Weekly Music Agenda
MONDAY
>> A big DCist whale cake anniversary shout-out to the Black Cat, which celebrates its sweet sixteen this evening with an intimate backstage performance by former D.C. psych-rockers Dead Meadow, who are joined by The Shirks. DJs will be spinning over in the Red Room to celebrate as well. If this turns out to be anything like Samantha Baker's big day, it could turn out to be one crazy night. 9 p.m., $10.
>>Artful indie poppers The Pomegranates hail from Cincinnati, but recorded their most recent record right here in the D.C. area at Inner Ear. They'll be back in town at DC9 with Phantogram and Power Pirate. 8:30 p.m., $8.
TUESDAY
>>Jay Farrar's post-Uncle Tupelo trajectory has been somewhat less meteoric than his erstwhile companion Jeff Tweedy, but he's been doing a lot of solid work with his now-longtime band Son Volt, which has tended to show him as the far more country half of the pair. The band is currently on tour in support of their sixth LP, American Central Dust, and find themselves at the 9:30 Club with Sera Cahoone. $20
>>Local act The Orchid will be gazing at their Chucks at the Red and the Black, along with The Modern Society. 9:30 p.m., $6.
WEDNESDAY
>>Not too long ago, Matt and Kim were playing crowded apartment and loft shows in Brooklyn, and now they seem to be everywhere, from sitcom theme songs to Bacardi commercials. We can't really begrudge two musicians who, in every performance, interview, and video we've seen them in, seem happy about just about everything a little success, especially when their simple, bouncy, dancey, keyboard pop is just so damn catchy. Still, M&K tend to polarize audiences, with some finding them to be just too happy-go-lucky and fluffy for their tastes, and the rest of us actually knowing how to lighten up and have some fun. Their Black Cat show this week with Amanda Blank is sold out, but since when did that stop you? 8 p.m., $15.
>>...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's current tour with The Secret Machines and Midnight Masses stops at the 9:30 Club this week. $20
>>Dark and moody electronic act Telefon Tel Aviv has a new, and reportedly chilling, record out, and they'll be at DC9 with The Race this week. 8:30 p.m., $10.
THURSDAY
>>Indie rock mainstays, giants, legends, prototypes, etc., Yo La Tengo has been around now for a staggering 25 years, and shows no sign of slowing down. The band just released their twelfth LP last week, and are on the road in support, this week coming to the 9:30 Club with Endless Boogie. $20
>>The experimental and challenging Sian Alice Group wowed critics with their 2008 debut, 59:59, and the difficult to pigeon-hole post-rockers are on a full bill this week at the Red and the Black with Polite Sleeper and The Console War. 8:30 p.m., $8
FRIDAY
>>It really is a marquee week over at the 9:30 Club with yet another big name sweeping through on Friday night. In this case it's techno poster boy Moby, who tends to inspire either adulation or sneering hatred. His latest record, Wait for Me, was inspired by a speech delivered by David Lynch last year, and Lynch shot the video for the lead single, "Kelli Scar opens, and tickets are sold out, though if you don't mind trekking up to Baltimore the night before, tickets are still available for his Ram's Head Live show on Thursday; guess Charm City isn't quite as charmed as D.C. by Moby.
>>Cleveland transplant Michael Jantz has been in D.C. since 2004, and has met with some success with his rootsy rock, which has been featured on XM and got him a licensing deal with MTV for "Road Rules" and "The Hills". He'll and his Davenports will be at the Velvet Lounge with Vox Pop, Chris Cubeta and the Liars Club. 10 p.m., $8.
>>British singer/songwriter Jack Peñate performed one of the more celebrated sophomore turnarounds in recent history, surprising critics by releasing a strong record of danceable horn-heavy soul on the heels of his tepid, over-earnest, and kind of directionless debut. One suspects he'll be sticking to the newer material when he performs at the Rock and Roll Hotel with Swedish pop band Miike Snow. 9 p.m., $15.
SATURDAY
>>Speaking of sophomore turnarounds, there's also the case of The Horrors, who rode a wave of next-big-thing hype (and the subsequent backlash) on the strengths (and weaknesses) of their debut before morphing into what felt like an entirely new (and much more critic-friendly) act with their second record, this past spring's Primary Colours. They'll be at the Black Cat with Crocodiles and local Casper Bangs. 9 p.m., $15.
>>I've long held the opinion that there are few mid-album one-two songwriting punches quite as strong as "Plea from a Cat Named Virtue" and "Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961)" from the Weakerthans' 2003 Reconstruction Site LP. Singer and primary songwriter John K. Samson has steadily led the band away from the topical punk that was his mainstay with his former band, Propagandhi, into more tuneful as well as more experimental territory. But his gift for melody and evocative lyrics is a constant. Samson & co. will be at the 9:30 Club with Rock Plaza Central and Tomte. $18.00
>> The hardest working man in local music, Benjy Ferree is playing roughly his 3,000th local show this year, this one at Iota with The Black Hollies and Suns of Guns. 9:30 p.m., $10.
SUNDAY
>>Love both Neutral Milk Hotel and Beirut? This is probably the closest you'll get to either this week in town, with A Hawk and a Hacksaw, featuring NMH's drummer Jeremy Barnes, and the kinds of Balkan folk melodies that feature prominently in Zach Condon's work. They'll be at the Rock and Roll Hotel with Damon & Naomi, and, best of all, local cello aficionados' dream band (and Three Stars alum) Garland of Hours. 8:30 p.m., $14.
>>Fans of the rockin' country of Hank Williams III will want to head over to Iota to catch Wayne "The Train" Hancock, who Williams has both covered and recorded with. 8 p.m., $15.