Baltimore’s premier dance rock outfit The Milestones and one of the South’s hottest rock bands, Seratones, are teaming up for what’s sure to be a stellar night at DC9 this Thursday, 10/20. If you’re familiar, Seratones are a fourpiece coming all the way up from Shreveport, LA, to bring their R&B-infused soulful rock to the nation’s capital. Frontlady A.J. Haynes has pipes for crooning and belting out verses that surely reach the heavens. Kicking the night off for Seratones are some of Baltimore’s favorite sons, The Milestones. They’ve been on a tear, playing a ton of shows since the start of the summer and spreading their standout indie-dance vibe for all to enjoy. Show at 8:30, $15 at door. -Jonathan Goodwin

 DMV staple Wylder has released a new video from their debut album, Rain and Laura. The track, Bitter, is a lighthearted and sweet song that evokes optimism in the face of adversity, conveying a feeling like getting over a somewhat messy break-up. Smooth vocals, steady guitars, and buoyant keys meld into a delightful song masking pain and sharing hope. The video calls upon the song’s lyrical content to tell its story of a man trying to recover a part of himself lost in a recent uncoupling, at times resembling Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure and others recalling every rom-com where the ex-boyfriend goes crazy. It’s fun, refreshing, and should be loved by any fan of Wylder’s persona. Give it a watch and check out their next show at Picker’s Supply in Fredericksburg. -Jonathan Goodwin

You’ve certainly seen her name and probably heard her music around town. DC’s own folk songstress Sara Curtin is set to headline a show at DC9 on Saturday, 6/18. She has a lovely, hypnotic voice that’ll certainly entrance you into exploring more of her music. Hailed as one of DC’s finest musicians, she pours out sultry, slow, almost haunting melodies akin to Sharon van Etten. Her latest album, Michigan Lilium, is a masterpiece of smart lyrics and alluring music and was recorded in her very own home studio. Come out and catch this wondrous singer-songwriter’s early show at DC9, 6/18, headlining with Post Sixty-Five and Fellow Creatures. Doors at 6:30, $8. -Jonathan Goodwin 

You have plans for Saturday night now. If you had any already, you have new ones now. Richmond-based Cloak/Dagger will be shredding and thrashing and tearing up the Black Cat’s backstage when they open for Texas bands Bad Sports and headlining Radioactivity. It’s gonna be a hell of night for punk fans with these three fantastic acts. Cloak/Dagger burst right into furious, pounding guitars and roaring, raspy vocals that’ll surely have the crowd headbanging along. They haven’t put out an album in quite some time, it seems, but some signs suggest they’ll be putting out new material for the masses soon. Give them a listen and catch what’s bound to be a frenzy of punk rock this weekend. Doors at 7:30, $12. -Jonathan Goodwin

Shredding at insane speeds from the outset, Cherry Pits is the Richmond punk band you need to see live and don’t want to mess with. Their stage presence is electric and defiant, blasting out all that’s good about their noise punk flavor and keeping their Sunday night show at Strange Matter going full speed ahead even after a forced guitar switch. Each member of this fearsome foursome performed his piece flawlessly, effusing contagious energy and displaying a mastery of what it means to play in a punk band. Smooth, yet raw, Cherry Pits takes names until there aren’t any left. Give these powerpop-influenced punks your ears and catch a show when you can. -Jonathan Goodwin

This Saturday, in support of restoring the Baltimore Book Thing to its former, unburnt glory, you can catch a killer charity show at Peabody Heights Brewery starting at noon. In what will practically be a small music festival, you can rock out to some of Baltimore’s best and hottest bands of today. Tickets are $12 in advance here and $15 at the door. Go listen to some good tunes for a great cause to kick off your Memorial Day weekend.

