Lucy Schwartz
@ HOTEL CAFÉ
JOSEP Ma DE LLOBET
The Pinker Tones: See Friday
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Unlike so many young, 20-something pop divas, Lucy Schwartz actually has something to say. The melodies, lyrics and arrangements on her second album, Life in Letters, reveal a sophistication and clear-eyed wisdom that belie her years. Although producer Mitchell Froom tends to smooth out her artier edges, much of Schwartz's spirit and sensitivity still come through his mix, such as the imaginative rounds of harmonies that surround her on "Rain City." The local singer is best known for duetting with Landon Pigg on "Darling I Do," from Shrek Forever After, and she also has recorded with Aqualung's Matt Hales, but she proves that she can stand on her own with thoughtfully crafted original songs like "I Want the Sky" and "Those Days." —Falling James
LMFAO
@ Bridges Auditorium (Claremont)
Ever wonder what Nuremberg Rallies would have felt like if they had been held during spring break in Cancun, and instead of worshipping Hitler they'd worshipped booze? Wonder no more. —Gustavo Turner
Also playing Saturday:
STEVE AOKI at the Hollywood Palladium, BIRDS & BATTERIES at Pehrspace; BUYEPONGO at the Troubadour; BILL FRISELL TRIO at UCLA's Royce Hall; LMFAO at Bridges Auditorium (Claremont).
sun 4/3
Talib Kweli, David Banner, 9th Wonder
@ CLUB NOKIA
Mississippian David Banner's snarling, sexually explicit hits (a sampling: "Play," an ode to aerobic sex whose chorus was artfully reworked from "come, girl" to "run, girl" for radio; also, "Like a Pimp") mashed up with 9th Wonder's signature soul production results in an unusual marriage. But Banner made a pointed decision to move in a different direction when he teamed up with 9th, and the two created a classy, socially charged affair with last year's Death of a Pop Star. Makes sense, then, that they're opening for Talib Kweli, who's been wearing the "conscious rapper" badge since his Black Star days with Mos Def. In fact, his next album, Prisoner of Conscious, is a reference to (shedding?) such. Maybe Kweli's switching roles with Banner for the night? —Rebecca Haithcoat
Die! Die! Die!
@ THE ECHO
Although the New Zealand trio Die! Die! Die! was formed in 2003, the band's music recalls the early '80s heyday of Flying Nun label mates Bailter Space, the Verlaines and Straitjacket Fits (whose singer, Shayne Carter, produced Die! Die! Die!'s second album, Promises, Promises). While Die! Die! Die! don't have the stylistic range of Kiwi legends The Clean, their songs marry punk rock intensity with a hazy melodicism. Singer Andrew Wilson thrashes his guitar to create a blurrily impressionistic backing on tracks like the aptly titled "Daze." His droning chimes elevate the songs from punk formula into something dreamier, as drummer Michael Prain and bassist Lachlan Anderson dice up the rhythms with unusual accents. They make a rare stateside appearance tonight at Part Time Punks, debuting songs from their latest album, Form. —Falling James
Haroula Rose
@ ORIGAMI VINYL
A solo singer-songstress with an impossibly intimate croon, Haroula Rose should sound divine raining down acoustic notes and lyrics about love from the tiny loft overlooking Echo Park's Origami record shop. The L.A.-via-Chicago artist covers impressive ground on her just-out debut album, These Open Roads, from the bare-bones Topanga Canyon folk on "Brand New Start," to the Jenny Lewis–like alt-country of "Another Breakup Ballad," to her cover of "Duluth" by Mason Jennings. It makes a lot of sense that longtime Saddle Creek affiliate Andy Lemaster produced the album, and it doesn't hurt that he wrangled contributions from members of Azure Ray and Drive-By Truckers, among others. Still, Miss Rose should have no problem winning the hearts of both the familiar and uninitiated all by her lonesome. —Chris Martins
Also playing Sunday:
AMAROK at Blvd. Cafe; DAN BERN at Bootleg Theater; TAKACS QUARTET, NOBUYUKI TSUJII at UCLA's Royce Hall.
mon 4/4
Puro Instinct, So Many Wizards
@ THE ECHOPLEX
The brainchild of sisters Piper and Skylar Kaplan, this band has a laid-back, dreamy, ambient sound that reminds you of AM radio pop played on a summer day. They've also named an EP after a Soviet-era Russian word for "hipster." —Kristina Benson
The Silk Road Ensemble With Yo Yo Ma
@ WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
The World Music Series at Disney Hall treks on with a performance by the Silk Road Ensemble and the group's founder, cellist Yo Yo Ma. The program offers an intriguing mélange of contemporary and traditional sounds from Asia, Europe and the Americas, including Argentine-American composer Osvaldo Golijov's Air to Air, a cook pot of Christian-Arab and Muslim-Arab, Mexican and 18th-century Sardinian songs/sonorities, along with new pieces by members of the SRE and Berkeley composer Gabriela Lena Frank; her ¡Chayraq!: Rough Guide to a Modern Day Tawantinsuyu makes reference to the music of indigenous festivals, religious ceremonies and harvest fiestas of Latin America. Tonight's lineup of the Silk Road Ensemble features several players who rank as giants. —John Payne
Also playing Monday:
AMANDA JO WILLIAMS at the Echo; RUMSPRINGA, WHITE ARROWS at Bootleg Theater.
tue 4/5
Deradoorian, Drawlings
@ BOOTLEG THEATER
With a voice made for R&B and a background in classical training, Brooklyn's Angel Deradoorian is best known as one of the two female sirens in the highly ambitious and technically proficient Dirty Projectors art-pop experiment. As a solo artist, Deradoorian hasn't released much, but her 2009 EP Mind Raft displays an ear for the equally edgy yet enjoyable — a slightly darker mix of orchestral buzz, soulful vocals, electronic elements and clean guitar. The layering is a little bit looser and the transitions less abrupt, so expect to snuggle up inside of a deep, cathartic groove. Drawlings is Abby Portner, sister of Animal Collective's Avey Tare, who sings like a child trapped in a music box. —Chris Martins
