Soundadvice

ROCK/POP

Phosphorescent

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.

POP/ROCK

Stan Ridgway

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.

ROCK/POP

POP/SOUL

Idina Menzel

Nominated for a Tony award for her portrayal of feisty bisexual Maureen in the original Broadway cast of Rent, Idina Menzel has navigated her music past the theater. But not too far. Her latest album, I Stand (Warner), had a little of that dramatic Broadway musical vibe about it. The album made noise on the U.S. and U.K. charts, so I guess not too many fans minded. Take a bow.

—Deesha Dyer

Wed., March 25, 8 p.m., $37.50-$47.50, Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, 215-572-7650, keswicktheater.com.

ROCK/POP

Paper Masques

Stephen Quaranta was walking through the souk in Marrakesh, some jangly pop music in his headphones competing with the guy on the street blowing a kaval. This did not actually happen, but the songs he writes in Paper Masques sure suggest it. Aided by former Teeth drummer Jonas Oesterle and a guest roster of local heads, the release show for Tell the Ghosts It's Suppertime should feel like a street market party, squeezed into The Fire.

—John Vettese

Sat., March 21, 9 p.m. $7, with The Armchairs and The Circadian Rhythms, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave, 267-671-9298, iourecords.com/thefire.

HIP-HOP

Funky Fresh Old Skool Jam

Soundadvice

HIP-HOP

Lyrically Fit Hip-Hop Series

Center Stage Promotions continues its Lyrically Fit Hip-Hop series with a slew of local MCs like Curly Castro, JawnZap7 and Kane. The artists and their crews take over the Troc's Balcony in a night full of performances and freestyle ciphers. It's also a platform to get your network on, so new artists are encouraged to swing on by.

—Deesha Dyer

Thu., March 12, 9:30 p.m., $10, with Ask?, Sick Six, El Chavo, Weatherproof and more, Balcony at the Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-5483, thetroc.com.

EXPERIMENTAL

Ensemble Pamplemousse

The iPod shuffle has introduced the element of randomness into the way so many of us hear music, so why shouldn't modern composers adopt the aesthetic to the way they write it? For their Blocks Tour, the six composers/performers of NYC-based Ensemble Pamplemousse have each created a set of "prefab modules" that will be reconfigured and rearranged each night. Their Philly stop is on a Bowerbird bill labeled "Size Matters," also featuring Ensemble Nomos, a new eight-piece group of locals under the direction of Bowerbird honcho Dustin Hurt.

—Shaun Brady

Tue., March 17, 8 p.m., $10, Plays and Players Theater, 1714 Delancey St., bowerbird.org.

SOUL/HIP-HOP

Muhsinah

rock/pop

Vetiver

Of all the New Folk counterparts, Andy Cabic was always the least freaky. While his buddy Devandra Banhart warbled and meandered in a stream-of-consciousness spew, the songwriter behind Vetiver was content to present structured music, albeit coated in a production haze. The new Tight Knit (Sub Pop) is straightforward even by his band's own standards; songs are clean, melodic, and downright jaunty. It's pleasant and pretty, but far from innocuous; scan "Sister" for a plea to a distressed loved one, set to a giddy triangular shuffle.

—John Vettese

Tue., March 10, 9 p.m., $10, with Sian Alice Group and Blood Feathers, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

soul/Rock/pop

Alice Russell

While ears were lost in Winehouse's hair and before Duffy's look made ho-hum singing acceptable, there was Alice Russell. The Brit's range and depth have won Stateside heads over; especially the remake of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" and DJ remixes of her originals. Russell killed the World Café Live stage two years ago at the Black Lily Festival, and she's back for a repeat.

