SEPTEMBER
1 Amon Tobin Known both for his virtuosic sound-design abilities and his attention-grabbing live visuals, this electronic musician’s latest is 2011’s ISAM. The Moore, 1931 Second Ave., 467-5510, stgpresents.com. 8 p.m. $30 adv./ $35 DOS. All ages.
2 Pollens This Seattle six-piece incorporates drone music, polyrhythms, and complex vocal harmonies into its idiosyncratic sound. Barboza, 925 E. Pike, 709-9951, thebarboza.com. 8 p.m. $8.
3 AAIIEE Filling a niche few could have foreseen, this longtime local punk band released See You in Seattle, a concept album about the 1962 World’s Fair, earlier this summer. Funhouse, 206 Fifth Ave. N., 374-8400, thefunhouseseattle.com. 9:30 p.m. $5.
4 The Men On March’s Open Your Heart, this Brooklyn punk group refines the aggressive, go-for-broke promise of last year’s Leave Home. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. $12.
5 Beirut Zach Condon’s indie-Balkan folk project displays its most consistent set of songs to date on last year’s The Rip Tide. The Moore. 7:30 p.m. $32.50 adv./$35 DOS. All ages.
6 Against Me! After singer/guitarist Laura Jane Grace’s widely publicized coming-out as transgender, this Florida four-piece plans to release Transgender Dysphoria Blues later this year. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094, elcorazonseattle.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv./$18 DOS. All ages.
7 Superhumanoids In one of the more unexpected covers you’ll hear all year, this L.A. dream-pop group offers a hazy, hypnagogic take on the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated.” Tractor Tavern, 5231 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 9:30 p.m. $10.
8 Fucked Up A hardcore group with a literary bent, this Toronto sextet will provide a contrast to the anarchist noise-rock of tourmates Lightning Bolt. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxonline.com. 6 p.m. $10. All ages.
9 Chelsea Wolfe Few artists who fall under the umbrella of “folk” could tour with instrumental metal group Russian Circles, but Wolfe’s gothic take on the genre made the pairing appropriate when they were tourmates earlier this year. Barboza. 8 p.m. $10.
10 Heart On September 18, Nancy and Ann Wilson will release Kicking & Dreaming, a memoir documenting their 30-plus years of performing. Puyallup Fair and Events Center, 110 Ninth Ave. S.W., Puyallup, 253-841-5045, thefair.com. 7:30 p.m. $25–$65. All ages.
11 The Raghu Dixit Project This singer/songwriter’s self-titled debut was India’s best-selling non-film music release in 2011. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $18.
12 Grass Widow This San Francisco post-punk band’s latest is the moody Internal Logic. Chop Suey. 8 p.m. $10.
13 Pat Metheny One of the biggest names in jazz guitar, Metheny released a quartet record, Unity Band, in June. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., 441-9729, jazzalley.com. 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. $60. All ages.
14 Hot Chip The search for a successor to LCD Soundsystem’s throne should begin and end with this British group, whose taut dance-rock is some of the best in the business. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 467-5520, stgpresents.org. 8 p.m. $30 adv./$33 DOS. All ages.
15 Buckethead An eccentric shred guitarist, Brian Carroll is also unusually prolific—he’s put out 37 albums and been involved with more than 200 projects in his 20-year career. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org. 8 p.m. $21 adv./$24 DOS. All ages.
16 The Fresh & Onlys Along with the likes of Thee Oh Sees and Ty Segall, Tim Cohen’s band is one of the leading voices of San Francisco’s burgeoning garage-rock scene. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $10. All ages.
17 Saul Williams At this show, alternative hip-hop artist and poet Williams will perform CHORUS, a new spoken-word project. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. 7:30 p.m. $25 adv./$30 DOS. All ages.
18 Animal Collective The nearly four years since 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion have seen solo releases from members Panda Bear and Avey Tare and an AnCo visual album; Centipede Hz, the highly anticipated follow-up, drops September 4. The Paramount. 7:30 p.m. $27.25 adv./$30.25 DOS. All ages.
19 Led to Sea When not playing classical-inspired violin pop as Led to Sea, L. Alex Guy has contributed strings to music by Xiu Xiu, The Pharmacy, and Parenthetical Girls. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9 p.m. $7.
20 Lush Tones This recently formed three-piece blends funk, soul, and hard rock. High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., 632-0212, highdiveseattle.com. 9 p.m. $7.
21 Father John Misty Joshua Tillman has released seven solo albums dating back to 2005, but May’s Fear Fun was the first on which he adopted the strung-out Laurel Canyon persona of Father John Misty. Neumos. 8 p.m. $16.
22 Wheedle’s Groove At this show, members of various local funk and soul groups unite to pay tribute to the forgotten Seattle funk scene of the ’60s and ’70s. The Neptune. 9 p.m. $19. All ages.
23 Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds This Southern California reggae-rock five-piece released The Great Escape earlier this year. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020, nectarlounge.com. 8 p.m. $12.
