Vivian Girls, Abe Vigoda
In the mayfly hype/life-cycle of the average buzz band, it is already dangerously late in the day for Vivian Girls. Lucky, then, that the Brooklyn trio's dreamy, droney blend of girl-group pop and ramshackle punk is so far above average. Their self-titled debut is 22 too-short minutes of pop bliss that begs to be flipped over and spun again and again (and supplemented with 7-inches), and their live show is even more endearing. With L.A.'s Abe Vigoda, whose apocalypso punk is somehow simultaneously sunny and shady. (Neumos, 925 E Pike St, 709-9467. 8 pm, $12, 21+.) ERIC GRANDY

Aqueduct, the Republic, Josh Ottum
(Tractor) Where Aqueduct's pop is playful yet self-deprecating, the Republic's is compassionate and emotional. But there's room on the bill for both acts. At times, the Republic's ballads like "Let Down" and "One Last Mistake" sound a little too tender, like they were crafted for those touching moments on a WB drama. But the Seattle quartet do the dynamic indie-rock thing really well in songs like "A Hole to Hide Your Head"—they elevate an optimistic chorus even further with sparkling guitars and bright drumming... it's all very pretty. Afterward, Aqueduct will tear you back down with songs about how relationships always go wrong. MEGAN SELING

Bangers & Mash: Drop the Lime, Nordic Soul, DJ Recess, Fourcolorzack, Tigerbeat
(See Sound Lounge) Tonight marks the debut of a Thursday-night weekly called Bangers & Mash that promises to shake things up at Belltown's swanky See Sound Lounge. Kicking things off is "international bass champion" Drop the Lime (aka Curses!, born Luca Venezia), who mangles Baltimore breaks, classic house, bassline, and anything else that abides a deep love of deep bass into dance-floor-killing frenzies. Supporting him are some of Seattle's finest party-starters: DJ Recess, Fourcolorzack, Tigerbeat (dude gets the people wilding out on fuckin' Mondays), and Nordic Soul, whose gleeful, anthem-blasting DJ set opening up for Simian Mobile Disco proves the Decibel head can work the hell out of a populist playlist. Future Bangers & Mash bookings include Tittsworth in May and Tommie Sunshine in June. ERIC GRANDY

There's more—see everything in this week's calendar.

Matt Corwine (aka Mister Leisure) is DJing at Grey Gallery 10 pm-12 am tonight as part of the Sonic Frontiers weekly there. He’s threatening to play whatever he wants, which is an exciting prospect if you know Corwine’s aesthetics.

[Two Block Hack Alert in full effect.]

Darrius Willrich
(Triple Door) Darrius Willrich is a trained jazz pianist who performs with local jazz bands and hiphop/funk groups like Jambalaya. His solo albums, however, are all about R&B. Not R&B and jazz, or R&B and hiphop, but an R&B that's strictly R&B. Can't Get Enough is Willrich's latest album, and because I'm not a huge fan of R&B, I'm not the best critic to examine the substance of this work. To my ears, it sounds like the real deal, as good as any R&B you could find in L.A. or NYC. It's smooth, soul positive, and has grooves that remind you of "summertime, summertime in the park." CHARLES MUDEDE

Ghost of Kyle Bradford, Michael Vermillion, Zoe Muth
(Chop Suey) It's hard to do that kind-of-folky acoustic-guitar-and-voice thing. You have to be able to sound earnest without becoming one of those turtleneck-and-cardigan-wearing pseudo-Christian schmucks whom everybody loathes. Ghost of Kyle Bradford have the kind of brutal, literary lyricism that makes folk matter: Bradford sings about the lowered expectations of drunks who can't stand themselves with a pretty voice and spare arrangements. His songs are as real and as raw as a Raymond Carver story—sad, violent moments captured gorgeously in amber. PAUL CONSTANT

Listen to Ghost of Kyle Bradford via MySpace. And see the rest of tonight's listings here!