Friday, Feb. 6
For this month’s Community Partnership Showcase, which benefits a new local organization each month, KEXP’s Sharlese Metcalf and her Audioasis crew are hosting indie-folk singer/songwriter and Postal Service collaborator Jen Wood in support of Street Yoga, a program that brings yoga to young people facing adversity throughout the city. Wood’s latest, Wilderness, is more piano-driven than previous releases but just as personal. In it, over sweeping synth elements from Andy Myers (Stenobot, Supercommuter), the singer examines the impact her early exposure to Christian culture had on her life. This piano/synth combo works to update Wood’s sound without making it unrecognizable. With Tangerine, Ruler. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088, columbiacitytheater.com. 9 p.m. $7 adv./$8 DOS. 21 and over.
JusMoni, also known as Mother Sister and Saffroniaa, has taken New Year’s resolutions to a whole new level. This year, the electro-soul singer plans to work on her next full-length album; inspire young people across the country to “become ministers of culture and urban historians”; build sustainable food farms for communities of color; and move to India for three months with her son. Whew! The singer has set up a GoFundMe page to help her accomplish these goals, and while she still has quite a way to go before reaching her target of $3,000, determination like that will certainly help. With 9th Wonder, Romaro Franceswa, Dex Amora. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $11. 21 and over.
Emily Westman and Andrew Vait met as undergrads in Florida. After graduation, the pair moved to Seattle and began to flourish in the scene with solo projects and as members of Blunt Mechanic, the Torn ACLs, Lemolo (Westman), and Eternal Fair (Vait). The pair were musically reunited after Vait sang as part of a Queen tribute put together by Seattle Rock Orchestra, for which Westman drums and arranges. Having performed as indie-pop duo Sisters for just under a year now, Westman and Vait are combining the best of both worlds when the Rock Orchestra backs them up on arrangements of their debut EP, Diamonds of Gold. With Tamara Power-Drutis, Maiah Manser. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $12. 21 and over.
Saturday, Feb. 7
“Eclectic” doesn’t even begin to cover the self-titled debut from The Ramblin’ Years. Before the nine-track album is finished, the local quintet bounces from country-tinged rock to folk to hip-hop and back. Album opener “Hold On to You” seems like a straightforward country tune until Daniel Dunn comes through with a jazz club–worthy saxophone solo. And songs like “Stay Away” and “Stone by Stone” feature rhythm guitarist Katie Sweeney’s jazzy vocals and lead guitarist Sean Clavere alternating between singing and rapping. With Exohxo, Silver Torches. Columbia City Theater. 9 p.m. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and over.
After 10 years together, the Maldives have become synonymous with alt-country, both in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The band’s latest, Muscle for the Wing, which was produced by Shawn Simmons (The Head and the Heart, Grand Hallway), builds on its debut full-length, Listen to the Thunder, and finds the septet, fronted by Jason Dodson, even more in sync. Though the Maldives can throw down a heavy riff with ease, as on “Blood on the Highway,” there’s a folkier side to Muscle, as on album opener “I’m Gonna Try” and closer “Go Back to Virginia,” that keeps things fresh. Neumos. 8 p.m. $12. 21 and over.
The Devil Makes Three are pros at the ol’ bait-and-switch. The California trio’s latest, I’m a Stranger Here, is incredibly jovial on the surface, but when you look past the upbeat bluegrass and really listen to the lyrics, darker elements become more apparent. “Dead Body Moving” tells the story of someone coming to terms with death; “Worse or Better” deals with rough relationships; the band personifies substance abuse on “Mr. Midnight.” It’s easy to use upbeat tunes as an excuse to sugarcoat lyrics, but The Devil Makes Three (guitarist/singer Pete Bernhard, upright bassist/vocalist Lucia Turino, and multi-instrumentalist Cooper McBean) have struck a balance between catchiness and brutal honesty. With Joe Pug. The Paramount, 911 Pine St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/paramount. 8 p.m. $21.25 adv./$26.25 DOS. All ages.
