SOLEDAD BROTHERS, A-FRAMES, THE CHARMING SNAKES
(Crocodile) Soledad Brothers frontman Johnny Walker sings the blues with a lazy style. Not that he lacks skill or ambition, it's more that he allows the words to roll off his tongue slowly, as if he's spent the day drinking in the hot sun. The ease with which he tells tales about living in a trailer down by the tracks differentiates the Soledad Brothers from the current crop of white boys with the blues (the Black Keys, the White Stripes, the Immortal Lee County Killers), but these guys are just as good as their pasty-skinned peers. To keep things interesting, the Brothers have been paired this time with the A-Frames, a brooding local trio with more grays than blues, as they layer their wiry post-punk with dark lyrics. JENNIFER MAERZ

RIGHT ON
(Re-bar) Right On never fail to put on a good show, but another good reason to go see them tonight is to buy a copy of their single, "Buried Alive/Love." In my mind it's easily the best single by a Seattle band this year, but it seems chronically unavailable in local stores. "Love" is a perfectly put together song, built around a pulverizing two-chord riff. "Buried Alive" is a more straightforward garage stomper, but not one-dimensional. You could describe them as a garage band but there's nothing retro about their sound, no attempt to recapture an era but the one they're playing in now. HEATH HEEMSBERGEN

GIRLS AGAINST BOYS, RADIO 4, MINUS THE BEAR
(Crocodile) See preview, page 39.

INTERPOL, HEATHER DUBY
(Graceland) See preview, page 37.

RASS KASS, EYEDEA & ABILITIES, SLEEP, BLUE SCHOLARS (I-Spy, early) See preview, page 41.

CONSOLIDATED WORKS RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY
(Consolidated Works) The folks at Consolidated Works are opening their new home at 500 Boren Ave N, and we're all invited to the party! To make the event special, Mayor Greg Nickels will be there to cut the ribbon. Then Greg Vandy, Darek Mazzone, the Tennessee Twin, and DJs Shingi and Kid Hops will be rockin' your socks while you enjoy the plethora of food, drink, art, film, and oh so much more. MEGAN SELING

WAXWING
(Sonic Boom Records, Ballard) Maybe you thought because lead singer Rocky Votolato is doing so well with his solo career, his rock band, Waxwing, would be pushed to the back burner. Or maybe you'd assumed that because guitarist Cody Votolato is also in the Blood Brothers, there'd never be time for Waxwing to get anything done. Well, you're all wrong! Successful side projects, uh, aside, the band finished a new record, which is set to drop October 1. Now they're getting a jump on things, playing a couple shows in honor of its release. If you can't wait until the official release party at the Paradox on September 21, then drop by the band's in-store performance at Sonic Boom (Ballard location) and pick up a copy of the new album--which, I should say, is more rock than their previous darker/moody sound, and that's okay. MEGAN SELING

BILL MONROE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY W/ DANNY BARNES, JACK STRAW, BARBED WIRE CUTTERS, PETE MARTIN
(Tractor) I had very little interest in the evolution of bluegrass until viewing the beautifully told history captured in the 1994 film High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music, a documentary by Rachel Liebling. The film cast stark black-and-white concert footage against rudimentary bluegrass and its progression from the Kentucky hills to become a major influence for many of today's alt-country artists. One of the finest aspects in High Lonesome is the story of bluegrass founder Bill Monroe. Since his death in 1996, the Tractor Tavern has thrown an annual birthday party in Monroe's honor, where local artists such as former Bad Livers member Danny Barnes, Jack Straw, Barbed Wire Cutters, and Pete Martin play tribute to a much deserving hero. KATHLEEN WILSON

BLÖÖDHAG, HOLY GHOST REVIVAL, FIENDISH PLOTS
(Sunset Tavern) Seattle's Holy Ghost Revival are a little bit glam and a little bit rock 'n' roll, adding the twinkle of piano keys to create dramatic rock 'n' roll embellishments. So far, I've only heard these guys on disc, but they remind me of both Pleasure Forever and an old San Francisco act called Nerve Meter, in the Bowie style of bombastic rock. JENNIFER MAERZ

IN FLAMES, SLAYER, SOULFLY
(Paramount) See preview, page 41.

PRINCESS SUPERSTAR, MICHAEL ANTONIA, CHERRY CANOE
(Chop Suey) See Speaker Freak, page 45.

