This week, our music critics have picked everything from Colombian duo Bomba Estéreo to Live From Our Living Room with Car Seat Headrest and Kimya Dawson to the jazz classic A Charlie Brown Christmas. Follow the links below for ticket links and music clips for all of their picks, and find even more shows on our complete music calendar.
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MONDAY
CLASSICALUW Gospel Choir
Longtime UW choir director Phyllis Byrdwell will be joined by a 100-voice gospel choir for an evening of piano, song, and plentiful expressions of the gospel tradition.
Gucci Mane, Carnage, Smokepurpp, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Asian Doll
Since being released from a two-year prison sentence in 2016 for firearm possession, Gucci Mane has a new lease on life. The rap icon lost weight, got married, wrote a memoir, and is recording new music like heâs making up for lost timeâDecemberâs forthcoming Evil Genius will be his 11th release since getting out of jail. Little of Gucci Maneâs recent output matches the genre-defining urgency of early work like Trap House, but heâs still one of rapâs most distinctive stylists. And owing to his new, healthier lifestyle, we can expect to be hearing from Gucci for a long time. ANDREW GOSPE
Elvis Costello & the Imposters
Itâs been a long time since Elvis Costello had a new record worth discussing. After 2008âs raw and wiry Momofuku, Costello hung up the Jazzmaster and donned a fedora, taking up a dilettantish interest in Americana that lasted the length of two conceptually intriguing if wearisome records: 2009âs Secret, Profane & Sugarcane and 2010âs National Ransom. Even the Rootsâwho collaborated with Costello on 2013âs Wise Up Ghostâcouldnât properly reinvigorate the songwriter. Costelloâs new record, Look Now, is a welcome return to form. In addition to featuring some of his most inspired songwriting in decades, highlights such as âUnder Limeâ and âStripping Paperâ recall the dense symphonic pageantry of Costelloâs underrated early 1980s masterpieces, Trust and Imperial Bedroom. MORGAN TROPER
TUESDAY
HIPHOP/RAPCupcakKe, Guests
Itâs near-impossible to talk about CupcakKe without talking about sex. It pervades the young Chicago rapperâs music, from song titles like âDeepthroatâ and âVaginaâ to innumerable wry, explicit one-liners: âI love the D/Thatâs my favorite letter,â goes one tame example. Her brash personality and viral rise recall Azealia Banks, but rather than an inveterate Twitter beefer, CupcakKe is a paragon of positivity. (Sheâs also very good at rapping, a fact overlooked due to lyrical content and sexism.) More recently, CupcakKe has started to explore identity and LGBT issues in her music, working with a richer palette of beats and flowsâsheâs far more than a novelty act. ANDREW GOSPE
Shad
Vancouver rapper Shad lyrically threads Cornel Westâerudite rhymeswith Glasper-savvy jazz hooks, and does it all with sanguine poignancy. The 36-year-old recently dropped his sixth studio album, A Short Story About a Warâa voracious stick of dynamic TNT that once again showcases his observational wit, ever-listening ear to the ground, and even our denizen depravity. To contextualize his cred, he also hosted the HBO Canadaâaired music documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution, where he dug up treasured histories with living legends of hiphop, wherein he carries this caliber of chops with him onstage and in the world. ZACH FRIMMEL
Studio Jazz Ensemble and UW Modern Band
New England Conservatory of Music-trained Cuong Vu, who's received praise from publications including the New Yorker and the New York Times, will lead the University of Washington's Modern Band in innovative arrangements and original compositions. Plus, expect big band arrangements and repertory selections from the Studio Jazz Ensemble.
