Friday, October 27 - I have a soft spot for Kid Koala. He's just such a little mumfert. He always says the darndest sweetest things and you just wanted to pinch his cheeks and cootchie cootchie coo him. That, and he's a damn fine musician. As a rule of thumb, you really can't go wrong with anyone off the Ninjatune roster, and Kid Koala is no exception. Expect oddball samples, turntablism that truly leverages the power of the decks, and just an all-round, lighthearted good time. You'll leave smiling, guaranteed. Mod Club (722 College W), $17.50, doors 9pm. --Panthea

Saturday, October 28 - theGentries music kids were a little MIA this week (ahem!), and so I'm now semi-blindly recommending the Hold Steady show for no reason other than a) it looks pretty lame to only have two picks any given week; and b) my darling friend Jordan is stoked on it and if there's anyone you should trust on matters of music (or of baseball, for that matter), it's Jordan...even if he does do this weird sniggerin' thing when going through my iPod. Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen W), $15, doors 9pm. --Panthea

Sunday, October 29 - The local Wavelength Music Series, which happens every Sunday at Sneaky Dee's, continues well into the 300's as Wavelength #337 showcases Guelph's "punkgrass" greats The Barmitzvah Brothers, and the dynamic display of describing how bad aspartame is for you, Pyramid Culture. Sneaky Dee's (431 College St), PWYC, doors 9pm. --Garry

[Photo credit: SekondHandProjects. Also, if you saw this Hot Ticket earlier in the week and are wondering why it disappeared and has since reappeared...five words: the server can bite me.]