Weekly Music Agenda
Mos Def
>> A lot of emcees are Def, but they 'aint Mos. Celebrated Brooklyn rapper Mos Def has managed to sell out both of his Monday night shows at the 9:30 Club. Luckily, there are plenty of tickets to be had on Craigslist--some of which are even listed at reasonable prices! Sold out, 6:30 p.m and 9:30 p.m.
>> To quote former DCist music editor Catherine Andrews, Canada's Mother Mother are "adorably quirky, have some serious harmonies, and rely a little bit more on the synthy, glam-rock style than I normally like, but I haven't been able to stop listening to them recently." Catch them at the Rock and Roll Hotel this evening opening for the Sam Roberts Band, a bunch of bearded Canadian indie rockers. 8:30 p.m., $12.
TUESDAY
>> Jimmy Eat World may have hit the big time with Bleed American in 2001, but most of their fans still point to 1999's Clarity as the band's finest accomplishment. To celebrate the album's tenth anniversary, the band is embarking on a ten date tour where they'll play Clarity from start to finish. The "Clarity x 10" tour rolls into the 9:30 Club tonight for a sold out date, so dry your tears and head over to Craigslist. Sold out, 7 p.m.
>> Can’t make it to New Orleans? There’s a Mardi Gras Dance Party with California-based Creole Andre Thiery and Zydeco Magic at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Glen Echo, MD
WEDNESDAY
>> Love him or hate him, you've got to admit that an artist of Tom Jones' stature playing the 9:30 Club is a pretty big deal. Why not treat your mom to an early birthday present? $55, 7 p.m.
>> An alum of Three Stars, not to mention the subject of numerous DCist posts, beloved local songwriter Carol Bui will be headlining at the Rock and Roll Hotel tonight. With Title Tracks (John Davis' new band) and Paul Michel. $8, 8 p.m.
>> Favorites of late Rolling Stones member Brian Jones, Bachir Attar & the Master Musicians of Jajouka offer their drum and flute trance music from the mountains of Morocco at 8 at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.
THURSDAY
>> Canadian indie-poppers Tokyo Police Club built up quite a following based on word of mouth and two strong EPs, eventually singing a deal with Omaha indie powerhouse Saddle-Creek records. They'll be playing a sold out show at the Black Cat tonight with fellow Canucks Born Ruffians and the Harlem Shakes. Sold out, 8 p.m.
>> Changing Horses isn't just the name of Ben Kweller's latest album--the record finds the New York-based singer-songwriter reworking his formula, trading in upbeat indie-pop for a more country-influenced sound. Catch Kweller tonight at the 9:30 Club with The Watson Twins and Jones St. Station, $20, 7 p.m.
>> Remember how in the early '00s, Texan post-hardcore bands like At the Drive-In and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead were supposed to "save Rock and Roll"? Well, it's nearly ten years later and while ATDI are long gone, Rock and Roll and The Trail of Dead are both still standing. Coincidence? You decide. With the Funeral Party and Midnight Masses at the Rock and Roll Hotel, $15 in advance/$18 at the door, 8 p.m.
FRIDAY
>> Is it just us or did the folks at the 9:30 Club somehow manage to shore up a week full of stadium-sized acts? The trend continues tonight with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. $40, 8 p.m.
>> Minnesota indie-pop act Tapes 'n Tapes are often cited as a prime example of the "blog band" phenomenon. Luckily, they've got the chops to back up the hype, steadily churning out catchy, jangly indie rock with a pronounced Pavement influence. At the Rock and Roll Hotel with Wild Light and the Subjects. $15, 8:30 p.m.
>> K’naan, a rapper from war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia now living in Toronto, melds a flow that resembles Eminem with lyrics about life in Africa and life as an immigrant. He will be appearing for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.
Benjy Ferree
>> Benjy Ferree's latest album, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Bobby Dee, Bobby Dee, is a dizzying journey through Ferree's eclectic musical tastes, not to mention the tragic life and times of child star Bobby Driscoll. Needless to say, the record establishes Ferree as one of D.C.'s most promising talents, as well as a singer-songwriter worthy of national attention. If you missed his in-store performance at Crooked Beat last week, be sure to catch his record release show at the Black Cat. With Tim Fite and the Laughing Man, $12, 9 p.m.
>> Dan Auerbach, one half of the garage blues duo the Black Keys, has a new solo record out that's been garnering favorable reviews. If you're a fan of the Keys, you'll want to stop by the 9:30 Club tonight for a solo set from Auerbach, with Hacienda and Those Darlins opening. $20, 8 p.m.
>> DC9 will be celebrating its five year anniversary tonight and what better way to do it than with DCist faves, Jukebox the Ghost? The party will also feature sets from J-Roddy Walston and the Business, DJ Marc-Alan Gray and the Liberation Dance Party DJs. $10, 9 p.m.
>> You've heard us rave about Unbuckled and Three Stars alums Deleted Scenes plenty of times before but if you haven't caught them already, there's no time like the present. With Batata Doce and Mittenfields at the Velvet Lounge, $8, 9 p.m.
>> Not to be confused with an Arabic pop singer with the same name, Nawal, an African, Islamic singer and gambusi ( banjo-like instrument) player from the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, will show off her vocals in Comoran, Arabic, French, and English and unique strumming for free from 6 to 7 at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.
>> Argentine folktronica singer Juana Molina does a solo early show that will surely spotlight her unusual and mesmerizing phrasing at 7 p.m. at Arlington's Iota. $15
SUNDAY
>> Not a whole lot going on tonight. Sean McCardle has a CD release show at the Black Cat's Backstage ($8, 9 p.m.), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit are at the 9:30 ($15, 7 p.m.) and Plants and Animals are at DC9 ($10, 8 p.m.).
Steve Kiviat contributed to this week's agenda.