THURSDAY 10/5

THE WHORE MOANS, THE SNAKEBITES, NICE SMILE, THE ZERO POINTS
(Funhouse) The Whore Moans may be the headliners and the current attention grabbers on this bill, but tonight is all about loud and luscious local duo the Snakebites, who will proudly unveil their debut CD, love. hate. rage & sorrow. Led by a freewheelin' scoundrel named Skky Phoenix and (barely) grounded by funny and fearless drummer Starr Harris, the Snakebites strike sharply at the throat of bubblegum pop and let the blood spill all over the garage floor, bashing out gritty, punk-flecked blues with occasional glints of sunny pop shading. HANNAH LEVIN

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS, LUCAS REYNOLDS, SUGAR FARM
(Showbox) North Mississippi Allstars boast unimpeachable bloodlines (brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson carry DNA from legendary Memphis-producer dad Jim), geographical cred (see band name), and the respect of unfuckwithable bluesmen (R. L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Othar Turner, etc.). They turn these auspicious elements into gutsy, propulsive blues rock that's less unhinged than, say, Jon Spencer's brand of it, but they compensate with instrumental virtuosity, passion, and songwriting hooks steeped in the tradition without coming over all museum-y about it. Also, NMA's inclusion on their most recent disc, Electric Blue Watermelon, of critics'-darling country artist Lucinda Williams and crunk MC Al Kapone shows a welcome open-mindedness. DAVE SEGAL

THE SEA NAVY, TW WALSH, THE SWAYBACKS
(Sunset) Tonight the Sea Navy celebrate the release of their long-awaited (at least by me) debut full-length, Oh These Troubled Times. Since hearing them back in 2004 via a modest collection of demos, I've been raving about the Sea Navy—they're wonderful Ted Leo—inspired upbeat and guitar-heavy pop, so of course I'm going to love them. Thankfully, Oh These Troubled Times is as good as I hoped it would be. The songs vary from acoustic to electric and have that charming "recorded in a basement" vibe (because, uh, they were), but don't think it's a sleepy lo-fi record your brother could've made with $200 from K Records—it's still loud, full-sounding, and wonderfully danceable. MEGAN SELING

OAKLEY HALL, WHALEBONES, RED JACKET MINE
(Tractor) Oakley Hall's Gypsum Strings came out earlier this year on Oneida's Brah Records. Do you think Oneida would sanction the release of a weak album? Hell no. Oneida's impeccable taste is evidenced by Gypsum Strings' righteousness. A close listen reveals that OH have spent years studying Kraut-rock masters' motorik rhythms, only to hitch 'em unexpectedly to the kind of flammable country psych that made America the envy of heads in the '60s. If you ever wondered what Neu! jamming with Royal Trux in Moby Grape's tour van would sound like, then I salute your strange thought patterns. You will also dig Oakley Hall. DAVE SEGAL See also preview.

A NIGHT OF FASHION AND MUSIC: HEATHER DUBY, GRAIG MARKEL
(Triple Door) Singer/songwriter superstars Heather Duby and Graig Markel are just one—er, two—reasons why tonight's "Night of Fashion and Music" event is worth your time. Everyone likes Heather Duby and Graig Markel, right? Right. But you should also go because: Sonic Boom Recordings and Velouria, the oh-so-cute boutique in Ballard, sponsor the event, which features independent designers including Zuzupop, Birds and Black Fawns, Donna Lou, and House of Spy. It's at the Triple Door, one of Seattle's more gorgeous venues, and it's on a Thursday, which is the night after your precious America's Next Top Model and Project Runway television marathon, so you won't miss a minute of Jeffrey's insane babbling about how God is drunk. MEGAN SELING

FRIDAY 10/6

LUCERO, ROCKY VOTOLATO, WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
(Crocodile) Lucero's frontman, Ben Nichols, does more than wear his heart on his sleeve—he sings songs that perfectly portray the pathetic state of an utterly broken heart with such unabashed honesty that you often feel the need to start drinking yourself. His voice is worn like a man who's survived a hard life on whiskey and cigarettes, and Lucero's country-tinged indie rock can be somber, brash, and beautiful. Opener Rocky Votolato's work boasts the same kind of honesty, but his softer and gorgeous delivery is a nice yin to Lucero's yang. MEGAN SELING

