[POST PUNK] + FRI, OCT. 4

I know next to nothing about Half Kingdom, beyond what I can hear in their two available songs online. What I can tell, just by listening to them, is that they embrace a moody post-punk that teems with energy even as it confounds expectations. Clattering drums and choppy guitars give way to swelling synths. By the end of the first song, everything has become engulfed in insistent tones wrestling for sonic supremacy. The second song, appropriately titled "Tempest," begins slow, but continues on, building to a clamorous climax as trilling synthesizers leak in from the sides. It seems clear to me that they have a firm grasp on mood and design, but seeing them live is the only way to find out just what else they can do. {REV. ADAM MCKINNEY}

HALF KINGDOM, w/ J. Martin and Zebra Mirrors, 9 p.m., Harmon Tap Room, 204 St. Helens, Tacoma, $5, 253.212.2725

[ROCK] + FRI, OCT. 4

Originally, this music pick was going to be about Olympia rockers Horse Bodies, who never cease to have high-energy rock shows, but as I investigated the rest of the bill, I have decided to include other bands, like Highlight Bomb, who are ready to play Olympia for the first time in more than a year. Highlight Bomb tease on the side of punk rock but rely heavily on the alt-rock vibe of the 90's, meaning lots of angst and harmony combined with catchy riffs and reverb. Also on the bill are Spittin Cobras, in the midst of their West Coast tour. This band will bring just enough fast paced, in your face, no bullshit rock to balance out the bill. {NIKKI MCCOY}

HORSE BODIES, w/Highlight Bomb, Ether and Spittin Cobras, 8 p.m., McCoy's Tavern, 418 Fourth Ave., Olympia, $3, 360.352.0696

[HIP-HOP] + SAT, OCT. 5

The merging of hip-hop with electro/techno occurred at the dawn of the '80s, and the flavor was so good with acts like Debbie Deb, Egyptian Lover, Kraftwerk and others that the relationship continues to grow. This weekend, award-winning hip-hop duo Never Sleep host and perform at downtown Olympia's quaint and intimate eatery and live performance venue Le Voyeur with Everybody Weekend's female-led electro hip-hop sound, the lyricism and microphone bravado of Ang P of The Real Life Click and 25360 representative Heretic The Heathen (founder/promoter/emcee of For MCs By MCs). Keep an eye on Heretic The Heathen. He's one of the Puget Sound's fast rising hip-hop personalities and "doers" - he either makes things happen or is at "the happening," often with his trusty camera.  Olympia should be poppin' this Arts Walk weekend, but this show is sure to be worth your time. {JOSE S. GUTIERREZ JR.}

OLYMPIA FALL ARTS WALK, w/Never Sleep, Everyday Weekend, Heretic The Heathen and Ang P, 9 p.m., Le Voyeur, 404 Fourth Ave., Olympia, $5, 360.943.5710

[PUNK] + THURS, OCT. 10

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Crooked Bangs is a band that is quite adept at building expectations and smashing them. Initially reveling in the sounds of '60s garage and '70s punk, Crooked Bangs slowly folds in elements of post-punk. It's compelling enough, but then you hear the vocals of Leda Ginestra - rising through the din of riled up punk is the voice of a dispassionate Parisian, which recalls the sort of deadpan work of Nico. Most of the lyrics are in French. Once you see the video for "Evil Eye," it all clicks. Ginestra, wearing sunglasses, smoking cigarettes, standing in shadowy alcoves, a robbery, a betrayal, more cigarettes, surging guitars - Crooked Bangs are evoking all of the coolest elements of French revivalism and transporting them to the context of the American South, all to the tune of raging punk. It's an enticingly stylish mixture. {REV. AM}

CROOKED BANGS, w/ Clayface and others, 10 p.m., Le Voyeur, 404 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia, no cover, 360.943.5710

See Also

Calendar: Arts and Entertainment

Calendar: Music and Nightlife