Wednesday, April 5
Voxtrot, Local 506
This Austin-based band’s twee-pop evokes the usual suspects: Belle & Sebastian, the Lucksmiths and Morrissey. Droll lyrics leaven tenderness with cynicism against a backdrop of perfectly naïve melodies. But when the guitars aren’t jangling, they slash and rumble like early Cure and Joy Division, and frontman Ramesh Srivastava’s love of dance music filters in by way of muscular rhythmic arcs. Given that my favorite discovery of 2006 is rumored to possess a boundlessly energetic live set, I’m all aflutter. $8/10 p.m. –BH
Dirty5Thirty, Kings
Chapel Hill’s Dirty5Thirty combines bass, drums and two guitars with only-the-strong-survive lyrics about overcoming obstacles, often treading the trail of crescendo-heavy rock-hop that Linkin Park sold millions of records marching. Apparently, lots of people–especially the N.C. State delegation of the N.C. Student Legislature, who hosts this party–dig that stuff. 10 p.m. –GC
Thursday, April 6
Derek Trucks Band, Lincoln Theatre
It seems as if Derek Trucks continues to follow one of his chief musical heroes, John Coltrane, by praying with his guitar: With his five-member band, the Allman Brothers player alternates between meditative psalms billowing out from under his slide and heady, exclamatory funk that speaks more to living than partying. Trucks’ playing transcends, though, as his prayers float through dialogues, languages and religions, owing as much to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as to Solomon Burke. $20-25/9 p.m. –GC
Vanguard, The Aggrovators, Simple Assault, MarVell Center
Think skankin’ tattooed hardcore went away in a rumble of beer cans and saliva? Forget it–the spirit is alive and well all over, and in places like Rocky Mount (Aggrovators) and Carolina parts unknown. Pit gear encouraged. $4/9 p.m. –CT
Signal Electronic Music Festival with DJs BroRabb & Neil Armstrong, Local 506
Hear the big needle drop announcing the start of the inaugural Signal festival, happening at venues all over Chapel Hill, with this pair of experienced wax attackers. Armstrong comes from over a decade of turntabling in NYC hip hop; BroRabb’s been doing it well in the Triangle since way back with the Butta Team. $5/10 p.m. –CT
Friday, April 7
Bruce Piephoff, House Concert (Greensboro)
Bruce Piephoff–poet, professor and folk laureate of the Piedmont–has always been more of an intimate-venue guy, his songs and stories at their best when eyes can be locked. In other words, a house concert is the perfect setting, even if it means putting on a few miles westward. For reservations and directions, e-mail Ttmcdaid@aol.com. $15 (light dinner served)/7 p.m. –RC
Sunday, April 9
Roman Candle, Local 506
Some bands reinvent the wheel. Some drive till the wheels fall off. Skip Matheny and company have been driving the Candle for quite some time now. No, they aren’t doing anything that hasn’t been done a million times before, but when shades of The Band, The Stones and The Beatles highlight Matheny’s country boy croon and bar napkin poetry just right, you can almost see RC making a couple improvements on an age-old blueprint. Or at least having a damn good time giving it a shot. $6/9 p.m. –RM
Sunday, April 9
Physics of Meaning, Eyes to Space, Vibrant Green, Wetlands
A while back, I though pretty was too simple a word. A wet noodle. So I would have avoided using it on the imaginative and beautifully presented work of Daniel Hart and his band The Physics of Meaning. But, when a group of musicians (or a song) works in such charming concert–strings, guitars, electronics and huge drums thrashing like gorgeous flowers in a big breeze–the simplicity of the word “pretty” is what actually gets to the core of things. So, yeah, Daniel Hart makes pretty music. Sorry. $5/7 p.m. –RM
Tribute to Roger Hannay, UNC-CH’s Hill Hall
In his long career as an educator, Roger Hannay stayed true to his credentials as composer. Hannay, who died earlier this year, completed his last symphony, number 10, in 2005. In a memorial concert to the longtime UNC music professor, friends, colleagues and former students will take the stage to perform an array of Hannay’s works. Free/2 p.m. –KR
Monday, April 10
Underbelly of the Seventies with DJs Hitless, Castro & Klocko Peacocko, Local 506
Get bent with Raleigh’s Hitless and Castro and Gainesville, Fla. selector Klocko Peacocko, in a survey of sub-punk, noisy pop and brainy bruisers from the disco decade. $3/10 p.m. –CT
Wednesday, April 12
Blowfly, Despot, Kerbloki, Local 506
When Queens’ Despot finally releases his debut LP, it may unfold as the most startling, shake-from-the-sheets release on Definitive Jux since Bazooka Tooth–or, better yet, Fantastic Damage. Despot offers hard-nosed extro-spection in a clear-throat, bothered-mind tongue, set to sample-and-drums thinkbeats. Kerbloki returns to open for original nasty man Blowfly. Also, Ricky Dollars. $10/9 p.m. –GC
