Wednesday, March 26
On “Rawks,” k.flay, aka Kristine Flaherty, raps “Swear I’m on the cusp of something great/Least I hope I am.” After seven well-received mixtapes and EPs, most recently 2013’s What if It Is, it sure seems as though the Brooklyn-based Stanford grad’s raspy voice and original blend of indie-hip-hop and electronica are pointing her in the right direction. With Air Dubai, Itch. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. $13.50 adv. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
• Twenty years after releasing its seminal grunge hit “Possum Kingdom,” the
Toadies are celebrating the anniversary of Rubberneck, the album that included that song. The group has not achieved the sustained success of some of its peers, but so help me Jesus, it still knows how to rock. With Supersuckers, Battleme.El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazon seattle.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv./$23 DOS. 21 and over. BRIAN PALMER
• St. Vincent’s discography can be categorized into two time frames: “Before David Byrne” (BDB) and “After David Byrne” (ADB). The Talking Heads influence has been evident throughout the work of this songwriter, born Annie Erin Clark; but after collaborating with Byrne on 2012’s Love This Giant, it’s clear that Clark finds herself the successor to his manic, funky throne. Her latest self-titled album ushers in the ADB era with fuzzed guitars and wobbling synth grooves, and the horns on “Digital Witness” feel straight out of the Heads’ own Remain in Light. While not a carbon copy, St. Vincent reinterprets the sound with visceral guitar experimentation and 21st-century despondency, and Clark tops it off with a new violet hairdo and sequined dresses, a clear embrace of the theatrics that Byrne made so popular with the Heads. Not one to fall in line with trends, Clark is taking herself further down the rabbit hole of weird sounds and infectious rhythms. With Noveller. The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.com/neptune. 7:30 p.m. $25. All ages. DUSTY HENRY
Through songs like “Tourniquet,” “You’ll Only Break His Heart,” and “Hitman,” Jeremy Messersmith addresses both the bitter and sweet sides of love on his latest full-length, Heart Murmurs. The Minneapolis-based indie-pop singer, who grew up in the Tri-Cities, uses light acoustic melodies both to soften dark ideas and further brighten cheerier thoughts and feelings. With The Royal Oui. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunset tavern.com. 9 p.m. $13. 21 and over. ACP
The forthcoming self-titled third release from The Apache Relay, due in April, is the band’s finest yet. More polished and focused than previous releases, the album contains a nice mix of Americana, folk, rock, and even spaghetti-Western country, guided by its love of artists like Shelby Lynne and Jessie Baylin. With The Lonely Wild, The Soil & the Sun. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 8 p.m. $10. 21 and over. BP
The Howlin’ Brothers are a Tennessee trio of bluegrassers extraordinaire. Their latest album, Howl, just released this month, pleasantly crosses the sonic spectrum into folk, blues, and New Orleans swing, keeping the Americana spirit alive while pushing it into new directions. Treehouse Cafe, 4569 Lynwood Center Rd. N.E., Bainbridge Island, 842-2814, treehouse bainbridge.com. 8 p.m. $12. CORBIN REIFF
Thursday, March 27
Shoegaze and new wave often run parallel, admiring each other from afar. Weekend is the bold high-school kid at the dance who makes the first move, offering a hand to someone across the gym. Behind the guitar noise and dreamy vocal reflections, there’s a romantic core to the music. With Cities Aviv, Haunted Horses. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, thebarboza.com. $12 adv. 8 p.m. 21 and over. DH
Stephin Merritt has written hours of gloomy, despairing, heartbreaking lo-fi tracks over the years. Electric Eels Under The Covers: A Night of Magnetic Fields Songs will take his discography down a different route, as members of local electro-pop and glam groups like Night Cadet and Glitterbang reinterpret the gloom to their liking. With Ononos, Nightmare Fortress, Butcher. Chop Suey. $5. 8 p.m. 21 and over. DH
The members of rowdy blues-rock quartet the