24 Tegan & Sara Last year, this Canadian indie group released a film, Get Along, comprising three mini-documentaries and a live album. The Neptune. 8 p.m. $35. All ages.
25 Roach Gigz Bay Area radio station KMEL recently named this MC one of the area’s 10 most promising freshman rappers. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $10. All ages.
26 Garbage May’s Not Your Kind of People is these ’90s alt-rockers’ first album in seven years. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444, showboxonline.com. 7 p.m. $35 adv./$40 DOS. All ages.
27 Star Slinger As part of Decibel Festival, UK producer and DJ Darren Williams brings his hip-hop-tinged instrumentals to town. Neumos. 9 p.m. $18.
28 Deerhoof This San Francisco trio has churned out 11 albums of kinetic noise-pop since its inception in 1994. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372, theveraproject.org. 7:30 p.m. $16. All ages.
29 The Offspring This ever-irreverent punk band’s newest single, “Cruising California (Bumpin’ in My Trunk),” is meant to satirize the mainstream pop-music industry. White River Amphitheater, 40601 Auburn Enumclaw Rd., 360-825-6200, livenation.com. 1:30 p.m. $35–$81. All ages.
30 The Weeknd After a trilogy of mixtapes took Abel Tesfaye from obscure R&B songwriter to Drake collaborator, he made his U.S. debut at Coachella and will open several shows for Florence + the Machine this fall. The Paramount. 8 p.m. $39.50 adv./$45 DOS. All ages.
***DECIBEL FESTIVAL PICKS
Kimbra/Wednesday, September 26
After making a splash as Gotye’s female counterpart on the mega-hit “Somebody That I Used to Know,” New Zealand’s Kimbra Johnson is touring on the back of her own album, Vows—a collection of cabaret-infused pop that includes the exuberant single “Cameo Lover,” which won Johnson the grand prize at the 2011 International Songwriting Competition. ERIN K. THOMPSON Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 9 p.m. $20 adv./$25 DOS. All ages.
Orbital/Thursday, September 27
The peerless, undisputed highlight of the 2012 Decibel Festival, UK electronic duo Orbital has been a heavyweight since the, ahem, halcyon early-’90s days of rave in its home country, breaking through to America with the “electronica” boom of the mid-to-late ’90s. This year’s album Wonky, Orbital’s first in eight years, is a fine return to typically transcendent form, all lush synthesizer suites and lifting vocals (with Zola Jesus replacing Alison Goldfrapp). We’re lucky they’re back—and that Decibel got them. ERIC GRANDY The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 877-784-4849. 8 p.m. $40. All ages.
The Cannabinoids featuring Erykah Badu/Friday, September 28
The Queen of Neo-Soul named her large improvisational backing collective of turntables, keyboards, drum machines, laptops, and more— conceived around the songs of her two New Amerykah albums—after the receptors that induce a sense of euphoria in the brains of cannabis smokers, a sensation she aims to replicate for audiences at her live shows. EKT The Paramount. 8 p.m. $40. All ages.
Carl Craig 69 Live/Friday, September 28
Detroit techno legend (you literally have to refer to him that way, by law) Carl Craig is celebrating 20 years of his Planet E Communications imprint by reviving his old “six-nine” alias, whose debut release 4 Jazz Funk Classics (a tribute of sorts to Throbbing Gristle) launched the label. Tonight he’ll play a live set of 69’s deep house and techno tunes. EG Showbox at the Market. 9 p.m. $29.50 adv./$35 DOS. All ages.
Ariel Pink & Friends/Friday, September 28The full-length follow-up to Pink’s highly praised Before Today (2010) is Mature Themes, a typically cheeky and flighty pop record that includes two songs about meat, one about a lesbian nymphomaniac, the chipper lead single “Only in My Dreams,” and a faithful rendition of Donnie and Joe Emerson’s 1979 soul jam “Baby” that features funk vocalist DâM-FunK, who’ll open tonight’s show. EKT The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618. 9 p.m. $22. All ages. Roman Flügel/Saturday, September 29Roman Flügel is almost certainly best known for “Geht’s Noch?”, a 2004 tune whose squealing synth riff turned it into one of the year’s most ubiquitous peak-hour anthems. (He pulled a similar trick one year earlier as half of Alter Ego, with their track “Rocker.”) But beyond these monster singles, Flügel has released everything from minimalist techno to an album of jazzy vibraphone duets. Expect him to flex both his surprising range and his better-known muscles tonight. EG Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442. 9 p.m. $20. (Also tonight at Q Ultra Lounge).
John Talabot/Sunday, September 30
That Barcelona-based producer John Talabot is apparently a mysterious, anonymous figure in the vein of Burial or Rex the Dog (or whatever other electronic artists wish to maintain a low profile or cultivate some extra excitement) is far less compelling than the music he makes: a moody, deep-grooving take on house that should move the Decibel Festival Finale crowd no matter whose face is behind the decks. EG Neumos. 9 p.m. $18.
