Pony Time/Wednesday, January 5
Sarah Cass
France meets the Northwest via Angelo Spencer.
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This year-old Seattle duo makes the kind of garage-inflected, early-'60s pop, delivered by contemporary punks, that's been picking up steam over the past year, and has been heard primarily via cassette around town. Pony Time throws the genre a curve as a boy/girl duo (nothing shocking about that) driven not by a six-string guitar but by a four-string bass, played by vocalist Luke Beetham. Delivered from the low register, the deeply fuzzy tones serve as sheets of drone in support of his high-pitched, B-52s-inspired vocals. Drummer Stacy Peck, formerly of Telepathic Liberation Army, hits the drums in a tasteful, testosterone-free style of playing that comes from the heart—not note-perfect but ideally suited for the music. Onstage they're deliberately rough and off the cuff. Come curious, leave with a tape. With the Babies, Butts, Detective Agency. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave. N., 374-8400. 9:30 p.m. $5. CHRIS KORNELIS
Teengirl Fantasy/Thursday, January 6
Is there something in the water in the dorms of Oberlin College? The Ohio institution has educated a notable number of eclectic musicians, including Liz Phair, Karen O, Alex Scally of Beach House, and most recently turntablists Nick Weiss and Logan Takashi of the synth-dream duo Teengirl Fantasy. The twosome makes music that incongruously combines sharp, futuristic electronica with washes of retro soul and R&B samples. It's odd and fluttery, but also incredibly hypnotic and relaxing. Teengirl Fantasy's debut full-length, the delicate 7AM, contains a reimagining of Rose Royce's '70s soul classic "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (also covered by Madonna in 1984) that oozes with a cool, slow-motion sensuality. With Pictureplane, U.S.F. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372. 7:30 p.m. $9. All ages. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Damien Jurado/Friday, January 7
Without question, 2010 was the year that local singer/songwriter Damien Jurado hit his stride, articulating his literal and figurative voice on St. Bartlett with a concise elegance and vulnerability that eclipsed even his strongest previous efforts. Jurado's live shows are always hushed, reverent affairs well worth the focused attention they command. However, the presence of Widower on this bill is equal cause for celebration. Frontman Kevin Large (backed primarily by members of the Moondoggies) is one of the city's most unheralded talents, possessing a voice that evokes Ryan Adams' more melancholic moments and the easy, unaffected delivery of an artist born for the stage. With Tony Kevin Jr. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 722-3009. 9 p.m. $12 adv./$14 DOS. HANNAH LEVIN
Angelo Spencer et les Hauts Sommets/Friday, January 7
If you haven't heard of French-born Olympia resident Angelo Spencer, you've surely heard of his wife, wacky songstress Kimya Dawson. The couple shares a record label, K, and a 4-year-old daughter named Panda, but Spencer does his own thing too. In early 2010, K released his Karl Blau–engineered Angelo Spencer et les Hauts Sommets, a crackling, rollicking instrumental LP spotlighting Spencer's deft, lively guitar licks—the man is clearly a master of the instrument. That album was quickly followed by a Calvin Johnson–produced collaboration with French gypsy folk outfit L'Orchidee d'Hawai, a quirky, easygoing 7" single called "L'Argent" that proves Spencer can sing as well as play guitar, write endearing music, be a father and husband, and seemingly do it all. With Lonesome Shack, Kinski, Sugar Sugar Sugar. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 9 p.m. $7. ERIN K. THOMPSON
The Tighten Up/Friday, January 7
Formerly the Saturday-night dance party at Belltown's Juju lounge, Tighten Up has migrated up the hill to Moe Bar as a first-Friday affair—and is undoubtedly prepared to bring along its classic hip-hop, boogie funk, and soulful dance tunes. Each of the prolific local DJs responsible for holding down the wheels of steel—FourColorZack, Neight1000, and Sean Cee—have appeared at some of Seattle's best dance parties, including Capitol Club's Jet Set, Nasty's at Havana, and HG Lodge's Almost Famous. And if their track record isn't enough to snag your attention, their selections, ranging from Michael Jackson's "Rock With You" to Chic's infectious "Good Times," will get you on your feet. Moe Bar, 1425 10th Ave., 709-9951. 10 p.m. Free. NICK FELDMAN
Appetite for Awesome!/Saturday, January 8
As long as there's a decent backline and some semblance of organization, cover nights can be much more enjoyably adventurous than they seem at first, particularly if there's a wild-card factor in the mix. In the case of tonight's "Appetite for Awesome!" show, there are plenty of tantalizing unknowns. A wide range of iconic, harder-edged artists (Gorilla Biscuits, Jawbreaker, Guns N' Roses, and Motörhead) are to be covered by a slew of this city's most commanding metal-minded performers, like Heiress. Best of all, it's free, though the proceeds from auction items (gift cards, free shows at El Corazon, a box of merch from React! Records) will go to Rosie McPherson, mother of 3 Inches of Blood bassist Brian Redman, who was killed in a scooter crash in 2009. With On, Poverty Bay Saints, Betrayed, Blood Elk, The Great White North, Gravemaker, Between the Buried and Me. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 10 p.m. Free. HANNAH LEVIN
