ROCKWELL POWERS

>>> Saturday, April 16

The common wisdom is that sequels inevitably disappoint. For every The Dark Knight, there are a half-dozen Iron Man IIs, and the maxim tends to carry over to other mediums, as well - Guy's "Teddy's Jam 2" couldn't match the New Jack punch and sizzle of the original eponymous Teddy Riley banger. With this in mind, you might expect the freshly dropped Kids in the Back II to weaken the brand established by Tacoma-by-way-of-Anchorage rapper Rockwell Powers and his producer, Ill Pill, on last year's Kids in the Back. Haters will be disappointed to hear that KITBII is another slick, solid outing from Rockwell (real name Zach) who - full disclosure - is a regular Volcano contributor, these days focusing mainly on Tacoma City Council action and local political dealings. - Jason Baxter

[The Space, with State of the Artist, City Hall, Night Fox, Saturday, April 16, $8-$10, 729 Court C, Tacoma]

BODYBOX

>>> Saturday, April 16

Believe it or not, Bobble Tiki even shares a few things in common with Tacoma band Bodybox, who will perform at The New Frontier Lounge Saturday. What does Bobble Tiki have in common with Bodybox, you may ask? Let's start with the things Bodybox and Bobble Tiki DON'T have in common. For starters, and most obvious, Bodybox is a three-piece rock band from T-Town made up of singer and guitarist Kurt Lindsay, drummer Belal Anwar and bassist Kevin De Flitch. As you well know, Bobble Tiki is simply an island-themed souvenir with a drinking problem and a job in journalism he doesn't deserve. Secondly, Bodybox obviously has motivation and drive: a band for only a year and a half, in January Bodybox celebrated the release a full length CD - 11 whole songs! Bobble Tiki probably hasn't written 11 decent sentences in the last decade, and he sure as hell hasn't been too concerned with sharpening his craft. Hell, not when The Biggest Loser is on! - Bobble Tiki

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Dave Hannon Band, Ben Union, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

MIGHTY HIGH

>>> Wednesday, April 20

Weed really doesn't need a holiday. I don't mean to come off like a dick, but it just doesn't. People who are serious about weed celebrate all the time - sometimes in the shed while their wife thinks they're working on the lawnmower. How do I know such things? I just do. Either way, Wednesday IS the infamous stoner bonanza known as 420, so expect a bunch of goofy text messages from all your dope-smoking buddies, and - more importantly - one hell of a good time Wednesday night at Hell's Kitchen with Tacoma's Mighty High. "Mighty High is a core unit of rock and instrumental dub reggae collaborating with other artists at different shows and events," says the band's Trevor Nicely. "Personally, I think we explore a psychedelic approach to original dub music popular in Europe in the '70s and '80s. This is not roots reggae or Sublime-inspired music." That right there should separate the show from most 420-related garbage. - Matt Driscoll

[Hell's Kitchen, 9 p.m., no cover, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

Y LA BAMBA

>>> Thursday, April 21

Luzelena Mendoza, of Portland's Y La Bamba, seems to mostly split her time between evoking cracked and worn ‘30s lullabies and embracing the freak folk scene inhabited by the likes of Devendra Banhart. It's a fairly beguiling mix, and a bold one at that. If there were a chink anywhere to be found in Y La Bamba, the first place anyone would look would be Mendoza's voice - but her vocals, it must be said, are gorgeous. That's the whole game. Y La Bamba's victory lap is in the chances they take with exploring world sounds and chamber music, which lends a little color to the proceedings, and helps to differentiate Mendoza from fellow ‘30s devotees like Jolie Holland. Above all, a kind of elegance shines through in Mendoza's music. And elegance, you can't fake. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[Northern, with Dark Dark Dark, Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship?, Angelo Spencer Et Les Hauts Sommets, 8 p.m., $7, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia]