GEMS

>>> FRIDAY, NOV. 4

For the release of Umber Sleeping's latest CD, there's no better pairing to go with one of Tacoma's favorite bands than Gems. Both emphasize rhythm - with Umber Sleeping's frontman, Peter Tietjen, sitting behind the kit, and with Gems utilizing two drummers. And both are lead by strong, fat synthesizer melodies. But where Umber Sleeping tends to embrace a kind of repetition reminiscent of Philip Glass or Stereolab, Gems take the synths out on auditory explorations. The band's songs are equally built for black lights and full dance floors as they are solo listening in the dark of one's home. This is a show of different, yet simpatico bands, rounded out by the on-the-rise Not From Brooklyn - yet another band that manages to synthesize the electronic and the analog. - Rev. Adam McKinney

[The New Frontier Lounge, with Umber Sleeping, Not From Brooklyn, DJ Darren Selector, 9 p.m., cover TBA, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020]

WHITE ORANGE

>>> FRIDAY, NOV. 4

Unless I'm horribly mistaken, the promo photo utilized by the Portland psych/jam band White Orange on Facebook depicts the group's four members standing amidst a massive grow-op, budding marijuana in every direction. And I'm not horribly mistaken. While such an obvious move might reek (quite literally) of one destined to pigeonhole White Orange as the type of thing only applicable to guys with dreadlocks or in possession of String Cheese Incident bootlegs, here's a band that takes a bolder, more forceful approach to weed-friendly musicianship, crafting an aesthetic, which the band says pays homage to the likes of Kyuss, Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, King Crimson and Syd Barrett. By the sound of it, that sounds just about right. Catch White Orange Friday at Hell's Kitchen with Sleep Capsule, Sleeper Cell and the Ancient Warlocks. - Matt Driscoll

[Hell's Kitchen, doors at 6 p.m., $5, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]

MACKLEMORE And RYAN LEWIS

>>> FRIDAY, NOV. 4

As an MC, Macklemore is somewhat difficult to pin down. His lyrics can venture into proud declarations of heritage ("Irish Celebration"), sentimental ruminations on his hometown and childhood ("My Oh My," which he recently performed on the grass of Safeco Field, in honor of Dave Niehaus), or the absurd (as in "And We Danced," a patently ridiculous party jam featuring Macklemore affecting a faux-serious British accent). All the while, his flow remains strong, and his voice distinct. Frequently, though, Macklemore's greatest strength is the music created for him by his producer, Ryan Lewis. Especially effective is the sampling of Beirut's gorgeous "Scenic World" accordion line in Macklemore's "Irish Celebration." It gives the song an air of epicness and importance beyond the power of the rhymes. - Rev. AM

[Capitol Theater, with Free Whiskey, AKA, Xperience, 8 p.m., $15 advance, $20 DOS, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia, 360.754.6670]

MICKEY AVALON

>>> SATURDAY, NOV. 5

Rapper Mickey Avalon isn't the first musician to champion the motto, "Live fast, die young & look good in your grave" (as is printed proudly at the very top of Avalon's website). He's probably not even the most recent. But chances are Avalon is the only member of the esteemed, previously described crowd of self-destructive entertainers scheduled to play Jazzbones Saturday night. Reportedly a member of the Los Angeles-based graffiti crew CBS (Can't Be Stopped / City Bomb Squad), a one-time heroin addict and male prostitute, and a collaborator with former MTV VJ Simon Rex, it seems Avalon has experienced no shortage of excitement, drama, close calls and failures during his journey. These days he's experiencing a few of the positives life has to offer, most applicable to this space success within the world of music. A former member of rap group Dyslexic Speedreaders, and with a penchant for penning lyrics about the grittier side of life, Avalon's T-Town gig should go off like gangbusters. - MD

[Jazzbones, 8 p.m., 21+, $25, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]