THURSDAY 3/9

KIRA & THE KINDRED SPIRITS, FIGURINES, THE ELEPHANTS
(Crocodile) See Stranger Suggests, page 19.

IDIOT PILOT, IN PRAISE OF FOLLY, ANCILLE, JOULES
(El CorazĂłn) Don't count Idiot Pilot out just yet. The rock-infused electronic duo from Bellingham started strong, coming in second place in 2004's Sound Off competition and quickly signing to major label Reprise Records. They did some touring with the Taste of Chaos tour, they went to the UK, they filmed a video that aired on MTV2, and then they quietly backed into the shadows. But quiet as they may be, they're still here. No new material is ready for release, but if you visit www.idiotpilot.com and sign up for their mailing list, you'll get a free Idiot Pilot remix by Her Space Holiday. MEGAN SELING

NINE BLACK ALPS, SILVERSUN PICKUPS, AMUSEMENT PARKS ON FIRE, THE COPS
(Neumo's) It's not such a bad thing to glare past the day's in-fashion Gang of Four fetishism in a new century that should offer a lot more. But I'm not sure Manchester's Nine Black Alps have the right idea, snarling off with huge, head-wetting rockness and drowning in feedback and we're-not-gay '90s testosterone. They're Oasis if they came from Seattle, selling the culture short, and they're not as good as their early British success suggests. GUY FAWKES

ISOBEL CAMPBELL, MAGNET
(Triple Door) Isobel Campbell's airy lilt was to most the too-twee foil to Stuart Murdoch's sublime delivery in Belle & Sebastian—and likely the straw that broke the camel's back for most of the Scottish group's detractors. When she left the band in 2002 to pursue what was sure to be another hapless Belle & Sebastian solo endeavor (anybody remember Looper?), it was met with little grief from fans. What a surprise, then, that her latest—a Hazlewood/Sinatra-inspired collaboration with gravelly voiced Mark Lanegan—works so brilliantly. No official word on whether the Campbell/Lanegan chemistry will be repeated onstage for her first solo tour of the U.S., but we can hope. ZAC PENNINGTON

FRIDAY 3/10

DAYLIGHT BASEMENT, HEAD LIKE A KITE, PANDA AND ANGEL
(Crocodile) The best concept albums don't require the concepts to be explained—they simply stand on the merits of the music itself. So it is with Head Like a Kite, the new project from Sushirobo guitarist Dave Einmo. While the endeavor centers on Einmo's incorporation of samples from old Super 8 movies from his childhood, it flourishes on the undeniably catchy, whacked-out pop that emerged. Those old Super 8s get some expanded exposure in HLAK's live performances, though. Check out tonight's show for additional insight (via the magic of live-mixed projections) into Einmo's inspiration, as well as a healthy dose of eccentric, retro-futuristic pop. BARBARA MITCHELL

DMC OF RUN-D.M.C., FRAMEWORK, DRED-I
(Chop Suey) See preview, page 34 and My Philosophy, page 40.

THE ACADEMY IS..., PANIC! AT THE DISCO, ACCEPTANCE, HELLOGOODBYE
(Showbox) Panic! At the Disco were hardly even a band when Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz "discovered" them and branded them a hit. The Las Vegas outfit had never even played a live show when Fueled by Ramen/Decaydance signed them and deemed them the Golden Children of rock and roll. It wasn't the music that brought these young men success, it was their stupid haircuts, their boyish charm, and their willingness to do whatever the fuck Wentz told them to do. If Pete Wentz is the new Maurice Starr, Panic! At the Disco are the new New Kids on the Block. Hide your 12-year-old daughters. MEGAN SELING

SATURDAY 3/11

DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE
(Moore) See preview, page 29.

SPANK ROCK, FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
(Chop Suey) See preview, page 33.

STRANGER BIG SHOT
(Neumo's) See Stranger Suggests, page 19.

MAMAFEST W/MON FRERE, SPEAKER SPEAKER, THE HOLLOWPOINTS
(Summit at Snoqualmie) Now in its sixth year, Mamafest is a snowboarding and music festival focused on raising awareness and educating people about breast cancer. With this year's event, Mamafest hopes to raise $30,000 for the University of Washington's Medical Genetics Clinic and other local breast cancer organizations. Mon Frere, Speaker Speaker, and the Hollowpoints will supply the rock and roll while pro riders from K2 Snowboarding and Ride do a bunch of shit on a snowboard that, no matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to do. More info at www.mamafest.org. MEGAN SELING

SUNDAY 3/12

LULLABELLE, NA**, TRICK DECK, LAGUNA
(Chop Suey) Local dada-swinging improv trio Na have lately taken to reading their press clippings aloud during their performances, sometimes over and over and over again. With this in mind, I herein refuse to offer them any further gushy pull quotes. Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na. SAM MICKENS

