J.R. TAYLOR

5/3: Spare us another Tiggi Clay, but Van Hunt is a fine throwback to post-Prince when Prince mattered (Beacon Theater; also 5/8 @ The Canal Room). Meanwhile, Flickerstick still appears in clubs instead of on Celebrity Cooking Showdown (Crash Mansion). 

5/4: The major-label debut of Animal Years casts Josh Ritter as a folksy storyteller, but he can’t compete with Hee Haw’s surviving stars; Hem opens as fellow artists who think they improve on ’60s country pop by making it unlistenable (Bowery Ballroom through 5/5). Isis is fine lofty metal and Dälek is sulphur-spewing hip-hop, but arrive early for opener Zombi’s synthy trance tunes fueled by MDMA from Dr. Butcher, M.D. (Avalon).

5/5: Choose from plunking art-school projects trying to pass for pop like Minus The Bear (Warsaw)—who can’t match the proggish immediacy of Spock’s Beard (B.B. King’s). Depressing venues: Black 47 celebrates their career comp (Bowery Poetry Club), The Business pretends they’re keeping it real (CBGB), INXS laughs and laughs (Radio City Music Hall).

5/6: The Compulsions are a fine band for types who can’t get caught listening to Bad Company (The Delancey). Captured! By Robots remains a grand theatrical evening of man controlled by machines that’s like synth-punk, classic rock and a touch of gospel (Northsix). 

5/7: It’d be better if they were boybots, but The Click Five is a lot of fun as a calculatedly cool power-pop act in matching suits (Irving Plaza).

5/8: Wimps don’t get to make Target ads, but with In Colour’s fragile pop, The Concretes prove that  they can’t separate the fey from the twee—not that they’d want to be separated (Bowery Ballroom). 

5/9: The Life And Times go alt-rock for emo fans who need U2 without tears; Pelican go instrumental for math-rock fans who can’t divide AC/DC; Mono come from Japan, where cultural and time differences keep the sun from setting on sweeping post-rock (Avalon).