—Deesha Dyer

Fri., March 6, 9 p.m., $14-$15, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street, 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

Hip-hop

Foreign Exchange

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Soundadvice

rock/pop/americana

Alela Diane

At 19, California native Alela Diane packed up and traveled to Europe with little more than a guitar in hand. It was there she wrote her first album. But it's Americana, especially Appalachian ballads and lilting country rock, which informs her sound. Against a minimalist backdrop of alternating folksy instrumentation — banjo, steel guitar and violin — Diane paints a series of striking musical vignettes, utilizing her soaring vocals to fill out the sparseness provided by the stark percussion and slow, lonesome picking.

—Kevin Pearson

Sun., March 1, 7.30 p.m., $12, with Blitzen Trapper, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 866-468-7619, r5productions.com.

JAZZ

Stebmo

Seattle-based keyboardist and trombonist Steven Moore isn't a bluesman like the similarly nicknamed Keb'Mo', but that may be one of the only styles he doesn't dabble in. Moore's Wurlitzer has logged time with everyone from guitarist Bill Frisell to Sunn0))), and his self-titled debut is an amalgamation of that multiplicity. He's pared down his band to a trio with the same proclivities: bassist Todd Sickafoose, who tours regularly with Ani DiFranco; and drummer Kenny Wollesen, a constant collaborator of Frisell and member of Steven Bernstein's Sex Mob.

—Shaun Brady

Mon., March 2, 8 p.m., $10, Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., arsnovaworkshop.com.

CLASSICAL

...

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ROCK/POP

Pomegranates

If Vampire Weekend lost their African affectations and Ivy League ideologies, they'd probably sound a lot like Pomegranates. This Cincinnati-based quartet creates a shimmering amalgamation of pop and rock that projects a certain sort of musical and melodic innocence. With two vocalists on board, scaling either end of the musical spectrum, they jump from coy to cacophonic, but always cut the lyrics with a refreshing splash of intricate guitar play.

—Kevin Pearson

Mon., Feb. 23, 8 p.m., $8, with Mercury Radio Theater, Kung Fu Necktie, 1248 N. Front St., 215-291-4945, kungfunecktie.com.

ROCK/POP

Hesta Prynn/Folklore

If Northern State's shouting, old-school Brooklyn hip-hop makes them the new Beastie Boys, then Hesta Prynn's soulful, melodic solo stuff makes her the new Luscious Jackson. Or something. Stick around for Folklore, an Athens/Philly band driven by strings and mood swings.

—Patrick Rapa

Web., Feb. 25, 8 pm., $8, with Instamatic and The Lemon Treasures, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.

JAZZ

Chris' Guitar Week

While Chris' Jazz Café's in...

Soundadvice

JAZZ

Chance Trio

While Philly's Chance Trio — the eccentric, playful acoustic threesome of trumpeter Bart Miltenberger, guitarist Matt Davis and bassist Michael Taylor — has never had much trouble reshaping favored material to its own quirky demands, there is definitely a shortage of actual repertoire jazz trio sans rhythm section. Saxophone iconoclast Jimmy Giuffre's drumless trios, however, are a rich, largely untapped source. Living up to their name, however, Chance will bypass Giuffre's trio with Jim Hall and Ralph Pena, which features similar instrumentation, and re-create his 1958 Western Suite, recorded with Hall and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer.

—Shaun Brady

Thu., Feb. 12, 8 p.m., $10, Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St., arsnovaworkshop.com.

JAZZ

Felipe Salles

Brazilian-born saxophonist Felipe Salles is a composer first, an instrumentalist second. That's not an insult — no one would mention Duke Ellington's piano before his pen. Salles' South American Suite is Third Stream Latin Jazz, striving to wed Duke's lush elegance with the evocative narratives of countryman Hermeto Pascoal. If you prefer romance of the Piazzolla kind, with a tinge of Gil Evans adventurousness, this is your V-Day destination.

—Shaun Brady

Sat., Feb. 14, 7 and 9 p.m., $25, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914, paintedbride.org.

