SWEETKISS MOMMA

>>> Friday, Nov. 19

The last time I saw SweetKiss Momma frontman Jeff Hamel I told him he needed a championship belt - something to signify his band's current standing as the reigning champs of Puyallup. He was modest, naturally, brushing the suggestion off, but I stand firm. SweetKiss Momma is far and away the best thing P-Town has going for it these days. Though I say that with mild sarcasm (I came from Puyallup so I feel comfortable making fun of it), I'm obviously not alone in my admiration. Hamel tells me the band recently signed distribution deals with "a number of European distributors and have obtained publicists both in the UK and USA." Friday SweetKiss Momma, Midnight Salvage Co. and Guns of Nevada will be at Jazzbones - a show that's also a celebration for Darrell Fortune and the Northwest Convergence Zone podcast. Fortune recently won fifth place in the radio personality category of King 5's Best of Western Washington competition. - Matt Driscoll

[Jazzbones, with Guns of Nevada, Midnight Salvage Co., 7 p.m., $7, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]

KEITH SWEAT

>>> Friday, Nov. 19

If you're in the mood to have a butter-voiced elder statesman of soul make sweet, sweet love to your earholes, get thee to the Emerald Queen Casino, because late-'80s/early-'90s phenom Keith Sweat is set to perform there. There's no word on whether or not his enviable wardrobe of "Cosby sweaters" (as seen on the cover of his flawless Teddy Riley-produced debut LP Make It Last Forever) will be appearing with/on him, but it seems unlikely. At 49, odds are that Sweat will actually start sweating pretty early in the show, but the man's still got the pipes and still got the moves, and his proto-New Jack Swing material (chintzy keyboard presets aside) sounds just as groovy and sinful now as it did 23 years ago. - Jason Baxter

[Emerald Queen Casino, 8:30 p.m., $34.40-$69.98 at Ticketmaster, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, 253.594.7777]

CARNIVORES

>>> Saturday, Nov. 20

Atlanta punks Carnivores revel in that kind of lo-fi rumbling that seems so ever-present now, but they bring a vinyl-collector's knowledge and fervor to it. The band has an awareness of and respect for all manner of lost treasures. Led by keyboardist Caitlin Lang, "Salts to Mines" sounds like a long-forgotten girl group tune; "Parent's Attic," meanwhile, sounds like the kind of spirited rave-up that you might've heard left of the dial in the late ‘80s. Their songs have a tunefulness and an innate sense of pop songwriting that helps to buoy the layer of beat-up-cassette fuzz that envelopes their recordings. A band like Carnivores would've been a gem to find in a discount bin, but we needn't bother going to such lengths anymore. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[Bob's Java Jive, with Hotter Than a Crotch, time and cover TBA, 2102 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.475.9843]

FAUN FABLES

>>> Saturday, Nov. 20

Not only did the powers behind the 27th Annual Olympia Film Festival organize one of the best such events to date, they threw in extra treats like last week's Gossip show and this Saturday's Faun Fables performance at the Capitol Theater. Part performance, part spectacle, all art, and like just about nothing else I can think of, Faun Fables is not for everyone - but there's no denying the immense creativity and theatrical Dawn McCarthy (the imagination and voice behind Faun Fables) has more than enough presence to hold a spotlight. With Nils Frykdahl at her side, Faun Fables takes off - and the destinations are like few you've ever visited. There's a reason this act has toured with Dresden Dolls and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and why McCarthy has been a regular sidekick of Bonnie Prince Billy. Here's a hint: It's because she and Faun Fables as a whole are kind of awesome. - MD

[Capitol Theater, 7 p.m., $6-$9, 206 E Fifth Ave., Olympia, 360.754.6670]