REPLACEMENTS COVER NIGHT
(Crocodile) As the host of the End's local music show, The Young and the Restless, and the previous host of KCMU's Audioasis program, Jason Hughes has consistently supported and exposed great Northwestern artists. He's celebrating his birthday by inviting many of those folks, including members of the Fongs, Polecat, and Ruston Mire, to cover the Replacements. Given the fact that the Replacements were as legendary for their drinking as they were for their songwriting, it's hard to think of a better way to mark such an occasion. BARBARA MITCHELL

DJ HYPE
(Last Supper Club) What's up lately with the major DJs slipping into unlikely venues, accompanied by only the smallest promotional trickles? Hype's a pretty big deal in the U.K., and his spliff-happy jungle has more than a few fans stateside as well. The man surely merits a solid turnout; he's been around since the mid '80s, and managed to produce a number of strong artists on his Ganja label while still playing out to massive crowds throughout Europe. Whether or not Seattle's own jungle enthusiasts will come out for him remains to be seen. LEAH GREENBLATT

PRESSURE
(Mercury) As Seattle's longest-running drum 'n' bass night, Pressure is nothing if not a trooper. Whiffle-batted from venue to venue (R.I.P. the downtown Vogue, ARO.space), this granddaddy of the local scene has picked up the pieces and relocated yet again, this time hopefully for good. Keeping a grip on its Thursday night, despite competition from young upstarts, the night offers a number of residents, including James and Colossus, while promising weekly guest DJs and MCs to be announced. LEAH GREENBLATT

BRADEN BLAKE
(Gordon Biersch) If Barry Manilow wrote the songs that make the young girls sing, former Super Deluxe singer Braden Blake appears to have penned the tunes that make them all flock to Gordon Biersch. Blake's first two appearances at the Biersch seemed to draw a healthy crowd that was as appreciative of his boyish charm as the sweet pop music he played. I don't know how many times I have to point this out, but tonight offers the opportunity to see a top-notch songwriter do THREE sets of great material for FREE, with the added bonus of being able to sit down and be treated like a grownup while you're enjoying the experience. BARBARA MITCHELL

MELODY UNIT, KINSKI, CARISSA'S WEIRD
(Crocodile) If you only see one show this week, this would be the one to pick. The Melody Unit are one of the most criminally overlooked bands in Seattle, crafting beautiful, drone-filled pop with male-female vocals. Kinski create glorious, dynamic sounds that seem to overtake whatever room they play in. And Carissa's Weird round out the bill with their lovely, delicate take on indie pop. It's almost too good to be true. BARBARA MITCHELL

RAFT OF DEAD MONKEYS
(Sit & Spin, early show) See a grown man stuff his face with more bananas than should be humanly possible when funny and charming Raft of Dead Monkeys (henceforth a.k.a. "that banana band") belt out the rock. To be honest, if you haven't seen the banana trick yet, you've probably missed it for good, since the fellas in that banana band have no shortage of ideas for livening up their gigs. Expect hot pants, dancing girls, kitchen appliances, anything. ERIN FRANZMAN

THE CATHETERS, MILHOUSE
(Sit & Spin) Not to be too dishy, but word is that the folks from DreamWorks Records have been draping themselves all over the Catheters the way teenage girls drape themselves all over... well, the Catheters. Perhaps they're hoping Seattle's underage style-kings will cure American teenyboppers of their crushes on clean-cut boy bands. And who is this Milhouse (alternately spelled Milhaus, Millhouse, and Milhous) named after? Richard Milhaus Nixon or Bart Simpson's best friend? ERIN FRANZMAN

GRAIG MARKEL
(OK Hotel) Graig Markel has left behind the brilliant but inconsistent New Sweet Breath and released a great little solo album that blends elements of soul into indie rock (a genre desperately in need of revitalization if ever there was one). The result may not be perfect, but it's pretty darned swell -- so go out and give the man the respect he deserves. BARBARA MITCHELL

