In Up & Coming:

Abodox, the Sugar Skulls, Sleepy Workers

(Comet) When they're not battling deadly stray pit bulls or trying to "liberate" art from local taverns, the men of Abodox make music. Metal? I'm going to guess metal. (Billmates the Sugar Skulls and Sleepy Workers both managed to erect MySpace pages, and they're, respectively, Zappa-inspired synth-and-violin art-core spastics and dour, bluesy post-punk with muddy and meandering instrumental passages.) Anyway, the Comet might want to keep an eye on that big red neon "C" tonight, in case those Abadox guys happen to "really appreciate" it. ERIC GRANDY

Update: An important correction for the above preview.

For more concerts and music happenings, check out our searchable online music calendar.

Megan Seling on Carousel Festival:

Whitney Ballen, 1985, Dennis Driscoll, Generifus, Blanket Truth, Dimples, Head Bangs, Grr

(Cairo) For the fourth year, Carousel Festival celebrates the diversity of Seattle's DIY music community with a weekend of all-ages shows (Fri—Sun Aug 28—30), featuring over 30 bands playing at venues including Healthy Times Fun Club, Gallery 1412, Cairo gallery, and others.

There's some great talent on the roster this year, with a little bit of something to please everyone. On Saturday night, heavy and hard trio Helms Alee play at the Greenhouse, along with Patrol, Partman Parthorse, and Weekend (aka Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes and Mark Gajadhar of Past Lives and Champagne Champagne). Sunday afternoon, starting at 1:00 p.m., the uniquely voiced Whitney Ballen plays the Cairo gallery with 1985, Dennis Driscoll, and more. If you're unfamiliar with Ballen, imagine a slightly less Muppety Joanna Newsom minus the harp. She's incredible.

In Up & Coming:

Autolux, Past Lives, Mini Mansions

(Neumos) There's a reason that L.A.'s Autolux, since their formation in 2000, have been praised by critics, been personally invited by Trent Reznor to tour with Nine Inch Nails, and played at both Coachella and All Tomorrow's Parties, even though they have only one full-length record to their name—they're fucking great (and residual love for their old act, Failure, probably doesn't hurt either). Their cinematic shoegaze ranges from haunted guitar-driven rock ("Audience No. 2") to aggressive electronic instrumentals ("Fat Kid"). It's all held down by the impeccable drumming of Carla Azar, who, by the way, was once told she'd probably never play drums following an accident. An experimental surgery got her back behind the kit—and hearing her play now, I'm not completely convinced that "experimental" aspect didn't involve replacing her arm with some kind of cybernetic metronome. MEGAN SELING

Busdriver, Abstract Rude, Open Mike Eagle

(Chop Suey) Busdriver was born into hiphop (his father wrote the screenplay for Krush Groove!), and now he can't make his own fast enough. Big brainy words fly from his mouth like furious bees, over beats that draw rich melodicism from all over. My favorite Busdriver track remains Fear of a Black Tangent's "Avantcore," where the man's playful logorrhea finds a home amid a beat built around Can's "Turtles Have Short Legs" (the B-side to the Tago Mago single "Halleluwah"; Busdriver is the type of rapper who makes you Google obscure Can tracks). DAVID SCHMADER

For more concerts and live music, check our online music calendar for a complete listing of events.

They weren't discussed in the current issue, but vibrant LA funk/Afrobeat troupe Orgone are definitely worth catching tonight. They tore it up at Bumbershoot last year and I've no reason to believe Orgone won't raise the roof at least a dozen feet at Neumos.

In Stranger Suggests:

Harvey Danger

(Crocodile) This isn't the first time Harvey Danger have broken up. The impeccable, charming pop band have made a joke out of it in the past, playing an annual "Last Show Ever" for years, so at first I approached this so-called farewell with skepticism. Wishful thinking be damned, this time it's not a joke; after this weekend, they will never play music together again. Their last all-ages show was yesterday, and tonight they'll perform two shows at the Crocodile. MEGAN SELING

Megan Seling on Carousel Festival:

Patrol, Police Teeth, Kidcrash, Helms Alee, Partman Parthorse, Fist Fite, Weekend

(Greenhouse) For the fourth year, Carousel Festival celebrates the diversity of Seattle's DIY music community with a weekend of all-ages shows (Fri—Sun Aug 28—30), featuring over 30 bands playing at venues including Healthy Times Fun Club, Gallery 1412, Cairo gallery, and others.

