Mt. Fuji Records Showcase ~ Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21
You know your little label is doing OK for itself when you need two nights to showcase all its talent. Former Cop (as in "the Cops") and Mt. Fuji label head Mike Jaworski has successfully carved a niche for his once-humble label by signing great Northwest bands, from the moody alt-country stylings of the Maldives to the sexy, sweet punk of the Whore Moans to Portland act Point Juncture, WA's bright synth-pop. They may vary in genre, but the members of Mt. Fuji's roster are similarly matched in talent and edge. Finally, while the Cops are no more, Mike Jaworski's new Cops-ish band, Virgin Islands, will unveil their EP in conjunction with this evening's festivities. Also featured is label newbie Spiral Stairs (aka Scott Kannberg), formerly a member of a little band you may have heard of called Pavement. Friday: Spiral Stairs, Weinland, Maldives, and Point Juncture, WA. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $10. Saturday: Virgin Islands, Whore Moans, Black Whales and Mr. Gnome. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880. 9 p.m. $8.MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
David McClister
Those Darlins have got “darling” down to a science.
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Levi Fuller (CD release) ~ Saturday, November 21
Those savvy enough to pick up each edition of Ball of Wax, Levi Fuller's quarterly compilation albums, already know that in addition to having excellent taste, Fuller is a member of the fabulous Seattle alt-country band Pufferfish (who will be performing tonight) and a talented and astoundingly prolific songwriter on his own. His solo offerings have matured with each release, and his latest, Colossal, is a striking collection of minimalist acoustic songs. Fuller arranges his instrumentals carefully, doing a lot with a little—say, a cello and an acoustic guitar—and making it fill up an uncommonly large space. Which is why Colossal is such a perfect name for this album: In its modest instrumentation, it captures an emotional resonance as full as a symphony orchestra's. With Emiko Blalock. Conor Byrne, 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-3640. 9 p.m. $7. SARA BRICKNER
Those Darlins ~ Saturday, November 21
Mainstream country music stars reality-show blondes with streaky highlights and shrieky voices overemoting through ballads so leaden and unimaginative they sound more like hair bands than hillbillies. Gin-you-wine country music isn't dead, though; it's just been holed up in Murfreesboro, Tenn., where Jessi, Nikki, and Kelley Darlin—sisters in stage names, if not blues-roots kinship—have resurrected its rockabilly twang and sass with their raucous, self-titled first album. Lead singer Kelley's powerful contralto conjures Patsy Cline—but a post-millennial Patsy, with elements of Patti Smith and Patty Smyth. On barn-raising ditties like "Wild One," in which the Darlins tease in three-part harmony, "If you can't handle crazy, go ahead and leave," you hear proof that country music hasn't gone anywhere. With King Khan and BBQ Show. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005. 9 p.m. $12. ROSE MARTELLI
Julian Casablancas ~ Sunday, November 22
Part of Julian Casablancas' reputation as the Strokes' frontman has always been his bratty nonchalance—it's something of a surprise, then, to discover that his solo album, Phrazes for the Young, is fairly surging with exuberance. Phrazes' songs are brassy and confident in ways that the Strokes' more recent efforts were not; eschewing the dirty garage-rock sound that made Casablancas famous, the record's first single, "11th Dimension" is hook-happy and synth-heavy, effusive and delightful. Amid the music's polished texture, Casablancas' trademark sleepy croon even sounds newly energized—his voice has a vivre we rarely heard on any Strokes record. Phrazes is no one-trick pony of flashy electronic beats, though; "Ludlow St.," an ode to nights out on the Lower East Side, features banjo solos, and indeed sounds like a sloshy tune you'd belt out with your drinking buddies at the neighborhood tavern. "River of Brakelights" then switches to tripping drum machines and weird little synth-riffs—the song longingly trills, "Waving goodbye, your young heart cries for you"—but in Casablancas' case, maturation has only brought good things. [See interview.] With the Strange Boys and Rainbow Arabia. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 7 p.m. $20 adv./$22 DOS. All ages. E. THOMPSON
Folklife CD release ~ Sunday, November 22
Because of the Northwest Folklife Festival's unfortunate timing—Memorial Day weekend, just like another certain Washington music festival at which Pavement will headline in 2010—it's safe to say that a large portion of Seattle's music-loving populace regularly misses out on one of its best music events. Fortunately, there's a way you can catch up on some of what you missed—get yourself a copy of Folklife's new compilation album, Live From the 2009 Festival, 13 recordings of live performances. Zoe Muth, a talented country songwriter with an Emmylou-esque voice and a knack for composing stellar, deceptively simple songs, is on it, as well as Amateur Radio Operator, an incredible Seattle alt-country band whose moment in the spotlight is long overdue. One of Folklife's best assets is its ability to bring unsung Seattle talent out of the woodwork, and if you can't make the festival, you'll at least want to capitalize on the festival organizers' expertise at this release show, where a smattering of Folklife vets will be strutting (and strumming) their stuff. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 7 p.m. $8. SARA BRICKNER
