YOU ARE PLURAL

>>> Friday, July 8

The music of You Are Plural is so immediately, vibrantly engaging that it can be almost jarring. The first song on Hand it Over, the band's debut LP, is a spryly shuddering meeting of strings and bubbling electronic instrumentation that sweeps along the lovely vocals of the female lead. The rest of the album is similarly entrancing - tuneful, Sufjan Stevens-esque chamber pop laid gently over a bed of fluttering keyboards. Even as the album floats along smoothly, a tension begins to arise from the restless twinkling of those keys. Listening to You Are Plural becomes a waiting game, wherein one uneasily anticipates the moment when a song may come crashing off the tracks. It makes for an exciting listen and, I'm betting, an intriguing live performance. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[Northern, with Yesway, Solid Home Life, The Range of Light Wilderness, 8 p.m., $5, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia]

VIII DAYS CLEAN

>>> Friday, July 8

Besides the obvious rock, which jives nicely with the KISW set, Tacoma's VIII Days Clean sells itself on its members' troubled past - vocalist guitarist Ron Walvatne, drummer Jeff Welch, bassist Cody Johnson and guitarist Gary Cooper have all battled drug addiction in their lives, and have built this band - at least in part - to wage a sonic war of sorts against their former way of life. Friday, VIII Days Clean celebrates the release of Parasite, the band's fourth album, with an all-ages throwdown at Louie G's in Fife. Recorded at Pacific Studios, according to hype Parasite, "explores the darker recesses of the human condition, the places that exist in us all, but most prefer to ignore." I can't think of a better place to start that exploration than Fife. - Matt Driscoll

[Louie G's Pizzeria, with The Missionary Position, Klover Jane, 8 p.m., all ages, $10-$15, 5219 Pacific Hwy. E., Fife, 253.926.9700]

DB & THE STRUGGLE

>>> Saturday, July 9-Sunday, July 10

DB & the Struggle has nothing to do with the months of sketching that no doubt led up to the release of Daniel Blue's 253 sticker. Rather, it's a funky blues jam outfit up from California and dead-set on rousing Tacoma's grooving masses into the boogey-state. Based out of Fresno, Carlos "DB" Montano and crew - Kyle Oaks on bass, a percussion section of Sean Detwiler and Sam Polanco, saxophonist Greg Rodriguez and trombone player Leo Esparza - will be setting up shop twice this weekend at O'Malley's. Saturday night the band will play inside with Si Si Si and Drunken Boat (awesome name), and Sunday they'll take to the O'Malley's Art on the Ave stage with Mighty High and City Hall. - MD

[O'Malleys Irish Pub, Friday, with Si Si Si, Drunken Boat, 8 p.m., no cover, 2403 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.3144]

[O'Malley's Art on the Ave Stage, with City Hall, Mighty High, Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., no cover, 2403 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.383.3144]

THE LOVELY BAD THINGS

>>> Tuesday, July 12

The Lovely Bad Things play blissed-out, fuzzed-up garage-pop that bursts with jangly exuberance. The band's sound is unmistakably Californian in its laid-back pop-mindedness. It's a barrage of good feeling and summery fun. Their live videos reveal a playfully engaging group of high-energy performers who yearn for nothing more than to get the party started. One video, in particular, shows the lead guitarist climbing onto another band member's shoulders in order to lead the crowd in a manic clapping chorus - a sight that I'm sure I don't need to tell you is awesome. Being that they'll be breezing through Tacoma on a Tuesday (not the ideal night to venture out on the town for a rock show), their spirited presence will be just the thing to send you sailing on through to the end of the week. - Rev. AM

[The New Frontier Lounge, 8 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]