Local music notes: Greycoats, Grayshot release parties

You'd think we were living in sunless Seattle, based on the names of two promising new bands with album-release parties this weekend: The Greycoats should build on their budding indie buzz after last year's "Helicline" EP with their second full-length, "World of Tomorrow," co-produced by guitar wiz Jeremy Ylvisaker and Library Studio owner Matt Patrick. Frontman Jon Reine has a high-lonesome voice like Ylvisaker's employer, Andrew Bird, and his new songs, such as "Prometheus, Glow!" and "No Encore," are steeped in stylish, Bowie-spiked guitar-pop. The release party is Saturday at the Ritz Theater with the Alicia Wiley-led all-star band All Eyes (8 p.m., $10, all ages). Interestingly, there's also a new art exhibit based on the album. Details at www.grycts.com. …

And then there's Grayshot, a little-known trio that already has solid industry connections and sounds ready for radio with the polished, anthemic, Coldplay/U2-esque sound on its full-length debut, "Stay/Go," available via www.Grayshot.net. The band's sibling leaders, Christian and Aaron Ankrum, also run Aerial View Studio in Minneapolis (hence the polish). Their party is Friday at the Crooked Pint (9 p.m., $5). …

A year after Adam Levine mistook him for "a chick" on NBC's "The Voice," local vet Tim Mahoney drops a new album Friday at the Fine Line (8 p.m., $12). "Shine Through" ends with his viral post-"Voice" novelty tune "Hey Adam Levine," but it's as serious as a Bryan Adams or Journey album before that. And yep, those are the sonic comparisons; Mahoney is not sheepish about not being cutting-edge. Brian "G.B." Leighton, who opens Friday, guests on one track that reflects both singers' resiliency, "Still Belong." … The best new album out this week is the far rawer and seedier debut collection by Street Hassle, the Lou Reed-monikered quintet whose frontman, James Ho, howls and snarls like the Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley, and whose blasting guitar duels are part Stooges and part Smithereens. Their party for "Feeling Machine" is Saturday at Wild Tymes in downtown St. Paul (8 p.m., free). …

Fresh from seeing his old boss take on the Dakota, former Prince & the Revolution drummer Bobby Z announced his second annual Benefit 2 Celebrate Life benefit for the American Heart Association at First Avenue on March 9 with "SNL" alum Maya Rudolph's tribute band Princess, Questlove and other former Prince players. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon for $65. … Prince followed up the Dakota stand by unveiling a new website, 20pr1nc3.com, which features the innuendo-filled new song "Screwdriver" and likely means a new album is coming soon. …

Six months after he acted like I was speaking Japanese when I mentioned Twitter to him, Dave Pirner is now tweeting: @DavePirner. The Soul Asylum frontman charmed the crowd at last weekend's Current party when he impressively winged it through "Freebird" (by request, of course), and then proceeded to poll the crowd about playing "Runaway Train." That might be taking public radio a little too far. He did play it, by the way. … Night Moves returns home to the Icehouse Saturday fresh from a short two-week trek, in which time Domino Records issued their record in Europe and Teen Vogue's website premiered the title track "Colored Emotions" as the new single. Hey, I bet that's more page views than Pitchfork.