Navigate NXNW Intro ABOUT LAST NIGHT Schedule by Club Reviews of the Acts: Thursday Friday Saturday A-to-Z List of Acts Club Descriptions Conference Info Critics' Picks The Winners! Preview: Seattle's Sweet Mother record label zaps electronic music with an organic touch Preview: Dave Bazan keeps Pedro the Lion running after his bandmates split. Preview: L.A. DJ the Angel spins her way out of the conception that women can't bring the beats

ww critics' picks | out-of-town critic's picks WW Critics' Picks John Graham 1. The Paradise Motel (Berbati's Pan, 1 am Friday): From warm dirges to stormy purges, these Aussies' atmospheric laments fuse the eccentric romanticism of Rasputina, the morose balladry of Mazzy Star and the melodramatic bluster of Nick Cave. 2. Tongue (The Spot, 10 pm Thursday): Feisty femme-punk freak-outs, Dead Kennedys style. 3. Texas Terri and the Stiff Ones (Stage 4 Theater, 9 pm Saturday): Feisty femme-punk freak-outs, Stooges style. 4. The Marginal Prophets (Mount Tabor Pub, 10 pm Saturday): Like the Beastie Boys, except there's only two of them. Oh, and one's black. And he wears a propeller beanie, too. Make the pilgrimage to Mount Tabor and be converted. 5. Fuckpriest Fantastic (Stage 4 Theater, 11 pm Thursday): Local Pick '98. The spaz you harassed in grade school grew up, formed a musclecore band and is kicking your ass one clenched-fist chord at a time. You know you deserve it. Alyssa Isenstein 1. Daniel Johnston (Berbati's Pan, midnight Friday): He may live a reclusive and sheltered life, but nobody points out the brutally obvious as cleverly and clearly as Daniel Johnston. 2. Creeper Lagoon (LaLuna, midnight Saturday): Critics and keen record listeners have rightly declared Creeper Lagoon's I Become Small and Go one of the best indie-rock records of the year. 3. Lara Michell (Mission Theater, 9 pm Thursday): The sweet and shy vocals and acoustic guitar belie the spooky intricacies of Ms. Michell's words and songs. 4. Richard Buckner (Mission Theater, midnight Friday): Part folkie, part country boy from the big city, Richard Buckner can wrap an audience's attention around his precise songs like a wet noodle on a fork. 5. The Countrypolitans (Cobalt Lounge, midnight Saturday): New backwoods country done up as sweet and precious as a mint julep. Liz Brown 1. Pinback (Berbati's Pan, 10 pm Friday)--Members of 3-Mile Pilot and Heavy Vegetable team up to create beautiful, somber tunes in the spirit of Built to Spill. 2. The State Flowers (Cobalt Lounge, 1 am Saturday)--These Portlanders play understated, genuine pop; Corrina Repp and Pete Ficht trade vocals in melodic, anti-depressant tunes. 3. John Fahey Trio (Green Onion, 1 am Friday)--It's easy to see why this iconoclast is regarded as a guitar legend; Fahey brilliantly fuses elements of folk, classical and experimental styles. Whether appearing solo or collaborating with like-minded peers, Fahey delivers challenging, masterful music. 4. Swoon 23 (LaLuna, 1 am Thursday)--With one less guitar and added bass player Matt Hollywood, the dreamy pop of this Portland band has evolved into a bigger, fuller sound evocative of Mazzy Star or Opal. 5. Thrillbilly (Key Largo, 11 pm Friday)--Nothing pretentious here, just great, rootsy music played with plenty of gusto. Richard Martin 1. Illyah Kuryahkin (LaLuna, 9 pm Saturday): New York's Dean Wilson hides behind a mysterious moniker but unveils the soul of a poet in each of his meditative, indie-rock-goes-to-the-library songs. 2. For Stars (Mount Tabor Pub, 9 pm Friday): This San Francisco band plays music as delicate as a Lladro figurine but nowhere near as tacky. Its song "Field of Fire" is one of the best of the year, but you'll probably never hear it unless you check out this show. 3. Western State Hurricanes (Pokerface, 11 pm Thursday): A Seattle quartet with charismatic stage presence, offbeat melodies and hooks aplenty, the six-month-old WSH is the Pacific Northwest's best indie-pop upstart. 