APPLES IN STEREO,

DRESSY BESSY, DEALERSHIP
(Crocodile) Elephant 6 alert! Glittery, Beatles-inspired indie rock from Apples In Stereo, whose members also figure in Dressy Bessy. This should find Seattle's dyed-black, bowlcut, club-crawling Romulans dancing like fairies tonight at the Crocodile. --Kathleen Wilson

LILITH FAIR
(Gorge Amphitheatre) Sarah McLachlan has declared that this is the last year of Lilith Fair and frankly, it's time. When Lilith arrived, it really was a revolution--it kicked the ass of its testosterone-overloaded competitors and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that female musicians were not only a creative force, but an economic one as well. However, at this point in, um, "herstory," delivering a line-up that includes McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Beth Orton, Bijou Phillips, and a special appearance by Liz Phair, only reinforces the stereotype of female musicians as amiable gals with guitars. Still, not a bad value for your concert-going dollar.--Barbara Mitchell

RUSTY WILLOUGHBY,

PETE KREBS, DAVE KETTEL
(Tractor Tavern) Former Flop frontman Rusty Willoughby's solo material has received an amazing--and well-deserved--amount of praise around these parts, and it's only a matter of weeks before word gets out to the rest of the country since local radio stations have put him on heavy rotation. Portland's Pete Krebs also knows from high praise--be it for his stunning solo work or his collaboration with Jody Bleyle in his former band, Hazel.--KW

FASTER TIGER, BUCK, HAFACAT
(Crocodile) Faster Tiger are wonderful because-- despite being accomplished musicians who trade vocals, write hummable pop songs, and employ three-part harmonies--there's something unselfconscious and beautifully unrefined about them. There's also nothing fake, and that's reflamesected in the all-too-easy-to-relate-to confusion inherent in their lyrics. Buck (which features former Cub, Lisa Marr) should prove equally charming, and tonight provides another excellent opportunity for hearing former Posie Jon Auer's solo material.--BM

LOOPER, IQU
(ARO.space) Looper, for those of you who have been hiding under a rock, is yet another Belle and Sebastian offshoot--which means that if you're allergic to "cute" you might want to skip this show. Having said that, Looper are really good. They're funky in a lo-fi, indie sort of way and there's something irresistibly charming about the way the stories on Up a Tree just sort of spill out--tales about shy boys and girls and magical days and such. It's the sort of stuff that could induce nausea; in Stuart David's capable hands, though, it's simply endearing.--BM

NEW SWEET BREATH,

THE MAXX AVERAGE CORPORATION
(Sit & Spin) New Sweet Breath are probably Seattle's least consistent band. Any given show can find them either absolutely brilliant or utterly dismal. Just when you've written them off as hopeless, they'll deliver a set that will take your breath away; and as soon as you've been re-converted and dragged all your friends down to see them, they'll play the worst set of their career. Frustrating? Yes. But on a good night--when they've melded indie pop and Motown soul into something completely compelling and original--it's a beautiful thing to behold.--BM

WILL OLDHAM,

ANOMOANON,

JOEL R.L. PHELPS
(Breakroom) Here's your Discerning Music Lover Show of the Week as Palace/ Palace Brothers mastermind Will Oldham brings his smart lyrics and deft songwriting into a live setting tonight at the Breakroom. Almost no one doesn't love, or at least appreciate, Oldham's understated beauty and knack for stringing lines together in ways that make you feel both smart and stupid at the same time.--KW

VOYAGER ONE
(Sub Pop Mega Mart) Although more bands should follow Voyager One's example and put some effort into things like light and slide shows, what truly sets this band apart is its dizzying combination of sonics and songwriting. Today's show--at the Sub Pop Mega Mart--is a good opportunity to experience Voyager One without all the trappings. Be forewarned, though: even without the smoke and mirrors this is a band that's capable of transporting you into another dimension. --BM

BRATMOBILE, THE PRIMA

DONNAS, TENNESSEE TWIN
(Breakroom) It's been five years since Riot Grrrl pioneers Bratmobile played Seattle, and they're back just in time to kick Lilith Fair's pansy ass with a punkier version of their early '90s urgency. Opener Tennessee Twins features Bratmobile singer Allison Wolfe and her twin sister; the Prima Donnas hail from Sussex, U.K.--KW

GERALD COLLIER
(Owl 'N' Thistle) No one writes better, sadder, or more biting songs than Gerald Collier, which makes his recent shift to more of a honky-tonk direction feel like a natural evolution. And while his current backing band can often raise enough of a ruckus to obscure Collier's two greatest strengths--his cutting lyrics and his beautiful voice--they provide an excellent foundation for his tales of love gone wrong (and isn't that the stuff good country music is made of?)--BM

CHEMICAL BROTHERS,

JAMES HOLROYD
(Paramount Theater) See Calendar Box page 57.

MERLE HAGGARD
(Emerald Queen Casino) See Calendar Box page 51.

PAVEMENT,

U.S. MAPLE, SUNLESS DAY
(Showbox) The last time they came to Seattle, Steve Malkmus and Co. headlined the Paramount. This time through, they're at the Showbox--which leads us to the question, "Is indie rock dead?" If it is, you can't point the finger at Pavement. While they've often been held up as poster guys for detached irony, Pavement are actually a really great live band--something pretty rare in the indie rock arena. Still, you can't help but wonder if they'd be playing bigger venues if they added a few "oh yeahs" and some pyrotechnics to their set....--BM