Music
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Waxahatchee Waxahatchee front woman Katie Crutchfield and her sophomore album, Cerulean Salt, were the toast of every music blog back in 2013 after the album was released that March. Pitchfork, The Onion’s “A.V. Club,” Pretty Much Amazing, and others all sang Crutchfield’s praises and included the album on their year-end lists. The hype has since died down a bit, but the album is no less deserving. Cerulean Salt, which Crutchfield recorded with her twin sister, Allison (and members of Allison’s band, Swearin’), falls on the sad side of indie-folk without being too depressing. Punk-rock moments add energy. With Us Lights. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9 p.m. SOLD OUT. 21 and over. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave., Seattle WA SOLD OUT Wednesday, January 7, 2015, 9pm
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Foghat After more than 40 years together, British blues-rock quartet Foghat, like the Foghat Cellars wine the band sells on its website, has only gotten better with age. The group’s latest, Last Train Home, which features original member Roger Earl on drums, is a collection of covers (including “Needle & Spoon” by Savoy Brown, the band from which Foghat grew, and Muddy Waters’ “Louisiana Blues”), three originals (“Born for the Road,” “Last Train Home,” and “495 Boogie”), and two songs featuring the late Eddie Kirkland (“In My Dreams” and “Good Good Day”). The band’s handle on old and new tunes is impressive, but not unexpected from a group with such a successful history. 21 and over. Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 $15 and up Thursday, January 8, 2015, 8pm
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Lonesome Shack It’s one thing to create somber tunes, another to create somber tunes that inspire some serious boogying. On its latest album, More Primitive, Lonesome Shack, the bluesy trio of singer/guitarist Ben Todd, drummer Kristian Garrard, and bassist Luke Bergman, does just that. The instrumentation is sparse, which adds to the album’s haunting nature, but there’s just enough to maintain a solid groove. Though Todd’s reverby vocals channel the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach at times, More Primitive doesn’t follow the duo’s often intense lead. Instead it takes on the same level of energy, just at a calmer pace. With Sam Doores (of the Deslondes), Inly. 21 and over. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle, WA 98107 $10 Thursday, January 8, 2015, 8pm
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Ghosts I’ve Met It’s been a big year for Ghosts I’ve Met front man Sam Watts. The Michigan-born singer/songwriter welcomed his second son; launched a new business (Hairstream) with his partner, Angela; toured the state extensively playing drums with Planes on Paper; celebrated a year and a half of sobriety; and finished writing and recording the moody rock quintet’s forthcoming album, The Shape of Space, which Watts is dedicating to his late grandfather, sculptor Sam Richardson. Whew! On “Redwoods,” along with Bill Patton and Ben Blankenship (of Modest Mouse), we hear of an unusual Yosemite event called the Fire Falls, delivered with gloomy gusto. With Drew Victor, James Apollo. 21 and over. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 $9 adv. Friday, January 9, 2015, 7pm
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Anna Coogan From Austria to Seattle to Ithaca, N.Y., country crooner Anna Coogan’s musical ambitions have stayed with her as she’s traveled around the world. Born in Boston and raised in Vermont, the singer studied opera in Austria, then lived in Seattle during most of the Aughts. Since moving to Ithaca in 2011, Coogan began collaborating with alt-country musician Johnny Dowd and producer JD Foster, the latter with whom she released The Birth of the Stars in October. At this show, Coogan, along with frequent collaborator Willie B, who drums for Dowd, will bring the album to life. All ages. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., Seattle, WA 98101 $15 Friday, January 9, 2015, 8pm
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The Dip College parties seem like a dangerous place for any band to play, but especially so for a nine-piece like The Dip. One misstep from a tipsy coed or frat dude, and there’s a hole in the speaker and beer spilled on, well, everything. But those risks didn’t stop The Dip from taking the UW house-party scene by storm with its fusion of funk, soul, and pop-rock after forming there in 2012. The band, which shares members with Beat Connection and the Tom Eddy Band, has graduated to larger shows since then-including the Capitol Hill Block Party-and recently released the warm and groovy “Ready to Go” from its upcoming album. With Tangerine, Tomten. 21 and over. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 $10 adv. Friday, January 9, 2015, 8pm
