Universal Republic

Youngblood Hawke -- See Wednesday

Don't forget to check our constantly-updated Los Angeles Concert Calendar

Monday, May 20

Holy Ghost!
TROUBADOUR
It's been two years since the release of Holy Ghost!'s eponymous debut. Often hailed as LCD Soundsystem's heirs, the NYC-based duo's sound falls somewhere between Phoenix's precocious little brothers and MGMT's mischievous second cousins -- if those bands put out records in 1984. Keeping this reference year in mind, Holy Ghost! hosts the Doobie Brothers' Michael McDonald's distinct vocals on the R&B-toned, Shannon-style track "Some Children." Staying with the falsetto theme, The Rapture's Luke Jenner guests on "It's Not Over." As sometime yacht rockers, Holy Ghost! have lighthearted synth patterns trickling under "Wait and See" and melodies so happy on "Static on the Wire" that you can hear a smile in the perfectly harmonized choruses. Ultimately, Holy Ghost! make danceable pop music acceptable for hipsters. --Lily Moayeri

Credit: Timothy Norris

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti -- See Friday

Don't forget to check our constantly-updated Los Angeles Concert Calendar

Friday, May 17

The International Swingers
VIPER ROOM
With New York's Met Gala "punk" event and exhibit dominating the media last week, it's sadly ironic that the innovators and music makers responsible for this in-your-face aesthetic took a backseat to the celebrity aspect. So un-punk. Thankfully, two of the genre's iconic music makers, The Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock and Blondie's Clem Burke, will be hard to ignore in L.A. this week, as their supergroup is staging a bona fide music blitz here, beginning tonight at the Viper Room. Matlock, the Pistols' original bass player (as heard on Never Mind the Bollocks) subsequently was replaced by Sid Vicious, but he enjoyed more time with the group while playing on their reunion tours. Burke, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is hands down one of the steadiest and most stylish rock drummers of all time. The pair's talents are complemented by the Swingers' other members, Gary Twinn (Supernaut, Speedtwinn) and James Stevenson (Generation X, Gene Loves Jezebel). This may not be snarling, hot-mess Pistols punk or Blondie-esque beat chic, but the sound definitely references both, as well as '80s New Wave, a little '70s classic rock and modern indie, too. Still, the attitude is all punk, as their latest single, "Gun Control," makes loud and smolderingly clear. Also performing at the Derby Dolls' halftime show on Saturday, May 18, and the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax on Friday, May 24. --Lina Lecaro

Credit: Ana Kras

Devendra Banhart -- See Thursday

For any show in town see our regularly-updated concert calendar.

Monday, May 13

Torches
THE ECHO
Torches are an L.A. band (the band that was once Torches in Trees, if your indie rock database needs an update) who've submerged themselves completely in the same kind of anthemic, happy-sad music that put The Shins and Yo La Tengo in permanent teenage-mixtape rotation. Oh, and in that category let's not forget Arcade Fire. In fact, what about booking a string section and devoting this particular night of Torches' May residency at the Echo to nothing but heart-on-sleeve Arcade Fire covers? That's the plan for this evening. It's a nice little gesture that's part acknowledgment of influence, part thankful tribute and, most of all, true band-on-band love. Be ready to sing along, or at the very least sway along. With openers Infantree, Radars to the Sky and the indefatigable Manhattan Murder Mystery. --Chris Ziegler

Credit: Pete Santos

Okapi Sun -- See Friday

For any show in town see our regularly-updated concert calendar.

Friday, May 10

Rhye
EL REY THEATRE
There are no women on Rhye's debut album, Woman. If you mistakenly took Michael Milosh's androgynous voice for that of a female, however, you would not be alone. The soulchild of Milosh and Quadron's Robin Hannibal, Rhye has been dubbed the "electronic Sade." And like much of Sade's musical canon, Woman is a surefire pantydropper. Really, "seductive" is an understatement for the simmering, electro-laced R&B and overtly suggestive lyricism. The strings that usher in the stunning "Open" soon are knocked aside by Milosh's astonishing voice, the same instrument that brushes against the alluring horns of "One of Those Summer Days." It is not strictly temptation time on Woman, however; the disco-lite "Hunger" and "Last Dance" bump with gentle beats and keyboard stabs, while "3 Days" brings the dance party back to the bedroom with breathy anticipation. And speaking of anticipation, expect a packed crowd tonight, as Rhye have become a fan favorite and critical darling on the power of both Woman and their utterly captivating live performances. --Lily Moayeri

See also: L.A. Electronic and R&B Music Is Suddenly Sexy

Credit: Timothy Norris

Prince (performing at Coachella 2008) -- See Tuesday

For any show in town see our regularly-updated concert calendar.

