Show of the Week

Foals, April 26, 9:30 p.m. at Subterranean

The latest British buzz band to get decent hype Stateside (I saw their album Antidotes at Borders, that’s pretty solid), Foals merge the stiff leanings of math rock with more free-form jazz, creating a tightly-knit guitar sound capable of bursting off in any direction at any second. And somehow, most of their tunes seem strangely danceable. Confining Foals to one genre seems unfair, the best way to figure them out is to go see them. Tickets cost $10.

Best of the Rest

The Teenagers, April 29, 8 p.m. at Abbey Pub

A band to get totally immature to. Paris’s The Teenagers imitate the vocal delivery of Art Brut, if Art Brut were perpetually horny teenagers. Sample lyrics from the surprisingly catchy song “Homecoming” (though I’d never sing this in public); “I fucked my American cunt.” Uhhhhh… sorry kids. I’m not even going to touch any other words (for fear of catching an STD), but vulgarity rocks in this case. Don’t bring the youngins or the uber-conservatives! Tickets cost $15.

The Rosebuds, April 29, 8 p.m. at Subterranean

The Teenagers too risqué for you? Try some good ol’ fashioned couple-core. This husband-wife team make pretty music that isn’t nearly as R-rated as the above. They have a song about making out, so watch out, but otherwise squeaky-clean music from North Carolina. Tickets cost $12.

Kate Nash, May 2, 7:30 p.m. at The Vic

Somewhere between the shiny pop of Lily Allen and the nose-blowing mess that is Amy Winehouse exists fellow-Brit Kate Nash. She creates music sounding more akin to Ms. Allen’s bouncy pop with sneer-on-face, but with a few dashes of the things that make Ms. Winehouse so fascinating (musically, that is). Kate Nash may not get the same recognition on this side of the pond as those other two, but she creates some great music. Tickets cost $20.

Avoid at all Costs

Ghostland Observatory, May 2, 6 p.m. at Metro

Daft Punk don’t exactly create thinking-people’s music, so I’m saying a lot when I say Ghostland Observatory sound like a special-needs version of that French robot duo. The Austin group load their songs up with cheesy-sounding ’80s synths, but unlike a much smarter group, fail to do anything of interest with them. Daft Punk songs usually have traces of emotion, while Ghostland Observatory just sound like they are capitalizing on the fact Kanye introduced Daft Punk to the less-observant masses. Worst offense of all? These songs aren’t even danceable! Even the dumbest Daft Punk song gets my feet moving, while their stuff makes me want to sit down and read The New York Times. Give me “Toxic” at the random theater party, please. Tickets cost $19.