TROPHY WIFE Hope Weds 2nd
Oxford’s form in the history of music has waxed and waned over the years, but following the commercial and critical success of bands like Foals and Stornoway a new collective has formed that’s been helping to produce a lengthy line of new bands in recent years. Appearing under this unifying movement, called Blessing Force, the likes of Pet Moon, Chad Valley and Fixers have had the A&R racing up the M40, but it’s Trophy Wife that are widely considered to hold the finest potential of them all. (TR)

VESSELS Jam Thurs 3rd
Vessels have been around for a fair while now, and it’s fair to say they’re going to hit a high point with their 2011 album. Combining the more interesting aspects of twiddly shoegaze with the more hypnotic elements of post-rock, Vessels outstrip their British contemporaries by consistently improving. The new album was recorded entirely in America and the emotive, low-key thrash of their latest songs clearly takes inspiration from their counterparts on the other side of the pond. This is sure to be a night of enthusiastic chin stroking and foot tapping. (JMM)

THE STREETS Dome Fri 4th
How will the world remember Mike Skinner? As a pop visionary cranking out cult classics from his bedroom? As the monged-out mastermind behind the Red Bull Asbo of ‘Fit But You Know It’? Or the laboured soul whose most recent work has suggested The Streets are paved with sonic mould rather than the proverbial glittering chart stuff? With final album ‘Computers & Blues’ hitting shelves as we speak, one thing’s clear. He deserves to be remembered and there are few who can say that. (BG)

DETROIT SOCIAL CLUB Jam Fri 4th
Lauded by pretty much everyone, northern soulsters Detroit Social Club are inspired by 70s gospel, big beat, folk and (although they might not admit it) 90s northern pop. Lead songwriter David Burn credits himself as not just a musician but also a ‘vibe creator,’ so if you can get through the doors past his head, this show should be impressive. Having recently parted company with a major record label, this tour heralds a return to the band’s lackadaisical, stripped-back roots. (JMM)

KT TUNSTALL Dome Sat 5th
KT Tunstall is one of those singers you wouldn’t mind going for a drink with on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Bringing folk back to life, she takes a mix of styles and does what she likes with them. Her recent album, ‘Tiger Suit’, added a more modern techno edge, and she seems arguably more comfortable in her skin. Her voice still retains its edgy, vulnerable beauty, but with a higher range it all takes on a more epic feel. (SJ)

PLAN B Brighton Centre Weds 9th
Mystery surrounds the spectacular transformation of Ben Drew who was, not so long ago, no more than a laboured UK answer to Eminem. His chart-topping reconfiguration as a Motown-fired soul boy has left some speculating he’s the brainchild of Amy Winehouse, who is so used to chilling in the Caribbean she’d happily swap her entire chart career for some crack. With a Brit Award under his belt, SOURCE can only conclude that the real defamation of Strickland Banks was actually his plan A. (BG)

PATRICK DUFF Latest Music Bar Weds 9th
Rising from the Blue Aeroplanes’ wing of the Bristol scene, Strangelove were always a bit too intense for the Britpop melee in which they found themselves. Patrick Duff’s propensity for tearing his hair out on stage and substituting guitar solos for extended bouts of screaming drew appreciation from the likes of Manic Street Preachers, Radiohead and collaborators Suede. Since Strangelove disbanded, Duff has continued recording with moonlighting Portishead and Massive Attack members, with his third solo album in the offing. (SH)

THE NAKED AND FAMOUS & YAAKS Digital Weds 9th
Digital plays host to two bands set to take the summer by storm this year. New Zealand quintet The Naked And Famous, with clear stylistic influences from Passion Pit, released their debut album last year and are set to bring a big, new, hypnotising electro pop presence to UK dancefloors. With support from the very Foalsian Yaaks, on their first tour since a slot on BBC Introducing, this should be a great night for new music. (JC)

SHLOMO Corn Exchange Sat 12th
Don’t let the baggy t-shirts and waggy hand movements confuse you – Shlomo’s not your average beatboxer. He’s played with Björk to open the Olympics, collaborated with acts as diverse as Martha Wainwright to Foreign Beggars and worked with the BBC to promote beatboxing to young people, and now he’s embarked on a concert tour. Described as “jaw-droppingly amazing” by the Guardian and “the Harry Potter of beatboxing” by Tim Westwood, he’ll be showcasing his own soundscapes and some familiar covers, reworked in his unique way. (JMM)

