4 top music picks for Ottawa, Gatineau this week

Pierre Kwenders @ NAC Fourth Stage, Thursday

"Spokesman of modern Africa." That's Pierre Kwenders' self-designated title. While it's a lofty one, to say the least, it's what inspires the bulk of his music. The Montreal-based musician is Congolese, and a devotee of Congolese rumba — but over the course of his album Le Dernier Empereur Bantou you hear everything from Cajun fiddles to the electronic music scene he's come to embrace in Montreal.

- LISTEN: Jessa Runciman shares her picks on Ottawa Morning.

Then there are the lyrics, delivered in five different languages: French, English, Lingala, Kikongo and Tshiluba. Despite often being called a "world" musician, that's a category Pierre Kwenders sees as redundant considering how globalized modern music has become. Ironically, it's the category that's played a part in his Juno nomination; he's up for World Music Album of the Year. Pierre Kwenders performs at the NAC Fourth Stage on Thursday, 7:30 p.m., $20.

The Barr Brothers @ Museum of Canadian History, Friday

On Friday, the Museum of Canadian History is offering up more than its usual fare of interactive educational exhibits. That evening, in association with the City of Gatineau, it'll feature a performance by The Barr Brothers, too. The Montreal foursome, founded by siblings Brad and Andrew Barr, made waves in October with the release of the band's second album, Sleeping Operator.

Nominated for a Juno for Adult Alternative Album of the Year, it's a textured, expertly-crafted collection of anthemic folk songs, each with its own story. The Barr Brothers' performance on Friday takes place in the museum's theatre with doors at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 for the general public, but $32 for seniors and $30 for students.

Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival @ Dominion-Chalmers Church, Saturday

For those of you in danger of forgetting, Saturday is Valentine's Day. This means depending on the significance of this day for you and/or your significant other, you might be doing the date thing. If you're single, bonus — you can make plans autonomously. In either case, there are musical options for a night out — including a visit to Gabba Hey to catch Ultrathin and Birds of Paradise as part of Ottawa Implosion Weekend. While that show might depend on your definition of romantic, a more tender musical experience can be found at Dominion-Chalmers Church, where the second half of the Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival is underway from Friday through Sunday.

Saturday's programming features something called Small Shows in Sacred Spaces, which involves musicians performing separately in different corners of the church. Scott Helman, Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast, Reuben & The Dark and Martha Wainwright are all set to play throughout Dominion-Chalmers between 5:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. To end the night, they'll take part in a tribute concert to Canada's most famous composer of songs of love and hate, Leonard Cohen. Tickets to that show are $50, but $40 if you've gone to one of the earlier performances (which range in price from $25 to $35).

Mauno @ Mugshots, Tuesday

Looking ahead to next week, Tuesday boasts a show to help you break up the work week and still be in bed before midnight, thanks to the 11 p.m. wrap-up time for shows at Mugshots, in the Ottawa Jail Hostel. The members of Mauno are each entrenched in Halifax's music scene, but it's only in the last few months that Nick Everett, Eliza Niemi and Evan Matthews have come together as a trio.

Consequently, the music you can find online from the band is limited to one live performance, recorded by Halifax's Attic Transmissions in someone's living room — and that was enough to make me fall in love with the understated might of their signature East Coast sound and Thom Yorke-style vocals. Mauno headlines Tuesday's show alongside fellow Haligonians Vulva Culture, and Ottawa's Baberaham Lincoln. 8 p.m., $8 (PWYC).

This week's full music listings

Thursday

Pierre Kwenders @ NAC Fourth Stage, 7:30 p.m., $20

Vinx @ Zolas, 8 p.m., $35 ($28 students)

Zakari Frantz Trio @ Lunenburg Pub, 9 p.m., free

Bumpin' Binary @ Mugshots, 9 p.m., free

Kelly Craig @ Salt, 9 p.m., free

Reggae Night w/ Ras Lee & The Vibes @ The Rainbow, 9 p.m., $7

All-Stars Blues Thursdays @ Irene's w/ Jason Fryer & Caroline Addison, 9:30 p.m., free

Sean Brown @ Babylon ft. Kidd Major, Antonyo, 9 p.m., $10

Ray Harris @ A Thing for Chocolate, 7 p.m., $5 (PWYC)

The Sadies @ North on 29, 7:30 p.m., SOLD OUT

Friday

The Barr Brothers @ Canadian Museum of History, 8 p.m., $35

Boyhood @ Gabba Hey w/ Monomyth, Quaker Parents, Ladyboy, Ottawa Implosion Weekend, 8 p.m., $8

Big Dick @ House of TARGw/ The Famines, Ottawa Implosion Weekend, 9 p.m., $5

Roddy Elias Septet: The Music of Kenny Wheeler @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 6:30 p.m., $30

Elizabeth Shepherd @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 7:30 p.m., $30

Esmerine @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 8:30 p.m., $30

The Lost Fingers @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 9:30 p.m., $35

J.M. Farr @ Pressed w/ Davey Quesnell, 8 p.m., $8

Barry & The Blasters @ Black Sheep Inn, Old Forge fundraiser, 8:30 p.m., 420

Bill Durst @ Irene's, 9:30 p.m., $10

Better Living Through Chemistry, No Fly List @ Zaphod's, 8 p.m., $5

Yaa-Hemaa @ The Daily Grind, 9 p.m., $10

The Dead Peasants Revolt, No Chaser, Destroyer Scene, Durs Coeurs, Acid Overdose, Shooting Blanx, Better Homes for Meaner People @ Montgomery Legion, 7:30 p.m., $8

