The Muffs, The Tripwires, and the Suicide Notes @ Crocodile
Boisterous, in-your-face pop-punk from the 90s! Lyrics about dating total duds and other kinds of jerks! Formed in 1991 in LA, the Muffs make sassed-out hits that are driven by guitarist/lead singer Kim Shattuck’s distinctively gruff-yet-tuneful howl/croon. After a 10-year break, the Muffs made an album this year, Whoop Dee Doo, that sounds pretty much like they always did: sweet and salty and fun. Bonus: If you know your Clueless soundtrack, you probably recognize their Kim Wilde “Kids in America” cover. Wear your best kneesocks and plaid skirt to this show. EMILY NOKES
It was a sad day for the Capitol Hill literary scene when the monthly Breadline reading series became an occasional affair. But when Breadline comes back, it’s seriously BACK. Check out this lineup: APRIL Festival co-organizer Tara Atkinson, Alice Blue Books publisher Amber Nelson, prolific author Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, cartoonist Gina Siciliano, and local animation pioneer Bruce Bickford will all present new work, along with musical guest Ambrosia Bartosek. It’s a far-ranging, multidisciplinary zoo of unique talents delivered to you for free, making this the Breadline-iest Breadline that ever Breadlined. PAUL CONSTANT
Sunyata, Charlatan, and Guests @ High Dive
On his self-titled 2013 debut album, recent Chicago transplant Charlatan (aka Omar Rashan) purveys a brash brand of drum-machine-powered shoegaze rock. The songs possess engaging dynamics, bold rhythms, and a variety of riveting, occasionally abrasive textures; it wouldn’t be surprising to learn Rashan—whose voice has a not-unattractively sullen, Jim Reid–like timbre—owns several Jesus and Mary Chain records. Charlatan is a promising first effort, a quasi-difficult pop record that shows impressive instincts for dirtying up the stereo field while maintaining melodiousness. One bit of advice, though: Rashan should consider changing his alias, as the excellent electronic musician Brad Rose has been using Charlatan for at least five years. DAVE SEGAL
The Dusty 45s and Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas @ Tractor Tavern
For more than a decade, Seattle’s Dusty 45s have kept dull routine at bay. Frontman Billy Joe Huels, for instance, has been known to end sets by setting his trumpet on fire. That might not happen this time around, but you never know. In recent years, they’ve also created an alter ego: Dusty Lips (a combination of the Dusty 45s and Country Lips). Tonight, they share a bill with Detroit’s Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas. Hernandez hasn’t been performing for as long, but she’s no babe in the woods, as her 2012 tussle with EMI proves (Hernandez’s debut, Secret Evil, appears on Blondie producer Richard Gottehrer’s Instant Records). Expect a charismatic lady with a powerful contralto and soulful songs designed to make you move. KATHY FENNESSY
Universe People, No Grave, and Topless @ Chop Suey
Bellingham band Topless are an honest-to-de-la-Rocha rap-rock unit. Hard, metallic rock buttresses a chip-on-shoulder white dude who raps with enough earnestness to drive any crowd Wilde. Maybe the rap-rock revival starts here—or perhaps rap rock never went away and it’s just flown under my radar for over 15 years. On a totally different tip, Seattle threesome Universe People have risen to the upper echelon of this city’s music scene with a live show that delivers one concise, catchy number after the other. Their recent opening slot for Dreamsalon at the Highline showed them reaching a new peak of sweet yet caustic post-punk maneuvers. Kimberly Morrison’s bass is a powerful, earthy force of nature while Jo Claxton’s guitar transmits a tangy klang and staccato sting. Add Min Yee’s Budgie-like drums (see the Slits’ Cut for examples) and Claxton and Morrison’s coy, clever vocal interplay and you’ve got a hugely entertaining and danceable experience on your ears and feet. DAVE SEGAL