Earth, Sir Richard Bishop, James Blackshaw, Thursday, February 26: Ready for your guitar-induced hypnosis? The U.K.-based James Blackshaw uses a 12-string Guild to create acoustic music that billows like sheets in the wind. Inspired by the aE˜60s acoustic revolutionaries from the Takoma label (John Fahey, Robbie Basho), Blackshaw’s music sounds like a fluttering of quickly plucked notes, but it’s also deceptively minimalist and mesmerizingly pretty. But where a Zen calm can be found in the midst of Blackshaw’s dazzling flourishes, Earth evoke Zen calm by playing almost nothing. Guitarist Dylan Carlson is proving himself to be a master of evoking Western desolation via his hollow-bodied electric. Like a gloomier Bill Frisell, Carlson plays solitary notes that seem to lift themselves up like ghosts from his fretboard and dissipate into thin air. Rounding out the bill is former Sun City Girl Sir Richard Bishop, who, since about the turn of this century, has been proving himself a master of acoustic idioms. By spending 30 minutes hunched over his instrument, Bishop can take audiences damn near anywhere he pleases–listening to him is like embarking on a kaleidoscopic globe-trot through his multiple styles, languages, and obsessions. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9 p.m., $12. Note by BRIAN J. BARR

Jeff Lorber with Christian Scott and Kyle Eastwood, Thursday, February 26 through Sunday, March 1: True, Jeff Lorber is responsible for introducing the world to the Seattle saxophonist who became known as Kenny G. But before the G-ster went solo and began to suffocate instrumental funk with the feather pillow of smooth jazz, Lorber and his Northwest fusion band were making smart, tight, grooving music that even managed to bring out the best in Kenneth Gorelick. In the thirty years since, Lorber has always remained a cut above his G-like brethren on KWJZ. Smooth jazz, the keyboardist told me recently aEœis one of the few ways an instrumental artist can get their music heard. ThereaE™s definitely some Muzak stuff. You toss your lot in with that and hope for some of the benefits.aE Tonight Lorber teams up with a couple younger musicians who are also playing accessible, pulse-driven non-jazz thataE™s got more intelligence than the usual smooth dreck. Christian Scott is a New Orleans-bred trumpeter with a gorgeous tone and deft ideas; Kyle Eastwood (son of Clint) is a bassist who goes for more of a round sound than the usual thumb-popping style. Playing tunes from all three leaders, this quintet should help you forgive Lorber for what he, inadvertently, has wrought. DimitriouaE™s Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave., 441-9729. 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. Thurs-Sat., 7:30 p.m. Sun. $28.50. All ages. Note by MARK D. FEFER

Kinski, Friday, February 27: When you write about music in Seattle, Chris Martin is one of the best dudes to run into at shows. With his arms crossed and beer-in-hand, Martin will happily lean over and tell you everything he knows about whatever band happens to be onstage at the time, what new band in town is worth checking out, and what records he purchased recently. But his uber-music fan tangents often deflect attention away from his own great band, Kinski. An instrumental four-piece, Kinski’s mission is to marry pop and hard-rock, and emotion and experimentalism, but forever divorce repetition from boredom. One of the few bands that could play a riff over and over, Kinski deliver with that 70s hard-rock thrust, but allow it all to breathe by opening their songs up to psychedelic explorations. As they pummel their Sabbath-esque riffs with a machine-like intensity, the natural audience reaction is to bob heads and curl lips into extreme guitar-face. But when you least expect it, Martin & Co. switch gears on you by diffusing the air with hazy space-ambience. With AFCGT, Treetarantula. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 9 p.m. $7. Note by BRIAN J. BARR MP3: Punching Goodbye out Front

Blue Horns, Friday, February 27: When Blue Horns first appeared on the Portland scene more than a year ago, the band’s songs were still rough around the edges. To some extent, that roughness was part of Blue Horns’ aesthetic: Colin Howard plays jangly guitar riffs with a garage-meets-southern rock tinge, while guitarist and vocalist Brian Park shouts energetic 1-2-3s between crooning his warbly, poppy lyrics. But sometimes, that lack of polish was too obvious, overshadowing the talent behind Blue Horns’ music. A lot can change in a year, and the pop quartet has polished and tightened its sound. On songs like Shotgun Wedding, Howard’s jangle complements the rhythm of the drums and bass, creating a real, foot-stomping beat. Park’s warble is clearer; he now channels David Bowie and Iggy Pop, making the band’s lyrics aE” such as Asking the questions/That I want to hear/The truth is too hard from Let’s Go Hunting aE” actually discernible. Now the band’s roughness is clearly cultivated, rather than accidental. Blue Horns has the punk aesthetic of 1970s pioneers Television, but the mass appeal of Bowie. What was once just a Portland band with promise is on its way to gaining a reputation in the Northwest scene. With Altspeak, Little Penguins. CafAc Venus/Mars Bar, 609 Eastlake Ave. E., 624-4516. 9 p.m., $6. Note by PAIGE RICHMOND

Lozen, Saturday, February 28: The methodically grinding audio assault of Tacoma duo Lozen isn’t going to be understood byeveryone. If you like it singable, fast and hooky, they will pain your soul. These sexy sludge rock bitches are like a slightly more metal, Xanaxed version of the Sonic Youth Washing Machine philosophy, taking as long as they damn well please to play out their magical, trudgingly strung-out jams for the damned. On their debut, Enemies Against Power, the tracks wander, drop off, feed back and resurge in a driving display of musical prowess, without ever coming across as contrived or self-indulgent. That being said, if they were to harness all that raw power and take it into the studio with the right producer, allowing themselves to be slightly tweaked and crafted, they would not only speak to a larger audience, but could actually be commercially viable. Regardless, I can’t wait to see what these ladies do next. With Mad Rad, Spirit of Radio, Josh Rizeberg. Jewelbox/Rendezvous, 2322 2nd Ave., 441-5823. 10:30 p.m., $tba. Note by MAaE™CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR

