(Lo-Fi; Black Lodge; Victory Lounge) This town is not wanting for experimental musicians, and Debacle Fest has long been a reliable lightning rod for the more far-flung corners of Seattle's music scene. This year's festival is robust enough to require three venues (conveniently located on the same block) to support all the outré talent on display. You've got the clattering industrial menace of Black Hat over here, or the all-encompassing analog fractals of Golden Retriever on yonder. Like foreboding field samples and gorgeously frayed soundscapes? Give Yellow Swans' Gabriel Saloman a try. Or perhaps you prefer your end-times bleats emanating from real instruments, in which case peep the shadowed claustro-dirges of Sutekh Hexen. With over 20 bands for a measly ten bucks, Debacle Fest is the ear-rending steal of the year. KYLE FLECK
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(Highline) Like many before them, Tweak Bird moved from a relatively remote place—Carbondale, Illinois—to LA to advance more efficiently in the music industry. This they’ve done with a series of releases for the Orange County label Volcom Entertainment. Led by brothers Ashton and Caleb Bird, Tweak Bird combine a crunching, baritone, stoner-rock muscularity with vocals that float above even Geddy Lee’s register, but with much less annoyance than that of Rush’s frontman. This makes for a bewitching contrast between high and low ends. The occasional sax and flute interlude add unexpected mellifluousness to the Melvins-y tumult. Tweak Bird ever so slightly go against the grain of heavy-music orthodoxy, and it’s refreshing. It helps that they can write a fucking song, too. With Gladiators Eat Fire. DAVE SEGAL
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And here's all our recommended music events—tonight, tomorrow, and beyond!
