This week, Destroyer kicks things off at Three Links, followed by Brockhampton at House of Blues and Charley Crockett at Dan's Silverleaf. Later in the week, Dru Hill woos the ladies at Music Hall at Fair Park, The Dream Syndicate makes a comeback at Granada Theater and plenty of others play before Croatian cellist duo 2Cellos rounds out the week with an electrifying performance at Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.
Destroyer
With Mega Bog, 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $20
Guitarist Dan Bejar wasn’t around for New Pornographers’ seventh studio album, Whiteout Conditions, but he’ll still start 2018 by touring a new album. Recently, his priority has been his first band, Destroyer, which released Ken in October. Listening to Bejar’s work with Destroyer feels like watching a sunset on muscle relaxants. Ken is an homage to infectious but melancholy artists such as Bowie and Morrissey, and bands such as The Smiths or New Order. Bejar’s syrup-thick voice practically drips out of the speakers, and his lyrics are poetic and abstract. In “Saw you at the Hospital,” he drones on about sick days in Switzerland; in “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood,” which has a goth dance beat, he tackles the subject of fame and its unpleasant side effects. Nicholas Bostick
Brockhampton
8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, House of Blues, 2200 N Lamar St., 214-978-583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $28.50
Brockhampton is a 17-member hip-hop boy band and a constant, swirling pool of creative energy. It has an iron-sharpens-iron philosophy; the artists, producers, designers and web developers who make up Brockhampton push each other forward. Founding member Kevin Abstract, a 20-year-old Corpus Christi native, helped Brockhampton to develop a loyal internet fan base this year by pushing themes of insecurity, anxiety and self-loathing to the forefront of the band’s music. Tyler, the Creator is a fan, and Viceland even gave Brockhampton its own show. Mikel Galicia
Charley Crockett
9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St., Denton, danssilverleaf.com, $12
Charley Crockett was destined to be an outsider. A mixed-race kid born into poverty in the Rio Grande Valley, he found refuge in the in-between spaces, first among the squatters of New Orleans and then as a busker in New York’s subways. He couldn’t have been anything but a blues musician. His music is rich with Southern flavor, a musical gumbo of Delta blues, honky-tonk, gospel and Cajun jazz. It’s the manifestation of a hard-lived life, and it’s earned the attention of many in Dallas. Eva Raggio
Dru Hill and Avant
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 First Ave., 214-565-1116 or ticketmaster.com, $39 and up
You probably remember ’90s R&B act Dru Hill most for Sisqo, the platinum-haired frontman of the group. But Dru Hill was and is so much more. The template was typically the same: syrupy, velvet-lined rhythms hanging off sparkly, resonating keys. Every song had this fluid, liquid metal feel to it, like listening to the soul music of the future refracted through rain. This week, megastar rapper Young Thug made headlines for posting a video to Instagram wherein he sang alongside Dru Hill’s ’98 hit “The Love We Had (Stays on my Mind).” It says a lot, really. Twenty years later, contemporary artists are making the news simply by posting about Dru Hill’s timeless music. And timeless is just the right word for it — the echoes of the group’s soft mix of hip-hop, gospel and R&B are still rippling through and transforming the sounds of today. Jonathan Patrick
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
With Night Beats, Thursday, Jan. 18, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $39
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club comes back to town only a few days after its eighth album, Wrong Creatures, hits stores. Almost half of the new record was released as singles last fall, so fans won’t be totally in the dark when the band plays them. The trio has always had a bluesy, shoegaze vibe mixed with country and soul, which continues on Wrong Creatures. It’s music that trips you out but doesn’t leave you hanging. The band has plenty of catchy songs, from “Spread Your Love” to “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo.” And at the Granada, it might even pull out its cover of “Jailhouse Rock.” Eric Grubbs
The Dream Syndicate
With Erika Wennerstrom, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Avenue, $24-$39
In the early 1980s, post-punk outfit The Dream Syndicate cornered the market of LA's Paisley Underground, a music scene that saluted pop and psych rock of the '60s but with a bit of bite, thanks to lead member Steven Wynn's guitar-centered songwriting. Its debut album, 1982's The Days of Wine and Roses, was the group's most commercially successful album before it split up in 1989. Last year, the band released its first album in nearly 30 years, How Did I Find Myself Here?, which music critics have described as compelling and some of the band's best work. Diamond Victoria
The Crystal Method
9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, Lizard Lounge, 2424 Swiss Ave., thelizardlounge.com, $15
American electronic duo The Crystal Method is a true pioneer of the big-beat genre. Alongside other ’90s luminaries like Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan have helped push the genre to the forefront of mainstream culture. Their ’97 release, Vegas (a nod to their hometown), is still their best and most popular. Two of its lead singles, “Busy Child” and “Keep Hope Alive,” found their way into film scores and television soundtracks before eventually being remixed and used as source material in dance clubs around the globe. Jordan called it quits more than a year ago, but Kirkland — who recently recovered from a serious operation to remove a cyst from his brain — is bringing The Crystal Method’s music back on the road. The tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of Vegas’ release, as well as a new batch of dance-worthy tunes. Jeff Strowe
M3CCA
With Chad Goodson and Old City Lights, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, Deep Ellum Art Company, 3200 Commerce St., deepellumart.co, $10
Self proclaimed galactic hip-hop and soul artist Mecca, stylized M3CCA for the stage, won the 2017 Dallas Observer Music Award for best new act, and for good reason. The Houston native, who now calls East Dallas home, released her first EP, Fruittape, late last year. With her unique and fresh style, she has the potential to become a fixture in the world of hip-hop and soul. DV
Aimee Mann
7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346 or thekessler.org, sold out
’Til Tuesday frontwoman Aimee Mann is as powerful a singer-songwriter as ever. She’s been independent for two decades, and her 2017 release was her first in five years. But Mental Illness was an instant hit with critics and fans alike, and it already earned a Grammy nomination for best folk album. Joining her on tour is an eclectic group of collaborators featured on the album, including Ted Leo, Paul Bryan and Jonathan Coulton, all reprising their roles as Mann’s backing band. Mental Illness is a love letter to the soft rock of the ’60s and ’70s, all played with a folk-heavy, acoustic feel. Mann pulled from her experience with each song, evoking her feelings of homesickness in Ireland on “Goose Snow Cone,” regretting past inaction on “Stuck in the Past” and even a meeting with actor Andrew Garfield on “Patient Zero.” The album is reflective, observational and wry. Nicholas Bostick
2Cellos
8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, 300 W Las Colinas Blvd., thepaviliontmf.com, $25-$69.50
Croatian duo 2Cellos is made up of Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser. The two play cello covers, famous pop and rock songs, and classical and film scores, and they've released four full-length albums since 2010. They give classical music a rockstar makeover, especially during live performances. DV