Top 4 shows to see in Ottawa this week

James Burrows, Raw Sugar Café, Thursday, Jan. 22, $10

James Burrows has a husky sincerity to his music that's reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen, with a little of Blue Rodeo's Greg Keelor thrown in.

His single "Disco" is the first taste we've gotten so far of the debut album he plans to release in the spring. Called Paradise Cinema, it's the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign that involved 99 crowdfunders, a target of $3,500, and a promise from James Burrows that his resulting album would be about "life in two countries, a hurricane, neighbourhood remodelling, and an allegory about baking that isn't quite finished."

You can hear how James Burrows's songs measure up to that promise tonight when he plays Raw Sugar Cafe. He'll be joined by Rachael Cardiello, who joins him on the new record. Ottawa's own Birdie Whyte opens the show after 8 p.m. $10.

Frontier Ruckus, Zaphod's, Friday, Jan. 23, $10

On Friday, Zaphod's hosts a band that's been carrying the torch for troubadour folk-rock for over a decade.

Detroit's Frontier Ruckus is fronted by Matthew Milia, a skilled poet whose lyrics are a lot of what has earned the band international attention from outlets like Rolling Stone and NPR.

A melting ice cream cone, parking lot driving lessons, a climb on top of the shed… a lot of Frontier Ruckus songs paint vivid pictures of times that felt simpler, and — in an era when irony is often used as a musical safety net — the band isn't afraid of being earnest.

Besides Frontier Ruckus, Weird With Cats and Lights in August are also performing at Zaphod's on Friday night. 8:30 p.m, $10.

Pierre Lapointe, Shenkman Arts Centre, Friday, Jan. 23, $40.75

It's another busy Friday around town, with Alan Doyle playing a sold-out show at the Centrepointe Theatre and Justin Rutledge at the NAC Studio.

Meanwhile, a handful of local bands can be expected to bring out the crowds, like Zex's show with No Negative and Durs Coeurs at Gabba Hey, or The Strain at the Black Sheep Inn. Pierre Lapointe is definitely one to have on your radar that night, though.

The Gatineau native is an innovator in Canadian music and has a hint of Serge Gainsbourg in his eclectic styles, sensuality and moodiness. Lapointe's newest album, Punkt, borders on manic, bursting with flamboyant trumpets and xylophones one minute, then collapsing the next into eerie, heartbreaking territory.

He'll be performing the album at Harold Shenkman Hall on Friday night. Tickets are $40.75, but only $20 if you're a student. 8 p.m.

Kastle, Babylon, Saturday, Jan. 24, $10

Buzzworthy EDM artist Kastle (who's been previously making music as B. Rich) arrives at Babylon on Saturday night. The DJ and producer whose real name is Barrett Richards grew up in Pennsylvania and taught himself guitar and piano before getting into electronic dance music and eventually settling in LosAngeles.

When you think about what people hear on the dance floor — whether it's bass dropping or 90s trip-hop — you don't tend to think about the producer trying to work philosophical theories into the mix, but Kastle takes what is essentially instinctive music and gets cerebral with it, doing things like representing life's dualities (birth and death, good and bad) by pitching vocals up and down an octave at the same time.

It's worth seizing the chance to catch this exciting producer while he's in town. Also performing at Babylon on Saturday will be Iggy Smalls, So Durand and Foster. 11 p.m., $10.

Listings

Thursday, Jan. 22

- The James Burrows Band @ Raw Sugar w/ Rachael Cardiello, Birdie Whyte 8 p.m., $10

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

- Black Oak Decline @ House of TARG w/ Merdarahta, Auto Racing 9 p.m., $7

- Shawna Caspi @ A Thing for Chocolate 12 p.m., PWYC

- JJ and the PIllars @ The Observatory (Algonquin) w/ The Gallop 9 p.m., free

Friday, Jan. 23

- Frontier Ruckus @ Zaphod's w/ Weird With Cats, Lights in August 8:30 p.m., $10

- Pierre Lapointe @ Shenkman Arts Centre 8 p.m., $40.75 (students - $20)