EASTERN GRIP, KORBY LENKER, JAYCOB VAN AUKEN
(High Dive) It doesn't matter how great the musicianship is if it gets in the way of the songs, and thankfully both Korby Lenker and Jaycob Van Aucken know that. Lenker (from Bellingham) and Van Aucken (from Portland) are triple threats—accomplished musicians, talented songwriters, and compelling performers. If you haven't picked up Lenker's latest album, King of Hearts, put it at the top of your to-do list—it's a low-key gem of a record that keeps revealing fresh insights, best lines, and new favorite songs each time it plays. Also on the must-do list: catch these guys live. BARBARA MITCHELL

SHE WANTS REVENGE, ASTRA HEIGHTS
(Neumo's) A friend of mine calls She Wants Revenge Interpol Wants Royalties. And while that just about sums up the music, no one can say this San Fernando Valley–based DJ duo don't have a work ethic. (Wait, the Valley? You mean they're not from Brooklyn like all those other eyeliner-wearing post-punk rip-off artists?) Constant touring, nonstop promotion, and one freakin' catchy single ("Tear You Apart") have earned SWR almost 35,000 MySpace friends and launched their self-titled debut into the Top 40 earlier this year. Catch 'em at Neumo's if you want bragging rights when they're playing arenas in a few months. MAYA KROTH

MONDAY 3/13

THE MORE, SKULLBOT, THE SNAKEBITES, THE RIFFBROKERS
(Chop Suey) It's always exciting when a band has nothing but a demo to offer, yet the buzz is traveling faster than news of Brangelina's latest move. Skullbot are the kids fortunate enough to have such hype currently working in their favor—and their bottom-heavy, melodic breed of unexpectedly upbeat desert rock is worthy of such rising interest. Similar murmurs should soon be heard about the Snakebites, a fetching fusion of garage-rock bearings and lounge-core flourishes. HANNAH LEVIN

TUESDAY 3/14

EDISYN, THE FLEET FOXES, THE WEAPONS, THE AUDIOBIOGRAPHY

(Chop Suey) Truth be told, I've only heard of the Fleet Foxes because Robin Pecknold, The Stranger's former music intern, is in the band and he happened to pass along the music. But the fact of the matter is, I'm not writing about them simply because Robin was an intern, but rather because the Fleet Foxes' sharply crafted indie-pop is more lush and bright than a spring garden, but with a little bit of bite. They're like the Shins, except more interesting and actually good. MEGAN SELING

DR. JOHN
(Jazz Alley) For the past five decades, Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) has been trolling through a truly loopy musical career. He emerged into the spotlight as a sort of post–Screaming Jay psychedelic shaman and purveyor of the most cartoonish and alien corners of his hometown New Orleans's culture, and somehow grew over the years into the most teddy-bearish and unrepentantly clichĂ©-spouting spokesman of that city and its musical history. Ultimately, though, under all the layers of cheese, Dr. John is masterful in a swath of musical genres that keep the teeming history of the Big Easy truly alive. SAM MICKENS

BARTON CARROLL
(Sunset) Even if the name isn't instantly recognizable, fans of Eric Bachmann have probably witnessed Barton Carroll's contributions to Bachmann's Crooked Fingers on stand-up bass, lap-steel guitar, and periodic backing vocals. The two forged a friendship over a mutual love of Bruce Springsteen while Carroll was working as Archers of Loaf's merchandise manager and have been collaborating whenever possible since then. Carroll is long overdue for recognition of his own talents as a singer and songwriter. He's hyperintelligent and hyperliterate, but his hushed and naked delivery of dour, country-tinged yarns is infinitely accessible and down to earth. Fans of Cormac McCarthy, take note. HANNAH LEVIN

WEDNESDAY 3/15

DR. JOHN
(Jazz Alley) See Tuesday 3/14.

ELECTRIC SIX, ROCK KILLS KID, EVERY MOVE A PICTURE
(Neumo's) See preview, page 37.

LONDON ELEKTRICITY, CYANTIFIC, KID HOPS, DJ SYZE
(Chop Suey) After helping to found England's Hospital Records (Landslide, High Contrast) 10 years ago, Tony Colman's London Elektricity has been a prolific font of art-school drum 'n' bass, finding fans in people who'd walked off the scene ages ago. Coleman's balancing act between brainy percussion and loose-fit spits of funk sure helps, which still appeals to both the Autechre crowd and people who like to dance. [These aren't always mutually exclusive. —ed.]. GUY FAWKES

DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT, HEAVY HEARTS
(Sunset) Harshly pretty and always cutely obnoxious (much as an adorable rottweiler puppy is obnoxious), the Triple X Audio crew have reinvented themselves as the Heavy Hearts, but it is with a light heart that I anticipate the band to be spazzy, endearing, and to grow large quickly. They squirm a little here and there, as if there's XTC genes in the bloodline. Add angular melodies with punch and swagger, a healthy dose of noise and you definitely get a cross breed with potential. Triple X always had this delightful way of bastardizing pop; I expect no less from this incarnation. But, beware, bassist Denise Maupin has been known to bite. NES REDNAAJ