Soundadvice

ROCK/POP

Tavo Carbone

There's an off-kilter charm to Tavo Carbone's oddball, old-timey pop that makes you want to get a shoe-shine on your way to Franklin Fountain. Vocally, the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter is reminiscent of the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, while musically he employs the same quirky, whimsical sensibility that ensconced of Montreal's early material. Essentially a solo act, Carbone's been known to employ orchestral flourishes to flesh out his skeletal acoustics including, at one point, a 17-piece backing band. Don't forget to wax your handlebar mustache.

—Kevin Pearson

Thu., Feb. 5, 8 p.m., $10, with Extraordinaires and Jimmy Cousins and the Crime Spree, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

SINGER-SONGWRITER

Dawn Landes

Not only does Kentucky-raised, New York-based Dawn Landes co-own a recording studio, but she also apprenticed as a sound engineer working alongside artists such as Philip Glass, Ryan Adams and Josh Ritter. It's that curious combination of musicians that informs Landes' own songwriting, a minimalist mix of pop and country, bluegrass and folk.

—Kevin Pearson

Mon., Feb. 9, 9 p.m., $10, with The Submarines and The Morning Benders, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.

ROCK/POP

Murder By Death

Soundadvice

ROCK/POP

Lykke Li

Don't expect a carbon copy of Lykke Li's minimalist debut Youth Novels when she plays the Church on Friday. On stage, the 22-year-old Swede transforms these tunes into multifarious rhythmic ruminations, mixing wild abandon with fake eyelashes, megaphones, cover songs and plenty of uninhibited movement. On "Dance, Dance, Dance" she explains it all: "I was a dancer all along," and while her "dancing" is open to interpretation (at times she's reminiscent of Elaine from Seinfeld), you can't fault her ability to reinvent the stripped-down tunes that were committed to tape.

-Kevin Pearson

Fri., Jan. 30, 8.30 p.m., sold out, with Wildbirds & Peacedrums, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., r5productions.com.

ROCK/POP

Semi Precious Weapons

Justin Tranter says he takes equal inspiration from The Little Mermaid and Courtney Love. I don't hear much Ariel in the music of Semi Precious Weapons, but there's a lot of Hole love in their amped-up polysexual garage sound. And they've even got a mascara-dripping "Miss World" theme song, with a messed-up status update: "I can't pay my rent but I'm fucking gorgeous." This show will be awesome.

—Patrick Rapa

Mon., Feb. 2, 8 p.m., $10, with Von Iva and Nico Vega, Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.

ELECTRO/DANCE/POP

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ROCK/FOLK

Andrew Bird

A multi-instrumentalist who can make even the simplest arrangements epic, Andrew Bird has a sweet, subdued voice and a talent for whistling that would make Lauren Bacall go weak at the knees. His new record, Noble Beast (Fat Possum), has a less fiddled-with sound than previous output but the hyperliterate lyrics and pop experimentation are still in place. And, of course, the whistling. Meaning all you need to do to sing along is just what Bacall says: Put your lips together and blow.

—Molly Eichel

Sun., Jan. 25, 8 p.m., $25-$28, with Ra Ra Riot, TLA, 334 South St., livenation.com.

HIP-HOP

It's the Year 1998

1998 was a good year. Bill Clinton denied getting Lewinskied, Michael Jordan won another title, and everyone was getting jiggy with Will Smith. DJs Emynd and Bo Bliz must've liked it — it's the theme for their latest team-up with 215hphop.com. They promise to play all the hits that made you shake your ass or helped you get some ass. Either way, it'll be dope.

—Deesha Dyer

Sat., Jan. 24, 10 p.m., $5, with DJs Emynd and Bo Bliz, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-769-9684, 215hiphop.com.

ROCK/POP

The Antlers

Soundadvice

rock/pop/electric

Franz Nicolay

Franz Nicolay isn't just another dude from Brooklyn who plays accordion, wears jeff caps and grooms some unique facial hair: He's the best. An ivories tickler for the corrosive cabaret act The World/Inferno Friendship Society and the poppier-but no-less-vicious The Hold Steady, the handlebarred Nicolay goes solo for 2009's first great CD, Major General.