A.A. Bondy, Saturday, February 28: In a different lifetime, Auguste Arthur Bondy (under the name Scott Bondy) fronted AlabamaaE™s hard-rockinaE™ Verbena, and of all the aE™90s Nirvana-bees, they might have been the best. Dave Grohl, who produced VerbenaaE™s 1999 album Into the Pink, once told CMJ magazine: aEœDude, that guy is so fuckinaE™ Kurt Cobain itaE™s not even funny.aE Fortunately, Bondy didnaE™t pull the plug on his life in the early aE™00s when Verbena disintegrated; instead, he unplugged the amps, changed his handle to A.A. Bondy, and completely reinvented himself as a brooding, acoustic-guitar-wielding indie-folk troubadour obsessed with God and the devil and Bob Dylan and neck-harmonicas. ThereaE™s no shortage of those kinds of singer-songwriters in the world, but BondyaE™s go at it aE“ as heard on his stark solo debut, American Hearts aE“ comes off natural, intimate, affecting, and sincere. From the sound of things, heaE™s finally settled into his true self. With Fences, Widower.A Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599. 9:30 p.m., $8. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG MP3: There’s a Reason

LoveLikeFire, Saturday, February 28: There is something pleasantly familiar about San Fran popgazers LoveLikeFire’s single aEœWilliam.aE At first listen, I instantly thought: Oh my God! The Yeah Yeah Yeahs just Asobi Seksued all over my Lush record! Which in itself isn’t a bad thing at all. Then I played the song about four more times. With each listen, I fell a little harder for teensy frontwoman Ann Yu’s crazy big vocals, the songaE™s heavy dose of warm guitar wash and its almost militant, ever-building rhythm section. LLF may not be reinventing female-fronted, pedal-heavy, melodic pop music, but their take on it is certainly well-executed. TheyaE™re one of the most anticipated bands to play this year’s SXSW, but you lucky Seattleites will get to see them first.A With Pica Beats, the Purrs, the Globes. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 323-9853. 9 p.m., $6. Note by MAaE™CHELL DUMA LAVASSAR MP3: William

Estelle, Monday, March 2: The first time American audiences got a taste of Estelle, it involved her playing select shows last year while opening up for her label boss, R&B crooner, John Legend. Most casual fans and music critics agreed she was kicking LegendaE™s ass on a nightly basis during that tour with her funky British slang, couture looks, and four-star rapping/singing abilities. After releasing her debut disc, Shine, last year, sheaE™s won a handful of music awards including a Grammy for Best Rap Collaboration for her song aEœAmerican BoyaE with Kanye West. Aside from Jody Watley, Sade, and Mel B (of Spice Girls fame), few black British female singers have gained as much headway in the American music market as Estelle. And considering that her aEœbreakout yearaE was just a matter of months ago, sheaE™s still just getting started. For those who show up to her concert this week, expect to see one of the best double threats (rapping/singing) to emerge in contemporary music since Lauryn Hill. With Choklate. Showbox at the Market, 1426 1st Ave., 628-3151. 7 p.m., $22.50 adv., $25 dos. All ages. Note by JONATHAN CUNNINGHAM

N.A.S.A., Tuesday, March 3: Not to be confused with our illustrious space program, N.A.S.A., aka North America/South America, represents the continent-crossing collaboration between L.A.aE™s Squeak E. Clean and BrazilaE™s DJ Zegon. This pair of skater jocksaE™ debut disc, Spirit of Apollo, crash-landed in stores February 17 with its polyglot sound and armada of guests. From David Byrne to Chuck D, Kool Keith to Tom Waits (and even a resurrected OlaE™ Dirty Bastard), N.A.S.A. skirts the troposphere and beyond with its fusion of hip-hop, New Wave and other genres. Just check aEœPeople Tree,aE a fitful head-nodder featuring ByrneaE™s haunting wail and Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Chali 2na (Jurassic 5) riding the beat. Or the Wu-Tang-like aEœWay Down,aE featuring (appropriately) RZA, Barbie Hatch and John Frusciante. With Staxx Brothers. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St 632-2020. 9 p.m., $10. Note by KEVIN CAPP

Swallow The Sun, Tuesday, March 3: Like Soilwork, Swallow The Sun brings melody to death metal. But whereas the antiseptic headlining act grafts Speed StridaE™s ultra-clean choruses onto hard-rock verses, the atmospheric opener uses a virtual orchestra, tapping keyboard effects to supplement its doom-laden riffs with symphonic hooks. Hailing from Finland, Swallow The Sun reached #4 on its homelandaE™s clearly adventurous singles chart with 2005aE™s aEœForgive HeraE¦,aE a nine-minute murder ballad filtered through guttural vocals. Singer Mikko KotamA¤ki tranquilizes his growling-bear delivery during the groupaE™s more recent material, catchy progressive fare that sounds optimistic though itaE™s actually gloomy as ever. Even the song aEœHopeaE is a downer, plucking its title from the phrase aEœwell of poisoned hope.aE The bandaE™s latest release contains a 34-minute track about star-crossed lovers and plague-carrying butterflies, pinning tragic deaths on one of natureaE™s least frightening animals. Swallow The Sun can find the downside to anything, lyrically speaking, but live the group promises to make the most of its modest time allotment. With Soilwork, Darkane, Warbringer, Darkest Grace, De-KreP-iT. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave., 381-3094. 7 p.m., $20 adv., $23 dos. All ages. Note by ANDREW MILLER MP3: Hope