If you’re looking for a way to shake off the doldrums of another boring Tuesday, head down to the Croc for Raleigh, NC’s The Annuals, sharing the bill with The Most Serene Republic.

The Annuals blend everything from soft, almost twee melodies to soaring sonics into a pop eclecticism that carefully navigates the line between multi-genred and mishmashed. Sometimes jangly, sometimes gentle, sometimes raucous, The Annuals are easy on the ears.

$12 at the Crocodile Cafe; doors at 8, 21+.

Radio station 107.7 KNDD – better known as The End – wants its loyal readers to stay loyal, so they’re reaching out to their audience and inviting listeners to join their Online Music Panel. Give them your name, e-mail and some basic demographic detail and then you’re off to answer a series of questions aimed at making sure that what gets on the air is what people really want to hear.

As an added incentive, sign up soon for a chance to win tickets to see Sublime play Marymoor Park on July 7th.

What could possibly be better than a theatrical screening of the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder in the charming, yet frightening, titular role? How about a screening in Smell-O-Vision? Your Golden Ticket lets you into the factory (okay, it’s really SIFF Cinema) where you’ll be dazzled by sights and sounds, and yes, the smells (courtesy of goodie bags filled with fragrant and tasty treats) of Willy Wonka’s wonderful world. Friday only at 7 and 9:30 pm.

Anna Halprin has been spreading wonder of her own through the power of dance for over 80 years; at an age when many people are content to rest on their laurels, Halprin remains on her feet. Her fascinating, inspirational story is told via interviews and archival footage in Breath Made Visible at NW Film Forum.

Looking for a special Mother’s Day Gift? Nevermind the cutesy mugs or bottles of cologne, take your mom to NW Film Forum on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9 for a special 4 pm screening of the 1924 silent film Peter Pan with live harp accompaniment by Leslie McMichael and special refreshment for mothers and their children.

George and Mike Kuchar became fascinated by Hollywood melodramas while they were growing up in the Bronx in the 1950s; their passion led them to become major figures in the early 1960s underground film scene in New York. Filmmakers like Atom Egoyan, Buck Henry and John Waters would be inspired by their creative works, all made on the cheap and all reflecting the brothers’ offbeat sensibilities. Their chapter in film history is illuminated in It Came from Kuchar, now playing at The Grand Illusion.

Late night at the Grand Illusion: Getting It On, an 80s high school nerd peeping tom fantasy amde on a shoestring budget – all you probably need to know is that one of the billed characters is listed as “Nude Girl with Flamethrower”.

Central Cinema and The Stranger team up for Gloria Trout Presents: CougarFest, a double bill featuring The Graduate and Harold & Maude.

Midnight at The Egyptian: Paprika, a trippy anime thriller in which psychotherapist Dr. Atsuko Chiba goes on a quest to recover a device that allows the user to enter other people’s dreams via her alter ego, Paprika. The elaborate story requires some serious concentration to follow, but the gorgeous artwork makes it more than worth the effort.

On April 26, the 26-member Seattle Police Chief Search Committee presented 11 candidates for the office of Seattle Police Chief, replacing former Chief Gil Kerlikowske who was tapped by President Obama to become the nation’s Drug Control Policy Director. Former Seattle mayor Greg Nickels named a search committee to find candidates for replacement but it never met. Chief John Diaz has been filling in during the interim.

The committee narrowed their candidates down to ten, but former Miami assistant chief of police Adam Burden took himself out of the running while he recovers from recent surgery. Des Moines, Iowa Chief of Police Judy Bradshaw stepped down from the search process last week.

The nine remaining candidates, who include John Diaz in their number, as well as Chief or Assistant Chiefs from Sacramento, East Palo Alto, New Castle County (DE), Spokane, Lawrence (MA), Elgin (IL) and Clark Kimerer, Deputy Chief of Police for Seattle, will be interviewed by the search committee on Saturday, May 8, in sessions not open to the public. The committee is expected to name three finalists for Mayor Mike McGinn’s consideration on Tuesday, May 11.

Based on what I’ve heard about the upcoming festival so far, I’m super excited about SIFF 2010. I bet you are, too, or you will be.

Less than 24 hours from now the box office opens and the schedule becomes available.