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The Builders and the Butchers On its latest album, Western Medicine, Portland’s The Builders and the Butchers channels the spirit of the Old West with impressive authenticity. The quintet’s Southern-fried folk captures the nitty-gritty of life way back when-especially notable for a group of musicians originally from the frozen frontier of Alaska. The opening to “Desert on Fire,” for instance, could soundtrack the tense moments before a duel, while “Redemption Sound” plays like a raucous Sunday service and “Take Me Home” is reminiscent of a campfire sing-along. An abundance of percussion, a bit of banjo and mandolin, and lead singer Ryan Sollee’s rough warble bring ye olde tunes to the 21st century. With Keaton Collective, the Sugar Strings. 21 and over. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave., Seattle WA $10 Friday, January 9, 2015, 9pm
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Elvis Alive For five years now, the Can Can has rounded up local artists for Elvis Alive, a tribute to rock & roll icon Elvis Presley. As they strut their stuff onstage, performers (this year including Fly Moon Royalty’s Adra Boo and the Witness’ Kaleb Kerr), are accompanied by photo montages highlighting various stages of The King’s career. Seattleite Vince Mira is the star of the show, discovered by the venue’s own Chris Snell while busking in Pike Place Market. Mira has played the role before and with a voice eerily similar to Johnny Cash, is well suited to it. Also with Caely Bailey, Mark Siano. 7 p.m. All ages. 9:30 p.m. 21 and over. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., Seattle, WA 98101 $20 adv./$25 DOS Saturday, January 10, 2015, 7pm
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Dead Winter Carpenters On its latest EP, Dirt Nap, California-based alt-country quintet Dead Winter Carpenters manages to capture the energy of its live shows while still making sure things don’t completely run off the rails. Rambunctious, mid-song jams (e.g., “Easy Sleep” and “Bootleg Jack”) add a ton of energy, but compelling vocal harmonies, to which all five band members contribute, rein things in. There’s a rustic, down-home vibe to the EP, especially with the band’s string-based sound, including fiddle, upright bass, pedal steel, and banjo. With Deception Past, Left Coast Country. 21 and over. Nectar Lounge, 412 N. 36th St., Seattle, WA 98103 $10 adv./$12 DOS Saturday, January 10, 2015, 9pm
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Kultur Shock It doesn’t matter if Kultur Shock is singing in English or a mix of Serbian, Bosnian, and Croatian; the Balkan-punk six-piece makes its feelings-about everything from love and substance abuse to aging and the NSA-crystal-clear on its latest album, IX. Themes of social justice and a streak of brutal honesty run through it, especially on “Home,” in which Gino Yevdjevich sings about the siege of Sarajevo in his native Bosnia: “Some of us lived/Some of us died/Some of us stayed/Some got away to the promised land/ . . . Where is home?” IX was released in November, but the band waited until this show to celebrate its release. With Bucharest Drinking Team. 21 and over. Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., Seattle, WA 98122 $12 adv./$15 DOS Saturday, January 10, 2015, 9pm
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Nels Cline and Julian Lage They say opposites attract, and Nels Cline and Julian Lage certainly prove it. Cline, a 50-something from L.A., has performed with alt-rock six-piece Wilco for the past decade while fronting two trios and collaborating with everyone from his wife, Cibo Matto’s Yuka Honda, to Death Grips’ Zach Hill. Lage, on the other hand, is a 20-something living in New York who’s led and co-led several projects while performing with vibraphonist Gary Burton and drummer Eric Harland. What the guitarists have in common, though, is their love of jazz; both started playing it as children, and their mastery of the instrument and the genre is evident on their collaboration Room. 21 and over. The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave. S. $20 Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 7pm
