Thursday, Sept. 13

SWAMPABILLY junkyard jane

As the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” and for Junkyard Jane it’s been a barrel of monkeys for the past 10 years as Billy Stoops and Leanne Trevalyan have been hosts to a non-stop party.  



Junkyard Jane was formed in 1997out of stragglers from three different bands with a common vision: to have fun with music. The ensemble of first class musicians has changed over the years, but Stoops and Trevalyan have remained the glue that has kept the Northwest’s number one party band together.  



With a funky mix of blues, twang and rock ’n’ roll, the band defied labels and created music on their own terms, which they dubbed “swampabilly roots.” Stoops’ nasty mastery of the Strat coupled with his powerfully rich voice is complimented by Trevalyan’s whimsical vocals and the occasional kazoo solo.  To date they have released five unique discs on which they showcased their extra rich harmonies and gritty take on country and blues. This month the members are reuniting for a September to remember. Past alumni, including sax whiz Susan Orfield, trombonist extraordinaire Randy Oxford and multi-talented Jim King, will all be on hand to celebrate. — Tony Engelhart

[Jazzbones, 8 p.m., all ages, $10, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 254.396.9169]

Thursday, Sept. 13

The mosquito neckties

The Mosquito Neckties, a garage-bred rock band from Seattle who will celebrate a CD release at Hell’s Kitchen tonight, claim to be “alchemists” who “mix their own concoction of indie, classic, oldies, and blues to create music that will catch you by the ear and make you groove.”



While I have no problem with throwing together a flurry of inspirations and aiming to make people “groove,” the glorification of alchemy is something I’ve seen time and time again. Let’s be honest, many people use the term. Few people actually know what they’re talking about when they do.



An alchemist is one who practices alchemy. That’s pretty basic. But what’s alchemy?

Alchemy is (according to www.dictionary.com): “ 1. A form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life. 2. Any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.”

So, while it sounds cool to say, the premise of alchemy isn’t all that spectacular. Alchemy was a bunch of educated elitists in the Middle Ages, mixing metals together trying to get gold, or even better an “elixir of life.”



White guys trying to make gold out of worthless metal and live forever.



Pretty cool, huh?



I’ll take the Mosquito Necktie’s brand of Alchemy any day. — Matt Driscoll



[Hell’s Kitchen, with We Wrote The Book on Connectors and Mayday Mile, Thursday, Sept. 13, 9 p.m., $3, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

Friday, Sept. 14

METAL a chance without

I love a band that can mix genres to come up with something unique, and Seattle’s own A Chance Without does just that. The quintet of Ben (lead vocals), Chris B. (guitar), Chris Curry (guitar), Matt “Wings” (drums) and Ray (bass) use metal and combine it with pop. While the band isn’t quite as hardcore as some other acts that invade Hell’s Kitchen, they get their point across beautifully with lush harmonies coupled with soaring guitar licks and machine gun drumming. Complex guitar arrangements are a key ingredient of the group’s sound.



Best known for energetic live shows, the group has headlined at such prominent clubs as the Showbox and El Corazon and was invited to play the 2006 WARP tour.



Their debut, 2006 A Long Time Coming, featured a hodgepodge of influences, including blues, hardcore punk and Southern rock, all blended together for a sound that stood out from the rest. Hot off the presses is the band’s sophomore effort, This Life, which is pure power pop heaven. The disc is a nice representation of a live performance as the energy that it gives off is high. — TE

[Hell’s Kitchen, with Truce, Cavalier, The Real You, 6 p.m., all ages, $7, 3829 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

Saturday, Sept. 15

AMERICANA april verch

There’s just something about a girl playing fiddle that turns my crank, and when I first discovered artists such as Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss a whole new world opened for me.



Bluegrass baby! I love it.



So imagine my delight when I stumbled across 27-year-old fiddler/vocalist April Verch. Mixing traditional back hills music with a contemporary spin, she is a close second to Krauss, but while the multi-platinum Krauss relies mainly on her voice, Verch showcases her proficiency as a fiddle player more often than not. But let’s not forget the heartfelt vocals as she too possesses a beautifully melodic tone.



Falling into the category of neo-traditional folk seems unfair for the Ontario native as she also interjects musical flavors from blues, Eastern European, Latin and jazz into her work.



Verch began recording while still in high school, after which she attended the Berklee School of Music where she mastered even more styles of fiddle playing. Her label debut, 2000’s Verchuosity, won over the critics, and she was awarded with a JUNO for Best Roots and Traditional Solo Album. Verch’s latest disc for Rounder, Take Me Back, continues down her path of experimentation with a varied compilation of tunes. — TE

[Traditions Café, 8 p.m., $10-$15, 300 Fifth Ave. S.W., Olympia, 360.705.2819]

Monday, Sept. 17

CELTIC ockham’s razor

Doyle’s Public House and its patrons have been warming up to St. Patrick’s Day in a unique way — with a St. Practice Day series — and the next one Monday, Sept. 17, which is half way to St. Patrick’s Day, will feature contemporary Celtic band Ockham’s Razor.  The band takes the Gaelic-Celtic genre into the 21st century with a keen sense of the past coupled with a progressive attitude that is entirely fresh.



Check them out and get your green drink on early. — Suzy Stump

[Doyle’s Public House, Monday, Sept. 17, 9 p.m., no cover, 208 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.7468]