While this weekend is mostly dominated by all that Sub Pop hooha (and once again, kids, 520's closed, so take alternate routes), there's still a few shows besides those that Katelyn already mentioned. Tonight, head to Ballard for the roots and Americana of Portland's Scotland Barr and the Slow Drags at the Sunset. Tomorrow afternoon (1-3pm), break out your best eyewear for Lisa Loeb's appearance at the downtown Barnes and Noble.......

TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT: Thursday night at R Place = Amateur Strip Show. Head out, show us what you've got, and maybe you'll walk away $200 richer. Second and third place prizes are $100 and $50, respectively. Then, once you've won, buy everyone in the room a round of drinks, and then stick around for a dance party courtesy of DJ Flo'w. After all, no work tomorrow, right? 9 p.m. // R Place // Free......

It's hard to believe, but the Dandy Warhols' sixth studio full-length (and the first on their own label) Earth To The Dandy Warhols will be out this August. The tongue-in-cheek Portland alt-rock band plays the Showbox SoDo tonight. Not sure if it would be a better or worse show if longtime frenemies Brian Jonestown Massacre crashed the gig. As far as we can tell, there's still tix available to tonight's Kultur Shock show at Chop......

Stairwell Sisters have joined the slowly growing community of all-girl old-timey bands, and recently released their third album, Get Off Your Money. They do much better when they tackle the traditional fiddle tunes, but their originals do the genre plenty of justice. They’ll be joined at the Tractor tonight by local old-timey heroes the Tallboys. The Seattle branch of the famed Paul Green School of Rock opened in January. Now, the inaugural class of talented......

Don't call it a comeback, but the Cherry Poppin' Daddies have a new album out (Susquehanna) after a nearly ten-year hiatus. The '90s swing revival band plays two shows tonight at the Triple Door. Seems like local quartet Lucy Bland play a show every weekend. Tonight the blip-happy electro-pop band are at the Comet, and coming up at the High Dive, they're on the bill for the one of the many Noise for the Needy......

Tonight, if you're not already going to the second sold-out Magnetic Fields show, there's still a few tickets left for John in the Morning at Night at Neumo's, with the Duke Spirit, the Voom Blooms, and Tulsa. There's also PWRFL Power's (aka Kaz Nomura) second CD release show at the Vera Project. Since Kaz won a slot at last year's Capitol Hill Block Party (via the Stranger's Block Star contest last spring), he also won......

We've already mentioned the lovely and talented Jesse Sykes appearing tonight at the Tractor with bandmate Phil Wandscher. Also tonight (and also in Ballard) is San Francisco's Citay at the Sunset. Think Sabbath and Zep meets the light pop touches of Big Star. Here's some footage of them from a previous visit to Seattle: Saturday night, besides Kultur Shock at Chop Suey, there's LA's Spindrift at the Comet, who play peyote-twinged cosmic cowboy jams. As......

We had a good time at Mosby Farm's pumpkin patch on Saturday morning. The pumpkin patch was abundant, the wheelbarrows were plentiful, the hayride was free. Little Miss Seattlest and her friend ran shrieking through the fields and got satisfyingly dirty. They discussed getting stuck in the muck when the tractor pulling the hayride got, well, stuck in the muck. We bought pumpkins, and they're beautiful. But the reason we went: the corn maze.......

Somehow, we don't expect many people to be reading Seattlest this afternoon (and honestly, if you are right now, please stop and run outside while you can). We'll use the gorgeous weather as a touchpoint for our brief initial comments on Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time: Thank god we don't live in the Midwest. That aside, so far we're enthralled with Egan's ability to craft historical figures into living, breathing characters with better depth......

MUSIC: In a case of perfect billing, Math and Physics Club are taking a break from puppy petting and hand-holding to sing some songs for the kids as part of Town Hall's Saturday morning concert series. 11am & 1:30pm // Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Avenue (at Seneca Street) // Free for kids 12 and under, $5 for adults - adults must be accompanied by a child COMICS: Gabrielle Bell, Kevin Huizenga, and Anders Nilsen......

Wednesday, February 14 >>> Sparklehorse at Showbox. Sparklehorse is touring in support of their first effort in five years, with more of the same delicate, pretty songs that made them indie darlings. Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter open. * sample: Song Streams available on MySpace 8:00 pm // $17 // 21+. >>> Miss Mamie Lavona the Exotic Mulatta at Conor Byrne. The last time we saw Miss Mamie she charmed us in entirely......

As it should be, it's quiet this week in Seattle, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to do -- especially the closer we get to New Year's Eve. So without further ado, Seattlest's belated gift to you -- some shows: Thursday, December 28 >>> Vicci Martinez, Kym Tuvim, Jonatha King, and Danny Godinez at The Tractor. Singer/songwriter Vicci Martinez is not only an immensely talented artist with impressive stage presence, she's also cute as......

MUSIC: The grandfather of punk (and thus the great-grandfather of indie rock) Jonathan Richman is in Ballard at the Tractor tonight. You might recall his song "Roadrunner" in the School of Rock soundtrack or you may recognize his influence in every rock band everywhere since the mid-60s. 8pm // The Tractor // $12 THEATRE: The Washington Ensemble Theatre's production of "Never Swim Alone" is about two guys who grew up competing against each other on......

Tuesday, December 5 >>> Peter Walker at El Corazon. Not to be confused with Paul Walker or Peter Weller, Peter Walker's in town to support Young Gravity, his second album. We have read, though, that Walker evokes another Pete--Yorn. With maybe a bit more bite. 7pm doors; $10. All ages. With Division Day. Wednesday, December 6 >>> Victrola's own folk chanteuse Molly Rose headlines a singer/songwriter parade of not-yet stars at the Sunset Tavern.......

