Diplo at Jerky's Bar and Grill, September 13: Diplo hasn't received the attention from collegiate music junkies heaped upon Girl Talk and the like, but he quietly produced key tracks on two of the most innovative albums in recent memory- M.I.A.'s Kala and Santogold's self-titled debut while also finding the time to release his own Top Ranking mixtape. Come see the uncrowned king of a genre we will conveniently name "hipster dance" and expect to learn a thing or two while you jump around.
The Kooks at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, September 14: With a name cribbed from the back of Hunky Dory (couldn't they at least have picked "Queen Bitch"?) and an album named after Ray Davies studio, it's little wonder that this young band is in thrall to the fondly remembered myth of classic British rock n roll. Like many of these bands, they record great singles (like "Naïve" from 2006) but are less successful filling up their albums. They have enough material to banish the filler to the sound check and enough energy to make the singles sparkle, so until that "Best of" comes out, the best light to see this band in will be the stage lights at Providence's busiest venue.
Nas at Lupo’s, September 19: Whether he’s fanning the flames of his beef with Fox News and Bill O’Reilly on The Colbert Report or adopting and then discarding a controversial title for his now untitled new album, legendary rapper Nas has been getting plenty of publicity lately. Don’t expect too many party jams at this show; instead, you’ll get complicated rhymes about politics and racism that demand your full attention.
Ben Folds at The Bank of America City Center, September 25: Three years ago Ben Folds released his most mature album yet. Since then he's gotten divorced, fallen off a stage in Japan, and apparently rediscovered the joy of unapologetically sophomoric lyrics for his piano-pop opuses. No complaints here-his best albums have split time between the crushing disappointments of adulthood and the dumb joys of adolescence. His visit to Providence comes less than a week before the release of Way to Normal, look for a healthy dose of new material from America's most consistent tunesmith.
TV on the Radio at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, October 11: By the time TV on the Radio gets to Providence, they’ll be riding the wave of their highly anticipated new album Dear Science, (the comma’s not a typo, promise). Grammatical idiosyncrasies aside, all signs point to awesome, which makes seeing this quirky-cool, genre-hopping group a must. Like TV on the Radio’s music, their show promises to include a little bit of everything—highs, lows, sweetness, fury, and plenty of satisfaction.
Hanson at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, October 16: Yep, that Hanson. Officially indie since 2001, the brothers are touring like mad and raising money to fight AIDS and help the poor in Africa. While you can certainly argue with the unfortunate facial hair some of the boys are sporting these days, you can’t argue with that. One question, though: Think they’ll play “MMMbop”?
Iron and Wine at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel, November 16: Get ready to get mellow. Like, really mellow. While there’s no doubt that Sam Beam is talented, this show runs a grave risk of being stricken with the “he’s been playing the same song for an hour” curse. If you’re looking for a stress reliever, however, this might be the concert for you. Moshing is not suggested.
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