Spring Arts Preview 2010: Pop Music

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SINCE "ALTERNATIVE" MEANS "mainstream" and "indie" means nothing, we feel comfortable using the heading "Pop" to describe the stellar slate of sound hitting D.C. this spring.

Death metal, hair metal, black metal; London teens, hip-hop mainstays, African legends, cool electronica, blazing guitar rock, Scottish indie rockers holding foil balloons — if you least expect it, expect it.

Fredrik: Wintry Warmth
Fredrik is a Swedish duo with D.C. connects: It's American label is local stalwart The Kora Records, which just released "Trilogi," a comp of the band's three Scandinavian EPs. Fredrik make arctic folktronica, dark ambient songs with warm acoustic shadows and chilly electronic soul.
» Crab's Claw (house show), 1631 Irving St. NW; 8 p.m., donations
» Black Cat , 1811 14th St. NW; with Meredith Bragg, May Tabol, Mon., Feb. 22, 8:30 p.m., $8; 202-667-4490, blackcatdc.com (U Street-Cardozo)
» The Metro Gallery, 700 North Charles St., Baltimore, Md.; with Eureka Birds, Bears Of Blue River, Troutzilla, Sat., Feb. 20, 8 p.m., $8; 410-244-0899, themetrogallery.net.

Jay-Z: Phenomenal Swag
The shelf life of rappers can be super short and sloppy hip-hop concerts can feel brutally long. Of course, none of these generalization apply to Jay-Z: The "Blueprint 3" hit No. 1 upon release last year, and his tight live shows are more rock-n-roll than two turntables and a microphone.
» Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW; with Young Jeezy, Wed., March 3, 7 p.m., $62-$122; 202-397-7328, verizoncenter.com. (Gallery Place)

P.O.S. & Dessa: Better Together
The best hip-hop song of 2009 was P.O.S.'s "Low Light Low Life," but its best verse was delivered by Dessa. Now these two Minneapolis mainstays from the Doomtree collective are on the road together: P.O.S. still in support of the great "Never Better" — hip-hop as punk-rock expression — and Dessa to promote her debut album, "A Badly Broken Code."
» DC9, 940 9th St. NW; with Astronautalis, Sat., March 6, 6 p.m., $14; 202-483-5000, dcnine.com. (U Street-Cardozo)

Mayer Hawthorne: 'Strange' Soul
Hall and Oates have been painting a whiter shade of soul for 40 years, so good rhythm-and-blue-eyed crooners shouldn't be a shock. The more electrifying thing about singer-songwriter Mayer Hawthorne is how vintage-sounding his Motown mix comes across on "A Strange Arrangement," his debut for indie hip-hop powerhouse Stones Throw.
» Ottobar, 2549 N. Howard St., Baltimore; with Nikki Jean, March 5, 8 p.m., $15. 410-662-0069.
» Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE; with Nikki Jean, Wed., March 10, 8 p.m., $15; 202-388-ROCK, rockandrollhoteldc.com.

The Black Dahlia Murder: Happy Death Men
Death metal can be an overly serious genre, but the men in The Black Dahlia Murder have great senses of humor to go with the huge pentagrams on the drum kit: e.g., singer Trevor Strnad has "heartburn" tattooed on his jelly belly. The band's recent "Delorate" album mixes melody and mosh in perfect doses.
» Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE; with Obscura, Augury, Hatesphere, Wed., March 10, 6:30 p.m., $15; 202-388-ROCK, rockandrollhoteldc.com.

Joanna Newsom: Plucky Pixie
The harp isn't a common instrument, period, but it's practically Big Foot in the indie-rock world. But Joanna Newsom plucks a harp while her ethereal voice picks apart hearts, creating a strange mix of whimsy and mystery — a lot of it, in fact: Her new album, "Have One on Me," is a triple CD.
» Sixth & I Synagogue, 600 I Street NW; Mon. & Tue, March 22-23, 8 p.m.; March 22 is sold out, tickets for March 23 are $30; 202-408-3100, sixthandi.org. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)

XX-Factor: The xx
This super-young London group's debut is filled with songs that borrow from modern R&B, vintage New Wave and melancholic electronica for a strikingly original melange. When The xx played D.C. for the first time last fall, it sold out the tiny DC9. This time the band offers a triple shot of icy seduction: The xx will play two shows in one day in the District, then hit Charm City about a month later.
» Sixth & I Synagogue, 600 I Street NW; Sun., March 28, two shows, 4p.m. & 8 p.m., $18; 202-408-3100, sixthandi.org. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)
» Sonar, 407 E. Saratoga St., Baltimore, Md.; Fri., April 23, 9 p.m., $18; sonarbaltimore.com.