THE X FACTOR Brighton Centre Tues 15th – Thurs 17th
The post-X Factor landscape is a peculiarly arduous place. In all the excitement of ITV’s world monstering singing competition, it’s often forgotten that the lucky winner must often accept a lifetime of ridicule at best. Mary Byrne’s mega shouting or Aiden Grimshaw’s freshly sharpened jaw can never compensate for Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole’s missing star quality on the national live tour – only a massive screen projection of Wagner holding a lion’s tail in his swimming trunks beamed onto Brighton Pier could ever do that. (BG)

HANNAH PEEL Proud Weds 16th
Tutored at the Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts, multi-skilled and with a voice that could smash glass, Hannah Peel surely had Paul McCartney’s thumbs working overtime. She’s gone on to tour with The Unthanks but debut album ‘The Broken Wave’ is no exercise in frigid folk revisionism, whether she’s backed by production from Tunng’s Mike Lindsay or Nitin Sawhney or armed with a music box and a pop classic. Her little tsunami is about to hit. Prepare to be gently soaked. (BG)

THOMAS TRUAX Green Door Store Fri 18th
Thomas Truax furthers the ultra cutting-edgeness of the Green Door Store venue tonight. This man’s act is a beautiful thing to behold, with a take on life that cannot be matched or found elsewhere, and music that reflects these values. It’s akin to a summer’s evening around a campfire with a mystic shaman – you will be shown strange objects you’ve never dreamed existed, used and characterised to produce sounds you didn’t think could be music, and you’ll be swept along by the simple childlike joy of it all. (NH)

PRIMAL SCREAM Brighton Centre Tues 22nd
How do you follow one of music’s most seismic, mind-altering, era-defying records? Not by playing ‘Country Girl’, that’s for sure. Primal Scream’s recent debut ‘Screamadelica’ shows were notable for many reasons, but Bobby Gillespie and co’s decision to open with a greatest hits set before unveiling their masterpiece in all its unfolding, elevating glory was a KO move, arming the group with the power with which to launch their ecstatic soul rocket into the firework-stunned, technicolor sky. Don’t fight it, feel it. (BG)

CRYSTAL STILTS Audio Thurs 24th
Gloriously under-exposed and destined to draw in fans like William Burroughs was drawn to heroin, Crystal Stilts are a New York psychedelic band made with the same blasé sunshine riffs, echoing rhythms and edifying beats as Mudhoney, The Jesus & Mary Chain and Pavement. Sporting dark clothes, sunglasses, fashionable facial hair and carrying the weight of a thousand beatniks, Crystal Stilts are everything you could possibly desire from a New York garage punk band. (JMM)

THE KING BLUES • Concorde 2 Mon 28th
This is going to be a completely mind-blowing evening – we cannot stress this enough. Random Hand bring it in the way only four Yorkshire boys truly can: hard, fast, and insanely loud. The King Blues meanwhile create microcosmic universes with their evocative lyrics and beautifully arranged indie pop rap. Sandwiched between them are Sonic Boom Six, the Manchester punk rock outfit who combine frenetic lyrics, wailing guitar and the occasional harmony to ear-pounding effect. Three incredibly unique acts redefining their genres, all in one night. (NH)

CARL BARÂT Concorde 2 Tues 29th

As Pete Doherty’s cleaner-looking other half in the Libertines, the star of Dirty Pretty Things, and now a model, actor and author to boot, Carl Barât is almost disgustingly talented. Just as well that his eponymous first album, released last October, is actually pretty good. Despite featuring an intensely cringe-worthy self-portrait on the cover (think German porn star) this album demonstrates his clever, witty lyrics, tight production and effortlessly catchy pop songs. Indie for the uninitiated as well as the devoted fans. (JMM)

JOSH T PEARSON Ballroom Tues 29th
The resurrection of Christ is not regularly covered in the pantheon of modern rock. Unless you happen to be US trio Lift To Experience, who beamed down to Earth ten years ago with apocalyptic concept album ‘The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads’ tucked under their arm. Sadly, it has proved near impossible for bandleader Josh T Pearson to follow. Did all the angels and Bible prophecies leave him spent for a decade? Tonight’s show really could be your one chance to witness the true Second Coming. (BG)

Words by Dan Bowden, Jake Cunningham, Ben Gilbert, Nicole Holgate, Stuart Huggett, Sean Jordan, Jessica Marshall McHattie, The Recommender