Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
400 Bar

I’ve never met a funky mood that couldn’t be cured (or at least well soothed) by the funky soul stylings of Aretha Franklin, Al Green or James Brown. Whenever I’m feeling particularly burdened—by “the man” or lack of a man—I cue up “Dr. Feelgood” to massage my spirit and recharge my soul. Now, thanks to a fiesty friend who also self-medicates with the sweet sounds of soul CDs as a means to propel her out of the doldrums, I can add Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings to my musical Rx list. Ms. Jones began her vocal career like many, in church, but it wasn’t long before she was center stage as the lead singer of a funk band. Over the years she’s performed with The Four Tops, Peaches and Herb, The Drifters and Maceo Parker. These days she’s heading her own band with help from the Dap Kings—a dynamite lineup of musicians formerly of The Soul Providers and The Mighty Imperials. Go ahead, get your groove on. 8 p.m. $8. 400 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-332-2903. Nancy Sartor

DJ Spooky
Coffman Theater

A true renaissance man, DJ Spooky (aka Paul D. Miller in the work-a-day world) is a world renowned conceptual artist, writer and musician. He brings all those talents to bear simultaneously in his live multimedia presentation “Rhythm Science,” in which Spooky breaks down the history of digital art and media from the viewpoint of an artist who uses “found objects” as a DJ. The lecture presentation will focus on how DJ culture has evolved out of the same technologies that are used for digital media and art. One would be hard pressed to find a speaker more authoritative to hold sway on the subject, as no other recording musician’s career has done more to further the concept of DJ-as-artists than Spooky’s voluminous (and generally stellar) recorded and written output. A man just as likely to craft a head-spinning Metallica remix as pen his own science fiction work, this lecture provides the rare firsthand chance to catch a visionary’s mind at work. 8 p.m. $5 for U of M students / $7 general public. 300 Washington Ave. SE, Mpls. 612-624-INFO. DJ Fat Beats

Steel Pulse
Fine Line Music Café

Reggae sensations Steel Pulse have been heatin’ things up for more than 30 years, and from the sound of their latest album, African Holocaust, they’ve still got fire in their bellies. Known for delivering powerful socio-political messages that focus on race, social injustice, war and the environment, the Grammy nominated African Holocaust is based on 700 years of struggle by African descendants around the world. Band members—who hail from Birmingham, England—strictly observe Rastafarian spiritual beliefs, and the group’s message of universal love remains the centerpiece of their music. C’mon down and feel the love. 9 p.m. $28 adv / $30 door. 318 N. 1st Ave., Mpls. 651-989-5151. Sartor

The Comas
The Triple Rock Social Club

Who knew Michelle Williams would be directly responsible for one of the finer space-pop offerings of the year? Turns out the former “Dawson’s Creek” star had struck up a long-term relationship with Comas front man Andy Herod (the show taped in the same North Carolina town where the Comas reside), and the dissolution of their partnership sent Herod spiraling into the depression that eventually morphed into the creative surge for his group’s latest album, Conductor. Recorded with Sparklehorse sound maestro Alan Weatherhead in the production chair, Herod’s band captures some of Mark Linkous’ spooked American Gothic vibe on Conductor but generally keeps its head in the stars, a woozy swirl of keyboards and strings prettying up Herod’s electric post-punk tuneage. Anyone let down by Grandaddy’s perfunctory Sumday will find the album they should have made if they’re willing to give Conductor a spin. With Rogue Wave, Vietnam. 9 p.m. $8. 21+. 629 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-333-7399. Rob van Alstyne

Electro-Punk Rock: Telephone!/Avenpitch/The Mystechs & UCKF
The Kitty Cat Klub

Calling all ‘80’s addicts! Break out your skinny ties, fingerless gloves and glitter nail polish... The champagne will sparkle twice as bright when Minneapolis Electro-punks TELEPHONE! and Avenpitch join forces with Chicago’s lords of laptop mayhem The Mystechs to celebrate UCKF’s debut release 3 (Omega Point Records). Music for Charity will also be present with 30% of various artists’ sets scheduled to benefit the Bridge for Runaway Youth. 9 p.m. $5. 21+. 315 14th Ave. SE, Mpls. 612-331-9800. Electro Suzy

Flyhard Jenkins Musical Variety Show
Acadia Café

Not much is known about Flyhard Jenkins, including his real name or where he’s been for the last 10 years. Of his nickname he says, “I’m going against the spin…you got to fly hard when they’re trying to hold you down.” Jenkins believes it’s essential for “different races of people to hear each others’ music” and has assembled a rich trio of eclectic players to do just that in “The Flyhard Jenkins Musical Variety Show” this weekend at Acadia Cafe. Celtic rockers The Murphy Twins will be joined by Horace Greeley the Lesser and Srazhalys, whose gypsy inspired tunes showcase the balalaika, domra, guitar and acoustic bass. After the music, stick around for a 9 p.m. show of “Donovan’s Brain,” a restaging of the 1944 radio drama about a doctor whose creepy science experiment goes frighteningly awry. Presented by Walking Boxes Productions. 7:30 p.m. $5 - $7. Corner of Nicollet & Franklin, Mpls. 612-874-8702. Sartor

