Enjoy the last gasps of summer by taking a stroll around town to these great local shows happening this week. Our music critics have picked everything from majestic shoegazery (Ride), to the foundational sound of James Brown (Pee Wee Ellis Assembly with Fred Wesley), to the event to fill the late-September electronic-music-fest void (KremFest). Follow the links below for ticket links and music clips, and find even more on our music calendar.
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MONDAY
Bonobo
British producer Simon Green will return to Seattle in promotion of his sixth album, Migration, filling his sets with even more smooth techno, elegant orchestral funk, and soul balladeering.
feedtime, Hound Dog Taylor's Hand, Tissue
Mark Arm asserts that âgrungeâ was originally used to describe hostile Australian rock bands like King Snake Roost and feedtime. So itâs not surprising that the latter found their biggest audience in Seattle, and that many prominent grunge artists took cues from their growling bass, grimy guitar, and reductionist approach. While Seattle grunge was hitting its saturation point, Jeffery Taylor began exploring more esoteric music forms with Climax Golden Twins. Decades later, we have two provocateursâthe pioneers and the deviateâplaying together. Feedtime retain their primitive roar while Taylorâs current trio Hound Dog Taylorâs Hand tackle sublime improvisations, scorching free jazz, and austere psych-rock. BRIAN COOK
TUESDAY
Big Business with Selene Vigil et Amicis
Big Business represent a perfect example of how much you can do with so little. The two-piece drum and bass duo of Jared Warren and Coady Willis are more crushing than bands twice their size. Their low-end assault started with the release of Head for the Shallow 12 years ago, and itâs been an unrelenting force of all-out heaviness ever since. Would you expect anything different from members of legendary Northwest noisemakers KARP and Murder City Devils? Big Businessâs latest album, Command Your Weather, released last year, finds the tag team focused on one constant missionâsonic annihilation. KEVIN DIERS
I'm the One: The Music of Annette Peacock
Annette Peacock is a genius songwriter/singer/synth player whoâs barely tickled the consciousness of the masses. In a just world, her bold, confessional lyrics, avant-jazz-rock song structures, and wildly inventive synthesizer forays would be as well-known as Joni Mitchellâs work. Turning down an offer to work with David Bowie surely didnât help her profile. So Peacockânow in her mid 70sâremains a cult figure whose idiosyncratically riveting albums remain mostly out of print. Bless Light in the Attic for reissuing 1972âs Iâm the One, whose title track should be in heavy rotation on the celestial jukebox. This LP will be the focus of tonightâs tribute, featuring vocalist Nora Jane Messerich, keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, guitarist Tristan Gianola, and others. DAVE SEGAL
Martha Wainwright
The daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and brother to Rufus, Martha Wainwright is the unsung dynamo of her bountiful family tree. âBloody Mother Fucking Assholeâ off the singer-songwriterâs 2005 debutâwhich sounds suspiciously like any number of classic Loudon tracksâis one of the best parental kiss-offs in recorded history. (And it makes her brotherâs similarly melodramatic âDinner at Eightâ seem like a Fatherâs Day e-card by comparison.) The artistâs latest release, last yearâs Goodnight City, touches on everything from indie rock to Edith Piaf, affirming Wainwrightâs position as one of the most adept and eclectic songwriters in modern folk. MORGAN TROPER
WEDNESDAY
Forms: Goldie
While his name might not inspire the awe it once did for a whole generation of DJs, the drum & bass doyen and Metalheadz maestro still knows how to set things off. During the genreâs heyday in the 1990s, Goldieâor Clifford Joseph Price, MBE to the Queenâcould do no wrong, as the acts he signed were blowing up, he was joining Londonâs celebrity elite, and he released one of the genreâs most significant achievements in 1995 debut album Timeless, which featured the smash âInner City Life.â Expect a run through of D&Bâs recent history by this living legend. NICK ZURKO
Piano Starts Here: The Music of Hank Jones & Ted Wilson
Ted Wilson is one of the founders of modern jazz, and Hank Jones is one of the greatest musical minds of the modern jazz period (1942 to 1969). Both were pianists with a great sense of not only their art but its technical sophistication. Hank Jones, for example, often expressed unhappiness at the fact that the music he played was called âjazz.â He thought the word was too trite, too whimsical for a musical form that was so demanding. Jones saw himself and his art as the height of his civilization. And he played the piano like a person who has concentrated an enormous amount of learning in his fingers. The word jazz just didnât cut it for Jones. CHARLES MUDEDE
Scott Yoder, Dyed, The Pythons
Scott Yoder, former lead singer and guitarist from Seattle band The Pharmacy, will play a show with his full backing band in celebration of the release of their new 7-inch, Ways of Love, and in anticipation of their upcoming cross-country tour. They'll be supported by Dyed and The Pythons.