Monday, May 6

The California Feetwarmers
JOE'S GREAT AMERICAN BAR & GRILL
The California Feetwarmers are an astonishingly fine, old-timey New Orleans jazz aggregation. This recently minted blend of two groups, the Balkan beatniks of Petrojvic Blasting Company and local Latin rhythm wranglers Capt. Jeff's Musical Chumbuckets, may be an unusual elemental mix, but their resolutely arcane interests converge for a magnificent harmony. Driven by sheer skill and passion, not detached fetishism and fixation, this gang dispenses glorious music. It's traditional jazz done properly and most definitely along the lines of New Orleans clarinet titan Sidney Bechet's artistic code: "Treat it Gentle." The Feetwarmers' sound is warm and open, with plenty of space and grace between the notes, making for a richly languorous and viper-mad experiment in groove that's as engaging an earful as you'll encounter anywhere this side of the Ninth Ward. --Jonny Whiteside

Friday, May 3

The Rolling Stones
STAPLES CENTER
It's easy to make fun of The Rolling Stones -- a karaoke-addled Mick Jagger even got in on the act last season on Saturday Night Live -- but the not-always-convenient truth is that Jagger and Keith Richards continue to write great songs, including the punchy new stiff-upper-lipper "Doom & Gloom." They may not always know the difference between a generic piece of fluff like "Streets of Love" and sublimely groovy slabs of rock like the 2005 obscurity "Under the Radar" and the surreally poetic blues wallow "Back of My Hand," but at least they're still taking chances, which is more than you can say about most indie-rock bands struggling to fill their sophomore albums. As great as the Stones can still be, however, they've never been quite as eloquently lyrical after wunderkind lead guitarist Mick Taylor impetuously quit the band in 1974 in a haze of drugs and a reported huff over songwriting credits. For a certain kind of Stones fan, the news that prodigal son Taylor is finally returning to the fold is much bigger than The Beatles ever getting back together. With his distinctively florid and fluid style, Taylor eviscerated "Midnight Rambler" at the Stones' 50th-anniversary shows in Europe and back East late last year. Let's hope that Jagger and Richards let Taylor ramble on much more lavishly at the L.A. kickoff of what might be the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band's final tour. --Falling James

See also: We Lurked Outside the Rolling Stones' Rehearsals in Burbank

Cauldron

Cauldron
Five Stars Bar
Toronto bassist/vocalist Jason Decay was near the forefront of last decade's revival of classic metal sounds, with his previous band Goat Horn. With his current outfit Cauldron, the brand of thrash falls more on the melodic side, taking strong influence from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal of yesteryear. The guitar shreds and vocal harmonies on the group's newest album Tomorrow's Lost has a warm, vintage feel that would sound perfect on a turntable after some classic Judas Priest.

Evan Jewett

Marnie Stern -- See Tuesday

Monday, April 29
Merx
THE SMELL
If dub spelunker Keith Hudson had gotten hold of synth-punks like Suicide or The Screamers, or if Chrome and PiL had been melted together by cosmic rays into one shrieking hunk of post-punk man-machine, not only would music history be far more fascinating but there'd also be a quick and easy shorthand for the music of Merx. Since none of that happened, however, this L.A.-area band -- made up of members, tremblers, movers and shakers from The Pope, Bi-Polar Bear, The Spits and more -- must exist in a realm of mystery, making albums that sound like they were recorded at an abandoned Soviet numbers station and proving that paranoia is less a state of mind and more a state of being. Some bands write songs for radio hits, but Merx makes music for last known transmissions. --Chris Ziegler

Shuggie Otis -- See Saturday

Friday, April 26

Medeski Martin & Wood
ROYCE HALL
More than 20 years ago, keyboardist John Medeski, bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin formed a trio that quickly became one of the most successful in contemporary jazz. A 1995 performance with Phish established them as a jam band, and subsequent collaborations with guitarist John Scofield got them recognition in more traditional jazz circles. The group's playing style sometimes is referred to as "avant-groove," featuring elements of funk, hip-hop and extended improvisations. Tonight's Royce Hall show will feature one set of acoustic music, followed by one electric. MMW is in the middle of an extensive West Coast tour, so expect the band to be in fine form. --Tom Meek

Credit: Marie Planeille

Tinariwen -- See Sunday

Friday, April 20

The Call
THE TROUBADOUR
The Call couldn't have imagined its rousing song "Let the Day Begin" would be the rally cry for not one (Al Gore) but two (Tom Vilsack) presidential campaigns. The Northern California group, who came into their own in the 1980s, haven't had a release since 2000's live album, Live Under the Red Moon, and hasn't performed together since then. Re-forming with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Robert Levon Been, son of the band's late founder, Michael Been, The Call's two shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles will be captured for a live CD and DVD. From the avant garde "The Walls Come Down" to the taut strains of "Everywhere I Go" and the new-wave power ballad "I Don't Wanna," a sense of urgency underscores The Call's sound. --Lily Moayeri