MONDAY

>> The cello-playing ladies (and gentleman) of Rasputina have been putting out strangely haunting tunes for years, including an album of covers. Look for their take on Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" and then you can catch them at the Black Cat Mainstage. Haale opens. 8 p.m., $15.

>> Whether you're looking for your alternative rock radio approved reggae fill or just want a tall glass of "Red Red Wine" you can find it at Wolf Trap as The UK's UB40 plays there tonight. 8 p.m., $40 in house, $22 lawn.

TUESDAY

>> They're named after a happy and oddly magical man of the earth from the Lord of the Rings series, and conveniently, Bombadil provides happy folk music that's reminiscent of the mountain blues of their Carolina home. They'll be at The Red and Black. 9 p.m., $10.

>> Lisa Said mixes folk and soul in songs that pay homage to both her Egyptian heritage and her Tennessee upbringing. She'll be bringing those to Eritrean restaurant/art space Dahlak as a part of the Kalem & Friends event where her performance will be taped and she'll answer the questions you didn't realize you had during a Q & A session. 7 p.m., 21+, Free.

WEDNESDAY

>> Chanteuse Adele gives us more blue-eyed soul from across the pond... without the tabloid attention. Our Music Editor was completely besotted by her last performance, so we have high hopes for her return. She'll be at the for an early show. Doors open at 7 p.m., $20.

>> Three of DC's most unique sounding bands take over the Black Cat this Wendesday. Imperial China/ packs a punch with furious percussion and keyboards that bring to mind bands like Battles. True Womanhood is more melancholy with their Radiohead meets Sonic Youth tunes. And Caverns round out the bill with a sound that's both punk and experimental. 9 p.m., $8.

>> The Fabulous Thunderbirds & The Nighthawks @ Birchmere. 7:30 p.m., $25.

THURSDAY

>> Check your craigslist options if you missed out on buying tickets to see Liz Phair perform work from her head-turning debut Exile in Guyville at the 9:30 Club. The best thing about this performance being that it will be completely devoid of material from the abomination that was her self-titled release and will see Liz returned to the provocative songwriting that got her noticed in the first place. 7 p.m.

>> They're a little bit punk, a little bit classical and they're coming to the Black Cat. The Shondes return to DC for the first time since their record release back in February opening for Chapel Hill's contradictorily named Bellafea.

>> A benefit concert for Darfur at DC9 highlights the ongoing crisis in Sudan with performances from Tolumide, a Maryland-based Nigerian r'n'b and gospel singer, and Elikeh, a Maryland band led by a singer/songwriter from Togo. $10

FRIDAY

>> Not many bands can say that they played their fist gig at Madison Square Garden, but New York based Pacha Massive can. The duo who recalls equal parts Afro-pop and rock and roll en espanol will be starting their party at the Black Cat. 9 p.m., $15.

>> Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble from Louisiana will bring their soulful take on that bouncy sound to Remington's Night Club, 3340 Fort Meade Road, in Laurel, MD. 301-490-7000. 9 p.m.

>> Jupiter One is fast becoming a new blog buzz band with their new wave sound, but if that isn't enough reason to lure you to the Rock and Roll Hotel, the last time I saw locals Sugarcane Crawl play to a barebones crowd, they destroyed the furniture and brought every drunk and tired partygoer to their feet. 9:30 p.m., $10.

>> The Trinidad & Tobago Independence celebration show at Zanzibar will feature Shadow, a longtime calypso vocalist who is a master of that lilting, sing-song story-telling genre. $20 in advance, 21+

>> As the Velvet Lounge becomes a dreamy shoegazer's wonderland, be prepared to lose yourself in the fuzzy sounds of Philadelphia's Relay, Timberwolf Division, Himalya and Girl Loves Distortion. Red and blue pills not included. 10 p.m., 21+, $8.

SATURDAY

>> One thing any D.C. music lover should have learned relatively quickly is that the godfather of go-go knows how to throw a party. Chuck Brown will be throwing his Official Birthday Party (not to be confused with any knock-offs) at the 9:30 Club along with the funky . 8 p.m., $25.

>> The annual Planet Arlington World Music Festival jumps around the globe from 4 to 10 with Solas (Irish-American); Tania Saleh (Lebanese); Yang Ying (Chinese jazzy Erhu player); and Ricardo Lemvo (Congolese/Angolan into Cuban/Caribbean salsa) all for free at the Netherlands Carillon, Rt. 110 & Marshall Drive in Arlington. 4-10 p.m.

>> The 20th annual D.C. Blues Society Festival may show that the genre still has some life in it at Carter Barron with headliners Zac Harmon & The Mid-South Blues Revue and Lil' Dave Thompson joined by locals Charles "Big Daddy" Stallings Band, Acme Blues Co., The Jazzy Blues Women, The Country Bunker Funky Blues Band, and The Colours Splatt Blues Band from noon to 7 p.m.

>> If you've been slack catching up on local bands or you've seen us profile someone on Three Stars but haven't gotten around to checking them out, you've got your pick of acts to catch tonight. At the Black Cat you'll find a trio of artists that we've interviewed. The catchy jangly rock of Bellman Barker, the blistering yet catchy Cobra Collective and the lonely soul's best friend Andy Zipf provide a bill coming from different corners of the rock spectrum. 9 p.m., $10.

>> You can catch he earnestly heartbreaking tunes of Justin Jones and the Driving Rain at Iota if you're feeling a little less dancey and a little more country. And yes, we've previously chatted with them, too. 9:30 p.m., $10.

>> Look! Another show by a ! Imagine that! Tereu Tereu and Red Racer, whose album we recently reviewed will be at the Red and Black in case you'd rather catch your local music on H Street than U Street. 9 p.m., $8.

SUNDAY

>>We've given them Three Stars, followed them to Texas and now that we've learned the words to all of their songs Pash has come up with some new material that they'll be debuting at Iota. It seems somewhat fitting that the producer of their last two albums, Jason Caddell, will be celebrating this debut with them as his band, Poor But Sexy, opens. 8:30 p.m., $10.

Steve Kiviat contributed to this week's agenda. Photos of Rasputina and Pash from their myspace pages.