Don’t let the cold keep you in — there are some interesting shows going on this week.

MONDAY:
>> Turing Machine bring their aggressive punk-rock instrumentals to the Black Cat. You might recognize a couple of their members as having been in D.C.-area artrock band Pitchblende. 9 p.m., $7.

TUESDAY:
>> No Second Troy (pictured at right in a photo from their site), who were lauded as one of the “12 most notable [unsigned] artists in the United States” by XM Radio, play Iota this evening. The Post says of “Fall,” the group’s new CD: “The album’s two short, untitled instrumentals allow individual musicians to assert themselves briefly, but the 11 complete songs rely on tight ensemble playing and an fundamental sense of harmony.” 8:30 p.m., $9.

WEDNESDAY:
>> Are your friends sick of hearing you belt out “Like a Prayer” whenever you go out for karaoke? (We know ours are!) For a different tune, head over to Staccato this evening for “Indie Rock Karaoke.” All you have to do is submit a song to songs@rockambo.com or bring your favorite CD, show up at 8:30 p.m., and donate $5. All proceeds benefit Oxfam‘s tsunami relief effort.

THURSDAY:
>> Local folk/pop/indie/whatever-you-want-to-call-it-music singer Meredith Bragg plays Iota. The Nite Lites and Julia Othmer open. 9 p.m., $10.

FRIDAY:
>> If it weren’t already sold out, we’d recommend that you head to the Thievery Corporation tsunami benefit show at the 9:30 Club. But if you haven’t got tickets to that, why not head out to Girl Friday backstage at the Black Cat? The First Ladies DJ Collective spin their stuff. 10 p.m., $5.

SUNDAY:
>> If you don’t have tickets to the sold-out 9:30 Club Arcade Fire show, we feel for you. We really do. So we’ve come up with a few alternatives. Graceful post-punkers Beauty Pill play Iota, 8:30 p.m., $10, 21+; poppy acts Alphabetical Order and the Rachel Nevadas hit the Galaxy Hut, 9:45 p.m., free; and if you feel like a drive, The Damnwells are playing the Ram’s Head Tavern in Annapolis. 7 p.m., 21+.