Live music picks for TUESDAY AUGUST 21 through SUNDAY AUGUST 26, 2012.

TUESDAY AUGUST 21 / RUSSIAN CIRCLES / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $18.13 / 19+

Instrumental music is always hit or miss, but with Russian Circles, you're essentially guaranteed high-quality material at every turn. Based out of Chicago, this three-piece has been together for the better part of eight years, and in that time they've gone from opening for bands such as Tool to headlining their own shows. They're now regarded as one of the premier acts in the instrumental and post-rock genres, so if this is your thing, you won't want to miss them.

THURSDAY AUGUST 23 / TIGERS JAW / HARD LUCK BAR / 812 DUNDAS W / $11.50 - $13 / ALL AGES

Tigers Jaw may divide readers of the Hot Ticket, and I can understand why - their music will be labelled by some as nothing more than whiny, generic emo indie rock. I'd argue, though, that their music is a little deeper than that. If nothing else, it has much more heart and soul than music by comparable bands such as Simple Plan. The band is known for its frantic stage presence and fun live shows, so this one could be worth a look if you check your expectations at the door.

FRIDAY AUGUST 24 / BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND / THE ROGERS CENTRE / 3200 BLUE JAYS WAY / $47.40 - $130.20 / ALL AGES

Ignore the terrible venue and outrageous ticket prices - this is absolutely the one concert worth your time this week, if you can swing it. The show is, I believe, sold out, but if you're so inclined you may be able to get lucky at the box office the day of the show. Bruce Springsteen is rightfully regarded as one of the truly great artists of our time. His music ranges from radio-friendly hits to experimental masterpieces (check out his Seeger Sessions if you want to be truly blown away). I can't recommend this one highly enough.

SATURDAY AUGUST 25 / TOPANGA / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $8.50 - $10 / 19+

You know that I'm all about supporting local talent, and when it's as good as Topanga, it's a total no-brainer. Since breaking onto the scene in 2011, this four-piece has slowly gained a fanbase that includes Ottawa's Hollerado. While they have yet to release a full-length album, their 2011 EP Lionheart served as a perfect introduction as to what the band brings to the table. Namely, some truly awesome music. Army Girls, Dangerband, and Sandman Viper Command will offer support.

SUNDAY AUGUST 26 / SILVERSTEIN / ANNEX WRECK ROOM / 794 BATHURST / $17 / 19+

Local (well, Burlington) boys Silverstein are fresh off the release of their appropriately-titled album Short Songs. Appropriate because every one of the LP's 22 songs are less than 90 seconds long, for a total length of under 20 minutes. 11 of the tracks are original compositions, and 11 are covers. One song comes in at a grand total of 5 seconds. So....yeah, what can really be said? You have to admire their experimentation, if nothing else.

For more music listings, check out our August concerts roundup or head on over to our events calendar.

Looking for tickets? Check out Rotate This or Soundscapes to avoid Ticketmaster robbery.

Have an event you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.

Photo of Russian Circles courtesy of Kmeron on Flickr