THE SHOWDOWN: A muscular tribal thump

Our live-show-of-the-week picks include Lykke Li @ TLA, Junip @ World Café Live and the Cars @ the Electric Factory. Yes, the Cars Cars ...

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THE SHOWDOWN: A muscular tribal thump

POSTED: Monday, May 16, 2011, 1:00 PM

Monday: The intimidating and alluring sounds of Lykke Li’s new album show off the maturation that the Swedish pop singer has undergone over the past few years. No longer is she the shy princess burying her face in her hands; Li has taken on a new role as brazen, mysterious and empowering. Wounded Rhymes, like its predecessor, is a highly collaborative effort with Peter Bjorn And John’s Bjorn Yttling, who gives Li’s dramatic musings a muscular tribal thump. Li still offers a great deal of sentimentality, this time in the form of several stripped down, girl group-influenced ballads. Her electric live show remains a revelation. w/ Grimes, 8 p.m., $25-$35.25, TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

Tuesday: After creating a healthy amount of buzz around his early, psych pop-savvy recordings, John Vanderslice took some time to deal with matters both personal and geopolitical. As Vanderslice battled to get a U.S. visa for his French girlfriend, feelings of helplessness and vulnerability started creeping in. As any good artist would, Vanderslice channeled these feelings into the past few years’ worth of music. Grabbing global influences for his latest, White Wilderness, Vanderslice attempts to bring the world to his music, all the while trying to bring his music to the world. w/ Damien Jurado, 9 p.m., $12, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684.

Wednesday: Before his celebrated solo career, silken-voiced singer Jose Gonzales was part of an eclectic trio called Junip. Just last year, Gonzales reunited with his onetime bandmates to finally release a full length album and stage a tour. Returning with a new EP for Fields standout “In Every Direction,” Junip shows off the myriad of styles that go into the band’s easy-on-the-ears sound. Gently propulsive electronics, organic acoustics and, of course, Gonzales’ swirling voice. w/ The Acrylics, 8 p.m., $19-$27, World Café Live, 30th & Walnut streets, 215-222-1400.

Thursday: Back in the mid-‘80s, impeccable showman Elvis Costello devised an interactive concert experience that involved audience members spinning a massive onstage wheel. Resembling the iconic Wheel Of Fortune, each space represented a different song in Costello’s massive catalogue. Several decades later, Costello’s compositions have become even more numerous, and his new wheel reflects that. Should you be selected for this sideshow of a concert, you’ll help determine what songs from Costello’s 30+ years of music he’ll play. Then you’ll either dance as the music plays or enjoy a cocktail in a makeshift lounge. 8 p.m., $35.25-$79.75, Tower Theater, 19 S. 69th St., 610-352-2887.

Friday: Earlier this year, the venerated Loser’s Lounge tribute collective made their first major appearance outside of their New York City headquarters. At that classy January show, the subjects of the tribute were the members and associates of The Rat Pack. This time around, the theme is a little more focused and bound to be a little more exciting: the music of Queen. As the rotating cast that makes up the Loser’s Lounge are fans of deep cuts from their chosen bands’ catalogues, you can be sure that this salute to Freddie and the gang will be more than just “We Are The Champions.” Cross your fingers that someone tackles “The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke.” 8 p.m., $29-$39, World Café Live, 30th & Walnut streets, 215-222-1400.

Saturday: Though they’re still fondly remembered as the rhythm section for indie pop forebears Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi moved on long ago. Now that they’ve released more material on their own than Galaxie 500 ever did, it’s time to greet Damon & Naomi on their own strengths. Languid, folk-influenced instrumentation drifts beneath the duo’s harmonies, evoking their previous group without being completely indebted. Another indie pop couple opens this intimate show: Amor De Dias, featuring Alasdair MacLean of The Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas, recently released their hazy debut record on Merge. 7:30 p.m., $12, First Unitarian Church (Side Chapel), 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980.

Sunday: The Cars? You mean like, The Cars Cars? Yes, it might’ve seemed like a lifetime since the new wavers released a new album (indeed, for some it has been). Notorious reunion holdout Ric Ocasek finally agreed to get back with his original bandmates (sans late bassist Benjamin Orr) for a new set of Cars tunes. Move Like This sounds like, well, it sounds like The Cars. Fans of the group’s classic debut and Candy-O will dig the grin-inducing nostalgia while newcomers will marvel at how these guys can still crank out power pop gems 35 years into their career. 8 p.m., $49.75-$60.45, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 215-627-1332.

Not a fan of our picks? There's plenty more to choose from in our music listings.

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