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Real Estate [w/ Your Friend]

Emerging Brooklyn-based indie pop band Real Estate is performing at Liberty Hall, thanks to KJHK and SUA. Forming in 2008, Real Estate introduced its surfer-vibe lo-fi sound through it’s debut self-titled release and receiving an 8.5 rating and best new music tag from Pitchfork. Its third full-length album, “Atlas,” came out last year (two years after the previous record) to critical acclaim in March of this year and is looking like the band’s best-selling release. This album draws on the experiences of singer and guitarist Martin Courtney and his being settled in his current relationship and the toll touring takes on this part of his life. This summer, Real Estate will hit music festivals including the Pitchfork Music Festival, Primavera Sound and Bonnaroo. Your Friend (recently signed to Domino Records) will open.
Thursday, April 10, at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St., at 8 p.m., $3 with KU ID, $8 general public.

Shakey Graves

Last year I got to speak Alejandro Rose-Garcia, aka Shakey Graves, and the high acclaim he received from the New York Times as “making the one-man band act look effortless,” something Graves said is the result of how organic and intuitive the music feels when he performs. Starting out full-time as an actor (which he does on the side still), Graves found his home in music, touting his handmade suitcase kick drum and guitar around country on tour and singing bluesy whiskey-soaked, electric troubadour music. He was a featured act at a train stop in Austin at the 2011 Railroad Revival Tour with bands like Mumford and Sons, Old Medicine Crow and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and opened directly for Old Medicine Crow on certain stops on his last tour. This gentleman from Texas is touring and debuting a new backing band. Make sure to check it out!
Thursday, April 10, at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., at 7:30 p.m., $11.

Particle
Particle is known for late-night performances and high-energy shows at a series of festivals including Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Festival, Coachella, New Orleans Jazz Fest, and Bonnaroo (starting sets at 3 a.m.) to name a few. The band’s debut album, “Launchpad” in 2004 garnered attention from high profile publications including Rolling Stone and New York Times, becoming one of the pioneers of the emerging livetronica scene and touring all over the world. This year, Particle has announced that they will be touring extensively from coast to coast for the first time in nearly six years, and releasing its first full-length studio album since Launchpad (2004). The rhythm section recently announced their departure from the band, and drummer Brandon Draper (Quixotic) is now playing for them, representing Kansas City.
Thursday, April 10, at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., at 11 p.m., $13-15.

Sharp 9

Another shameless plug, but it’s hard out there for a struggling local band. Sharp 9 is a nine-piece funk band blending elements of jazz, hip hop and New Orleans magic into the soulful mix. With me (killing it) on vocals, the rest of the band (who also kill it) is as follows: Joel Bonner on guitar, Jordan Coke on bass (and vocals), Tim Clark on keyboard, Rayyan Kamal on trumpet (and dropping sweet rhymes), Leslie Butsch on saxophone, and the two other vocalists Nathan Nickel and Himal Sherchan. Shout out to Devin Heath who just recently joined us on drums. Come out, get weird and sing along to songs you might know and those you most definitely do not. Opening up the night, we will be joined by Pink Royal.
Friday, April 11, at Jazzhaus, 926 Massachusetts St., at 10 p.m., $4.

Logan Mize

Currently on his Workin’ and Drinkin’ Spring Tour, Kansas native and country artist Logan Mize has gotten a lot attention in the past two months. New single off forthcoming record (later this year), “Used Up,” is a rootsy break-up album that has found itself in the regular rotation on Sirius XM’s The Highway. In addition to national radio airplay, Mize (whose great uncle is California country pioneer Billy Mize) has had some small commercial roles, including co-starring alongside starlet Hayden Panettiere in her “Fabric of Our Life” Cotton commercial. Mize and his band were also featured performing in an episode of CW’s hit drama “Hart Of Dixie”, starring actress Rachel Bilson. He has opened shows for names such as Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels Band, Blake Shelton, Billy Currington and Pat Green so head out to the Granada to support this up-and-coming “Heartland country rocker.”
Wednesday, April 16, at Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., at 9 p.m., $12 in advance.