LOVE AS LAUGHTER, STAGGER LEE, PLEASEEASAUR
(Sit & Spin) You know the story. Ex-Lync man Sam Jayne started Love as Laughter as a solo project; Dave Schneider and Jessica Espeleta joined in unholy alliance, and they've made a couple of records, including 1999's Destination 2000 (Sub Pop). And it's good: downright contagious indie pop with an occasional classic-rock-sounding riff just to keep your ears listening. They share the bill with Stagger Lee, named after one of the recording era's most enduring legends, and Pleaseeasaur, whose music was featured in the Armageddon comedy Doomed Planet. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

CHUCK MANGIONE
(Jazz Alley) There are those who won't admit to liking Chuck Mangione, because his music is so commercial; primarily known for his lavishly produced 1970s output, Mangione's recorded work lives up to the accusation. But that doesn't mean he's no good. Mangione resurfaced a few years ago after going missing for the better part of two decades. I saw him on that tour, and let me tell you, there's more to him than the pop-jazz stuff. Good thing, too. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

HANA, ELAINE DE FALCO'S FABRIC, LOST DOG
(OK Hotel) If you're jonesing for Sky Cries Mary, you can get your fix of Anisa's soaring vocals tonight as she graces the stage with Hana, her long-running collaboration with Jeff Greinke. More ethereal and ambient than SCM, Hana is still an otherworldly experience guaranteed to delight your senses. BARBARA MITCHELL

THE PROM, LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
(Showbox) The Prom is good. Good songs, good lyrics, good melodies... seeing them live was an exercise in ambiguity for me. I couldn't get really revved up in the old-fashioned rocker sense of the term or on any real emotional level, but I still thought it was excellent. The worst thing I can say about the band is that they're harmless. The best thing I can say is that these guys write and perform terrific, melodic pop songs--the singer plays a mean piano, and the drummer is really fun to watch. JEFF DeROCHE

MARK LANEGAN
(EMP) It's unmistakable. That raspy, whiskey-soaked baritone can turn the heaviest rock song into a lullaby, and the truest love song into the saddest goodbye a broken heart could stand to hear. Mark Lanegan is blessed with the most full-bodied, aching voice in the Pacific Northwest, and if you've ever been in love and lived its hard lessons (only to forget them all in a second), you'd be a fool to dive in again without the former Screaming Trees frontman's solo CDs in your collection. KATHLEEN WILSON

PORTRAIT OF POVERTY, BARFEEDERS, CIVIC MINDED 5
(Breakroom) At this point it's doubtful that Tacoma's own Portrait of Poverty need much in the way of introduction. What you need to know: They're loud, they're aggressive, and they've been at this for years; if it's possible to play metal-edged punk with grace and aplomb, they do it. The Barfeeders and Civic Minded 5 are like-minded bands, ensuring an evening of nonstop aggro excitement. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

SUPERSUCKERS, AMAZING CROWNS, STREETWALKIN' CHEETAHS
(Crocodile) Seattle's own Supersuckers are back in the saddle after dabbling with country and surviving a long stretch without a label. Now they find themselves playing with two blistering rock bands whose live shows do their damnedest to combine the concepts of rocking out and booty-shaking. L.A.'s Streetwalkin' Cheetahs show the influence of frequent collaborator Wayne Kramer in their jam-kicking, MC5 rock and roll, while Amazing Crowns play amped-up punk rockabilly à la Reverend Horton Heat. WILL COMERFORD

KULTUR SHOCK, GUARDIAN ALIEN
(Sit & Spin) Kultur Shock by themselves are more fun than anyone's probably legally allowed on any given evening, what with their rock-out, folk-fusion sound. True, it's not unusual to base your sound on one particular genre--blues, say--and then layer other styles on top of it, but how many people do this with Eastern European music as their base? I didn't think so. Then there's Guardian Alien, who claim to incorporate sounds as diverse as metal, reggae, and raga into their music. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

VALENTINE KILLERS, THE GLORYHOLES, THE RECORDBREAKERS
(Gibson's) If you like feedback, punk rock, noisy guitars, heavy beats, attitude, and recognizable chord progressions, then get yourself down to Gibson's for this show. The particular appeal of the Valentine Killers is the fact that, while they have all of the necessary hallmarks of a first-class punk band, their music is so listenable, it wouldn't be too surprising to come across it on mainstream radio. All of you who like this kind of thing know just how unusual that is. GENEVIEVE WILLIAMS

