Weekly Music Agenda
The Walkmen are at the 9:30 Club on Tuesday.
>> Soulsavers come off sounding like a Mark Kozelek project with more elaborate instrumentation, but adding husky voiced troubadour Mark Lanegan gives them an added dimension of weight and darkness. Experience their pathos at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Also Jonneine Zapata and Red Ghost. 8 p.m., $18.
>> It's hard to put a finger on what makes the Swedes inherently cuter than their American and British counterparts. Their over-perfect English? Their storied history of pop royalty? Their complete and utter disregard for what genres may or may not have gone out of style? One such group, The Sounds, a new-wave indebted quartet, will be at the 9:30 Club tonight, along with Foxy Shazam, Viking, and Jen Lasher. 7 p.m., $25.
>> Husband and wife duo Fuzz and Carrie anchor the gypsy-inspired pop of Caravan of Thieves. There's high energy harmonies, virtuoso violin playing and non-standard folk to be found at Iota at 8:30 p.m., $10.
>> Unintentional folkies The Cave Singers and Jagjaguwar duo Lightning Dust will be hitting the Black Cat tonight with Birdlips, an ambient Americana-inspired duo from Charlottesville who impressed us when we saw them open for Delta Spirit. 8:30 p.m., $12
TUESDAY
>> Most of today's indie heavyweights (see White Rabbits, Vampire Weekend, etc.) owe a great deal of debt to Brooklyn by way of Philly outfit The Walkmen. Their unflappably cool percussion amid heart wrenching lines like “Can’t you hear me? I’m bleeding on the wall,” have made them one of the most copied bands of the decade. Here We Go Magic, who we interviewed back in June, will be opening this 9:30 Club show. $15, 7 p.m.
>> Honestly, we could spend the entire Weekly Music Agenda talking about the Sonic Circuits festival, which kicks off its six days of experimental, noisy and avant-garde music tonight at the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts at UMd.. But we aren’t, because we’ll be giving you a full preview of the event tomorrow. Tuesday night's event is free and starts at 7 p.m.
>> There’s a certain suspension of disbelief necessary when listening to actress turned musician Juliette Lewis since her gaudy outfits and Runaways-indebted riffs seem to pay more homage to rock 'n' roll clichés than to establishing her as a worthwhile artist. But she did tour with Cat Power and enlist Mars Volta axe man Omar Rodriguez-Lopes in the production of her newest record, so maybe there’s something we’re missing. The Ettes are opening this show at the Rock and Roll Hotel. 8 p.m., $16/$18.
WEDNESDAY
>> Yes, Hamburg's industrial rock road warriors, KMFDM, are still around (still around, again?) and they'll be at the 9:30 Club. $25, 7 p.m.
>> Two of D.C.'s favorite exports will be playing with their current outfits. Ian Svenonius (Nation of Ulysses, Weird War) and his latest project, Chain and the Gang, and Mary Timony's newish band, Soft Power, will be hitting the Black Cat Backstage together. $10, 9 p.m.
THURSDAY
>> One of Milwaukee's more recent exports of note is Decibully, who combines sugary sweet vocals with feedback and more feedback. They'll be destroying ears and stealing hearts at Iota. 9 p.m., $10.
>> The female (Marissa Paternoster) isn't so much the one doing the screaming in Screaming Females as her guitar. Watch in amazement at her shredding skills at the Black Cat's backstage. Also Ingrid, and Onion Flavored Rings. 8:30 p.m., $10.
FRIDAY
>> Yeah Yeah Yeahs already sold out the 9:30 Club forever ago. You know what to do.
>> We’ve spoken often about how much the locals in New Rock Church of Fire, well, rock. If for some reason you still haven’t seen this spectacle for yourself, catch them at the Rock and Roll Hotel. They’ll be opening for Rattler, who will be holding their CD release party. 9:30 p.m., $10.
>> If you've ever wondered what The Pains of Being Pure at Heart would sound like if fronted by a woman (and one who can belt at that), the locals in Dangerosa will be at The Red and the Black to answer that question. They’re joined by New York act The Bloodsugars, labelmates of locals US Royalty and Middle Distance Runner. 9 p.m., $8.
>> The list of people who have contributed to The Minus 5 reads like a who's who of alternative and indie rock heavyweights. The lineup has included members of Guided By Voices, Wilco, R.E.M., The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie...we could continue. See who's playing with them as they touch down at Iota. 9:30 p.m., $20.
SATURDAY
>>There are many reasons to kick yourself for missing the Merge 20th Anniversary festival in Carrboro, NC this past June, but thankfully, one of those reasons, the screechingly dissonant and recently reunited Polvo, is coming back to the Black Cat. 9 p.m., $15.
>> Okay, we promised not to completely overtake the Weekly Music Agenda with Sonic Circuits coverage, but Sonic Circuits will be completely taking over the The Velvet Lounge for 12 hours. Some of the artists slated to perform are the legendary Jandek and minimalist electronic artist Tim Hecker. 2 p.m., $20.
>> If you’d rather have your eardrums attacked the old fashioned way, Japanese post-rock act Mono can take care of that for you. Their dynamic does flow loud-soft-loud, but during those loud parts, the sound will extend far past the confines of the Rock and Roll Hotel. 10:30 p.m., $15
SUNDAY
>> The culmination of the Sonic Circuits festival includes a performance by the innovative Faust, whose sound has influenced most of the accepted “challenging” musical acts out there today. Just listen to Kid A for proof. Also of note, L.A. noise rockers HEALTH, whose explosive energy will likely overwhelm the non-earplug wearing crowd at the Black Cat.
>> School of Seven Bells impressed us back in February with their ethereal harmonies and dark haunting lilt. Now, we have the opportunity to see them headline at the Rock and Roll Hotel. 8:30 p.m., $12.
>> For a slightly more pop/new wave leaning act with experimental tendencies, Suckers will be at DC9. 9 p.m., $8.