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Top 4 picks for live shows in Ottawa this weekend, next week

Lowell @ House of TARG w/ Noah, Thursday, 9 p.m., $10

The hand claps and shout-along choruses are what first draw fans to Lowell's music, but it's her underlying bite that has made the Toronto-based musician so popular. Her debut full-length album, We Loved Her Dearly, is a glittery rallying cry around issues of feminism and LGBTQ pride. The opening lyrics to "I Love You Money" assert: "You live in a man's world, I tell you I don't want to anymore. Let's sing na na na, and kick you out the door." There's a sense of humour in the rah-rah simplicity of it, but Lowell expertly uses that to her advantage in tackling heavy themes without being overly earnest. Having perfect pitch doesn't hurt, either. Lowell's unique talent will be on display at House of TARG on Thursday night, alongside opener Noah. If you miss her there, she'll be at Neat in Burnstown on Friday.

Philippe B @ NAC Fourth Stage, Friday, 7:30 p.m., $25

Philippe B is a francophone singer-songwriter whose latest album, Ornithologie, la nuit, has earned him a Juno nomination for Francophone Album of the Year. For the most part, "la nuit" is when the record's 14 songs were written, with Philippe B composing late into the night on his piano or guitar, quiet enough that his neighbours wouldn't complain. That led to the birth of the album's central character: a night-owl who roams the streets of Montreal, identifying with the birds he hears in the wee hours. Philippe B even incorporates a bit of ornithology into the music, sampling an old LP full of bird sounds that he would put on in the background while writing songs. Those compositions are calm and powerful, changing in mood as the album transitions from fall at the start to summer at the end. You can see Philippe B perform them live at the NAC Fourth Stage on Friday night.

Sax In the City @ Lansdowne Horticulture Building, Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., free

With Winterlude kicking off this weekend, it's worth touching on some of the music happening during the festivities. The opening ceremony happens Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and features buskers and DJs, but another option gets under way at about the same time, a little further down the canal. Sax In the City is a two-night affair happening in the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park, with an emphasis on — surprise — the saxophone. Both nights get going with the sultry sounds of Sax Appeal, and the lineups feature saxy groups like Bosveld (Friday) and The Souljazz Orchestra (Saturday). The idea, though, is to endow the Horticulture Building with a nightclub atmosphere by showcasing a range of musical styles, from Jack Pine & The Fire and The Franklin Electric on Friday night, to Saturday's show featuring Gold & Marrow and Jeremy Fisher, whose album The Lemon Squeeze is nominated for a Juno in the Adult Alternative category. On both nights, Adam Saikaley is set to round things out with electronic beats to keep the club vibes going. Those club vibes mean the Sax In the City shows are 19+.

Last Ex, Evening Hymns, Scattered Clouds @ St. Alban's, Megaphono Festival, Tuesday, 7 p.m., $15 ($40 for full festival music pass)

Tuesday marks the start of the first ever Megaphono showcase festival. It's being put on by the organization of the same name (briefcase-carrying sibling to Ottawa's Kelp record label) as a way of promoting local bands and facilitating opportunities with the outside world. It means three days of performances, panels and networking sessions, bringing together area musicians with label and agency reps from as far away as New York and Los Angeles. I'll talk more about Thursday's schedule next week, but in the meantime expect to see acts like Fet.Nat, The Yips, Her Harbour, Winchester Warm, Jim Bryson, Steve Adamyk Band, Nightshades, Boyhood, Hilotrons and Buck N' Nice performing at venues from the Elmdale Oyster House to the Diefenbunker. One of the shows kicking things off on Tuesday night is an ethereal one at St. Alban's Church, presented by E-Tron Records and Arboretum Festival. It'll feature Evening Hymns, Scattered Clouds, and a headlining set by Last Ex: the exciting instrumental project of Olivier Fairfield and Simon Trottier, inspired by music concrete and horror movie soundtracks. It's eerie, groovy, atmospheric bliss. A $40 bracelet gets you access to all of Megaphono's musical performances.

LISTINGS

Thursday, Jan. 29

- Lowell @ House of TARG w/ Noah, 9 p.m., $10

- All-Stars Blues Thursdays @ Irene's w/ Rod Williams, 9:30 p.m., free

- Reggae Night w/ Roots Movement @ The Rainbow, 9 p.m., $7

- Chris Angel @ Avant-Garde, 8:30 p.m., free

- G. Grand, Eddie Quotez, Buck N' Nice, Missing LinX, Goliath Paw @ Babylon, The Mix 3rd Year Anniversary, 10 p.m., $10

- Troy Ave @ Ritual, 9 p.m., $17

- Sons of Pluto @ Deacon Brodie's, 8 p.m., free

- August Burns Red @ Bronson Centre w/ Miss May I, Northlane, Fit For a king, Erra, 5:30 p.m., $32.50

- Ron Hynes @ The Branch w/ John Carroll, 8 p.m., $25

- Derek Olive @ A Thing for Chocolate, 7 p.m., PWYC

Friday, Jan. 30

- Philippe B @ NAC Fourth Stage, 7:30 p.m., $25

- Sax In the City @ Lansdowne Horticulture Building, ft. Sax Appeal, Bosveld, Jack Pine & The Fire, The Franklin Electric, 7 p.m., free

