David Berman of the Silver Jews

MONDAY
>> The U.K.'s latest Britpop export, the Kooks, are sure to please folks left longing for the halcyon days of the Blur/Pulp rivalry. Their Monday night headlining gig at the 9:30 Club is sold out, but maybe if you're lucky, you can show up early and buy an extra ticket off of one of the hundreds of lovestruck adolescent girls sure to be in attendance. With Illinois, sold out, 7 p.m.

>> Drum machines, horror movie organs and drugged-out psychedelic rock usually don't evoke the wild west...that is, unless the band in question is Spindrift. A member of the same California psych scene that the Brian Jonestown Massacre calls home, Spindrift dove headfirst into the cowboy aesthetic after moving out to L.A. from Delaware and never looked back. At the Velvet Lounge with Flying Eyes and Sugarcane Crawl, $8, 9:30 p.m.

>> Our own Valerie Paschall once said that, "...atmospheric seems like the best adjective to describe a band whose xylophone samples and syncopated cymbal beats give a rather clear visual of a waterfall, all from the comfort of a local concert venue." If that sounds like your idea of post-tropical storm Hanna fun, be sure to pack your raincoat and galoshes for local sons Bellflur (***) at the Black Cat's Backstage with Mr. Gnome. $8, 9 p.m.

TUESDAY
>> Locals Brandon Butler and the Moderate are at the Black Cat, $8, 9 p.m.

>> How far would you travel to see an alternative rock icon like Juliana Hatfield play in a relatively small club? 50 miles? 100 miles? Well on Tuesday night, not only will Hatfield be playing in such a club, she'll also only be a short Metro ride away. Catch her at Iota in Arlington with appropriately-named local act Spoils of NW. $15, 8:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
>> Dismissed as a Pavement side-project, all but forgotten after years spent in the wilderness, reunited only to have an electrical fire nearly destroy their new album... it's been a long, hard road for David Berman and his Silver Jews (pictured, above). Yet, nearly 20 years after first forming the band, Berman has found himself recognized as one of the brightest, most incisive contemporary songwriters in indie rock. This last fact probably helped Berman muster up the courage to tour for the first time in 2006 and since then, he's made a habit of it. At the Black Cat with Monotonix, $13, 8 p.m.

>> Loudon Wainwright III might not have been a great father (a fact which was chronicled on his daughter Martha Wainwright's charmingly-titled 2004 EP Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole) but he seems to have effortlessly produced two musical prodigies regardless. Come see the youngest Wainwright, Martha, take on folk, country and chanson at the 9:30 Club with Freedy Johnston and Elysian Fields. $15, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY
>> Baltimore's Thank You are starting to make waves with their rhythmically disorienting take on punk rock (fans of D.C.'s late, great Black Eyes will want to take notice). Catch them at DC9 with local act The Differents. $8, 9 p.m.

FRIDAY
>> Where would D.C. be without the Black Cat? We'd rather not think about that. Instead, allow us to suggest celebrating the legendary club's 15th anniversary with a reunion show from equally legendary Dischord punks Grey Matter, who feature Black Cat owner Dante Ferrando on drums. With the Shirks and Domino Team. $10, 9 p.m.

Paul Weller

SATURDAY
>> Some things never seem to go out of style. Like Jam and Style Council founder and eternal "Modfather" Paul Weller (pictured, left). Despite his age, his most recent album, 22 Dreams managed to hit #1 on the U.K. charts. Take that, Morrissey! At the 9:30 Club with London's the Rifles. $40, 8 p.m.

>> Don't feel like plunking down $40 to see Paul Weller? Well, too bad: looks like it's slim pickings on a Saturday night. Your best bet might be to head down to one of the city's many DJ nights: there's Mousetrap at the Black Cat (80s, Britpop), Feedback Dance Party at DC9 (with DJ Stereofaith) and, uh, Baby Loves Disco (disco night for children 6 months to 7 years of age, sold out) at the Rock and Roll Hotel.

SUNDAY
>> You know you're on to something when Okkervil River's Will Sheff agrees to write your press release. Indeed Austin's Brothers and Sisters are on to something: a delectable blend of alternative country, sunshine pop, southern rock and folk. Call it what you will--roots rock, y'allternative, Americana--just believe that Brothers and Sisters are one of the more promising new upstarts playing it today. At DC9 with DCist faves the Beanstalk Library (***). $10, 7:30 p.m.

>> Comet Ping-Pong is enough of a draw as it is, what with the pizza and ping-pong and all. But throw a little music into the mix and you've got a locale with a magnetic pull stronger than the moon. Scenester rag Vice once referred to the music of San Francisco's Tussle as "Writhing junkyard disco so limber your spine may spontaneously dissolve" and the band comes recommended for fans of dancey noise acts like Black Dice. Closing out the set will be our own DJ Will Eastman of BLISS/Blisspop fame. $10, 8 p.m.

>> Noise rock and pizza doesn't do it for you? How about indie-folk and wine? Catch local act the Wax Standard at Three Fox Vineyard's annual San Gennaro Festival in Delaplane, VA. Free, 2 p.m.