LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

4th Avenue Tavern Olympia - Downtown. The True Spokes. 9 pm.

• Flowmotion is now the True Spokes. Got it? Good. According to the band's website, the change was made at the beginning of the year to allow the Seattle-based quintet more artistic freedom and wiggle room when writing songs. "The music the band is writing and recording has reached a point where the name Flowmotion is an unsuitable description for who the band is now. With a solidified line up and many members writing material, transitioning to a new band name allows us to evolve into whatever it is we want to become," reads an ultimately reassuring letter to fans. And a letter was probably a good idea, considering Flowmotion had existed for a decade and built a fairly sizeable fanbase. Now that the band has a fresh start as the True Spokes, expect a new record by the same name in early March from a band striving for the same "post-jam" spotlight currently occupied by the likes of Dr. Dog, et al. - Matt Driscoll

Buzz's Tavern Olympia - Westside. Oly Mountain Boys CD Release Party. 9 pm. NC.

• Look, it wouldn't be fair for us to draw conclusions and/or reaffirm stereotypes about people who are big into bluegrass music just because the Oly Mountain Boys will celebrate the release of the band's new live CD at Buzz's Tavern on Mud Bay Road. No, that would not be fair and we will not partake in such blind musical bigotry. We'll tactfully avoid referencing the film Deliverance when discussing the musical genre, and we'll steer clear of family tree jokes that involve fans of bluegrass marrying cousins. Why? Because we're bigger than that. Plus, when the band proclaims its mission is to "reinvigorate the bluegrass genre by bringing the original bluegrass sound of the 1950s to a new generation of fans," we kind of believe them, especially after taking a listen to the passion guitarist Chris Rutledge, mandolin player Derek McSwain, banjo player Tye Menser, bassist Phil Post and fiddle player Josh Grice get down with. Yep, we're taking the high road on this one. As mentioned, Saturday's show will be a celebration for the release of a new Oly Mountain Boys live CD, recorded at the High and Dry Bluegrass Festival in Bend, Ore. - Weekly Volcano

Dorky's Arcade Tacoma - Downtown. Dungeon Science, Si Si Si, the Loose Buoys, the Triple Sixes. All Ages. 9 pm. $3.

• Dungeon Science are a part of the generation of garage rock bands being churned out of the factory that is Tacoma School of the Arts. Along with Apache Chief, they've started a collective not unlike the now mostly evaporated Team Unicorn Records from a few years back. Theirs is called Market Street Records, and their recruits are similarly fuzz-laden. Also like Apache Chief, Dungeon Science recently competed in EMP's underage battle of the bands, Sound Off!. What separates Dungeon Science from the rabble is the soulful lead vocals from Aaron Berryhill, which recalls the early days of garage rock when the main influence being called to the fore was blues and R&B. Hidden in the distorted guitars is a young voice, filled inordinately with passion and throaty yearning. - Rev. Adam McKinney
  

Eagle's Hall Olympia - Downtown. Mardi Gras Fundraiser, featuring Too Slim & The Taildraggers, Blues Attitude. Proceeds benefit The Partners in Prevention Education. All Ages. 8 pm.

Eastside Club Tavern Olympia - Downtown. The Blackberry Bushes Stringband, New Forge. 9:30 pm. $5-$10.

Forza Coffee LakeBridge Lakewood. Ben Potter. All Ages. 6 pm.

Hell's Kitchen Tacoma - Downtown. The #253 Party, featuring Mike "G," EMAC, South East Camp, Amber Red, P. Washington, DJ Midnight Grooves, hosted by Meechy La'Velle. 9 pm. $5.

Jazzbones Tacoma - Sixth Avenue. Hell's Belles, Riot In Rhythm. All Ages. 5 pm. $10. Hell's Belles, Phasers on Kill, True Holland. 9 pm. $12-$15.

• Adrian Conner, her searing axe and her band, Hell's Belles, have been through a lot - having toured clubs and rocked the asses from coast to coast as the world's premier all-female AC/DC tribute act. In all honestly, Hell's Belles has been doing this for long enough, and with enough expertise, that one could accurately attribute the tribute band explosion to the influence of Hell's Belles and a handful of the band's contemporaries. These days comprised of Conner, bassist Mandy Reed, rhythm guitarist Lisa Brisbois, drummer Laura D and singer Amber Saxon this is still one balls-to-the-wall, all-girl rock-hard revue. Breasts, beer and head-bangin' - all of life's pleasures in one place. - WV
  

Mandolin Cafe Tacoma - Central. Josiah & Sam Bogle. All Ages. 8 pm.

The New Frontier Lounge Tacoma - Dome District. Halcion Halo. 9 pm.

• It's hard to separate the music of Halcion Halo from the commanding voice that presides over it. Lead singer Jenson Charnell's voice can sometimes resemble the more mumbling, beat-poet-aspirations of Lou Reed - he never provides any release for the plodding, heavy alt-rock guitars, just ever-rising tension and downtrodden declarations. Musically, Halcion Halo sound similar to other hard-to-pin-down fixtures of those odd ‘90s negotiations between alternative rock and heavy metal. Bands like the Afghan Whigs and Queens of the Stone Age can't help but come to mind. But there is a minimalism that reigns at the heart of Halcion Halo - a minimalism that allows for creepy, little, stomping fuzz-bombs like "Someday I'll Learn to Put You Down." It's here where Halcion Halos weird ticks and affectations are most effectively put into sharp focus. - Rev AM

The Spar Tacoma - Old Town. Kim Archer, Chris Hyde. 8 pm.

Stonegate Pizza Tacoma - South. Pisces Party, featuring K-Do, Killas Wit Kindness, Abom Kid, Shao Sosa, Gonzo Family, Josh Rizeberg, Dead In Vest, Blue Nose Music. 9 pm.

Tahoma Tea and Co. Tacoma - Downtown. Aleotrope and Rending Sinew. All Ages. 7 pm. NC.

• I will tell you all that I know about Aelotrope. What you do with that information is entirely up to you. May god have mercy on your soul. Here's what I know: the band is an experimental two-piece that utilizes drums, guitar and the didgeridoo. Ahem, again: THE MOTHERFUCKING DIDGERIDOO. Guess where they're from. HERE. Aelotrope hails from Tacoma, and yet the band harnesses the power of didgeridoo in a completely non-ironic (I assume) way. You know what? It kind of works. Vaguely metal-ish jams are accompanied by that familiar warbling drone, and it all manages to meld in some way into a cohesive unit of, er, something. Honestly, this is one of the more unique bands you'll find around here, and there's something to be said for being that, in and of itself. - Rev. AM

Traditions Cafe and World Folk Art Olympia - Downtown. The Downtown Mountain Boys. All Ages. 8 pm. $8-$12.

Waterstreet Cafe Olympia - Downtown. Carnival Celebration, featuring Ocho Pies. 9:30 pm.

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound