Wednesday, November 30Club Pop: RazRez + U.S.E. (DJ set)Kicking off a new monthly are rockers RazRez, ’80s dance mavens Fankick! and DJ sets from Paco, Colby B, and members of U.S.E., who undoubtedly know how to throw a dance party. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $6Jane MonheitPeople calls her “jazz’s next sultry sweetie” but Monheit is much more than a pretty face with her world-class pipes and new, Ella Fitzgerald–inspired holiday album The Season. Pack some mistletoe. Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 7:30 p.m. $22.50–$24.50 Also Thurs., Dec. 1–Sat., Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Sun., Dec. 4 at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.JoraneCellist, singer-songwriter and composer (a score for Unfaithful under her belt) Jorane’s haunting melodies draw eclectic crowds—on her last trip to this venue, even Dave Matthews stopped by. Triple Door, 7:30 p.m. $13 adv./$15Thursday, December 1Dr. IsraelSEE TALK TALK, P. 36. Lo_Fi Performance Gallery, 9 p.m. $10 before 11 p.m./$12Faculty of DubClinton Fearon and Nelson Miller are among the participants in this group, which ought to live up to its name—veterans of the skank, grooving together. Ras Untunga opens. Royal Esquire Club, 5016 Rainier Ave. S., 206-723-2811, 8 p.m. FreePrincess SuperstarThe hip-hop empress and former bad baby-sitter expands her artistic reach on My Machine, a concept album about a world obsessed with consumerism, by tossing rock and electro into her future-is-now mix. New Grey Area, NRDLNGR, and the Nachos open. Chop Suey, 8 p.m. $10 Also playing a DJ set Fri., Dec. 2 at the Last Supper Club, 11:30 p.m. $12Townes Van Zandt TributeBe Here to Love Me, the Van Zandt documentary, opens on Friday, so get ready at this tribute to the late songwriter, featuring all-star rockers Eddie Spaghetti (Supersuckers), Mark Pickerel (Screaming Trees), Mike Johnson (Dinosaur Jr.), Matt Southworth, Clay Bartlett, and Ian Moore. Tractor Tavern, 8:30 p.m. $5Friday, December 2Akimbo + Iron Lung + Doomsday 1999 + Tractor Sex FatalityArguably the best metal trio in town, Akimbo headline this evening of head-banging and body-slamming with skillful ferocity. VERA Project, 7:30 p.m. $6 with club card/$7Andrew W.K. + Pretty Girls Make Graves + Schoolyard HeroesDo you want to party? Well, this is probably your show, then. Andrew W.K. has been throwing new songs on his Web site called “Kicks & Bricks” and “You Will Remember Tonight,” with the promise of a new album coming soon. Pretty Girls Make Graves probably have something coming up as well. Schoolyard Heroes will continue honing the stuff from this year’s Fantastic Wounds. HUB Ballroom, University of Washington, 7:30 p.m. $12 with UW ID/$17ColetteColette plays summery house of her own design and sings over it with a voice just as warm. The lyrics tend to be on the mushy side, but it’s harmless—and fairly unique—fun. Trinity, 10 p.m. $10Daylight Basement (CD release) + Mountain Con + MercirSEE CD REVIEW (Daylight Basement), P. 37. Chop Suey, 9 p.m. $8Dead Moon + Girl Trouble + the Old HauntsThe Dead Moon song “On Another Plane” from Destination X (Empty Records) is one minute and 46 seconds of plaintive bass and guitar (and a hushed drum shuffle), with husband and wife Fred and Toody Cole singing about leaving. It’s perfect, as is just about everything the band does. El Corazon, 9 p.m. $10Shooter JenningsThe only son of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter can be seen playing his dad in Walk the Line, though you’ll want to hear his own tunes from Put the “O” Back in Country, his debut foray into the genre after a lifetime of rockin’. With the Rock N’ Roll Soldiers. Tractor Tavern, 8 p.m. $12 adv./$15The Makers + the Emergency + No-Fi Soul RebellionBefore everyone jumped on the garage/androgyny-glam bandwagon, The Makers re-spun old garage—crushed-velvet style. Seattle’s Emergency and spouse-soul duo No-Fi Soul Rebellion are sassy openers. Crocodile Cafe, 9 p.m. $8Saturday, December 3!!! + FCS NorthWhether or not you dig the deadpan vocal stylings of these punks-turned-disco freaks, the grooves on Louden Up Now (Touch and Go) burst with the excitement of discovering you really can dance. FCS North continue teasing us with their still-being-pressed new LP. DJ F.I.T.S. opens. Crocodile Cafe, 9 p.m. $12 adv./$14Blue Scholars (CD release) + Masta Ace and Wordsworth + Vursatyl + Boom Bap Project + Abyssinian Creole + DJ Jonce + Marc SenseSEE FEATURE (Blue Scholars), P. 35. Chop Suey, 5 p.m. $8Also Tues., Dec. 6 at Easy Street Records, 20 Mercer St., 6 p.m.Echo and the