Wednesday 1/15

Chain and the Gang, the Shivas, Monogamy Party, the Exquisites

(Black Lodge) See Underage.

Cloud Control, Body Parts

(Barboza) Australia's Cloud Control make popping pop music with dense harmonies and shiny bits of psychedelic swirl (and maybe a pinch of early of Montreal/a sprinkling of less intense Black Angels). On their newest full-length, Dream Cave (I read somewhere it was recorded in an actual cave, which sounds like something you could just go ahead and do in Australia, right?), and contrary to what I would usually say, the best songs are the more clearly defined, less risky ones—"Promises," for instance, is a perfect hot-shit love song, and "Happy Birthday" is a catchy jammer about loathing your own big day. But some of the more ambient, experimental, movie-soundtrack-ish tracks somehow feel flat and anxiety-riddled at the same time. Fewer clouds, more control? EMILY NOKES

The Thermals, My Goodness, Summer Cannibals

(Neumos) Punk has always held this egalitarian promise that anyone could be a part of it. You had Big Boys yelling at you to "go out and start your own band" and Minutemen telling you how their band could be your life—what more motivation did you need? Well, a lot of people heard the clarion call over the years, and more than a few of us probably found ourselves thinking, okay, maybe not everyone needs to be in a band. If you feel that cynicism seeping in, give yourself a dose of the Thermals. The Portland trio is about as basic as you can get (who needs a floor tom, anyway?), yet their four-chord lo-fi anthems continue to sound vital and fresh even after a half-dozen albums. Biscuit and D. Boon would be proud. BRIAN COOK

Thursday 1/16

Richie Aldente, Supersonic Parachute, F2D

(Barboza) See Data Breaker.

Amel Larrieux

(Jazz Alley) Those following Questlove's Instagram might have caught the best humblebrag #tbt ever a while back—namely, his senior prom photo with the forever-foxy Amel Larrieux on his arm. Before Baduizm, before the world quite knew Lauryn Hill, Larrieux's group Groove Theory had a stone classic in the growing canon of what would soon come to be known as "neo-soul" with their 1995 hit "Tell Me"; Larrieux evoked the jazzy, sophisticated stylings of Vinia Mojica and the Brand New Heavies' N'Dea Davenport more than, say, radio mavens Monica or Brandy. Since GT's split, Larrieux's simmering solo output, particularly 2004's Bravebird, has (like Larrieux herself) been ageless, black excellence—the bulk of which has been released on Blisslife, the label she and her husband/collaborator Laru Larrieux founded. Her smooth, honeyed vocals never lose a drop. Larrieux's newest, Ice Cream Everyday, finds her daughter Sky among the session players—and word is that Groove Theory have reunited and are working on their official second LP. LARRY MIZELL JR.

Beatles Trivia Night

(Central Cinema) You could fill a library with all of the books and magazines devoted to the Beatles, one of the most popular and greatest bands ever. (Dissenters are welcome to present their cases to the folks gathered at Central Cinema tonight.) In their 10 years as a group, the Beatles cut hundreds of songs and made gobs of history. They were dynamic, engaging personalities who led interesting lives. Consequently, they accrued trivia like a motherfucker. Lots of it is pretty interesting, and some people have devoted their lives to mentally cataloguing this trivia. A fair number of these types will swarm to CC to prove their prowess with Beatle-y minutiae. The amount of pure animal magnetism in the joint tonight is going to be off the charts. By the way, who really played the Moog on George Harrison's Electronic Sound? DAVE SEGAL

StaG, Kairos, Lazer Kitty

(Columbia City Theater) LA-based indie rockers StaG have shown a heartening progression in songwriting abilities since 2011's Rifle Meeker. Initially a sort of overstimulated Animal Collective clone, StaG have gone on to display impressive production abilities, which are now served by compositions that straddle the line between an original blend of exotic, reverb-drenched psych and experimental pop. Meanwhile, Seattle's only other newspaper declared Kairos "one to watch" in 2014, and after hearing the two songs on her Bandcamp, I'm inclined to agree. The slick electro-pop project of Pollens' Lena Simon, Kairos uses intricate programmed beats to underpin her deceptively coy vocals, flirting with melancholy and funkiness alike. Openers Lazer Kitty might captivate you or may bore you to tears: it's tough to know how their brand of cosmos-inspired space rock will fare live. KYLE FLECK

Wind Burial, Golden Gardens, Kylmyys

(Sunset) This is serious. The music on Seattle quartet Wind Burial's self-titled debut EP, that is, for which this show is the official release party. The five tracks here recall a more goth-leaning Walkabouts, who are an overlooked component of Seattle music history. Vocalist/guitarist/synthesist Kat Terran sings in a rich, melancholy tone over tempered tempests of night-desert rock. Subtle elements of psychedelia and folk seep into the songwriting, which aims for and mostly attains profundity. Wind Burial are working on their first album, and if this initial batch of tunes is any indication, we have much to look forward to. Fellow locals Golden Gardens have a newish EP, too. Bellflower luxuriates in a silky haze of blissgaze rock à la Slowdive and Cranes, and Aubrey Rachel Violet Bramble's voice evokes the poetry of her name. DAVE SEGAL

Friday 1/17

Slow Year, Sky Mall, Red Alder

(Cairo) See Underage.

Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals, Author & Punisher

(El Corazón) See Data Breaker.