DEFTONES, INCUBUS, TAPROOT
(Mercer Arena) As incongruous as it might seem to call an alt-metal band "sophisticated," the Deftones are light years beyond new-metal peers like Limp Bizkit and Korn. Sure, they can rage with the best of them, but (like Tool) the Deftones prove that beauty and terror can coexist--if not peacefully, then at least simultaneously. BARBARA MITCHELL

LEFT HAND SMOKE, SHUGGIE
(Showbox) There's not a whole lot you can say about Shuggie that hasn't been said--except for the fact that two members have become dads in the last year. Perhaps that just proves the potency of this local rocktastic supergroup--particularly given the fact that drummer Mike Musburger recently became the father of twins. While parenthood probably isn't contagious, the band's rambunctiously rocking songs and kick-ass live show definitely are. BARBARA MITCHELL

THE MINUS 5, NEW STRYCHNINES
(Crocodile) Local superhero Scott McCaughey and his ever-revolving group of merry men known as the Minus 5 are celebrating the release of a brand new CD this evening, as are the New Strychnines. The Minus 5 disc is available only at shows--as if you needed incentive to attend such a fun-filled, festive event, featuring past and present members of R.E.M., Mudhoney, Ministry, and more. BARBARA MITCHELL

KING OF HAWAII
(Baltic Room) It's fitting that Mark Klebeck, lead guitarist for the instrumental rock 'n' surf band King of Hawaii, gets an opportunity to flex his substantial guitar muscle in KOH's dual set here tonight. He and his brother are the carpenters responsible for the Baltic Room's gorgeous woodwork and recent expansion. KOH have also recently expanded, adding keys and percussion; and they apply the same perfectionist tendencies to their songwriting as they do to their woodwork. Don't be surprised if you leave with a tan, and sand in your hair. MARK PINKOS

78 RPM, JACK STRAW, MARC GRAHAM & ORVILLE JOHNSON
(Tractor Tavern) Around the same time that blues and jazz were terminally separated, country and bluegrass suffered the same marketing fate by major music labels. The father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe, refused such a distinction and kept his vision clear to his mandolin's marrow. 78 RPM keep the tradition alive by bringing that honky-tonk, bathtub-gin feeling to the Tractor, with a full arsenal of traditional tunes in tow. Don't expect a museum of a show, though--these guys burn like the grain alcohol you'll crave. KREG HASEGAWA

BARENAKED LADIES, GUSTER
(KeyArena) The 10 worst artists from North America, in order: Toad the Wet Sprocket, Crash Test Dummies, Stone Temple Plagiarists, Joni Mitchell, Sunny Day Real Estate, Green Apple Quick Step, Red Hot Chili Peppers, BARENAKED LADIES, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, They Might Be Giants. Spot the connection? Yes. That's right. They all play comedy rock. EVERETT TRUE

BULGARIAN WOMEN'S CHOIR
(Meany Hall) The repressive traditionalism of Cold War Bulgaria forced its state-sponsored women's choir to stick to the centuries-old basics of Bulgarian folk song. Their strange, heartrending anti-melodies break all the laws of Western music like a Bach chorale on acid, and the choir's first Western release, Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares (Nonesuch, 1987), is a folk classic. Ironically, the choir's old-school intensity probably did more to help bring about the shredding of the Iron Curtain than all the NATO missiles in Turkey. GRANT COGSWELL

(HED) PLANET EARTH, COLD, SPINESHANK
(Graceland) These bands are really, sincerely pissed off about something, and they're willing to sacrifice their vocal cords, onstage, to prove it to you. Cold, brought into the Interscope Records fold by fellow Jacksonville howler Fred Durst, named their newest album 13 Ways to Bleed Onstage, which makes you wonder if the songs really do make singer Scooter Ward start coughing up blood. The tunes show a bit of a dark, new-wave influence, primarily as a ground from which the guitars and vocals build in intensity. (hed) Planet Earth, aside from being a copy editor's nightmare, are another rap rock band from Southern California. WILL COMERFORD

