HERE’S a chance to see the Raveonettes, one of the coolest, most mesmerizing bands to emerge in the last few years, at a small-ish venue – the Bowery Ballroom (6 Delancey St., at Bowery; [212] 533-2111).
The Dutch retro rockers, with singer/guitarist Sune Rose Wagner and singer/bassist Sharin Foo, write songs in the spirit of Buddy Holly as well as the Brit rockers Jesus and Mary Chain.
Their tunes, loaded with fuzzy guitars and compelling beats, have a pop formula – songs are under three minutes – and were written with a love for the hits of the late ’50s and early ’60s.
The Raveonettes headline on Thursday night. The Rogers Sisters and Essex open.
TONIGHT: RockFour, a psychedelic pop quartet from suburban Tel Aviv, and Philadelphia’s Lilys will co-headline a night of bands from Rainbow Quartz, an indie label leaning toward the guitar pop groove, at the Knitting Factory (74 Leonard St.; [212] 219-3006).
Other bands slated for the night include the Winnerys, the Contrast, Myracle Brah and the Gripweeds – six short but sweet sets.
Ozomatli plays funk rock on a base of Latin rhythms bouncing off hip-hop beats. The East L.A. group got arrested in Austin, Texas, at the South by Southwest Music Fest for taking their feel-good conga line out on the street. That’s unlikely to happen at the Bowery Ballroom tonight, when the dance-incentive music collective performs, along with Cordero.
TUESDAY: The M’s, a Brit-pop-ish foursome from Chicago, couldn’t get arrested at last year’s SXSW Music Fest, but this year, they were the talk of Austin and meeting with high-powered rock lawyers.
The glam-ified group, which has a new self-titled album, bring their powerful harmonies and hooks to the Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston St.; [212] 260-4700) along with Blue October and Bell X1.
THURSDAY: Katie Melua’s a 19-year-old who’s sold more than a million records in the U.K., pushing both Norah Jones and Dido out of the No. 1 chart spot. Pretty good for an indie artist.
Born in the former U.S.S.R. and now living in London, Melua got a break when a British DJ spun her “The Closest Thing To Crazy” single on the air, then she was asked to perform for the queen at the “Royal Variety” show, the U.K.’s most prestigious annual TV show.
She sings in the bluesy/jazzy/standards vein, a la Jones, and plays her first U.S. gig at Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette St.; [212] 539-8770).
THROUGH MAY 15: “Nuggets” is an indie-spirited art show curated by Mike McGonigal, Seattle-based founder of underground arts mag Yeti.
The show at the Big Cat Gallery (28 E. Second St.; [212] 982-6210), features works from 20 artists, including John Donohue (a New Yorker editor who does lots of those rocker illustrations), Carson Ellis (the “house artist” for the Decemberists), Brooklyn photographer Michael Galinsky (a filmmaker, “Horns and Halos”) and San Francisco singer Devendra Banhart.