TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15

Michaela Anne’s new album Desert Dove is country to the core, but there’s a lush, sweeping sonic tableau that’s as indebted to indie rock from Brooklyn (Anne’s old home) as it is to Nashville (her current home). But it’s the singer-songwriter’s expressive, mournful voice that will draw you in—and keep you listening. DC9. 7:30 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $12. All ages, inaccessible venue.

The California Honeydrops’ latest release, Honeydrops Live 2019, is a live compilation, which feels appropriate. The best way to experience the rootsy, New Orleans-influenced rock and soul band is in concert, where the group’s communal spirit truly shines. The Hamilton. 6:30 p.m. doors. 7:30 p.m. show. $20. 18+, accessible venue.

Taylor McFerrin—like his father, legendary jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin—knows how to use his voice as an instrument, but it’s not the only thing that stands out about the music found on his recent album, Love’s Last Chance. A gifted producer and beatboxer—Taylor is a member of Robert Glasper’s supergroup R+R=Now—Love’s Last Chance is full of experimental songs that fuse jazz, funk, and R&B. Songbyrd Music House. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $18. All ages, inaccessible space.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16

After a five-year break that saw guitarist Dan Auerbach release his second solo album and drummer Patrick Carney help spearhead his now-wife Michelle Branch’s comeback, The Black Keys are back with a new record, Let’s Rock, and a big tour that features support from Modest Mouse. After a sold-out show at The Anthem on Saturday, The Black Keys return for a second round of big tent blues rock on Wednesday. 5:30 p.m. doors. 7 p.m. show. $125. All ages, accessible venue.

There’s a jazzy, chill vibe that colors the percussive music of indie R&B trio Moonchild. Last month, the group of multi-instrumentalists released Little Ghost, which, like 2017’s Voyager, is anchored by the buoyant vocals of singer Amber Navran and the trio’s blissed-out production choices. 9:30 Club. 7 p.m. doors. $26. All ages, accessible venue.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

Tunisian singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi’s “Kelmti Horra” became an anthem and rallying cry for her country’s 2010-2011 revolution and the Arab Spring as a whole. Now she’s bringing her grand, cinematic folk music to one of D.C.’s oldest theaters. Lincoln Theatre. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $20-$45. All ages, accessible venue.

D.C.-based rock band Pleasure Train spent a chunk of this year releasing a trio of new singles—such as the anthemic “Garden of Roses”— that were recorded at the studio Ivakota in Capitol Hill. The band, led by the booming vocals of singer Valerie Veg, will take a hiatus until next spring after a gig in New York and Thursday’s show at Gypsy Sally’s. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $8. $21+, accessible venue.

Singer-songwriter Marc Cohn has spent nearly 30 years riding a wave he started with his 1991 hit “Walking in Memphis” (which was covered by Cher and also … Lonestar). Cohn has continued to tour and make new folk music since then (August’s Work To Do is his latest) and he recently collaborated with David Crosby and the Blind Boys of Alabama. City Winery. 6 p.m. doors. 7:30 p.m. show. $45-$60. All ages, accessible venue.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18

Take a trip to New Orleans on a Monday night and—unless he’s on the road—you’ll find bassist George Porter Jr. holding court with his trio for his weekly gig at the Maple Leaf Bar. Porter, a founding member of NOLA funk originators The Meters, is bringing his trio—drummer Terrence Houston and keyboardist Michael Lemmler—with him to Gypsy Sally’s for a Friday night gig that features D.C. horn-fueled funk band The Beat Hotel. 7 p.m. doors. 8:30 p.m. show. $18-$20. $21+, accessible venue.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

After a set at the annual All Things Go Fall Classic last weekend, D.C. DIY mainstay Sneaks—aka Eva Moolchan—will bring her genre-hopping Merge Records debut, Highway Hypnosis, which melds punk, hip-hop, pop, and avant garde weirdness, to a familiar haunt: the Black Cat. 8 p.m. doors. $12-$15. All ages, accessible venue.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

Positivity radiates from singer-keyboardist Cory Henry, whose gets a boost from his ace backing band the Funk Apostles. Henry, a sometimes member of the rotating jazz collective Snarky Puppy, shines as a vocalist on last year’s Art of Love—all while showing off his impressive piano-playing chops. Pearl Street Warehouse. 7 p.m. show. 8 p.m. doors. $30. 21+, accessible venue.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21

Zambian band W.I.T.C.H (which stands for We Intend to Cause Havoc) helped popularize the country’s funky, arpeggiated Zamrock genre in the 1970s. After some stylistic and lineup changes, founding singer Emanuel “Jagari” Chanda returned to the group earlier this decade, when the band’s music was also rereleased digitally and on vinyl. Union Stage. 6:30 p.m. doors. 7:30 p.m. show. $20. All ages, accessible venue.

R&B singer Sabrina Claudio first made a splash with her 2017 slow jam “Confidently Lost.” Now she’s back with her second full-length, Truth Is, which features former One Directioner Zayn Malik on her most recent single, the mid-tempo (but still kinda slow) jam “Rumors.” Fillmore Silver Spring. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $29.50. All ages, accessible venue.