The Big Gigs: This week's big shows to watch for

With the Strokes on break for the past year, drummer Fabrizio Moretti became the second member to launch a solo/side project, Little Joy. The group features his girlfriend, Binki Shapiro, plus fellow Brazilian Rodrigo Amarante of the cool band Los Hermanos. Their debut record -- like the solo work of Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. -- closely echoes Moretti's other band, but with a more laid-back, folkier vibe and playful dashes of organ, accordion and Latin-ish beats. We're only the third stop on their tour. The Dead Trees open. (9 p.m. today, Station 4. 18 & older. $10-$12.) (C.R.)

Last seen opening for Paramore at the State Fair, emo band Jack's Mannequin could well be playing its own Fair-sized headlining gigs next year following the release of its second album, "The Glass Passenger." The album debuted at No. 8 last month and is earning strong reviews, in large part for its dramatic songs built off frontman Andrew McMahon's personal battle with leukemia. McMahon is keeping it personal on tour, playing smaller venues that are selling out fast. Treaty of Paris and Fun open. (6:15 p.m. today, Varsity Theater. Sold out.) (C.R.)

Chicago's folk-bluegrass group Cornmeal might remind you of Jerry Garcia's Old and in the Way. The folks behind the Jammy Awards dug Cornmeal enough to name "Feet First," the group's third CD, the new groove of the year. Tasty stuff. Opening is 56 Hope Road. (9:30 p.m. today, Cabooze, $12.) (J.B.)

Macho-rock kingpins Eagles of Death Metal -- rowdy frontman Jesse Hughes, with Queens of the Stone Age leader Josh Homme on drums -- offer up the usual hard-rock swagger and tongue-wagging on their third (and best) album, "Heart On." Since they were born out of the so-called "Desert Sessions" a decade ago, the California rockers built up a reputation mainly through live shows, where Hughes' rock-starry antics take flight. British quintet the Duke Spirit, led by smoky howler Liela Moss, opens. (9 p.m. Sat., Fine Line. 18 & older. $18-$20.) (C.R.)

Another band from the Great Northwest newly signed to Sub Pop and earning attention from bloggers and stations like the Current, Blitzen Trapper offers a wide gamut of styles on its new album, "Furr," ranging from Neil Young-like hippie twang to Beck-style hipster folk to the howling garage-rock of "Love U." The disc is a bit too stick-to-the-wall, but the Portland, Ore., sextet certainly sticks out as promising. Horse Feathers, another Portland band on Kill Rock Stars, and These United States open. (9 p.m. Sat., Turf Club. $10-$12.) (C.R.)

After landing the bawdy late-'90s hits "Lit Up" and "Check Your Head," Buckcherry seemed headed toward a lifetime of ribfests and other has-been gigs. But the GNR-like rockers made an unlikely comeback in 2006 with the power-ballad "Sorry" and the snide hit "Crazy Bitch." They keep the bad-boy thing going strong on their new disc, "Black Butterfly," led by the single "Too Drunk..." They're on a co-headlining tour with fellow California metalheads Avenged Sevenfold, who landed last year's rock-radio hit "Almost Easy." (8 p.m. Sat., Roy Wilkins Auditorium. $37.50.)(C.R.)

Led by two guys from Wasilla, Alaska (no kidding), Portugal. the Man had started to earn a buzz back before anyone knew who Sarah Palin was. The psychedelic quartet's third album, "Censored Colors," has a freaky funk sound and vintage hippie charm that makes it a wise tour partner with the lovable and bombastic New York soul-rock trio Earl Greyhound. Wintersleep opens. (6:30 p.m. Sun., Varsity Theater. All ages. $12-$14.) (C.R.)

After signing with Blue Note Records and touring with Norah Jones, Amos Lee got dubbed as the male Norah. It fit, for a moment, because his first album was appealingly mellow. But the Philly soul man has gotten more energetic and bluesier. Opening for Bob Dylan apparently rubbed off on him, judging from some of his story songs on "Last Days at the Lodge," his third album. Opening is L.A. singer/songwriter Priscilla Ahn, whose music, like Lee's, has been heard on "Grey's Anatomy."(7:30 p.m. Mon. O'Shaughnessy, College of St. Catherine, 2004 Randolph, St. Paul, $22-$26.) (J.B.)

If you thought we saw all sides of the omnipresent Tom Morello during the Republican National Convention, the Rage Against the Machine guitarist is returning with yet another new act. Touring again as the Nightwatchman to support his seething second disc, "The Fabled City," he will perform a solo/acoustic set and then be joined by a new band for some of the album's electrified tracks. The Coup's activist rapper Boots Riley opens the show and might do a song or two with Morello, too. (8 p.m. Tue., Fine Line. 18 & older. $25.) (C.R.)

Swedish death-metal band In Flames -- yeah, what about Sweden produces such cryptic and brutal musicmakers (Abba aside)? -- have been banging around since 1990. After a few Ozzfests and other big U.S. tours, the group is enjoying a strong stateside reception for its frenzied ninth album, "A Sense of Purpose." It's on tour with fellow black and bleak noisemakers All That Remains, Gojira and 36 Crazyfists. (8 p.m. Wed., Myth. All ages. $22.50-25.) (C.R.)

Fresh from its tour with the Fratellis, '80s-styled Texan dance-rock quartet Electric Touch is now out playing Hard Rock Cafes around the country as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Don't let the cheesy location keep you from supporting a good cause and a promising, if a bit prefab, band. (9 p.m. Thu., Hard Rock Cafe, 600 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls. All ages. $5.) (C.R.)