- Mary Gick & Chris White @ Abbotsford House 7:30 p.m., $7

- The Strain @ Black Sheep Inn w/ Forest Frontier & Mystic Road 8:30 p.m., $10

- Greg Cockerill Band, Steve Marriner @ Irene's 9:30 p.m., $10

- Justin Rutledge @ NAC Studio 8 p.m., $25

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

- David Dino White & Shawna Caspi @ The Branch 9 p.m., $10

- Alan Doyle @ Centrepointe Theatre 8 p.m., SOLD OUT

- The Madafakas @ House of TARG w/ Casa Lagarto, Nightshades 9 p.m., $5

- The Haig @ Leaky B's LaVa Lounge w/ Trunk, Denim Dan & The Helping Hands 8:30 p.m., $5

- Zex, No Negative, Durs Coeurs @ Gabba Hey w/ Ottawa premiers of the films Who Are You Mr. Node and Faces of Emmanuelle 9 p.m., $5

- Wool and Howl @ Avant-Garde w/ Paul Crupi, Dave Lotimer 8 p.m., $5

Saturday, Jan. 24th

- Kastle @ Babylon w/ Iggy Smalls, So Durand, Foster 11 p.m., $10

- The Good Brothers @ North on 29, 7:30 p.m., $35

- Gyptian @ Ritual 10 p.m., $60

- Stone Age Man @ Black Sheep Inn 8:30 p.m., $10

- Onionface @ Avant-Garde w/ Tindervox, Garde Sans Foulard 8 p.m., $5

- Uncle Sean & The Shifty Drifters @ Irene's w/ Big Tobacco & The Pickers 9:30 p.m., $10

- Neverfriend @ Mavericks w/ Emmas Ringer, The Big Muffs 8 p.m., $10

- Dominique Forest @ NAC Fourth Stage 7:30 p.m., $25

- The Drew Nelson Band @ The Rainbow 9:30 p.m., $10

- Chuck & The Karnivores @ Atomic Rooster 4 p.m., free

- The Fays @ Atomic Rooster 10 p.m., free

- The Slow Century @ The Branch w/ Steve Gaw 9 p.m., $5

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

- Raw Raw Riot @ House of TARG w/ Slumlord, Death Stare 9 p.m., $5

- Roddy Elias @ GigSpace w/ Frank Lozano, John Geggie 7:30 p.m., $20

- Loviatar @ Dominion Tavern w/ Monobrow, The Dark Plains 9 p.m., $10

Sunday, Jan. 25

- Bobby Watt & Ecosse @ Black Sheep Inn, Annual Robbie Burns Day Concert 4 p.m., $20

- Vince Halfhide @ Irene's w/ Ann Downey, Michael Ball 9:30 p.m., free

- Open Blues Jam @ The Rainbow w/ River City Junction 4 p.m., free

- Kevin Shofieldd @ The Rainbow 9 p.m., free

- Brothers Chaffey @ Atomic Rooster 6 p.m., free

- Jamie Douglas & friends @ Atomic Rooster 10 p.m., free

- The Good Brothers @ Neat 7:30 p.m., $35

- Rakestar Arkestra @ Raw Sugar 9 p.m., PWYC

Monday, Jan. 26

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

- The Zakari Frantz Trio @ Le Petit Chicago w/ Joe Hincke, Michel Delage 10 p.m., $5

- The Telegrams @ Irene's 9:30 p.m., free

- Sunderlyn @ Zaphod's w/ Archy & Mehitabel, The Jimmy Tri-Tone Band, Cameron Bigger 8 p.m., free

Tuesday, Jan. 27

- Depths of Hatred @ Mavericks w/ Obliterate, Greta Knights, Standing on Oblivion, The Observer Effect, Deathrow Six 7 p.m., $13

Wednesday, Jan. 28

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

- Frank Wain & Tall Paul @ Zaphod's. Presented by CUSA Aboriginal Service Centre & Carleton GSA, 8 p.m., free

- Dr. Dave @ The Rainbow 4 p.m., free

- Capital City Community Choir @ The Rainbow 7 p.m., $5

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