The Homesick | Mon 16 Apr | The Sunflower Lounge | £6
Dutch trio the Homesick make jangly post-punk that thrives on the contrast between its bright, icy guitar tones and the ominous vocals, both low in tone and low in the mix. Dragging their knuckles somewhere along the evolutionary scale from the Icarus Line to Iceage (and we mean that as a compliment), last year’s debut album ‘Youth Hunt’ hums with menace and bristles with energy. seetickets.com

Goat Girl | Mon 16 Apr | Hare & Hounds | SOLD OUT
Goat Girl are, if you haven’t heard, the post-punk band of the moment: a young South London quartet whose new, self-titled debut album is a 19-track sprawl of scuzzy disaffection, angst, and enough guitar gloom to sate any Cat Power devotee. If you were keen enough to grab tickets to this one, count yourself prescient – Goat Girl are fast on their way to hero status.

The Streets | Thu 19 Apr | O2 Academy | SOLD OUT
It’s hard to deny that a revisit of the early-noughties feels pretty appealing: Brum’s deadpan poet Mike Skinner had a magical ability to take bare-bones material and the minutiae of life, and come out with anxious, philosophical, hilarious tales. Now he’s back to sing the old songs: and if one thing can bring us together for an evening in 2018, surely The Streets are a good gambit. See our full preview here.

Joan as Police Woman | Thu 19 Apr | Town Hall | £25.50
Joan Wasser is the understated muse behind many a collaboration, and the calm, languorous voice masking an apocalypse of devastating ballads. After the upbeat, brassy pop of ‘The Classic’ in 2013, Wasser’s fifth album ‘Damned Devotion’ is being billed as a return of sorts to the stripped-back compositions of her earliest records: like Joan herself, intimate and unknowable at the same time. See our full preview here.

Snowpoet | Thu 19 Apr | Hare & Hounds | £12
London duo Snowpoet’s new album ‘Thought You Knew’ is an alarmingly gorgeous affair, fooling you with its humble folk sounds before blossoming into lush arrangements, clouds of ambient noise and the arresting performance of vocalist Lauren Kinsella. Ambitious and engrossing: if you’re looking for something to ease you away into some kind of parallel plane of existence this week, this is probably your ticket. thsh.com

Submotion Orchestra | Thu 19 Apr | Hare & Hounds | £16.50
On the other hand, you’ll be spoiled for choice: Submotion Orchestra spin their web of electronica-jazz fusion at the Hare & Hounds, off the back of this year’s new ‘Kites’ LP – a return to their cinematic jazz roots compared to the more club-heavy excursions of the last few years. Of course, they make it all sound effortless, and it’s a chance to see a dazzlingly unique band doing exactly what they do best. skiddle.com

Lucy Dacus | Sun 22 Apr | Hare & Hounds | £8.80
Virginia songwriter Lucy Dacus has a biting, darkly charming way with words: her music is so disarming and perfectly put together that you hardly notice your heart getting cut to shreds. New album ‘Historian’ digs deep, taking on life, death, and all in between, adding layers of orchestral flourishes to Dacus’s previously spare sound, a fine-tuned blend of modern Americana. skiddle.com

Also see: Surge in Spring Festival II ft. MC Juice Aleem, Surge Orchestra and over 15 performances from a spectacularly progressive line-up of award-winning musicians, composers and emerging talent including acclaimed string, woodwind, percussion musicians, artists and composers celebrating improvisation, collaboration and music from across the globe.