When I learned the Sweeteners are residents of Aberdeen via Anchorage, it made total sense. Their grunge-tinged garage rock is so distinctly reminiscent of these grey, blue-collar towns - the same towns that birthed guitar-worshiping notables such as Nirvana and Modest Mouse (not to get into tricky comparisons, here). While the Sweeteners aren't as idiosyncratic as those bands, they have a certain odd swagger that accompanies their whining guitars and stuttering drums. This is rock music in its purest form, albeit filtered through the vast stretches of highways and evergreens that have a tendency to shape musical minds. Every time you get lulled into the bar-band vibes that emanate from the Sweeteners, they surprise you with a nifty Velvet Underground-esque riff or a tricky bit of snarky vocals. This is a band that's swallowed its influences, not one that wears them on its sleeve.

THE SWEETENERS, Le Voyeur, 10 pm, No Cover, 404 E. 4th Ave, Olympia, 360.943.5710]