GUSGUS, BALLIGOMINGO, UNITED STATES OF ELECTRONICA
(I-Spy) On their third full-length album, Icelandic artistic collective gusgus have created an icy soundtrack for stylish chill-out sessions. Unlike their previous records, which used more understated beats and rhythms to slink around the dance floor, Attention places its techno pretensions up front, thickening the cheese on the synth beats in places (to complement lines like, "I still have last night in my body"), and adding effects-laden guitar riffs in others. This time around, the small gusgus army of photographers, filmmakers, singers, actors, and musicians has been stripped back a bit, but the result is no less interesting a blend of house and tech pop. JENNIFER MAERZ

MIDRIFFS, TOUGH LOVE & THE BELLANASTI, PIST'UNS
(Industrial Café) Lots of bands smack together the sass of the Stones with the grit of the Wipers, but most of them take themselves more seriously than a bookrack full of Derrida. That's why Portland's Tough Love is such a fresh surprise. They combine all those things (even a little of the Derrida), but are more concerned with showing you a good time than actively trying to get laid from the stage. (Although the singer's been known to remove his shirt every once in a while.) Furthering the fun-athon are their three sexy, raunchy backup singers, the Bellanastis, whose chutzpah puts this band's live performance over the top of rock into sheer theater. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

THE PINKOS, CARRIE AKRE, KIM VIRANT, AMY STOLZENBACK, SHEZAM BURLESQUE, SPOKEN WORD W/MARTHA LINEHAN, TRISHA READY & THE WEST MARGINALS
(Sit & Spin) Trisha Ready is an incandescent human whose worldly compassion flows through her fingertips into the pages of her prose. She writes fiction as well as social and book criticism for The Stranger and other publications. Her current project with the West Marginals, a country-western band, blends her clear and lyrical prose with clear and lyrical music. CHARLES MUDEDE

TIME TO FLY, LONG SINCE FORGOTTEN, ALL WOUND UP, MAP OF JUNE
(Paradox) Back in February, when local pop punk/rock label Rocketstar Recordings held its big CD release party at the Paradox, I made the mistake of showing up late. Gatsby's American Dream, the Home Team, Time to Fly, and Acceptance filled the room to capacity with over 550 kids (and even more were leaking onto the surrounding sidewalks)! Once inside, the closest I could get to any of the action was about five rows into the theater. This time around, Rocketstar is going to try to outdo itself, boasting new CDs from locals Time to Fly and New York's Long Since Forgotten. There'll be free food, free admittance, and just like last time, it'll probably be really, really packed. If you're goin', you better show up on time. MEGAN SELING

EEK-A-MOUSE
(Ballard Firehouse) The world should have forgotten the toaster (a Jamaican rapper) Eek-A-Mouse after his 1982 song "Wa-Do-Dem-Eek-A-Mouse." The song completely exhausted his one funny idea: Eek-A-Mouse. But despite the limitations of his act, he has persisted. He visits the Pacific Northwest regularly. He is alive and thriving. Why? Because he is a hero to frat boys. They utterly love him. When I watched him perform 10 years ago in Pioneer Square, it was wall-to-wall ecstatic frat boys. They couldn't get enough of his mousy voice, the odd way he bobbed back and forth on the stage, shaking his butt to the bouncy beat. And appreciating which side of his bread was buttered, Eek-A-Mouse reciprocated the frat boys' love with a big sunshine smile. The remarkable relationship between frat boys and Eek-A-Mouse deserves serious social research. CHARLES MUDEDE

RUSH
(Gorge) I'll be the jackass to have the balls to say that at one time in my life, I was a fan of Rush. I actually went out to the Gorge for the band's last tour in 1997 before drummer/songwriter Neil Peart suffered the dual tragedy of the deaths of his wife and then his daughter, forcing him into a creative hiatus. The show was an extravaganza, to say the least, and Peart's rotating drum circle, complete with four rotating stools to slide under his ass as the circle pivoted in quartet turns, allowed him to avoid the rudeness of having to spend any time with his back to the audience. After that show, I thought I didn't need to care about Rush anymore. Several months ago, though, KZOK previewed Rush's new album, Vapor Trails, and I was blown away by the keyboardless, total guitar, bass, and drum force of an admittedly heavily tracked song, but nonetheless recognized that it could easily be off a Queens of the Stone Age or Motörhead album. So began my embarrassment at having to admit that the song was fucking great to friends who refused to believe me and laughed in my face. A month later, while in Seattle with QOTSA, Dave Grohl whipped out during dinner conversation that he was currently obsessed with the new Rush album, and finally I had my validation. If you have ever liked a Rush song and never seen them live, now is the time to do it, when the band's new album is actually pretty damn good. KATHLEEN WILSON

This will go down as the greatest party of all time.

