Hot Ticket: Wye Oak, Michelle Shocked, The Milk Carton Kids, Walk Off The Earth, Grimes

Live music picks for TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 through FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2012.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 / WYE OAK / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 368 QUEEN W / $12.50 - $15 / 19+

You might be asking yourself: "Self, why does Wye Oak call themselves Wye Oak?" Well, the answer is simple - the Wye Oak used to be the state tree of their homestate of Maryland. Cute name aside, this duo, comprised of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, specializes in a unique brand of indie folk mixed with dream pop. Recently, their work was featured prominently in The Walking Dead, and I'd bet dollars to donuts that you'll hear a lot more from the in the future. Brooklyn-based duo Callers will offer support.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 19 / MICHELLE SHOCKED / LULA LOUNGE / 1585 DUNDAS W / $25 - $28 / 19+

Feminist folk singer Michelle Shocked burst onto the scene in 1986, and in 26 years she has garnered a well-deserved cult following. It's not hard to see why - in addition to her catchy tunes, she's responsible for some truly bizarre and unique music videos that perfectly complement the messages contained within her songs. If what I've read online is true, she's totally awesome live, so if you're familiar with her work (and hell, even if you're not), this is definitely worth checking out.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20 / THE MILK CARTON KIDS / THE DRAKE HOTEL / 1150 QUEEN W / $15.63 ADVANCE, MORE AT THE DOOR / 19+

Back in May, the Milk Carton Kids came to town and played the Velvet Underground. I included them in the Hot Ticket, and basically gave them a glowing endorsement. Please allow me to do so once again: this is a show you don't want to miss, particularly if you're a fan of folk music. The duo, comprised of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, released their sophomore album Prologue in 2011, and incredibly, you can get it (and their first disc, Retrospect) for free from their website. The Brendan Hines will open.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20 / WALK OFF THE EARTH / THE DANFORTH MUSIC HALL / 147 DANFORTH AVE / $25 / ALL AGES

If you've ever questioned the power of the viral video, look no further than Burlington's Walk off the Earth. Earlier this year, they uploaded a cover of the now-absurdly-played-out song "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye, in which all five band members played the song on one guitar. Prior to this, they had released videos of several other cover songs, including LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem." But it was the aforementioned Gotye song that got them an appearance on Ellen, as well as worldwide recognition. Oh yeah, and they have some original tunes too, of course.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21 / GRIMES / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $25 / 19+

By now, you're probably familiar with the work of Claire Boucher, better known by her stage name, Grimes. 2012 has been quite the year for the artist from Vancouver, who released her third studio album, Visions, back in January. The album garnered considerable critical acclaim, and established Grimes as one of the bright young stars in Canada. It's even been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, and in fact, is my personal pick for the award. Will she win? That remains to be seen, but she's more than deserving.

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Photo of Wye Oak courtesy of Caitlyn Ridenour on Flickr.