- A.D. Amorosi

Fri., Jan. 9, 8 p.m., $8, all ages, with Spoonboy, First Unitarian Church Chapel, 2125 Chestnut St., 866-468-7619, r5productions.com.

rock/pop

Electric Tickle Machine

"I don't get girls/ I get stoned," Electric Tickle Machine frontman Tom Olivier explains during a psychedelic romp that utilizes '80s synths and Welsh female vocals. I suspect they get both. Mixing Nuggets-era garage rock with haphazardly hypnotic melodies (at times sounding like early Flaming Lips covering the Beatles in a cave), this New York-based five-piece plays with the kind of wild abandon that would attract drug dealers, dudes and the ladies in equal measure.

- Kevin Pearson

Sat., Jan. 10, 9 p.m., $10, with Dark Horse and the Carousels, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

hip-hop

rock/pop

Cortez! Cortez!!

Drafting the cover art for the 8 for Infinity demo — where crayons of all hues cut across white lined paper, positioning a speakerbox in an astoundingly effervescent forest — must have required an entire 88 box of Crayolas. But damn did upstart Philly psych trio Cortez! Cortez!! nail the perfect visual representation of their sound. Lighter moments of buoyant pop recall Badly Drawn Boy (or Donovan, for heritage buffs), headier escapades travel into the land of Devendra Banhart (or Syd Barrett), but it never becomes obtuse. Even at its most experimental, Cortez! Cortez!! are as fun as scribbling outside the lines.

- John Vettese

Thu., Dec. 18, 9 p.m., $8, with The MLMs and Toy Soldiers, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.

rock/pop

Love City

You could say Love City's late to the party. You could say modern garage rock peaked back when the Strokes and the Vines roamed the Earth. Screw that. This rawkus organ-driven Philly five-piece sounds like they wanna make their own party. Look for them to set the room (and maybe a guitar) on fire at the Khyber this Friday.

Fri., Dec. 19, 9 p.m., $8, with Stalkers and The Lusts, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, thekhyber.com.

- Patrick Rapa

jazz

EXPERIMENTAL/JAZZ

Kieran Hebden/Steve Reid

On paper, it's a pairing that borders almost on the nonsensical: Steve Reid, a veteran drummer whose résumé ranges from Martha and the Vandellas to Archie Shepp, Miles Davis to Peggy Lee; and Kieran Hebden, the young British electronic musician best-known under his Four Tet moniker. But the two have collaborated fairly regularly over the past several years, creating fractured cosmic grooves that call to mind a post-rock gloss on another former Reid employer, Sun Ra.

—Kevin Pearson

Sun., Dec. 14, 8 p.m., $25, International House, 3701 Chestnut St., 215-387-5125, arsnovaworkshop.com.

HIP-HOP

Philly Brotherly Love Concert

Free hip-hop show alert! A bunch of Philly's most famous rappers — some of whom are better known for their personal and legal troubles than their music in recent years — are coming together at the TLA. Host Beanie Sigel (pictured) welcomes Freeway, Joey Jihad, Reed Dollaz and E. Ness to the stage. Now let's see how many of them actually show up.

—Deesha Dyer

Thu., Dec. 11, 6 p.m., free tickets available at Sneaker Villa stores, with Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Joey Jihad, Reed Dollaz, E. Ness and Vodka, TLA, 334 South St., ruvilla.com.

ROCK/POP

Soundadvice

rock/pop

The Walkmen

The searing intensity of the Walkmen may have subsided over time, but it's been replaced by a melancholic cohesiveness and a refined, subtle charm. While Hamilton Leithauser's caustic croon still cuts through each song like a drunk Dylan in a Vegas lounge, the instrumentation has swapped its tightly wound drive for a more textured approach. From the whiskey-soaked waltz of "Red Moon" to the group-hug, beer-stained "In the New Year," the Walkmen's latest album, You & Me (Gigantic), is not only their best yet, but it's best heard with a drink in hand.

