Weekly Music Agenda

WEDNESDAY
>> It sold out in minutes, so the rest of the city is clearly willing to give Clap Your Hands Say Yeah another try. I saved my money for astronomically expensive Strokes tickets, but you'll have to let us know if they've improved since last they visited the city. 7 p.m., 9:30 Club.

>> Another blog-friendly NYC band with a catchy first album takes on D.C. tonight, this time in the form of The Cloud Room at the Black Cat. With them are Film School, who we don't know much about except that their album cover features a field of tulips, and iTunes is always telling us to buy it. 8:30 p.m., $10.

>> Although the description “southern power pop” might elicit images of Fountains of Wayne covering Lynyrd Skynyrd, Birmingham, Ala.-based The Rewinds have perfectly captured the pop part without succumbing to monster truck rally theatrics. At Staccato, 2006 18th Street, N.W.

>> If you really have a hankerin’ for blues fused with a bit of folk, D.C.’s own These United States will be playing Velvet Lounge with co-workers in rock Grammar Debate and Late Night Television. Velvet Lounge, 915 U Street N.W.

THURSDAY
>> If you like your guitar raw and your lead songstress cool and in charge, with a few "new wave" and "electro-rock" modifiers thrown in for good measure, then get yourself to the 9:30 Club for Metric. 7 p.m., $15.

>> In our humble opinion, Queen without Freddy Mercury isn't Queen. If you're inclined to think otherwise, and are ready to take your favorite Wayne's World reenactment to the next level, then head to the Verizon Center, where for a mere $38 to $128, you can see "Queen." 8 p.m.

FRIDAY
>> Exit Clov -- they're kind of like the aforementioned Metric, smoothed out with some Tegan & Sara-style harmonies and lilts, and that local D.C. flavor we're so fond of. DCist Jason likes them, which generally means you will too. Exit Clov is opening for RPM this Friday at Iota, a venue that should be just about perfect for their sound. 9:30 p.m., $10.

SATURDAY
>> The dance party battle of last century is being waged on Black Cat’s mainstage with New Order vs. Duran Duran. Is that even a fair match? In one corner, you have a group that started as Joy Division only to later craft some of the catchiest electronic pop ever. In the other corner, you have the band that brought us Electric Barbarella and “Hungry Like the Wolf.” Tough call. 9:30 p.m. $9.

>> If you prefer your Black Cat dance parties free, on the back stage and chock full of indie rock, then check out DCist's favorite DJs from Bluestate. 9:30 p.m.

>> If you'd like to stick to the 'burbs, Three Stars veterans Lejeune are playing the intimate and always fun Galaxy Hut, with A Northern Chorus. 9:45 p.m., $5.

SUNDAY
>> Willy Mason pulls off the geeky, young kid playing cleverly written songs just as well as Ben Kweller -- except his folksy ballads are more reminiscent of Bob Dylan. Does that sound appealing? Well, tough. His gig opening for Beth Orton at the 9:30 Club is sold out. You could always stand out front with an acoustic guitar and a sign that reads “Will play for tickets.”

>> Stephen King, who sings the praises of Veronica Mars and has therefore earned himself a respectible opinion in my book, says that Marah "is probably the best rock band in America that nobody knows." I don't know if I'd go that far, but their album 20,000 Streets Under the Sky has been no stranger to my iPod since I got my hands on it, and If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry made it on a few best of 2005 lists. Let's put it this way -- I've gone to shows for far less worthy reasons. At Iota, with These United States. 8:30 p.m., $13.

Belle & Sebastian image by Flickr user schtzo.