Try as they might Tuesday, Great Northern couldn't bring much levity to a heavy night at the Showbox. Their fuzzy, bordering-on-pop sound was like the prologue of a bad dream—when you know something bad's coming, but for the moment, things are truly swell. In this case, badness (in the coolest sense of the word) was the looming presence of Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli: The Gutter Twins. While the place was still pretty well-lit, Rachel......

Sometimes we'd rather experience a new (or new-ish) band's sound in person, rather than be tipped off by their recorded work. So we haven't listened to Great Northern's streaming songs, played their (first) 2007 album, or let fly The Gutter Twins' online teaser. (We didn't even listen to that live Twins clip; sorry if the sound sucks.) Tomorrow night, when the former opens for the latter, we expect to experience true aural pleasure. Great......

Second chances are rare, but here you go, Seattle. Last time Great Northern came to town, y'all bunked out and went home instead of sticking around for the inevitable encore. The band pulled the plug, had a smoke and packed it in. And we were sad. Though it seems they were just here, Great Northern is touring again in support of their new EP, the appropriately titled, Sleepy Eepee. Check out the new songs here.......

Leavenworth, "Washington's Bavarian Village", is a little burgh situated in the Cascades on the other side of Stevens Pass. It lies just beyond the border between the West Side and the other state of Washington. It was originally a railroad stop and hub for the Great Northern Railway. Aside from being a marginally kitschy, entirely cute place to spend a beautiful summer weekend, most visitors don't know much about the town's fascinating, unique history......

They'd finished their "last" song, gone backstage and waited. But there would be no encore because there was no call for one. People had begun filing out of the Crocodile like Night of the Living Dead extras. A few of us lingered, hoping for more, but after the band peeked out and saw that most everyone had already left, they too called it a night. Vocalist/keyboarder Rachel Stolteand and The Comas' Nicole Gehweiler took......

It's east meets west tomorrow night at the Crocodile. Come for the psychedelic rock of Brooklyn's The Comas, stay for the indie pop goodness of LA's Great Northern. Both bands released a new album only a few months ago. Pitchfork gave The Coma's Spells a not-so-bad 7.4, and Great Northern's Trading Twilight for Daylight is pretty much your classic California rock album, which is a good thing. Crocodile Cafe // Doors at 9pm // $8......

Monday SEATTLEST BOOK CLUB PICK: For March, we're reading Jonathan Raban's Surveillance, set in a not-so-distant future, when everyone's actions are highly monitored. Get a head start on the conversation by hearing from Raban himself. (We'll know if you went or not.) 7pm // UW Bookstore // FREE FANTASTIC FICTION SALON: Connie Willis, an award-winning SF writer, hosts this discussion of sci-fi/fantasy fiction writing. (As a new member of Hugo House's "Writing Fantastic Fiction"......