David Bazan, Wednesday, Jan. 21, Chop Suey: There’s probably no better songwriter than David Bazan to play a benefit for John Spalding, the 33-year-old Seattle musician who died in November after a long batter with lung cancer. In his decade-long musical career, Spalding played with 90 Lb. Wuss and Raft of Dead Monkeys, and built friendships within the music community. Bazan’s lyrics aE” especially the songs he wrote while fronting Pedro the Lion aE” are mostly first- and second- person narrative; in short, Bazan sings about a nebulous you who is experiencing something poetic, tragic or inspirational. The stories told in songs like June 18, 1976 or Slow and Steady Wins the Race are tragic tales of death, but they are ultimately metaphors for greater emotions like loss and fear. Only Bazan’s songs could give voice to the sadness Seattle feels over Spalding’s passing. With Damien Jurado and See Me River. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8000. 8 p.m., $12 adv, $15 dos. Note by PAIGE RICHMOND

The Gigantics, Thursday, Jan. 22, High Dive: As if the presence of Onry Ozzborn and his five alter-egosaE”who form like Voltron to become The GiganticsaE”werenaE™t enough to permit this word-poor writer to label tonightaE™s show aEœeclectic,aE thereaE™s the matter of the other folks on the bill. Included is the growling post-punk of Chk Minus, the ambient electro of MinneapolisaE™ Lookbook, and local MC Sonny Bonoho, whose Dr. Zhivago hat portends tongue-in-cheek on-stage antics of the OlaE™ Dirty Bastard variety to come. ItaE™s a well-rounded showaE”with an edge. Back to Ozzborn: His role as ring-leader of The Gigantics required that he wrangle 5320 MCs (!) to spit over his simple yet seductive production for the Die Already disc. It placed local spitters alongside the likes of Aesop Rock and other underground champs. So after you leave the show, cop that. With Xntrik and Darwin. High Dive, 513 N. 36th, 632-0212. 9 p.m., $8. Note by KEVIN CAPP

Tera Melos, Thursday, Jan. 22, Vera Project: aEœHey SandyaE by Polaris, best known as the theme song to The Adventures of Pete and Pete, has generated a great deal of Internet discussion regarding its indecipherable words. Tera MelosaE™ cover version doesnaE™t clarify the mysterious third line aE“ actually, it further obscures the vocals aE“ but it does surgically reattach the haunting refrain from the Beach BoysaE™ aEœGod Only KnowsaE to the otherwise perky tuneaE™s midsection. aEœHey SandyaE appears on the trioaE™s free downloadable EP Idioms Vol. 1, which also includes prog/jazzy revamps of Rivers Cuomo, Clash, Pixies and Beach Boys tracks. These familiar melodies might provide a foothold for the uninitiated as they attempt to process Tera MelosaE™ math-rock computations. But even people who find Tera MelosaE™ recordings as inscrutable as aEœHey SandyaE lyrics should be able to appreciate the virtuosity on display during its shows, which are all about two-hand tapping guitar solos and power-rolling rhythms. With Astronautilis, Every Body. Vera Project, Seattle Center, Warren Ave. N. and Republican. 7:30 p.m., $9. All ages. Note by ANDREW MILLER

Magic Bullets, Slow Skate, Thursday, Jan. 22, Comet Tavern: Known for their breezy, buoyant sound — think Joy Division on a perpetual spring break, — Bay Area band Magic BulletsaE™ introspective lyricism and rollicking musicianship have singled out the orchestral pop band amidst the crowded nu-pop scene of San Francisco. Joining them will be local loves Slow Skate, who are revving up both for an extended West Coast tour as well as the release of their second full-length album, Past the Whole Parade, (due out this spring.) Also present will be former producer and member of The Turn Ons, Erik Blood, who has stepped out on his own to enchant audiences with breathless observations of love and beauty set atop well-crafted riffs and a (surprisingly dominant) lead guitar courtesy of Corey Gutch. Stencil, the duo consisting of singer/guitarist Jared Fiechtner and drummer Joseph Schultz round out the ticket with their contribution of obligatory mopey-ness, but the tunes they pout to are so catchy that you’ll hardly notice. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 9 p.m., $6. Note by RAECHEL SIMS