Bon Jovi & Dashboard Confessional: Dead or Alive?
The teaming of former hair metallers Bon Jovi and post-emo heartthrobs Dashboard Confessional caused confusion when their tour was announced. Despite disparate histories, however, both have become acoustic-guitar-slinging, sing-along suburban-rock acts, and their pairing will unite screaming teens and yelling middle-agers alike.
» Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW; Mon., March 29, 7:30 p.m., $49.50-$132.50; 202-397-7328, verizoncenter.com. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)

The Big Pink: The 'It' Band
"Dominoes" was the massive big-beat single of The Big Pink's rightfully buzzed-about debut, "A Brief History of Love," but the whole album hangs together because of the tiny details, from ugly noise to massive neck-snapping rhythms. This U.K. band's songs are just the sort that will sound great sonically super-sized in concert, too.
» Ram's Head Live!, 20 Market Place, Baltimore; with A Place to Bury Strangers, Thu., April 1, 8 p.m., $15; 410-244-1131, ramsheadlive.com.

Serena-Maneesh: Nordic Noise
The Norwegian quintet signed to legendary 4AD label for its long-awaited second album, "S-M 2: Abyss in B Minor," but that doesn't mean the group has turned down the volume. The band still blasts Bloody Valentines of guitar at such extreme levels that they might tear the tiny DC9 a new ... well, you know what.
» DC9, 940 9th St. NW; Wed., April 7, 8:30 p.m., $12; 202-483-5000, dcnine.com. (U Street-Cardozo)

Mayhem: Black Hole Sons
[UPDATE: THIS ENTIRE TOUR HAS BEEN CANCELED] Mayhem's antics helped fuel the worldwide black-metal revolution, and its history lives up to its name: suicides, murders, church burnings and all manner of chaos has followed the band and its numerous members. Things are more stable now, but the legend remains.
» 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW; with Krallice, Tombs, Ludicra, Wed., April 7, 10 p.m., $25; 202-265-0930, 930.com. (U St.-Cardozo)

Tim Barry: Avail Yourself
The voice behind the beloved Avail always seemed like a rootsy songwriter fronting a scruffy punk band, and Tim Barry's subsequent solo career has proven this true. His latest, "28th & Manchester," is another excellent collection of hard-scrabble country-folk rockers, though this time their gray-hearted themes are colored by brass.
» Black Cat , 1811 14th St. NW; with Red Clay River, Mon., April 5, 8:30 p.m., $10; 202-667-4490, blackcatdc.com (U Street-Cardozo)

Rokia Traore: Beyond Tradition
The Malian tradition of griot singers is filled with wailing men, whose melismatic voices weave age-old folk-song stories. But the amazing Rokia Traore is a woman who bucks tradition, presenting a smoother and more worldly take on Malian styles coupled with the Arabic and European sounds she grew up with as the oft-traveled daughter of a diplomat.
» Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW; Sun., April 11, 7 p.m., $15-$35; 800-551-7328, lisner.org. (Foggy Bottom-GWU)

Trans Am: International Auto Showtunes
Formerly from the District, the three men in Trans Am have spread their wings to California and New Zealand, but they still manage to reconvene every couple years to record and tour. The band returns in support of the comp "What Day Is It Tonight? Trans Am Live 1993-2008" and a studio LP, "Thing," both of which showcase the band's singular style of electro-boogie Krautrock.
» Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE; with Nice Nice, Thu., April 15, 8 p.m., $15; 202-388-ROCK, rockandrollhoteldc.com.

Frightened Rabbit: Warren Commission
Frightened Rabbit's "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" is already one of my favorite albums of 2010 ... and I haven't even heard it yet. (Above is the video for the LP's first single.) This Scottish band's emotive guitar pop is familiar, but it hits all the right buttons. Here's my past gushing about the band. "Warren of One: Frightened Rabbit."
» Black Cat , 1811 14th St. NW; Tue., April 27, 8 p.m., $15; 202-667-4490, blackcatdc.com (U Street-Cardozo)

Baaba Maal: Senegalese Superstar
Only Youssou N'Dour can rival Baaba Maal as far as singing Senegalese exports go, and his mix of his country's folk styles with blues, jazz, reggae and soul makes his music go down easy anywhere. His latest CD, "Television," is an electronica-leaning, co-written with New York City's Brazilian Girls.
» Lisner Auditorium, 730 21st St. NW; Thu. April 29, 8 p.m., $15-$35; 800-551-7328, lisner.org. (Foggy Bottom-GWU)

Frightened Rabbit photo by Jannica Honey