Sleepy Eyes of Death
Four men stand onstage among a mess of wires, synthesizers, drums, and guitars. With a heavy blast of fog and well-timed flashes of multicolored spotlights, the lines between man and machine become blurred. Layers of fast-paced keyboard stack on top of fuzzy guitar and airtight drumming. The beat buzzes below your feet and threatens to knock you down. You'll walk away intact, but your idea of what a live show should be will never be the same. (Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 709-9467. 8 pm, $8, 21+.) MEGAN SELING See also this week's music feature.

Visqueen, Dept. of Energy, the Tripwires
(Tractor) Seattle's Visqueen remain a bright planet in the power-pop universe where Cheap Trick are God (i.e., the image in which all others are created) and Kurt Cobain is Jesus (i.e., a great talent turned into an oppressive figurehead after his stupid and untimely death). At the helm: Rachel Flotard—she of the angelic voice, red locks, and ridiculously entertaining stage banter—who'll lead her band (road-tested across Europe opening for Neko Case) through a set of their signature sunny racket and face-punching melodicism. DAVID SCHMADER

Inverse, Cancer Rising, Know Choice, Akrish
(Chop Suey) Rappers Toby and Tunji from the Los Angeles crew Inverse are Jewish-American and Nigerian-American, respectively. Tunji's ethnicity connects him with a new wave of Africans in the West who are transforming the very idea of what it means to be an African—Kodwo Eshun (writer/theorist), Tunde Adebimpe (lead singer of TV on the Radio), and David Adjaye (architect). The music Tunji makes with Inverse is lush, large, dramatic, and outward; the raps, by contrast, are very personal, sensitive, and turned inward to the soul. The lyrical subject matter focuses on the care/situation/examination of the self, and the beats always unfold like a shimmering, thriving, and wonderful city. L.A.'s hiphop underground is still alive and kicking. CHARLES MUDEDE See also My Philosophy.

Logic Probe, Obelus, ndCv, Greg Skidmore, NoisePoetNobody
(Occidental Gallery) Logic Probe (Derek Linaman and Dave Ford) celebrate their 10th anniversary and fifth album, Duel Panther, tonight with a free show (though donations are welcome). The Seattle duo create meticulously designed melodic electronic music that's occasionally ruptured by glitches and microscopic fissures. They also can generate splenetic beats and renegade video-game atmospheres when the whim takes them. Logic Probe's music harks back to those turn-of-the-millennium days when IDM was flooding the bins weekly with innovative releases. Their punchy rhythmic convolutions and ability to create chilling atmospheres and moody melodies signify a reverence for Autechre, but in this game, you might as well draw inspiration from the best. DAVE SEGAL

Saeta
(Comet) Is this the Saeta? The very same sad and beautiful miniature orchestra who used to serenade the hardcore kids gathered at the old Paradox on the Ave? It is! After being quiet since 2004, Saeta are releasing Else Another Light Might Go Out on January 20, and the music is as aching as I remember it being nearly 10 years ago. Strings swell through the choruses, piano dances lightly along the strums of acoustic guitar, while the songs tell stories of longing, empty promises, and other such topics that probably shouldn't sound as pretty as they do. Sigh. Saeta. MEGAN SELING

Battle Hymns, Pablo Trucker, the Banyans
(Sunset) There's something so magical about tuneful guitar paired with a well-worn, slightly-off-key voice. Music by artists like Bonnie Prince Billy, Edith Frost, and Bill Callahan never get the tired feeling from which so much music suffers after a few years in the shuffle. Battle Hymns lead singer Cameron Elliott has a voice like that, and, paired with a catchy, roots-on-steroids sound the band refers to as "American Noise," it results in songs that are memorable, heartbreaking, and—sometimes—surprisingly anthemic. PAUL CONSTANT

Battle Hymns - "Deceit Is a Thief"

Battle Hymns - "Exiles in the Heartland"

See all the rest of tonight's listings in our online calendar.