Live music picks for WEDNESDAY MAY 19 through TUESDAY MAY 25, 2010.
WEDNESDAY MAY 19 / FUCK BUTTONS / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN ST W / $15 / 19+
Experimental noisemakers Fuck Buttons (the synth-loving British duo of Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power) return to Toronto for a headlining show at the Horseshoe Tavern tonight. They're on the road in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore album Tarot Sport, the latest single from which is "Olympians," recently released on a limited 12" vinyl featuring remixes by Spiritualized frontman J. Spaceman and Suicide leader Alan Vega. The lone opening act are fellow Brits Hounds of Hate, described as "Hazy synth music from London."

THURSDAY MAY 20 & FRIDAY MAY 21 / XAVIER RUDD / QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE / CNE GROUNDS / $35 / ALL AGES
Australian-Canadian singer-songwriter Xavier Rudd headlines a pair of back-to-back dates at the QET starting on Thursday night, with special guest Justin Nozuka supporting Rudd for both shows. The first date comes exactly one month after the release of Xavier's new album Koonyum Sun, his sixth studio effort.

FRIDAY MAY 21 / MIDLAKE / MOD CLUB / 722 COLLEGE ST / $15 / ALL AGES
Midlake stop by the Mod Club in support of The Courage of Others - their third album and first release since their 2006 sophomore breakthrough The Trials of Van Occupanther. Get there early for sets from John Grant (7:10pm) and former Grandaddy frontman Jason Lytle (8pm). Grant is the former singer for The Czars, and Midlake have worked with John as his producer, engineer and musical collaborator, so don't be surprised if Midlake double up as Grant's backing band during his opening set.

SATURDAY MAY 22 / THE SADIES (CD RELEASE) / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR ST W / $18 / 19+
Toronto-based country rockers The Sadies celebrate the release of their eighth studio album Darker Circles with a show at Lee's, where they'll be joined by special guests Deano Waco & the Purves for a night of bluegrass/folk meets indie rock. While The Sadies' latest may be lyrically and thematically darker than previous albums, it's a safe bet that Saturday night's gig will further cement their reputation for bringing a technically impressive and sonically rousing live performance to their fans.

SUNDAY MAY 23 / FYFE DANGERFIELD / EL MOCAMBO / 464 SPADINA AVE / $13.50 / 19+
Half a decade after forming the Mercury-prize nominated UK rock group Guillemots, Fyfe Dangerfield has stepped out on his own with his 2010 solo offering Fly Yellow Moon. Similar to the avant-garde pop style of Guillemots, his solo debut is heavily influenced by his origins in classical music performance. Local based jazz rock trio Tundra Fun will open.

MONDAY MAY 24 / SHAD / SONIC BOOM (IN-STORE) / 512 BLOOR ST W / FREE / ALL AGES
Shad hits up the basement of Sonic Boom for an in-store at 7pm this coming Monday, the eve of the release of his third album TSOL. The performance comes a few days before Shad heads out to Winnipeg for the first date of a cross-country tour, which includes a date at the Opera House on June 12 with D-Sisive. As always the show is free and as an added bonus, copies of the CD will be available for purchase a day before the official release.

TUESDAY MAY 25 / LCD SOUNDSYSTEM / KOOL HAUS / 132 QUEENS QUAY E / $35 / ALL AGES
DFA Records co-founder James Murphy brings his eclectic mash-up of dance, punk and disco to the Kool Haus on Tuesday night, just two days after he wrapped up a sold-out three-night stint at Terminal 5 in NYC. The fact that LCD Soundsystem's latest album This is Happening was recently awarded best new music on p4k has drawn a lot of attention to Murphy, and reports from his recent tour dates indicate that his live show has exceeded the hype. DFA Records' NYC DJ duo Holy Ghost! (Alex Frankel & Nick Millhiser) will get the party started.

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Lead photo: Shad at Wintercity 2009, taken by studiogabe, member of the BlogTO Flickr pool.