BETTYE LAVETTE
(Triple Door) For those who missed Bettye LaVette at Bumbershoot, you've got one hell of a chance to make up for it. This very special evening will showcase over four decades of primal, Detroit-flavored R&B. Touring with the likes of James Brown, Otis Redding, and Ben E. King in her teens, Ms. LaVette has spent the last 40 years earning the much-deserved title "The Great Lady of Soul." If her fiercely poignant style (which combines the best of Aretha, Nina, Tina, and Etta) doesn't move you, there's a high probability you are both utterly soulless and terrible in bed. MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR

THE NATIONAL, MOBIUS BAND, BABY DAYLINER
(Neumo's) Mobius Band, the token rock band on predominantly electronic label Ghostly International, decorate their dreamy pop songs with light drum machinery and fluttering synths. Beyond their glossy laptop production, there is a certain aesthetic that ties the trio to Ghostly, a sonic palette of melancholy tones and faint vocals shared by label mates such as Matthew Dear, Skeletons & the Girl-Faced Boys, and Dykehouse. One-man opening act Baby Dayliner leans more heavily on electronics to back up his lounge crooning. Headliners the National serve their songs like neat whiskey, simple and satisfying, alternately burning and mellow. ERIC GRANDY

SATURDAY 10/7

ROCKY VOTOLATO, LUCERO, WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE
(Crocodile, early and late shows) See Friday.

THE PLOT TO BLOW UP THE EIFFEL TOWER, THE ASSAILANT, THE PLEASURE BOATERS, DEADSURE
(Paradox) See Underage.

THE KNITTERS, JESSE SYKES & THE SWEET HEREAFTER
(Showbox ) The country-fried alter ego of L.A. punk legends X, the Knitters have always been the best distillation of X's whiskey-soaked country and folk influences. While X had an off-kilter intensity, Exene Cervenka and John Doe's howling harmonies have never sounded so wrought, bleeding pathos and wry cynicism onto their blue-collar foundations. From the mournful "Burning House of Love" to the stomping and storming "Call of the Wreckin' Ball," the Knitters' sound is rich with the history of collaborators who've known each other for more than 20 years of breakups, solo projects, and assorted reunions. Cheers to getting the ol' band back together. CHRISTOPHER HONG

SUNDAY 10/8

THUNDERBIRDS ARE NOW!, YOU SAY PARTY WE SAY DIE!, WHITE GOLD
(Chop Suey) Like many experimental punk bands, Thunderbirds Are Now! are hard-pressed to bring their live energy into a recording studio. Granted, capturing a truly "live" sound—particularly with an outfit as rambunctious as TAN!—is the holy grail of indie engineering, but the disparity between their sweaty, unpredictable live presence and the sterility of their recordings is frustrating. This is still true with Make History, their forthcoming release on French Kiss Records. Perhaps their like-minded labelmates Les Savy Fav could give them some tips; in the meantime, TAN!'s live shows remain energetic, engaging affairs. HANNAH LEVIN

JEDI MIND TRICKS, R.A. THE RUGGED MAN, OUTERSPACE, DIM MAK
(Neumo's) You can't always deal with the hyper-aggie vibes of JMT's Vinnie Paz—and that's okay. But don't miss a chance to see R.A. the Rugged Man, a fixture on NYC rap's underbelly since '92. Rap's original dirty white boy had his debut LP shelved (due to label politics and his own baiting of record company staff, including everything from violent behavior to his famed 12-inch, "Every Record Label Sucks Dick"); R.A. finally managed to put out a damn good record: 2004's Die, Rugged Man, Die, which was fittingly marked as much by old-head wisdom as it was by filthy language. LARRY MIZELL JR.

TONY JOE WHITE, HEY NEGRITA, HUGE SPACEBIRD
(Tractor ) White is a Southern Caucasian/Cherokee singer-songwriter who attained great commercial success from 1969—73. Oldsters and oldies-radio aficionados may know the timeless twosome of "Polk Salad Annie," a laid-back, Stax-like chugger, and "Rainy Night in Georgia," a mellow stream of soul-balladic self-pity that's made White wealthy (it's been covered by over 100 artists). With his supple R&B melodies, spare, snarling guitar riffs, and sex-on-a-stick baritone voice, White should be a household name, but, alas, he's still the province of cultists. As for Hey Negrita, they named themselves after a song on Rolling Stones' oft-maligned Black and Blue, a ballsy move for a tepid country-rock band. DAVE SEGAL

MONDAY 10/9

METHOD MAN, SAIGON
(Showbox) See preview.

