Hip-hop typically hits harder when rappers are backed by actual ace musicians, as performances by the Roots and Shabazz Palaces (among others) prove. Seattle's fast-rising 4UST (pronounced “forest”) uphold that claim.

Bering Sea is an instrumental rock trio from Seattle WA, blending post-rock and metal, influenced by the wilderness, beauty, and sometimes brutality of the Pacific Northwest. Or maybe its sailor metal, or smooth metal.

Good Luck Rabbits is a Chinese pop band based in Seattle. Their songs, written by composer Josh Hou (侯守仁) and lyricist Shuxuan Zhou (周舒璇), capture diasporic lives and dreams.

This week is the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band Trio, one of the nation’s top high-school jazz bands.