LOVERS

>>> Saturday, Oct. 23

There are few things more powerful (not in a sissy way, but in a gut-twisting, heart palpitation-causing kind of way) than some well-placed synthesizers and cracking handclaps. Lovers are synth peddlers and handclap manufacturers. Dark electro-pop accompanied by badass chick vocals, the songs vacillating between lovestruck declarations and eloquent fuck-yous. Of all of the mish-mashed revivals that the ‘00s have wrought, by far my favorite sound to see a comeback is that ‘80s New Wave pulse. Dancing to Lovers in your living room, you'll feel like you could finally give your heart to that certain mousy someone or other. Listening to it in a car with the windows down will give you the dangerously real sensation that you're about to do some damage to the popular kids. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[Le Voyeur, 10 p.m., no cover, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710]

ELEANOR MURRAY

>>> Saturday, Oct. 23

For music fans that obsess over production and arrangement, the brand of stripped-down, no-frills folk that's ubiquitous in the Pacific Northwest can, at times, become tedious and uninspiring. With those kind of bands (and the area is lousy with them), there is little to scrutinize or pick apart aside from the lilts and wavers of a singer's voice, or the lyrical content of their woodsy ditties. Fortunately, Eleanor Murray (ostensibly a five-piece band led by Ms. Murray) is not this kind of Washingtonian folkie. Across two well-received releases, Murray has capitalized on the (sometimes offbeat) contributions of her bandmates, resulting in a fuller - and fully-realized - sound. Despite the brittle, glass-like quality of her voice, and the pervasive simplicity of her compositions, Murray's songs feel hearty in a way that so much local folk doesn't. - Jason Baxter

[The Den @ urbanXchange, with Little Horses, 7 p.m., all ages, cover TBA, 1932 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2280]

THE FLIGHT OF THE PHANUEL

>>> Saturday, Oct. 23

Here's a band whose name has appeared in the Weekly Volcano countless times, on bills all over town, sharing stages with well known T-Town rock stalwarts, yet the Flight of the Phanuel has received next to no ink of its own. Well, that's just wrong, and it stops here. The band's got chops that deserve recognition. Playing The New Frontier Lounge Saturday, guitarists Jeremy Baxter and Preston Lewis, bassist Nathan Munoz and drummer Mike Pierce - collectively the Flight of the Phanuel - will put it on display,  dropping their unique brand of real life, soaring pop rock. "The Flight Of Phanuel brings to you a platform of ethereal, atmospheric soundscapes that are written from emotional responses to real events in their own lives or the lives of others," says the band bio. But the truth is in the pudding. See for yourself. - Matt Driscoll

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Lemolo, special guests, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

BREATHE OWL BREATHE

>>> Sunday, Oct. 24

Breathe Owl Breathe is a disarmingly earnest group of artists and musicians who make ground-level folk-pop. Their current aspiration is to make a children's record about an ostrich and a mole that become friends while hanging out underground. So, you know, they're that kind of band. Their music is intimate, gentle stuff that never loses sight of drive and pop structure in favor of preciousness, much to the delight of my admittedly folk-weary ears. Little electronic flourishes have a way of seeping in ever so slightly around the edges, adding just that little touch of texture that helps to break up the lazy, drifting vibe of Breathe Owl Breathe. Oh, and about that children's record: if you donate enough to get the record started, BOB will play your slumber party. Neat-o. - Rev. AM

[Northern, with Little Wings, 8 p.m., all ages, $7, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia, northernolympia.org]