TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4

The Exile Follies was born in 2002 out of a desire by three singer-songwriters to break from their bands and the usual. Grant-Lee Phillips (of Grant Lee Buffalo) John Doe (of X) and Kristin Hersh (of Throwing Muses) decided to join forces for a tour where the three would each play solo, occasionally collaborating as duos before all three would join together—a format they’re reviving this year. City Winery. 6 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $28-$38. All ages, accessible venue.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Brass Against is not your average brass band. The New York-based collective covers politically charged songs by bands like Rage Against the Machine and Kendrick Lamar alongside reimagined covers of songs from Tool, Audioslave, Beastie Boys, and more—almost like you’re listening to a radio station and every song suddenly has horns. Union Stage. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $20-$45. All ages, accessible venue.

Spafford has built a following in the jamband scene in part for the band’s propensity to, well, jam. Take “Chapel Jam,” a 47-minute improvisation (recorded in an Airbnb in 2017 without an audience after a gig got snowed out) that noodles through different themes, grooves, and genres without getting stale. The Arizona-based quartet embraces that same improvisational spirit during live shows. 9:30 Club. 7 p.m. doors. $22. All ages, accessible venue.

North Carolina-based rapper Rapsody’s third album Eve is a tribute to the influential black women who came before her. Each of the record’s 16 songs is named after such women as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Aaliyah. As on past releases, the album is centered on Rapsody’s intricate rhymes and wordplay, and features guests like J. Cole, Queen Latifah, and D’Angelo. Fillmore Silver Spring. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $22. All ages, accessible venue.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6

There’s a raw energy to Garcia Peoples that’s infectious, especially during one of the New Jersey band’s freewheeling live shows. Last year, the guitar-driven band managed to capture that vibe on a pair of studio albums: March’s punky, song-based Natural Facts and October’s experimental One Step Behind, a two-song record built around the title track, a 32-minute jazz odyssey that never lets up. Next month, the band will release a live album, 10​-​10​-​2019 Nublu, NYC, which stretches out the song “One Step Behind” even further, exploring new psychedelic avenues with the help of guitarist Tom Malach’s dad, saxophonist Bob Malach. Songbyrd Music House. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $10-$12. All ages, inaccessible space.

If you yearn for the days when Kanye West using Auto-Tune was among the most controversial things about the rapper, then you’ll love what Remember Jones is doing at the Howard Theatre this week. The soul singer is bringing a 25-piece orchestra to perform West’s Auto-Tuned masterpiece 808s & Heartbreak (featuring “Heartless” and “Love Lockdown”) in full. Jones will also open the show with some of his own songs. 7 p.m. doors. 9 p.m. show. $20-$25. All ages, accessible venue.

Portland’s Fruition began as a bluegrass band but has been moving in more of an indie/folk direction in recent years, something that was solidified on last month’s Broken at the Break of Day. The bluegrass-y elements are still there, but there’s a focus on songcraft—from co-lead singers Jay Cobb Anderson and Mimi Naja—that finds the band establishing a song of their own. Union Stage. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $17-$25. All ages, accessible space.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Dijon’s hazy R&B first took root in the duo Abhi//Dijon at the University of Maryland. Since moving to Los Angeles, he’s released a string of raw singles, culminating in last March’s seven-song Sci Fi 1 EP. November’s anthemic “CRYBABY :*(” finds Dijon in a state of somber reflection. “Well I don’t mind if you see me cry/ You know I can be your crybaby, yeah.” Union Stage. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $15-$30. All ages, accessible venue.

When Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam first teamed up with Tex-Mex band Calexico for 2005’s In the Reins EP, Beam was still mostly making hushed acoustic folk songs. With Calexico, he opened up his musical palette in a way that would carry through Iron & Wine’s subsequent albums. The groups teamed up again on last year’s Years to Burn, a breezy, mellow collection of country-ish folk songs, driven by Beam’s dreamy vocals. The Anthem. 6:30 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $45.

It’s hard to pin down D.C.’s Boaty Otis but the band describes their music as “Balkan and Appalachian folk music infused with the funk.” In other words, it’s high-energy music that’s infused with sounds from Eastern Europe, America, and beyond. Horn-heavy all-LGBTQ cover band Sonic Kaleidoscope opens Friday’s show at 7DrumCity’s The Pocket. 7 p.m. show. $8-$10. All ages, accessible venue.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Raphael Saadiq’s extensive career began in the 1980s with the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, and continued with production work for D’Angelo, TLC, and Solange Knowles, among others. And he’s still reaching new heights with his solo career, which last year saw the release of Jimmy Lee (his first album since 2011), a multi-genre exploration of addiction, loss and family. Equally innovate R&B singer Jamila Woods opens both Saturday and Sunday’s 9:30 Club show. 8 p.m. doors Saturday. 7 p.m. doors Sunday. $40. All ages, accessible venue.

Soulful Baltimore guitarist Cris Jacobs debuted a new five-piece version of his band at The Anthem in an opening slot last weekend. This weekend, he’ll bring the rootsy rock songs from last year’s Color Where You Are to his band’s headlining set at Strathmore’s Amp in North Bethesda with help from opener and D.C. Americana singer Justin Trawick. 6:30 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $25-$30. All ages, accessible venue.

Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh spends much of his time playing with Yo-Yo Ma’s famed Silkroad Ensemble. With his own CityBand, Azmeh’s music fuses folk, jazz and classical. Azmeh is also an outspoken human rights advocate who was directly affected by President Donald Trump’s travel ban in 2017. Sixth and I. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $35.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Rhett Miller was an early pioneer of alt-country, both for his work in the Old 97’s and as a solo artist. In 2018, Miller released an album with his band and one on his own, The Messenger, along with his first book, a collection of poems for kids. Maybe he’ll work a few of those into his solo set at the Black Cat this week. 7:30 p.m. doors. $25-$30. All ages, accessible venue.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10

If you asked COASTCITY’s Jean Rodríguez and Danny Flores what kind of music they make, they’d say “soul caribeño,” aka Caribbean soul, a genre name the duo coined. Now they’re bringing the tropical-infused R&B of 2018’s self-titled debut to this coast. Songbyrd Music House. 7 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $15. All ages, accessible venue.

Baltimore-based Josh Stokes is a multi-instrumentalist and producer with a love of hip-hop, funk and soul that comes across in the music he makes. Stokes is also an evangelist for local artists, hosting a regular revue in Charm City called Tha Funktion, where he DJs and showcases local talent of the musical and visual art varieties. DC9. 7:30 p.m. doors. 8 p.m. show. $12. All ages, accessible venue.