Wednesday, Aug. 21

Hand of the Hills Formerly known as Black Hills, this four-piece comprises members of Scriptures, Black Swedes, Minus The Bear, and the Lonely Forest. The music sounds most like the northwest indie of the latter band, with chiming guitars, placid keyboards, and plaintive vocals. With Everest, Aaron Lee Tasjan. Tractor Tavern, 5231 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 9 p.m. $10.

Selah Sue Belgian soul/pop/reggae singer and guitarist Selah Sue is a big deal in Europe, where she’s opened for Prince on the strength of her eponymous debut album. With Bushwalla. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $14 adv./$15 DOS.

Thursday, Aug. 22

Airport Jayson Kochan is the bassist in Midday Veil, one of the best psychedelic rock bands in Seattle right now, and the thumping techno he makes as Airport occupies a similarly spaced-out dimension. With Brain Fruit, Youryoungbody, Lou Lou Hernandez. Comet Tavern, 922 E. Pike St., 322-9272, comettavern.com. 9 p.m. $8.

* Dog Shredder This Good to Die–signed Bellingham metal-prog band headlines a showcase of heavy music. With Great Falls, Heiress. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 8:30 p.m. $8.

The Knast borrows in equal parts from ragged bar rock and polished British invasion pop, making for some surprisingly catchy rock of its own. With Tall Smoke, Hard Roller. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8005, chopsuey.com. 8 p.m. $7.

Friday, Aug. 23

Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang The Primus mastermind’s latest endeavor is this bluegrass-influenced project, which finds him performing his highly technical slapping technique on a bass banjo. With Reformed Whores. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 784-4849, stgpresents.org. 8 p.m. $29.50 adv./$34 DOS. All ages.

* Lusine Seattle’s Jeff McIlwain’s builds his tracks on gradually evolving synth textures and metronomic beats, a formula he explores to great effect on February’s The Waiting Room. More immediate is Portland’s Natasha Kmeto, a hybrid R&B vocalist/producer signed to local label Dropping Gems. It’s fitting that Decibel Fest is behind this final KEXP Concert at the Mural, because these two, along with opener Vox Mod, are making some of the most interesting electronic music in the Northwest right now. Mural Ampitheatre, 305 Harrison St, 684-7200, seattlecenter.com/concertsatthemural. 5:30 p.m. Free. All ages.

Men Without Hats is a very different band, lineup-wise, at least, than the one-hit wonders were at the time of 1983’s “The Safety Dance.” Singer Ivan Doroschuk is now the group’s sole original member, recording last year’s Love in The Age of War, the group’s first album in nine years, with a new backing band. With The Scarves, COLOR, Crooked Veils. El Corazon, 109 Eastlake Ave. E., 381-3094, elcorazonseattle.com. 7 p.m. $15 adv./$18 DOS.

Pixies Cover Night The Pixies are ideal for covers: their songs are simple enough that most bands could play them but nuanced enough to provide room for embellishment. At this show, nine acts will take on Frank and Kim’s classics. With Kithkin, Midday Veil, Tea Cozies, Charms, Ononos, Noddy, Gibraltar, Bad Motivators. Chop Suey. 9 p.m. $5 adv./$10 DOS.

Saturday, Aug. 24

DaM-Funk Los Angeles’s Damon Riddick has carved out a niche for himself making down-and-dirty electro-funk, and live, he’s as adept behind the decks as he is at playing keytar solos. With the Stepkids, Myron & E. Crocodile. 8 p.m. $15.

Drag The River is a quintessential road-warrior rock band, touring and releasing records constantly while honing their lyrical brand of alt-country. Sunset Tavern. 9:30 p.m. $10.

* Linda’s Fest Linda’s celebrates the end of summer with this free block party, featuring Seattle Weekly favorites like art-rapper Katie Kate and afro-surf punk band Iska Dhaaf. This show also marks the final performance from hard-rock act Absolute Monarchs. With Constant Lovers, Tilson XOXO, Big Eyes. Linda’s Tavern, 707 E. Pine St., 325-1220, lindastavern.com. 5 p.m. Free.Sunday, Aug. 25

Alyse Black This Seattle native takes her cues from jazz-indebted adult-contemporary singers like Norah Jones and Sarah McLaughlin. With Cami Lundeen, Holly Figueroa O’Reilly. The Crocodile. 8 p.m. $10 adv./$12 DOS. All ages.

Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra Liebert is one of the world’s most successful Latin guitarists: his new agey instrumental stylings have led to five Grammys and a double-platinum album, 1990’s Nouveau Flamenco. Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.com. 6 p.m., 9 p.m. $20–$40. All ages.

Yogoman Burning Band See Agenda, Page 21. With Victory Lap and Mile 9. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., 632-2020. $7. 8 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 26

* IAMSU! Over the past two years, collaborations with E-40, Wiz Khalifa, and John Hart, as well as a constant stream of mixtapes, have raised this 23-year-old rapper from another Bay Area oddity to one of hip-hop’s rising young stars. Catch him now before he hits it big. With Louis V, Rassan Heist, Fano, Jay Morrison, Tre Ross. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. All ages.

Sun Valley Gun Club This Northern California band’s namesake is an actual shooting range at an Idaho resort town (from Yelp: “All in all a good, place, but … I would go to Hailey Gun Club”), and its music is tough, brainy pop-punk. With Special Explosion, The Hague, New Lungs. Comet Tavern. $6.

Tuesday, Aug. 27

Duke Evers Band Based on the two demos on its website, this local trio plays some pretty meat-and-potatoes indie rock, but with stronger songwriting chops than most. With The Requisite, Puddle City, Possums. Tractor Tavern. 9 p.m. $6.

Three Days Grace These Canadians are supporting last year’s Transit of Venus. On this tour the band is without lead singer Adam Gontier, frontman since the group’s inception who sang on the 2003 aggro-rock hit “I Hate Everything About You.” With Otherwise. Showbox SoDo. 8:30 p.m. $26.50 adv./$30 DOS. All ages.