With THEESatisfaction, Sax G, OCnotes. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $12 adv.

Hot Java Cool Jazz A benefit for local high-school jazz programs, this Starbucks-sponsored show features the award-winning bands of Roosevelt, Newport, Mountlake Terrace, Ballard, and Garfield high schools. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., 467-5520, stgpresents.org. 7 p.m. $20. All ages.

Ted Leo’s most recent endeavor is a duo called #BOTH (a reference to the way the project formed, via Twitter) with fellow songwriter Aimee Mann. Leo will perform solo at this show. With Deathfix. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372, theveraproject.org. 7:30 p.m. $13. All ages.

Nile These Egyptology-loving death-metal speed freaks will play two sets of songs tonight spanning their two-decade career. With Theories, Funeral Age, Phalgeron, and more. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482. 7 p.m. $18 adv./$20 DOS.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra The indie-rock trio’s first album earned them the Taite Music Prize for best New Zealand album of the year. Their second one, released last month, is just as deserving. With Foxygen, Wampire. The Crocodile, 2118 Second Ave., 441-4618. 8 p.m. $15.

Saturday, March 23

Chelsea Light Moving A contrast to the mellower solo acoustic material he’s released in the past few years, Thurston Moore’s newest band better approximates the abrasiveness of Sonic Youth. With Grass Widow. Neumos. 8 p.m. $15 adv.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Even at 71, the funk innovator still tours incessantly to bring P-funk to the masses (including, in 2011, the Gathering of the Juggalos). Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxonline.com. 8 p.m. $25–$30.

Ian McFeron recorded the forthcoming Time Will Take You with members of the Cardinals, Ryan Adams’ backing band. This release show is a precursor to the album’s support tour. Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., 906-9920, theroyalroomseattle.com. 7 p.m. all ages, 9 p.m. 21 and over. $12 adv./$15 DOS.

Role One This local five-piece is best appreciated as a live act, where its visceral blend of hip-hop, rock, and reggae works best. With Bob Lovelace, Stingshark Steel. Seamonster Lounge, 2202 N. 45th St., 992-1120, seamonsterlounge.com. 10 p.m. Free.

Sunday, March 24

Joey Bada$$ On the heels of two well-received mixtapes last year, this blog-famous 18-year-old rapper is set to make his full-length debut in 2013. With Pro Era, Flatbush Zombies, the Underachievers. Neumos. 8 p.m. $15 adv.

Fol Chen With new vocalist Sinosa Loa behind the mike, this Southern California group’s sometimes brooding electronic compositions are washed in lighter, more beat-centered tones on their recent release The False Alarms. With Royal Canoe. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $10.

Lullwater is from the rich musical breeding ground of Athens, Ga., but their modern bro-rock sound doesn’t particularly show it. They recorded their latest album in Seattle at London Bridge Studios, the birthplace of some formative grunge records. With Born of Ghosts, Hunter Stroud and the Freebies. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020, nectar
lounge.com. 8 p.m. $5 adv.

Monday, March 25

Truth Under Attack This local pop-rock quintet released Forever and a Year, its debut EP, last summer. With Ionia, the Nearly Deads, Lakeview Drive. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312, studioseven.us. 
7 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. All ages.

K.Flay This Illinois rapper (born Kristine Flaherty, and not to be confused with famous New York DJ Kay Slay) gets by on goofy rhymes and extra-banging rock-tinged beats. With Special Guests. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave, 441-4618. 8 p.m. $12–$15. All ages.

Tuesday, March 26

Doldrums Emerging from Montreal’s DIY art-pop scene, Airick Woodhead’s work as Doldrums is busy, inscrutable electronic pop with a clear avant-garde bent. It’s similar (conceptually at least) to that of Grimes, Woodhead’s friend and contemporary, but there’s nary an easy entry point like “Genesis” on Lesser Evil, his debut. It’s frantic digital music for a frantic digital age. With Sean Nicholas Savage. Barboza. 8 p.m. $10 adv.

Major Lazer is widely considered vapid party music (reinforced by a wild Capitol Hill Block Party set last year), but Diplo’s electro/dub/hip-hop hybrid is a lot smarter and more self-aware than it lets on. Plus, songs like “Get Free,” featuring Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors, show that the Major can occasionally commit to songcraft as well. With Lunice. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444, showboxonline.com. 8 p.m. $25–$30. All ages.

Pure X This Austin band deals in languid, dense psych-pop, led by Nate Grace’s murky guitar work. With Swamp Meat. Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., 441-5823, jewelboxtheater.com. 10 p.m. $10.