Southern soul man Anthony Hamilton is a throwback to the Bill Withers brand of conversational crooning. And that's a good thing. His new single "Cool," with David Banner adding an edgy vibe, is a breezy love song. It's featured on his sixth album, "Point of It All," due Dec. 2. Hamilton also has contributed to recent recordings by Young Jeezy, Al Green, Dr. Dre, T-Pain and Randy Jackson, plus the new Nat King Cole Christmas album. He also sings the title tune for the new movie "Soul Men." He'll get here, fresh from a "Tonight Show" appearance Thursday. (10 p.m. today, Epic, $25-$40.) (J.B.)

A young Atlanta-bred country act newly signed to Atlantic Records, the Zack Brown Band just made its debut on the "Grand Ole Opry" and is garnering radio play, CMT airtime and loads of iTunes downloads with its yahoo-vibed first single, "Chicken Fried." All this and the local tour date are part of a buildup to the group's debut album, "The Foundation," in two weeks. (8 p.m., Wed., Cabooze. 18 & older. $12-$14.) (C.R.)

Taking a page from TV's Stephen Colbert, who debates himself in a segment called "Formidable Opponent," brilliant Scottish jazz guitarist Martin Taylor plays a dozen duets with himself on the new CD "Double Standards," through the magic of studio recording. A mild-mannered virtuoso who's held his own against guitar greats of jazz (Joe Pass, Barney Kessel), rock (Jeff Beck) and country (Chet Atkins), he shares a show dubbed "The Two Martins" with another six-string guru: British folk mainstay Martin Simpson, a headliner in his own right who sings a bit, veers occasionally into old blues classics and also plays fine banjo. (8 p.m. Sat., Cedar Cultural Center. $18-$20.) (T.S.)

Born in Paris and raised in Toronto and Arles, France, guitar ace Jesse Cook offers a slick mix of nuevo flamenco, smooth jazz, world folk, new age music, and instrumental pop. He's an excellent, versatile poet of the fretboard, albeit aggressively commercial in his recordings, best known for his frequent gypsy flourishes. Cook has collaborated with the Chieftains, Holly Cole, Ron Sexsmith, Tony Levin of King Crimson and even Buckwheat Zydeco, while Jay Leno viewers may have seen him accompanying Welsh singer Charlotte Church a few years back. (7 & 9:30 p.m. Mon.-Tue., Dakota Jazz Club. $25-$35.) (T.S.)

California's king of the congas, Poncho Sanchez, plays lots of bristling Latin jazz and hot salsa for dancers, slipping in soul-music covers for good measure. His latest album, "Raise Your Hand," is his most R&B-friendly yet, with guest shots by recent Twin Cities visitors Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd, sax by Maceo Parker, and covers of "Shotgun" and "Knock on Wood." So expect a funky good time as the Ordway clears space in front of its stage for dancers at this "Planet Ordway" event. (8 p.m. Wed., Ordway Center. $15-$25.) (T.S.)

Local jazz drummer Steve Jennings debuts his new band, Story City, co-anchored by bassist Terry Burns. Concentrating on the songs of Pat Metheny and Michael Brecker, plus a few Burns originals, the band also features multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Steve Faison, saxophonist Andrew Schwandt, keyboardist Fred Goetz and guitarist Karl Koopman. (7 p.m. Wed., McNally-Smith Auditorium, 19 E. Exchange St., St. Paul. 651-291-0177.) (T.S.)

After wonderful shows with his Symmetric Orchestra at the Dakota in January, Malian kora master Toumani Diabate is back all by himself, touring in support of a landmark solo release on Nonesuch Records, "The Mande Variations." A staggeringly good soloist on his 21-stringed, gourd-bottomed harp -- an instrument crucial to the traditional music of West Africa -- Diabate comes from a long line of kora players (71 generations, reportedly). He's previously shared his magic gracefully on CDs with artists as diverse as Taj Mahal, BjÖrk and jazz trombonist Roswell Rudd. Highly recommended. (7:30 p.m. Thu., Cedar Cultural Center. $25-$30.) (T.S.)

Don't ask me to choose among Beethoven's 16 string quartets. They're all beyond praise -- and heard here less often than you might think. But you can catch six of them with the dashing Pacifica Quartet, which last season performed the complete cycle in New York, Northern California and points between. Saturday's program offers Nos. 6, 11 and 15 (Op. 132); Sunday's, Nos. 2, 10 and 14 (Op. 131). What better way for the Music in the Park Series to celebrate its 30th anniversary? (4 p.m. Sat. & Sun., St. Anthony Park United Church of Christ, 2129 Commonwealth Av., St. Paul. $25; $40 for both. 651-645-5699 or MusicInThe ParkSeries.org.) (L.F.)

Anton Bruckner, as was his wont, kept tampering with his wonderful Fourth Symphony. Completed in 1874, it was revised in 1878-80 and again in 1888. It's this late version, embodied in a new edition by ex-University of St. Thomas professor Benjamin Korstvedt, that Osmo Vänskä has chosen for his performances next week with the Minnesota Orchestra. Cellist Steven Isserlis, always a welcome visitor, is soloist in John Tavener's "The Protecting Veil," in which the cello represents the Virgin Mary. (11 a.m. Thu., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. 8 p.m. next Fri., Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Av., St. Paul. $21-$83. 612-371-5656 or MinnesotaOrchestra.org.) (L.F.)

Contributors: Staff critics Jon Bream and Chris Riemenschneider and freelancers Tom Surowicz and Larry Fuchsberg.