DUDS | Mon 22 Jan | Hare & Hounds | £8
Manchester six-piece DUDS are a pretty mysterious presence, but their potent blend of dance-punk and wiry, Devo-esque guitar squall is an exhilarating headrush – guitarist Guilio Erasmus calls it the sound of a Slinky falling down the stairs. Their debut ‘Of a Nature or Degree’ is cataclysmically urgent and to-the-point, rough and ready as Krill or Gang of Four; and it’s clearly made to be experienced live. seetickets.com

*Sold out* This is the Kit | Wed 24 Jan | The Glee Club | £16
The Bristol-bred, Paris-based songwriter is fast becoming the go-to bohemian voice of the moment, creating compelling, heart-felt folk; from the raw – with just voice and banjo – to complex layers of trumpet, hooks, psychedelic folk meanderings and deep, resonating grooves. See our full preview here.

Hardy Caprio | Thu 25 Jan | O2 Institute 2 | £9
Baby-faced Hardy Caprio is making waves far beyond his Croydon home: a still-unsigned rapper racking up millions of plays online with a grime-infused, but laid-back and understated take on hip-hop. The South London competition is rife, but Caprio’s clearly got charm and ambition – catch him now while he’s rising. seetickets.com

Sextile | Thu 25 Jan | Sunflower Lounge | £6
You didn’t think we’d seen the end of the synth-wave revival, did you? With motorik beats out of the Kraftwerk manual, ugly synths, and broken shards of guitar breaking through the fog, Sextile go for the jugular with the same dead-eye stare as the early days of the Horrors. Their first new music since 2015’s ‘A Thousand Hands’ LP suggests they haven’t lost any of their menace. seetickets.com

The Night Café | Fri 26 Jan | Castle & Falcon | £8
Indie dream-pop band The Night Café bring an unexpectedly summery sound to these biting-cold days: layered guitars that shimmer like the warp of an old VHS tape, and an upbeat, tight delivery reminiscent of Minus the Bear. There are some mean hooks buried in the reverb, so don’t be surprised if you walk away with these songs buried in your brain. dice.fm

Mongol Horde | Sat 27 Jan | O2 Institute | £17.50
Frank Turner and Ben Dawson keep the hardcore dream alive with the part-time punk outfit Möngöl Hörde, an even more raw and stripped-back take on the heavy sound they once pioneered in Million Dead. Möngöl Hörde live sets are a rare thing: a chance to blow off some steam with tongue-in-cheek, semi-nihilistic rants and intense blast beats. See our full preview here.

Kioko | Sat 27 Jan | The Crossing | £8
Join Love Music Hate Racism in Birmingham for a night of politics and home-grown live music. With reggae-indie maestros KIOKO headlining, Namiwa Jazz’s soulful afrotwang, Vital’s dancehall grooves and much more besides, this promises to be a suitably diverse and exhilarating bill of local talent. ticketsellers.com