Weekly Music Agenda

WEDNESDAY
>> It's ladies night, and the feeling's right, it's ladies night, and please bring your non-perishable goods with you to the 9:30 Club. None other than Cyndi Lauper and Rosie O' Donnell will be performing in one way or another. Tickets, unfortunately, are $55 but the food drive supports the Capital Area Food Bank. Doors at 7 p.m.

>> This seems to be the week for nostalgia tours in the area. Commander Cody -- sans Lost Planet Airmen, now with the "Commander Cody Band" -- plays the Birchmere along with like-minded cosmic americana purveyors New Riders of the Purple Sage. Cody's actually got a new disc out -- Dopers, Drunks, and Everyday Losers -- so expect some new material. $29.50, 7:30 p.m.

>> It's tough to take cheap shots at someone as smooth as Smokey Robinson, the man Bob Dylan once called, "America's greatest living poet." His voice may have faded slightly, but he's still got it enough to expect good things from this show at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap. $45 in house, $25 on the lawn. 8 p.m.

FRIDAY
>> Sounds like a wild weekend at Rock and Roll Hotel as the venue celebrates its third anniversary. Long time DCist faves and blogosphere darlings Jukebox the Ghost play something of a homecoming -- and they're promising the debut of all new material. But that's hardly all -- power pop junkies will want to get there early for DC's best with three chords-and-a-truly-sweet-melody, Title Tracks and Bellman Barker. Fredericksburg's Tereu Tereu add a little jangle to the equation as well, and Casper Bangs DJ's. Did we mention that all this happens for $12 in advance of $14 at the door? Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m.

>> Jones Street Station pull into the District again this week, playing the Black Cat along with local roots-rockers The Junior League. Jones Street's train seems to be seriously gathering steam these days, and deservedly so: their old-timey stuff comes with the pop smarts that leaves it stuck in your head for a good long while. Oh, and they're fine whiskey aficianados to boot. Virginia twangsters Borden Grant round out the bill. $12, Doors at 9 p.m.

>> Friday's big-name show is the Warner Theatre's triple bill of The Pretenders, Cat Power, and Juliette Lewis and the Licks. Not sure you really need to hustle down there to catch Lewis, but the Pretenders are virtually a lock for a good show, even thirty years into their career. $59.50, 7:30 p.m.

>> Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have literally not stopped touring since their frontman left The Drive-by Truckers a couple of years ago. They've been through DC a number of times, but on Friday they'll be out in Alexandria at the intimate Birchmere. Their recent self-titled LP isn't quite the tour de force that his debut, Sirens of the Ditch, was, but a number of the songs live up to the standards of previous classics "Danko/Manuel", "Outfit", and "Dress Blues." $20, 7:30 p.m.

>> Crosby, Stills, and Nash are back out on the road, more than likely because one or two of them (not mentioning which ones) needed some quick bread. Expect their show at Wolf Trap to be about as good as their last couple albums. And somehow it's sold out! 8 p.m. at the Filene Center.

SATURDAY
>> Hmm, nothing like a beer-scented rock club on a Saturday morning, but if there's anything to get you up and at 'em early on a Saturday, it's Girls Rock! DC. One of many Girls Rock! camps across the country, their final showcase will feature campers from ages 8 through 18, umm, y'know, rocking. Hard. It's only $10 and last year's showcase was reportedly a ton of fun. 10:30 a.m.

>> Keep celebrating the Rock and Roll Hotel's birthday on Saturday. Their popular Garutachi DJ extravanganza plays the Hotel Bar upstairs, and features some very wallet-friendly drink specials. It's free to get in up there. Downstairs at 10 pm is the late show with the eclectic DJ stylings of Mix Tape and the electro-pop of Taint. $8 for the downstairs party, same drink specials apply.

>> Man, there's even more from the RnR Hotel. A quapruple rock bill downstairs starts when your grandmother goes to bed, and leads right up into the aforementioned late show. Death by Sexy, the wonderfully named Gringo Star, The Starlight Mints, and Meow vs. Meow get the evening started. And yes, the same drink specials apply -- $2 PBR tallboys starting at 6 p.m. $7/10. Show at 6:30 p.m.

>> Officially the weekend of anniversaries around town. At the Black Cat, they're throwing down for the tenth year (!) of the great Mousetrap, DJ Mark Zimin's regular Britpop dance party at the Black Cat. They'll be up on the mainstage finding new ways to actually dance (outside the bedroom) to the Smiths. $10, 9:30 p.m.

>> British singer-songwriter Natasha Khan's Bat for Lashes project marches to the beat of her own drummer, combining a unique voice with a host of wide-ranging influences, sprinkled with some choice, eclectic cover tunes. Opening up for her at the 9:30 Club on Saturday are Other Lives. $15, Doors at 8 p.m.

>> Head out to Wolf Trap on Saturday for even more nostalgia. It's the Motown equivalent of Beatles vs. Stones when the Four Tops and the Temptations play a double bill. See whose current lineup fares best: they each feature exactly one original member. Now would that be burning out or fading away? $38 in house, $22 on the lawn. 8 p.m.

SUNDAY
>> Felice Brothers fans will surely want to get over to Arlington to catch The Duke and The King, Simone Felice's new folk project. Named after the con artists who hitch their wagons to Huck Finn and Jim as they mozy down the Mississippi, the buzz is started to build about their debut record, Nothing Gold Can Stay, a pretty little laid back release but not without its share of darker, haunting moments. They play the Iota Club and Cafe along with Armida Riddle. Doors at 8:30 p.m., $12.

>> There's more airy, folk-tinged stuff in town to close out the week, as Woods get an evening to themselves at DC9. Pitchfork loved the hell out of their April release, Songs of Shame, and for very good reason. It's a sublime record, full of mystery and tailor-made for a hot-as-hell summer night with the crickets chirping in the background. Should be interesting to hear how it plays out live. $8 in advance, $10 at the door.