Dave Alvin - Dave Alvin's Blasters days maybe over, but he remains a master American storyteller and guitarist, where simple words turn into a happy reminiscence or a bulging lump in the throat. This is a fine chance to see Alvin play tunes from his recent recording Ashgrove in a very intimate setting. With Jeff Williams. The Evening Muse (Shukla)

Green Day - Somewhere along the line (see 2000's Warning), Green Day outgrew its pop-punk influences, and became a real band. They'd always been great nostalgists for the early British punk : The Jam, Buzzcocks, The Undertones and the Clash : acts combining punk urgency with three-chord pop songs. However, Green Day's last two albums : including last year's American Idiot : have presented a band that's matured into something much more interesting. Is it too much to ask for the same of Blink-182 and Sum 41? Cricket Arena (Parker)

Mosquitos - Expect a lingering tropical fever once bitten by these Mosquitos, a trio consisting of Brazilian vocalist Juju Stulbach and Americans Chris Root (vocals and guitar) and Jon Marshall Smith (keyboards and samples). The Mosquitos blend whimsical Brazilian bossa nova with moody, alterna-pop for a caressing sound that quickly infects the senses. Stulbach's breathy vocals are at once sultry and divine, especially on their recent 2nd recording Sunshine Barato. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)

THURSDAY 4.21

Cee-Lo - Before there was Li'l John, there was Goodie Mob, who helped establish the Dirty South sound during the mid-90s. Cee-Lo bolted the group in 2000, taking his trademark croon and Southern soul style to Arista (see: the since departed L.A. Reid), where they tried to craft another hit on the order of Atlanta peers Outkast's Stankonia. While Cee-Lo's yet to produce anything that big or hot, he has continued to prove flamboyantly idiosyncratic and mighty entertaining. Neighborhood Theatre (Parker)

FRIDAY 4.22

Kings of Mexico - No, this isn't a mariachi rave-up or a Norteno hoedown. The former Columbia, SC, band crafts pop similar to Death Cab but also does the beautiful downer thing as in acoustic Songs:Ohia (er, pardon me, make that Magnolia Electric Co.). Kings of Mexico moved to Charlotte to stake out some new turf and expand their fan base, another positive sign for the local music scene : and with this trio, that sounds like it could be a mutually beneficial relationship. Visulite Theatre (Schacht)

Lanky - Lanky is a songwriter/troubadour with a comforting voice and perky acoustic guitar-led vibe. His latest recording, Odd Hour Work Wee,k is akin to a bright and sunny spring day. And what's wrong with that? With Tony Scalzo. The Evening Muse (Shukla)

SATURDAY 4.23

Beatles Tribute Night - A host of local musicians get to live out their Lennon and McCartney (not to mention Starr and Harrison) fantasies. For more info on this year's tribute, see our See & Do section. The Evening Muse (Schacht)

Read Yellow - Better buckle up for this Massachusetts' three-guys-and-a-girl quartet, because this is combustible, high-octane, no-fucking-around rock with enough melody to lure in the old farts and more angles than a hexagon. Their sizzling debut, Radios Burn Faster, recalls a host of pivotal influences, from the Pistols and vintage PIL to the Pixies, Fugazi and even Butch-era Geraldine Fibbers. It's all blended into a sonic assault so seductive you won't even care that they've incinerated your speakers. With Scatter the Ashes and Harvard. Tremont Music Hall (Schacht)

Silent Movie Soundtracks - A batch of Charlotte's top bands and DJs take on the impressive task of improvising soundtracks to some of the Silent Era's best films. On the bill are instrumental specialists Sea of Cortez, Dirty Drummer, Audioform and Jah-Sun Rising. Visulite Theatre (Schacht)

SUNDAY 4.24

Malladi Bros. - The Malladi Brothers perform spiritual music steeped in the ancient traditions that have evolved into the Carnatic (South Indian classical) music style. Consider them gospel performers of Hinduism with helpings of secular musical layering. The duo's enticing vocal style will be accompanied by Embar S. Kannan on violin and Arjun Kumar on Mridangam (percussion). The show is at 2pm in Tyler-Tillman Hall. Sloan Music Center, Davidson College (Shukla)

MONDAY 4.25

Michael Penn - The talented singer/songwriter tours infrequently, so this is a real treat for Charlotte. If you like your pop with depth and an unmistakable Beatles flavor, this is your man. His long-awaited next record is tentatively titled Mr. Hollywood Jr., 1947, Part 1, and is due later this summer. Since being dropped by his major, Penn has scored a film, worked on a mysterious, hush- hush side project and contends that the independent life is likely to result in more releases more often.The Evening Muse (Schacht)

WEDNESDAY 4.27

Jon Shain/Doria Roberts - Shain's effortless Piedmont blues style has the insistent charm of a pretty girl with a big smile : he doesn't have to say much. His bubbling finger-picked blues, folk and bluegrass speaks loudly, and his easy-going vocals reel you in on his just released fourth album, Home Before Long./ Roberts is an Atlanta-based singer at turns vulnerable and angry, her songs turning on both exemplary story-telling skills and the raw politics : personal and social : that cuts through them. The Evening Muse (Parker)