Suuns
Montrealâs Suuns deliver a stunning, neon-vibrant mix of krautrock, experimental electro, and indie rock with a heady neo-psychedelic edginess that hits like a drug. Itâs addictive, you canât figure out why you dig it so much, so you keep returning for another fix listen, trying to pinpoint just what it is thatâs getting you off. For example, âLook No Furtherâ on 2018âs Felt, which is built on a simple drumbeat, eerie wobbly vocals, and warped minor chord notes, and sounds more like a spotty radio transmission than a song. Tracks like âWatch You, Watch Meâ are thoroughly present, howeverâurgently propulsive with a chugging rhythm, robo vocals, whirling synths, and abrasion-free washes of fuzz and static, while âMake It Realâ is a slow-burn of prettiness and light sci-fi ambience. LEILANI POLK
How to Dress Well
Tom Krellâs bedroom R&B project How to Dress Well arrived at a moment when such sounds were trendyâif you must, google âPBR&Bââbut heâs transcended that old label and steadily improved as a producer. New album The Anteroom strays farther than Krell ever has from artfully distressed R&B. As usual, his reedy tenor is masked in reverb and other digital processing, but the sounds in the backgroundâfaded synth drifts, diffuse electronic textures, gently propulsive rhythmsâare beautifully detailed. Itâs not quite R&B, not quite ambient, not quite club music, and all the product of an artist who continues to grow. ANDREW GOSPE
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY
JAZZMike Stern Band with Dave Weckl, Bob Malach, and Tom Kennedy
Two years ago, jazz guitarist Mike Stern broke just about every bone in his upper bodyâor at least, the ones that countâin a fall. He pushed himself to get back to playing, but he had to switch out of no-longer-possible techniques heâd used for decades, playing with Miles Davis, Blood Sweat & Tears, BĂ©la Fleck, Eric Johnson, Dave Holland, his wife Leni Stern, and others. Through all of it, though, he sounds like himself. A strong but subtle personality who draws you in close and gets to know you. ANDREW HAMLIN
WEDNESDAY
METAL/PUNKThou, MJ Guider
New Orleans sludge outfit Thou are no stranger to these parts. Road warriors and avid collaborators, Thou love to play music and they love to play it loud. They love it so much, in fact, that theyâve released multiple records in multiple genres this year alone, and their new full-length, Magus, is maybe the pinnacle of their output. All of which is to say, just because they were here at Northwest Terror Fest in June doesnât mean they donât have new tricks up their sleeve for when they promise to level the Vera Project stageâseriously, they like to play loud. Bring earplugs. JOSEPH SCHAFER
Pylon Reenactment Society, Soft Reputation
Feisty post-punks Pylon released two stunning albums in the 1980sâGyrate and Chompâthat should have been at least two-thirds as popular as the releases of fellow Athens, Georgia, contemporaries R.E.M. and the B-52s. But alas, Pylon just couldnât slash their way beyond cult status. With Pylon Reenactment Society, original vocalist Vanessa Briscoe Hay and some Athens all-stars from the Glands and Casper & the Cookies resurrect the dynamic Pylon catalog for a new generation. Because these tense, tantalizing rock songs deserve never to fade from (un)popular consciousness. Maybe this tour will prompt some magnanimous label to reissue Pylon's catalog, which remains scandalously out of print.DAVE SEGAL
JMSN
JMSN (aka Jameson, aka Christian Berishaj) makes creamy, sexy R&B, although âDrinkinââ on recently released fourth LP Whatever Makes U Happy is a straight-up slow jam dedicated to⊠alcohol. Seriously, the entire song is him crooning and howling most deliciously against soulful backing woos about how heâs been drinking all the time (but he swears heâs not an alcoholic). LEILANI POLK
Bomba Estéreo
Colombian duo Bomba EstĂ©reo bring their bombast back to Seattle on their international Jungla Tour. Ayo, their 2017 LP, fires out tropical pop and electronic beat drops. Lead singer Li Saumet glides between blustery Spanglish rapping and breeze-soft divulgences. âMe quemo por dentro,â she confesses in âEl Alma y El Cuerpoââ"Iâm burning insideââand this seems a perfect motto for the entire unabashedly bouncy project. While primarily a creative duo, Saumet and keyboardist/bassist SimĂłn MejĂa are frequently backed by esteemed cumbia musicians, building a blaze at their live shows, both from the stage and on the dance floor. AJ DENT
WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY
VARIOUSBon Iver & TU Dance: Come Through
This sounds like a feast for the eyes and ears. Bon Iverâs music is delicately lovely, lushly orchestrated, and classily experimentalâchamber folk-pop with an electronic beating heart driven by the silky, emotive, falsetto-reaching vocals and creative musical abundance of singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. He collaborated on a project with Saint Paulâs contemporary TU Dance troupe, and the result, Come Through, marries new Bon Iver music with the choreography of Uri Sands to beautiful effect. Thereâs a new mini-doc about the making of the work by Twin Cities PBS that includes video of three movements from the program. It brought tears to my eyes. I imagine the full program will inspire more awe (and maybe some joyful weeping) when the two-date run lands in Seattle. LEILANI POLK
THURSDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKValley Maker, Ings
Seattle-based musician Austin Crane and friends will play tracks off his latest effort and second full-length album as Valley Maker, Rhododendron, with an opening set from indie-folk locals Ings.
