Best Show of the Week

Battles and Caribou, Nov. 8, 8:30 p.m. at Metro

Two of 2007’s finest acts in one night. Caribou (also known as Manitoba back before 2004) crafts electronic-tinged pop, probably what Brian Wilson would have made had he had an iBook. Battles, meanwhile, are a bit harder to peg down. Kinda prog-rock, kinda post-rock, kinda electronic, Battles use technology to create sprawling pieces that seem factory-produced. Just check out this video. If only they were in a glass box all the time. Tickets cost $16.

Best of the Rest

Annuals, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. at Subterranean

Annuals lead singer Adam Baker is the same age as me. Do you know how upseting that is? Here I am, writing dorky blogs on the Internet while ignoring my Swahili homework, while he’s out there fronting one of the coolest young rock collectives in America. So not fair. Still, go give the kids and his band some props. Tickets cost $10 to $12.

Jay-Z, Nov. 7, 11:59 p.m. at House of Blues

Yeah, like you could afford this one. And it’s sold out. Tickets cost $100, big spender.

Avoid at all Costs

Kid Rock, Nov. 10, 8 p.m. at Aragon Ballroom

One of the greatest/worst comeback stories in the history of rock. Somehow, Kid Rock didn’t just vanish after his late ’90s debut to toil away working at Burger King for the rest of his life. In fact, he’s actually hotter than ever. Now, this depressing fact doesn’t make seeing him right. Actually, going to support Kid Rock damages society as a whole, throwing fuel onto the already flaming pile of shitty music. Please, don’t support Kid Rock. He’s not that hot.