Rakaa / Wednesday, November 3
David Torch
Marnie Stern is a killer guitarist.
Lost Highway Records
A window into Johnny Flynn.
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Though they might not have blown up in the mainstream beyond their 2004 Kanye West collaboration "This Way," Dilated Peoples are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the underground scene. And after much anticipation, one-third of that outfit—Rakaa Iriscience—finally let his 13-track solo debut, Crown of Thorns, fly this July. With a distinct throwback appeal, Rakaa goes heavy on the lyricism in multiple senses: He maintains a penchant for consistent verbiage without shying away from weightier subject matter, ranging from success to conspiracy theories. And in reality, he has to give his all in order to complement the hard-hitting beats—but if bobbing your head gets you to listen to what he has to say, I think Rakaa will be plenty happy. With Lyrics Born, Hi Life Soundsystem, DJ Swervewon.Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 8 p.m. $15. NICK FELDMAN
Ryan Purcell & The Last Round / Thursday, November 4
Seattle country-rock troubadour Ryan Purcell clearly worships at the altar of cantankerous cowboy Townes Van Zandt and his protégé Steve Earle, but in a Pacific Northwesterner's voice. The intro to "Enough" brings "Ohio" to mind; it's a strong, woody country number that burns like a neat double bourbon. Not all the songs on Purcell's album Kick the Dirt have quite the same, ah, kick, but even in its weakest moments, it sticks in the craw like a hunk of dry biscuit. With Pufferfish, Sunday Evening Whiskey Club. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m. $6. SARA BRICKNER
Aloe Blacc / Friday, November 5
Though Aloe Blacc's musical debut came as the MC half of indie hip-hop duo Emanon, the music of his recent record Good Things instead channels the timeless soul of Bill Withers and Al Green—comparisons not to be made lightly. Coating gritty lyrics of lost love and everyday tribulations with honeyed vocals strong enough to push back against the instrumentation, songs like lead single "I Need a Dollar" (which debuted as the theme song to the HBO series How to Make It in America) and "Politican" exhibit Blacc's undeniable charisma and introspective confidence. And he gets bonus points for reshaping Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale" into a soul hit. It's obvious that Aloe Blacc studied the masters and sounds as though he time-traveled straight from the '60s or '70s without recycling—or ignoring—the modern implications of hip-hop. With The Grand Scheme, Maya Jupiter, DJ 100proof. Nectar, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 9 p.m. $10. NICK FELDMAN
The Cave Singers / Friday, November 5
As gorgeous and charming as the Cave Singers' sun-dappled singles like "Summer Light" (from 2009's Welcome Joy) may be, what often makes our adventurous hometown folksters most intriguing is their dark underbelly, as exemplified by the sinister snake-oil salesmanship driving "Dancing on Our Graves" (from their 2007 debut, Invitation Songs). Now that they've jumped ship from Matador Records to Jagjaguwar, they've also made the wise choice to team with Randall Dunn (the man behind the boards on the most recent Black Mountain record and a producer known for his finesse with heavier artists like Sunn O))) and Earth), who's helming their Jagjaguwar debut, due in early 2011. Tonight's show will no doubt be an ideal forum in which to check out Dunn's influence on that new material. With the Moondoggies, Lovesick Empire. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 8 p.m. $16 adv./$18 DOS. HANNAH LEVIN
Gram Parsons Tribute Night / Friday, November 5
It's difficult to think of an artist more intrinsically influential on the development of the Americana and alt-country genres than the late Gram Parsons. Without the cosmic groundwork of that grievous angel, we wouldn't have a context for appreciating artists like Uncle Tupelo, Lucinda Williams, or My Morning Jacket. Tonight's cover night, organized by respected local picker Country Dave, will feature an array of Parsons- influenced artists such as John Brodin and Jesse Harmonson, as well as Dave's own band, the New Fallen Angels, which features Rolling Blackouts guitarist Tom Bennett. Conor Byrne, 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-3640. 9 p.m. $10. HANNAH LEVIN
Gordon Lightfoot / Friday, November 5
Now that he's over 70, his frame and voice a good deal frailer than they were in his prime, it's easy to forget that for decades Canadian folk legend Gordon Lightfoot defined what it meant to be a man. He was handsomely hirsute, wore a lot of denim, drank dark-hued booze, chased hot skirt, lived in the wilds of Ontario, chopped his own wood, killed wild boar with his bare hands, fished with a spear, raced a team of sled dogs, arm-wrestled competitively, wore Skin Bracer aftershave, and built his own forested cabin from log and rock, like that old guy on PBS. Even if he didn't do all that (and we have no proof he didn't), he still wrote "Sundown," "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," "Carefree Highway," and "If You Could Read My Mind." That's more than enough. Moore Theatre, 1932 Second Ave., 877-784-4849. 8 p.m. $28–$58. All ages. MIKE SEELY
Generationals / Saturday, November 6
The New Orleans trio Generationals—songwriters Ted Joyner and Grant Widner, plus drummer Tess Brunet—released their first LP, Con Law, in the summer of 2009. That album's standout track, "When They Fight, They Fight," was a deliciously saccharine, Motown-tinged throwback, backed by swooping horns and girl-group harmonies, sounding like something Phil Spector or Quincy Jones would have created 50 years ago. Live, the band seeks to replicate that buzzing wall of sound with extra brass players and backup singers. Generationals' upcoming second album, Actor-Caster, recorded this summer, is said to be a bit more abstract, but we're hoping the sunshine stays. With Two Door Cinema Club, Funeral Party. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467. 8 p.m. $13. All ages. ERIN K. THOMPSON