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY
Pee Wee Ellis Assembly with Fred Wesley
Donât know Fred Wesley? Iâm sure you have heard him play the trombone without knowing it, because he is on a lot of James Brown records. But if you want to know his own music, I recommend you begin with the Southern funk classic âBreakinâ Bread,â which is by the legendary The J.B.'s. The funk on that record is so joyful, so earthy, so American. Tonight, Fred Wesley plays with Pee Wee Ellis, a composer, arranger, and saxophonist who helped build the sound we now associate with the late and great James Brown. CHARLES MUDEDE
THURSDAY
Ephrata, Motopony, Temple Canyon
Sink into the almost-weekend with swirly dream-rockers Ephrata at their much-anticipated album release show, with support sets from folk-psych indie rockers Motopony and Temple Canyon.
Goldfrapp
Goldfrapp never topped âRocket,â which in one pop-length song encompassed menace, anxiety, the desperation to keep cool, infidelity, and a put-down for the chorus that takes several listens to properly digest. All of those things, including wit, are most of my favorite things in pop music, but âheartacheâ as âdangerâ isnât limited to smooth electronic breakup songs. An old friend of mine, married 20 years, came home the other day, his other half was gone, the kids went with her, and they took the cats in the bargain. So smooth, you see, sometimes smooths over the cuts. Even fills them in⌠ANDREW HAMLIN
Juiceboxxx, Slashed Tires
Iâve been sleeping on Juiceboxxx for 12 years, but better late than never. My introduction to his music was âFreaking Outâ from his latest full-length, Freaked Out American Loser, and Juiceboxxx (aka JB Johnson) won me over by looking like Ian Curtis and rapping like the Beastie Boysâ Ad-Rock. The production for this track is stark and funky, and Juiceboxxx raps like heâs on the brink of hysteria. Heâs a whirling ball of confusion, but he fucking means it (as urgently as Cex once did). Early Def Jam Records and Rick Rubin obviously influenced JB, and he wears the rap-rock throwback trappings like a gawky boss. DAVE SEGAL
Kyle Craft with And And And
How is it even possible to be as unbelievably catchy and ebullient as Kyle Craft? And how is it that the instant some people open their mouths or play a few notes on a slapped back piano youâre suddenly sucked up into a sweet, sad tornado of Badfinger, Emitt Rhodes, Harry Nilsson, Shoes, Velvet Crush, et al? And what happened to the days when you could see a different proper power pop band every night of the week in Seattle? Donât answer. I know what happened to those days. SEAN NELSON
Mura Masa
Growing up on the remote island of Guernsey in the English Channel, Alex Crossan (aka Mura Masa) experimented with punk, metal, and even gospel before firmly planting his feet in electronic music. Fusing future bass and R&B, trap, calypso, and hip-hop, his viral hit "Love$ick" broke Spotify back in early 2016. Mura Masaâs debut album came out in July; expect big things. AMBER CORTES
Studio 4/4: The Black Madonna
It would be an insult to call the Black Madonna an overnight success after two decades of holding it down as a Chicago house staple, whether as booker for famed club Smart Bar or at any number of the cityâs hottest house parties. Last year saw the producer and DJ rocket to global prominence with her unique blend of disco house and via headlining sets at such influential festivals as Dekmantel, cementing her status as a top selector on both sides of the pond. This show should be a barn burner. NICK ZURKO
THURSDAY-SUNDAY
KremFest
With Decibel and Chance of Rain on hiatus, secondnature and other local crews have stepped up to fill the late-September electronic-music-fest void with the first annual KremFest. Thankfully, the lineup is varied and full of names not usually seen on festival bills; if past secondnature-sponsored events are indicative, KremFest should be outstanding. Some highlights: house maverick Todd Edwards, who rarely makes it out West; long-time electro deities Ectomorph (and their constituents, Erika and BMG, in solo guise); eclectic French/Dekmantel-affiliated experimentalist Voiski; master of jagged-jump-cut electro Vektroid. And others. Frankly, itâs the others who usually end up impressing you the most. DAVE SEGAL
FRIDAY
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of Goddesses
Experience the cinematic power of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses â Master Quest, performed live by the Seattle Symphony, including a 66-piece orchestra and a 24-person choir, and accompanied by striking visuals of the video game. This concert is a unique chance to see this long-beloved game franchise in a new element that incorporates more recent releases like Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild.
LV:SK FM Album Release Party
Celebrate the release of LV:SK FM's new album Lovesick, featuring of performances from Astro King Pheonix, Nate Jack, and Tuesday (who all collaborated on the album), and Jusmoni. KEXP's Stas THEE Boss will close out the night.
