WEDNESDAY: The Metro Gallery hosts “The 9,” a singer/songwriter series that this week features Justin Trawick, Katie Fisher, and, uh, seven others. Local MCs compete in Coors Light’s “Search for the Coldest,” hosted by Ice Cube, along with a set by Washington, D.C., radio-rap balladeer Wale, at the Baltimore Soundstage. Weekends open for White Fang at the Golden West Café.

THURSDAY: A fang of a different color, Red Fang to be exact, opens for the Sword at Sonar. Elsewhere in Sonar, 92Q favorite TestMe plays the club room. Earth, Wind, and Fire meet another element when they jam on the water at Pier Six Pavilion. John Lamkin, a distinguished master of the flugelhorn, performs two sets at An die Musik. Next to Nothing and Something More present seemingly contradictory concepts at the Sidebar. Don’t miss: The first day of the annual Insubordination Fest kicks off at the Ottobar with a small army of punk bands, including Baltimore’s own Dead Mechanical.

FRIDAY: Teenage Bottlerocket headlines the second day of Insubordination Fest at the Ottobar. Release parties ahoy: XLooking ForwardX celebrates its latest album at the Charm City Art Space, and Wordsmith drops a new one at Sonar. Brad Gunson and Gunson Roses get a tip of the hat for most amusing band name of the week at Joe Squared Station North. Lucero plays Rams Head Live with local soul man Bosley. The Creative Alliance at the Patterson hosts a special World Refugee Day event, including a film screening and music from international performers including Kurdish refugees Ghazi Ahmed and Ali Omar. Don’t miss: Baltimore power-pop supergroup Alto Verde rocks the Golden West with North Carolina’s excellent Hammer No More the Fingers.

SATURDAY: The ninth annual MammoJam Festival fights breast cancer with ellen cherry of Baltimore and Mike Dillon of New Orleans at the 8X10. Charming comedic actor Donald Glover brings his utterly charmless emo-rap alter ego Childish Gambino to Pier Six Pavilion with fellow skinny-jeans rapper Danny Brown. Local rockers Jumpcuts play selections from their synth-driven debut album Electrickery with a string section at the Metro Gallery. Up the street, Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner hits the Windup Space with her solo project Flock of Dimes along with Co La and Microkingdom. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman Duo perform the music of John Zorn at An die Musik. Musicband totally gives up on this whole “coming up with a name” thing at the Sidebar. Insubordination Fest winds down at the Ottobar with Copyrights and Night Birds. Fast-rising local punks Roomrunner blasts off at the Golden West with Daughn Gibson. Don’t miss: Scab Labour, a Poison Idea cover band of Baltimore punk all-stars, plays its “only show ever” at the Charm City Art Space.

SUNDAY: It’s probably not a good sign that the Beatles tribute band Rain, which plays at Pier Six Pavilion tonight, is named after the song that Oasis copped their sound from. The Windup Space hosts a great night of instrumental rock from Yeveto (featuring club owner Russell de Ocampo) and Three Red Crowns. Zammuto plays downstairs at the Ottobar, while the Parasites play upstairs. The Flamenco Soul Project plays a seated event that will make you feel like dancing at the Baltimore Soundstage. Jazz flutist Rhonda Robinson performs selections for summer lovers at An die Musik Live. Don’t miss: Lord Baltimore’s Celebrity Concert features awesome local rap acts like Dirt Platoon and the Boy Blesst at the Talking Head.

MONDAY: The Baltimore Soundstage hosts Noise in the Basement, 98 Rock’s local music showcase hosted by Matt Davis. A quartet of Peabody jazz students performs at An die Musik.

TUESDAY: Los Campesinos! force us to appear to be enthusiastic about them with the punctuation embedded into their name at the Ottobar. The Out of Your Head collective makes something out of nothing like it does every Tuesday at the Windup Space. Alt-rock radio hitmakers Anberlin plays acoustic at the Recher Theatre, whose web site describes them as “one of the hardest rocking bangs around”—whose responible? An die Musik hosts Djangofolies, in which gypsy-jazz singer Mary Alouette reinvents the music of Django Reinhardt.

WEDNESDAY: Eric Hutchinson, a rock singer so bland his big hit is called “Rock and Roll,” plays Rams Head Live.

IN THE WINGS: The Summer Spirit Festival, which is headlined by former power couple of the neo-soul nation Erykah Badu and Common and includes a tribute to Chuck Brown by the late Go-Go legend’s own band, comes to Merriweather Post Pavilion Aug. 4. (For more information visit merriweathermusic.com or call [410] 715-5550.) The same day, Cannibal Corpse dodges bad zombie jokes at Sonar. (For more information visit sonarbaltimore.com or call [410] 783-7888.) The Mighty Mighty Bosstones play the two ’90s ska-punk hits worth remembering at the 9:30 Club down in D.C. on Aug. 7. (For more information visit 930.com or call [202] 265-0930.)

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