A Gazillion Friday Show Recommendations

"Hemhorrage," which is actually Partman Parthorse with No Fi Soul Rebellion. Normally Partman Parthorse is louder than this.

Tonight is a really, exceptionally good night to go out. Here are seven, count 'em, seven shows that I think you will enjoy.

Dandelion Gold release show at the Big Blue House (1132 34th Ave), 7:30 p.m., $7 donation for a copy of the new Dandelion Gold compilation, all ages

Sweet Potatoes, The Curious Mystery's Shana Cleveland, the Corespondents, Cock and Swan and a few others are all performing tonight. If you need to chill out to some pretty, quiet music, this is a good place to relax and listen. Sweet Potatoes played REVERBfest; she is a one-woman show who does interesting things with looping pedals and collected sounds. If you like, say, The Microphones, Karl Blau, etc., you will probably dig it (and you'll at least dig Shana Cleveland, who sings like an effin' angel.) I know our readers are polite and mature, but I have to say it: this is somebody's house, so please don't act like an asshole.

Dinosaur and The Missing Link, Le Shat Noir, PartMan PartHorse at the Bit Saloon, 9 p.m.

If you missed Partman Parthorse on Halloween, here's an opportunity to watch these guys frolic near-naked and sing about weird shit. Frontman Gary Smith's known for prancing about in his undies at shows, but the real attraction is the high-energy, distorted guitar work and Smith's sexy growl (he's kinda like the Sinatra of rock and roll music; the ladies love him, and he gets away with murder because of his titillating vocals). Their shows are not for the prudish, squeamish or claustrophobic. They just put out an album, Year of the Jerk, that I love a lot.

Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers, Black Crabs at Conor Byrne, 9 p.m., $8

Rockabilly goodness from Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers, who are one of the best country bands Seattle had to offer before they decided to pack up and move to Austin. BOOOO!

Lucky Dragons, Hecuba, Pit er Pat, Tinsel at Vera Project, 7:30 p.m., $8, all ages

Andrew Miller on Pit Er Pat:

Pit Er Pat plays like a jazzy Portishead revamp, with the chilly female vocals recast in a rain forest of jungle beats and sweltering rhythms. Fay Davis-Jeffers brings a torch-singer vibe to highly flammable backdrops, igniting dub reggae, brassy lounge funk and organ-mellowed garage rock. On its new release High Times, the Chicago-based trio empties its exotic-instrument arsenal, employing bells, bongos, cuica (think of that odd laughing-chimp sound in Beck's "Tropicalia") and a wide array of shaken/clapped percussive devices. It's unclear how much room the group left in the van for all the toys, but these songs would remain seductive even if stripped to their keys/bass/drums core. Openers Hecuba and Lucky Dragons, both duos from Los Angeles, use an electronics-intensive approach to groove-driven material, ranging from glitchy clatter to danceable trance.

Gimme Shelter benefit at Triple Door, 7 p.m., $20, all ages

I wrote this for Wire:

’Tis the season for benefit concerts. And while there are a lot of organizations that could use some extra cash this winter, Gimme Shelter addresses one of this year’s biggest local issues: Seattle’s growing homeless population. Proceeds will benefit the Downtown Emergency Service Center, an organization that provides both short- and long-term housing assistance, especially for those who are mentally ill, elderly, or both. But you won’t have to suffer through schmaltzy claptrap just to help the homeless, because this lineup is solid as asphalt: Sub Pop folk sensation Tiny Vipers, up-and-coming alt-country songwriter Kristen Ward, and rockabilly concern the Dusty 45s (who also celebrate the release of their EP, Fortunate Man, at this show).

Deerhunter, Times New Viking at Neumos, 8 p.m., $12, all ages

You can read City Pages writer Chris DeLine's whole review of Microcastles here, but here's the opening paragraph:

Opening with the comparatively quiet "Cover Me (Slowly)," Deerhunter's Microcastle quickly evolves into something less abstract and inherently more familiar than the band's previous offerings. While 2007's breakthrough Cryptograms was applauded for its abrasive intangibles, Microcastle sounds harnessed and reflective of, rather than in conflict with, the band's inspirations. But rather than just sounding like Sonic Youth or the Pixies, Deerhunter transcend a culture dying for immediate nostalgia and creates an album suggestive of rock's illusive "next wave."