Graves33, RA Scion, Jewels Hunter, XPerience, Audio Poet, Nathan Wolfe, DJ 100Proof

(Nectar) [Tonight is] the CD release of Graves's Contrary to Popular Belief. After the dry runs of 2007's Section Hate and 2008's The Cost of Living, Graves is at his claustrophobic, dense, anxiety-racked, who's-that-looking-through-my-Comcast-high-speed best yet. Steady hex-throwing and symbol-jamming right back at our corporate overlords, he still sees the promotional opportunity of having a free iPhone app (hit up graves33.com). Wednesday, March 31, at Nectar is his CD release with RA Scion, fellow Black Lab-ber Jewels Hunter, XPerience, AudioPoet, Nathan Wolfe, and DJ 100Proof. LARRY MIZELL JR.

John Mayer, Michael Franti & Spearhead

(KeyArena) Once upon a time, John Mayer was just your typical twentysomething white-guy blues guitarist cultivating an image of humble, down-to-earth dorkiness while casually banging Jennifer Aniston and Twittering his every witty musing. Then came 2010, when Mayer was overcome by what seemed like a particularly douchey strain of Tourette's, which drove him to brag about the celebrity babes he'd boned in a manner befitting a young Donald Trump and language befitting a dull pubescent. He also made some lunk-headed proclamations on race involving, God help him, "ironic" N-bombs. Thus did a contender for America's male sweetheart become a disturbing and pitiable freak show, at which you may gawk tonight at KeyArena. His psyche is a wonderland. DAVID SCHMADER

Washed Out, Small Black, Pictureplane

(Vera) When Washed Out's breakthrough track "Feel It All Around" (improbably voted Pitchfork's 10th best song of 2009) was discovered to be built almost entirely out of a chopped and screwed sample of obscure '80s Italo pop singer Gary Low's "I Want You," it caused a very minor tempest in chillwave's rapidly-approaching-room-temperature teapot. That the loosely defined genre hazily recollected and resurrected the sounds of the soft-rocking '80s was no news; that some of the craftiest use of samples was happening in indie rock rather than hiphop might've been. Over that track's popping synth bass, steady drum-machine beat, and stereo-panned twinkling, Washed Out's Ernest Greene sings smeared, slushy nothings, and the result really is satisfyingly dreamy. Other tracks, such as the overdone vocal "ducking" of "You'll See It," bespeak the dangers of being more GarageBand than garage band. ERIC GRANDY

Deakin, Jabon, Peppermint Majesty

(Neumos) Deakin (aka Animal Collective's Deacon, aka Josh Dibb) drops into town on the back of AnCo and Danny Perez's ODDSAC "visual album" show that's happening March 30 (see Tuesday). Tonight, Deakin reportedly will perform a grip of Animal Collective material and some of his solo creations. If YouTube footage is anything to go by, this gig should be full of spectral dubgaze songs featuring Deakin's distant, boyish croon, mantric loops, and shimmering guitar embroidery. Jabon (aka Scott Colburn, who engineered AnCo's Feels and Strawberry Jam in his local Gravelvoice studio) is one of the few people on the planet who can legitimately call himself "audio wizard." Colburn has at least 23 sonic personas he can roll out at you (go to www.gravelvoice.com/jabon to hear for yourself), and all of them can trip you the fuck out. DAVE SEGAL

Trespassers William, Sneaky Thieves, Larkspur

(Tractor) There's a wide-awake somnolence to Anna-Lynne Williams of the Seattle-based Trespassers William. She lays her guitar across her lap as she plays, and when she sings, gently hovering vocals emit and activate her as if she's having a lucid dream. To the audience, she may appear as if she's there performing, but really, when she sings, her crown chakra is sending her into a dream scene of a frozen, quiet lake where she designs the shape of every snowflake that falls on the earth. Trespassers William's songs house delayed, experimental layers that pick you up into their drift. Williams and bandmate Matt Brown have been cultivating their folky atmospherics for over 10 years. Their latest EP on Gizeh Records, The Natural Order of Things, is a fine place to start exploring their work. TRENT MOORMAN

And there's always more in our complete music calendar listings.