Wednesday, August 6
Irish singer/songwriter Imelda May has been a fan of rockabilly and blues since she found an Elvis Presley cassette in her brother’s room when she was 9, and she’s since developed the voice of a performer, with the requisite ’50s-style ’do, to prove it. Her upcoming album, Tribal, highlights her ability to blend a spunky rockabilly style with blue-eyed soul (“Little Pixie”) and with jazz (“Wicked Way”), also including a bit of punk-rock aggression. With Black Mambas. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St., 682-1414, stgpresents.org/neptune. 8 p.m. $21.50 adv./$25 DOS. All ages. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
A handful of bands started in the ’80s with a brand of music that could make you want to dance and cry simultaneously, and Echo & the Bunnymen led the pack. Fronted by Ian McCulloch, its lush, psychedelic gloom-wave and songs like “Lips Like Sugar” and “Bring on the Dancing Horses” heightened the senses while channeling a sense of impending doom, like a post-rock version of the Doors. Despite a storied legacy, its 12th full-length release, Meteorites, is receiving mixed reviews. With Prom Queen. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxpresents.com. 8:30 p.m. $29.50 adv./$32 DOS. GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT
Michael and Carissa Alvarado, aka Us The Duo, are so cute you wish you could just bottle them (or at least turn their act into a really catchy Internet meme). There’s something about the way their voices intertwine throughout their debut LP, No Matter Where You Are—particularly on “Make You Mine” and on the guitar and wordless-vocal track “Intro”—that will get you feeling upbeat. If driving, sticky-sweet acoustic pop is your thing, this is an act you’ll love. The Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372, theveraproject.org. 7 p.m. SOLD OUT. All ages. BRIAN PALMER
Thursday, August 7
The last time Chvrches played Seattle, the Scottish electro-pop trio kicked off 107.7 The End’s Deck the Hall Ball at the un-rockly hour of 3 p.m., thanking the crowd for coming early to see its set. This time, after nearly a year of touring and the popularity of its debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, and singles like “The Mother We Share” and “Recover,” the band has expanded its Seattle stop to two nights. That’s two chances to hear this group’s synthy, layer-upon-layer rock, topped by lead singer Lauren Mayberry’s ringing, crystal-clear voice. Through Friday. Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., 652-0444, showboxonline.com. 9 p.m. $30. All ages. ACP
Austin, Texas, troubadour Shakey Graves, the nom de plume of Alejandro Rose-Garcia, has got that Shovels & Rope vibe—not just in the soulful twang of his songs, but in the way he plays a mean guitar while singing and keeping time with his feet via a modified bass drum/suitcase combo. He’s been just as celebrated by the music press as well, with his first non-homemade record coming out in October. With Lydia Ramsey. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractor tavern.com. 9 p.m. $15. 21 and over. DAVE J. LAKE
Friday, August 8
If you can imagine a cross between early Green Day and Modest Mouse, that’s Dude York, a trio from Walla Walla toting a healthy balance of punk-style nostalgia and innovative, revved-up melodies. The fun is in the band’s refusal to categorize itself as any genre, labeling the music everything from “heavy pop” to “Teen Pop” to “jortscore,” whatever that means. But don’t take my word for how awesomely lo-fi and punky its sound is; once you discover that yourself, there’s no escape from Dude York. With Pony Time, Prom Body. Cairo, 507 E. Mercer St., templeofcairo.com. 8 p.m. $7. All ages. DIANA M. LE
In many ways, Soulja Boy epitomizes the criticism that hip-hop has become too focused on business rather than art. Even the title of his “seminal” debut album, Souljaboytellem.com, feels like a marketing ploy. The days of his hits “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” and “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” seem distant, but Mr. Boy has found ways to stay relevant—or at least available. At one point he was even selling verses for the blue-light-special price of $500. But, much like a business, the rapper is all about supply and demand. It’s easy to crucify such a figure, but at the end of the day he’s just giving people what they want—like the sweet tunes “Booty Meat” and “She Thirsty.” With Donte Peace, Spac3man, DJ Swervewon. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, thecrocodile.com. 8 p.m. $25 adv. All ages. DUSTY HENRY