Strypes are in their mid-to-late teens, yet the band’s debut album, Snapshot, pays respect to storied artists like Chuck Berry, the Yardbirds, and the Rolling Stones. But the Irish foursome pulls inspiration from younger bands, too, and made waves at South by Southwest this year with its energy and attitude. Single “What a Shame,” for example, brings to mind artists like Jet and Arctic Monkeys. With The Knast. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $11. 21 and over. ACP
Friday, March 28
After 12 years in the local scene, Spanish for 100 are calling it quits. The band’s sound, as evidenced on its latest Six Song EP, is a nostalgic time capsule of indie rock as it was a decade ago. If there’s a “roots indie” subgenre on the rise, this band’s melodic guitar rock fits the bill. With Red Heart Alarm, Stereo Embers. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212, highdiveseattle.com. 9:30 p.m. $8. 21 and over. DH
Kings of Leon has one foot in Top-40 territory and the other in the world of straight rock & roll. The Nashville-based quartet has ruled the charts since its 2008 breakthrough Only by the Night, and will no doubt continue to do so with September’s Mechanical Bull. But with gritty singles like “Supersoaker” and “Temple,” KoL shows it still has some dirt under its nails. With Local Natives. KeyArena, 305 Harrison St., 684-7200, keyarena.com. 8 p.m. $41 and up. All ages. ACP
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Lost in the Dream, the new record from The War On Drugs, feels decidedly American. With whistling synths, clean guitars, and gaudy snare snaps, songwriter Adam Granduciel deals with anxiety and fear as Bruce Springsteen did on Born in the U.S.A. It’s hard not to be anxious these days amid back-and-forth politics and worries of wars overseas. As Granduciel sings on “Red Eye,” “Losing every time but I don’t know where.” With White Laces. The Neptune. 9 p.m. $18 adv./$20 DOS. All ages. DH
• The Black Lips’ Southern-tinged garage noir keeps getting better. Its fourth release on Vice, Underneath the Rainbow, enlisted the Black Keys’ Patrick Carney and Dap-Kings member Tommy Brenneck as producers, and the sound is all the better for it. With the Coathangers, Universe People. Neumos, 925 Pike St., 709-9467, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $16 adv. 21 and over. GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT
For a communal and contemporary blues experience, no band is better than Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Originally hailing from Boulder, the group has toured incessantly over the past quarter-decade playing a mix of blues and early-era alternative pop that seems to just get bluer with each passing album. The band’s latest, Black Beehive, produced by popular-blues pro Steve Jordan, includes a couple odes to blues giants Memphis Minnie and Hubert Sumlin. Featuring Ronnie Baker Brooks and Hazel Miller. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxonline.com. 8 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. MARK BAUMGARTEN
Ravenna Woods is at its best when it gives into creepy sentiments. Whether shimmering acoustic ballads or full-band post-punk slow burners, Chris Cunningham’s ghoulish vocals haunt each track and bring a much-welcomed darkness to the band’s sound. With Modern Kin, Bigfoot Wallace & His Wicked Sons. Tractor Tavern. $12. 9 p.m. 21 and over. DH
Saturday, March 29
Sioux is one of the many quality heavy acts coming out of Portland these days. Released earlier this month, its second record The One and the Many pushes past the obvious influences (think High on Fire meets Mastodon) of the band’s self-titled debut to a heavier yet more progressive sound. The result is a phenomenal release of brooding, melodic, sludge-filled doomscapes. With Ancient Warlocks, Mother Crone, Swamp Heavy, Black Bone Exorcism. The Highline, 210 Broadway E., 328-7837, highlineseattle.com. 9 p.m. $7. 21 and over. JAMES BALLINGER
