The trio Spider Cult are creating some of the most unusual music you’re going to hear coming out of the Bellingham area anytime soon.

The group mixes acoustic folk instrumentation with a dark lyrical undercurrent that wouldn’t be out of place in a metal band, and builds it all around unexpectedly dense bass grooves. They’re performing at Kulshan’s Trackside stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 17, if you want to experience this surprising combination for yourself. 

Spider Cult began as the duo of Kameqo “Q” Carter on bass and vocals, and Robin Rose Wood on guitar and vocals. The two had been in some other bands together but wanted to start a project combining their songwriting skills. (Robin is also the guiding force behind Rose and the Sleeping Giants.) More recently, they added violinist Ryan Rogers to fill out the sound with some string pyrotechnics. 

Fittingly for a group with frequently ominous sounds, they cite the Halloween shows they’ve done as some of the highlights of their time as a band. So far, they just have a few singles on their Bandcamp and a few more demos on their website, but they are hard at work on a full album, tentatively titled “888,” due out this summer. For the show at Kulshan Trackside, they’ll also be integrating some surprising covers rearranged to fit their style. Expect harmony mixed with dissonance, and sweetness mixed with chaos. If “doom folk” sounds up your alley, make sure to give them a listen. 

One new venue you will start to see in the listings: The Bistro at Shuksan Golf Club is hosting live music on Thursday and Friday nights during the summer on their patio. Thursdays from 5–8 p.m. will be the High Peak Trio doing funky jazz and surf music, and Fridays from 5–8 p.m. will be the Julian MacDonough Jazz Quartet. 

The Blue Room had been doing a hybrid open mic/open jam event on Tuesdays. They are going to be discontinuing the open mic portion of the evening and getting the jamming underway promptly at 7 p.m. from now on. 

I had a promising debut recording cross my desk this week. Victoria Ivy Embers just finished up her first year at Western Washington University, and released her first single. It’s an epic alt-rock ballad, “Blue,” showcasing her powerful voice and some massive guitars, and you can check it out on YouTube.   

Finally, our great community radio station KMRE is going through some changes. It's moving its physical location to Whatcom Community College, boosting its signal strength considerably, and moving to 88.3 on the FM dial. For local music lovers, the show you don’t want to miss is The Local Jam, at 10 a.m. on Saturdays. 

Live music listings 

Tuesday, June 13

Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Blue Room: 7 p.m., Jam:30 (open jam)
Boundary: 3 p.m., Out of the Ashes; 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Greene’s Corner: 6:30 p.m., Old-Time Fiddle Jam
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Steve Webb and The Great Mad Swirl (folk rock)
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam

Wednesday, June 14

Admiralty Lounge: 6:30 p.m., Russell Thompson (singer-songwriter)
Beach at Birch Bay: 6 p.m., Open Mic/Jam
Boundary: 6 p.m., Aaron Guest on piano
Corner Taphouse (Fairhaven): 6 p.m., Psychedelic Cowboys (folk/rock)
FireHouse: 6:30 p.m., Jeff Busch Quartet (jazz)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Open Mic
Lincoln Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives (classic country)
Rockfish: 6 p.m., Conrad Gruener (country)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Arthur Buezo (folk)
Wild Buffalo: 7:30 p.m., Bellingham Idol quarterfinals

Thursday, June 15

Bistro at Shuksan: 5 p.m., High Peak Trio (funk/jazz/surf)
Boundary: 5 p.m., Gallowglass (Celtic); 8 p.m., Petunia & The Vipers (honky-tonk)
Brown Lantern: 8:30 p.m., Open Mic
Farmstrong: 6 p.m., Odd Mood Jam Band
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Arthur Buezo (folk)
Guemes Island General Store: 5:30 p.m., 7:20 String Band (folk)
Kulshan Trackside: 6 p.m., Diego Romero Band (blues/rock)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., Dryland, MEM//BRANE, Slag Hive (metal/hardcore)
Thirsty Badger: 7 p.m., Open Mic
That’s What I Like: 6 p.m., J.P. Falcon and Friends (folk/rock)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., King Cuddy, Ca$h McClane, SeaWill, S.A.M. Seed (hip-hop)
Zeeks: 7 p.m., The HIP

