(Chop Suey) Azalia Snail was one of the most beguiling bedroom-fi psych auteurs of the ’90s. She had an off-kilter, faux-naif thing going with her high-pitched voice blowing cool breezes over spindly, spangly songs that gently squeezed you into daydream reveries. If you’re curious about her music, start with 1990’s Snailbait and move onward chronologically. Snail’s new project is LoveyDove, a Burbank, California, duo with Dan West. They sound a bit more “pro” than Snail’s solo output, but their 2013 self-titled CD retains the singer’s charming, stoned lilt, and if the psychedelia captures a more pop feel, Snail’s underground-loner vibe refreshingly hangs in there. The slowly submerging “Deep Down Inc” is the jam. Twenty-five years into her career, Snail—with help from her paramour—is still making vital work. DAVE SEGAL
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(Tolt-McDonald Park) Get out of town for a minute and enjoy some live music in the middle of a forest! You deserve it. And who doesn’t like a forest? PLUS, guitar hero J Mascis will be there, (softly) shredding the bark off the trees at Timber! Music Fest in Carnation, Washington (which is like, a totally doable 40 minutes away). More feelings-filled singing/songwriting will come from the likes of Damien Jurado, Rocky Votolato, and Benjamin Verdoes, with high-impact sets from the legendary Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires and the flamboyant funk of Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme. Plus, infectious hand-clappy pop from Tea Cozies, drippy, distorted surf from the Shivas, gritty blues from Lonesome Shack, and a lot more! (And no tree bark will actually be harmed; stand down, hippies.) EMILY NOKES
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(Highline) All three of these bands—locals Heiress and Eye of Nix and Connecticutt’s Sea of Bones, in all of their heavy, haunting, beautiful, and ploddingly sludgy glory—could easily be thrown on a mixtape with Pelican, Neurosis, and Isis and fit perfectly, yet stand out as something unique in their own right. Some may label these bands “thinking man’s metal,” “post-rock” or “metalgaze.” I just call them awesome, plain and simple. Tip: Bring earplugs. This one is bound to shake the resin out of that dome of yours. KEVIN DIERS
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(Revolver) Disclosure: I used to DJ with Gel-Sol (Andy Reichel) and Narvan (Frank Jenkins) back when PROG was confusing drinkers at the Living Room bar a couple of years ago. Along with DJ Explorateur, we fought a quixotic battle against decades-ingrained apathy and knee-jerk hatred toward progressive music. We built a small but devoted following until the Living Room closed in 2012. Soon after, Gel-Sol moved PROG to the Hazlewood Bar, and he and his mates continue to spin some of the greatest specimens of the genre every month. Tonight they’re moving operations to the newish Capitol Hill bar Revolver. They dig deep and wide for largely unheard classics, and in between cuing up tracks, they’re happy to discuss the merits of King Crimson’s various lineups, which Soft Machine LP’s best, Heldon’s guitar textures, and other fascinating subjects. DAVE SEGAL
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(Crocodile) Rare is the modern straightforward rock band that writes concise, catchy songs that don’t make me yawn. (I’ve heard enough straightforward rock songs to last a few lifetimes, thanks.) So when a modern straightforward rock band keeps me listening, and not just out of professional obligation, it’s news. Seattle sextet the Quiet Ones just have it—it being an intuitive knack for writing clever melodies you want to hear over and over, tunes that simply don’t wear out their welcome, swathed in textures that hark back to cherishable groups like Big Star and Mercury Rev. Of course, the Quiet Ones should be bigger and reaping the rewards of their exquisite songcraft and their refined ability to freak out sonically. Alas, this is their last show, so you should watch them go out in a glorious blaze and buy all of their merch, before it skyrockets in value. With BOAT and guests. DAVE SEGAL
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And here’s all our recommended music events—tonight, tomorrow, this weekend, and beyond!