Friday, October 10 Seattle’s Lonesome Shack wallows in the rickety despair of
Published 5:36 pm Friday, October 10, 2014
Friday, October 10
Seattle’s Lonesome Shack wallows in the rickety despair of the blues, and its sparse arrangements embody the sorrow in vocalist Ben Todd’s warble. The band’s latest record, More Primitive, sees it reveling in gorgeous, depressing melodies. Despite being a downer, it’s a comforting listen. As the summer ends and the season changes, get cozy at home and wrap yourself in Lonesome Shack’s melancholia. With The Horde and the Harem, San Juan. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over. DH
Saturday, October 11
Throughout his expansive punk career, Montreal avant-garde musician Mark Sultan has gone by many names: Needles, Skutch, Blortz, and most recently BBQ. It was during his tenure as frontman for punk group the Spaceshits that he established a kinship with bassist Blacksnake (who would go on to reinvent himself as King Khan). The two eventually joined forces again under the moniker The King Khan & BBQ Show, reimagining doo-wop in their own twisted image. In their hands, the soulful genre becomes a grimy, fuzzed-out affair. With Ausmuteants, Thunderpussy. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $15 adv. All ages. DH
Portland-based melodic-rock trio Rags & Ribbons has the uncanny ability to sound much larger. The soaring vocal harmonies that kick off “Magnesium Dream,” from the band’s latest EP Magnesium Dreams, for instance, make it seem twice as big. Guitarist/vocalist Ben Weyerhaeuser and pianist/vocalist Jon Hicks’ choir backgrounds have a lot to do with it, but it’s also because of the way they, and drummer/vocalist Chris Neff, weave intricate layers of sound so effortlessly. Throughout the six-song EP, the band blends piano-driven melodies with heavier elements, building each song until, at its peak, it’s an arena-ready jam of Muse-like proportions. With Kiven, Ghost Parade, If Penguins Could Fly. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 262-0482, elcorazonseattle.com. 7:30 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
Sunday, Oct. 12
Considering how cheery Of Montreal’s music sounds on the surface, it’s hard to imagine the psych-pop outfit drawing inspiration from the likes of Sylvia Plath and Neil Young. But that’s the brilliance of Of Montreal: The more gleeful it sounds, the more chance it has to be depressing. Even on its Outback Steakhouse–affiliated single “Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games,” vocalist Kevin Barnes unleashes pessimistic sentiments like “Let’s pretend we don’t exist.” For all its quirky guitar sounds and snappy drums, Of Montreal is genuinely in touch with the darker recesses of the human soul. With Pillar Point. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org/paramount. 8 p.m. $20 adv./$22 DOS. All ages. DH