Jazz Latte Trio @ The Branch, 7 p.m., PWYC

Steve Berndt @ La Grange de la Gatineau w/ Brian Browne, 8 p.m., $20 ($30 w/ dinner)

Mark Alcorn @ Centretown Royal Oak, 5:30 p.m., free

Ian Clyne @ Sterling Restaurant, 6:30 p.m., free

The Frank James Band @ The Rainbow, 3 p.m., free

Laura Rain & The Cesars @ The Rainbow, 9:30 p.m., $10

Ed Lister Quartet @ Brookstreet Hotel, 8 p.m., free

Lee Anne Frederickson Quartet @ Savoy Brasserie, 9 p.m., free

Saturday

Scott Helman @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 5:45 p.m., $25

Reuben & The Dark @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 7:15 p.m., $35

Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 6:30 p.m., $35

Martha Wainwright @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 8:30 p.m., $35

Leonard Cohen Tribute @ Dominion-Chalmers ft. Scott Helman, Reuben & The Dark, Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast, Martha Wainwright, Winter Jazz Festivalj, $50 ($40 w/ purchase of ticket to an earlier show that day)

Ultrathin @ Gabba Hey w/ Birds of Paradise, Chloroform, Plasmalab, Ottawa Implosion Weekend, 9 p.m., $6

Cyprian @ Mugshots w/ Pith & The Parenchymas, Crack Mansions, 8 p.m., $5

Remi Royale @ House of TARG, 9 p.m., $5 (before 10 p.m.; $7 after 10 p.m.)

The Sadies @ Neat, 7:30 p.m., SOLD OUT

G P.M. @ Algonquin Commons Theatre, 6:30 p.m., $21.50

Rockin' Jimmy Cochrane @ Atomic Rooster, 4 p.m., free

Heartache & Hookups @ Atomic Rooster ft. Small Black Dog, Fabien, 10 p.m., free

Pleasure Craft @ Irene's, 9:30 p.m., $10

From Them @ Avant-Garde w/ Alanna Sterling, Purple, 8 p.m., $8

John Dumelo, D-Black @ Ritual, 10 p.m., $20

Lucky Ron @ The Lafayette, 4 p.m., free

Midnight Romeo @ Le Petit Chicago, 9 p.m., $12

Michel Louvain @ Shenkman, 8 p.m., SOLD OUT

Here and There Our Musical Roots @ SAW Gallery, 10 p.m., $15

The Horny Bitches @ Cafe Dekcuf w/ Sumo Cyco, Pitchfork, Murder State, Four-Stroke, 7 p.m., $10

Craig Cardiff @ Black Sheep Inn, 2 p.m., $20 ($10 for kids/teens/students)

Craig Cardiff @ Black Sheep Inn, 8:30 p.m., $20

Alex Moxon, Michel Delage, Martin Newman @ Arc, 6 p.m., free

Peter Liu & Garry Elliott @ Zolas, 6 p.m., free

Pierre Monfils & Anouk-Michelle Gregoire @ Brookstreet, 8 p.m., free

Don Reid @ The Branch, 6:30 p.m., PWYC

Ian Clyne @ Sterling Restaurant, 6:30 p.m., free

Karen Oxorn @ GigSpace, 7:30 p.m., $20

Elise Letourneau & Tim Bedner @ Festival Japan, 7 p.m., free

Sunday

Pregnancy Scares @ Gabba Hey w/ Subsistench, Sick Nurse, Sailor Jupiter, Ottawa Implosion Weekend, 3 p.m., $6

Mary Margaret O'Hara, Peggy Lee, Aidan Closs @ Dominion-Chalmers, Winter Jazz Festival, 7 p.m., $25

Tim Crofts @ Raw Sugar, Improvising Musicians of Ottawa-Outaouais, 7 p.m., PWYC

Cooper MacLaren @ Irene's, 9:30 p.m., free

Craig Cardiff @ Black Sheep Inn, 4 p.m., $20

Wicked Grin @ Atomic Rooster, 6 p.m., free

Al Wood @ Atomic Rooster, 10 p.m., free

Open Blues Jam @ The Rainbow w/ The Feel, 3 p.m., $3

Monday

Alex Bilodeau @ Le Petit Chicago, 10 p.m., $5

Bluegrass Monday @ Pressed, 8 p.m., $7

Shishya Sadhana @ Algonquin Commons Theatre, 6:30 p.m., $15

Caparosa, Archy & Mehitabel, Soul in Stone, Project Mantra @ Zaphod's, 8 p.m., free

Tuesday

Mauno @ Mugshots w/ Vulva Culture, Baberaham Lincoln, 8 p.m., $8 (PWYC)

Carousel Kings, Bearings, City Limits, Lees Avenue @ Leaky B's LaVa Lounge, 7 p.m., $12

Bettye Lavette @ Neat w/ The Walkervilles, 7:30 p.m., $100

Shred Kelly @ Cafe Dekcuf w/ Loon Choir, Peas & Carrots, 8 p.m., $10

Nickelback @ Canadian Tire Centre, 8 p.m., $25-95

Wednesday

Django Libre @ Le Petit Chicago, 8 p.m., free

Tara Holloway @ Atomic Rooster, 8 p.m., free

Dr. Dave @ The Rainbow, 3 p.m., free

Dave Gunning @ Irene's, 9:30 p.m., $20

Sidewalk Chalk @ Babylon w/ Alex Silas & The Subterraneans, CrooKid Bass, Spitten Image, Lost Kids, 8 p.m., $15

John Carroll @ The Lafayette, 8 p.m., free

Rich Homie Quan @ Ritual, 9 p.m., $35

Brian Downey @ The Black Irish Pub, 7 p.m., free