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FRIDAY:
Michaelangelo Matos' picks:
Southern Culture on the Skids (Blues Stage, 7:30-9pm) Thanks to an old roommate, this bad joke about the South has become one of my favorite lowbrow pleasures, and I still can't get "Banana Pudding" out of my head.
Jonathan Richman (Bumbrella Stage, 8:30-10pm) America's greatest living entertainer? Well, close enough, thanks to Jojo's irresistible stage persona, deeper-than-you-think catalogue, and indefatigable rhythm guitar. And oh yeah— he helped invent punk rock.
Zap Mama (Opera House, 9-10:30pm) Zap Mama mastermind Marie Daulne's Afro-Caribbean-Euro-American melting pot gives up irresistible harmonies and beguiling rhythms in equal measure. Multiculturalism lives, and breathes.
Laura Learmonth's picks:
Jen Wood (NW Court Stage, 2:15-3:15pm) Jen's style is of the indie/folk chick genre, but don't take that to mean that it's tired or overdone. Eight years into the business of writing songs and playing her guitar, she's almost always got some random element keeping her music fresh.
Pedro the Lion (BumberClub, 3:45-4:45pm) A friend of mine is truly in the running for Biggest Pedro the Lion Fan. He ends his e-mails with random quotes from Big Trucks and Winners Never Quit and he downloads guitar tabs off the Internet so he can play along. But more than that, he feels each and every one of David Bazan's thoughtful songs quite deeply. So he's going for sure, and I am too.
Mark Eitzel (NW Court Stage, 7:00-8:15pm) Anyone remember American Music Club? Mark Eitzel fronted it, and they were damn good. Even if you've never heard of him or his Club, come anyway, because there's sure to be some powerful guitar strumming and storytelling going down.
Jonathan Richman (Bumbrella Stage, 8:30- 10:00pm) The first time I heard "Pablo Picasso," I knew I had found a friend. All these years later, he's still one of my main men. But then, I do keep a pretty big place in my heart reserved for quirky, nerdy punk rockers.
Richard A. Martin's picks:
The Catheters (BumberClub, 2:30-3:15pm) They look more Detroit '75 than Seattle 2000, but this young fivesome cranks out garage-y, Stooges-like punk that's surprisingly heartfelt and authentic—especially when you find out that most of the members weren't even born in '75.
The Souvenirs (Blues Stage, 4-5pm) Despite a devout local audience and a few clubs geared to country/rockabilly acts, Seattle's produced remarkably few artists of note in the genre. The Souvenirs, however, plead their case convincingly, strumming out a spirited sort of twang and strutting across the stage like they mean it.
Marit Peters (Music Hall, 4:30-5:30pm) A local artist with a great shot at making it big, Marit Peters sings with the assuredness of a seasoned Lilith Fair vet. But this young singer-songwriter stands apart with passionate vocals and thoughtful instrumentation, exhibited on her recent CD, Dead Reckoning.
SATURDAY:
Michaelangelo Matos' picks:
The Coup (Rhythm Stage, 5:45-7pm) Vocally agile Oakland MC Boots Riley spits the most politically acute rhymes to hit hip-hop since prime Public Enemy—think class warfare. DJ Pam the Funkstress backs him up with prime old-school funk beats—think War-style fanfare.
George Clinton and Parliament/ Funkadelic (Mainstage, noon-2:45pm) The atomic dogs return. Everybody knows and loves the hits, but don't be surprised when you're just as knocked out when P-Funk drops cuts from 1998's overlooked Dope Dogs, a classic on a par with any of their '70s output.
Mark Isham & the Silent Way Project (Opera House, 1:30-2:45pm) Bay Area soundtrack composer and jazz trumpeter Isham and his electric five-piece put out one of last year's strongest reinterpretations, Miles Remembered: The Silent Way Project. Expect that alongside Isham's typical ambient fare.
Laura Learmonth's picks:
Elliott Smith (Boombox/Key Arena, 8:30- 9:45pm) I know, I know. I'm kinda over him, too. Elliott Smith just isn't what he used to be. But c'mon, you already paid your 12 bucks. And besides, he just might play something from the old days, something that doesn't scream, "I live in Hollywood and drive a Passat," something that doesn't sound like a boring Beatles rip-off. Something like "No Name #2" or "Coming Up Roses." Keep your fingers crossed.
Source of Labor (Rhythm Stage, 2:00- 3:15pm) Diversify, people. We can't live on rock and roll alone, and this local act supposedly "blows up tha spot." It's been a long time since this lady's been at a hip-hop show, but heck, I'll catch on. I hope.
Richard A. Martin's picks:
Iris DeMent (Blues Stage, 1:45-3pm) Whether singing her own songs or covering those of country and folk heroes who came before her, Iris DeMent is one of the most distinctive and endearing young voices in American music. The daughter of religious farmers, she's paid her dues, working odd jobs and fighting for respect with a series of stellar releases and frequent public displays of her offbeat charm and winsome musicality.
Freakwater (Bumbrella Stage, 3:30-4:45pm) Catherine Irwin and Janet Bean sprang from the Louisville punk scene that produced bands like Slint and Rodin, but changed gears completely as Freakwater. Their rich, homespun harmonies and fluid acoustic melodies have made them favorites on the alt-country circuit, and yet their records come out on an indie-rock/experimental label, Thrill Jockey, a testament to the duo's reach.
