WATCH IT SPARKLE

Thursday, Feb. 18

Seattle's Watch It Sparkle is a goddamn mess. Seriously. A sweaty, slurry, falling down, down-and-out mess. And it's beautiful. Low-fi garage punk the way it was meant to be - with equal parts piss, vigor and relentlessness - the band is releasing a 7-inch and they want you to come celebrate with them, specifically Thursday at the Swiss with Tacoma's the Plastards. Never has there been a better bill to get drunk, fall down and thank the good lords of garage rock for. Watch it Sparkle frontman Justin Mellor often steals the disheveled show, though the band's underappreciated rhythm section is not to be ignored. - Matt Driscoll

[The Swiss, with the Plastards, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821]

THE WRECKED CHORDS

Thursday, Feb. 18

The Wrecked Chords represent, I think, an under appreciated quality in the garage rock revival. They err a little more on the side of ‘50s rock ‘n' roll than punk. Because, I mean, garage rock really was just a kind of expropriating of ‘50s music into the hands of wilder, broker musicians. It turned up the volume, but still respected the pop form. It wanted to make you dance. So, too, do the Wrecked Chords. The band's songs are packed with tin can vocals, fuzzy surf guitars, strutting bass lines and crackling snares and cymbals - sock-hop-quality rock. But, if you like your night to end with just a little blood dripping out of your ears, the Wrecked Chords occasionally dip their toes in punk's water. Best of both worlds. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[Bob's Java Jive, with Johnny Cheeseburger and the Cum Bunnies, 8 p.m., cover TBA, 2102 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

URINALS

Thursday, Feb. 18

Urinals is a real L.A. punk band. They formed in 1978 for a talent show, where the object of their performance was to parody punk rock. Turns out they were too good at it. After breaking up in 1983, they took a long break before finally reforming in 1996 as Urinals. A quick diversion: In his younger days, my Uncle Irish McKinney would wear the same pair of pants to every concert he attended - slowly building up a layer of rock ‘n' roll filth. It was his version of stamps collected in a passport. We'll never know if Urinals have concert pants, but they don't need them. Their music tells the story of where they've been, and where they continue to go. - Rev. AM

[Le Voyeur, 8 p.m., NC, 404 Fourth Avenue East, Olympia, 360.943.5710]

FLOATER

Friday, Feb. 19

I've written this blurb before. It's becoming a tad bit mechanical - but that's OK. ‘90s progressive rock chugger Floater is coming back to Hell's Kitchen - and anytime Rob Wynia and Co. want to cruise in to this gritty city of ours, I'm 100 percent all right with that. Propped up on still heavy riffs - though perhaps more thoughtful than you may remember from your grungy youth - there's a reason Floater has the power to truck on. And, no, it has nothing to do with the great weed in Eugene. It has more to do with the band's intense live shows, and remarkably dedicated fans. They'll no doubt be out in force Friday at Hell's Kitchen. - MD

[Hell's Kitchen, with Weight of the World, Mom's Rocket, In Lunar Blue, 9 p.m., $10, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, hellskitchenonline.com]