Talib Kweli. Photo by Francis Chung.MONDAY
There’s a paucity of options at local venues tonight, but if you simply must hear some live music, check out Uh Huh Her at the 9:30 Club, where Camila Grey and The L Word‘s Leisha Hailey will play electro-pop tunes that sound absolutely nothing like the PJ Harvey song from which the duo takes its name. Vanessa Silberman, a.k.a. Diamonds Under Fire, opens. $15. 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
Touted and name-dropped by luminaries like Jay-Z and Kanye West, Talib Kweli commands a level of respect amongst peers and critics that far exceeds his limited commercial success. D.C.’s hip-hop cognoscenti should be out in force when Kweli returns to the Black Cat on Tuesday night, showcasing fluid, erudite rhymes from his latest release, Gutter Rainbows. Fellow Brooklynite Jean Grae — another vastly underappreciated indie-rap talent — kicks off the proceedings. $20 advance / $25 doors. 8 p.m.
>> DC9: Diego Garcia (Elefant), Dan Scheuerman (Deleted Scenes). $10. 8:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
At the Black Cat Backstage, local indie-pop quintet The Parlor Scouts celebrate their 10th anniversary, with Dave Mann’s Drawbridges and L.A.-based singer-songwriter Haroula Rose joining in on the festivities. $8. 8:30 p.m.
>> Red Palace: Smoking Popes, Girl In A Coma. $10 advance / $12 doors. 8:30 p.m.
THURSDAY
Blending traditional Cumbia aesthetics with an eclectic fusion of hip-hop, Tropicalia, electronica, funk, and psychedelia, Bogota, Columbia’s Bomba Estéreo crafts rich, vibrant jams punctuated by Liliana Saumet’s sultry vocals. Fresh off a well-received appearance at Coachella, the quintet headlines the Black Cat on Thursday night, with local Latin-rock outfit Ocho de Bastos opening. $15 advance / $20 doors. 8 p.m.
>> State Theatre: Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds, Watermelon. $10 advance / $12 doors. 8 p.m.
FRIDAY
The 9:30 Club hosts a solid twin bill, as Oxford, England’s Foals share artful, ambitious post-punk songs like “Olympic Airways” and “Blue Blood,” while Queens, New York quintet Freelance Whales co-headline with their folksy, ad-friendly indie-pop. New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous open. Sold out. 8 p.m.
>> Black Cat: Tame Impala, Yuck, Yawn. Sold out. 9 p.m.
>> Comet Ping Pong: Municipal Waste, D.O.C. $10. Pre-sale only. 10:30 p.m.
>> St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church: Benefit for Fight SMA! with Office of Future Plans, BELLS, and More Humans. $5. 7 p.m.
Tim Harrington of Les Savy Fav. Photo by Francis Chung.SATURDAY
Even without singer Tim Harrington’s insane stage antics, Les Savy Fav would still be one of the best live bands in the business, boasting a loud, lean sound that evokes the jagged riffs and infectious grooves of Gang of Four, the post-hardcore stridency of Fugazi, and the anthemic, noise-spiked melodicism of The Pixies. That said, it’s the NYC-based quintet’s irrepressible frontman who transforms their concerts into all-out spectacles with his stripteases and costume changes, indiscriminately spraying beverages while brazenly surfing crowds atop anything and everything from ladders to trash cans. In advance of Saturday’s show at the Black Cat, fans might want to bone up on the lyrics to live staples like “Patty Lee” and “Hold On To Your Genre,” as Harrington has been known to recruit random audience members for impromptu guest-vocal duties while he’s busy eating fingers like they’re just another meal. Arrive early for supporting sets by Les Savy Fav’s Frenchkiss labelmates 1,2,3 and D.C.’s Rival Skies. $15. 9 p.m.
>> 9:30 Club: Sleigh Bells, CSS, Mr. Dream, Wet Witch. Sold out. 8 p.m.
>> Comet Ping Pong: Apache Dropout, Foul Swoops. $10. 10:30 p.m.
>> St. Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church: Punk Rock Flea Market with Deleted Scenes, America Hearts, and Foul Swoops. $3. 12:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
Making his highly-anticipated D.C. debut, James Blake brings the weekend to a mellow denouement for those fans who were able to score tickets to his instantly sold-out show at the Rock and Roll Hotel. The London-based producer has generated ever-increasing levels of hype and (arguably hyperbolic) critical praise for a string of abstract, soul-and-R&B-tinged dubstep EPs and a more voice-and-piano-oriented eponymous full-length album highlighted by a cover of Feist’s “Limit to Your Love.” While some listeners might be put off (or put to sleep) by Blake’s sparse, structurally-meandering compositions, the classically-trained musician’s skillful, stronger-pulsed live arrangements should be enough to keep most fans riveted. Active Child opens. Sold out. 8:30 p.m.
>> 9:30 Club: The Airborne Toxic Event, Voxhaul Broadcast. Sold out. 7 p.m.
>> Black Cat: IAMDONALD Tour: Donald Glover + Childish Gambino. Sold out. 8 p.m.
