Kady Z

Wednesday, August 14

Pop act Kady Z has been performing since age 3, no doubt inheriting a love of performance from her actress/singer mom, Pia Zadora. But where Mama leaned ’80s girl rock, Kady Z takes inspiration from the likes of Robyn and Gwen Stefani. On the surface, Z’s debut, Ordinary Girl, is a collection of sparkly, club-ready dance cuts with a Disney disposition, but digging deeper, you find a soulfulness in her voice that makes her music compelling. Is she for tweens? The party girls who first heard her music on the finale of Jersey Shore? Or someone else? This intimate lounge show is the perfect opportunity to decide for yourself. With Amanda Markley, Lover Fighter, and guests. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 8 p.m. $8 adv./ $10 DOS.

KEEGAN PROSSER

Wild Child

Thursday, August 15

“I think it’s my new cooking and dreaming music,” says a YouTube commenter. “So beautiful. Like a day dream.” They’re referring to Pillow Talk, the debut album from indie-folk seven-piece Wild Child. Alexander Beggins and Kelsey Wilson split lead vocals, creating melodic conversations between themselves that draw comparisons to the harmonies of boy/girl vocal teams like She & Him. Yet there’s a darker feel to this group. The strings (ukulele, violin, cello, banjo, and bass), plus Evan Magers on keys and Carey McGraw on drums, add a brightness to love songs whose lyrics aren’t always so shimmering. The band’s second album, the Ben Kweller–produced The Runaround, is set for an October release and promises to be as dreamy and introspective as its debut. With Ian Cooke and Whiskey Shivers. Fremont Abbey, 4272 Fremont Ave. N., 414-8325. 8 p.m. $9 adv./$12 DOS. All ages.

AZARIA PODPLESKY

The Moondoggies

Friday, August 16–Saturday, August 17

With Adios, I’m a Ghost, the Moondoggies have created a classic-caliber album by holding onto the good and heaping “even better” on top. The harmonies and meandering guitar parts that recall the core influences of The Band and the Grateful Dead remain, as does that roiling, humming Rhodes. But songwriter Kevin Murphy has taken his craft to the next level, minting some iconic lyrical turns set against songs that are both more intricate and relaxed—courtesy, one would guess, of the addition of multi-instrumentalist Jon Pontrello. The players possess just the right part for the moment and the knowledge of when exactly that moment is, resulting in an album that rewards patience with a big breakdown (as in the anthemic, rumbling “One More Chance”) or a cleansing meditation (as in the long jam “Stop Sign”). But patience is easy given the band’s generous tempo and undeniable groove, which in a live setting gets the willing to dance at a rate currently unmatched by any other Northwest band. With Country Lips and the Quiet Ones (Fri.) and Gold Leaves and Kevin Large (Sat.). Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9:30 p.m. $15.

MARK BAUMGARTEN

The Melvins

Friday, August 16–Saturday, August 17

Listening to the Melvins is an important part of being a Pacific Northwest music fan. It gets your blood pumping while reminding you it’s sunny here only a few months of the year—a reality that forces you back into the basement where you belong. Starting off as prickly ruffians the industry was forced to embrace, Buzz, Dale, and co. have kept at it roughly 30 years, a longevity that flies in the face of the die-or-get-boring grunge-band archetype. Through it all, they’ve delivered truckloads of beefy sludge metal, influenced the likes of Nirvana, and toured like maniacs. Last year they released the grisly sounds of Freak Puke, which sounds like a wild hair that’s been growing on Buzz’s head since ’86. They’ve spent a healthy amount of their career in California, but still rock like they never left our little corner of the country, and they don’t want you to forget it. With Honky. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 8 p.m. $22. 21 and over.

TODD HAMM

Royce the Choice

Sunday, August 18

Seattle punch-liner Royce the Choice headlines this local cast of slick talkers. Choice’s newest offering, the Talk Ain’t Cheap EP, is a spacious five-song collection with fistfuls of quips (like “I used to sell green like the produce section/Now it’s mean 16s on the Pro Tools sessions”) exhaled effortlessly in his husky tenor. More than just a pile of one-liners, his songwriting has developed a real catchiness, making his tracks prime candidates for mainstream radio rotation. The undeniable star of the bill is golden-voiced MC Porter Ray, whose debut Blk Gld LP is outstanding. His lyrics jog through pristine jazz loops, easing you into his world, telling stories with an artful flair. Hit Neumos early—this dude should not be missed. With Spac3man, Cam the Mac, Porter Ray, Ye’D. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 8 p.m. $10. 21 and over.

TH

The Honky Tonkers

Monday, August 19

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a country revival happening in Ballard, a ’hood whose stages and dance floors in recent years have seen more Tony Lamas than a Texas roadside honky tonk. Thing about those honky tonks and the dancers that fill ’em—they didn’t learn those moves overnight (keeping time on your feet to a 2/4 beat is harder than it looks). Tonight, under instructor Sean Donovan’s direction, you’ll have a chance to learn the steps that make the boots scoot—without stepping on any toes. Accompanied by the Honky Tonkers’ West Coast twang—think Lefty Frizzell and Buck Owens—you’ll be two-stepping in no time. Just take it easy on the beer, cowpokes. You’ll want to remember how to do it next time. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 8 p.m. $5.

GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT