The Coathangers/Wednesday, July 27
Jason Travis
Crass children the Coathangers.
Breanne Koselke
The Divorce.
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The Coathangers' initial hook was that they were like an all-girl Black Lips: a brash, bratty garage-rock band sprung from a sweltering hot Atlanta house-party scene. The Black Lips have gone on to blow up, cause ruckus everywhere from India to the West Indies, and finally settle down with Mark Ronson to make a polished pop try at the charts. If the Coathangers were following that path, now would be their time to make a play at bigger mainstream success. Instead, the band has kept things more or less basement-level on new album Larceny and Old Lace (out on stalwart local indie label Suicide Squeeze rather than, say, Vice), sticking to the caterwauling and crassness that made them something to reckon with in the first place. Tonight, they're supported by an impeccable bunch of Seattle acts: goth industrialists Crypts, dance-party no-wavers Stickers, and the free-jazz mushroom freak-out that is WaMü. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 9 p.m. $8. ERIC GRANDY
RX Bandits/Wednesday, July 27
After garnering a cult-like following during the '90s' third wave of ska—alongside bands like No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, and Save Ferris—Orange County, Calif., four-piece RX Bandits has spent 16 years touring and maturing its sound. However, the band's 2011 summer tour will be its last. "To clarify, we're not breaking up," guitarist Steve Choi told Playmaker magazine in June. "We're just doing our last tour. What we're gonna do in the future, we're not quite sure." Though the former ska band dropped the horns in favor of a rockier sound in 2009's Mandala, flavors of prog-rock and punk make the album a logical next step. The plus side? An "indefinite hiatus" opens the doors for new side projects and well-deserved family time. With Maps & Atlases, Zechs Marquise. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094. 7:30 p.m. $15 adv./$18 DOS. All ages. JOE WILLIAMS
Red Bull Emsee/Thursday, July 28
Do you find pleasure in the vulgar degradation of complete strangers? Who doesn't? A close relative of the discontinued Red Bull Big Tune beat battles, the traveling Red Bull Emsee rap battle invites the finest improv lyricists from each of its eight tour stops to sling some serious mud onstage, vying for a spot in the finals in Atlanta and potentially a studio session with a high-profile mystery producer (last year's winner was paired with Alchemist). In addition to their head-to-head battles, each lyricist will be forced to freestyle to visual cues and words text-messaged by the audience. This year's Seattle crop is an inviting mix of seasoned veterans and young victims: Illmaculate, 9dm, Krue, Mic Phenom, Billy the Fridge, Bishop I, Justice, and KI Design. Hosted by Bun B; judged by Too $hort, Crooked I, and Casual. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 9 p.m. $8. TODD HAMM
Brandi Carlile/Friday, July 29
It wasn't long ago that Brandi Carlile was opening for the Indigo Girls at a sold-out Woodland Park Zoo show. This year, headliner Carlile's July ZooTunes date sold out so quickly that an August show (also sold out) had to be added, while tickets for a pair of Indigo Girls gigs at the same venue last week remained available until showtime. So what's this rapid turn of events mean for these two formidable lesbian folk-rock acts? Could there be a hint of superficiality at play here? Take a gander at Carlile. Now eyeball the Indigo Girls. No matter how crunchy the community, looks matter. And the comely Carlile's got talent to match, even if her sound is relatively straightforward. With Ivan & Alyosha. Woodland Park Zoo, 601 N. 59th St., 548-2500. 6 p.m. Sold out. All ages. MIKE SEELY
Editor's Pick* The Divorce/Saturday, July 30
The Divorce called it quits in 2007, with its four members (Shane Berry, Jimmy Curran, Garrett Lunceford, Kyle Risan) subsequently moving on to other projects. But Divorce die-hards can finally stop their rallying cries for a reunion—it's happening tonight, four years and one month to the day after their last show (and at the same venue). If you never got into the Divorce's bombastic pop-rock back in the day, it's still not too late—if you hit up thedivorcereturn.com, you can download 2005's The Gifted Program and 2007's In Arms (only recently mastered and released) for free. (You'll have to dig deeper to get a copy of their fantastic 2003 debut, There Will Be Blood Tonight, but it's worth the effort). Of course, the big question on everybody's mind is if this reunion is just a one-off or something more—Berry now lives in San Francisco, which makes an actual full-on reunion a little improbable, but stranger things have happened. With Viper Creek Club, Birds & Batteries. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 8 p.m. $10. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Matisyahu/Saturday, July 30
An American Hasidic Jew, Matthew Paul Miller—better known by his stage name Matisyahu—captured the reggae world in 2004 with the release of Shake Off the Dust . . . Arise. The record's intricate blend of reggae, hip-hop, and rock earned him the title of Billboard's Top Reggae Artist in 2006. This February, Matisyahu released Live at Stubb's, Vol. 2, the much-anticipated sequel to his 2005 debut live album Live at Stubb's, which featured a standout performance of his top single "King Without a Crown." Matisyahu's impeccable beat-boxing skills, mixed with his head-bobbing reggae soul and devoutly religious lyrics, have made him a highly sought-after live musician. His refusal to perform on Fridays (except for one special occasion in Alaska) is the cherry on top for a man who propels himself on faith and love, not media expectations. With Tea Leaf Green. Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 781-5755. 9 p.m. $25.50. All ages. JOE WILLIAMS
