Seaweed – Saturday @ Dante’s (1 SW 3rd Ave)
It’s not a surprise to me that these punks from Tacoma are still playing music together – it’s that they ever broke up at all. To see them in concert and to see their band photos (see right), they look like five people who found each other in high school, bonded over their mutual love of The Ramones and Beat Happening and vowed never to stay lifelong friends. They have no new music to flaunt (as far as I know) but they do have five albums worth of locked and loaded punk to choose from.
Trash Can Sinatras – Sunday @ Aladdin Theater (3017 SE Milwaukie)
I’ve always felt like this Scottish group has had one of the most effortless pop sounds around. Each one of their albums feels like the product of one long day in a recording studio, with each member of the band spilling over with ideas and melodies, knocking out song after song with good humor and grace. It’s a ridiculous notion, but one that I think speaks to how smoothly their grown-up music has seemed to flow. Even at their most strident, it never feels forced or agonized over.
Sus & Jakob – Sunday @ Valentine’s (232 SW Ankeny)
This Swedish duo beautifully uses conventional instruments in unconventional ways. As the picture on their MySpace page attests, with Sus sticking a microphone into the bell of a French horn and, presumably, singing into them both. Their recorded work features lots of wordless wails, busy bits of percussion and a smattering of flute.
Amon Tobin – Thursday @ Roseland Theater (8 NW 6th Ave)
Tobin has tried his hand at every kind of electronica you might imagine. When he started out, using the name Cujo, he released a series of blistering drum ‘n’ bass 12″s. Under his own name, he has dabbled in downtempo, slinky house, breakbeats, moody soundtracks for video games and film, and a few avant garde/experimental albums for good measure. For this live show, I imagine he’s going to break out some deep dance grooves. And in the heat of the summer, that could be a beautiful and dangerous thing.