Blockhead, Yppah, Arms & Sleepers
While New York DJ Blockhead has had a long and fruitful solo careerâ12 studio albums, five compilations, and three EPs, at leastâhe is probably best-known for his production work on backpacker MC Aesop Rockâs stone-cold genre classic Labor Days. That essential record may have exposed millions to Marxist philosophy via the rapper with the quantifiably largest vocabulary in the game, but it also showcased Blockheadâs cinematic style. Equally indebted to the sleek triphop of Massive Attack as the disaffected, Omni-Sampling chill of J Dilla, Blockheadâs work is imaginative, immersive, and, in retrospect, stately compared to what many of his successors wound up doing with the same influences. JOSEPH SCHAFER
KEXP Yule Benefit: Moby with Members of the PNB Orchestra
In this world, Moby is a crusader of human culture with a mind that has changed the music game time and time again. In this once-in-a-lifetime event, the 53-year-old electronic emperor will put his concerto chops to the test to reinterpret a holistic host of his hits with the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra. Heâs promised to bring some top-notch vocalists along to sing rhapsodies like âNatural Bluesâ for this evening, which will only be the second time heâs performed for an audience in this capacity. That said, thisâll be a philanthropic and philharmonic opportunity. ZACH FRIMMEL
The Residency Presents: BFA (Brothers From Another), Guests
Seattle hiphop trio Brothers From Another (BFA) bring a feel-good sound to the local scene. They'll be hosted by Macklemore (heard of him?) and joined by special guests NĂSTRĂ, Brandon Marsalis, Sharmaine, and ROSEÂŽ& TALAYA (all fellow local hiphop acts).
Seattle on Ice!
This annual winter show welcomes local rockers Smokey Brights (whose "crackly and warm guitar-driven rock" is lauded by Stranger contributor Kathleen Tarrant), excellent local soul group the True Loves, local power-pop group Cumulus, local hiphop group All Star Opera, and DJ Pretty Please.
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKBlind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show with Liz Vice
As an atheist, I am often sickened by the stuff done in the name of god(s) worldwide. But the Blind Boys have something. Call it a summoning. Call it an invocation of spirit. It builds slowly through their set and expands and spreads its wings in the big finish. Theyâve lost some of their big guns in recent years, notably founders Clarence Fountain and George Scott, leaving only Jimmy Carter (no relation to the presidential peanut farmer) from the groupâs gestation 79 years ago. That shouldnât matter. They still have the summoning. ANDREW HAMLIN
FRIDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKRosanne Cash
Though gifted with her family name, Rosanne Cash is known for her singular talent as a long beloved singer-songwriter. She'll spend the evening sharing some heartfelt Southern folk.
