LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

ROCK: Fifteen months ago I went out on a limb and checked out the classic-rock inspired Midnight Salvage Co., which, at the time, had been on the Tacoma scene for scant more than four months. As I wrote back then, what I found was a "rocking alt-country posse that's staking a claim in this town," although, in hindsight, I like the band's personal description of, "the Heartbreakers meet Replacements meet the Hold Steady" is way better. While my use of the term "rocking alt-country" is a little embarrassing, I'd like to remove attention from that questionable qualification and point to the fact I was right about one thing: Midnight Salvage Co., now in its second year as a band, has definitely staked a claim in Tacoma. Coming to Jazzbones on Hump Day, Midnight Salvage Co is anchored by the co-creative forces of longtime friends Brason Alexander and Bryan Kiehl, who told me upon first introduction, "We've always kind of had that same love for music. And our differences complement each other." He seems to have been correct, even if I'd like to take back my part about "rocking alt-country." Wednesday, July 7, 9 p.m., Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169 - Matt Driscoll

EXPERIMENTAL POP: Experimental pop is, to me, an awfully murky term. I suppose it is to pop music whatever progressive rock is to rock music. Faithful readers should know that, whenever faced with a question of progression, I turn to my hippy-dippy dad. Upon being shaken from his "nap-time brain illusion," my father says, "Pop music is a magical, saccharine gnome made of Jujubes and other assorted fictional fruit. It's to be experienced by cattle-milkers with unfurnished teeth." Maybe my dad is right; maybe he's just delusional from lack of Vitamin C. What I do know is Chappo is experimental, but dammit it is pop music. It drags you kicking through the looking glass and onto the dance floor. And you've never danced harder than when you're confused about what you're hearing. With Bird by Snow, Us On Roofs, Caulfield and his Magical Violin, Wednesday, July 7, 7 p.m., all ages, $5, The Den @ urbanXchange, 1934 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.722.9987 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

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INDIE ROCK: Remember Sylvester Park way back, like, 15 years ago? When you were young and defiant and totally comfortable doing anything from having drum circles and smoking jays to making out and getting homemade tattoos? A time when the gazebo was a living room for you and your best buds to laze around and get creative in? Well, that creativity still thrives and is being brought back by a talented handful of bands this Saturday as part of Olympia's second annual Independent Music Festival. Bands will be rocking the park with unbridled sweaty jams in a fiasco of summer music lovin'. Featuring Hard Way, Glass Elevator, One Nation Undereducated, Noah Parriott, Sea of Tides, Oly Mountain Boys, Dry Ink, Saturday, July 3, noon to 9 p.m., all ages, free, Sylvester Park, Capitol Way and Legion, Olympia - Nikki Talotta

HIP-HOP: Hip-hopper Josh Rizeberg is everywhere, from shows to poetry readings to art workshops to the express checkout lane at the grocery store. Straight off a performance at The Den last night, Rizeberg will fill (hopefully) Rocket Records on Sixth Avenue for a free, in-store performance today. While you're there, pick up Rizeberg's latest gem, A Word to the Wize - a record that, impressively, might just outdo his critically acclaimed debut, Spoken Worldz. Saturday, July 3, 5 p.m., all ages, no cover, Rocket Records, 3843 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.756.5186 - Michael Swan

GOSPEL PUNK: Ian Svenonius is an artist in the truest sense of the word. Regularly described (endearingly) as a mouthpiece and even "slyly legendary," Svenious has written books and hosted online talk shows, but is best known for fronting bands that teetered on the artistic ledge, from his first D.C. outfit Nation of Ulysses, which made it its goal to destroy the "corrupt medium" of rock and roll, to the Make Up and the band's self-ascribed genre "Gospel Yeh-Yeh," to Cupid Car Club, to Weird War, to his newest incarnation, Chain and the Gang - which incorporates a strict set of musical rules that materialize into familiar, reductionist, prison-blues tropes, a call and response backbone and a driving R&B feel. Read the full story here. With Nightbeats, Basemint, DJ Dub Narcotic, Saturday, July 3, 9 p.m., $5, The New Frointier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - Matt Driscoll