Friday, June 16

Aslan: 8 p.m., Diego Romero Band
Bistro at Shuksan: 5 p.m., Julian MacDonough Jazz Quartet
Blue Room: 9 p.m., Addee, Lonely Together, CHRVNS
Boundary: 6 p.m., The Legendary Chucklenuts (classic rock)
Eagle Haven: 7 p.m., CC Adams Band (blues/rock)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Pretty Little Feet (folk)
Karate Church: 7:30 p.m., Palomino, Drayton, Triacs (rock)
Lookout Arts Quarry: 8 p.m., Flesh Produce, Macula Dog, Hilarious Combination
Make.Shift: 8 p.m., Actress, Love Darts, The Menace (rock)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., The Wyrds, Kids on Fire, The Bitter (punk)
Skagit Cellars: 6 p.m., Conrad Gruener (country)
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., Little Big Band (classic/Southern rock)
Vault: 7 p.m., RT Collective (acoustic jazz/funk)
Wild Buffalo: 9 p.m., Free Funk Friday

Saturday, June 17

Beach at Birch Bay: 3 p.m., Arcade Cowboys
Birdsview: 6 p.m., Marcia Kester
Boundary: noon, Beat Roots (alt-rock covers)
Brown Lantern: 9 p.m., Cozmic Sauce (funk/R&B)
Conway Muse: 8 p.m., Mojo Cannon and The 13th Street Horns
Eagle Haven: 6 p.m., Budapest West (world folk)
Fireside: 4 p.m., Singers’ Saturday
Guemes Island General Store: 6:30 p.m., The Sweet Goodbyes (folk)
Honey Moon: 8 p.m., Augie Ballew (singer-songwriter)
Karate Church: 7 p.m., Jack Jay, Angel's Egg, Madison Joy Lefever
Kulshan Trackside: 7 p.m., Spider Cult (doom folk); 8:30 p.m., Eel Sallad (rock)
Old Edison: 8 p.m., Brittany Collins Band (Americana)
Rockfish: 7:30 p.m., Steve Bailey and the Blue Flames (blues)
Schweinhaus: 7:15 p.m., Warp Detour, Boxcutter, Muppet Fetish (punk)
Shakedown: 9 p.m., No Guts, Foxhole Norman, Meece (punk)
Skylark’s: 5 p.m., Song Wranglers (acoustic Americana)
Station 49: 4 p.m., bandZandt (classic rock)
Stones Throw: 6 p.m., Naughty Blokes Trio (acoustic rock)
Underground: 8:30 p.m., Neon Shadows (’80s pop/rock covers)

Sunday, June 18

Boundary: 8 p.m., Juneteenth Party ft. S.A.M.Seed, CHRVNS, Silk Jammies
Gilkey Square (La Conner): 1 p.m., Midlife Crisis and the Alimony Horns (blues)
Kulshan: 5 p.m., Katie and Kevin (folk)
Kulshan Trackside: 3 p.m., Sweater Weather String Band (folk)
Main Street: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Old Edison: 5:30 p.m., Bow Diddlers
Samson Estates: 2:30 p.m., Cardova (funk/R&B)
Station 49: 3 p.m., Ten Feet Thick

Monday, June 19

Blue Room: 7 p.m., Gary Stivers Quintet (jazz)
Kulshan: 6 p.m., Peter Ali (Native American flute)

Tuesday, June 20

Archer: 7 p.m., The Piper’s Despair (Irish folk)
Aslan: 8 p.m., Jazz Night
Boundary: 3 p.m., Out of the Ashes; 6 p.m., Paul Klein on piano
Culture Cafe: 7 p.m., Open Mic
Fireside: 7 p.m., Annisa & Erik
Greene’s Corner: 6 p.m., Open Mic
Horseshoe Cafe: 9 p.m., Michael Dayvid
Lincoln Theatre: 7:30 p.m., Soul Rebels (New Orleans brass band)
Menace: 7 p.m., Invitational Blues Jam

Before heading out to listen to live music, check with individual venues to make sure the event is still taking place as scheduled. 

Jesse Stanton's music column, The Beat Goes On, runs Tuesdays. Email: jsbhammusic@gmail.com or Twitter: @JSBhamMusic.