TALVIN SINGH, TUBLA SET
(Seattle Art Museum) Tracing the organic connections between Indian classical music and drum 'n' bass, Talvin Singh doesn't so much push boundaries as evaporate them. A tabla player himself, he creates international music in two ways: by collaborating with worldwide artists, such as bassist Bill Laswell, sarangi master Ustad Sultan Khan, guitarist Aziz Abraham, and scads of singers from across Asia; and by making his basis digital dance music. His 1998 Mercury Prize-winning album, OK, was titled thus because it's the most common word in the world. WILL COMERFORD

THE GIMMICKS, THE CATHETERS
(Breakroom) All-ages action at the Breakroom is a really good idea, but all ages with the Gimmicks and the Catheters is one of the finest I've heard of since Bright Eyes at the Paradox. Any kid (or grown-up) who fondly gives a rat's ass about the Stooges had better be in attendance this evening to witness the legacy they created. Both bands are comprised of sweaty, arrogant, post-punk Americans, with all the swagger, bravado, and BALLS to carry fun effortlessly. The Gimmicks have a relatively new lineup, still boasting dueling lead guitars that are impressive without being wanky. This will be a great fucking RAWK show. JEFF DeROCHE

DOUGHTY, PLASTIQ PHANTOM
(Crocodile) I know little about M. Doughty's former band, Soul Coughing. They were pretentious. He was a slaphead for a singer who liked to move his hands--like SO and SO--and pretend he was reading beatnik poetry while auditioning for R.E.M. They came from New York, and exhibited all that city's worst traits--smugness, an inability to laugh at oneself, smugness. Aside from that, I hear he's a very funny man. EVERETT TRUE

JACK LUKEMAN
(Sunset Tavern) With the stage presence of Tom Jones and a quirky eclecticism that approaches Serge Gainsbourg, or even Tom Waits, Jack Lukeman offers a quality, kitschy night on the town. It helps that his booming Irish baritone can tackle the surprising range his songs run through, from "Ode to Ed Wood" to "Rooftop Lullaby." And hey--if the music's not up your alley, you can go just because he was twice named Dublin magazine's "Sexiest Man Under 25." WILL COMERORD

PINBACK, WELCOME
(Crocodile) Must be a trend--"return of the shows ruined by the WTO riots." Hopefully, nothing will derail Pinback's appearance this evening, because this San Diego band (which features members of Heavy Vegetable and Three Mile Pilot) is a mesmerizing blend of texture and melody. There should be new material to look forward to in the set in addition to the fine songs from their self-titled debut, since the band is touring in support of a brand new EP. BARBARA MITCHELL

PHIL HURLEY
(Gordon Biersch) A Spanish friend of mine thinks that Americans believe anything that's free is crap. She just might be onto something. The Gordon Biersch hosts FREE, excellent, cozy, comfortable shows by some of the city's most talented songwriters, and yet too few venture into the Pacific Place to attend them. For Pete's sake, try it. Tonight you'll be able to soak in the charms of former Gigolo Aunt Phil Hurley, whose repertoire includes stellar originals and an arsenal of all your favorite covers. BARBARA MITCHELL

JOAN OF ARC, OVAL, SUNDAY
(Graceland) The German one-man band Oval creates instrumental music exactly like its name--elliptical and spacious. Similar in approach to fellow Europeans Pan Sonic, Oval's sound is based on pulses rather than beats, and explores the peaceful, organic side of electronically created music. This is a rare stateside appearance for Oval, and a must-see for anyone looking to get more brains than brawn from a DJ set. MARK PINKOS

KYUNG SUN CHEE and LAURENT PHILIPPE
(UW Brechemin Auditorium) Just when you thought that creepy masked intruders and fatal drinking binges were all that the UW has to offer Seattle these days, something nice like a free concert comes along. Violinist Kyung Sun Chee, one of the many hardworking Seattle musicians who teach at the UW, will be playing violin with French pianist Laurent Phillippe. Last time they got together, Debussy's lilting compositions played submissive bottom to Mendelssohn's domineering oeuvre, and a good time was had by all. NATHAN THORNBURGH

STUMBLEBUM, THE SCREAMING DEVILLES, LIQUID DROPOUTS
(Crocodile) It's not Stumblebum's over-the-top self-promotion (the matchbooks! the coasters! the T-shirts!) that gets under my skin. It's not even the fact that they have a song called "Stumblebum," which even has its own dance. Heck, I might even be able to forgive the name itself. No, what truly bothers me is the fact that their songs sound like a funkified version of Matchbox Blind Melon Pilots--the mating call of the suburbs. Be afraid.... BARBARA MITCHELL