One of New York City’s great perks is that there’s new music to check out every night of the week. Here, we highlight three shows that will be fun whether you’re familiar with the bands or not. You might just discover some new music to add to your commuting playlist. Related: Rachel Platten’s commute playlist Who: FOALS UK rock band FOALS new album “What Went Down” is out today and the fivesome is celebrating Stateside tonight at Baby’s All Right with a happy hour for fans from 6-8 p.m. It’s free to get in and drinks are only $3. Their music is pure rock with catchy hooks that will leave you in a good mood for the rest of the weekend. Alt-J has already tweeted his love for the new album, which is a pretty solid endorsement. We suggest getting acquainted with their new songs “Mountain At My Gates” and “What Went Down,” both of which are sure to be the fan favorites of the night. Related: Get to these rock bars (just don’t get rolling drunk) Who:Lawrence Don’t even try to play it cool at Lawrence‘s Mercury Lounge show — you won’t be able to resist clapping along to their soul-pop songs. The eight person band is a little funk and a lot of fun. Despite being such a big band, the songs still have a singer-songwriter feel. Band member Clyde Lawrence is a seriously talented piano player and his sister Gracie can really belt it out. The songs you’ll have stuck in your head all night: “Wake Up,” “Homesick” and “So Damn Fast.” Related: Ed Sheeran may be his generations greatest singer-songwriter but he’s not sure Who: Various Latin, jazz and blues performers Related: VIDEO: Elderly woman shows off sexy salsa dance Want to salsa in the park this weekend? Head up to Harlem for a whole day of live performances by local Latin and world musicians. It’s something the whole family can enjoy and the event is 100 percent free. You definitely won’t want to missGarifuna International’s performance. Hailing from West Africa and Central America, the band does amazing dance stunts while they perform putting on a high-energy show. Related: Turning making music into a family affair Related: 11 things to do in NYC this week Follow Emily on Twitter: @EmLaurence
What: Album release party
When: Tonight, August 28 at 6 p.m.
Where: Baby’s All Right (146 Broadway, Brooklyn)
Price: Free
What:Concert
When: Saturday, August 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Where:Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston St.)
Price:$10 advance; $12 day of show
What: Harlem Meer Performance Festival
When: Sunday, August 30 at 2 p.m.
Where: Central Park, Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (E. 110th St. & Fifth Ave.)
Price: Free
3 (mostly) free concerts to check out this weekend
FOALS/Instagram