In many respects, the Gorge can be an easy venue to play. Sure, the environment may not always work in your favor, but that stunning natural backdrop goes a long way toward setting a mood that is undeniably conducive to epic performance. There aren’t many acts whose force of personality or live chops can overwhelm that kind of setting, but Arcade Fire might just be one—a group that can turn a run-of-the-mill show into an event. Through sheer charisma, a dash of spectacle, and a wealth of epic material, the band might just overtake the beauty of its surroundings. With Dan Deacon. The Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Rd., Quincy, Wash., 509-785-6262, gorgeamphitheatre.net. 7:30 p.m. $61 and up. CORBIN REIFF
Foxy Shazam’s brand of glam-pop-rock revivalism sounds fun on record, but live it becomes something far more dangerous. Frontman Eric Sean Nally appears meek and pleasant until he hits the stage, when he morphs into a raging punk titan. Often he’s known to climb on a bandmate’s shoulders, light several cigarettes, and shove them all into his mouth. Whatever the music sounds like, the band’s live show is the embodiment of teenage rock-&-roll dreams. With Stop Light Observations, Chrome Lakes. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. All ages. DH
Saturday, August 9
Killer Mike and El-P are the villains hip-hop deserves right now. Though the two had previously collaborated on their solo efforts, they officially joined forces last summer under the moniker Run The Jewels with a self-titled debut. The two spit back and forth like they’re determined to murder each other, and throw out threats of shooting poodles and comparisons to the Chernobyl nuclear-plant disaster. But when they hit the stage, it’s one of the better bromances of the new century, complete with synchronized high-fives and matching gold chains. El-P sums it all up pretty well on their track “Twin Hype” when he says, “Run the Jewels is not for your children.” The Showbox. 9 p.m. $21.50 adv./$25 DOS. 21 and over. DH
Sunday, August 10
In April, Portland-by-way-of-Alaska rock quartet Portugal. The Man created something unheard of: a song that would become extinct unless it was reproduced. In partnership with Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the band sent 400 copies of “Sumatran Tiger” on degradable vinyl to “influencers” including actors, musicians, conservationists, and journalists, each record representing one of the 400 Sumatran tigers in the wild. The song, which has slowly spread through hashtags like #EndangeredSong and #SumatranTiger, features P.TM’s psychedelic touch and the repeated line “You don’t have to worry.” Those words, we hope, predict a brighter future for the endangered-tiger population. With Grouplove, Typhoon. Marymoor Park, 6046 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy. N.E., Redmond., 205-3661, marymoor concerts.com. 6:30 p.m. $35 adv./$40 DOS. All ages. ACP
For its second studio album, After the Disco, musician and producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and the Shins’ James Mercer, who perform together as Broken Bells, were inspired by retro-futurism and the somewhat kooky way science-fiction books of yesteryear envisioned the future. Using instruments from the ’60s and ’70s to bring that retro influence to life, Burton and Mercer created what could be the soundtrack to a movie set in a mysterious, far-off galaxy, one featuring both synth-driven grooves (“After the Disco”) and darker ballads (“The Angel and the Fool”). The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org/moore. 7:30 p.m. $43.50. All ages. ACP
Monday, August 11
When Arctic Monkeys first stepped out in the indie-rock realm with Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, its music felt like a precursor to the quirky guitar jams that fans would later learn to love from groups like Vampire Weekend. Arctic Monkeys could’ve been a fad band, but along the way they came across Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, and were never the same; he helped it evolve into the grimy and greasy group it is today. With the Distincts. Through Tuesday. The Paramount, 911 Pine Street, 877-784-4849, stgpresents.org/paramount. 8 p.m. $39–$43. All ages. DH