BLUES: While Walter Trout doesn't have the most recognizable name in blues or rock, he should be up there, and the fact that the kids of today know nothing of the guitarist's career worth of musical accomplishments strikes Bobble Tiki as both unjust and inevitable. Rock and roll and blues were once the soundtracks of youthful rebellion. Today they're more like the founding fathers. Most kids today don't know a damn thing about William Whipple either. Born in New Jersey in 1951, Trout cut his teeth in the same local music scene as Steel Mill, which featured a fresh face by the name of Bruce Springsteen. After moving to Los Angeles, Trout eventually hooked up with Canned Heat and then John Mayall's Bluesbreakers - where he and Coco Montoya formed one of the most fearsome guitar tandems of all time. It was during this period that Trout made a name for himself. See what he's all about tonight. Saturday, July 3, 8 p.m., $15, Jazzbones, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169 - Bobble Tiki

PROG/NOISE ROCK: If you're not hip to Minneapolis' Gay Beast yet - described as "Minnesota's premier agit-prog queer band" by the their label, Skin Graft, on skingraftrecords.com - there's still plenty of time to get on board the guitar/synth/drums, math-y and sporadic bandwagon - even if the New Yorker has beaten you to it. Luckily, most mainstream ears haven't - nor would they tolerate it.Which is just fine by Bobble Tiki, since mainstream ears don't deserve what guitarist Isaac Rotto, keyboardist and vocalist Daniel Luedtke and drummer Angela Gerend bring to the table. Gay Beast is - indeed - a best, and one worth hearing and seeing yourself. With The Awesomes and Broken water, Saturday, July 3, 9 p.m. all ages, $5, Northern, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia - BT

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METAL: I have a big ol' soft spot for hilarious band names. For my money, Death Valley Murder Squad is just about the funniest name possible for a heavy metal band. And I'm willing to bet that DVMS knows it, too. Check out this quick sample line from their song, "Sons of Thunder": "Helter Skelter, demon hunter, six feet under." The whole song is like that. Seriously! It's sort of like "It's the End of the World as We Know It," except it name checks just about every heavy metal cliché ever imagined in quick succession. It's kind of awesome. Lay funny lyrics over a pummeling riff and you've got it made in the Satan-worshipping shade. I'm talking devil horns, bro. Ridiculous devil horns.With Kids on Fire, A Sic End, and Nothing You'd Like, Wednesday, June 30, 9 p.m., no cover, Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003

POP: Camp Out is a two-girl outfit, made up of Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law. Their music, full and harmonic, errs on the side of uber-sunny California pop. Utilizing looping pedals, keyboards and drum machines, Hanks and Law (sounds like a buddy-cop duo) flush out their sound and become much more than a guitar-and-drum band. Wednesday, June 30, 10 p.m., no cover, Le Voyeur, 404 Fourth Ave. E,, Olympia, 360.943.5710

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TODAY IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Hip-Hop: He keeps rizing to new levels in the game. Josh Rizeberg, one of Tacoma's veteran MC/poets, had to be a part of Grit City Fest.  No doubt. He stays busy with dope material to deliver on stage and has the album credits from the studio to match his hustle on stage.  Having released two critically acclaimed albums - 2008's Spoken Worlds and 2010's Word to the Wize - Rizeberg should have a hefty track selection to choose from for his always crowd-engaging live performance. EvergreenOne and Todd Sykes have been earning respect in the 253 with their witty, original and Tac-Town-centric lyricism. Grit City Fest featuring EvergreenOne and Todd Sykes, Matty, SK, Lucky One, and Josh Rizeberg, Saturday, June 19, 6:30 p.m., $12, The Den @ urbanXchange, 1932 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2280 - Jose Gutierrez Jr.

