Monday 5/22
Metal Hearts
Named after the Cat Power song, Metal Hearts bring their sad-core version of "bedroom rock" back to Boston, after playing TTs and North Eastern earlier this year. With Murder by Death and Langhorne Slim.
Middle East Downstairs
18+, $10
Metal Hearts: myspace | socialize.mp3
Laura Veirs
Quirky & creative singer/songwriter Laura Veirs appears with her full band.
Laura Veirs & The Tortured Souls, with Karl Blau and Drew O'Doherty.
TT The Bears
$9, 21+, 9PM
Laura Veirs: myspace | album preview
Tuesday 5/23:
Michael Ian Black
The long-running Emergenza festival takes over the 'Dise for the better part of the week, but you can catch comedian Michael Ian Black (he lists Stella & The State as his credits, but we know him best from VH1's I Love the 80's... yeah, and "Ed") with Rob Cantrell.
8PM, 18+
Paradise Rock Club
Michael Ian Black: myspace | Gothamist Interview
Wednesday 5/24:
Certainly, Sir
Boston's synth-pop scenesters take over Allston, lead by the cool electro-pop sounds of Certainly, Sir. With We Are Cassette and San Serac.
Great Scott
18+, 9pm, $8.00
Certainly, Sir: myspace | Happy.mp3
We Are Cassette: myspace
Rachel's
Purveyors of chamber music for moody post-rockers since 1991.
Museum of Fine Arts
7:30 pm, $16
Rachel's: web site | Significant Others .mp3
Cassavettes
Boston Phoenix's readers poll voted them the best band. We haven't figured out quite what to call them or who to compare them to. We do know the live show is always a good time and they're looking to the future with a new album on the way. With Setting Sun, Kenny C & The Donors.
Abbey Lounge
Cassavettes: myspace
9 pm, $7
Thursday 5/25:
The Self Righteous Brothers
The Self Righteous Brothers add diversity to the average punk layout with banjo, glockenspiel and horns. Appearing with The Beat Awfuls (with Members of Lot Six/Reports/Dirty Holiday), Bar Rot and Grimis.
PA's Lounge
18+, 8:30PM, $7-10
The Self Righteous Brothers: myspace | If At First YouDont Secede.wma
The Beat Awfuls: The Beat Awfuls
Mad Man Films
If you're aching for a bit more rock in your roll, head over to the Middle East and check out Mad Man Films, Appletown Gun Shop, Reports, and Pfefftifuff
Middle East Upstairs
18+, $9
Mad Man Films: myspace | 100 Plain White Envelopes.mp3
Soul Position (RJD2 and Blueprint)
Along with Diplo and Dangermouse, beat master RJD2 is one of the three most exciting DJ/producers working in DJ Shadow's shadow. Just check 2002's Deadringer and 2004's Since We Last Spoke for proof, along with his work on Aceyalone's recent Magnificent City. Several years ago, RJ teamed up with Columbus, Ohio homie Blueprint to release the acclaimed Eight Million Stories. Their follow-up album proves that Things Go Better with RJ and Al. Indeed. With Once Be Lo and Boston's own Project Move (whose new album Love Gone Wrong/The Butterfly Theory just dropped last week).
MiddleEast Downstairs
18+ 9pm, $12 / $14 dos
Soul Position: website | myspace | purchase
RJD2: website | purchase
One Be Lo: website
Project Move: myspace | purchase
Modeselektor and Jan Jelinek
Berlin's Modeselektor (DJs Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) create "edgy electronic funk" that, well, ain't nothin' but a party, baby. Check their acclaimed debut CD Hello Mom! (BPitch Control). One of the planet's premiere electronic musicians, Jan Jelinek's latest album Kosmischer Pitch is a "stunning meditation on looping beats, glorious drones and dubby sounds." Will this gig be a big deal? Well, as Aurgasm's Paul Irish said, this show is "so huge, we are going to explode with anticipation. Seriously, we might."
Enormous Room
9pm, $10 / $12 dos
Modeselektor: website | myspace
Jan Jalinek: website
The Mighty Biz Markie with DJ Haul and DJ Kon
Nobody beats the Biz. And the Diabolical is back! And back in Beantown as part of the Scion Metro series. Brought to you by the folks who make the funky ride and the Free Up Your Mix national DJ contest (2004 winners: the Oakland Faders). Ok, sure, it's sponsored by and promotes Toyota's Scion, but their promotional events have done a great deal for indie hip hop, electronica, underground DJs, and local scenes. With DJ Haul and Boston's DJ Kon (Scion Metro's AXIS resident DJ).
AXIS
21+ FREE admission, but you must RSVP to gain entry
Biz Markie: website | wikipedia
DJ Kon: David Day's (sQuare Productions) Boston Phoenix article
WFNX & The Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll featuring Matisyahu
Straight outta (the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community of) Crown Heights, Matisyahu, everyones favorite ultra-orthodox Jewish reggae dancehall rockstar, headlines the WFNX / Boston Phoenix Music Poll show. With Atmosphere and Apollo Sunshine.
Bank of America Pavilion
$32, 7:30pm
Matisyahu: website | myspace | Matisyahu live in Paris video
Friday 5/26:
Mark Kozelek / Sun Kil Moon
Kozelek started his career as a Red House Painter, recorded some amazing acoustic ACDC covers, appeared in some Cameron Crowe films, and, lately, records under the name of a Korean bantamweight boxer.
Musuem of Fine Arts
7:30, sold out
Sun Kil Moon: myspace | web site
Mark Kozelek: unofficial site
Boston Modern Orchestra Project
The BMOP premieres a new piece for big band by American composer William Thomas McKinley. It's all band music, all night, running from Bernstein to Babbitt.
Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory
8 pm, $10-$38
BMOP: web site
Saturday 5/27:
92.9 WBOS EarthFest
A slew of your radio friendly, adult contemporary faves abandon their RIAA leanings and offer a free show! Featuring Brandi Carlile, James Blunt, Los Lonely Boys, The Alternate Routes and The Fray.
Hatch Shell
12PM, All Ages, Free
EarthFest: website
Say Hi To Your Mom
Talk to your kids about spaceships before someone else does.
TT the Bear's
9:15, $9
SHTYM: web site | Let's Talk About Spaceships .mp3
Lora Valente, Matt Durutti, C. Fernsebner, and Christina Linklater contributed to this list
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fyi, that Laura Veirs show at TTs was last night, rather than tonight. The date's right, but not the day of the week...