The New No York Soundsystem
The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Thursday

Heading upriver—as only the most ambitious fishies do—comes the New No York Soundsystem for your auditory edification. This collective, which ordinarily calls Manhattan’s Tonic home, will relocate to Troy’s Arts Center for an evening of “beautiful moving pixels and glitched-out electronic” courtesy of “abstract electronics and noise artists.” We’re told this will want to make us burn our Kiss records—to which our too-lengthy response includes the phrase “our cold dead hands”—but the famed NYC ’tude notwithstanding, we’re suckers for anything that can be described as glitched-out. Also threatening to make you rethink your record collection that evening, Michael Haleta, the Luxury Estates and Nicedisc. (April 1, 8 PM, $3, 281-3206)

AnimaLovers Benefit
Valentine’s, Friday

While you don’t actually need a special reason to schlep over to Valentine’s and sample the alt-country of Jackinany, Bible Study’s fractured psycho-pop, Arc’s hard rock, or the Americana sound of Coal Palace Kings, Michael Eck and Iowa 80, we’re going to give you an excellent one: Daisy. Daisy’s in need of a good home. And until Daisy finds one—she’s a cat, by the way, who gets along swimmingly with people but not other cats—the good folks at AnimaLovers are providing her with food, housing and veterinary care. The seven bucks you shell out to enjoy this show will help AnimaLovers help Daisy and a host of other cats and dogs get the care and attention they need. So be kind to animals: Dig some music and drink some beer. (April 2, 8:30 PM, $7, 432-6572)

Keb’ Mo’
The Egg, Saturday

Two-time Grammy winner Keb’ Mo’ will bring his brand of blues to the stage at the Egg (Empire State Plaza, Albany) on Saturday. Mo’ is currently touring to support his just-released album, Keep It Simple (his fifth studio album for Okeh Records), which he produced himself after coproducing the two albums before that. By producing his album solo, for the first time in his career, Mo’ could make his own rules and his own timeline without the pressures that come with working in a commercial studio. According to his Web site, this album is closest to Mo’s heart: “In each song, the melody and the words combine to reveal the various aspects of his personality—traditionalist, pragmatist, humorist, romantic, storyteller, humanist and musical chameleon.” He will no doubt perform some selections off the new disc as well as his older stuff at the Egg. (April 3, 8 PM, $26, 473-1845)

Dan Bern
Revolution Hall, Saturday

Somewhere back in the late ’90s, as near as we can recall, the “New Dylan” tag was finally, once-and-for-all retired and hung up in some back room in Cleveland; it was replaced with “the next Righteous Babe” label. For trivia hounds: Dan Bern represents the exact point of transition—chronologically and stylistically. Bern’s rootsy and wry observational folk won him the older compliment (and, remember, it is intended as a compliment), and his road-savvy iconoclasm (and, just perhaps, the fact that Ani DiFranco produced his sophomore effort) won him the newer. Of late, though, critics have been sitting up and taking note that Bern has slipped the confines of those well-meaning comparisons, making us wonder how long it’ll be before some young ’un with an acoustic guitar wakes up to find himself the new Dan Bern. (April 3, 9 PM, $10, 273-2337)

Masters of Mexican Music
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Sunday

For your weekly dose of culture (we know you’re used to taking pills, but this way there are no unpleasant side effects), head on over to Troy on Sunday to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall to experience the authentic music of our neighbor to the south. The Masters of Mexican Music feature more than 20 musicians and dancers, the former including Mingo Saldivar y Los Tremendos Cuatro Espadas, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Jose Gutierrez, and Marimba Chiapas. Through music, song and dance, these master performers (who hail from four different regions of Mexico) will provide a rare opportunity to experience the unique sounds of the Hispanic musical heritage. (April 4, 3 PM, $15-25, 273-0038)

Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Kweller
Pearl Street, Northampton, Mass., Monday

Death Cab for Cutie make the indie kids become shamelessly pigeon-toed in the presence of Ben Gibbard’s sweet voice. Their songs meander through soothing and plaintive melodies telling tales of emotional bruises that are at once uplifting and weary. Some say their sparse percussion and elegant songwriting make this band a cut above. Death Cab are still touring on last year’s well-received Transatlanticism (Barsuk), the fourth record for this quartet from Bellingham, Wash.; they are out on this jaunt with wunderboy Ben Kweller. The young and prolific Kweller dabbles in nearly every nook and cranny of the rock world, producing shimmery pop and raucous rockers. Kweller’s new album, On My Way (ATO), hits the racks the day after the show, so expect a host of new, more rollicking tunes. The Aussie octet Architecture in Helsinki will join the Death Cab-Kweller caravan as well. (April 5, 7 PM, $17.50 advance, $20 door, 413-584-7771)

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