This week, our music critics have picked everything from fresh Seattle rockers Versing to everyone's favorite soft punk, Emma Lee Toyoda, to New York's first all-female mariachi Flor de Toloache. 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. Plus, check out our arts critics' picks for the 53 best things to do this week.
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MONDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKDamian McGinty
Irish singer, songwriter, and actor Damian McGinty (he played himself in Glee) will embark on his biggest solo tour to date in support of his forthcoming album Young Forever.Â
SWMRS, Beach Goons, Destroy Boys
SWMRS (aka swimmers, fka Emily’s Army) seem to have outgrown a strictly punk label. There’s still that ass-kicking rebellious musical appeal and political, antiestablishment lyrics, but songs on just released full-length Berkeley’s on Fire have distinctive new wave jangle and bounciness, British post-punk snottiness, pop-punk melodic sense, and alt rock crunchiness. The upbeat and discordant title track reflects on the current climate on college campuses and the media’s over (or under) dramatization of events. Other standouts include the fun, monkey-hooting and synth-kicking “Lose Lose Lose” and fuzzy cheeky album closer “Steve Got Robbed,” about a dude who gets robbed twice in one night: “But they won't ever learn to steal what's most important / So put your hands up and make a fuck sign / And point it at the plutocrats who wanna control your life.” LEILANI POLK
TUESDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKArlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie will stop by Seattle to play a concert on tour for the 52nd anniversary of Alice's Restaurant, and in honor of the countless classics he penned throughout his prolific career as America's country-crossing bard.
Bass Drum of Death
New York garage punks Bass Drum of Death will pay a visit to Seattle with local alt-rock support from Black Ferns.Â
The Palms
The Palms claim to "bridge the gap between Laurel Canyon folk and West Coast beats" for a distinctly LA sound.
Nick Waterhouse, Ben Pirani
The music of Nick Waterhouse sounds like it was beamed straight from 1961, drawing heavily on doo-wop, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, and jazz, with heavy dashes of modern blue-eyed soul. “Katchi,” featuring guest Leon Bridges, is studded with some charming, deep-timbered “Doo-wop a doo-wop, shoopi doobi doo-wops," and a fun, catchy hook using a word Bridges’s family uses for a nice massage or a loving touch. (In this context, they’re obviously howling about sex—“She give me katchi all night long”—a nod to the vintage style of using double entendre and innuendo.) The guitarist and singer-songwriter is currently on tour behind his eponymous fourth LP. LEILANI POLK
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY
JAZZThe Delfonics with Greg Hill
I’ve always thought of the Delfonics as the easygoing alternative to the Temptations; they enjoyed their heydays around the same time (the 1960s and ’70s) and resided in the same general sonic realms (soul and R&B). But where the Temptations got psychedelic and rocking, the Delfonics got smoother and more loving. The Philly group had a resurgence when their music was featured in Jackie Brown, but you likely know them from famous covers and samples of their material, from NKOTB’s rendition of “Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” to “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love),” tapped numerous times but most notably by the Fugees in “Ready or Not” and Missy Elliott in “Sock It 2 Me.” This Delfonics lineup (there are three) is led by Greg Hill. LEILANI POLK
WEDNESDAY
ELECTRONICBlevin Blectum, Aquamarine Space Unicorns, DJ Veins
Dave Segal has written, "Aquamarine Space Unicorns (Joyanna M and Lily Bell) have a memorable name and a slick way with intimate, nocturnal, and insightful down-tempo electronic songcraft." Speaking of Segal, he'll provide partial support as DJ Veins alongside experimental electronic musician and Stranger favorite Blevin Blectum.
Epik High
South Korean hiphop collective Epik High is credited with being one of the main groups to globally popularize their genre. They'll perform tracks from their nine studio albums.
Peter Bjorn and John, Jonathan Something
It’s been 13 years since Peter Bjorn and John released “Young Folks,” but I bet you still recall that whistle-laden, syrupy-sweet and sticky indie-pop track from 2006, because it was picked up by the mainstream and ruined in the mainstream way: ubiquity. That shit was everywhere for a hot minute. A lot of evolving and five albums' worth of music has happened since then, including last year’s Darker Days. PBJ have retained that quality of bright, catchy introspection, especially in tracks like the fun-swinging “One for the Team,” though they explore the title’s darker sonic territories in “Every Other Night,” which sounds like early ’80s post-punk, and the slinky grooving burn of “Sick and Tired.” Pitchfork calls it their strongest outing since Writer’s Block (which spawned “Young Folks”), and while I hate agreeing with that online rag, in this case, they might be right. LEILANI POLK
THURSDAY
EXPERIMENTAL/NOISEAP: Cruel Diagonals
A CliffsNotes description of Cruel Diagonals might be something like “voice-centric ambient music,” the domain of artists like Grouper or Julianna Barwick, who conjure up beatific, self-contained worlds out of little more than vocals and negative space. Bay Area musician Megan Mitchell’s project, though, is more fever dream than reverie. Mitchell’s debut, Disambiguation, is a heavy record, characterized by brooding atmospheres, field recordings, distant layered vocals, and forceful percussion sampled from archival sources. Those drums give her nebulous music uncommon rhythmic heft; a few tracks could even pass for ultra-minimalist techno. Mitchell arrives with a refined personal sonic vocabulary, no small feat in experimental music. ANDREW GOSPE
Audioasis Presents: Wild Powwers, Beverly Crusher, Matriarch
Local thrashing post-punks Wild Powwers, Beverly Crusher, and Matriarch will rock the stage in the name of the future shredders of Rain City Rock Camp for Girls. You're encouraged to donate guitars, amps, pedals, keyboards, stands, and any other music equipment you don't need.
