FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
at Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St. Manhattan)
Tue. & Wed. 5/06-5/07 8pm

NIGHT MARCHERS
at Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston St. Manhattan)
Wed 5/07 7:30pm

EL-P/DIZZEE RASCAL/AESOP ROCK
at Webster Hall (125 E. 11th St. Manhattan)
Sat 5/10 6pm

BIG BROTHER&THE HOLDING COMPANY
at Hill Country (30 W. 26th St. Manhattan)
Sun 5/11 8pm

I'll admit it, I don't really understand Flight of the Conchords. I have friends that swear that it is the funniest show on television, and I'm left staring dumbly while quotes fly back and forth at the bar. Still, the songs I've heard are catchy and the lyrics dryly humorous. They play two shows this week at Town Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday, so it's your chance to decide if they are the next timeless joke band ala Spinal Tap, or just another Tenacious D with accents.

As far as mid-90s garage-punk goes, Rocket from the Crypt ranked right up there with the New Bombs Turks, The Devil Dogs, and the Mummies. Since their breakup, leader John Reis concentrated on his other band Hot Snakes before forming the Night Marchers. They make their New York debut this Wednesday at Mercury Lounge, so prepare for some hot rocknroll action.

Saturday night is the night to get out your backpack and enjoy a night of college student hip-hop at Webster Hall. El-P and Aesop Rock  will be performing along with the underrated British rapper Dizzee Rascal. The mic skills will be on full display, and you might find someone to buy all those beats you've been making on Garage Band instead of writing your thesis.

Finally, I feel the need to mention this show even though I have no intention of recommending it. Take an overrated drunk with a decent voice and a lot of old blues records, and add a bunch of hippies more concerned with guitar noodling and extended jams. Now, add 40 years, take away the drunk, and replace half the original hippies with new ex-hippies turned nostalgia tour mercenaries, and you have Big Brother & the Holding Company. Why this show isn't at BB Kings, I have no idea.