Punk: Staples of that now world-famous, rainy moment in Seattle music history, Coffin Break wasn't about sludgery or detuned drudgery, rather they harnessed the searing power of punk to full effect - eventually landing a deal with major label Epitaph for their effort and ass-kicking. With six records to their name, most of which were released by the classic C/Z Records, Coffin Break - through six or seven years - made a name in the Northwest music scene that still raises eyebrows and intrigue today. The band, which was led by Peter Litwin on guitar and vocals and Rob Skinner on bass and vocals, officially broke up in 1994. The band has rarely played since, always to the delight of the horn-and-glass-raising faithful. Tonight, Coffin Break will once again return, plugging in at Hell's Kitchen and setting a flame underneath the slumbering asses and memories of longtime Northwest music fiends. With Jet City Fix, Blanco Bronco, Pioneers West, Saturday, June 19, 9 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS, Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003 - Matt Driscoll

Funk Rock: While some songwriters may woo listeners with well-woven lyrics that slice straight to the heart and plumb the emotional depths, Ben Union is not that songwriter. His funk and rock hybrid is not a reinvention of the wheel, but it is a sight to hear, behold and just maybe get down to - as well as something no one else in town is even approaching. That, in a nutshell, is the appeal of Ben Union: He takes things you already know and love and serves them back at you with passion, spark and just enough originality to make it all stick. Grit City Fest with The Reaching, Red Means Go, Daniel G Harman and the Trouble Starts, Boom Zzilla, 99 Men, Deborah Page, Rockwell Powers, Sota, and Lisa Dank, Saturday, June 19, $12, The Swiss, 1904 Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821 - MD

Swamp Rock: Yes, goddamn it! SweetKiss, in the case of Puyallup's SweetKiss Momma, is one word! That's just how this band rolls. Who are we to judge whether or not the word "sweet" and the word "kiss" should ever have been joined as one? Rather, all we can judge is the band's swilling, swirling "swamp rock," straight from the fields and auto lots of Puyallup. As crazy as it sounds, and it sounds a whole lot less crazy after chugging a half-rack down by the river, SweetKiss Momma's rejuvenated and slapped-into-shape '70s Southern rock shtick really works. Grit City Fest with Voxxy Vallejo, Jay Barz, Shotty, and Spaceman, Saturday, June 19, 8 p.m., $12, Speakeasy Arts Cooperative, 746 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.426.5704 - MD

Roots Pop: Stop your goddamn giggling and get onboard with Pokey LaFarge. Yes, dagnabbit, his name IS Pokey LaFarge! Shilling a brilliant new record, Riverboat Soul, and coming the Mandolin Café in Tacoma Thursday and Olympia on Saturday with his band, The South City Three, guitarist LaFarge will bust out the old-time flavored American roots meshed with off-beat pop sensibilities, to the delight of all ears within hollerin' distance. Check it. Saturday, June 19, 8:30 p.m., $10, The Loft on Cherry, 525 Cherry St. SE, Olympia, 360.754.5355 - Michael Swan

Rock: Rock music history is littered with Anvils - bands that failed despite the successes of their contemporaries. For whatever reason, though they possessed the talent and ambition of their peers, fame never found these bands. Proof of their existence can be found in discount bins at your local record store. Panama Gold sound like one of these long-lost bands, maybe from that confusing period in the '70s when punk started to invade the sound of mainstream rock ‘n' roll. Panama Gold's sound is a mixture of fun-loving road trip music and punk sneer. The band's fake history indicates they could have been left behind by The Clash, or even someone like Tom Petty. Luckily, we don't need the dollar bins. Panama Gold can still be found in the here and now. With the Dignitaries, Revengers, and the Plastards, Saturday, June 19, 7 p.m., The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - Rev. Adam McKinney

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Psych Rock: The Purrs aren't new to this game. When the Seattle psych-rock band (which needs two hands worth of fingers to count its years together, and recently released its sixth record, Tearing Down Paisley Garden) hits Tacoma this week, they'll know exactly what to do. Jima, The Purrs' singer, will be right at home leading the constructively spacey, dare we say paisley, rock jams; the deadpan vocals adding the perfect lockstep to the band's Velvet Underground-hued, sour, druggy, musically soaring and lamenting disposition. Basically, songs like "It Could Be So Wonderful," and even the band's cover of Lee Hazlewood's "I Move Around," are good EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HIGH - which for a band often branded as "psychedelic," is saying quite a bit. With Bandolier and Skeletons with Flesh, Friday, June 18, 9 p.m., The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - Matt Driscoll