Depth: Erika
Thereâs a video of Detroit DJ/producer Erika playing an unusually serene Boiler Room set. Instead of a dark room surrounded by the typical crowd of indifferent clubbers, sheâs in a brightly lit electronics workshop as synth engineers tinker at their desks in the background. The unusual (and strangely calming) visual tableau is fitting for the patient, subtle techno and electro she wrings out of a battery of Moog gear. Attendees at this edition of Depth can likely expect a less placid, more thumping set from a DJ whose knowledge of Detroitâs electronic music is second to none. ANDREW GOSPE
Hail Santa IX: Morta Skuld, Petrification, KhÎrada, Xoth, Aethereus, Dullahan, Kömmand, and more
Hail Santa has remained one of heavy metalâs best-kept Seattle secrets, an annual yuletide celebration of the devilâs rock and roll, preferably of the black-thrash variety, performed in front of gory clips from holiday-themed horror films. This year, the celebrations are spread over two evenings for the first time and feature a pair of bar-raising headliners. Headlining Friday, Morta Skuld are Milwaukeeâs most esteemed OG death-metal outfit. On Saturday, itâs KhĂŽrada, a new band composed of three-fourths of the now-deceased Agalloch, playing mind-bending prog. This will be their first Seattle performance, ever. JOSEPH SCHAFER
Advance Base, Lisa/Liza
Advance Base (aka Owen Ashworth, formerly of the moniker Casiotone for the Painfully Alone) makes dreamy, piano-heavy waltzes and electro-pop ballads for the soul. Lisa/Liza will join in on this tour stop with indie folk songs.Â
Kinski, Pink Parts, Tissue
After nearly 20 years as a band, Seattleâs Kinski continue to deliver groovy, kraut-tinged grunge riffs. Their vast psychedelic sprawl recalls early/mid-1990s Sonic Youthâs noise-rock dirges, sometimes peppered with prog flourishes or what I like to call âlong-form flute breakdowns.â BRITTNIE FULLER
PJ Morton, Grace Weber
Singer-songwriter PJ Morton (the keyboardist for Maroon 5) has collaborated with such names as Adam Levine, Lil Wayne, and Busta Rhymes, and he was nominated for "Best R&B Song" at the 2014 Grammys for his hit "Only One," featuring Stevie Wonder. He'll come to Seattle with support from another solo soul artist, Grace Webber.
Queen Naija
R&B newcomer Queen Naija, who is also a popular YouTube vlogger, will come to Seattle for an evening of excellent soul.
SATURDAY
CLASSICALMessiaenâs Twenty Visions of the Infant Jesus: Reinis ZariĆĆĄ, Pianist
Prolific pianist Reinis ZariĆĆĄ will bring Olivier Messiaenâs intense Christmas meditations to life in a profound exploration of the season.
Turtle Island Quartet with Liz Carroll
The Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet will perform a concert of celebratory wintertime music pulled from around the world.
Clinton Fearon & Boogie Brown Band, The Seattleites, Guests
A former member of the classic Jamaican reggae band the Gladiators, Clinton Fearon is the only real roots rocker in the Pacific Northwest. His first Seattle band, the Defenders, was beloved by all black immigrants, who were moved by his sense of authority, his command of important issues, and his determination that Africa would one day rise again and destroy monolithic Babylon. The Defenders' "Chant Down Babylon" even became a local hit. The Jamaican expat is still alive and well, performing now with the Boogie Brown Band, which does a competent job of backing this reggae master. CHARLES MUDEDE
Kinski, the Fall-Outs, Hound Dog Taylor's Hand, DJ Veins
Yes, yâall, tonightâs lineup is locals only! Dig, Hound Dog Taylor's Hand, a group that stirs up the most glorious clusterfuck of bent, broken, and shattered noises; the Fall-Outs, 1990s-era PacNW garage-rock stalwarts fronted by Dave Holmes; and Kinski, a solid rocking, loud-ass indie band that's been around now longer than some of you kids have been alive. Oh, and filling the cracks with tracks betwixt bands will be DJ Veins, a demigod among DJs who lords over both 12s and 7s. MIKE NIPPER
Live From Our Living Room with Car Seat Headrest and Kimya Dawson
Who better to play an intimate, unplugged holiday benefit in Seattle than bedroom pop pros Car Seat Headrest and Kimya Dawson? The Northwest indie-rock heroes will headline this Vera Project fundraiser with support from surprise guests.
