On the brink of the Summer music scene, two weeks from EarthFest 2007 music doesn’t stop in Boston. Good shows are still to be had on the cheap before the summer festival season is truly upon us. Take a gander at this week's picks and keep on rocking.

Wednesday 5/16
The Blow
With the release of their latest record, Paper Television, Portland, Oregon's The Blow have finally hit their mark. Earlier recordings were scattered with promise of something phenomenal to be done between the magnetizing ease with which Khaela Maricich sings atop Jona Bechtolt's syth-pop melodies. "Fists Up" and "Parenthesis" bring The Blow to new levels - handclaps and all. Playing with Electrelane and Tender Forever, the duo brings their dichotomy of lyrical darkness and sonic sweetness to melt Boston into the warmer weather.
Paradise Rock Club, 7pm, 18+, $12
The Blow: website
Electrelane: website
Tender Forever: website

CocoRosie Cancelled
New Weird American sisters Sierra & Bianca Casady have told myspace that "the band got arrested, thats all i can say." If anybody knows more, tell us where to send this unicorn-shaped cake with a file baked into it.
Middle East Downstairs, 18+, 8 pm, $12 Maybe in the fall?
CocoRosie: web site | Terrible Angels .mp3 | By Your Side

Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird has put out ten albums, but it was number nine, "The Mysterious Production of Eggs," that took him from underground indie musician to a rival to Sufjan Stevens for the indie kind crown. His latest, "Armchair Apocrypha," is even better - it retains the violin sound for which Bird is noted and balances intimate vocals with a driving rock sound. Bostonist is hooked on "Heretics" and suggests that those interested in gaining access to the sold-out show at Berklee look around online for a ticket.
Berklee Performance Center, 8 p.m.
Andrew Bird: website | myspace

Thursday, 5/17
Pretty Girls Make Graves
If you've ever listened to "Good Health" or "Elan Vital" and thought about how you really want to see Pretty Girls Make Graves live, Thursday's your last chance to do so without taking a roadtrip. The indie band prompted its fans to yell "Say it ain't so!" when it announced that this tour would be its last. Odds are good that the calls for an encore will be louder than usual at the Middle East Downstairs on Thursday night.
Middle East Downstairs, 8 p.m., 18+ $12
Pretty Girls Make Graves: website | myspace

Tourfilter DJ Night
Brad of the eponymous BradleysAlmanac, Chris of Tourfilter, and Sooz of ExploitBoston take to the tiny DJ booth at RiverGods in Cambridge to bring you the best of what's coming. Every artist featured in song will also be coming to the Boston area real soon. Last time around Tourfilter set up an SMS service so you could send a message to find out what you were listening to – Bostonist found out Brad was playing a keen track from Kristin Hersh and was able to hop the bike and make it over before the end of the track last time around. This time the service is in effect. Watch Sooz.com and BradleysAlmanac.com for live updates throughout the night. This time around attendees will benefit from Sooz' knowledge of the local music scene and ExploitBoston Radio – still playing, and will hopefully continue if that #$@!ing legislation doesn't pass.
River Gods, 125 River St., Cambridge (Central Square), 9 pm
Tourfilter: website
Bradley's Almanac: website
ExploitBoston: website

Friday, 5/18
Donal Fox: "Mashups in Blue"
It's not Lenlow and dj BC mashing Britney and Wu-Tang, it's Guggenheim Fellowship for music composition winner Donal Fox mixing classical, jazz, and blues. Fox's repertoire includes T.J. Anderson's second piano concerto "Fragments: A Bach and Monk Fantasy" and his own "Scarlatti Jazz Suite," which jazz critic Gary Giddins calls "a dazzling original work." With Warren Wolf (vibes), Terri Lyne Carrington (drums), and John Lockwood (bass).
Regattabar $26, 7:30pm & 10pm
website
Slaine & Frequency 7
Leedz Edutainment presents a night of local hip hop featuring Slaine, Frequency 7, Bad Newz, and White Mike & J.L. RockStar.
Middle East Upstairs, 18+, 9pm, $10 adv / $13 dos
Slaine: myspace
Frequency 7: myspace
Bad Newz: myspace
White Mike & J.L. RockStar: myspace

Saturday, 5/19
Boston Modern Orchestra Project feat. DJ Spooky & Rinde Eckert
The Boston Modern Orchestra Project, "the nation's only orchestra dedicated exclusively to performing, commissioning, and recording new music of the 21st century," presents the world premiere of MIT music prof Evan Ziporyn's (Bang on a Can) Hard Drive, which was commissioned by BMOP. Also on the bill is the North American premiere of Steven Mackey's rock-infused Dreamhouse, featuring the Catch Electric Guitar Quartet, the Synergy Vocals quartet, and actor Rinde Eckert. But what really caught this Bostonist's attention is a performance of Anthony DeRitis' Devolution: A Concerto for DJ and Orchestra, featuring Paul D. Miller, aka DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid.
Sanders Theater, Harvard, 8pm, $25-$45
BMOP: website
DJ Spooky: website | myspace
Bang on a Can All Stars: website

Matt Durutti, C. Fernsebner, Vicki Siolos, and Victoria Welch contributed to this week's post.