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Music

This week’s must-see Toronto shows

Tops

TOPS quietly released their second album, Picture You Staring, on Arbutus at the beginning of September.

The Montreal girl-boy quartet are masters of understatement, which may be why the album has remained under the radar. Their 2012 debut earned them critical respect and high-profile opening slots with King Krule, Majical Cloudz and Blood Orange.

On Picture You Staring, singer Jane Penny’s soft Stereolabesque coo takes centre stage, while David Carriere’s percussive guitar chords and slinky, sometimes jazzy riffs add bounce and vitality. The production is gentle, warm and lush, achieved in Arbutus’s Montreal recording studio, and produced and engineered by the band.

Things are kicking into high gear. They added a fourth member, bassist Madeline Glowicki, recently released a homemade video for Way To Be Loved and kicked off their tour with Wampire earlier this month.

Opening for Wampire at the Silver Dollar (486 Spadina), Tuesday (October 14), doors 8:30 pm. $10. RT, SS, TF.

Thus Owls, Michael Feuerstack

Rivoli (332 Queen West), Thursday (October 9)

See preview.

Emmanuel Jal, Tanika Charles, Ruth Mathiang

Tattoo (567 Queen West), Thursday (October 9)

See preview.

Trust, Crater

Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth), Friday (October 10)

Gothy electro-pop.

Cloud Nothings

Lee’s Palace (529 Bloor West), Friday (October 10)

Lo-fi noise rock.

Big K.R.I.T., Two-9, Flex the Antihero

Tattoo (567 Queen West), Friday (October 10)

Mississippi rapper.

Junia T, Grimace Love, Wolf J MacFarlane and others

Wrongbar (1279 Queen West), Friday (October 10)

Big Ticket hip-hop party.

Esperanza Spalding

Queen Elizabeth Theatre (190 Princes’ Blvd), Friday (October 10)

Grammy-approved jazz singer, bassist and cellist.

The World Provider, The Almighty Rhombus, The Lord Almightys, Bardos

Handlebar (159 Augusta), Saturday (October 11)

Wavelength punk, rock and more.

Ab-Soul, Bas, Earthgang

Phoenix (410 Sherbourne), Saturday (October 11)

Introspective Cali rap.

John Southworth

Music Gallery (197 John), Sunday (October 12)

Folk pop/cabaret album release.

Damien Rice

Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth), Tuesday (October 14)

Irish singer/songwriter.

King Tuff, Cassie Ramone

Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Tuesday (October 14)

Catchy, big-guitar fuzz rock.

Steve Gunn

Drake Underground (1150 Queen West), Wednesday (October 15)

See preview.

Merchandise, Lower, Beliefs, Eaters

Wrongbar (1279 Queen West), Wednesday (October 15)

Tampa punk-turned-pop five-piece.

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