Light In The Attic Records: A Visual Archive
One of the world's most interesting reissue labels, Light in the Attic Records has been responsible for bringing back into circulation records by under-recognized legends such as Last Poets, Betty Davis, Karen Dalton, Rodriguez, Lee Hazlewood, Haruomi Hosono, This Heat, and Annette Peacock. Now, in commemoration of 16 years of outstanding archival digging, the Seattle/LA company is hosting a touring exhibition of photographs featuring rare and unseen prints of their esteemed roster of artists. Some of the subjects will include Karen Dalton backstage at Montreaux circa 1971, Baron Wolman's photos of Betty Davis in 1969 during her brief marriage to Miles Davis, Stephen Paley's Sly Stone portraits, Townes Van Zandt on the set of Heartworn Highways, Mark Lanegan (shot by Charles Peterson), Texan skate-punks Big Boys in the frame with Glenn Danzig, and a series of pics taken by Mark Guthrie during D'Angelo's Voodoo tour. DAVE SEGAL
PINE
Here's Emily Pothast's description of Eirik Johnson's book PINE, published by Minor Matters: "For this body of work, Johnson has photographed found instances of tree graffiti, considering the circumstances that might have prompted people to leave such marks. To accompany these images, Johnson has commissioned a digital mixtape by an exciting roster of musicians including SassyBlack, Newaxeyes, Whiting Tennis, and Tenderfoot." This event will boast a live concert by these album participants plus LA-based DEDE and ELIA.
SUNDAY
CLASSICALSeattle Men's Chorus: Jingle All the Way
In a landmark holiday event, the Seattle Menâs Chorus will perform dazzling tracks of the season, like their own revamped takes on âSilver Bells,â âDo You Hear What I Hear,â âJingle Bell Rock,â and many more.
The Soft Moon, Hide, Vive La Void
Judging by the lyrics on CriminalâLuis Vasquezâs fourth album as the Soft Moonâthe songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is having a rough go of things. A brief sampling: âTake your time, crush me right,â âIâm a stranger in my skin,â âI yearn for anything that burns me down.â The music isnât quite as bleak, but it comes close. Distressed guitars, ornery bass synths, pummeling drumsâyouâd be forgiven if you confused the Soft Moon for Pretty Hate Machineâera Nine Inch Nails. That comparison extends to Vasquezâs songcraft, which evinces some real pop sensibility despite all the doom and gloom. ANDREW GOSPE
A Charlie Brown Christmas
This is the seventh year that the Jose Gonzalez trio is performing the whole of jazz's greatest contribution of the Holiday Season: Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas. And we must love this work because it expresses Christmas feelings in a very urban way. It is indeed the sound of the Holiday Season in a big city and not that no-place out there in the country. In this jazz classic, the snow falls on apartment buildings and not on a forest. CHARLES MUDEDE
The Babe Rainbow, Guests
Produced by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizardâs Stu Mackenzie and Wayne Connolly, and signed to Danger Mouseâs 30th Century label, and praised by Entertainment Weekly, Australian rock group the Babe Rainbow are poised to break big. So itâs odd theyâre playing a small room like Lo-Fi, but that could make seeing them tonight even more specialâafter theyâre likely booked for Capitol Hill Block Party and Bumbershoot in 2019. Why the big expectations? Because the Babe Rainbow exude an innate natural melodic charm destined to make hundreds of thousands of peopleâs heads vibrate pleasantly, while also possessing enough strange, welterweight psychedelic touches to keep their winsome tunes from toppling into innocuousness. They also pack a rhythmic punch that recalls Stone Roses and Hot Chip. If the Babe Rainbow arenât Kurt Vile-level popular by 2020, Iâll slowly shake my head in disbelief. DAVE SEGAL
Conner Youngblood
Nashville's Conner Youngblood's debut album, Cheyenne, features 30 different instrumentsâa harp, a bass clarinet, and a tabla, to name a fewâall of which are played by Youngblood only. Experience his multitudinous musical talents on this Seattle tour stop.
