J.R. TAYLOR

5/3: Spare us another Tiggi Clay, but Van Hunt is a fine throwback to post-Prince when Prince mattered (Beacon Theater; also 5/8 @ The Canal Room). Meanwhile, Flickerstick still appears in clubs instead of on Celebrity Cooking Showdown (Crash Mansion).

5/4: The major-label debut of Animal Years casts Josh Ritter as a folksy storyteller, but he can't compete with Hee Haw's surviving stars; Hem opens as fellow artists who think they improve on '60s country pop by making it unlistenable (Bowery Ballroom through 5/5). Isis is fine lofty metal and Dälek is sulphur-spewing hip-hop, but arrive early for opener Zombi's synthy trance tunes fueled by MDMA from Dr. Butcher, M.D. (Avalon).

5/5: Choose from plunking art-school projects trying to pass for pop like Minus The Bear (Warsaw)-who can't match the proggish immediacy of Spock's Beard (B.B. King's). Depressing venues: Black 47 celebrates their career comp (Bowery Poetry Club), The Business pretends they're keeping it real (CBGB), INXS laughs and laughs (Radio City Music Hall).

5/6: The Compulsions are a fine band for types who can't get caught listening to Bad Company (The Delancey). Captured! By Robots remains a grand theatrical evening of man controlled by machines that's like synth-punk, classic rock and a touch of gospel (Northsix).

5/7: It'd be better if they were boybots, but The Click Five is a lot of fun as a calculatedly cool power-pop act in matching suits (Irving Plaza).

5/8: Wimps don't get to make Target ads, but with In Colour's fragile pop, The Concretes prove that they can't separate the fey from the twee-not that they'd want to be separated (Bowery Ballroom).

5/9: The Life And Times go alt-rock for emo fans who need U2 without tears; Pelican go instrumental for math-rock fans who can't divide AC/DC; Mono come from Japan, where cultural and time differences keep the sun from setting on sweeping post-rock (Avalon).