Scene and Unheard: White Night, Friend and Family, Zachary Cale, Meth Dad and Around The Block Party!

On any given weekend in Seattle, there are a million amazing shows to see - from jazz sets at coffee shops and orchestras at theaters, to a grunge shows in DIY spaces and major touring acts at any of our larger venues. Maybe this weekend you want to try something new; maybe you heard one song by this small electronic, folk, grunge group that you heard on Audioasis or from a friend; or maybe you’re just tired of what you’ve been previously listening to. Luckily for you, the PNW is ripe with local acts who perform in our city every day. Because we love the amazing diversity of venues, art spaces, producers, bookers, musicians, and talent, we’re going to make a few suggestions, including a few especially for those of you not attending the Capitol Hill Block Party. This week we recommend White Night, The Lopez, Ubu Roi, and Monarchies at Victory Lounge; Friends and Family, Sphynx, Half-Breed, and The Sebastians of Bremen at The Rendezvous; Zachary Cale, Le Sang Song, and Case Studies at Heartland; Meth Dad, Yer Heart!, Pill Wonder and others at Heartland; and Around The Block Party with Wimps, Dude York, Childbirth, and more at Chop Suey.

Wednesday, July 24th: Victory Lounge

Who knows who's even headlining this show, but it's a solid garage punk bi-coastal line-up comprised of Seattle's Ubu Roi and the Monarchies alongside Philadelphia's The Lopez and Fullerton, CA's White Night, so it really could be any of them. In fact, maybe they should just all play at the same time while chugging beers? Sounds like a Wednesday night of wholesome spun out mosh-pitted happy-go-rough fun. More info here. Victory Lounge, 9pm, $6, 21+.

• White Night:
• The Monarchies:
• The Lopez:
• Ubu Roi:
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• Rendezvous:
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• Friends and Family appears to be just a phrase to describe the crowd of people that make up the 8-piece "cluster-folk" band who just released their album, Happy, Good-Looking, And In Love. Sweepingly magical but still tinged with self-deprecating sentiments, their sound is as deep and lyrical as having 8 members would need to be to justify having 8 members. It's working for them. They'll be alongside Half-Breed, the understated-summer-loving head bopping duo, and backroads lady-folk of The Sebastians of Bremen. Headlining is Austin's Sphynx with excited and excitable molecular electro-pop. More info here. The Rendezvous, $6, 21+.
• Friends and Family:
• Sphynx:
• Half-Breed:
• The Sebastians of Bremen:
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• Thursday July 25th: Heartland
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• It's a fairly rare occurrence that I come across someone from a smaller town in Louisiana than the one I grew up in, especially all the way up here, but Zachary Cale is one of those wanderers who seems to have found himself far from home quite often. Focusing on that classic, attentive songwriting, Cale is inventive to his craft. He'll be performing with Le Sang Song, a group which remains fairly mysterious to me beyond videos of them performing at Doe Bay Festival - and Case Studies, who has been around Seattle making his beautiful and at times mournful music for long enough to know he will be worth seeing. More info here. Heartland, 8pm, all-ages.
• Zachary Cale:
• Le Sang Song:
• Case Studies:
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• Saturday: Heartland
• POSI VIBES is the title of Meth Dad's most recent album - this bubbly almost too sweet electro-pop is only good vibes all the way. Not the only hyperactive band on the bill, Meth Dad will be playing with Nashville friends, and "pop stars", Yer Heart! Both bands embody colorific exuberance in their current tunes - I can't imagine this not being at least mostly a dance party. They'll be joined by the funky groovy Pill Wonder as well as a few other Seattle staples and experimenters - the Iguana being some kind of mash up of Slashed Tires and "more questionable" as well as Charlie Daugherty doing a performance piece. Intrigued isn't strong enough to express my delight and confusion at what will be happening at Heartland this Saturday. More info here. Heartland, 8pm, all-ages.
• Meth Dad:
• Yer Heart!:
• Pill Wonder:
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• Sunday: Chop Suey Around The Block Party
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• Maybe CHBP isn't your thing, or maybe you're just hungry, or maybe you don't care at all but somehow you're still reading this -- if so, go to Around The Block Party at Chop Suey to catch not only amazing tunes but also free BBQ and drink specials. The music includes Wimps, Dude York, MTNS, Dreamsalon, Haunted Horses, and Childbirth among others - there will be everything from maternity ward hospital gowns to electronic goth freak outs to wimpering screeching guitars and all out getting down. I can't think of anything more fun except maybe Pizza Fest but in lieu of that being sadly gone, this is the next best thing and totally free. Here's hoping the free BBQ doesn't run out and the speakers don't get blown out and no one's hangover is too bad on Monday morning. More info here. Chop Suey, 3pm, free, 21+.
• Childbirth:
• Wimps:
• Dude York:
• Dreamsalon:
• Hot Victory:
• Haunted Horses:

Honorable Mentions:

On Wednesday No Sleep Seattle brings us the soaring operatics of Oakland's FXVXR WITCH alongside Audioasis' SH6RL6S6 and Mitchell Bell for a night of electronic star-gazing at Therapy. Lounge. Thursday kicks off the block party with Goundislava and Beat Connection at Barboza for some youthful electronic dancing. On Friday you can listen to the probably way too loud main stage of the Block Party from The Cockpit which is situated almost directly next to the stage - don't go there if you're interested in what's happening on main stage though - Cockpit will have Miracles Club playing and SPF 666, Jackson (Party Tribe Trolls), Reverend Dollars as the DJs for the night. If the Cockpit isn't your thing, Airport will be playing with Olympia's Wet and Vex as well as Cairo Pythian from California at Therapy. Saturday you can catch the really amazing J. Phillipe of Dirtybird records at Electric Tea Garden - this girl has a degree in engineering and has chosen to make house music instead, and the meticulous intelligence needed for that degree is totally aural in her beats. On Sunday if you can also catch Truckasaurus, Airport, and Brainfruit at the Vermillion.