[HIP-HOP] + FRI, OCT. 11           

He has a new video/single, he has a new line of clothing on racks and now he is celebrating the release of his latest album, Revelations EP (with MTK). "He" is none other than award-winning Olympia (to Seattle transplant) MC XP, aka Xperience.  This weekend the Gary, Ind. native and adopted Olympian will make a homecoming of sorts to the Royal Lounge to celebrate in downtown Olympia and he will bring guests with him to kick off the party. Joining X to da P Friday is a list of regional standouts (read: prominent hip-hop personalities). For starters, nationally renowned DJ/producer Vitamin D (Seattle) will be on stage with the likes of Dice (Olympia/Seattle), Zikki Car (Olympia), John Crown (Tacoma) and Sphere (Bremerton). The lineup is not only diverse geographically, but also with a wide-range of style, delivery and message.  XP is coming off a national tour with the astronomically ascending Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and he is arguably more talented - as he brings phenomenal singing, rapping, writing and production. The Royal Lounge is open until 3 a.m. Can you say after party? {JOSE GUTIERREZ JR.}

XP, w/Vitamin D, Dice, Zikki Car and Sphere, 8 p.m., 18 and older, The Royal Lounge, 311 Capital Way N., Olympia

[DOOM ROCK] + SAT, OCT. 12

If you find yourself thirsty for post-metal, heavy prog rock, look no further than Bob's Java Jive Saturday. Political, anti-religious, and blood-shedding doom is the nature of Seattle's Breag Naofa, who perfectly execute the qualities of the genre, with plenty of mid-tempo drone and growly vocals. The evening also promises the interesting music of two more Seattle bands: Moraine, featuring instrumental fusion appealing across all genres, and God Hates Fads, whose doom-jazz is prone to wandering depths and trippy heights. {NIKKI MCCOY}

BREAG NAOFA, w/Fang Chia, Moraine and God Hates Fads, 8 p.m., Bob's Java Jive, 2102 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, $5, 253.475.9843

[PROG ROCK] + SAT, OCT. 12

Look, we may as well get this out of the way right now: Fang Chia describe their music as "sex prog." I know some record nerds may disagree but, in my experience, there is just nothing sexy about progressive rock. Bands like King Crimson, Gentle Giant and Yes are certainly able to stir up emotions in their listeners - things like reverie, joy, a lot of confusion - but horniness is likely not one of them. Putting that aside, however, what Fang Chia do excel at, if not putting you in the mood, is the sort of drifting beauty of those particularly heady progressive rock acts. This is music to be listened to in the dark of your living room, surrounded by pungent smoke and, preferably, with a rainstorm raging against your windows. {REV. ADAM MCKINNEY}

FANG CHIA, w/ Breag Naofa, Moraine and God Hates Fads, 8 p.m., Bob's Java Jive, 2102 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, $5, 253.475.9843

[ELECTRO-POP] + THURS, OCT. 17

I don't normally mention stuff like this, but it's worth noting that Dionvox have almost 67,000 "likes" on Facebook, which is by far on the upper end of bands I've covered for this rag. It's a frivolous thing to bring up, of course, but I think it's a nice demonstration of the kind of loyalty and dedication that exists in the underground electronica community. Born out of Los Angeles, Dionvox now reside in Seattle, where they specialize in shimmering, glitchy electro-pop that gets buoyed by the sonorous vocals of their female lead. Occasionally, the dancey grooves are pushed aside in favor of industrial beats and club-thumping bass. The melding of the ambient and the aggressive calls to mind other masters of electronica like Aphex Twin and Massive Attack, while their live show promises cabaret theatrics. {REV. AM}

DIONVOX, 8 p.m., Le Voyeur, 404 E. Fourth Ave., Tacoma, no cover, 360.943.5710

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