A-Trak/Art Brut/White Denim/Lissy Trullie — Webster Hall — Friday, March 4
The first of two nights celebrating 10 years of tastemaker Downtown Records would seem to be a relatively understated affair compared to the following night, headlined by hell-raisers Major Lazer. But the lineup for the fourth is also much more diverse, encompassing the poppy sass of Lissy Trullie, the endless arch references of rockers Art Brut, and former turntables-champion-turned-hip-hop-dance-impresario A-Trak. Once Kanye West's touring disc jockey, A-Trak's live shows are endlessly danceable amalgamations of dirty rap beats and thumping propulsive energy, stretching across his disco house work with Duck Sauce and the pummeling hybrids of his "Dirty South" mixtapes. Come to celebrate, stay to dance.
— Aaron Gonsher
Marnie Stern — Santos Party House — Friday, March 4
There is a new great treble guitarist/vocalist — Marnie shreds, that's just all there is to it. Her finger tapping style of guitar play is mesmerizing to watch and will surely bring a great atmosphere to the ruckus that is Santos Party House. Live, Marnie is also known to add new solos, riffs and arias to her songs, which sometimes manage to sound like someone you may have heard of.
— William Ward
Deer Tick/Dawes — Bowery Ballroom — Sunday, March 6
Rising stars in bluegrass/soul inspired guitar rock, Deer Tick have a good-hearted vibe about their sound that is downright captivating. Leader and guitarist/singer/songwriter John McCauley's whiskey-tinged pipes add a layer of depth to every track, and his lyrics are frightfully honest and occasionally heartbreaking, with fan favorite "Ashamed" being the penultimate example. But that doesn't mean McCauley doesn't have compositions in his arsenal that can reach right over the bar and knock your teeth out.
— William Ward
Tyondai Braxton — Alice Tully Hall — Monday, March 7
Former frontman of the progressive band Battles, which wrote the only fun "math rock" song I have ever heard, Tyondai Braxton brings his complex aesthetic to a more refined atmosphere. Braxton is less a rocker than a composer of experimental music — think a latterday Frank Zappa with more electronics, and Lincoln Center is his venue of choice. Braxon's new album, "Central Market," is a spry and intricate work that should give experimental listeners a huge jonesing for more, and apparently he rarely performs, so check him out. Braxton is an original, making crazy ambitious music for music's sake.
— Ari Lipsitz
Bright Eyes/Superchunk/Wild Flag — Radio City Music Hall — Tuesday, March 8
To his acolytes, Conor Oberst isn't just another singer-songwriter who managed to turn his basement poetry into an authentically heartfelt musical career; dude has an audience that makes Lady Gaga's "Little Monsters" look lazy with their ridiculous levels of Oberst-fandom fervor. After solo work under his own name and a stint in the collective Monsters of Folk, Oberst makes a dramatic return to Radio City as Bright Eyes sure to make some sniffling indie kids swoon. Founders of Merge Records and snotty indie rock forefathers Superchunk open.
— Aaron Gonsher
