FRIDAY
Red-hot indie wunderkind Bright Eyes (aka Conor Oberst) plays the second of two sold-out nights at 9:30 Club. Expect to hear songs from his electro-tinged ??Digital Ash in a Digital Urn,? rather than his usual stripped-down acoustic set. Show up early to see openers and Saddle Creek label-mates The Faint, whose infectious dance rock may steal the stage.
Arlington rockers The Pharmacy Prophets make their headlining debut at Iota with fellow locals The Speaks and NYC singer/songwriter Maggie Kim.
The Blood Brothers ?? headlining Black Cat??s mainstage ?? play discordant, ear-busting, start-stop punk metal with two dynamic, yelping frontmen. Sound horrible? Surprisingly, it isn??t. The Blood Brothers have a unique feedback-laced sound and lock-step rhythm section that distinguishes them from most screamo knockoffs.
Montreal??s The High Dials take their 60s-inspired psychedelic power-pop to Velvet Lounge to build support for the early June release of their latest LP.
Springfield??s Jaxx is branching out from the aging mullet set to feature regular top-notch hip-hop shows. It??s worth the trip to the ??burbs to see ??The Best Damn Rap Tour,? featuring J-Live, one of the finest underground Brooklyn rappers, and Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox.
SATURDAY
Rilo Kiley, at 9:30 Club, takes a countrified approach to current indie pop trends. Alluring singer/songwriter Jenny Lewis and bandmates are recent graduates from Bright Eyes?? Saddle Creek label to Warner Brothers, and this already sold-out show may prove they??re ready for the mainstream.
What better way to appreciate the timeless bluegrass and Americana of Allison Krauss & Union Station than under the stars at Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Headlining Black Cat??s mainstage, Denmark??s The Raveonettes are the cream of the overcrowded crop of garage rock revivalists spurred by the overnight success of The Strokes. Don??t miss openers Autolux, who have created a big industry buzz with their low-key, shoegazey sound.
Hometown Holidays, in downtown Rockville, features a smorgasbord of kids activities, food, arts, and music, culminating with rootsy local favorites Last Train Home and 90s radio legends Hootie & the Blowfish.
SUNDAY
The Ocean Blue, on the mainstage at Black Cat, enjoyed a brief flirtation with mainstream success during the early 90s alternative craze, but continue to produce solid jangly indie pop with heavy debts to 80s bands like The Smiths and REM.
Headlining at Iota, San Francisco singer/songwriter Richard Buckner has carved out a sturdy career writing confessional alt-country tunes. Varnaline frontman Anders Parker opens.
MONDAY
70s innovators Kraftwerk, playing the first of a two-night stand at 9:30 Club, are veritable giants of the electronica and alt-rock landscapes. Kraftwerk??s early experiments with technology and song structure, along with their embrace of robotic imagery, inspired countless knob twiddlers.
