THE SHOWDOWN: Tight jeans, big hair and lots of leopard print

Performances in Philly this week include Ellie Goulding @ the Electric Factory, Sonny and the Sunsets @ North Star Bar and Wanda Jackson @ the Troc. Yeehaw!

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THE SHOWDOWN: Tight jeans, big hair and lots of leopard print

POSTED: Monday, July 25, 2011, 1:00 PM

Monday: What is hip? Take your pick of any one of the styles explored by Mi Head Ur Head. Rooted in jazz, the quartet takes the traditional lineup of guitar-bass-sax-drums into many directions. The noise of freeform, the rhythms of krautrock, the cosmic space of psychedelic rock; MHUH explores these styles with equal reverence. In concert, they provide the ever-shifting score to an imagined film. Aspiring film directors, take special note. 8 p.m., free, with Split Red, Harsh Vibes & WhatWhyWherewolf, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919.

Tuesday: Pop sensation Ellie Goulding has been making waves in the British music scene for a few years, and now she’s ready to take on America. We should definitely welcome her graciously, as her debut album, Lights, contains some solid, sunshiny tunes. Released in the States earlier this year (with bonus tracks, ‘cause we rule), Lights is an eclectic mix of electronica, acoustic pop and a little light soul thrown in for good measure. Her big sound is barely contained by the disc, and her live performances are positively, ahem, de-light-ful. 8 p.m., $25-$32.95, with Bag Raiders, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 215-627-1332.

Wednesday: If there’s any scene that’s on the verge of completely blowing up (in a good way), it’s the underground garage popsters of San Francisco. Groups like Girls and artists like Ty Seagall have already trickled out, and Sonny And The Sunsets are the latest to join those ranks. Retro-styled in so many terrific ways, Sonny Smith and his gang make music that sounds like someone rewrote all your ‘60s pop favorites to surprise you for your birthday. They present their songs with just this kind of exuberance: they’re happy you’re there, so celebrate along with them! 8 p.m., $8-$10, with The Sandwitches & Summer Fiction, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St., 215-787-0488.

Thursday: Though it might seem like a ceremonial passing of the torch, the pairing of Wanda Jackson and Imelda May is far less pomp-and-circumstance and much more rip it up. Jackson, the reigning queen of early rock ‘n’ roll, came bursting back into the spotlight with The Party Ain’t Over, a raucous trip down memory lane produced by her biggest fan (after Elvis, that is), Jack White. May, a stylized Irish bombshell, is indeed the next generation of sassy rock ladies, her diverse music inspired by Jackson’s in many ways. Together, they’ll make for a night of tight jeans, big hair and lots of leopard print. 8 p.m., $23-$25, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-6888.

Friday: Regarding Santa Barbara’s Gardens And Villa, what you see is what you hear, and what you hear is what you see. Mantras aside, the group has gone to great lengths to present every layer of their richly textured self-titled debut in concert without the aid of a backing track. With an additional member in tow, Gardens And Villa played an opening slot for Foster The People about a month ago, so if you missed them then, make it a point to see them now. In fact, even if you saw them then, go see them now. 9 p.m., $10, with DOM & Craft Spells, Voyeur, 1221 St. James St., 215-735-5772.

Saturday: Stand back, folks, Mike Viola is a professional. The former leader of the Candy Butchers, Viola has been a purveyor of jaunty, upbeat melodies since the ‘80s (but don’t spend too much time searching out those first demos. They’ve been long lost and/or withheld). His output schedule has been following a more leisurely pace over the past few years, though Viola remains quite prolific. An EP here, a compilation appearance there, Mike has recently been putting songs into the hands of some fictional musicians, writing songs for “That Thing You Do,” “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and “Get Him To The Greek.” 10:30 p.m., $10, with Cliff Hillis, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770.

Sunday: Progressive and bluegrass? Not only can it be done, but The Greencards have been doing it for years. Mixing down-home bluegrass with international folk styles and rhythms, the Austin group has played alongside some of blues and roots music’s biggest luminaries. When on their own, The Greencards bring all the energy of a hoedown with a distinctively global sensibility. It’s like if cowboys travelled the world in search of some good chili, only to come back home smelling of tabbouleh. 8 p.m., $18-$20, World Café Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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