The thing about mellow bands is no matter how good they are on record, they can be less than ideal to watch live. Unfortunately that was the case with Au Revoir Simone last night at the Rock and Roll Hotel. The three woman, three keyboard band from Brooklyn (none of whom are named Simone), play poppy, sweet indie that’s light on vocals. They’re busy these days, touring Japan in December and writing about it for…

Story and photo by DCist Contributor Mehan Jayasuriya Much like their indie pop forebears — the Smiths, Belle & Sebastian, the entire roster of Sarah Records — Austin act Voxtrot has a thing for self-contained singles. As a matter of fact, they’ve taken their own sweet time releasing a full length, opting instead for a series of CD-Rs, 7-inch singles and EPs over the course of the last four years. As with the aforementioned…

>> Mic Harrison (formerly of Superdrag) brings some alt-country goodness to the Velvet Lounge tonight, with The High Signs and Julie Ocean (ex-Velocity Girl). Show starts at 9 p.m. >> SILVERDOCS is in its first full day, so head on up to Silver Spring to check out a wide array of documentary film on offer. We’d recommend Oliver Hodge’s Garbage Warrior at 8:45 p.m., about New Mexico architect Michael Reynolds, who builds homes out…

MONDAY >> DC9 scoured the globe for tonight’s lineup. The Comas hail from Brooklyn and Chapel Hill and specialize in the darker shades of psychadelic rock. The Veils are here all the way from New Zealand, with some “if you like The White Stripes, you’ll love The Veils”-style blues-inspired rock. Locals Zulu Pearls round out the lineup with solid, basic, indie rock. We’re incapable of hearing their name without thinking of “Zuzu’s petals” from It’s…

MONDAY >> Swedish indie popsters Peter Bjorn and John will play a sold out show at the 9:30 Club, accompanied by the “triple keyboard action” of Brooklyn’s Au Revoir Simone. Honestly, if they promised triple “keytar” action, we would sell our souls for tickets. >> The Alphabetical Order and Summerbirds in the Cellar bring on the rock at DC9. $8 TUESDAY >> Embarrassing secret #12. An ex-girlfriend once dragged us to a Third Eye Blind…

MONDAY >> Tucson’s Calexico will be at the 9:30 Club in support of their new album Garden Ruin, along with Toronto-based singer/songwriter and Broken Social Scene alum Jason Collett. Tickets, running $15, are still available, but even if you can’t make it, fear not: Calexico seem destined to be featured on every soundtrack to every indie film released in the next 2 years. Doors at 7:30, show starts at 8:45 p.m. >> While Echo and…