—Kevin Pearson

Sat., Dec. 6, 8 p.m., $16, with Beach House and The Subjects, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011, livenation.com.

rock/pop

Yeasayer

It's been more than a year since Yeasayer dropped their debut and close to 10 months since they last stepped foot in Philadelphia. They've spent this time touring the world — which might've been a fact-finding mission, given Brooklyn-based band's global influences. And while their mix of New Age mysticism and Paul Simon-sanctioned African sounds might be off-putting on paper, they inject just the right amount of ethereal melody into each song to balance out their prog leanings with world-pop fusions.

—Kevin Pearson

Thu., Dec. 4, 8.30 p.m., $13, with Chairlift, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 866-468-7619, r5productions.com.

rock/blues/folk

Max Ochs

hip-hop

Q-Tip

A Tribe Called Quest fans, exhale just a little bit. While the possibility of the three members reuniting on record seems dim, breakout MC Q-Tip is filling that void with lyrics and beats reminiscent of the classic ATCQ formula. His new CD, The Renaissance (Motown), is surprisingly filled with so much substance, you almost forget it is not a Tribe album. Almost.

Wed., Dec. 3, 8 p.m., $26-$28, with Cool Kids, The Knux and Pacific Division, Trocadero, 215-922-5483, thetroc.com.

ROCK/POP

King Khan and BBQ Show

The wild and chaotic stage show, it seems, is as important to King Khan and BBQ as the music. Luckily, their songs are up to the challenge. Veering from raucous garage rock to tender ballads, this stripped-down duo careens through its retro take on rock 'n' roll as if drag racing a musical hot rod. And while they might have a penchant for off-kilter spectacles, this doesn't diminish the rocking out.

Fri., Nov. 28, 9:30 p.m., $10, with Vivian Girls, Jacuzzi Boys and Love City, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

ROCK/POP

Sebastien Grainger

In the musical custody battle following the d...

Soundadvice

rock/pop

She Ends All

Need to be reminded why music matters? Just listen to She Ends All's "Commercial Engagement." Singer Tina Shaffer offers plenty of words on the subject, but the Magnapoppy marriage of spiky and bouncy guitars — courtesy of Shaffer and fellow Rutgers rocker Dani Dela George — says it all.

—M.J. Fine

Tue., Nov. 25, 8 p.m., $5, with The Unprofessionals, Miss Vintage, Flights Kool and Boy with Robot, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., northstarbar.com.

hip-hop

Subtle

The Web site set up to accompany Subtle's latest release, ExitingARM (Lex), features intricate drawings, poetry and 20,000 extra words associated with the album. Like the songs, the screed is dense and verbose, confounding and confusing, yet infused with a sense of playfulness. Topped off by the inventive half-sung/half-rapped vocals of Doseone, a founding member of San Francisco's Anticon collective, Subtle's music is a claustrophobic mix that propositions them as TV on the Radio's darker, starker siblings.

—Kevin Pearson

Thu., Nov. 20, 9 p.m., $10, with Zach Hill and Pattern is Movement, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Ave., 866-468-7619, johnnybrendas.com.

rock/pop/folk

...

Soundadvice

rock/pop/folk

Neil Halstead

While his current full-time band, Mojave 3, evokes Americana and his old outfit, Slowdive, were shoegaze icons, Neil Halstead's solo material taps into his English homeland for its folk influence. From the intricate picking of "Sometimes the Wheels" to the simple strum that accompanies "Elevenses," Halstead's latest album, Oh! Mighty Engine (Brushfire), strips away the swirling symphonic mass of his earlier work for a simpler approach that is still as striking.

Kevin Pearson

Tue., Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m., $15-$23, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400, worldcafelive.com.

rock/pop

Amy Ray

Matt Odom

For better or for worse, Didn't It Feel Kinder (Daemon) is softer than Amy Ray's two previous solo albums and, well, not much like her work with the Indigo Girls. If you're empowered by her empathy for being young, confused, frustrated or all of the above, "Cold Shoulder" and "Who Sold the Gun" are two more reasons to admire her.

