The Thermals - I Don't Believe You by The Drift Record Shop

The Thermals, Unnatural Helpers, White Fang

(Neumos) Dear Kelly: What's wrong with you? Why are you just now listening to the new Thermals record, Personal Life? It's been out since September! You love the Thermals! And this, the Kill Rock Stars—affiliated indie-punks' fifth LP, is a concept album about love: being in love, falling out of love, smashing love to bits. Some have criticized Personal Life for being too soft—for having too much navel-gazing and not enough of the messy, frantic energy that the Portland trio is known for. But you don't believe any of that. Nope, especially not after hearing the second song—the album's standout track "I Don't Believe You." KELLY O

AFCGT - Two Legged Dog by subpop

Cumulus Festival: AFCGT, Panther Attack, the Tron Sack, the Luna Moth
(Funhouse) Cumulus Festival drifts into earshot for its third year of post-rocking in the semi-free world. Tonight's the second installment of a three-day extravaganza (see elsewhere in this section for further commentary). Seattle's Panther Attack engage in fluid, melodic post-rock ruminations to knotty math-rock conflagrations—often within the same song. The Luna Moth patiently float storm clouds of stoic instrumental rock that uncannily makes you ponder the glories of nature—especially thorns. AFCGT typically raze the roof with their guitars-as-flamethrowers approach to genius-thug rock. They're making it up as they go along—and then maliciously torching the edifice shortly thereafter. I tried and failed to hear the Tron Sack's music, but with a name like that, they have to be dudely. DAVE SEGAL

Is That Jazz? Festival: Sunship, Empty Cage Quartet

(Chapel Performance Space) How daunting it must be to form a Sun Ra tribute band. Even if you focus on the late jazz iconoclast's most accessible material, you simply will never match the magical spirit the eccentric space cadet beamed into heads that are attuned to weird frequencies. But that intimidating prospect's not stopping 10-strong local ensemble Sunship from interpreting Sun Ra compositions from the late 1950s and early '60s. Led by guitarist Brian Heaney, Sunship also include trombonist Stuart Dempster, clarinetist William O. Smith, New York saxophonist Michael Monhart, drummer David Revelli, and bassist Andrew Luthringer. Expect flamboyant robes, processions, unison vocals, possible UFOs, and some of the most out-there jazz pieces of the era, all in the service of delivering cosmic tones for mental therapy. DAVE SEGAL

More music here.