Written by Patrick McNamara

Let's talk about some good shows happening in NYC this week.*

*April 4th, 2016 - April 10th, 2016 A.D*.

Let's not worry about the sucky shows.

The sucky shows can worry about themselves.

I'm sure they haven't slept a wink in weeks...tossing and turning and wondering why they suck so much.

But again we're not going to worry about that.

Get ready for musical goodness.

Here come the HITS.

Monday - April 4, 2016 A.D.

Billy Corgan and crew (aka Smashing Pumpkins) start the first of three acoustic shows at Beacon Theatre. At the show they just played in LA original SP members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin joined Billy on stage. Now get D'Arcy and we'll be in the real reunion business!

*Smashing Pumpkins was the very first show I ever went to.... unless you count the Christian singer, Carmen, who I saw at Six Flags and had a song called "The Champion" about a "Dirty Harry" type God kicking Satan's ass... I thought Carmen voiced both distinct and demanding roles with aplomb... but I was 11.

**Liz Phair opens all three of those SP shows and she is NO FOOTNOTE her 1993 album "Exile in Guyville" is a total classic and I still listen to it all the time.

Or, if you simply feel like blasting your face off on this mild Monday, Dreamcrusher uses a laptop and a microphone and lights and a dazzling array of fear tactics to make super sick sensory overload shows. It's kind of like going to a haunted house for adults. Go see them at Trans-Pecos if you're not a chicken.... and bring/use earplugs... unless you're a monster.

Other notable Monday shows = Wyatt Cenac's “Night Train" at Littlefield + The Naked and Famous at Music Hall of Williamsburg + Daughter at National Sawdust

SEE ALL OF OUR MONDAY PICKS

Tuesday - April 5, 2016 A.D.

Autolux's heavy swirling post ____ pop has long been in constant rotation here at Rockness HQ (2004's "Future Perfect" is a great album). If you don't know them, might I be so bold as to suggest you start with their 2004 album "Future Perfect?" The L.A. band play their first headlining show in NYC in almost six years (!) tonight at Bowery Ballroom and it's gonna be good. So help me blob.

(Chris) Baio from Vampire Weekend plays Garcia's at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester which, according to Google Maps, is a 52 minute car ride from my apartment (in current traffic) so as much as I love vampires I must respectfully decline attending this show nobody asked me to go to. You should though!

Other notable Tuesday shows = Smashing Pumpkins at Beacon Theater + Stove at Shea Stadium

SEE ALL OF OUR TUESDAY PICKS

Wednesday - April 6, 2016 A.D.

Super solid Milwaukee post ____ punks Jaill play Cake Shop (and tomorrow at Palisades). I've seen this band several times and every time I do I think “damn, Jaill is a good band!" Please come think that with me at this show tonight and then we'll be thinking the same thing, man. Whoa. #weed

(le) poisson rouge has a cool regular series called “On the Rise" that features bands that are... you guessed it... on the rise and tonight's lineup is noisy and dope. Yvette (they're really good live) Pill (best sax of your life) and Dreamcrusher (remember I was talking about them on Monday?) lead the charge of the loud brigade.

Jawbreaker Reunion at Palisades! Jawbreaker Reunion at Palisades! Jawbreaker Reunion at Palisades! (that's the band's name…. Jawbreaker Reunion…. you didn't think I meant the band Jawbreaker was reuniting did you, why that's preposterous how could you have ever gotten that impression I don't do shitty click-bait tactics like that and also CLICK HERE to discover if there's any truth to the rumor that Fugazi is reuniting!).

Other notable Wednesday shows = T-Pain at Music Hall of Williamsburg (free w/ RSVP) + The Men at Union Pool + Acid Mother's Temple at Knitting Factory + Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros at St. Ann & The Holy Trinity

SEE ALL OF OUR WEDNESDAY PICKS

Thursday - April 7, 2016 A.D.

Andrew Bird plays Kings Theatre (and tomorrow at Terminal 5) and really what more can be said about Birdman and his violin that hasn't already been said. He leaves me and his uncle Larry back in French Lick, Indiana completely speechless.

Show Me The Body and Mannequin Pussy lead a SOLID punk lineup at Aviv tonight. Go if you feel like getting blasted. Who doesn't? Always. Forever. Amen.

Other notable Thursday shows = DJ Questlove at Brooklyn Bowl

SEE ALL OF OUR THURSDAY PICKS

Friday - April 8, 2016 A.D.

Post ____ punks Parquet Courts play The Bell House. They're good. You heard it here fifteenth.

(you know, Andrew Bird's uncle Larry used to play on parquet courts...)

TEEN play Baby's All Right. They are a good band.

Do you know who Dwight Twilley is? Well, besides a lifetime of doing other things he also wrote this classic power pop cut in 1975 (blast it below). Maybe he'll play it at Berlin tonight, a show co-presented by Burger Records. Maybe not. Only the gods and Dwight Twilley knows.

Other notable Friday shows = Cloud Cult at Bowery Ballroom + Future Punx at Silent Barn + The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (yeesh) at Barclays Center (double yeesh) but at least this gives me an excuse to post this song again so no complaints

SEE ALL OF OUR FRIDAY PICKS

Saturday - April 9, 2016 A.D.

Indie post ____ legends Yo La Tengo play Loews Jersey Theatre. Fun Fact! The year this band formed film lovers in America just couldn't get enough of “Gremlins" and “Ghostbusters" and “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and “The Karate Kid" and “The Terminator" and “Beverly Hills Cop" (you put a banana in the tail pipe?!) and, damn, 1984 was a pretty good year for movies!

Baltimore's Wildhoney play super solid LOUD post ___ indie pop. See them at Cake Shop tonight (and tomorrow at The Acheron) if you like going to see good bands. If you like going to see bad bands this show will not interest you in the slightest please do not go.

London producer Sophie creates dance fire at a “secret location" tonight and if they don't announce the venue soon this show will be so intimate it will feel like nobody's there!

Other notable Saturday shows = Kool Keith at Joe's Pub + Dead Stars at Palisades

SEE ALL OF OUR SATURDAY PICKS

Sunday - April 10, 2016 A.D.

Chairlift play two shows (the first one at 4:00pm - weird) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Try to go to one or both (if you can get a ticket - no promises) and end the week STRONG.

Other notable Sunday shows = Leverage Models at Baby's All Right + Harmony Tividad from Girlpool at Palisades + Wildhoney and The Spirit of the Beehive at The Acheron

SEE ALL OF OUR SUNDAY PICKS

That's it.

Those are this week's HITS.

Hope this helped lead you towards the light.

Have fun out out there.