LVL UP, Cende
Most of my workday (and life) is spent ignoring indie-rock bands. Rock and roll has the capacity to be the most boring and uninspired of genres, and when some deeply entitled dude is demanding you give him your time when his pet project sounds like everything that has come before it (and each that will follow), it can be difficult to get excited about certain qualities. LVL UP donât necessarily break this barrier, but they definitely insert a spring into the genreâs step. They harness their earnestness as a sort of doom-saddled-yet-youthful surge that powers each of their tracks. This is contemplative indie rock, but it shreds, with a growing-pains energy that rings true without shrugging into sophomoric feats. KIM SELLING
MDC with Guests
Throughout the years, Bay Areaâbased political punks MDC have used their three-letter band name to stand for many things: Millions of Dead Cops, Millions of Damn Christians, and Multi-Death Corporations, to name a few. Over the past 38 years, lead vocalist and only remaining original member Dave Dictor has used the bandâs frantic style of hardcore punk as a vehicle to spread an anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-homophobic message in a scene thatâs often overrun by macho posturing. Though itâs been a few years since theyâve released new material, Dictor is still pissed, playing the classics, and speaking his mind. KEVIN DIERS
SATURDAY
Alison Moyet
Queer disco pioneer and world-renowned electronic music icon Alison Moyet will return to the West Coast in support of her critically acclaimed new album the minutes.
Oh Sees, Arrington de Dionyso, Dreamdecay
John Dwyer and his long-running garage-rock band are inarguably consistent. Years pass, members come and go, names change (until recently, the group was Thee Oh Sees), and Dwyer releases a new album or two each year, no small feat considering his incessant touring. To wit: latest effort Orc is a typically Oh Sees-ian collection of rollicking psych-punk, and it will be followed later this year by another record, the bandâs 20th in 20 years, under its original name OCS. Luckily for fans, Dwyer and company remain an exemplary live rock band, no matter what they call themselves. ANDREW GOSPE
Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Courtneys, The Prids
From what seems like the very beginning of their musical life, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart have been ridiculously good at what they do, melding Stuart Murdochâquality melodies through a Jesus and Mary Chain fuzzbox on their near-classic self-titled debut LP, sharpening the edges of their sound and songs on their Flood-produced second record, Belong, and, to underscore the spiritual-melodic connection to Belle & Sebastian, making major statements on interim EPs (see 2009's Higher Than the Stars). DAVID SCHMADER
Prom Queen Album Release Show
Seattleâs Prom Queen will be hitting the Piranha Shop for their album-release show promoting their third record, Doom-Wop. Prom Queen, aka Celene âLeeniâ Ramadan and her band, have perfected the art creating a bubble-gum-pink image, while something dark looms in the distance in the sounds of their tunes. The first single from Doom-Wop is exemplary, âEnd of the Worldâ teeters on the edge of noir popâyet the bright, poppy album cover suggests otherwise, making her music intoxicatingly moody and irresistibly sweet. ANNA KAPLAN
The Shins, Foxygen, Day Wave
So let's listen to the Shins, so we can be like the kids in Garden State! (Ha-ha, sorry, I know you were hoping I wouldn't make that reference.) I listened to Chutes Too Narrow while getting ready for a big Fourth of July shindig, and it was bright and fast and fun. It starts with clapping and a "Woo!" Then it sounds like the cute boy from high school asked you out on a date, and you're driving around in his car on a sunny day. Later, you go to a party in someone's backyard that's lit with those little round Christmas lights. (But it looks like an indie movie, not a car commercialâget the filter right.) The overall mood of Chutes is of feeling young and vital and scared and adventurous. Fast strumming and cloud-sounding drums and harmonies. ANNA MINARD
SUNDAY
Andrew W.K. with Spinning Whips
Carrying the twin traditions of Detroit rock and DIY hardcore Positive Mental Attitude into a new century is a tall task, but Andrew W.K. does it admirably. Though he hasnât put out an album in years, W.K. remains relevant thanks to a hit advice column and an endless stream of optimistic commentary on pop culture and society at large. His cult of personality looms so large that itâs easy to forget that he knows how to kick out the jams. On this particular tour, the white-garbed wailer will perform with a live band composed of Floridian death-metal veterans. JOSEPH SCHAFER
Ride with Lo Moon
English shoegaze gods Rideâs last Seattle show in 2015 almost possessed the melodic bravura and crescendoing climaxes that their early-1990s performances boasted. In other words, their comeback surpassed most rock groupsâ pallid returns. Rideâs first album in 21 years, the Erol Alkanâproduced Weather Diaries, may not scale the lofty heights of their stunning first album, Nowhere, or their bedazzling second LP, Going Blank Again, but its majestic, beautiful shoegazery is better than we have any right to expect after such a long hiatus. Go to this. DAVE SEGAL
Severed Heads with Distorted Retrospect
Despite a violent-sounding name, Australian industrial pioneers Severed Headsâ best tracks were perfectly hummable pop anthems screwed into avant-garde tapestriesâwhat might happen if Throbbing Gristle played New Order. Beginning with purely industrial sounds, the actâwhich shifted into the solo project of Tom Ellard by 1981âevolved with more synth pop and dance-floor-ready EBM by 1983âs Since the Accident. From the unnervingly sinister vocal samples in âDead Eyes Openedâ to screaming as a dance-floor device in âBig Car,â Ellardâs approach is both ethereally strange and movement-insistent. Accompanying mind-shattering visuals (sometimes raining crosses and men in suits) created with analog video synthesizers transport us further into his alien universe. Never heard of âem? Great news: You can stream the entire back catalog on Bandcamp. BRITTNIE FULLER
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