A Neon Indian live show is a very different experience than listening to his recorded music. Most notably, he (Alan Palomo) is joined by a live band consisting of a keyboardist, a drummer, and a "live visualist" (barf), all together creating an infectious energy.

It's official: dubstep has become mainstream. There've been many musicians and entertainers across the world who've endeavoured to bring widespread attention to the wobbly drum-and-bass-enhanced tones, and last night's Rusko show at Sound Academy solidified the popularity of the once-underground genre.

Baltimore's Future Islands arrived in Toronto for a sold-out gig at the Horseshoe Tavern last Thursday. While the band has been honing their synth-based sound for almost six years now, their fanbase has been rapidly expanding with each subsequently release, and the exuberant crowd gathered on the rainy night was proof of this.

Live music picks for TUESDAY MAY 8 through SUNDAY MAY 13, 2012.

TUESDAY MAY 8 / RUSKO / THE SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON / $29 / 19+

A rave on a Tuesday night? I think some folks won't be making it to work after this jam. Rusko, who is at the forefront of the never-ending dubstep movement, will surely be dropping some dirty beats and nasty wobbles. Personally, I think the highlight of this night will be Sigma - if you're a fan of drum and bass, you already know who they are and what they're capable of. The Sound Academy is sure to be rammed for this one.

Kid Koala brought his immersive headphone multimedia concert experience to 918 Bathurst as part of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this weekend. Touring in support of his Space Cadet book and soundtrack, the turntablist cum graphic novelist sure knows how to put on a show.

The Neighbourhood Mixtape is a collection of newly-released songs by Toronto musicians. The mixtape is meant to celebrate Toronto's music culture and provide a forum to listen to and discover new local music.

Every Sunday, I post a five-track mixtape (along with my own mini-reflections for each track) that you can download or stream as a soundtrack for the week.