Music Picks: Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley, Tinariwen, Mastodon

Wild Flag

TROUBADOUR

PHOTO BY SCOTT GROLLER

Wadada Leo Smith: See Friday.

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• Toody Cole
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Boasting a power lineup featuring Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney, guitarist-singer Mary Timony of Helium and keyboardist Rebecca Cole from the Minders, Wild Flag recently released their debut self-titled album to much critical acclaim. The tight collection of power-pop tunes reads like a "How to Rock" manual with propulsive energy and incisive lyrics like "Sound is the blood between me and you." In addition to her white-hot guitar playing, Brownstein has become known for spoofing the Northwest indie-music scene in the IFC comedy series Portlandia, but there's nothing ironic about this Portland band. Instead they trade licks and choruses so effortlessly, it wouldn't be surprising if they inspired a whole new generation of riot grrrls. Also Thurs. —Laura Ferreiro

tUnE-YarDs

MUSIC BOX

The first voice you hear on tUnE-YarDs' ambitious w h o k i l l is an old woman's: "Ladies and gentlemen, Merrill is ... performing at the ...," she says before being interrupted by a thumping drum-beat. Then Merrill Garbus kicks in with "My country, 'tis of thee." She flips these words we've heard thousands of times and turns them into weird virtuosic pop with colliding tribal polyrhythms and powerful and ferocious vocals that range from jazzy scatting to soulful crooning. It's leaps and bounds better than her debut album, and one of this year's finest. With legendary L.A. DJ Cut Chemist. —Lainna Fader

Also playing:

FILTER at Viper Room; OTEP at Key Club; ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI at El Rey Theatre; CHICKENFOOT at the Avalon; EMIL RICHARDS, JOE PORCARO QUARTET at Vitello's.

thu 11/3

DâM-FunK

EL REY THEATRE

Stones Throw's master of heavy grooves channels the past with an arsenal of vintage synths and drum machines to glide into his funky future. On top of spinning deep cuts of boogie-funk at Carbon's all-vinyl Monday night Funkmosphere, he's sessioned for West Coast rap giants Westside Connection and MC Eiht, collaborated with L.A. synth-pop artist Nite Jewel, remixed Baron Zen and Animal Collective, and dropped an essential monster 5XLP, Toeachizown — inspired, in part, by a UFO sighting — a couple years back. Tonight he performs with his all-star live band Master Blazter, featuring keyboard man Computer Jay and drummer-producer J1. —Lainna Fader

Das Racist, Danny Brown

THE ROXY

Trying to pin down a style of hip-hop that the three rapper/joker/social commentators in Das Racist inhabit is a bit like struggling to dissect America's fascination with the Kardashians; really, it just works on so many levels. For most, this trio's introduction arrived via their goofball "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell" viral video, leaving many wondering whether dudes were serious ... or seriously genius. Turns out they're both. Their first official LP, Relax, is certainly more overproduced than the two mixtapes that followed "Pizza Hut" — they roped in producers Diplo, El-P and Vampire Weekend's Rostam, among others — but there's still the acerbic wit and syncopated flow that first caught your attention. "Yeah, I'm fuckin' great at rapping," Himanshu Suri proclaims in "Michael Jackson." Sorry for doubtin' ya, brotha. With Detroit rapper Danny Brown, who weaved some of the year's rawest, whacked-out, "What the fuck did he just say!?" lyrics on his latest mixtape, XXX. —Dan Hyman

Bozzio/Machacek/Johnson

THE BAKED POTATO

Former Frank Zappa/Jeff Beck/Missing Persons drummer Terry Bozzio has become legendary not only for his exceptional playing but also for having one of the largest drum and percussion sets anywhere in popular music. While the Baked Potato won't hold Bozzio's biggest kit, he can be expected to bring dozens of drums, cymbals and other percussion to fill the club's diminutive stage, each one in precise tune. Guitarist Alex Machacek works at the outer limits of fusion, combining extreme virtuosity with an approach to structure and composition that's like no one else. New to the trio for these shows (through Friday) is Jimmy Johnson, whom some consider to be the finest electric bassist on the planet, bar none. Expect musical fireworks aplenty, and a very full house. —Tom Meek

Also playing:

AWOLNATION at the Music Box.