DMA’s at The High Watt on 3/21
Borne from the ashes of ‘90s Britpop, Australian outfit DMA’s make their second trip to Nashville (third if you count their Thursday afternoon tent set at last year’s Bonnaroo), this time with material from debut album Hills End in tow. Recommended for all of you who never got to experience the Gallagher twins try to settle their brotherly beefs in front of a captive/captivated crowd. Local boys The Gills open. $10. -KB
Vita & The Woolf at The Family Wash on 3/21
Combine unabashed vocals with soaring melodies and douse them with synthesizers, and you have Vita & The Woolf, the pop-soul duo by way of Philadelphia. As they gear up for their forthcoming release, TUNNELS, they have recently released the single “Brett,” a kind of hauntingly chaotic track that spotlights their boundless sound and pop prowess. Give it a listen here to gear up for their show tonight at The Family Wash. Free. -KA
Mount Moriah at The High Watt on 3/23
In recent years, the prototypical “snuck right by” band for me has been Mount Moriah. Hailing from North Carolina, the alt-country-blues trio is touring in support of their third record, How To Dance, out courtesy of Merge Records. It was a tough road for front woman Heather McEntire to return to the group, feeling the pull of home and realities of touring life, but nevertheless, McEntire persevered and helped create a fantastic album of homesick wanderlust narratives. $12. -SM
Basia Bulat w/Twin Limb at The High Watt on 3/24
This year, the undisputed champ of the “favorite female artist of the year“ mantle is Basia Bulat and her exceptional break-up record, Good Advice, which the Montreal native recorded in Louisville with My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. Good Advice is a departure for the wavering multi-instrumentalist, whose historically folk-leaning sounds have been replaced by some of the fullest pop sounds of the year. After a full slate of SXSW gigs, Bulat is returning to the road in support of one of the best (in my humble opinion) records of 2016. The equally as enthralling Twin Limb will open. $12. – SM
Lily & Madeleine at The High Watt on 3/25
Having already released two full length records on Sufjan Stevens’ Asthmatic Kitty Records and toured in support of Stevens, Lily & Madeleine are making the rounds in support of their third record, Keep It Together. Their first release courtesy of New West Records, the duo are poised to continue ascending the folk-pop latter, so seeing them now would inevitably prove to be a cool quotient boost for anyone looking. Supporting act Shannon Hayden is not to be overlooked either, as she performs solo with nothing more than a cello and loop pedal. $10. -SM
Legends of Southern Hip-Hop: Mystikal, Juvenile, Bun B, 8Ball & MJG, Trick Daddy and Project Pat at Nashville Municipal Auditorium on 3/25
As someone that was born and raised south of the ol’ Mason-Dixon, this lineup speaks VOLUMES to me. Toss aside any cynicism regarding the nostalgia suffocating cash-grabbiness of this bill and just realize for a second, that, in 2016, you can indulge most of your best memories of Golden Era Dirty South rap in one place. Sure, there’s no Atlanta representation on here, but… wait, how DOES a “Legends of Southern Hip-Hop” tour get booked without a single delegate from the scene’s most important city? $57-$99. -KB
Boom Bap with 9th Wonder at Basement East on 3/26
Carrying over the theme of “Legends of Southern Hip-Hop”, one of the unsung heroes of the scene in the mid-to-late 2000s was the Durham, NC-based trio Little Brother. Though the group only had a short run, consisting of four albums and six mixtapes, they are rightfully considered to be one of the great last shots across the bow from the “backpack rap” mentality. The group’s producer/DJ (and not-so-secret ace), 9th Wonder, takes over guest duties at this month’s installment of Boom Bap, over at its new location at The Basement East. $10. -KB
Lockeland Springsteen 