Wanda Jackson, Friday, November 27:The recent news that country/rockabilly icon Wanda Jackson was going to be working with Jack White on her next album brought a quick aEœWoo-hoo!aEA (which was quickly followed by a more Wanda-appropriate aEœhot dog!aE) to many quarters. The album that White made with country icon Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose, was excellent, mainly because of LynnaE™s still-formidable songwriting skills and the fact that she needed little, if any, reminders of how awesome she was and still is. Jackson is, unbelievably, an even more confident performer than the coal mineraE™s daughter, having grown from aEœjust a country singeraE that Elvis Presley happened to go ga-ga for into a aEœFujiyama MamaaE-belting powerhouse in the blink of a mid-aE˜50s eye. That swagger has carried the singer through the past few decades, and even though the First Lady of Rockabilly is old enough to be your grandma, odds are your grandma doesnaE™t put on concerts half as invigorating and life-affirming as this 72-year-old does to this day. With Marshall Scott Warner, Petunia & the Vipers. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W. 789-3599. 9 p.m. $18. Note by JASON FERGUSON

D.R.I., Friday, November 27:Sure, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles havenaE™t played in five years and havenaE™t put out a proper studio album in fifteen, but the legendary thrashcore outfit was able to maintain its explosive vigor well into the new millenium until cancer temporarily sidelined guitarist Spike Cassidy. Widely recognized as one of the first bands to bridge the gap between hardcore and thrash aE“ an artistic decision that, in the aE˜80s, often came at considerable risk to life and limb aE“ D.R.I. was certainly one of the most proficient, not to mention clever, at forging a cohesive fusion. If mixing punk and metal seems as natural to us now as dipping chocolate in peanut butter, itaE™s because of trailblazers like D.R.I. Ironically enough, the Houston-via-San Francisco bandaE™s 1989 classic, Thrash Zone, still stands as one of the definitive all-time thrash statements. Much like the Ramones before them, D.R.I. were able to deliver catchy hooks at unprecedented speeds, and few (if any) can touch their ability to wring song after song out of what is essentially the same basic formula. Other likeminded bands quickly exhausted their creative potential. D.R.I.aE™s still sounds strangely limitless. With Black Breath, Countdown To Armageddon, Deathraid, Odd Rule. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E. 381-3094. 8 p.m. $15. Note by SABY REYES-KULKARNI

Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Saturday, November 28:Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter are wisely restrained when it comes to booking local shows. There are only a handful of opportunities to catch them conjuring their magic each year, so tonightaE™s performance is truly an event. For their last show of the decade, theyaE™ll be unveiling several new songs from the stunning new album theyaE™ve been writing and recording throughout this summer and fall. Working with darkly atmospheric producer Mell Dettmer (Sunn O))), Boris) was a brilliant plan; the rough mixes IaE™ve heard sound like the best work theyaE™ve done since their 2002 debut, Reckless Burning. SykesaE™ voice sounds naturally warm and guitarist Phil Wandscher is clearly operating at the top of his game. Throw the mournfulaE”occasionally epicaE”rollicking of the Moondoggies into the mix and you have an ideal double-bill. With Star Anna and the Laughing Dogs. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave. 628-3151. 8 p.m. $14. All ages. Note by HANNAH LEVIN

Morrissey, Sunday, November 29:LONDON aE“ After a series of mishaps at recent concerts in the United Kingdom aE“ including an on-stage collapse and subsequent hospitalization in Swindon due to respiratory problems, and the abrupt cancellation of a performance in Liverpool after he was hit in the head with a beverage thrown from the audience aE“singer Morrissey says his outlook on life has changed. aEœI used to be so cheerful, so happy-go-lucky, a firm believer in the power of love and the goodness and decency of my fellow man,aE says the ex-Smiths frontman, whoaE™s currently touring behind a new B-sides compilation, Swords. aEœBut now IaE™m just so dour and cynical and wry and morose and, quite frankly, difficult to be around. IaE™ve become more guarded, more private. IaE™ve even stopped eating meat. Before all of this happened, I would sing aE˜Heaven Knows IaE™m Miserable NowaE™ just for laughs, but gosh, now I really feel that way.aE Morrissey adds that he fears a backlash from his fanbase. aEœBefore you know it, theyaE™ll be rushing onstage to tackle me, or tearing my shirts to bits if I throw them out into the crowd.aEA Paramount Theatre, 911 E. Pine St. 683-1414. 7:30 p.m. $52- $72. All ages. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

