EPHRYME

Thursday, May 21

There are certain truths we hold dear in this world. GZA’s Liquid Swords is well to be heeded as one of them. A monumental epic in scope and style, it opened the doors of possibility and inspired many to walk through, a snapshot of perfection that captured and defined an era, giving birth to new ideas that expanded the collective unconscious of hip-hop. “This is the album that convinced me GZA would save the world,” confides Ephryme stopping short of the door at Caffe Vita as an unmistakable film snippet of Shogun Assassin begins to play over trippy atmospheric synth sounds. We immediately start rhyming along with Ghostface Killah as he begins “4th Chamber,” hands to the sky. “This is what inspired me to start, the rhymes about the ancients and mystics,” continues Ephryme, a former Olympian now residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., returning to celebrate the release of his new 7-inch Shomer Salaam on local label K Records. Tonight, Ephryme arrives to embody the spirits of the past, much like his music does, throwing a release party at the Royal. With a myriad of locals and surprise guests, this shindig is destined to be a classic. — Owen Taylor

[The Royal Lounge, Ephryme Release Party with AKA, Smoke, Evergreen One, Deadbeat, 9 p.m., $5, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.705.0760]

MOST OF CHINA DAVIS

Thursday, May 21

What’s China Davis without frontman Ben Fuller? Well, we’ll find out today when China Davis plays the inaugural Tacoma Farmers Market of the season. Fuller, you see, has a job — which as we can all agree often times sucks. Apparently his boss isn’t too hip with the idea of Fuller missing an entire day of work so he can entertain the well-eating, going-local masses at the farmers market. Fuller does deliver beer, though, so at least it’s an admirable profession. The good news is China Davis will still be employing the vocal talents of Tacoma’s Charles Grodin, Joe Rosati; and Fuller’s brother, Ted Fuller, will still be there to dish out the sweet guitar licks and wear that Tom Petty-esque hat that Ben got him in Austin at SXSW ’08 — right after he bought me barbecue. Perhaps I’ve said too much … — Matt Driscoll

[Tacoma’s Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., free, Broadway between Ninth and 11th Streets, downtown Tacoma, golocaltacoma.com]

HANG JONES

Saturday, May 23

One of the records I worry most about my kids using as a Frisbee is Willie Nelson’s classic 1975 LP Red Headed Stranger. Especially side one. Beginning and ending with the theme “Time of the Preacher,” and climaxing with the title cut, it tells the story of a drifter who kills his unfaithful wife and then kills another woman for coveting his dead wife’s horse. Red Headed Stranger is arguably country music’s first concept album, paving the way for future artists like San Francisco singer-songwriter Hang Jones. The 12 songs on Jones’ new album The Ballad of Carlsbad County tell the tale of the fictional New Mexico outlaw William Bishop. I’m not sure yet whether Jones is an innovator, imitator or ironist, but I know it’s worth finding out. — Mark Thomas Deming

[Le Voyeur, with David Bavas, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710]

LONELY H

Saturday, May 23

Walk by any roofing crew today and you’ll probably hear some Lonely H. It might be a Doobie Brothers song. It might be Marshall Tucker. It might be The Band, Pure Prairie League or Skynyrd. But it’ll be Lonely H, because Lonely H is all of these bands. Hailing from Port Angeles, these boys look like they were lifted from the cover of the Allman Brothers’ Live at the Fillmore East, circa 1971: long hair, staches, bellbottoms, boots. And they sound like it too. Three quarters of the quartet can’t legally belly up to a bourbon, but they’ve got that whiskey-soaked Southern rock thing down pat.  Lonely H breaks no new ground with their new record Concrete Class, but they take good care of the old. They’ll swing by Olympia’s Eastside this Saturday. Make that the Fillmore Eastside. — Mark Thomas Deming

[Eastside Club Tavern, 9 p.m., $5, 410 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.357.9985]