M.J. Fine

Thu., Nov. 13, 9 p.m., $18, with Jennifer O'Connor, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., northstarbar.com.

rock/pop/folk

Andrew Lipke

Soundadvice

rock/pop

Dancer vs. Politician

The obvious point of comparison is Nico, but Sanni Baumgaertner of Dancer vs. Politician isn't as chilly and tragic as that other German beauty. Besides, she's spent enough time in Athens, Ga., to soak up whatever it is that compels fair maidens to sing sweetly over swooning saws.

—M.J. Fine

Sun., Nov. 9, 8 p.m., $8, with In Grenada and Swivel Chairs, Manhattan Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 215-739-5577, myspace.com/themanhattanroom.

rock/pop

Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs

Porch songs and torch songs mesh nicely on Dirt Don't Hurt (Transdreamer), Holly Golightly's second outing with Lawyer Dave, the sole member of The Brokeoffs. Best of the bunch are the sinister "Burn Your Fun" and the jaunty "Bottom Below," hymns for the godless and the heretic alike.

—M.J. Fine

Sat., Nov. 8, 9 p.m., $12, with Chet DelCampo and Scott Churchman, Manhattan Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 215-739-5577, myspace.com/themanhattanroom.

rock/pop

The Shackletons

With their foliage-laden stages and post-punk guitars, The Shackletons could easily be misconstrued as Pennsylvania's answer to Brit...

Soundadvice

world

Oscuro Quintet

Passion. That's the word that's always trotted out to describe tango, as if sensual abandon is all the music has to offer. But ask the Philly-based Oscuro Quintet: Where there's passion there's all too often the risk of obsession and its attendant ills. The multinational ensemble can trace its roots to Belgium, France, Korea and even Lancaster, and its local ties to the jazz and classical scenes. Together, they can capture all the lavish romance of Piazzolla, but they're just as inclined to the jagged darkness of Messiaen, a tension that hints at the razor blade poised at the lover's throat.

—Shaun Brady

Sat., Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m., $10, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., oscuroquintet.com.

rock/pop

Of Montreal

Bowie-Prince hybrid Kevin Barnes preserves his reputation as an androgynous and mystifying troubadour on Of Montreal's latest, Skeletal Lamping, 15 tracks of sometimes sexy but mostly whimsical existential indie pop. Known for being able to transform the stage into a performance art space, Athens, Ga.'s psychedelic glam sextet promise tricks and treats.

—Dianca Potts

Fri., Oct. 31, 8:30 p.m., $20-$22, with Gang Gang Dance, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 215-627-1332, livenation.com.

Rock/pop

Deerhunter

Soundadvice

hip-hop

Outerspace

Before they take the road with Jedi Mind Tricks, MCs Planetary and Crypt the War Child — aka Outerspace — are introducing God's Fury to the hometown crowd. The 13-track album contains personal issues that go beyond the normal rap content ("Nicko," for example, is dedicated to Crypt's son who lives with autism). They'll be performing their material this weekend, along with King Syze, Apathy and Des Devious.

—Deesha Dyer

Sat., Oct. 18, 9 p.m., $12, with Outerspace, King Syze, Apathy, Des Devious, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., northstarbar.com.

jazz

Bad Touch

This foursome began life as the Loren Stillman Quartet, but it's hard to remain dictatorial when your subjects are as individualistic as guitarist Nate Radley, organist Gary Versace and drummer Ted Poor. The quartet has thus evolved into a collective group whose spacious, airy sound may stem from the unironic sweetness of Stillman's feather-light alto, but benefits from the tension of four distinct consciousnesses.

—Shaun Brady

Thu., Oct. 16, 8 p.m., free, with Kaplan/Cappelli/Merega, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., arsnovaworkshop.com.

rock

Wovenhand

Philadelphia City Paper :: Soundadvice

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