Joanna Newsom is tonight at Benaroya Hall. Jeff Kirby loves her and in this week’s paper he tells you why you should too. An excerpt:

Joanna Newsom is a polarizing figure. Of those who’ve heard her inimitable brand of harp folk, few merely “tolerate” it: Either you embrace her fully or wish her harp would capsize and crush her tiny body. Clearly, the principle factor in this rift is the sound of her voice. Its development between Mender and Ys is noticeable, losing much of the nasal “Lisa Simpsonesque” quality; still, Newsom’s singing probably needs time to soak in for new ears. There simply isn’t another singer in popular music who sounds the same. Once that initial hurdle is crossed and the listener is willing to accept that something worthwhile lies ahead, great pleasure and fulfillment await.

Read the full piece here.

Stranger Suggests suggest:

Architecture in Helsinki
(Music) If you’re not in the mood for Joanna Newsom’s epic, medieval-fantasy song cycles at Benaroya tonight, consider seeing Architecture in Helsinki, Australia’s best export since Steve Irwin (RIP). The orch-pop sextet leaps from twee swooning to upside-down funk to aeronautic anthems with energy and ease. The Showbox’s spring-loaded floor is sure to be bouncing. Opening is Panther, Portland’s absurdist white-boy Prince, and nu-Italo disco darlings Glass Candy. It’s an oddly matched but totally brilliant bill. (Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave, 628-0888. 8 pm, $16, all ages.) ERIC GRANDY

(This blurb caused quite the hilarious controversy on Line Out last week… click here to read about it.)

Eric Grandy also suggests via U&C:

Caribou, Born Ruffians, Feral Children, DJ Colin
(Neumo’s) Dundas, Ontario’s Caribou (formerly Manitoba, née Dan Snaith) is like a perfectly preserved psychedelic fossil thawed out and cleaned up with only the lightest modern touch. It’s like Encino Man, only starring Arthur “Love” Lee instead of Pauly Shore and Brian Wilson instead of that gay hobbit, except, I guess, with the flow of time reversed. On Snaith’s latest, Andorra, stylized, ’60s flowers push up through frozen tundra, magic creatures hibernate and emerge into the sunshine, and Snaith presides over the seasons like a shaman. Live, his hermetic recordings are realized by a full band and complemented by synchronized visuals. Feral Children’s wild stylings are rougher and more rabid that Snaith’s but are not without their own moments of organic bliss. ERIC GRANDY

Even more can be found in Get Out, our searchable events calendar.