The Neil and the Damage Done, Thursday, Jan. 22, Sunset Tavern: Of all the tribute nights put on at clubs in this city, IaE™m surprised no one has done this one before. Because when you get right down to it, Neil Young is one of the most commonly shared inspirations among musicians. Ask any band for their influences and olaE™ NeilaE™s name will probably be dropped somewhere. You can hear him in any musician that plays crunchy mountain rock, wears plaid and denim, doesnaE™t comb their hair, sings in a high-pitched whinny, or plays grass-stained acoustic music with harmonica and stomps their boot heels onstage. Then again, I am (borderline?) obsessed with Neil Young, so my opinion of the guy is more than a little corrupt. So, here we have a most fitting tribute night put on by some of SeattleaE™s rootsiest rockers, playing multiple Neil jams each. HereaE™s a sampler: At the Spine will do aEœMy My Hey Hey,aE Herman Jolly will do aEœTell Me WhyaE (which will likely be a highlight of the night), and the Harvest Moons will be doing the entire Harvest Moon LP (please include aEœNatural BeautyaE!). Being the Neil geek I am, I will show up to hear the less famous tunes, such as Spanish for 100aE™s take on aEœAlbuquerqueaE and aEœWalk On,aE and Joe GouldaE™s Secret doing aEœPiece of CrapaE and aEœThrasher.aE Of course, all of this could add up to a big disappointment, since covering Neil Young can be like trying to wrestle a mountain lion. But whether the bands rage or not, IaE™ll probably still go home after the show, get high, and fall asleep to Side 2 of On the Beach. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880. 9 p.m., $7. Note by BRIAN J. BARR

Cumulus Post-Rock Festival, Friday, Jan. 23 through Sunday, Jan. 25: Whether you own an iPod or not, thereaE™s no denying that we live in the age of the shuffle. An unfortunate consequence of the mp3 playeraE™s rise to popularity is that few of us have the patience to sit down and listen to an entire record anymore. Plenty of people canaE™t even make it through a whole song without skipping to the next one preemptively. And that is a shame, because bands like Earth, who headlines the Cumulus kick-off show at Chop Suey on Friday, create a lush sonic experience on their records that demands attention. Earth songs are best experienced not singly, but as one movement in a larger symphony. Albums like The Bees Made Honey In The LionaE™s Skull were designed to be listened to while lying on your back, staring at the ceiling and maybe blazing a fatty. You know, the way your parents did it. Same with Saturday headliners Hypatia Lake, whose conceptual albums documenting the fictional transgressions of a small town require attention in order to perceive the musicaE™s subtleties. Which is whataE™s so interesting about the post-rock genre; the term we use to describe bands like Earth implies modernity, but the way to listen to these bands is the same way my dad listened to his records as a youth: lying on his back and (most likely) smoking a doobie. Check cumulusmusicfestival.org for times and complete line-up; shows take place at Chop Suey on Friday, King Cobra on Saturday and the Vera Project on Sunday (that show is, as usual, all ages). Various locations. Fri.-Sat. shows 8 p.m., Sun. show at 4 p.m. Three-day pass $20. Note by SARA BRICKNER