P.S. Do not disturb the sexy.

THE BUILDING PRESS, ALOHA, SUPER XX MAN
(Crocodile) Aloha seem to entertain the delusional fantasy that they are the first rock band ever to incorporate a vibraphone. While I am willing to commend them for their dedication in lugging that cumbersome instrument around the country in a touring van, what's really worth mentioning about this Cleveland quartet is that they manage to use a vibraphone without sending me into a coma of recovered Mr. Rogers memories. Aloha's sophomore record, Sugar (Polyvinyl), snatches the best blooms of Midwest emo (think a less pop-happy Promise Ring) and presses them between the pages of Tortoise's expansive instrumentals: The result is a blend of Chicago-style post-rock that balances angularity and smoothness, abandon and restraint. Still, I have a feeling that the most amusing thing about Aloha's performance will be watching them break down their stage setup (vibraphones are very, very heavy) to clear the way for headliners the Building Press. TIZZY ASHER

THE STEVE McDONALD GROUP, ANNA WARONKER & BAND, THE TURN-ONS
(Crocodile) Since forming Redd Kross with his brother Jeff McDonald and then moving on to other laudable projects, Steve McDonald has recently been in the news for his funny website, on which he adds bass to White Stripes songs because in his opinion, something was obviously, to his ears, annoyingly missing. The Steve McDonald Group is his new band, which showcases his glam moves as he switches from bass to guitar with ease. While I never was a fan of Anna Waronker's mid-'80s band That Dog (too cute and privileged-sounding), her solo album is studded by sunny California power pop. And she just happens to be married to Steve McDonald. Warner recently joined forces with Go-Go's member Charlotte Caffey (married to Jeff McDonald) and formed Five Foot Two Records, set to release Redd Kross reissues as well as a new Muffs album and ex-Cub's Lisa Marr. All that's required to hang with the Five Foot Two label is a love and dedication for short, powerful pop songs. KATHLEEN WILSON

MIC MAKERS
(Temple Billiards) Seattle hiphop is the most tranquil hiphop in America. Few bands in other cities come close to the deep, slow, headnodding pace that groups like Silent Lambs Project or Sinsemilla achieve. Their tranquility, however, is not lazy or indifferent but infused with politics, poetry, and at times, anger. The one band that has taken Seattle tranquility to the limit between life and death is the Mic Makers. They are not hard rappers, but sensitive, vulnerable rappers whose beats are slow and spare and dusty. CHARLES MUDEDE

CERBERUS SHOAL, CHUCK FROM ALL SCARS
(Rainbow) If you once liked the term "post-rock" but now it makes you wanna strap dynamite to your body, please know that there are still groups out there incorporating non-traditional rock instruments (horns, vibes, ummm... Congo drums) with jazzy song structures that won't make you wanna hit the TNT switch. Folks such as Portland, Maine's Cerberus Shoal, for instance. Their most recent record on Temporary Residence, a two-disc party called Mr. Boy Dog, heaps chaotic jazz sounds over eerie, psych-drum rumblings, rock freakouts with glisteningly weird trumpet solos, and funky timings swiped from places like India and Africa. It's really pretty mind-blowing how well they pull it off. All I gotta say is, Chicago Art Ensemble, you better watch your ass. JULIANNE SHEPHERD

MINUS THE BEAR, DENALI, THE VELVET TEEN
(Paradox) It must be tiresome to be compared to Radiohead all the time, so this brief word should begin with an apology to the members of the Velvet Teen, a Northern California trio whose LP, Out of the Fierce Parade, is a swooning, soaring triumph of emotional indie pop. Now then, they also sound like Radiohead (side two of OK Computer-vintage), and when I say that, I don't mean they are one of those bands that sounds like they're trying to rip off Radiohead (Coldplay, Travis) without doing the hard work. What I mean is that they sound inspired, sad, fearless, and utterly lovely, and should not be missed. (Nor should openers Denali.) SEAN NELSON