These are the things I'd do

For websites listed below, MS=www.myspace.com. These are bands we especially dig, not full listings.

For those, please see "Concerts and Clubs."

WEDNESDAY

PLAN A: Calvin Johnson, Julie Doiron, Ladybug Transistor @ Che Café. Forget that he fronted super-minimalists Beat Happening. Or that he was with Sub Pop when it was just a fanzine. Or that he founded K Records. Just remember that Calvin Johnson's unnaturally deep voice and off-center folk songs are worthy of Nick Cave's appreciation. Canada's Doiron (ex-Eric's Trip) is a talented indie-pop artist, and NYC's Ladybug Transistor is an underrated, casual indie-pop band with five solid releases on Merge Records. MS/kfamily, MS/juliedoiron, MS/marlboroughfarms. PLAN B: Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi @ 4th & B. Two of the most talented blues guitarists (who happen to be hitched) touring together for the first time for a soul-blues-roadhouse rock revue. MS/thederektrucksband, MS/susantedeschi. PLAN C: Lifesavas, Strange Fruit Project, Deep Rooted @ The Casbah. Superb underground hip-hop show with Portland's cinema junkies Lifesavas, Texas' mellow R&B boys in Strange Fruit Project and San Diego's top ensemble, Deep Rooted. MS/lifesavas, MS/strangefruitpro ject, MS/deeprootedent. BACKUP PLAN: Ne-Yo @ House of Blues (MS/neyo).

THURSDAY

PLAN A: The Prayers @ Beauty Bar. The first of three nights of release parties for The Prayers' God Save the Prayers. Rarely do the former members of a hardcore art-punk band (The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower) disband only to form a 1960s harmony-pop band and not suck. This night, they play all Morrissey and Smiths covers. MS/thefuckingprayers. PLAN A1: Menomena, All Smiles @ The Casbah. Menomena's a wildly inventive piano-pop band-imagine the chops of The Flaming Lips or Of Montreal put to sprawling, almost classical movements like The Paper Chase. All Smiles is worth a peep-the new pop thing by former Grandaddy guitarist Jim Fairchild. MS/menomena, MS/allsmilesmusic. PLAN A2: The Rosebuds, Land of Talk @ Belly Up. Raleigh's The Rosebuds are one of the best downhearted, slick pop bands around. Land of Talk is yet another very promising Montreal upstart-anthemic indie-rock with a raw gal on vox. MS/therosebuds, MS/landoftalkmtl. BACKUP PLAN: Tommie Sunshine @ Bar West (MS/tom miesunshine).

FRIDAY

PLAN A: The Prayers, The Vision of a Dying World, Swim Party, Silverbird @ Che Café. For their second CD-release event, the Prayers have put together the best all-local bill of the week. The Vision of a Dying World is where old-school folk-cabaret meets indie-pop. Swim Party is probably the single most underrated band in San Diego-fantastic Modest Mousy fare. Silverbird is the decent alt-country project by former Counterfit singer Justin Rodriguez. MS/thefuckingprayers, MS/thevisionofadyingworld, MS/swimparty, MS/silverbirdmusic. PLAN B: The Watson Twins @ The Casbah. See our feature on this page. MS/thewatsontwins. PLAN C: Count Basie Orchestra @ Birch North Park Theatre. Without Basie, it's not as good, obviously. But this is a legendary jazz ensemble and a real showcase of what a brass section can be with the right sets of lips. BACKUP PLAN: Elijah Emanuel @ Winston's (MS/elijahemanuel).

SATURDAY

PLAN A: Bloc Party, The Maccabees, The Noisettes @ Viejas. Despite their disappointing sophomore album, the U.K.'s Bloc Party remains one of the best new forces in rock 'n' roll. The Maccabees are a do-not-miss opening band-dark, insistent, alarm-sounding rock from London that recalls Gang of Four, Interpol and, well, a lot of great bands. The Noisettes have a great frontwoman-even if the songs aren't quite there yet. MS/blocparty, MS/themaccabees, MS/noisettesuk. PLAN B: The Prayers @ Beauty Bar. The final night of their CD-release shenanigans. MS/thefuckingprayers. PLAN C: Danko Jones, Lords of Altamont, Thee Corsairs @ The Casbah. Just a good old-fashioned rock show: big, meaty guitars; scratchy vocalists; sweaty organ parts-the whole "cock out” shebang. MS/danko jones, MS/lordsofaltamont, MS/theecorsairs. BACKUP PLAN: REO Speedwagon @ San Diego County Fair (MS/reospeedwagon).

SUNDAY

PLAN A: Dan Deacon, MC Flow @ Che Café. Dan Deacon is hot-real hot. He's made a name for himself by essentially creating childish, lo-fi electronic music that just makes everyone and their inner child giddy. San Diego's white-girl hip-hop sensation, MC Flow, opens. MS/dandeacon, MS/mcflow. PLAN B: Sage Francis, Buck 65 @ Soma. Francis has it all-hyper-educated, socially active (he formed the corporate watchdog site Know more.org) and incredibly talented battle rapper. Buck 65 is hit or miss, but when the Canadian's on, his country hip-hop makes Bubba Sparxxx sound pedestrian. MS/sagefrancis, MS/buck65. PLAN C: DB3 @ 'Canes. A good instrumental organ/bass/drums funk trio from San Diego with Neil MacPherson on Hammond B3 and Mike Cannon (B-Side Players) on drums. BACKUP PLAN: Chow Nasty, The Family Curse, The Long and Short of It @ The Casbah (MS/chownasty, MS/the familycursemission, MS/thelongandshortofit).

MONDAY

PLAN A: The Queers @ The Casbah. From Grow Up to Love Songs for the Retarded, New Hampshire's favorite pop-punk band still remains one of the few bands that can tuck socio-political messages into jokey lyrics. One of the few bright spots from the genre's third wave. MS/thequeers.

TUESDAY

PLAN A: Norah Jones, M. Ward @ Embarcadero Marina. She's sold 17 billion records and racked up enough Grammys to start her own cheap metal factory. And yet, still, people tend to think she's just this beautiful girl with a nice voice-go to this show and see Ravi Shankar's daughter rip it up on the piano, jazz-style. Plus, the opener, M. Ward, is one of CityBeat's all-time favorite artists-a concept album-loving folk musician who has yet to release even a mediocre album. www.norahjones.com, MS/ mward. PLAN B: "San Diego Rocks" @ House of Blues. Kudos to the big-house for trying out a local-music night and even booking good bands: Goodbye Blue Monday, The Shambles, High Rolling Loners and Get Back Loretta. MS/goodbyeblue monday, www.theshambles.net, MS/highrollingloners, MS/getbackloretta. PLAN C: "Local Bands Cover ‘Thriller'"@ The Casbah. Yet another production by Rookie Card's Adam Gimbel-five local bands covering all of M.J.'s classic, plus Joe & The Jackson 3 doing all of Joe Jackson's Look Sharp! www.coverme badd.com. BACKUP PLAN: Brutally Frank @ The Zombie Lounge (MS/brutallyfrank).

Write to troy@sdcitybeat.com and editor@sdcitybeat.com.