Flatstock 22
Meet the artists, buy their wares, get them signed if you like. Illustration geeks will be scanning music posters and swapping stories all weekend at this 22nd annual event, organized by the American Poster Institute. More than 70 artists will be in attendance, with hundreds of posters on view. Among local talent, expect to see Brad Klausen, Jon Smith, Jeff Kleinsmith, Jesse LeDoux, and Invisible Creature (aka brothers Don and Ryan Clark), all of whose work is included in Gig Posters Vol. 1, edited by Clay Hayes of gigposters.com. He too will be at Flatstock to help you curate your own growing collection. Fisher Pavilion, 11 a.m-8 p.m. BRIAN MILLER
Past Lives
It's damn near impossible to talk about Seattle's Past Lives without mentioning their past life (ahem) as three-fifths of the Blood Brothers. Some of the hyperactive bombast and acid-throated growl of the Brothers Blood is still there, but Past Lives are a bit less bratty and more focused. Unafraid of building a tidal wave of gorgeous atmosphere or tossing in a pop hook now and again, Past Lives seems a lot less interested in starting a shouting match than in starting a danceable riot. EMP Sky Church, 3:30 p.m. GREG FRANKLIN
Cordero
While the initial lineup for Ani Cordero's self-titled band included members of Calexico and Giant Sand, it wasn't until Ani moved from Tucson to New York City that the band's haunting Latin pop tunes, which she sings in both Spanish and English, shot to prominence. Like Belle & Sebastian channeling Sergio Mendes, Cordero's bright, brassy horns, ba-da-ba pseudo-scatting, and lounge guitar combine the best of Ani's Puerto Rican heritage [and of Latin music in general] with the hip NYC indie scene she left almost 10 years ago. Northwest Court Stage, 5 p.m. SARA BRICKNER
The Animated Life
Wordless, as any short film about animals should be, Kyle Bell's The Mouse That Soared is an absolute charmer among this package of cartoons. The humor and CG animation owe a debt to Pixar, but that's a sign of quality, not plagiarism. From circus ring to treetop, we learn how an orphaned mouse was adopted by an unlikely surrogate mother, a bird. And since birds fly, yes, the mother does everything possible to coax her adorable mouse baby out of the nest. Aided by a fellow member of her flock, various flying contraptions are attempted, many of them worthy of Wile E. Coyote for their sheer lunatic implausibility and—your kids will be delighted—reckless disregard for safety. This ugly ducking is a very daring rodent. SIFF Cinema (McCaw Hall), 5:30–6:30 p.m.BRIAN MILLER
The Whore Moans
"The Whore Moans Present: The Black Atom" is not the death-metal opus chronicling the end of the world one would expect from the title. In fact, these local rockers will show off their chops in a more theatrical fashion while bringing it back home Stax-style. Expect these boys to be dreamily dressed to the nines while delivering stripped-down and reworked renditions of some of their best songs from their two most recent albums, along with newbies from The Black Atom. Borrowing backup singers from the Cute Lepers and an organist and horns from the Hands, this show promises the Whore Moans like you've never seen them before. EMP Sky Church, 6:30 p.m. MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
For Brooklyn band Gang Gang Dance to name its 2008 album of techy jams Saint Dymphna, the patron saint of confusion and madness, sums up its penchant for sonic chaos more aptly than any two other English words could. Gang Gang Dance's sound resides in the magical fairyland where math rock and house music intersect, a place where Battles' perfectly measured, booming rockers, Animal Collective's frantic pop experimentalism, and Deerhoof's adorably undecipherable vocals fuse into an uninhibited, precisely messy melee. Gang Gang Dance's avant-antics incorporate all the most interesting elements of contemporary pop into an unbelievably hypnotic display of glorious madness. This will no doubt be the best set of the day—if not the whole damn festival. Rockstar Stage, 7 p.m. SARA BRICKNER
Watching Os Mutantes in 2009 on American soil necessarily entails a separation from the social context from which they first emerged. But that might actually be an ideal way to witness the band in action. Because, even 40 years after the tropicalia movement, and even without a nuanced understanding of the Brazilian cultural revolution of which Os Mutantes was an integral part, their work still delivers a clear, invigorating musical message. The band's verve, funky outfits, and obvious elements of psychedelic rock need no explanation, and Os Mutantes suggests tropicalia was no mere flash in the pan. Fisher Green Stage, 7:30 p.m.SABY REYES-KULKARNI
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Festivals have their roots in folk music, you know, and the roots-folk music of Elvis Perkins in Dearland has been well honed during the past year, thanks to the band's lengthy touring schedule. Their soothing-yet-stirring compositions—like poppy track "While You Were Sleeping," roots party jam "Hey," the workingman vibe of "Shampoo," or the bittersweet "1 2 3 Goodbye"—make a great soundtrack for a cool late-summer night. After the manufactured kinetics of Katy Perry, energy drink–sponsored skate punks, and improv comedy, Elvis Perkins in Dearland should prove a pleasant end-of-day tonic. Northwest Court Stage, 8:30 p.m. ROSE MARTELLI
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