THE HARD WAY

>>> Friday, Dec. 17

The Hard Way's new album, Tell Me When You Can't Breathe, has beautiful artwork on the cover. A fluffy, yet hearty-looking dog rides on the bow of a sailboat, eager and attentive. The sailboat dog is brave as a giant wave looms ahead and black clouds sit heavy in the sky, cushioning the backlash of an angry lightning bolt. But as much danger as the scenario presents, there is a child-like calm that prevails. I have not heard the new album, but I do have intuition. And something tells me all those descriptive words could be used interchangeably with the music the Hard Way so deftly crafts. See for yourself at their CD release party, this Friday at McCoy's. - Nikki Talotta

[McCoy's Tavern, with Glass Elevator, Mona Reels, 9 p.m., $3, 418 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.352.0696]

APRICOT & THE BEGINNERS 

>>> Saturday, Dec. 18

Part of the appeal of Apricot & the Beginners‘ gentle indie lies in the way their impeccable instrumental arrangements interact with huskily delivered, domestically minded - and sometimes silly - lyrics ("BLTs at 2 AM / Nothin' better than preemptive hangover medicine"). There's an undeniable winsomeness in the raw sound of their recordings, which juxtapose banjos with xylophones, synthesizers, acoustic guitar and faint or uncomplicated percussion (if any at all).  More fully realized tracks like "Darling" (not to be confused with Baltimore dream-pop duo Beach House's "D.A.R.L.I.N.G.") demonstrate a savvy understanding of how a single, well-conceived melody can carry an entire song if properly fleshed-out and matched with heart-on-sleeve, down-to-earth lyrics. The inclusion of background chatter and between-song ad-libs makes their songs feel that much more intimate, like a window in on the warmest winter sweater party ever. - Jason Baxter

[Peabody Waldorf Gallery, 7:30 p.m., all-ages, 745 Broadway, Tacoma]

KEG

>>> Saturday, Dec. 18

Oh, folks. Are you ready for something absolutely ridiculous? Look no further than KEG. I can't do his act justice by merely describing it - KEG is a one-man hair metal band. Sure, it sounds kind of funny, but to watch it is a thing of eye-rubbing, snort-inducing beauty. It may be possible to effectively replicate the sound of an entire hair metal band through the use of a looping pedal, much like the kind that KEG utilizes, but that's not KEG's M.O. He wants to replicate the feeling of a hair metal group, and in that case musicianship comes in a far second behind balls-to-the-wall theatrics. He breathlessly pulls out every trick in the hair metal playbook: high kicks, spitting water, gesturing with his crotch, etc. KEG is a tornado of absurdity. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[Hell's Kitchen, with Dirty Hollywood, the Pete Moss Band, Bone Flower, 9 p.m., $5, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

DEBORAH PAGE

>>> Saturday, Dec. 18

On Tacoma singer and songwriter Deborah Page's impressive website, after clicking on a fire-engulfed guitar, you're taken to a page where quotes from reviewers scroll across the top of the screen. Naturally, the chosen quotes are positive, all (rightfully) coloring Page and the five-piece band that bares her name as a truly unique South Sound act on the up-and-coming list - a ‘90s-bred yet contemporary take on the rock we all grew up on. Well ... except for one. Amidst all the well-earned praise from local journalists of every ilk, there's a quote in there typical of the juvenile and somewhat low-brow author given credit for it. "Deborah Page is hot," it says - credited to yours truly. Well, you know what? I stand by that statement. It's not the smartest thing I've ever written, and surely not the most insightful, but facts are facts and I won't back down from my previous assertion. - Matt Driscoll

[Stonegate Pizza, with Voxxy Vallejo, 9 p.m., no cover, $5, 5421 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 253.473.2255]