Of all the best-of collections published at the end of every year, Da Capo Press's Best Music Writing series is, well, one of the best. Every musical genre is represented, and the criticism never stoops to blathering about "lush soundscapes" or "ethereal guitarmanship" or any of the other clichés that plague the form. Tonight, the editor of the series, Ann Powers, presents two local writers whose work is featured in the 2010 edition, Stranger contributors Chris Estey and Sean Nelson. They'll read their pieces and discuss the difficult art of writing about music without sounding like an asshole. (Elliott Bay Book Company, 1521 10th Ave, 624-6600, 7 pm, free)