Alternative Rock: Bacon Moon's name may conjure up the fleet of psychedelic bands that sound as if they picked their names from words in a hat (Strawberry Alarm Clock, et al.), but Bacon Moon's music is firmly planted in the lo-fi alternative rock of the early '90s. They have a quality similar to Guided by Voices. As with Robert Pollard's GBV, Bacon Moon possess a preternatural gift for pop structure, for constructing these humble little gems that stubbornly stick in your head - try as you might to shake them loose. With Oxcart and Ralpheene, Friday, June 18, 10 p.m., no cover, Le Voyeur, 404 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.943.5710 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

Singer-Songstress: It seems that the powers behind bringing sweet-ass bands to town and putting on shows at The Loft at Urban Grace (many of the same faces behind the final incarnation of The Warehouse) have a thing for artists from Portland record label Amigo/Amiga. They've long since established an infatuation with Drew Grow and Pastor's Wives - which blossomed into Grow playing Tacoma more than we probably deserve, with awesome effect; now Kelli Schaeffer is heading to town. At a quarter century of age, but sounding wise beyond her years, Schaeffer is another in a line of genre exploding PDX songsters soon to show Tacoma what people have been talking about. In short, you'll feel like a dolt if you miss this show. With Michael Vermillion, Kirsten Wenlock with Travis Barker, Friday, June 18, 8 p.m., all ages, $8, The Loft at Urban Grace, 902 Market St., Tacoma, 253.272.2184 - MD

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Rock: There are far too many people who would be ashamed to say they like something as fundamentally shallow and conventional as AC/DC, but I'm not one of them. I think this is part of why I've grown to love Big Wheel Stunt Show. They don't sound like AC/DC, per se. They have a little more energy than the Aussies' relentless groove and a little more of a punk rock, grungy tinge. But on some level they occupy the same headspace within the dark bowels of my musically eccentric brainpan. Thursday, June 17, Grit City fest with Paris Spleen, Destruction Island, and Fun Police, 9 p.m., VIP pass $40, weekend pass $25, $12 at door, Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003 - Joe Izenman

Roots Pop: Stop your goddamn giggling and get onboard with Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three. Yes, dagnabbit, his name IS Pokey LaFarge! Shilling a brilliant new record, Riverboat Soul, and coming the Mandolin Café in Tacoma Thursday and Olympia on Saturday with his band, The South City Three, guitarist LaFarge will bust out the old-time flavored American roots meshed with off-beat pop sensibilities, to the delight of all ears within hollerin' distance. Check it. Thursday, June 17, 9 p.m., Mandolin Café, 3923 S. 12th St., Tacoma, 253.761.3482 - Michael Swan

Rock: There's something to be said for keeping a foot or two on the ground. For as much as aspirations may urge them to rise into the sky, Destruction Island keeps their feet planted on Earth. Every arena ready element that invades their music is always tempered with a ground level, charming, analog element like a chord organ. It's confident rock music that rejects pretension in embrace of humanism and quirky humor. To become a band as well liked as Destruction Island without abandoning integrity in favor of jerky rockstarism is a very good thing. Thursday, June 17, Grit City Fest with Paris Spleen, Big Wheel Stunt Show, and Fun Police, 9 p.m., VIP pass $40, weekend $25, $12 at door, Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003 -The Rev. Adam McKinney

Folk Punk: The Fun Police are one of the most hardworking, unique and entertaining bands in the state. With their eclectic folk punk style and brilliantly executed pop sensibilities this multi-instrumental ensemble never fails to deliver. Their infectious energy and dynamic, well-crafted songwriting are undeniable. Comprising an array of talented players and seasoned vets of the local music scene, this is a band with a look and sound all their own. If you haven't seen this amazing group in action yet, you owe it to yourself to do so. This is what independent music is all about. Thursday, June 17, Grit City Fest with Paris Spleen, Big Wheel Stunt Show, and Destruction Island, 9 p.m., VIP pass $40, weekend $25, $12 at door, Hell's Kitchen, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003 - Potter