Cold Cave, Monday, November 30:Philadelphia singer/musician (and poet, and owner of the independent publishing company Heartworm Press) Wes Eisold used to be quite the punk rocker, playing in numerous notable hardcore and noise bands including Give Up the Ghost, American Nightmare, and Some Girls. A couple of years ago, however, he left all that behind, started experimenting with synthesizers and drum machines, and eventually founded Cold Cave, which merges New Order-style synth-pop with a moody, icy post-punk aesthetic for a sound thataE™s both dark and danceable. Recently, EisoldaE™s one-man operation swelled into a quartet with the addition of Caralee McElroy (ex-Xiu Xiu), Dominick Furnow, and Sarah Lipstate. Cold Cave was also signed by Matador Records, which just re-issued the groupaE™s Love Comes Close LP, an album thataE™s generated some, rather hardcore aE“ and well-deserved aE“ buzz. A With Former Ghosts. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St. 956-8372. 7:30 p.m. $9. Note by MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG

Simian Mobile Disco, Monday, November 30:James Ford and Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco, the most vaunted British DJ extraordinaire this side of the Chemical Brothers, made it their mission to bring house music to the masses, beyond the constrained rave scene and European discothA¨ques. SMDaE™s sophomore album, Temporary Pleasure, is all about the hooks aE“ inescapable melodies that we can all get down to. Tracks like aEœSynthesiseaE still epitomize the house genre, with its hollow vocals, skittering synth and thump thump thump basslines, but Temporary PleasureaE™s broader appeal lies in its impressive array of guest stars. The current single, aEœAudacity of Huge,aE is a fierce, pop-culture-loving, name-dropping smash of a song, featuring sharp vocals from BrooklynaE™s Chris Keating (aEœI got that Bob Fosse/ I got that Joey Ramone/ A bag of Bill Murray/ Damien Hirst telephone.aE) But the albumaE™s biggest success has to be the disco-driven aEœCruel IntentionsaE aE“ itaE™s polished, itaE™s foxy, and it makes guest vocalist Beth Ditto sound sexier than normal. With JDH, dave p and Colby b. Neumos, 925 Pike St. 709-9467. 8 p.m. $18.50 adv. Note by E. THOMPSON

Japandroids, Tuesday, December 1:If playing drunken house shows were a lucrative enterprise, Vancouver duo Japandroids would quickly corner the market. Unfortunately, fun as it is playing in crowded, sweaty party houses, parties canaE™t sustain a career. But Brian King and David Prowse of Japandroids succeed in bringing the feel of a house show to your local venue aE“ their shows are all about the energy level aE“ shouts, grunts, and other moments of ecstasy match their surging, tumultuous music. The songs from this yearaE™s Post-Nothing contain catchy guitar riffs and the occasional deft verse; itaE™s nothing that will blow your mind on the basis of sheer musicianship or lyrical prowess, but in true punk spirit, itaE™s more about the cacophony of it all. Brian KingsaE™s onstage theatrics can border on absurdity (heaE™s been known to set a fan in front of his mike stand that blows his hair back throughout the show), but once the house is packed and the noise starts, youaE™ll be ready to drink away any apprehensions you have about sloppy punk rock. With Surfer Blood. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison, 324-8005. 8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. All ages. Note by E. THOMPSON