Soundadvice

Get Out!

Over the course of four albums, Phosphorescent has progressed from a somber and spectral folk-fueled solo act to a full-fledged band capable of reinterpreting a whole set of Willie Nelson songs. The resulting record, To Willie (Dead Oceans), is pure homage, yes, but it's also a lovingly crafted album of covers that often dresses the originals in an ethereal, slow-burning country cloak. Even when they canter up to a honky-tonk, Matthew Houck and his cohorts still manage to make each tune their own.

—Kevin Pearson

Sat., March 28, 9 p.m., $10, with Deer Tick and Peasant, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

Sometimes "one-hit wonder" just doesn't cut it. Despite "Mexican Radio" having ensured that Wall of Voodoo is chiefly piled onto the junk heap of '80s nostalgia, former frontman Stan Ridgway has long chronicled a sort of Midwestern noir, both in that band and in his solo recordings. He'll be offering songs from throughout his 30-year career on this tour in an intimate acoustic trio setting. Ridgway's unmistakable nasal drawl gives voice to frustrated factory workers and cynical carnies in aural road movies that watch the West fade in the rearview mirror as smokestacks rise on the horizon.

—Shaun Brady

Sat., March 28, 7:30 p.m., $25-$35, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

There's something to be said for a singer who delves deep into his own accent for vocal affectations. Too many vocalists would rather be on key than on-point. That's not to say that The Drones' frontman Gareth Liddiard is out of tune. Far from it. But his deep Australian accent adds an exotic allure to the quartet's darkly convulsive rock and roll. From the circular rhythmic structure of "Minotaur" to the de-tuned country-rock of "Oh My," their fifth album Havilah (ATP Recordings) is the group's most cohesive work to date. But, after nearly a decade together, it's the live environment where they truly excel.

—Kevin Pearson

Wed., April 1, 9 p.m., $10, with The Chimeras and The Broken Prayers, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

Primal Scream are well past their prime; it's been nearly a decade since XTRMNTR's enthralling techno-nihilism; twice that since Screamadelica's shambolic euphoria. But that didn't stop the band's 2008 album, their ninth, from forecasting a Beautiful Future. And the spiky, synthy pop of its best cuts, retro-minded as they are, actually bears out that optimism, recalling both of those disparate touchstones (as well as their dodgier blues-rock efforts) and marking a relative bright spot in a notoriously patchy discography.

—K. Ross Hoffman

Thu., March 26, 7 p.m., $13.25-$26.50, with Kuroma, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE, thetroc.com.

A jealous contemporary of Verdi dismissed his sprawling Requiem as "an opera in ecclesiastical costume," but he actually hit on a truth, and Verdi himself acknowledged the oversized drama of the work. Today we can simply revel in the magnificence and striking beauty, politics aside. This Mendelssohn Club outing promises to be a rewarding event, with a stellar quartet of vocal soloists, and hundreds of choristers and instrumentalists set to unleash waves of glorious sound. The superb Alan Harler, celebrating his 20th year with this organization, will be leading the forces from the eye of the hurricane. New music from Jennifer Higdon is also on tap.

—Peter Burwasser

Sun., March 29, 7:30 p.m., $23-$65, Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad St., 215-893-1999, mcchorus.org.