Nina Sky
Though Nina Sky sounds like the name of one woman, it’s actually two — and these ladies happen to look and sound exactly alike. These identical twins combine spicy Latin rhythms with classic dance music. Their biggest single, “Move Ya Body,” sounds like it would make as much sense in the club today as it would as an impetus for breakdancers to pop and lock on “Soul Train” in the 1980s. They play tomorrow at the Studio at Webster Hall.
DIIV
The members of DIIV are so fresh-faced, they look like they weren’t even born by the time the bands they seem to be influenced by broke up. Yet the group manages to harness the “woah, something new is happening!” excitement of the early ’90s alternative movement in a way that their contemporaries haven’t been able to do. They play Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday.
King Tuff
Critics often pick up on one thing about an artist and run with it so far that what may have only been a part of the artist’s personality overwhelms him or her. Yes, King Tuff does sing “Stoned and Alone,” but his debut is more than pot-head jams. He makes classic-rock hooks feel fresh and gives energy to fuzzy riffs. He plays Thursday at the Knitting Factory.
Robert Glasper
This jazz artist produces what you’d find if some of the contemporary experimental indie acts dug back into their jazz and hip-hop roots. Glasper brings it to SOB’s tonight.
Generationals
An indie-rock duo from New Orleans, these guys play no-worries jangly indie pop without being too nostalgic. They play Glasslands on Thursday.
MS MR
An ethereal, girl-fronted NYC duo who take a page out of Lana Del Rey’s book and turn it into some mysterious origami animal, MS MR play Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, opening for electro-pop act MNDR.
Andy D and the Weekend
Even if a Metro page designer didn’t play guitar in this band, we would still write enthusiastically about Andy D’s colossally funky stew, which combines Parliament-type, space-age party tunes with the silly fun of old-school rap and the serious shredding of Faith No More. They play at Parkside Lounge on Friday.
Royal Thunder
Saint Vitus, which opened last year in Greenpoint, has become a mainstay of the hard-rock scene, and its CMJ lineup solidifies its posturing. Atlanta-based Royal Thunder caps it off on Saturday with their heavy, ’70s- style riffs. Headbangers rejoice!
NO
Although the post-punk revival of the early 2000s has subsided, the highly un-Googlable L.A.-based NO keep it going with their hard-hitting, anthemic songs. They open for another fave, neo-psych Electric Guest, at Irving Plaza on Saturday.
