LOZEN

Friday, April 10

And for my next trick I will write about an all-female band from the Northwest without referencing Heart or Sleater-Kinney. Tacoma metal duo Lozen is an animal all its own, warranting standalone praise: a little bit Sabbath; a little bit White Stripes; a little bit Pat Benatar (Go back and listen to “Heartbreaker” sometime — it kills. For real.); and a whole lotta badass. Taking their name from an Apache woman-warrior and prophet, drummer Justine Valdez and guitarist Hozoji Matheson-Margullis play with a spirit the moniker implies. Their music is dark and dense, violent and visceral, but still somehow exudes femininity: chunky power chords give way to tantalizing flashes of fretwork, screaming to sensuality. As with any great up-and-coming local act, don’t go see them because they remind you of someone. Go see them because someone someday just might remind you of them. — Mark Thomas Deming

[Bob’s Java Jive, with X-Ray Press and District of Evolution, 8 p.m., $5, 2102 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

NEVERMIND

Saturday, April 11

Nirvana tribute band Nevermind’s singer J. Veldman looks like a fat-faced version of Kurt Cobain if Cobain grew up comfortably in Bellevue. As a child did Veldman’s teacher ask what he wanted to be when he grew up, and did Veldman eagerly reply, “I want to study the smallest nuances of a dead rock star’s tortured singing style, his languid, frantic stage mannerisms, and tattered wardrobe and then imitate all of this poorly.” If so, dude nailed it. Veldman’s vocals sound forced and phony — because they are. Kurt Cobain’s voice was perfect gravel, glass, and gargled pain. You can’t hope to achieve correct mimicry of that. The only cool thing about this band is the cellist, Inga Olsen. Oh, and that Tacoma punks I DEFY will play Jazzbones the same night. The tribute band should play first, apologize and leave. — Jennifer Johnson

[Jazzbones, with I Defy, 9 p.m., $10, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

TEN MILES OF BAD ROAD

Saturday, April 11

Last fall singer and guitar player Nathan Kirby told me of his new band, Ten Miles of Bad Road. Kirby hand-picked band members saying “We’d all known each other upward of eight years before we even tried doing this — putting together an old ’70s country band.” Bassist Alex Hosea and brother and drummer Justin Hosea joined, bringing a punk rock element with them, and producing a sound that falls somewhere between Social Distortion and Waylon Jennings. Think Supersuckers, though Kirby stresses “They’re a lot more kitschy than we are. We do a lot of covers, re-imagining old country songs and doing originals.” Skilled and versatile guitar player Jakob Jess ties the outlaw country band together. Ten Miles of Bad Road doesn’t over think things; they deliver a good time. — JJ

[O’Malley’s, with the Fun Police, 9 p.m., $5, 2403 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.3144]

FLOATER

Saturday, April 11

Floater may live in Portland, but it seems like the second tier (in mass popularity, anyway) grunge band is making Hell’s Kitchen one of their homes away from home. And it makes sense. Tacoma, as something of a lesser known stepchild itself, is the kind of town that can surely appreciate Floater’s conceptual sonic sludge. At least it sure seems that way every time the band hits town, which is happening more and more frequently thanks to a string of successful shows at Hell’s Kitchen. Saturday, ironically competing with the national touring Nirvana tribute band at Jazzbones (urp. I just threw up in my mouth typing that), Floater is back in the City of Destiny, ready again to rock the dust off those content to let their musical tastes live in yesteryear — a time before emo and indie pretension. Gawd, what a glorious time it was. Floater, even peddling new material, would be happy to take you back. — Matt Driscoll

[Hell’s Kitchen, with In Lunar Blue, Vista Switch, 9 p.m., $10, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

NOAH GUNDERSEN

Sunday, April 12

If it’s possible to like music you don’t like, then I like Noah Gundersen. I like him the way I like pizza with white sauce, and soccer. Know what I mean? The young Centralia singer-songwriter, who lists Dave Matthews and Counting Crows as influences, is undeniably skillful and talented. His band is airtight, and they’re working their asses off playing huge numbers of shows; there’s nothing I can knock ’em for, but I can’t seem to climb up on the bandwagon, either. It’s my cynical side, I guess. I point and make fun as the hayride goes by, when really I’m just jealous. Hopefully you’re a better person than I. Hopefully you can judge the music by its many merits instead of by predisposition. Hopefully you can appreciate Gundersen’s warm, faithful, well-crafted tunes and ignore the grouch in the back. — MTD

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Paper Maché, $2, 9 p.m., 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]