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Acoustic: Seattle's diminutive Jesy Fortino (Tiny Vipers) will surprise you. When people see a solitary girl with an acoustic guitar they think folk music. What is folk music but telling a story?  With ghostly melodies over seemingly disparate guitar work, Fortino isn't trying to get you to understand her story. She takes you on a somewhat uncomfortable journey where you're left without a discernable ending - just more road. I am so impressed with her integrity and indifference to pop music. She's traveling inward instead of out. It's brave, and it's a little scary. No refrain? No hooks? No hand claps? Ahhhhh! With Kusika, Takhoma, and Mega Bog, Sunday, June 13, 6 p.m., all ages, $8, The Squawk Box, 745 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, myspace.com/squeakandsquawkfestival - Heather Thomas Loepp

Folk Rock: Do you like things that appear to be epic? Are you into feeling swept away? Were you ever in drama club in junior high? Did it make you cry when you beat Final Fantasy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Grand Hallway is for you. With eight handsome members who are seriously skilled instrumentalists, the sound delivery is really something - I'm sorry - GRAND. How can you help but believe that everything is going to turn out all right when there are violins coaxing optimism in such a shrill manner? The Grinch would hate this music. With Trevor Dickson and The Kilcid Band, Sunday, June 13, 9 p.m., $7, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, www.myspace.com/squeakandsquawkfestival - HTL

A few more suggestions<.h3.

The Spar in Old Town Tacoma hosts the Blues Redemption at 7 p.m.

Oly Experimental Music Festival Day Three featuring The Dead White, Tetrotoxin, Forrest Friends, Mangled Bohemians, Electric Oracle, Danishta Rivero, and Pykrete beginning at 6 p.m. inside Northern.

West Dakota, The Devils Of Loudon, From Murder To Genocide, Athena, and Games Of Slaughter play a 7 p.m. show at The Viaduct.

The Swiss hosts a Sunday show with The Disclaimers at 4 p.m.

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Here are two bands worth catching tonight at the Squeak and Squawk Music Festival.

Indie Pop: Two super nice guys play super cute music with super dark lyrics. I lived with one of them for a while in an insane house full of frogs and turtles. We ate frosting and rode a tandem bicycle. It sounds cute, but it was actually a depressing and lonely time in our lives. Now take that story and apply it to Terrordactyls' music. While the guys play ultra-friendly toy piano and kazoo, songwriter Michael Cadiz's lyrics reveal more subterranean complexities. You will adore them while they sing about two friends who murder each other because the summer ended. With Typhoon, Makeup Monsters, and Xylophones, Saturday, June 12, 6 p.m., all ages, $7, The Squawk Box, 745 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma - Heather Thomas Loepp

Electro Rock: Unfortunately I missed the days when one could smoke in a bar or club. Shortly before the law was passed to ban smoking indoors, an underage me snuck in a smoking session inside a local lounge. It was grey and candlelit, and it felt right to feel so bad. It took much longer before I could dance in public. It's still a rare occurrence. Reporter makes dance music as smoky and sinful and longing as my earlier crime. In all its caged-in smolder and swagger, it may be enough to make me reconsider the dance floor. With Strength, Saturday, June 12, 10 p.m., $8, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

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Alt Rock: You're probably familiar with the Marcy Playground story - or at least the band's hit "Sex and Candy."  The song came from Marcy Playground's platinum-selling, self-titled, major label debut, released by Capitol Records in '97 and highlighted by a grunge-stained take on folk rock and the occasional children's rhyme.  As you may recall, "Sex and Candy" spent 15 weeks atop Billboard's "Modern Rock" chart.  Friday, Marcy Playground will play the Royal Lounge in Olympia, where most of the preceding will matter very little. Read the full story here. Friday, June 11, 7 p.m., $20, The Royal Lounge, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.705.0760 - Michael Swan

Art Rock: I think it's safe to say Myths want to fuck your minds and leave them feeling dirty. Myths make confrontational music that leans toward art rock but never displaces its ambition of alienating its audience. The band is made up of two women who perform to a backing track and scream in syncopated bursts of crazed fury. Though it may not be for everyone, Myths do make arresting music that borders on performance art, and it's worth witnessing in the flesh. To be attacked by music every once in awhile is equal time in my book. With Lake, Paris Spleen, and People Under the Sun, Friday, June 11, 9 p.m., $7, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - The Rev. Adam McKinney