There's some great talent on the roster this year, with a little bit of something to please everyone. On Saturday night, heavy and hard trio Helms Alee play at the Greenhouse, along with Patrol, Partman Parthorse, and Weekend (aka Ryann Donnelly of Schoolyard Heroes and Mark Gajadhar of Past Lives and Champagne Champagne). Sunday afternoon, starting at 1:00 p.m., the uniquely voiced Whitney Ballen plays the Cairo gallery with 1985, Dennis Driscoll, and more. If you're unfamiliar with Ballen, imagine a slightly less Muppety Joanna Newsom minus the harp. She's incredible.

In Up & Coming:

The Maldives, Shim, Thee Emergency, Pickwick

(Tractor) Like a lot of Seattle bands, the Maldives have been filming for an upcoming "reality-style" MTV web series, directed by Stranger Genius Award winner and Humpday darling Lynn Shelton, called $5 Cover (a previous $5 Cover was shot in Memphis and can be seen online now). The Maldives, along with costars (and Cosmic Panther Land Band-mates) the Moondoggies, should make fine representatives for Seattle's twangy, bearded, and beflanneled roots-rock scene. Back in real reality, tonight is the first of a three-night stand at the Tractor to celebrate the release of the Maldives' new sophomore album, Listen to the Thunder. Which, if lead single "Tequila Sunday" is any indication, will be full of country-tinged tunes as carefully composed and accented (fiddle here, steel guitar there, brass popping up unexpectedly on the chorus) as they are boozy and loose. ERIC GRANDY

The Purrs, Black Nite Crash, Blood Red Dancers

(Sunset) Tonight, local psychedelic pop quartet the Purrs celebrate the release of their new full-length, Amused, Confused & More Bad News. If you're a fan of the Dandy Warhols, consider the Purrs your new best friends. Wah-wah'd guitar solos are in full effect on songs like the spacey "Sister" and the more jangly "Fear of Flying." Opening the show are Blood Red Dancers, who are on the other side of the spectrum. The Purrs are floating around in a drug-induced daydream, while Blood Red Dancers get down and dirty with a heavy blues sound. MEGAN SELING

Orgone, Yogoman Burning Band, Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme

(Neumos) Some old civic pride probably plays a hand in why I like Bellingham's Yogoman Burning Band—essentially a vehicle for drummer/vocalist/composer Jordan Rain's rock-steady/reggae interpretations. Rain used to spin old soul, R&B, and rock-steady records at Bellingham's late, great 3B Tavern, and his deep appreciation of the genres shows in YBB's music, which takes a vaguely reggae tone, complete with a horn section and a fashioned Jamaican patois. This all may sound a bit derivative, but there's something disarmingly earnest about Rain's delivery. And cuts like "You Trouble/LGBT (Got Your Back)," "If You Don't," and "Up All Night" are undeniably catchy. GRANT BRISSEY

Nickelback, Hinder, Papa Roach, Saving Abel

(Gorge Amphitheatre) A common justification for illegally downloading music is that most albums suck except for one or two songs. Yet Nickelback still garner substantial album sales. Is it because they write classic records packed fore and aft with timeless tracks? No. They've merely tapped into a lowest-common-denominator market that spreads their fan base wide and shallow, ensuring casual music consumers will buy their records. Eventually, these fans will grow irritated spending $15.99 on songs that are on the radio every 20 minutes and that grow stale after a few listens. They'll begin to view those purchases as representative of all albums and opt to acquire music in an even more casual and cost-effective manner: online. Platinum-selling bottom feeders like Nickelback aren't sustaining the music industry; they're destroying it. BRIAN COOK

Coconut Coolouts, Sex Church, Defektors, Sister Wife

(Funhouse) Have you ever seen that YouTube video where some dad is having a birthday party and a kid sprays some Silly String on him as he's blowing out the candles and, who knew, it's highly flammable and the dad's whole head catches on fire and everyone starts screaming and jumping around? That's the kind of party the Coconut Coolouts like to play. And this show with Sex Church and Defektors—both from Canada, "The Land of Milk and Party"—will turn the Funhouse into an exceptionally festive occasion. Especially if the Coolouts play that crazy new jam "I Wanna Come Back (From the World of LSD)." If they play that one, someone's definitely gonna end up in party jail. KELLY O

For more live music and shows, you can do a quick search of our online calendar.

Wisconsin's Woody McBride (aka DJ ESP) returns to Seattle to put on another veritable seminar in hard acid-techno DJing. Roman Zawodny, who records for McBride's renowned Communiqué label, and KnightridersKnightriders Inc. jocks/promoters Travis Baron and Goner will also bring the heat. High-quality, banging techno, going after hours in a large underground space: It might take you back—or propel you forward.

SUBspace (formerly Bud's Jazz Records), underneath 102 S. Jackson St @ 1st Ave,, 10 pm-4 am, $10 donation, 21+. RSVP here.