Live music picks for TUESDAY, MARCH 27 through SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2012.

TUESDAY MARCH 27 / BOWERBIRDS / THE GARRISON / 1197 DUNDAS W / $15.63 / 19+
In the past, John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats has referred to folk trio Bowerbirds as his "favourite new band in forever." That's extremely high praise, but it's warranted — this is "freak folk" at its finest. The band is led by couple Phil Moore and Beth Tacular, and their real-life chemistry is quite evident in their music. And their stage presence is pretty phenomenal, too. Dry the River will offer support.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 28 / CHAIRLIFT / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 370 QUEEN W / $15 / 19+

If the dreamlike synth-pop by bands such as MGMT is the type of music that's up your alley, then you're probably already familiar with Chairlift. The duo, made up Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly, released their sophomore album back in January to much acclaim, and the Horseshoe should be an ideal venue for them to showcase their catalogue. Nite Jewel will open.

THURSDAY MARCH 29 / THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS / LEE'S PALACE / 529 BLOOR W / $43 / 19+

The Psychedelic Furs are perhaps best known for their song "Pretty in Pink," which was used in the classic 1986 film of the same name. But, seriously, dig deeper into their catalogue, and you'll find out why they're considered to be legends of the New Wave era. They haven't recorded new music in 20 years, but they continue to tour internationally. This is one that fans of New Wave/post-punk won't want to miss.

FRIDAY MARCH 30 / THE MAGNETIC FIELDS / SOUND ACADEMY / 11 POLSON / $41.50 / 19+

This is definitely one of the better weeks in recent memory for live music in Toronto, and the trend continues with The Magnetic Fields at the Sound Academy on Friday. The band released Love at the Bottom of the Sea just three weeks ago, and by all indications, they haven't lost a step. The record is very synth-heavy, which will please fans of the band's 90s material.

SATURDAY MARCH 31 / GOTYE / THE KOOL HAUS / 132 QUEENS QUAY E / $21 / 19+

Belgian indie-rocker Gotye achieved international success over the past year with the release of his absurdly popular single "Somebody That I Used to Know," but he's been on the scene for more than a decade. Not to take anything away from that single (it's good, if not very overplayed), but you should be familiar with his past stuff, as its nothing short of awesome. This will probably be a hard show to get tickets to if you don't already have them. Kimbra, who makes an appearance on the aforementioned single, will open the show.

SUNDAY APRIL 1 / NIGHT BEATS / PARTS & LABOUR / 1566 QUEEN W / $8 / 19+

We'll round out this week's Hot Ticket with something a little different. Night Beats, out of Seattle, refer to their style of music as "Texas Psych-inspired experimental R&B." I won't pretend to have any idea as to what that means, but it's as appropriate a label as any. Their music has a rawness to it, with stripped-down production values and, above all else, it's very fun. Hate Gand and The Bats Pajamas will offer support.

RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CONCERTS

April

• Sydney Blu at the Hoxton on April 7. $15.00.
• Dev at the Mod Club on April 9. $20.00.
• Laidback Luke at the Hoxton on April 12. $25.00.
• Kaiser Chiefs at the Opera House on April 17. $35.50.
• Tanlines at the Wrongbar on April 17. $10.50.
• Nick Lowe at the Phoenix on April 23. $34.00.
• Acid Mothers Temple at the Garrison on April 26. $15.00.
• Dragon Ritual Drummers at the El Mocambo on April 27. $10.00.

May

• Frankie Rose at Parts & Labor on May 2. $11.50.
• Fortune at the Garrison on May 3. $12.50.
• Eleanor Friedberger at the Garrison on May 4. $15.00
• Justin Rutledge at the Horseshoe Tavern on May 5. $17.50.


• Grouplove at the Wrongbar on May 9. $18.00.
• Maine at the Phoenix on May 9. $23.50.
• Never Say Never at the Mod Club on May 9. $25.00.
• Allen Stone at the Mod Club on May 11. $18.50.
• Mark Langean at the Mod Club on May 15. $21.00.
• Rat Scabies and Brian James at Lee's Palace on May 17. $14.50.
• One Direction at the Molson Amphitheatre on May 29. $30 - $60.

Beyond

• Radiohead with Caribou on June 16 at Downsview Park. $81.00
• Laura Marling at the Phoenix on June 17. $25.00
• LMFAO with Far East Movement and more at the Molson Amphitheatre on July 4. $34.50 - 69.50.
• tUnE-yArDs at the Phoenix on August 1. $21.00.
• The Black Keys with The Shins at the Molson Amphitheatre on August 4. $35.00 - $.59.50.
• Justice & M83 with Austra and Buraka Som Sistema at Fort York:Garrison Common on August 4. $49.00 (+s.c.).
• Il Volo at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on August 25. Price TBA.
• Gordon Lightfoot at Massey Hall from November 14 - November 17. $45.00 - 85.00.

For more music listings, head on over to our events calendar.

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Photo of Bowerbirds by eji on Flickr.