4. Death Cab for Cutie (Tonic Lounge, 10 pm Friday): Youthful energy and surging pop tunes pour out of this Bellingham quartet with each impressive show it plays; the guys use guitars, keyboards and crude samples to express their superb rock vision. 5. Drive (Tonic Lounge, 9 pm Saturday): Another young, talented pop band from the Northwest (Eugene, to be exact), this quartet blends guitar, violin and male/female harmonies into enticing, entrancing tunes. David Kihara 1. Kevin Seconds (EJ's, midnight Thursday): Even if Kevin Seconds (ex-7 Seconds) is failing horribly in his attempt to reinvent himself as a sensitive pop singer-songwriter, he is still a hardcore punk-rock icon who shouldn't be missed. 2. Turntable Bay (Mount Tabor Pub, 10 pm Thursday): This Seattle duo plays some of the best stripped-down, lo-fi hip-hop anywhere, even if the lyrics are cut-rate. 3. Kutfather (Roseland, 1 am Thursday): The Kutfather pumps out some of the best hip-hop on the West Coast. His fast rhymes and heavy beats usually leave the entire audience cheering for more. 4. Dragonfly (Zoot Suite, midnight Friday): Describing DJ Nassir's music is not impossible, but it's a bit absurd since his repertoire spans every electronic music genre. If you go to this show, expect to dance until you're exhausted. 5. Marc Olsen (Jimmy Mak's, 10 pm Saturday): This Seattle singer-songwriter silences audiences with his beautiful guitar playing and near-whisper of a voice. His songs are like well-composed short stories set to music, and you never want them to end. Out-of-Town Critics' Picks Carrie Borzillo, news editor, allstar online magazine, Los Angeles, Calif. 1. Creeper Lagoon (LaLuna, midnight Saturday) 2. Idaho (Satyricon, 1 am Thursday) 3. 20/20 (Jimmy Mak's, midnight Friday) 4. REO Speedealer (EJ's, 1 am Friday) 5. Sexy Death Soda (Tonic Lounge, 10 pm Saturday) Kristy Ojala, music producer, Seattle Sidewalk, Seattle, Wash. 1. Clodhopper (Sandoval's, 11 pm Friday): Former American Music Club bassist Dan Pearson trades his bass for a banjo, wheeling out classy countrypolitan numbers like "Cafe Joli," a modern echo of Roger Miller's "King of the Road" sentiments. 2. Johnny Dowd Band (Key Largo, 1 am Saturday): Dowd's telltale heart beats under the slow huffs of an ancient organ, making a good Halloween soundtrack for caretaker poseurs like Jonathan Fire Eater to pee their pants to. 3. Sissy Bar (EJ's, 1 am Thursday): In an ideal youth environment, Sissy Bar's speed-freak-with-a-smile pop songs, such as "Magic Bunny," would blast the Teletubbies away and fill Saturday-morning TV with true sing-along gems. 4. Snowmen (Sandoval's, 1 am Friday): This band's moniker is an appropriate one; the Snowmen craft an igloo of Farfisa blocks and sit back as craggy, blue-tipped rays of reverb shoot through the cracks. 5. Western State Hurricanes (Pokerface, 11 pm Thursday): This Seattle quartet's russet rock is peppered with an ample supply of maudlin wit and inventive internal dramatics, including guitarist John Roderick's hemoglobin-draining solos. Jackie McCarthy, music editor, Seattle Weekly, Seattle, Wash. Sure, I want to see Richard Buckner, Creeper Lagoon, Clodhopper, Panties, Sunset Valley and Daniel Johnston, but I've also got some hometown favorites: 1. Pedro the Lion (Pokerface, 9 pm Thursday): David Bazan writes songs in a minor key and sings them by coaxing every word past the catch in his throat. Pedro the Lion is his band, and they'll break your heart so that buzz band Western State Hurricanes (11 pm) can pick up all the pieces. 2. Sick Bees (Tonic Lounge, 1 am Thursday): Corrosive but cute, this duo makes music that's like a kindergarten problem child: quivery, insular and endearingly off-putting. 