Superdanger
The Dinkytowner

Three youngsters putting the “power” back into the “power” trio format, Superdanger have come out of the gate swinging with a four song slab of sweetness on their self-titled debut EP. Featuring Jake Hanson (who mans guitar in Cowboy Curtis) on the drums, Scott Hefte on bass and Caleb Rick on guitar, the band first played under the self-deprecating moniker of Caleb the Jerk before switching recently to the far sexier Superdanger tag. Arguably the lightest and most pop-oriented act on the typically hard-edged Afternoon Records roster, Superdanger’s crystalline jangly electric guitar pop goes down plenty smooth (with just the right bursts of jagged distortion thrown in to keep listeners on their toes). All band members share vocal duties and drop pleasant cooing overdubs behind whoever takes the lead and Rick’s vocal chords bear more than a passing resemblance to the Shins’ James Mercer - here’s hoping the band finds similar McDonald’s sized success. With Tapes ‘n Tapes, Dumptruck. 6 p.m. $5. All Ages. 412 ½ 14th Ave. SE, Mpls. 612-362-0427. van Alstyne

Habib Koite
Cedar Cultural Center

Habib Koite is hot. He’s been a favorite in Europe for more than 10 years, and he’s bringing that African heat to the Cedar Cultural Center this weekend. Koite plays native Mali music in the griot tradition, but he also adapts traditional music to his own songs. Warm up a little and enjoy. 7:30 p.m. $18/$20. 416 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-338-2674. Ed Felien

Shivaree
The 400 Bar

The members of Shivaree have hung with Joe Henry (he produced their 1999 debut
I Oughtta Give You A Shot In The Head for Making Me Live In This Dump) and toured with Tom Waits (keyboardist Danny McGough was once a member of the king of musical gutter bums band), so it comes as little surprise that the group is plenty adept at nourishing sophisti-pop. The third album pairing of the flat-out gorgeous voice of Ambrosia Parsley with bandmates/co-songwriters McGough and Duke McVinnie, Who’s Got Trouble? is an intoxicating cocktail of forward thinking adult pop that thinks nothing of jumping from late night jazz inflected ballad crooning (“Lost In A Dream”) to spy-movie soundtrack theatrics with Latin flair (“Little Black Mess”). Too eclectic to be described in the space I’m limited to here, you’ll just have to check out the wide-ranging merits of Shivaree for yourself in person. With TBA. 9 p.m. $8 adv/ $10 door. 21+. 400 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-332-2903. van Alstyne

Grizzly Bear
The Uptown Bar

Grizzly Bear’s debut, Horn of Plenty, is a collection of hazy fractured folk born from the mind of home-recording enthusiast/main grizz Ed Droste and birthed almost entirely within walls of his tiny Greenpoint apartment in Brooklyn. A collision of organic and electronic textures, half-whispered melodies and murky sound atmospherics, Grizzly Bear’s enveloping musical fog isn’t for everyone, but for the hardy sonic adventurer there’s plenty of riches hidden away in the album’s labyrinthine twists and turns. Touring now as a three piece with the addition of bandmates Christopher Bear (nice coincidence on the name) and Chris Taylor, the band has apparently been busting out a clarinet on stage in addition to a slew of electronics. Should prove to be a blast for unconventional music lovers of all stripes. With The Evening Glow, Thousand Void Crush. 9 p.m. Free. 21+. 3018 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. 612-823-4719. Nathan Dean

Jesse Malin
The Fine line Music Café

Native-New-Yorker-denim-rocker Jesse Malin is already somewhat of a star overseas, where he’s released both a live album and DVD recently, so fresh off a sold out tour of England he’s back to try and conquer his native shores once more, still touring in support of his solid sophomore effort The Heat. Although perhaps a little too refined and ponderous compared to his relentless debut, the Ryan Adams-produced Fine Art of Self-Destruction, The Heat still brings plenty of spark (particularly on the chugging anthem “Hotel Columbia,” which features former ’Mats wunderkind and current Malin drinking buddy Tommy Stinson on backing vocals). Already a personal favorite of too many superstars to name (Springsteen’s a particularly ardent devotee), it only seems a matter of time before Malin’s charismatic rough-hewn folkie take on concrete jungle rock breaks through to the mainstream. This outing should prove quite different from the blazing full band rock show he laid down at the 400 Bar a few tours past, as he’s opting for a stripped down show performing with keyboardist/vocalist Christine Smith as his sole accompaniment. With fantastic local pop group the Vestals in a rare acoustic duo performance by brothers/co-front men Ben and Jeremy Gordon. Catch them now as the band is in the process of starting work on Vestals LP No. 2, and future local performances should prove scarce for the near future. 7 p.m. $11 adv / $13 door. 21+. 318 First Ave. N., Mpls. 612-338-8100. van Alstyne