Arctic Monkeys/Wednesday, August 10
XL Recordings
Rolling in soul: Adele.
Riot Act Media
Wonderful.
Location Info
Related Content
More About
Touring in support of their fourth studio album, Suck It and See, British band Arctic Monkeys are heading to Seattle just 10 days into their U.S. tour. The record, which hit stores June 7, features a poppier side of the four-piece, who have traditionally played indie-laced garage rock. "I wanna steal your soul, I wanna rock 'n' roll," sings guitarist and vocalist Alex Turner on "Brick by Brick," the album's first single. While the record was an immediate success in both the UK and U.S., fans looking for a carbon copy of 2009's Humbug better stick to their iTunes. Suck It and See, though polished and ready for heavy radio rotation, plays like a Rooney album with distorted guitar and a half-hit of acid. Depending on one's taste, that might not be so bad. With the Vaccines. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 628-3151. 8 p.m. Sold out. All ages. JOE WILLIAMS
Black Stax/Thursday, August 11
Fresh off of headlining the most recent installation of hip-hop instrumentalists Big World Breaks' seasonal "classics," Black Stax—the trio of vocalist Felicia Loud and Silent Lambs Project MCs Silas Blak and Jace Ecaj—are hosting their own private night with promises of potions and exclusives. Joined by trumpeter extraordinaire Owuor Arunga, the group's radiant hip-hop puts a bluesy spin on social commentary—speaking equally, alternately, to the clubs and the classrooms. Regardless of whether they're playing harder-rapped tracks like recent single "Spell on You" or Loud's croon on the addictingly upbeat "I Love My Life," Black Stax has soul in spades. JewelBox/ Rendezvous, 2322 Second Ave., 441-5823. 9 p.m. NICK FELDMAN
Jacques Renault/Thursday, August 11
NYC DJ Jacques Renault takes his name from a tragic and rather unsavory Twin Peaks character, but his brand of sleek, smooth-gliding disco almost certainly has more in common with the luxury-car line that shares the surname than with that portly, Laura Palmer–raping French-Canadian. Both on his own and as half of the duo Runaway, Renault produces the sort of stuff that some wag at this paper previously termed "dance music for old people": slow-grooving, overtly nostalgic house and disco that even a wizened 30-year-old could stylishly enjoy without breaking a hip. He's remixed and re-edited acts such as Holy Ghost! and the Phenomenal Handclap Band for esteemed labels including DFA, Italians Do It Better, and Wurst Edits, and his original material and DJ mixes all point to what should be the finest night out that Nectar's hosted in a while. With Randolph, Blueyedsoul. Nectar, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. 8 p.m. $7. ERIC GRANDY
Adele/Friday, August 12
Adele's 21 is a near-perfect effort, showcasing wise-beyond-her-years songwriting and a voice unparalleled among her peers. My only beef with the soulful songbird are all these face-only promo shots. Good Lord, woman! There is nothing wrong with what's going on below your neck. You digest your food; you're not a Squidbilly. You are so much smarter than this size-ist nonsense. I don't expect you to go full-on Beth Ditto, but when you play into all this "She has a such a pretty face . . . if only" b.s., you're essentially telling the world that your immeasurable grace, style, and talent aren't enough, when in fact everything about you is more than enough. With Wanda Jackson. Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., 467-5510. 8 p.m. Sold out. All ages. MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
Mötley Crüe/Friday, August 12
Dear Tween Self: Here's what age, wisdom, and reality TV have taught me: 1. Mötley Crüe will never get any better than their sexy, raw debut, Too Fast for Love. Stop buying their records. It's OK if you can't; in 1991 Kurt Cobain and Paul Westerberg will save you. (P.S., there's a reason you're so attracted to Tommy Lee. A big one.) 2. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years is a cautionary tale, not an aspiration. 3. As much as you think you might, because he doesn't look like a Real Housewife (?!) yet, you DO NOT want to make out with Bret Michaels. His kissing technique is unfortunate and overly moist. 4. Eventually, you'll feel old. Just revel in the fact that you were breathing air on planet Earth at the same time as Johnny Thunders, the late, great patron saint of the bozos listed above. —Kisses, Your Grown-Ass Self. With Poison, the New York Dolls. Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, 253-272-3663. 7 p.m. $23–$93. All ages. MA'CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR
Zephyrs/Friday, August 12
Zephyrs is Pierce Adler and Cameron Case, two Redmond 17-year-olds who cite such bands as Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., and Guided by Voices as their musical heroes. Though neither of the two was alive when any of those bands formed, the influence shows in Zephyrs' bustling, noisy, and textured music. Case plays a cacophonous drum set while Adler jangles along on a resounding guitar and sings in a hyped-up, shouty style. The result is a set of songs that sometimes burst with youthful exuberance and other times swing low into moody adolescent melancholia. Last year, Zephyrs released an EP called Tradewinds, which they characterized as "about nostalgia and not having a boring life"; tonight they celebrate its follow-up, the rip-roaring Bye Sun, which is being released on cassette tape. With Protect Me, Cat 500, Footwork. Cairo, 507 E. Mercer St., 453-4077. 8 p.m. $5. ERIN K. THOMPSON