HOG MOLLY, YEAR OF THE BOAR, THE LOAD LEVELERS
(Zak's) Hoo boy, that's right, come on down to Zak's for a good old-fashioned Southern-style pig guttin'! Hosted by the one and only Butcher of Boise and his masterful crew of cuttin' companions! Get front row seats and catch an ear! Bring the kids, bring the folks -- heck, bring the dog! Guaranteed to go down in the history books as a truly classic event! Be there in person and get a story to tell the grandkids! JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

ST. BUSHMILL'S CHOIR & LOTS OF GUESTS
(Elysian) If you're gonna go out and celebrate Paddy's Day, you may as well do it right and go see a raucous Irish band. Both band and audience are bound to get drunk and festive, propelled by St. Bushmill's parade of pumped-up Irish drinking songs, amid other gems. The band will be joined "at some point in the evening" by the Elliott Bay Pipe Band, John Hardy, Sam Hall, the Spirit of Cuchulainn, and Jenny Bendel. The Choir will also be promoting their newly finished CD (out on Broken Rekids), with advance copies available. MELODY MOSS

PEDRO THE LION
(Crocodile) Local treasures Pedro the Lion have a new album coming out at the end of the month that's destined to elevate them from Northwest darlings to national indie superstars. While previous releases had shone with a quiet, almost whispery intensity, there are moments on Winners Never Quit that come closer to screams. That broadening of the sonic palette will probably startle some fans, but the result adds an entirely new dimension to Dave Bazan's already great project. There are two shows this evening -- one early, all-ages affair, and a regular show -- so everyone can get their dose of Pedro before the band embarks on its national tour. BARBARA MITCHELL

ALIEN CRIME SYNDICATE, AUTOMATON ADVENTURE SERIES, PETER PARKER
(Sit & Spin) We love all these bands. Why? Because they are good, and therefore lovable. See? Everyone loves good bands. And these three bands are so, so, so, so good. They are beloved. Love just oozes from the doorjamb of the band room. Yep. Love. Good. Glad we got that all cleared up. ERIN FRANZMAN

METHODS OF MAYHEM
(Showbox) According to an e-mail sent to the Showbox, Tommy Lee "can't wait to shred your club!" If that's not endorsement enough to go see this show, nothing is. Whether you think Tommy Lee is God, wanna see the former Mr. Pamela Anderson up close and personal, or have some perverse desire to experience why most bands don't let the drummer write songs, this promises to be one hell of an evening's worth of pure entertainment. BARBARA MITCHELL

JARED CLIFTON OF RADIO NATIONALS
(Two Bells Tavern) Radio Nationals singer Jared Clifton will be bringing his twangy pop sensibility to this special solo acoustic show. Swing by and watch as his many, many girlfriends sigh. ERIN FRANZMAN

FIONA APPLE
(Paramount) Fiona Apple scares me. Unlike Tori Amos, who envisions a world filled with faeries and cornflake girls, Fiona lives in the real world (not to be confused with the Real World, by the way -- which is a whole 'nother story altogether). It's a place where there is no black and white, and anyone (including yourself) can be a criminal. There's a haunted look behind those eyes, and you can bet there are gonna be some demons that get worked out on stage. BARBARA MITCHELL

THE SPORES
(Graceland) People call me mean and stupid all the time for the things I say about bands. But at least I'm not as mean and stupid as the person who dissed the Spores by saying, "They're not original." What band is original? Let's have that conversation right after we address that other overused, unproductive insult, "They're not the best band in the world." Because the best band in the world is -- ? Please, people. Be reasonable. The Spores are certainly entertaining, if weirdly so; they sound good, if weirdly so; and there's nothing to stop you from enjoying their "unoriginal" show. ERIN FRANZMAN

OPEN MIC WITH RICKY
(Easy Street Pub) You may think Ricky Martin is accepting Grammies, turning people on and bringing the night alive as he tours the world, and leading the "Latin Explosion!" in high style. But he's not. He is really an indentured servant at the Easy Street Pub. His vagabond dad owed the owner of the ESP a lot of money for reasons unknown to the public but obviously related to the import of exotic birds, and before Papa Martin died, he willed his son to the ESP. But Ricky was brought up in Puerto Rico by his mom, and never knew. When he began to really get big, the ESP revealed their secret deal and demanded his services. So come catch the REAL Ricky Martin and party down at the ESP! JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