Light Year, Xan Lucero, Kadeejah Streets

(Monkey Loft) See Data Breaker.

Wooden Shjips, Kinski, Black Whales

(Crocodile) See Stranger Suggests.

Amel Larrieux

(Jazz Alley) See Thursday.

Los Lobos

(Triple Door) I first saw Los Lobos in 1983, in a tiny community center in El Paso. I was there to see a band called the Nelsons, a Lubbock-based new-wave outfit trafficking exclusively in variations on the Romantics' "What I Like About You," which meshed well with my 15-year-old tastes. Opening the show: an unknown-to-me Los Lobos, who'd just released their ...And a Time to Dance EP and whose music set the air of that community center on fire. (Not only did they fucking rock, they had songs.) After Los Lobos' short set, the Nelsons sounded like my cousins playing in the basement; I left early and tracked down ...And a Time to Dance as soon as I could. Three decades later, Los Lobos remain one of the greatest live bands on the planet, as well as a canny group of professionals (see 2009's Los Lobos Goes Disney). Coming off a tour of Europe with Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the band hits the Triple Door for a three-night run celebrating its 40th anniversary. DAVID SCHMADER

Saturday 1/18

Amel Larrieux

(Jazz Alley) See Thursday.

Los Lobos

(Triple Door) See Friday.

Partman Parthorse, Young Evils, So Pitted

(Highline) A decade young and still kicking out Seattle's most limber avant-punk, Partman Parthorse are back with a new album: Wet Sounds, out now on ggnzla Records. It's true, the sounds (and lyrics) on this album could be described as wet... the 10 songs are soaked in sweat and other slippery things. There's beer and semen and bong water and, well, a pretty great song called "Hardcore Fucking." If frontman Gary's teeny bikini doesn't thaw out your January, I don't know what will. With the catchy, bittersweet pop of the Young Evils and the tough bleak-rock of So Pitted. EMILY NOKES

Sunday 1/19

Expansions MLK Unity Party: Riz, Masa, Kid Hops

(Columbia City Theater) See Sound Check.

Amel Larrieux

(Jazz Alley) See Thursday.

Los Lobos

(Triple Door) See Friday.

School of Rock Performs Pink Floyd

(Nectar) When Roger Waters, Rick Wright, Nick Mason, and Syd Barrett were first experimenting during Pink Floyd's early days—giving Donovan haircuts onstage and writing songs about Lucifer Sam and witches named Jennifer Gentle—they likely never imagined that their trip would include having their songs provide a lesson plan for School of Rock's young musicians. And, considering that Pink Floyd were once refused payment by a Catholic youth center under the claim that their performance was "not music," it's pretty hilarious to think that they became such an institution. "We don't need no education" as a tool to educate? Certainly more interesting than a laser light show, and not a bad idea for something awesome to do on a Sunday evening. BREE MCKENNA

Monday 1/20

MCC 3 Year Anniversary: Dave B, Cam the Mac, Kung Foo Grip, Porter Ray, and more

(Crocodile) Local blog queenpin and woman-about-town Miss Casey Carter has become one of Seattle's premier sources for rap-related buzz and happenings since the launch of her website in 2011, and to celebrate its third anniversary, she has assembled a thoroughly flexin' lineup of local talent indicative of her tastemaking ways. From Dave B's dynamic conscious/streetwise lyricism, to Kung Foo Grip's introspective-yet-tough positivity, to Cam the Mac and Thaddeus David's stoned-pimp Moor Gang stylings, to Porter Ray's seasoned, naturally effortless flow, to fast-rising newcomers Cassow and Romaro Franceswa, there's not one weak link on this bill. MIKE RAMOS

Tuesday 1/21

Deadkill

(Easy Street Records) Hey, rad dads! Yeah, YOU! All you dudes who still wear ratty, old band T-shirts and fight to keep the record collection in the living room, despite Wifey, who wants them in the basement. THIS IS YOUR BIG CHANCE! Grab your son, or better yet, your daughter, and take 'em to see this all-ages record-release show for Deadkill's punk opus, No, Never! Show 'em how it's done—how to headbang and how to punch imaginary adversaries (in the face!) when they're hovering above your head at hardcore shows. Buy 'em this record, so when they have a bad day at school, they can come home, jump on the bed, and scream at the sky, with all the fury that you once did to that old Black Flag record. Do it for them, Dad! They'll never forget the day. KELLY O

Crooks on Tape

(Crocodile) Two unsung heroes of '90s indie rock—John Schmersal and Rick Lee—play in Crooks on Tape. Schmersal manned guitar in spazzy units Enon and Brainiac, and Lee drummed/percussed in Enon, Skeleton Key, and Butter 08. What they have in common is a predilection for unpredictable song structures and textural strangeness, without totally tossing out, you know, songs. As Crooks on Tape (which includes drummer Joey Galvan), they've released their debut, Fingerprint, a mixed bag of eccentric rockers, fractured funk, and awkward, Beck-like ballads. It's best when emphasizing the group's odd time signatures and noisier proclivities. "Milo's Creeper" could even be a Primus song, if Claypool and co. weren't try-hard wankers. Anyway, Crooks on Tape have potential to bust some memorably quirky moves within a twisted pop context, and the songs on Fingerprint represent merely a tiny percentage of their output. DAVE SEGAL