TUESDAY 10/10

CHIP TAYLOR AND CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
(Tractor) See Border Radio.

NIGHT CANOPY, THE CAVE SINGERS, JAN NORBERG
(Chop Suey) Night Canopy is the desolate radiant concoction of Amy Blaschke and Nick DeWitt, the drummer from Pretty Girls Make Graves. Live, they add Jenny Jiménez, formerly of the Catch. Their songs are dusky, composed, and swell in a lucid dreaming way. They hold you with Patsy Cline's quaint isolation. Also present are remnants of Cat Power and Azure Ray's stylistic tics. In "Seasick Casanova," Blaschke sings, "Meet me on the bottom so we won't have to spot 'em, those lonely ships that sail on through the night." It's a gravel road, Night Canopy's tremolo is an ocean, the moon is so bright you don't need headlights. TRENT MOORMAN

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH, ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI, TAKKA TAKKA
(Showbox) Not to be a backlash Benjamin or nothin', but am I the only one who doesn't really get the whole Clap Your Hands Say Yeah phenomenon? Supposed poster boys for the indie-net revolution, CYHSY experienced success with their debut album via much blog-based hype. They were a really exciting prospect way back when—but now, some 16 months on, I can't for the life of me remember a single tune. Progressive-twee openers Architecture in Helsinki, on the other hand, have thoroughly tattooed virtually every single one of their songs on my psyche—and their live show is even better. ZAC PENNINGTON

WEDNESDAY 10/11

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH, ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI, TAKKA TAKKA
(Showbox) See Tuesday.

THE FORECAST, DOWN TO EARTH APPROACH, CINEMECHANICA, UMBRELLAS, NEW LONDON FIRE, BILLY DARLING
(El Corazón) The phrase "Will it play in Peoria?" originated with theater troupes, whose members wondered how their work would resonate with the citizens of this blue-collar Illinois burg. Seldom has anyone posed the inverse inquiry: Can a Peoria-based outfit convert coastal audiences? Two albums into their career, the Forecast haven't had much trouble charming crowds, regardless of region, with their power-pop tunes. Alt-country guitar accents lend high-lonesome soul to the group's male/female harmonies, and lines such as "Have you ever seen stars like these?" possess rural-romantic allure, especially when played in cities where the lights render most constellations invisible. ANDREW MILLER

THE BE GOOD TANYAS
(Neumo's) Three lovely ladies, all accomplished instrumentalists and songwriters, singing catchy pop-tinged roots music in vibrant harmony... sound familiar? No, it doesn't. Canadian three-piece Be Good Tanyas are about the furthest thing possible from the Dixie Chicks. On their latest album, the sublime Hello Love, the muted dynamics and soft diction of their performances demands close attention. And a savvy mix of original material, dusty traditional tunes, and covers of Neil Young, Mississippi John Hurt, and Prince reward the listener, time and again. Special kudos to member Trish Klein, who makes her animated harmonica parts integral to the band's overall sound without stealing focus. KURT B. REIGHLEY

THE KILLERS: Thurs Oct 12, Paramount

HATEBREED, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, NAPALM DEATH, GUESTS:Thurs Oct 12, Fenix

SUFJAN STEVENS, MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND: Sun Oct 15, Paramount

THE HOLD STEADY, SEAN NA NA, NEUTRAL BOY: Sat Oct 21, Crocodile

CURSIVE, THE THERMALS, CHIN UP CHIN UP: Fri Oct 20, Neumo's

REGINA SPEKTOR: Thurs Oct 26, Moore

BE YOUR OWN PET, AWESOME COLOR, TALL FIRS: Thurs Oct 26, El Corazón

BOUNCING SOULS, STREET DOGS, WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, LEFT ALONE: Sat Oct 28, El Corazón

OZMA, EVERYBODY ELSE: Mon Oct 30, Chop Suey

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, RELIENT K, EMERY, PLAIN WHITE T'S, THE SLEEPING: Tues Oct 31, Fenix

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL: Wed Nov 1, Showbox

BAND OF HORSES: Sat—Sun Nov 4—5, Showbox

PET SHOP BOYS: Sun Nov 5, Paramount

WOLFMOTHER: Sun Dec 3, Moore

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, JENNY LEWIS WITH THE WATSON TWINS: Sat Dec 9, KeyArena