- Lowell @ Neat, 7:30 p.m., $15

- Dead Bees, Orienteers, Still Winter Hills @ Black Sheep Inn, 8:30 p.m., $10

- Big Sugar @ Shenkman, 8 p.m., $45

- Ottawa R&B Festival @ Irene's w/ Zydeco Loco, The Rod Williams Band, The Maria Hawkins Band, The Jesse Greene Band, 9 p.m., $10

- The Frank James Band @ The Rainbow, 4 p.m., free

- Fast Romantics, Repartee, The Schminks @ Zaphod's, 8 p.m., $7

- Basil Park, CHOOPS, Syd Perry & Mawe Bahari @ Avant-Garde, 9 p.m., PWYC

- Tine Rufaro Marimba Band @ Shenkman (Richcraft Theatre), 7:30 p.m., $12

- Mental Fix @ House of TARG w/ Dead Weights, Police Funeral, 9 p.m., $5

- Steve Judd & The Underdogs @ The Branch, 9 p.m., $10

Saturday, Jan. 31

- Sax In the City @ Lansdowne Horticulture Building ft. Sax Appeal, Gold & Marrow, Jeremy Fisher, The Souljazz Orchestra, 7 p.m., free

- GOOD2GO @ House of TARG w/ Mere Humans, 9 p.m., $8

- The Peptides @ Black Sheep Inn, 8:30 p.m., $10

- Ottawa R&B Festival @ Irene's w/ Fine Fat Daddy, Big Blues Jam ft. Rocket Rached & The Fat City 8, Drew Nelson, Tody D, Buddy McCann, 9 p.m., $10

- Jam Band Showcase @ Atomic Rooster ft. JK, Radio Caroline, The Puzzles, The Stonerats, Strungout, Boneyard, On the Verge, Crazy Chester, Aye Carrumba, Across the Median, Shark Sandwich, 4 p.m., free

- The Jivewires @ The Rainbow, 9:30 p.m., $10

- Death from Above 1979 @ Bronson Centre w/ METZ, PS I Love You, 7 p.m., SOLD OUT

- MSTRKRFT @ Ritual, 10 p.m., $17

- HIGHS @ Zaphod's w/ Farewell Davidson, Ultraviolet, 8:30 p.m., $10

- Couchwrecked @ Avant-Garde w/ The Faux Tragic Bnd, The Ven Dreddies, 9 p.m., $5

- Eddie & The Stingrays @ The Branch, 9 p.m., $20

- Hawksley Workman @ North on 29, 7:30 p.m., SOLD OUT

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

- Hello Babies, H. de Heutz, Aube @ Black Squirrel Books 2 (1073 Bank St.), 8 p.m., $8

- Canailles @ Le Petit Chicago, 9 p.m., $20

- Improteine @ Shenkman, 3 p.m., $18.50

- Ken Harper Quartet @ GigSpace, 7:30 p.m., $20

- La Esquina de la Rumba @ Cantina Sur, 9:30 p.m., $12

Sunday, Feb. 1

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

- Big Sugar @ Neat, 7:30 p.m., $75

- Wednesday 13, Eyes Set to Kill, Die So Fluid, Patron Saint of Plagues, Creeping Beauty @ Mavericks, 6 p.m., $20

- A Staggering Pace @ The Rainbow, 8:30 p.m., $5

Monday, Feb. 2

- The Latch Key Kids, Archy & Mehitabel, The Contra, Jasen Ridge, Social Butterfly @ Zaphod's, 8 p.m., free

- Bluegrass Mondays @ Pressed, 8 p.m., $7

- Big Sugar @ Neat, 7:30 p.m., $75

- Zakari Frantz Trio @ Le Petit Chicago, 10 p.m., $5

Tuesday, Feb. 3

- Last Ex, Evening Hymns, Scattered Clouds @ St. Alban's, Megaphono Festival, 7 p.m., $15 ($40 full festival music pass)

- Fet.Nat, The Yips, Akoufen @ House of TARG, Megaphono Festival, 10 p.m., $10 ($40 full festival music pass)

- Borgore, Ookay, Jaux, Dotcom @ Barrymore's, 10 p.m., $25

Wednesday, Feb. 4

- Her Harbour, Winchester Warm, Jack Pine & The Fire @ Elmdale Oyster House, Megaphono Festival, 4 p.m., PWYC

- Jim Bryson, Future States, Silver Creek @ The Record Centre, Megaphono Festival, 4 p.m., PWYC

- Steve Adamyk Band, Boyhood, U.S. Girls, Heat, Nightshades, Theaternia & Cabaal & Hard Science @ Diefenbunker Cold War Museum, Megaphono Festival, 6:30 p.m., $15 ($20 adv. w/ bus service -- $40 full festival music pass)

- Hilotrons, Socalled, Buck N' Nice, Training Season @ Ritual, Megaphono Festival, 9:30 p.m., $15 ($40 full festival music pass)

- Mackenzie Rhythm Section, Pony Girl, YAO, SORU @ Avant-Garde, Megaphono Festival, 9 p.m., $10 ($40 full festival music pass)

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

- Kevin Schofield @ The Rainbow, 8:30 p.m., $5

- Chef Bruce & friends @ The Branch, 8 p.m., free

- Swisha-T, Happy Killmore, O.M.H, Stunna & BC, M.I.M.E @ Babylon, 8 p.m., $13

- Alestorm, Swashbuckle, The Dead Crew of Oddwood, The Night Watch, Aenigma @ Mavericks, 7 p.m., $20

- Django Libre @ Le Petit Chicago, 8 p.m., PWYC

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