Music
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E-40 After the four-part Revenue Retrievin’ and the six-part The Block Brochure, Bay Area-based rapper E-40 (born Earl Stevens) is back with another series: Sharp on All 4 Corners. Corner 1 and Corner 2 were released in December. The amount of material (28 songs total) may seem like too much for one artist to handle, but E-40 doesn’t let quantity trump quality on either album. In true hip-hop fashion, there are plenty of songs about his lavish lifestyle, but in others, like “Three Jobs,” he talks about his life before fame, too. The second half of the Corners project is set for release later this year. With Nacho Picasso, Cool Nutz, DJ Swervewon. All ages. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $25-$27 adv./$30 DOS Sunday, January 18, 2015, 9pm
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Patti Smith Any way you look at it, Patti Smith is a legend. As a musician, the “Godmother of Punk” made waves in 1978 with “Because the Night” (co-penned by Bruce Springsteen), from her third album with The Patti Smith Group, Easter, and has gone on to release eight albums since then, most recently Banga in 2012. As a writer, Smith has produced an extensive collection of prose and poetry, and her memoir, Just Kids, in which she discusses her friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, won the National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2010. Smith’s artwork has also been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. Is there anything she can’t do? All ages. The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $27.50 and up Monday, January 19, 2015, 8:30pm
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Russian Circles Music truly is universal, and in a sense, that makes the lyrics optional. Chicago instrumental metal trio Russian Circles knows this, and for the past decade has let its music do the talking. On its latest album, Memorial, guitarist Mike Sullivan, drummer Dave Turncrantz, and bass player Brian Cook (formerly of Seattle outfit These Arms Are Snakes) express a wide range of experiences with nary a word-except for the title track, which features hazy vocals from Chelsea Wolfe. Songs like “Deficit” are fairly straightforward metal, while others, like “Ethel,” are lighter and more atmospheric. Either way, Memorial is captivating. With Mamifer. 21 and over. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 $20 adv. Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 8pm
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RL Grime Henry Steinway, more commonly known as RL Grime, is another artist for whom we have YouTube to thank. In 2012, the trap and hip-hop producer uploaded a remix of Avicii’s “Levels” under the name Clockwork. EDM heavyweight Steve Aoki took Grime, a member of the Los Angeles-based WeDidIt collective, under his wing, and he’s been working ever since, remixing songs by everyone from Beastie Boys and Kanye West to Rihanna and Chief Keef. Each track on Grime’s debut full-length, Void, which features Boys Noize, Big Sean, Djemba Djemba, and How to Dress Well, is just massive. “Scylla” is a personal favorite. With Lunice, Tommy Kruise. Repeats Thursday. All ages. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., Seattle, WA 98105 $21.50 adv./$25 DOS Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 9pm
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Wooden Wisdom Too many actors to count have made the foray into music at one point or another, many most likely banking on name recognition rather than actual talent to draw crowds. But Wooden Wisdom, the duo of DJ/label rep/tour manager/film consultant Zach Cowie and The Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood-who, no joke, performs as DJ Frodo-are naturals behind the turntables. The pair focuses its vinyl-heavy sets on disco and house tunes from the ‘70s and ‘80s, so while the music they play may not be familiar to everyone, it gets the crowd on its feet, Hobbit fan or not. 21 and over. Q Nightclub, 1426 BroadwaySeattle, Washington 98122 $14 Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 9pm
Centerpiece Jazz Band This Music Center Northwest combo performs. Kent Lutheran Church, 336 Second Ave., S., Kent $12.50 Saturday, January 24, 2015, 8pm