Here's to the ice melting away because there are some good shows this week. Tuesday 28th >>> Cat Power at the Showbox. Chan Marshall plays the piano and sings. Our heart breaks. That's just how it is. She's on NPR, too. *mp3: The Greatest 8pm doors; tickets $30 at the door. >>> The Lemonheads at The Crocodile. Evan Dando's spent the last few years focusing on drugs solo work, but now he's brought back......

Tuesday 14th >>> P.O.S. at Chop Suey. P.O.S. is one of the latest hot MCs to "blow up" (the term being relative since this is still very underground hip-hop we're discussing here). In any case, there's an opener called the Cleveland Steamers, and how could you not want to see what that sounds like? 8pm doors; $10. All ages. >>> Hot Chip at Neumo's. Hot Chip blurs the line between the electronic and indie......

Tuesday 7th >>> Foreigner at The Paramount. Be warned: whether you're cold as ice or hot-blooded, this is the kind of rock that leads to double-vision. *video: Urgent 8:00pm; $40-$150. The $150 includes a pre-show wine tasting and meet & greet. >>> Bonnie Prince Billy at The Tractor. Will Oldham has been keeping us at arm's length with the "Bonnie Prince Billy" moniker for years. We can pretend it isn't true, but it is.......

These cold nights we've been having really take us back to when we were kids and we had to ruin our awesome Halloween costumes with coats and bulky sweatpants to keep warm. The kids are out there working hard this Halloween night, so don't be an ass. Cough up the candy. Tuesday 31st, Halloween Night >>>"Devo Tribute Night" at Chop Suey. Teeth and Hair, The Pleasureboaters, The Torn ACLs, A Gun That Shoots Knives.........

Wednesday 25th >>> Cut Chemist and Lyrics Born at Neumo's. If Cut Chemist's contributions to Ozomatli are a highlight of your personal musical history, Seattlest will buy you a drink. We're just praying that Lyrics Born actually has some new material this time around, sheesh. 8pm; $18 adv/$20 door. Pigeon John opens and it's all ages, shorties. >>> Ziggy Marley at The Showbox. Bob's best-looking son does reggae just like daddy. 8pm; $30 adv/$32......

Tuesday 17th >>> Beirut at The Croc. This 20-year-old wunderkind from Albuquerque is the latest entrant into Who Wants To Be a Gypsy Rock Star Millionaire? 9pm;$10 >>> The Secret Machines at The Showbox. The sonically huge psych rockers will be performing tonight in the round, each member of the trio on an elevated platform on the venue floor. If nothing else, it's something different. 8pm doors; $14adv/$16dos. All ages Wednesday 18th >>> The......

Tuesday 10th >>> Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at The Showbox, with Architecture in Helsinki and Takka Takka. A KEXP benefit show, playing Tuesday and Wednesday. 8pm; All ages Tuesday, 21+ Wednesday; Sold Out! (Craig's List has some for sale or trade) >>> Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez at The Tractor. alt.country would just be whiney cowboys without Chip Taylor, and the fiddle would just be a pansy cello without Carrie Rodriguez. 8pm; $12......

October is here! That means candy apples, inappropriate costumes, and tons of live music. Tuesday 3rd >>> Scissor Sisters at The Showbox. Final night to get your gay on with these beautiful boys and girls. 8pm doors; $30. SOLD OUT! - Looks like Craig's List might still have some though. All ages, bar w/ ID >>> Kristin Hersh with David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) at The Triple Door. Former Throwing Muses frontlady Kristin Hersh......

A little something for everyone. Consider next Monday's show the icing on the delicious music-y cake. Tuesday 12th >>> Sarathan Records Showcase w/The Purrs, Two Loons for Tea, Christopher Blue, Shane Bartell at Neumo's. Local label Sarathan Records is going to show off some of the bands on their roster. They've got great t-shirt designs, so the merch is top-notch. 8pm; $5. 21+ >>> Jeff Lang at Tractor Tavern. A blues guitar master from......

So, there's that big, crowded festival-thingy going on this weekend and we could recommend a bunch of stuff to hit there, but ah, we're far too lazy to do that. Here's the schedule - make yourself happy. No one's looking. Tuesday 29th >>> The Maldives at The Tractor. Ease into the week with some slow-ass folk tonight. 9pm; $6. Wednesday 30th >>> Pretty Girls Make Graves, Sunday Night Blackout, Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive......

Tuesday 8th >>> The Blackpool Lights at El Corazon. Made up of parts of the Get Up Kids, Creature Comforts, and Ultimate Fakebook. 7pm; $10 >>> Manchester at Victrola on 15th Ave. "Pseudo-British" "indie folk pop" who sound a bit like more cheerful "Decemberists." 8pm; free. All ages. >>> Molly Rose with Pablo Trucker and J. Wong at the Green Room (at the Showbox). Victrola's own Molly Rose takes her singer/songwriter skillz downtown, with......

This week Seattlest invites you to get your hand out of your pants and join us for some shows... Wednesday 12th >>> WIRE presents: Pleasurecraft This is a Blackout cd release; performing live with New Gray Area at The Baltic Room 9pm; Free! Thursday 13th >>> The Clumsy Lovers at St. Edward State Park (Kenmore) >>> "Trapped In The Closet!" at Rebar 7pm doors; 8pm show, $10 >>> Refugee All Stars of Sierra Leone......