Wednesday, Oct. 1

Art rock doesn’t have to be inaccessible: Ought’s latest record, More Than Any Other Day, is ambitious and experimental, but never goes too far out there. While guitars move sporadically, vocals sputter, and drums clamor, Ought manages to make experimental music that appeals to those less familiar with the genre, grounding the tracks in familiar pop and rock structures. With This Blinding Light, Deep Creep. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $10 adv. 21 and over.

Thanks to the likes of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, jazz has historically been a forward-thinking genre. Yet thanks to bland elevator tunes and Muzak, lately there’s been some perceived stagnancy in the art form. You’ll find Seattle duo Bad Luck are anything but that: Its avant-garde sound is more like the brutality of punk rock than, say, Kenny G. Chris Icasiano’s drum work is sporadic and sputtering; saxophonist Neil Welch makes his instrument leap and jump. The band is celebrating the release of its latest album, Three, and you’ll need a limber brain just to take it all in. With Tomo Nakayama. Chapel Performance Space, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., waywardmusic.org. 8 p.m. $5–$15 suggested donation ($15 will include a copy of Three).

Alt-country’s elder statesmen are all following different paths: Ryan Adams has embraced his rock roots, while the likes of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco have moved on to more experimental pastures. But Justin Townes Earle has stayed consistent with his father Steve Earle’s legacy, reliably churning out twang-filled tunes and earnest reflections on American life. That doesn’t mean he’s complacent: Earle stretches the genre to its brink with his own story of redemption—and covers of the Replacements, too. With American Aquarium, the Maldives. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.com/neptune. 8 p.m. $20 adv. All ages.

NYC indie-pop outfit Frankie Cosmos walks a fine line between being quirky and highly earnest. Its songs are short, but boast big melodies and a fun bedroom-pop aesthetic. Its first studio album, Zentropy, offers 10 songs in 17 minutes, but it’s not a punk scorcher like Black Flag. The band simply doesn’t outstay its welcome, stopping by to drop a little bit of dreamy goodness, leaving you wanting more. With Porches, iji. The Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372, theveraproject.org. 7:30 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. All ages.

Friday, Oct. 3

Aaron Carter, the Shaq-challenging onetime he-boy, is now 25 and returning to El Corazon to continue his strange conquest of the punk and metal venue. (Then again, Richard Marx plays there three days later, so maybe it’s not so strange.) Fingers crossed that the former heartthrob will bring his cover of “I Want Candy” and maybe even his seminal “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It).” With Amanda Markley, This Boy That Girl, Matt King Ryan, Steven Curtis, Domos. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094, elcorazonseattle.com. 7:30 p.m. $17–$70. All ages.

Portland’s The Dandy Warhols have seen their fair share of crazy antics over the years, signing record deals, losing record deals, and numerous lineup changes. But all those are footnotes compared to the band’s vast and influential catalog. Their blend of psychedelic rock and power pop thrived on albums like 2000’s Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia and, even more recently, their low-key 2012 effort This Machine. The band is always evolving and changing, even after two decades together. Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxpresents.com. 9 p.m. $22 adv./$25 DOS. All ages.

Through the ’90s and into the aughts, electronic music saw its first exposure to a mainstream audience. Alongside the celebrated return of Aphex Twin, some of that band’s contemporaries also deserve a revisit, including The Crystal Method. Though a bit over-the-top during its heyday, albums like Vegas, Legion of Boom, and Tweekend are serious entries in modern dubstep and EDM’s ancestral roots. Its rushing drum loops and glitchy synth lines might be the earliest incarnation of “the bass drop” in mainstream music. With Caked Up, Botnek, Darrius. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444, showboxonline.com. 7 p.m. $27–$32 adv./$37 DOS.

Saturday, Oct. 4

Lily Allen tackles feminist issues under the guise of a pop starlet. Her latest album, Sheezus, embraces Top-40 production as a means of luring in the audience. Yet her tracks are deceptively keen to the portrayal of women in the media, with tongue-in-cheek titles like “Hard Out Here (for a Bitch)” and the album name’s homage to Kanye. Never one to stray from shock and awe, Allen’s latest incarnation is channeling the right issues at the right time. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org/paramount. 8 p.m. $31.25. All ages.

Singer/songwriter Kristin Chambers was smart to name her latest record Everything Woman. It’s apt: She’s been known to bounce between alt-country crooning and synth-pop power ballads. Genres aren’t limitations for her, only different mediums to get her point across. Her smooth voice is able to morph with ease to each new aesthetic. With Verlaine. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S., 906-9920, theroyalroomseattle.com. 
8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. All ages until 10 p.m.

English outfit Kasabian are like the Jekyll and Hyde of modern rock. It’s hard to say which version you’ll get from track to track (either the grimy, gritty one or the one with the indie-rock sheen), as some of the band’s finest moments blend the two. The band’s latest record, 48:13, finds it going even further into the darker recesses of its sound. Don’t be fooled by the bright-pink cover—this is Kasabian with its claws out. With Bo Ningen. The Showbox. 9 p.m. $25 adv./$28 DOS. All ages.

Sunday, Oct. 5

Florida quintet Merchandise is establishing itself as the newest incarnation of new wave. Its latest album, After the End, revels in ’80s guitar tones and synthesizers but with sleek, modern production. It’s an answer to the hypothetical question, “What would bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees or The Cure look like if they started today?” Merchandise isn’t living the past, finding new ways to experiment with old sounds, ­but the nostalgic vibes are undeniable. With Lower, Nudity. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, the
crocodile.com. 8 p.m. $12 adv. All ages.

Monday, Oct. 6

Prog devotees rejoice. King Crimson’s sound has become even more influential in recent years. Lush arrangements and epic-scale melodies may be more relevant today than in their own time, laying a foundation for modern acts like Tame Impala and Temples. Kanye himself even sampled the band on his big hit “Power” a few years ago. 21st century, it’s all right. The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., 877-784-4849, stg
presents.com/moore. 7:30 p.m. $37–$147. All ages.

Tuesday, Oct. 7

At 35, songwriter Christopher Owens has already had his fill of excitement: He was raised in a Children of God religious community, and left his sheltered home at 16 to seek a new life first in Texas, then California. He started writing whimsical indie pop with his critically lauded band Girls, tackling topics like religious upbringing and finding love. He’s since gone solo, and is writing the latest chapter in his life with his new album, A New Testament. With The Tyde. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $18 adv. All ages.