Indie Pop: James Jenkins played a big part in initiating me into the world of Tacoma music and Team Unicorn. His now-defunct band, Mama Loves Daddy, was and still is one of my favorite bands to come out of this city, and long nights spent at the "Gloom House" served to throw me head first into the deep end of cigarettes, Carlo Rossi and vintage vinyl. Mama Loves Daddy eventually dissolved, and Jenkins moved down to Portland. His triumphant return to Tacoma with his freshly assembled People Under the Sun outfit will be paved with flicked cherries, hazy binges and smoking guitar amps. With Myths, Paris Spleen, and LAKE, Friday, June 11, 9 p.m., $7, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - The Rev. AM

Singer-Songwriter: "When I started out," says Kazutaka Nomura, AKA Pwrfl Power, "(I was playing) mostly silly songs, shorter songs just about daily topics. ... After about three years of playing, they've become not so funny." Funny or not, Pwrfl Power's music is still marked by quirky awkwardness and unique guitar work.  There's an undertone of quiet romanticism in Nomura's writing that makes it endlessly endearing. With Strange Holiday, Oberhofer and Cap Lori, Friday, June 11, 6 p.m., all ages, $6, The Squawk Box, 745 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, myspace.com/squeakandsquawkfestival – The Rev. AM

Indie Pop: LAKE is five K Records cuties from the mystical Isle of Whidbey and the natural springs of Olympia.  The primary songwriters are Eli Moore and Ashley Eriksson - a golden-haired couple who look like Muppets and sing like sunshine. Their music is so special and impossible to force into any genre. It's like trying to grip a big, slippery beach ball. OK. I'll try. It's like R&B/jazz/calypso/indie-folk. No, that's not it. Imagine forest elves who listen to nothing but Motown. Actually, don't try to crack this coconut. Just let it sing for you and be happy. With Myths, Paris Spleen, and People Under the Sun, Friday, June 11, 8 p.m., $7, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, 253.572.4020 - Heather Thomas Loepp

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound

LIVE MUSIC TONIGHT IN THE SOUTH SOUND >>>

Hip-hop: The Lacey-based duo of LA Swagga is comprised of the thin and dark chocolate-toned lyricist and MC battle champion, LA White, and the thicker businessman-turned-MC, caramel-colored personality, Swagg.  Both in their early 20s, they attended high school in Lacey and grew up together.  The fact both LA White and Swagg come from motivated households gives clear insight about how they chose their title, and even more understanding about how confidently they walk, talk and -most notably - rap. They will celebrate the released of their new CD, LA Swagga is Mr. Gold Medals and Mr. Blue Ribbons, tonight with SP, DJ Luigi, DJ Travisty. Thursday, June 10, 9 p.m., $10, The Royal Lounge, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360.705.0760 - Jose Gutierrez Jr.

Punk: In terms of ferocity alone, Seattle duo Last Slice of Butter is some kind of champion. Despite consisting of only bass and drums (the Death From Above 1979 formula, if you will), they're capable of stirring up more racket than just about anyone in the 206 area code. Their music is punk, technically, but you can tell there are some canny pop and grunge instincts under all the dirty, deafening distortion. If you're not already sold, know this: TSLOB drummer Travis Coster is insane. Lightning fast and furiously forceful, he needs to be seen to be believed. With Humble Cub, Emperor Moth, and Girls From the Moon, Thursday, June 10, 6 p.m., all ages, $5, The Squawk Box, 745 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, myspace.com/squeakandsquawkfestival - Jason Baxter

Pop: There are some bands that cut straight to the quick. The Pica Beats are smart enough to put lead singer R. Barrett's voice front and center. Listening to the Pica Beats, it's almost as if Barrett is sitting on the opposite end of a campfire with you, singing right at you with uncomfortable eye contact. It's intimate pop music that avoids being maudlin or sleepy and boring. The band's childlike interest in the insides of bodies and the threshold of human emotion lend quirkiness and peculiar sadness to the whole. With Basemint, Santee, Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside, Thursday, June 10, 9 p.m., $8, The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St., Tacoma, myspace.com/squeakandsquawkfestival - The Rev. Adam McKinney

LINK: More live music tonight in the South Sound