Rock Picks: Seun Kuti, Thievery Corporation, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

SUNDAY, JUNE 22

 Thievery Corporation at the Hollywood Bowl

Sam Phillips waits for a signal.

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Dusty grooves and bossa-nova beats didn’t always go hand in hand like Caiparinhas and passion-fruit-flavored blunts, but the Thievery Corp have made sophisticated yet simple combos their business. The duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton put almost equal parts dub reggae, trip-hop, lounge, house and a splash of the world into a blender called the Eight Street Lounge (their now-legendary D.C. club, studio and label) and serve a concoction that’s 100-percent vibes, whether it’s described as chill-out, downtempo or left-field (they call it outernational). And if their global awareness isn’t already apparent, they’re headlining the Outernational Music Tour, bringing along an assortment of their favorite acts (Argentina’s Federico Aubele, Venezuela’s Los Amigos Invisibles and longtime collaborator Bebel Gilberto) and partnering with the United Nations’ World Food Program. Don’t expect a Babylon by Bus tour, as this show will be one of only two West Coast dates. (Daniel Siwek)

Also playing Sunday:

EARTH WIND & FIRE, MACY GRAY at the Greek Theatre; LKN at Que Sera; SARA WATKINS & SEAN WATKINS, FICTION FAMILY at Spaceland, 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 23

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss at the Greek Theatre

Led Zep fans anticipating Robert Plant’s throat-ravaging wails and fiery vocal pyrotechnics might not dig his collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss — which has apparently put any future Zeppelin reunions on hold — but there are some sublime roots-folk gems on their new CD, Raising Sand (Rounder Records). At times, Plant’s voice is almost unrecognizable, avoiding bombast for something subtler. On Gene Clark’s “Polly Come Home” (one of two covers by the underrated late Byrds singer), Plant gives a downbeat, funereal reading, much like his breathy, austere version of Townes Van Zandt’s aptly titled “Nothin’,” which Krauss weaves together with dusty violin melodies. Krauss is solemnly spellbinding on Tom Waits & Kathleen Brennan’s “Trampled Rose,” which has a haunting, otherworldly Old World feel with Marc Ribot’s clucking dobro. Not everything on Raising Sand is as mellow: A remake of the Everly Brothers’ “Gone Gone Gone (Moved On)” drives with a rootsy chill, Naomi Neville’s oft-covered “Fortune Teller” is given a swampy, funky makeover, and “Rich Woman” is hypnotically slinky. There are some groovy grooves here despite T Bone Burnett’s muted, overly restrained production. Also Tues. (Falling James)

Death Cab for Cutie at Nokia Theatre

Although Death Cab for Cutie can readily be considered a good band for a populist indie-rock outfit, they haven’t historically been one to become too engrossed in. As it happens with cocaine and psychotherapy, overindulgence in Death Cab’s self-serious, lovelorn-but-loving-it music can only hurt you. (An exception is still-suburban teens, whose ennui is legitimately unsatisfiable.) Historically favored by television music supervisors for their palatable dramatics (what could better suit emotional arcs of The O.C. or Six Feet Under?) and sweet-stinging relatability, the band have on their new record, Narrow Stairs, made an unexpected, and great — and great in its unexpectedness — move from a “Fuck me gently” sound toward one that’s more “Fuck you, actually.” Whatever the reason for a gate-keeping band to make such a distinct and bold departure, it’s notable not only for the improved style, but for the basic and genuine attempt to re-imagine their own form and ideas about music. (Kate Carraway)

Also playing Monday:

LUKAS HAAS, KEATON SIMONS at the Hotel Café; CATTLE DECAPITATION, RESISTANT CULTURE at the Knitting Factory; ANAVAN at Pehrspace; AFTERNOONS, PARSON RED HEADS at Spaceland.

TUESDAY, JUNE 24

Ingrid Michaelson at El Rey Theatre

On her recent CD Girls and Boys, Ingrid Michaelson sings a breezy pop melody, thanking a lover who takes her “the way I am.” Such true-blue devotion apparently doesn’t work both ways, as she makes it clear that she won’t necessarily appreciate her boyfriend the way he is. “I’d buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair,” she coos, perhaps a little too caught up in her own cleverness. The Staten Island singer has a talent for mainstream pop songwriting, although she’s often fatally undercut by sticky-sweet, simplistic lyrics and an excess of cutesiness. She’s at her best when she challenges herself by digging deeper on songs like “Masochist,” where she actually has something fresh and interesting to say about the state of modern relationships. Even better is “Glass,” where she surrounds herself with celestial keyboards and soft flecks of guitar. When she confides, “Rolled around on kitchen floors/Tied my tongue in pretty bows with yours,” she reveals that she can sometimes write gently insightful lyrics with an unforced intimacy. (Falling James)

Also playing Tuesday:

ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS at the Greek Theatre; STONE TEMPLE PILOTS at the Hollywood Bowl; THE WATSON TWINS at Amoeba Music, 7 p.m.; HECUBA, LA COSTE at the Echo; JESSIE BAYLIN, ZACK HEXUM at the Hotel Café; BILL FRISSELL at Largo; JD & THE STRAIGHT SHOT, JOE WALSH at the Roxy; ICE T & BLACK SILVER, TOO SHORT, MEDUSA at Vault 350; THE SLOW POISONER at Hyperion Tavern.