Dan Mangan
According to NPR's Tom Moon, multi-instrumentalist Dan Mangan, a two-time winner of Canada's Juno Awards, offers plenty of experimental detours, sharp musical contrasts, and insightful lyrics.Â
The Pack A.D., The Fame Riot, Skates!
Vancouver garage-rock duo the Pack A.D. will rip through Eastlake with opening punk support from the Fame Riot and Skates!
Rival Sons, The Sheepdogs
With Canadian rockers the Sheepdogs in tow, Long Beach rockers Rival Sons will stop in Seattle on tour for their latest album Feral Roots.
Tacocat In-Store Performance
While you flip through records at Sonic Boom, Seattle royalty Tacocat—whose sound Stranger Music Calendar Editor Kim Selling describes as "neon-candy punk-pop"—will play live.
Versing, Big Bite, Hoop
Making the leap to Sub Pop subsidiary Hardly Art, Seattle quartet Versing are one of the city's freshest rock bands. Their debut full-length for the label, 10000, abounds with tantalizing guitar tones and songs that magnify and synthesize the best traits of Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, and Wire circa Chairs Missing. Versing’s mastery of discord and dynamics allows them to wring many interesting variations on their subtly boisterous rock. Leader Daniel Salas’s vocal nonchalance recalls Stephen Malkmus and Thurston Moore, but it belies acute social and political lyrics that stimulate beneath the melodious clangor. Turns out we can postpone rock’s funeral for now. DAVE SEGAL
FRIDAY
ELECTRONICionnalee | iamamiwhoami, Allie X
Swedish singer and experimental artist ionnalee released her first solo album-film combo titled Everyone Afraid to Be Forgotten in 2018, and will perform selections from it and her latest mixed media folklore tales.
Dreamcatchr, La Fonda, Killer Workout, Biblioteka
This roller party will support womxn in music in two ways: by showcasing female-fronted pop-rock bands Dreamcatchr, La Fonda, Killer Workout, and Biblioteka, and by donating proceeds to the young musicians of Rain City Rock Camp.Â
Emma Lee Toyoda, the Wednesdays, Sigh, Artemis
Everyone’s favorite soft punk, Emma Lee Toyoda, is coming out with a new EP, i don’t wanna play ur show. The title track rips open with the lines “I’m not your model minority / No, I don’t want you to look at me / Oh no, I don’t wanna play your show.” We are supposed to understand the title on a literal level, but also as a bucking of prejudice and racism—ELT isn’t here to perform for you! It’s a punk as fuck declaration. The release show will also feature arts and crafts, face painting, flash tats, and the like. Support comes from Vancouver, BC, indie outfit Sigh and Seattle punk rockers the Wednesdays. JASMYNE KEIMIG
George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Prolific boogie-blues rocker George Thorogood is known for popularizing classic hits like "Move It On Over" and "Who Do You Love." Sing along to your favorites on this Snoqualmie tour stop.Â
Melvins, Helms Alee, Holy Grove
The Melvins’ latest album, Pinkus Abortion Technician, finds the reigning demigods of doom-grunge once again valiantly trudging through swamps of murky-thick riffage and slowed-down, hardened bass. The vibe feels spaced-out, slinky, and as seethingly sexy as ever, with double-bass delivery from collaborators Jeff Pinkus (Butthole Surfers) and Steven McDonald (Redd Kross, OFF!). From the Surfers nod in the title (Locust Abortion Technician) to the actual songs performed (e.g., “Graveyard”), the record is a seamless fusion of the King Buzzo/Dale Crover–grounded rock foundation and the sprawling, quasi-psychedelic weirdness of the Butthole Surfers, delivering nonstop bass-heavy thrills for longtime fans of both acts. BRITTNIE FULLER
Telekinesis, Sontalk
Seattle multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Telekinesis (aka Michael Benjamin Lerner) has proved himself a facile craftsman of instantaneously memorable melodies over the course of five albums for indie powerhouse Merge Records since 2009. His songsmithing skews toward the accessible without sounding overly cloying, and his control of dynamics is impeccable. Dabbling with electronic music on 2015’s Ad Infinitum did not diminish Lerner’s knack for finessing infectious tunes. The new Effluxion LP returns to the classic Telekinesis approach, reaffirming that Lerner is simply a stone-cold studio pro who emits beguiling melodies like most people breathe. DAVE SEGAL
We Love Josh: An Evening of Music & Friendship
Josh Warren, the ex-bassist for Satisfact and FCS North, was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and needs our support to raise funds for his family and medical care. The lineup for this benefit will include John Atkins with Plan B, IQU (playing their first show in 10 years), DJ J-Justice, Select Level, and Truckasauras.
SATURDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKDenim & Diamonds
Join Lelah from pop-punk band Tacocat and Sam from Votiv for a night of line-dancing and honky tonkin'. Go all out with your outfit for the chance to win a prize.
50th! Great Records of 1969 – The Meters // Sly and the Family Stone – Stand!
Hark back to an iconic year in music with two fervid cover bands: the Meters tribute the Meter Maids, who will perform the New Orleans funk band's self-titled album in its entirety, and Sly and the Family Stone tribute Stand!
Cataldo, Kyle Morton, Whitney Ballen
Cataldo is a breath of fresh indie, pulling skeins of folksy Arthur Russell–adjacent influences together to braid a relaxing summer sound that’s only a little bit fussy.
Sonic Reducer 15th Anniversary Live Show & Broadcast
It's an exciting night for local punk rock: In honor of KEXP hardcore show Sonic Reducer's 15 years on the airwaves, DJs Jenn Govola, West Keller, and Brian Foss will spin live in between live performances by Mudhoney (!), Control Test, and Dark Smith in the Gathering Space. Light in the Attic Record Shop will supply some top-notch punk picks as well.
Wild Belle, Terri Terri
As Wild Belle, siblings Elliot and Natalie Bergman synthesize the headiest elements of reggae, dub, and ska, and add flavors of Afrobeat, psych pop, and groovy funk. Elliot is a multi-instrumentalist whose incredibly diverse arsenal includes saxophone, electric kalimba, and hand-built bronze and steel instruments like bells he makes by melting down guns and bullet casings. Natalie’s vocals are a mix of talk-singing, white-girl toasting, and huskily mesmerizing melodies that move between slinking croons and sweetly soaring belts. Wild Belle land in town behind their third full-length, Everybody One of a Kind. With warm-up from LA’s dark-pop purveyor Terri Terri, the project of Mark Noseworthy (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros). LEILANI POLK
Y La Bamba, Tres Leches, Warren Dunes
Oh my god, Y La Bamba are so good. So good, it's hard to describe why what they do works so well. I will try: Imagine the sound of a guitar but expressed as light through a crystal, then converted back into sound. Slather Luz Elena Mendoza's folky, craggy, beautiful vocals on top, and you have sonic gold. I'm listening to "Cuatro Crazy" right now, a single off their newest album, Mujeres, and it's like pure summer, or sunshine. JASMYNE KEIMIG
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
WORLD/LATINFlor de Toloache, The Cumbieros, La Misa Negra
Toloache is kind of flower you can find growing in Mexico, where it’s used to concoct love potions. New York City’s first all-female mariachi takes its name from this flower and, like its namesake, makes you fall in love with them. Their 2014 self-titled debut earned them a Latin Grammy nomination in the Best Ranchero Album category. In 2017, they took home that golden award for Las Caras Lindas, their second album. Co-founded by Mireya Ramos and Shae Fiol, Flor de Toloache melds pop and R&B influences with traditional mariachi songs and instruments, creating a new space for mariachi fans old and new. I’m turning up to "Besos de Mezcal"! JASMYNE KEIMIG
SUNDAY
BLUES/COUNTRY/FOLKHenry Jamison, Saint Sister
Vermont songwriter Henry Jamison sings about "what it means to be a white, middle-class male in America today" (in a critical thinking kind of way). He'll perform songs from his album Gloria Duplex on this tour stop with Dublin dream-pop duo Saint Sister.Â
(Im)migration: Music of Displaced Peoples
In this quarterly series that highlights music by composers affected by diasporas and migration, UW piano professor Robin McCabe will lead UW music students as they perform multiple works, with a pre-concert lecture by UW Music History faculty member Jon Hanford.
C'est Freak! C'est Skate! with DJs Marvelette & Mamma Casserole
DJs Marvelette and Mamma Casserole will spin good songs to boogie to in the roller rink.Â
Helado Negro, Tasha
This Is How You Smile is the sixth album from Roberto Carlos Lange under his Helado Negro moniker. It marries mellowed-out synths with earnest, melancholic folk in a way that escapes with your heart. It’s mature, focused, fleshed-out pure love. “Please Won’t Please,” the quiet opener, is familiar and cozy. Lange sings over a vibraphone. It sounds like rain-soaked pavement after a tropical thunderstorm. The most intimate of walks. On “Pais Nublado” (“Cloudy Country”), Lange sings in a mix of Spanish and English while softly strumming an acoustic guitar. Helado Negro connects with his listeners through the rainy bits of spring to the full bloom of summer. JASMYNE KEIMIG