• Live Air-Raid Podcast An avid podcast listener, Aaron Roden started his music and comedy podcast back in 2010, recording episodes “in my dining room, much to my family’s chagrin,” he says. Now partnered with KIRO, the show that “drops bombs of awesome in your earholes” is sometimes recorded at the radio station and sometimes from Roden’s new backyard home studio, but it always keeps things interesting. A geologist by day, Roden has recently hosted a diverse group of guests, including comedians Billy Connolly and Brian Posehn and indie bands like the Fruit Bats and Iska Dhaaf. Tonight he’ll record the show live for the first time at show sponsors Naked City Brewery’s special “Screening Room.” Beyond the controlled environment, the show that will transpire, he says, is anyone’s guess: “I am expecting the crowd to be a healthy mix of listeners to the show and people that have no idea what they are in for.” With Shelby Earl, the Young Evils, Derek Sheen. Naked City Brewery, 8564 Greenwood Ave. N., 838-6299, air-raid.net. 9 p.m. SOLD OUT. GE
• Here are some really stupid questions. Do you like beer? Music? Good times? The PenumbRa Beer Fest already knows the answer is “yes” and has you all set up. Now in its second year, this end-of-winter bash combines excellent regional suds (like Naked City’s Whiskey Barrel-Aged Sour and Portland’s Hopworks Urban Brewery’s Organic Galactic Imperial Red) with equally excellent local bands at a “crazy underground events space”so you can celebrate the return of spring in all sorts of good company. Tickets start at $25 and include seven beer-tasting tokens. With Broken Water, Dude York, Chastity Belt, the Shivas, Nighttrain, DJ sets by Peel Slowly, and Lori Goldston. King’s Hall, 2929 27th Ave. S., penumbrabeerbash.com. 5 p.m. GE
London Grammar is about to become your new favorite band. This soulful trip-hop trio was recently nominated for Best Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards, and its beautiful debut full-length album, If You Wait, releases in the States this week. Singer Hannah Reid’s vocals will floor you. Neumos. 8 p.m. SOLD OUT. 21 and over. BP
The Decibel Magazine Tour Featuring Carcass Formed in 1985 in Liverpool, Carcass is a true pioneer of death metal and the grindcore subgenre. After calling it quits in 1996, the band reformed in 2007, with a slightly different lineup, for a few festival appearances. A full reunion tour followed a few years later. Last year’s Surgical Steel (its first record since 1996’s Swansong) picks up where the band left off and made several year-end best-of lists. With The Black Dahlia Murder, Gorguts, Noisem. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxpresents.com. 7:15 p.m. $27.50 adv./$30 DOS. All ages. JB
Sunday, March 30
• Monogamy Party is one of those bands that oozes charisma. Last year’s False Dancers swaggers with a noisy-sexy-cockiness, but the real treat is seeing the band live in the right environment. The Cha-Cha’s just might be perfect, and a free show will no doubt get very packed, sweaty, and a little weird. With The Great Goddamn, Sashay. Cha-Cha Lounge, 1013 E. Pike St., 322-0703, chachalounge.com/seattle. 8 p.m. FREE. 21 and over. JB
Monday, March 31
Galen Disston of Pickwick, Tim Wilson of Ivan & Alyosha, Mychal Cohen of Campfire OK, and Ben Doerr of St. Paul De Vence have anchored the Seattle scene for the past few years. Now the frontmen are stepping out for solo sets. While it may be strange to hear Disston sing without Pickwick’s pulsing grooves behind him, this is also a chance for him and the others to showcase their talents as vocalists and songwriters. Tractor Tavern. $12. 8 p.m. 21 and over. DH
Tuesday, April 1
A Prairie Home Companion storyteller/host Garrison Keillor is the main attraction tonight, but it’s difficult to imagine his meandering tales of Lake Wobegon without his longtime pianist Richard Dworsky tinkling away behind him. Since 1986, the classically trained pianist has been Keillor’s regular accompanist not only on radio, but on multiple world tours and in the studio to boot. Along with Keillor, Dworsky has played with everyone from James Taylor to Yo-Yo Ma, and the beloved radio show would not be the same without his refined and whimsical touch behind the keys. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., 215-4800, seattlesymphony.org/benaroya. 7:30 p.m. $29 and up. GE
ZZ Ward’s music has been setting the musical landscape on fire over the past year and a half. A potent mix of hip-hop, rock, R&B, and soul, guided by Ward’s simultaneously smoky and honey-smooth vocals, her debut album, ’Til the Casket Drops, is a damn fine listen. The Neptune. 7:30 p.m. $16.50 adv./$18 DOS. All ages. BP
