Not since I took over this here pop music beat a few years back has there been a bigger month for Northwest rock.

For starters, Seattle-bred rock legends Ann and Nancy Wilson, aka Heart, are headed to the Puyallup Fair & Event Center grandstand on Wednesday to wipe away those last, lingering memories of Fergie mangling “Barracuda” at the Puyallup Fair last year.

You can read more about that in this week’s cover story. But this month’s hottest tickets are actually for chart toppers from the next generation in Northwest rock. You know, the grunge guys.

The big buzz is split between Pearl Jam’s two-night stand at KeyArena, set for Monday and Tuesday, and Alice in Chains’ comeback show at the Moore Theatre in Seattle on Thursday.

Pearl Jam is still among the best live bands on the planet, and any chance to catch them in person is a momentous event. But significantly upping the ante this time around is that the band will showcase material from “Backspacer,” its first album since the critically acclaimed, self-titled disc reinstalled the band as a mainstream fixture in 2006.

Many fans have already heard “Got Some” and lead single “The Fixer,” thanks to various live performances, TV appearances and clips floating around on the ol’ YouTube. Those cuts reflect the punchy, rockin’ vibe that permeates about half the album.

One of the cuts I’m listening up for on Monday is called “Johnny Guitar,” Vedder’s most galvanizing and varied vocal performance on the new disc.

Drummer Matt Cameron has played a key role in a few of Pearl Jam’s most underrated and unusual songs in recent years, i.e., the trippy, drum-machine laced “You Are” from “Riot Act.” And with guitarist Stone Gossard he co-wrote the music for “Johnny Guitar,” which features bits of funky wah-wah guitar and chunky, distorted riffs that recall Rage Against the Machine.

“Backspacer” has hints of Vedder’s critically acclaimed “Into the Wild” soundtrack, too. On ballad “Just Breathe,” Vedder sings plaintively over folky, finger-picked guitar before sweeping, orchestral strings kick in. This one hasn’t entirely sunk in yet, but I’m guessing Ed might trot this one out during the solo/unplugged part of the set, assuming there is one.

“Backspacer” arrives on Sunday, and it’s the first album Pearl Jam will release independently on the band’s own MonkeyWrench label. You’ll be able to get it through the group’s Ten Club, iTunes, independent retailers, Target and as a download for Rock Band.

And while fewer people will see the Alice in Chains show, I’d argue it’s the bigger deal since the band will be playing songs from its first album in 14 years.

The delay has everything to do with the tragic circumstances that led to singer Layne Staley’s death in 2002. And surviving band members deserve a lot of credit for proceeding with caution and doing things the right way since they started playing together again in 2005.

After all, when it comes to performing without your iconic, fallen singer, there are two ways you can go. You can go the route of AC/DC, a band still packing arenas and recording quality tunes nearly three decades following the death of Bon Scott. Or you can seem like crass, misguided opportunists, a la the Doors 21st Century and INXS with that guy from the reality show. (What were either one of those bands thinking?)

With singer William DuVall in the fold, it’s looking more and more like Alice in Chains will go the AC/DC route. Just listen to “Check My Brain,” the lead single from the new “Black Gives Way to Blue” album, which is due Sept. 29.

That song – which guitarist and Spanaway native Jerry Cantrell wrote about moving to Los Angeles – features the growling, down-tuned guitars and intoxicating vocal harmonies that set Alice apart from the pack in the 1990s. And DuVall’s voice fits seamlessly into the mix.

So far, the material I’ve heard from this album – which was produced by Nick Raskulinecz of Foo Fighters and Rush fame – suggests a proper follow-up to “Dirt,” one of the great metal albums of all time.

Many bands have tried to rip off Alice’s aesthetic since that album came out in ’92, and I absolutely cannot wait to hear more material from the real deal.

Ernest A. Jasmin: 253-274-7389

ernest.jasmin@thenewstribune.com

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