Concert Picks: mewithoutYou, Aidan Hawken, The Angry Samoans…

“And now for something completely different.” While our picks for the weekend don’t follow the famous Monty Python line word by word, their slight adherence makes for an intriguing take on what has already been done numerous times. We like it fresh and interesting as much as you, dear reader. Check them out below:

• mewithoutYou | Friday, July 10 | 8:00 pm | 18+ | $15 | The Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY – Map | With four albums under their belt, the Philadelphia, Penn.-based band’s core conveyance involves the universality of the spiritual – but not the evangelical (not that there’s anything wrong with either… whew!). The musically introspective conglomerate will be sharing the evening with The Dear Hunter and Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground. For more information, call (212) 533-2111; if you miss them, check out their Myspace for future shows.
• Aidan Hawken | Friday, July 10 | 10:00  pm | 21+ | Hotel Cafe, Hollywood, CA – Map | A hybrid of Paul Simon and REM’s Michael Stipe, and you’ve got yourself singer-songwriter Aidan Hawken. Taking on double the role as frontman of Highwater Rising, the San Francisco, Calif.-based artist’s unique contemporary style has garnered wide acclaim and attention from radio and television alike. For ticket information, call (323) 461-2040; check out his Myspace for future shows.

• Tortoise | Saturday, Juy 11 | 8:00 pm | $20 | The Troubador, West Hollywood, CA – Map | Two decades in the making, the Chicago, Ill.-based band comes with heavily experimental instrumentals influenced by jazz, electronica, techno, and post-rock, to name a few. To list all its components would be a near-impossible feat. Such versatility is priceless. Click here for tickets; check out their official website for future shows.
• The Angry Samoans | Saturday, July 11 | 9:00 pm | $10 | Blank Club, San Jose, CA – Map | However a staple in the multitude of genres, punk is still often imitated but never duplicated. “Essence of” such and such is still not the block it’s been chipped off. The Angry Samoans – whose musical longevity consists of three decades and rotating/changing band members – will be playing with The Forgotten and Shooting Lucy. Click here for tickets; look for upcoming shows at their Myspace page.
• Doctor Nerve | Sunday, July 12 | 8:00 | $15 | Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY – Map | A highly experimental and improvisational rock band that has the decency to introduce itself with an onslaught of horns is fine by me, sincerely. The high energy and interchangeable styles have been perfected in experimentation in the last two decades of the New York-based band’s existence. They will be joined by the Dither Guitar Quarter and Todd Reynolds. Click here for tickets; for upcoming shows, check out their Myspace.

Those are our picks for the weekend – who would you like to see perform?