3. Dragonfly (Zoot Suite, midnight Friday): One of the projects on adventurous Seattle record label Sweet Mother, this duo offers millennial sci-fi jazz for the masses. And stick around for L.A. super-producer/DJ the Angel. 4. Aiko Shimada (Tugboat Brewery, 8 pm Saturday): This low-key singer-songwriter layers jazz filigree atop her sparsely elegant songs, à la Joni Mitchell. 5. Diamond Mercenaries, Kutfather, Mr. Supreme (Roseland, 1 am Thursday): Conception Records, the prolific conscience of the Seattle hip-hop scene, unleashes three of its most talented acts for a 'round-the-way party of beats, rhymes and life. Andrew Strickman, arts and entertainment producer, San Francisco Sidewalk, San Francisco, Calif. 1. Skip Holiday (EJ's, 8 pm Thursday): Driving rhythm, jangly pop and rock 'n' roll swagger meld perfectly for ex-Heavy into Jeff and Thrill Kill Kult members. 2. Creeper Lagoon (LaLuna, midnight Saturday): Insistent rock 'n' roll with a bit of Eastern mysticism thrown in for good measure. 3. Laurie Lewis (Jimmy Mak's, 11 pm Friday): Like bluegrass compatriot Alison Krauss, Lewis' vocals are as sublime as her fiddling is explosive. 4. Golden Delicious (Outdoor Stage, 7 pm Saturday; Satyricon, 1 am Saturday): One of the most rockin' bluegrass bands I've ever seen; bring ear plugs and a few extra thimbles in case the washboard player runs out. 5. McKinley (Mission Theater, midnight Thursday): McKinley puts a dramatic spin on "quiet music." Her debut spent a month in my CD player--and she scores points for a striking cover of "When Doves Cry." Audrey Van Buskirk, editor, Santa Fe Reporter, Santa Fe, N.M. 1. Brown Eyed Susans (Tonic Lounge, 11 pm Thursday): Calgary's Wild West vibe influences this rock. 2. Alien Fashion Show (Jimmy Mak's, midnight Thursday): Not to be confused with Alien Crime Syndicate, who play at the same time, this L.A. combo boasts a cool Web site (www.bobsboys.com), slick clothes and a smooth sound combining swing, jazz, surf and rock. 3. Perfume Tree (Zoot Suite, 10:30 pm Friday): These Canadians make spacey, psychedelic electronica appealing even without chemical alteration. 4. Little Sue (Satyricon, midnight Friday): Excellent alternative country from a woman's point of view. 5. The Old Joe Clarks (Key Largo, midnight Saturday): Bleak, heartfelt country-folk perfect for a late and lonely night. Kurt B. Reighley, (a.k.a. Señor El Toro), editor at large, CMJ New Music Monthly, Seattle, Wash. 1. Pedro the Lion (Pokerface, 9 pm Thursday): Imagine the love child of Lou Barlow and Elliott Smith, with Mark Kozelik of Red House Painters as babysitter. David Bazan traffics in intimate tunes composed of sturdy enough stuff to withstand the scrutiny of the Emily Dickinson set. 2. Medicate (Roseland, 1 am Saturday): Come to hear members of Man Ray, Super Deluxe and Lucky Me indulge the darker side of their heritage as they surf the rock tsunami. Leave wondering why lead singer Josh White isn't a huge star yet. 3. Tripoli (Zoot Suite, 9 pm Friday): Effervescent electronic duo Tripoli makes juicy dance music that changes directions quickly enough to hold an unfamiliar listener's interest, yet not so fast as to induce whiplash (unless you're a really rotten dancer). 4. Citizens' Utilities (Berbati's Pan, 1 am Thursday): Once inaccurately pegged as altcountry, this versatile Seattle quartet has migrated into classic-rock territory. At recent gigs, they've staked out the unattended plot between Steve Miller Band and Steppenwolf and dug deep in that rich, filthy soil. 5. Hi-Fi Killers (Mount Tabor Pub, midnight Thursday): On stage, the hard-hitting Emerald City hip-hop/rare groove duo expands into a cavalcade of local talent, brimming with guest MCs and brass players as they strut from strength to funky strength.