Marc Broussard, Saturday, Jan. 24, Showbox at the Market: Jack WhiteaE™s need to live in some retro-fantasy where the aE™70s reign supreme seems to have infected artists far removed from indie rock. Had White never come along, would guys like Donavon Frankenreiter and Ray LaMontagne still sprout classic rock facial hair and play Stephen Stills, Jr.? Or would they be imitating John Mayer? The same question can be asked of Marc Broussard. He started his career busting vaguely funky adult contemporary. But on his last two albums, S.O.S.: Save Our Soul and Keep Coming Back, the Louisiana native has also traveled back in time. HeaE™s now a denim-clad country-soul crooner surrounded by funky horns and honey-glazed backup singers. Dude even uses two-inch analog tape. Some critics find his aEœborn of the BayouaE shtick a bit much. But hell, IaE™ll take retro over Mayer any day. With Jessie Baylin, Josh Hoge. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 7 p.m., $16 adv., $18 dos. All ages. Note by JUSTIN F. FARRAR

Lil Wayne, Sunday, Jan. 25, Key Arena: Lil WayneaE™s music is easily overshadowed by his loopy behavior. He guzzles Hawaiian punch laced with cough syrup, smokes copious amounts of weed, and appears to have absolutely no regard for the law whatsoever. But underneath his distracting exterior is an ingenious rapper with a knack for crafting highly marketable rap music. Last year, the New Orleans artist entered superstar territory, thanks to the enormous critical and commercial success of his album Tha Carter III. Stocked with sleek beats, countless double entendres and his signature raspy reptilian voice, the record spawned three top 10 hits on the Billboard charts, including the inescapable single aEœLollipopaE featuring the late Static Major. Expect those tracks, plus dozens that date back to his mix tape days, during tonightaE™s performance. Also expect to be serenaded at the showaE™s end, during which Lil Wayne has made it a tradition to lip sync to Whitney HoustonaE™s aEœI Will Always Love YouaE while donning a capeaE”a performance so fucking weird that youaE™ll have to see it to believe it. With Gym Class Heroes, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, T-Pain. Key Arena, 305 Harrison St., 684-7200. 6:30 p.m. $39.75-$79.75. All ages. Note by ERIKA HOBART

Blind Pilot, Monday, Jan. 26, Triple Door: Almost every song off Blind Pilot’s 3 Rounds and a Sound has the potential to become a radio hit. The music is completely listenable: The circular guitars on One Red Thread or the brushed drums on I Buried A Bone are part of the perfect formula for folk-tinged indie pop. The multi-layered music is the work of just two Portland natives aE” Ryan Dobrowski and Israel Nebeker aE”A  who manage to turn simple lyrics and instrumental into hum-along songs. And people are starting to notice: Aimee Mann has called Blind Pilot her favorite new band and two singles have been featured on NPR and on iTunes as Single of the Week. It won’t be long before this band’s fame expands beyond the reach of Portland and onto every indie kid’s iPod. With 3 Leg Torso. Triple Door Mainstage, 216 Union St., 838-4333. 7:30 p.m., $12. All ages. Note by PAIGE RICHMOND

Missing Persons, Tuesday, Jan. 27, Studio Seven: The vintage New Wave/pop outfit Missing Persons circa 2009 is, well, missing persons: Co-founders Terry Bozzio (drums) and Warren Cuccurullo (guitar), and the rest of the original quintet. Except for statuesque, wild-maned, makeup-crazy 53-year-old singer (and one-time Playboy bunny and Hustler model) Dale Bozzio, whoaE™s cobbled together a handful of hired guns for the current incarnation of the band. A proper reunion will likely never happen, as the once-married Bozzios are allegedly not on speaking terms anymore, and Cuccurullo aE“ who played in Duran Duran for a long while before falling into a short-lived porno career a few years back aE“ is now making his own music and running around as a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. A lot of weirdness, sure, but maybe thataE™s fitting for a group that originally came together, and formed its aesthetic, after its members all met while working with Frank Zappa. aEœDestination Unknown,aE of course, is Missing PersonsaE™ signature tune, and whateveraE™s left of their fan base will certainly enjoy hearing it tonight, even if itaE™s essentially being performed by a cover band.A With Romance, Tin Sprocket, Feverclub, the Safe Passage Clause. Studio Seven, 110 S. Horton St., 286-1312. 7 p.m., $15 adv., $18 dos. All ages. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG