Imagine you’re at your favorite bar, one with a good jukebox. It’s your turn to buy the next round, so you leave your friends and stand at the bar. You listen for a moment and think, “Damn, that’s a good tune. How come I’ve never heard it before?” That’s the way a lot of tastemakers get into Sallie Ford, a Portland-based singer/guitarist with a knack for blending retro and modern sounds. With her old band, the Sound Outside, Ford preferred equal parts rockabilly and soul, but her latest solo album, Slap Back, departs from that model: Backed by three additional musicians, Ford embraces elements of surf rock, punk, garage, and funk. Check out her show at Rock & Roll Hotel now, so when it’s time to go out with your buddies again, you can impress the whole damn bar with righteous tunes. Sallie Ford performs with Crooked Fingers and And the Kids at 8 p.m. at Rock & Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE. $15. (202) 388-7625. rockandrollhoteldc.com.