Weekly Music Agenda
MONDAY
>> At the ripe young age of 24, Patrick Wolf has already achieved a lot: three albums of brooding electronica and orchestral pop, modeling campaigns for Burberry, headlines in the British tabloids and at least one on-stage altercation that found the lupine violinist attacking his strung-out drummer with a cymbal. Drama notwithstanding, Wolf's latest, the surprisingly upbeat The Magic Position, is undoubtedly one of this year's best. Come see what all the fuss is about at the Black Cat with fellow Brit Bishi. 8 p.m., $15.
>> Shoegazers The Twilight Sad bring their pop hooks and dense guitar riffs from across the pond to the Rock and Roll Hotel. 8:30 p.m., $12.
>> Philly via New York City's Matt Pond PA (above) haven't gotten much notice for their chamber pop, but they've put out a bunch of solid discs since 1998. The band, with only original member, Matt Pond, left (the PA stands for Pennsylvania), is touring behind their latest, "Last Light," and will be at the 9:30 Club along with quirky singer Jesca Hoop. And they covered Neutral Milk Hotel and Oasis on the O.C., so there's always that. 7:30 p.m., $15.
>> No one knows quite what to expect when bearded folk rocker Devendra Banhart takes the stage, as he'll do at the Historic Synagogue at Sixth and I tonight. Rest assured, however, he'll let that freak-folk flag fly, one way or another. 7 p.m., $27.50.
>> We've gushed about local Carol Bui plenty of times before, so we'll hold ourselves back this time. CD release show with Roofwalkers (formerly Pagoda) and Pygmy Lush at the Black Cat's Backstage. 9 p.m., $8.
TUESDAY
>> Remember that great commercial for Sony TVs where they unleashed hundreds of thousands of colorful rubber balls on the streets of San Francisco? If you've spent the last year wondering whose achingly sincere cover of the Knife's "Heartbeats" soundtracked that ad, tonight is your chance to find out, as Swedish songwriter José González plays the 9:30 Club. 7:30 p.m., $20.
>> Czech Republic band Bengas offer a lively take on Gypsy/Romany sound that incorporates reggae as well as traditional Eastern European and Spanish flamenco influences. Check out their international meld for free at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. 6 p.m., Free.
WEDNESDAY
>> Once in a while, you'll come across a band whose name is so descriptive that it immediately conjures up an idea of what they sound like. Cannibal Corpse is just such a band. And you might say the same of opening acts The Black Dahlia Murder, The Red Chord and Goatwhore, all of whom will grace the stage of the 9:30 Club. 6:30 p.m., $22.
THURSDAY
>> The Rock and Roll Hotel hosts a double bill of indie electro today, with headliner Matthew Dear bringing his not quite minimalist, Teutonic-sounding beats and Mobius Band's shoegazey, electronic rock to H Street. Check out "The Sounds of Static" on Mobius' Myspace. 8 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
>> Do you love Exit Clov, These United States and the Beanstalk Library (***) as much as we do? Come see members from all three bands performing the songs of Neil Young under the name Ragged Glory at the Velvet Lounge.
>> If you like your indie pop quirky and electronic, you probably like The Blow. If you prefer indie rock of the sunshiney 60s pop variety, you probably like Saturday Looks Good to Me. And if you like something a little more eclectic, you probably like Karl Blau. So you might say that the Black Cat's Thursday night lineup has something for everyone... who likes indie pop. 8 p.m., $12.
FRIDAY
>> Common will be making his second D.C. appearance in the past two weeks when he performs at Love. He's promising to delve deep into his 15 year old catalog. Also appearing will be his good friend and A Tribe Called Quest alum, Q-Tip. 6pm, $20.
>> Donnie's first album, "The Colored Section," drew comparisons to 1970s soul legend, and former D.C. resident, Donny Hathaway. That's a tall order, but the praise is well deserved. He'll be at the Black Cat in support of his recent release, The Daily News, along with British vocalist Julie Dexter. 9pm, $20.
>> Anyone looking to have a good time on Friday night while supporting a good cause need look no further than folk-punk act Defiance, Ohio, who'll bring their famously raucous live show to St. Stephens Church, as a benefit for imprisoned activist Daniel McGowan. Opening up are The Max Levine Ensemble, who promise to play an all-Ska set — with the exception of two Rancid covers. 7:00pm, $5-10 donation requested.
>> Another way to add a little civic duty into your Friday night rock comes via the 9:30 Club, Gypsy Eyes Records, The Federal Reserve and Propper Topper. A whole slew of bands and DJ's are performing to raise money for D.C. public libraries. From Kitty Hawk to Vandaveer to Revival and more, it's a crowded bill out for a good cause — all ticket and CD sale proceeds go to the DC Public Library Foundation. 7:30 p.m., $20.
>> Marc Anthony's numerous salsa CDs and concerts long ago established that he is more than just a heartthrob. Tonight, when he and his wife perform at the Verizon Center, the question is whether the missus, Jennifer Lopez, can translate her seductive on screen persona into a captivating live presence on her first ever tour. Whatever you do, do not visit the KFC at 601 F Street NW after the show. 8 p.m., $38.50-$149.
SATURDAY
>> Omaha's Cursive wrote the book on vitriolic, Midwestern Emo-core with their landmark album Domestica and it seems like they've been touring non-stop ever since. Still, there are some people who can't seem to get enough of songwriter Tim Kasher's impassioned wailing, and for those folks there's The Good Life, Kasher's (relatively) quiet side-project, which features other familiar faces from the Saddle-Creek scene. With Brooklyn songwriter Luke Temple at the Rock and Roll Hotel. 9:30 p.m., $13.
>> Thanks to artists like Björk, Sigur Rós and Múm, we've come to believe that there's no such thing as bad music in Iceland. Anyone who cares to test that theory can check out the latest Icelandic export, teenage punk rockers Jakobinarina, at the Velvet Lounge. This one's on the Icelandic tourism board — if only they'd pick up our bar tab as well. 8 p.m., Free.
>> The Kennedy Center says Ounongo Pamwe, the name of the Namibian band performing
at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage this evening, means "knowledge together," and it describes the group as "an ensemble consisting of some of Namibia's greatest musicians." Alas, there is virtually nothing on the Internet about this combo from the Southwestern coast of Africa, so you'll have to check them out live to see if they live up to the hype. 6 p.m., Free.
SUNDAY
>> The Hispanic Heritage Festival 2007 is a Cox Cable-sponsored Latino event in Northern Virginia that, so far at least, has not been linked to any of the controversies regarding illegal immigrants. Advertised only in Spanish language papers, the bill offers a variety of music en Espanol, from the likes of El Grupo Algodon (El Salvadorian folk); Javier Julian (bachata); Mama Cesta (rock en Espanol); Zeniza Allstars (salsa) and more. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the town green in Herndon , 777 Lynn St., Herndon, VA. Call (703) 787-7300 or (301) 213-6952 for more information.
>> Almost a year before "Don't tase me, Bro!" became the Internet meme of the moment, a Two Gallants gig in Houston ended with arguably worse results: a number of musicians, the band's tour manager and a 14-year-old fan were all "tased." Hopefully the District's own boys in blue will be less excessive, should someone choose to call in a noise complaint during the San Fran folk rockers' set at the Rock and Roll Hotel. 9:30pm, $10.
Andrew Wiseman, Valerie Paschall, Steve Kiviat and Jacarl Melton all contributed to this post.
Patrick Wolf and Common photos courtesy of the artists' websites.