BunnymenVocalist Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant are the only original members left in the morosely dreamy ’80s pop band, though we hear their new Siberia (Cooking Vinyl) ain’t half bad. Innaway also performs. Neumo’s, 8 p.m. $20Freakwater + the Zincs + Walter Salas-HumaraChristmas comes early for roots-alt lovers, who get three, count ’em, three faves to choose from or swallow whole: Chicago vets Freakwater, Chicago-via-Londoners the Zincs, and Silos frontman and roots-alt o.g. Walter Salas-Humara. Tractor Tavern, 9 p.m. $10 adv./$12Mommy and DaddyNew York electro-rock duo Mommy and Daddy get a little more grown up on Duel at Dawn (Kanine), even if their name still sounds hopelessly juvenile. Sadie Hawkins Rejects and Bang! Bang! also play. El Corazon, 4:30 p.m. $8Ms. Led + Spanish for 100 + Transmissionary Six + Free VerseCatch some excellent local bands at this Toys for Tots benefit—including stellar female-fronted groups Ms. Led and the Free Verse, if you missed them during Rockrgrl’s Conference. With Saeta, Argo, Andrea Maxand, Fleshworld, Brent Amaker, Daniel G. Harmann, the Graze and Robb Benson. Cafe Venus/Mars Bar, 8 p.m. $5 with new toy/$7Umphrey’s McGeeThe Chicago-based art-rockers have a huge cult following, and like most bands of that sort their appeal is a little hard to decipher outside the cult. Maybe live’s the thing. Showbox, 8 p.m. $17 adv./$18Sunday, December 4Sarah BettensFormer K’s Choice singer Bettens keeps the buzz from her solo outing Scream going, while folk/electronic experimenter PJ Olsson and lo-fi country songstress Sera Cahoone warm the crowd. High Dive, 6 p.m. $10The BlastersOnce roots royalty, always roots royalty—especially when you helped kick the movement off to begin with. L.A.’s Blasters re-formed a few years ago and have been packing out houses ever since, as demonstrated by last year’s DVD, Blasters Live: Going Home. Tractor Tavern, 8 p.m. $17 adv./$20Morcheeba + Gabby La LaSEE ARTS PICKS, P. 31. Showbox, 8 p.m. $25Nickel CreekThey’re young, they’ve got chops for weeks, they love bluegrass but play it like it’s even newer-fangled than it already is, and their following rises accordingly. Paramount Theatre, 7 p.m. $22.50–$27.50Seattle Improvised Music Festival BenefitBenefiting the upcoming 21st annual Seattle Improvised Music Festival, tonight’s experiment centers on the one-minute solo. Forty artists, including Wayne Horvitz, Paul Rucker, Wally Shoup, and Na’s Shin Yamada, will do what they can in 60 seconds; rest assured they’ll fit excitement and verve into that small timeframe. Gallery 1412, 8 p.m. $5-$15Monday, December 5Cave InSEE CD REVIEW, P. 37. El Corazon, 7 p.m. $10 adv./$12RasputinaThree cellists with a wide goth streak seems like an act that would lose its flavor on the cemetery post overnight, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Rasputina, who tour in support of their latest, a live disc titled A Radical Recital (Filthy Bonnet). Neumo’s, 8 p.m. $13Tuesday, December 6ArRange: Oh No + Kirk Degiorgio + Todd Simon + David Matthews + Clare and Brent Fischer + DeodatoTickets are free to this Red Bull Music Academy presentation, though $5 goes to the VERA Project for each person getting an education on these legendary musicians. It shouldn’t be hard to fill the place—hip-hop and electronic producers will interpret the work of the arrangers that inspired them—and are responsible for beloved recordings by James Brown, Prince, Sinatra, the Gilbertos and more. McCaw Hall, 318 Harrison St., 292-2787, Free.The Earlies + the Like + Giant DragDoesn’t the new crop of buzz bands seem kind of boring? Even when they’re pretty good, like this group of sweet-tart pop groups, two of which (the Like and Giant Drag) are from L.A. Crocodile Cafe, 9 p.m. $8 EUPCOMING SHOWSDec 7 ATB, Last Supper ClubDec 7 The Southland + West Indian Girl, Crocodile CafeDec 9 Rosie Thomas + David Bazan, Crocodile CafeDec 10 Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Neumo’sDec 10 Kanye West + Fantasia + Keyshia Cole, Everett Events CenterDec 11 My Chemical Romance + (International) Noise Conspiracy, PremierDec 16-17 The Wrens + Pretty Girls Make Graves, Neumo’sDec 16 Dokken, Fenix UndergroundDec 30 Camper Van Beethoven + Cracker, Crocodile CafeDec 31 Maktub, ShowboxJan 5 Vendetta Red, Neumo’sJan 7 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Emerald Queen CasinoJan 7 Disturbed, ParamountJan 18 Colin Meloy, ShowboxJan 19 INXS, ParamountJan 25 Coldplay + Fiona Apple, KeyArenaJan 29 Chris Botti, Moore TheatreFeb 22 Il Divo, Benaroya HallFeb 25 Supergrass, ShowboxMarch 6 Bon Jovi, KeyArenaMarch 25 Ministry, Showbox