MONDAY It’s a pretty quiet Monday around town. If there’s a show you’d reccomend, let us know in the comments. TUESDAY >> The first Unbuckled was long ago, but its headliner Cedars are still going strong. Head to the Black Cat’s backstage to hear them perform material off of their new EP as they open for Dirty on Purpose. 9 p.m., $8. >> Do you have a soft spot in your heart for Lyle Lovett?…

(From DCist contributor Amanda Mattos) To play in D.C. this week, you apparently have to have played at Bonnaroo, been involved with a movie star, or started your career here. MONDAY: >>After a 2004 tour with the Blind Boys of Alabama, and countless appearances on mix CDs burned in dorm rooms, Ben Harper (at right) alights the 9:30 Club with friend and cohort, Tom Freund. The two recorded the album Pleasure & Pain together in…

In addition to the HFStival announcement, there are a few other bits and pieces floating around — and we’d just hate ourselves if we didn’t tell you about them. First off, an eagle-eyed reader let us know that tickets for the Bright Eyes/The Faint are already on sale. Though the two shows on Thursday, May 26 and Friday, May 27 haven’t been posted on the 9:30 Club’s home page, you can hit up their sales…

Having recovered from our Grammys-induced seizure last night, here are our picks for the week’s best shows. For your listening pleasure, we’ve provided mp3s or streaming tracks where available. And as always, please let us know what concerts you’ll be enjoying in the next seven days. TONIGHT: >> Andy Zipf, at left, is a local singer/songwriter who blends electronic loops with acoustic guitar. Local duo Brindley Brothers (who also own Jammin’ Java) play an opening…