Music
•
Pepper Proud For her latest release, The Water Chapter, Seattle-by-way-of-West Virginia Americana singer Pepper Proud took inspiration from what is perhaps the world’s most beloved resource: water. Despite titles like “Salty Bodies,” “Reservoir,” and “City Water,” the songs are about more than just H20; they’re about how its properties have influenced the life lessons Proud has learned over time. “Rain doesn’t doubt that it will end up at the sea/Doesn’t seem to worry about its destiny,” she sings in “Salty Bodies.” Proud also uses the subject to explore another universal topic: love. With Mikey Mike Gervais, Jon Pontrello (the Moondoggies), and live painter Ryan Henry Ward. All ages. ACP Ballard Homestead, 6541 Jones Ave. N.W. $3 and up Saturday, December 13, 2014, 4pm
•
FM Collective With FM Collective, former Microsoft employee Mike Lucero is a musical matchmaker, pairing some of the area’s top indie musicians (like Shaprece, Hey Marseilles, Cataldo, Fences, Portugal. The Man, and Tennis Pro) with songs he’s been working on for years and collecting the results on the group’s self-titled album (FM stands for “Friends of Mike”). Tonight, his collaborators Ken Stringfellow (the Posies, R.E.M., Big Star) will also perform songs from his 2012 album Danzig in the Moonlight, and Michael Kroll will open the show with a mix of FM Collective tunes and songs from his latest release, Clamor. If that isn’t enough incentive, a portion of all proceeds will go to MusiCares. 21 and over. ACP Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 $15 adv. Saturday, December 13, 2014, 7pm
•
My Goodness It’s pretty impressive how many genres My Goodness is able to incorporate into its blues-rock sound. On its latest, Shiver + Shake, there’s twang (“Sweet Tooth”), garage-rock (“Say You’re Gone”), folk-rock that wouldn’t sound amiss on an Avett Brothers record (“Bottle”), indie-rock (“Lost in the Soul”), and a few raucous tunes (the title track, “Hot Sweat”) for good measure. Rather than sound disjointed, Shiver + Shake is held together by the blues-rock thread running through it. Comparisons to the Black Keys are warranted, but there’s more to the trio-drummer Andy Lum, singer/guitarist Joel Schneider, and bassist Cody Votolato-than meets the ear. With So Pitted, Karoshi. All ages. ACP The Vera Project, 305 Harrison St. (Seattle Center), Seattle, WA 98109 $12 adv./$15 DOS Saturday, December 13, 2014, 7:30pm
•
tUnE-yArDs Worldbeat duo tUnE-yArDs, vocalist/drummer Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner on bass and synth, have packed more energy into its third album, Nikki Nack, than some artists cram into their entire discography. Influenced by Garbus’ trip to Haiti, Nikki Nack features a mix of percussion (including Brenner using a bag of rice as a drum), chanting, sweeping synths, and grounded bass lines; it’s an eclectic batch of tunes unlike anything on the airwaves today. Some of Garbus’ lyrics sound like what children might shout while jump-roping on a playground, which only adds to the fun. With Cibo Matto. All ages. ACP The Moore, 1932 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $22.50 adv./$26.50 DOS Saturday, December 13, 2014, 8pm
•
Jupe Jupe If you’re a fan of synth-rock quartet Jupe Jupe’s third album, Crooked Kisses, the tunes played at this release show might sound a bit familiar. The band reached out to 10 artists, including Head Like a Kite, Eleventh Hour, OCnotes, Mike Simonetti, The Cheebacabra, and Waco Girls, to remix the record in its entirety, a collaboration that rendered a new LP titled Cut-Up Kisses. Some stuck closely to the originals; others turned them into something completely new. Either way, the haunted feel of the originals is still present. Also with Golden Gardens, the Hoot Hoots, DJ sets from Hanssen. 21 and over. ACP High Dive, 513 N. 36th St., Seattle, WA 98103 $8 Saturday, December 13, 2014, 9pm
•
KMRIA Need a Pogues fix? KMRIA can help with that. In true Pogues fashion, the name stands for “Kiss My Royal Irish Ass, “ and is a collection of eight Portland musicians (including members of the Decemberists, Eels, From Words to Blows, Casey Neill & the Norway Rats, My Oh Mys, Hanz Araki Band, and The Minus 5) dedicated to performing Pogues songs with almost as much drunken bravado as the prolific Irish folk-punk crew. KMRIA pulls its set list from nearly every album the Pogues released, so it’s almost a given that they’ll play your favorite tune (no doubt “Fairy Tale of New York” will make an obligatory holiday cameo). And the band is James Fearnley-approved, so you can expect to hear some pretty spot-on covers. 21 and over. ACP Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle, WA 98107 $10 Sunday, December 14, 2014, 8pm
•
Wilson Phillips Try as it might, pop trio Wilson Phillips hasn’t been able to recapture its early staggering success. The group received worldwide acclaim with the release of its 1990 self-titled debut, but shortly after their sophomore album, Shadows and Light, Chynna Phillips and sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson broke up. Since reuniting in 2004, the group has released only a Christmas album and two cover records: California and the latest, Dedicated, a collection of songs made famous by their parents’ bands, the Mamas & the Papas and the Beach Boys. The latter charted fairly well, but longtime fans are surely waiting for original tunes that let the trio’s trademark harmonies really shine. 21 and over. ACP Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 $25 and up Sunday, December 14, 2014, 8pm
•
Saves the Day, Say Anything We all have that one album that transports us right back to high school. Those who came of age loving Say Anything and Saves the Day should prepare for three chances to relive their pop-punk-fueled teen-angst days with this co-headliner. Los Angeles quintet Say Anything will perform its second release, . . . Is a Real Boy, in full for the album’s 10th anniversary, and New Jersey four-piece Saves the Day will perform its sophomore album, Through Being Cool, in full for its 15th anniversary. If that wasn’t enough, opener Reggie and the Full Effect will perform 2003’s Under the Tray in full as well. All ages. ACP The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 $23.50 adv./$27 DOS Monday, December 15, 2014, 7:30pm
•
Skinny Puppy You know that video of the goth kids dancing that’s been making its way around the Internet recently? Skinny Puppy is a band they could definitely get down to. The long-running Canadian trio’s brand of electro-industrial, most recently heard on Weapon, may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s something intriguing about the band’s theatricality, especially during live shows, and singer Nivek Ogre’s distorted voice pairs well with the group’s experimental synth vibe. Plus it’s been together since 1982 (albeit with a few breaks in between) so it’s definitely giving the fans-including the U.S. government, which reportedly used its music for torture-what they crave. With Front Line Assembly, Haujobb, Youth Code. All ages. ACP Showbox SoDo, 1700 First Ave. S., Seattle WA $32 adv./$37 DOS Monday, December 15, 2014, 7:30pm
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Their annual revival of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music concerts of the ‘60s. Benaroya Recital Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $14-$38 Saturday, December 20, 2014, 7:30pm
Mark O’Connor The master fiddler (and Suzuki skeptic) presents “An Appalachian Christmas.” Meany Hall for the Performing Arts, UW Campus, Seattle, WA 98105 $10-$55 Sunday, December 21, 2014, 7pm
Straight No Chaser All Ages. The Paramount, 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101 $29.50 – $59.50 adv./All seats $2 higher DOS Friday, December 26, 2014, 7:30pm