WARREN ZEVON
(Century Ballroom) Know what Warren Zevon says about his new album, Life'll Kill Ya? "I kept the production level down so I could faithfully recreate [the] album playing in saloons in Korea, when my career goes down the toilet." Oh gosh, why would he think that? ERIN FRANZMAN

STUMBLEBUM
(Showbox) I think I've developed an unhealthy obsession with Stumblebum. There are Stumblebum matchbooks that litter my home -- they're right there beside the Stumblebum coasters. I often lie awake at nights wondering if I have what it takes to be a Stumblebum dancer. I ask myself why other, obviously less career-minded bands haven't written theme songs like the one that I'm pretty sure is called "Stumblebum" that makes people line dance and raise their fists in the air. I spend hours trying to figure out what a "stumblebum" is. Now you, too, can experience the "genius" that is Stumblebum. (And yes, this is a cry for help....) BARBARA MITCHELL

SEBASTIAN BACH
(Ballard Firehouse) Sebastian Bach has not cut his hair. In fact, it's now more layered and bleached than ever. See, Bach knows what Chris Cornell forgot: Your hair is your power, Samson. Why was my friend removed, kicking and crying, by two security guards from the taping of a Skid Row television performance over 10 years ago? What do you think she was trying to give Sebastian Bach? Not her panties. Not her phone number. Not her copy of Skid Row to autograph. Nope, folks, she was trying to give him her black leather hair scrunchie to sweep back his streaming, silken locks. And as she tells it, he took that hair scrunchie from her outstretched hand -- his fingers brushing against her painted-black nails -- just moments before the Neanderthal bodyguards grabbed her on each side with their meaty paws, practically dislocating her shoulders as they lifted her off the ground and threw her out. But she's sure that if she'd been able to stay one minute more, Bach would've put his hair into a ponytail using her scrunchie -- thus allowing him to see, to truly and finally see that she was meant for him -- and he would've pulled her onstage and proposed right there, and they'd have eloped to Vegas that very night. And likely it's because those security guards removed my friend that night that Sebastian Bach is playing the Ballard Firehouse tonight instead of living in nuptial bliss. ERIN FRANZMAN

GRANDADDY
(Crocodile) They're massive in Europe and they're from Modesto, CA. That alone should raise your curiosity. Grandaddy are also fucking great -- the kind of band that's whispered about by all the right people for all the right reasons. It's been three years since they put out their last (and only full-length) album; fortunately there's a new one on the way, and it builds on the lo-fi, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink brilliance of their earlier work. In fact, it comes dangerously close to "rocking" in some parts. There's an atmospheric magic to what these guys do that comes across especially well in their live show. Don't miss it this time, because you'll undoubtedly be seeing them in a larger venue next time around. BARBARA MITCHELL

HARDLINE WEDNESDAYS
(Graceland) Jesus Christ, it seems like every club and their mama has their own DJ night these days. Thankfully, Graceland's picked a pretty good start-up crew: Hardline promises to bring "breakbeat, techno, hip hop, hardcore" -- and few girls around here do that better than resident Naha. Joining them not once but twice on this month's calendar is S.F.'s Funky Techno Tribe member Roman, and tonight promises a B-boy competition with break dancers. Bust the Adidas and bring down your cardboard, or just stand by and watch the people who actually know what they’re doing. LEAH GREENBLATT

JON AUER, SKYWARD

(Showbox) Jon Auer should need no introduction—and no endorsement to make you go see him play, provided you like good music. (FYI—the ’N Sync cover that’s been popping up in the set lately is pretty darned great.) Skyward, on the other hand, might. Who’s in this incarnation is still a mystery, but the mainstay of this outfit is bassist extraordinaire Joe Bass (although you might know him as Joe Howard or Joe Skyward). He and his lovely and talented daughter Brett will no doubt be joined by some of Seattle’s finest musicians as they explore what happens when you mix rock-solid grooves with pop and occasional experimental elements. BARBARA MITCHELL