Having just landed their recent EP on Spotify and iTunes, The Milestones will be sharing their beautiful alt-dance tomorrow. Playing a rash of shows in DC and Baltimore, this foursome features very talented performers and they know how to hypnotize your feet into a might fine dance. Be sure to see Sun Club‘s performance, as they’ve been mixing up their live show lately, experimenting with some Animal Collective-style atmospheric noise rock. They’ve recently shared the stage with the likes of Ra Ra Riot and PWR BTTM, so you know they have jams worth hearing. Bringing in some hot, spaced-out funk is Greasy Hands, a quartet that blends soulful riffs and synth-heavy key action into a merry-go-round of sound, making you move and dance along. Many more artists (too many to list here) will be also playing to support a meaningful fixture in the Baltimore community, so get out there! -Jonathan Goodwin

Don’t let their name fool you too much. The Southern Belles doesn’t feature any women, but their sound is no less sweet. In fact, this Richmond-based jam band is downright awesome, displaying a greaat latitude for blending genres. Their most recent album, which dropped a year ago, is filled with a primordial stew of funk, soul, roots, blues, rock, and Americana, capturing all that’s good about musical styles that originated in the States. The vocals and keys synergize really well, creating a noteworthy, mesmerizing melody. Their next show is at The Camel, 6/3, and they’re playing with Bencoolen and Atlas Road Crew at the 9:30, 6/16. -Jonathan Goodwin

Last night was a raucous good time at the Black Cat’s backstage. Kicking off the packed show was one of DC’s finest punk outfits, Priests. Composed entirely of masters of their respective musical outputs, this quartet blasts out a fiery, unapologetic rock set, lined with angst, political diatribe, and some seriously pent-up energy, but still distinctive with their stage presence and use of atmospheric guitar work in the latter half of their act. Of particular note was their drummer’s tireless performance, railing out sick playing without missing a beat, easily swinging multiple times per second. Make sure to catch them live when they return to DC after this tour ends.

Performing after Priests was Montreal-based Ought, a genre-defying fourpiece that pulls some its sensibilities from the likes of The Killers and The Strokes, but still rejects sounding like anyone else for more than a moment. Blending some angst-ridden lyrics, space rock guitar solos and keys, and slick basslines providing a solid backbeat. The frontman really captivated the audience’s attention with occasional and perfectly awkward dance moves and a voice that cuts right in between Julian Casablancas and Bono, delivered in a laconic, deadpan overture. -Jonathan Goodwin

Radio-ready and primed for a slot on the soundtrack of a summer action flick, Fellowcraft is a trio based in DC with a rugged, yet refined sound, one that fuels adrenaline rushes and supports an introspective mood. Distortion is cleverly deployed on the group’s debut album, Get Up Young Phoenix, which has a style blending disparate bands like Staind, Alice in Chains, and The Black Keys. Sick riffs and solos, growling vocals, and high-octane drumming make for some juicy rock and roll. Catch their next show at the House of the Temple, 5/21. -Jonathan Goodwin

Give a listen to one of Baltimore’s hot bands, Gotham Theory. They’re a heavy blend of blues and alt rock, effusing jam-worthy vibes. This quartet released their debut album, Why’d You Break Up With Me, last month and it’s filled with rich guitar solos, throaty vocals, and energized melodies, striking a sound similar to Sublime and Bush. Catch their next big show at Baltimore Soundstage on June 10, playing with The Henchmen, Edjacated Phools, Sunbathers, and Matt Baden & The Backflip Yetis. -Jonathan Goodwin

If you haven’t heard these guys, fix that right now. A rising band in DC, Color Palette is an engrossing electro rock quintet, specializing in lo-fi vocals and enchanting keys. Their latest video is a studio recording, one that feels intimate and welcoming. Seeing this outfit play so resolutely speaks to their confidence and poise, as well as their talent for musicality that’s both titillating and relaxing. Catch their latest video below and don’t miss when they open for Day Wave at DC9, 5/12. $12, doors at 8:30.

After a widely well-received two-year run, Baltimore-based Haunt called it quits. A talented hardcore sextet that intertwined ambient and post elements, they recently released their last recorded material, an EP called The Killing Field. An intense, fast-paced journey, the release features superior guitar work, melding the deep crunch of metal and more classic rock solos to blast the listener’s eardrums. Backed by tireless drumming, the dual vocals hit both a throaty and guttural roar and higher-pitched tone straight out of Iron Maiden. They’re not playing anymore and it’s sketchy if any more music is coming out, but, regardless, give these talented musicians a try. -Jonathan Goodwin