Angel Haze at S.O.B.'s, August 29, $10
Now is as amazing a time as ever for New York rap. The scene is more vibrant than it's been in years, rappers experimenting with new sounds and methods of distribution that would have been unheard of even five years ago. The city's roaring on both a mainstream and underground level, with the lines between those two evaporating every single day. Consider Angel Haze, the lady Harlemite who's spent the past few months finding enough popularity to win her a gig at the legendary S.O.B.'s nightclub in the West Village. If you haven't heard it, her mixtape Reservation is as great and varied as anything that's come out this year. She can do it all, and it's going to be a treat to watch her develop her skills into something truly special. -Drew Millard
Turbonegro, The Nightbirds, Doomriders, August 29 at House Of Vans, Free
Georgia swamp-metal overlords Baroness were recently injured in a bus accident while touring in Europe. Though expected to make a recovery they had to drop off this bill, which is an epic drag. But it might be worth it to head out anyway, and not just because it's free. Norway's Turbonegro makes The New York Dolls look chaste, the Village People demure and 98% of punk bands lethargic, and have an imagination that would make most pornographers squirm. Also, a band is legally not allowed to call themselves Doomriders unless they intend to bring it. -Michael Tedder
Jay-Z, Pearl Jam, Run-DMC, D'Angelo, The Hives and more at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, September 1 and 2, $175
Though the Budweiser brand positioning is obnoxious even by the corporate soft money-soaked world of music festivals, there's enough good stuff at the Made In America music festival (sorry, Budweiser Made In America Music Festival) to make a trip down to Philadelphia worthwhile. Jay-Z and Pearl Jam are experts at getting football field-sized masses of people to sing along, The Hives are still the greatest showmen in rock and Jill Scott serenading her hometown will likely be a free-floating love fest. But those people play New York often enough, so why should you buy a bus ticket? Because this is one of the first American performances from the eccentric soul genius D'Angelo in more than a decade, and you shouldn't miss an opportunity to hear him sing "Devil's Pie" before he decides to disappear and work on his new album in seclusion for five more years. And while it seems a little wrong from Run-DMC to perform without Jam Master Jay (RIP), we don't want to deny the good people of Philly a chance to scream along with "Kings Of Rock" at maximum volume. -MT
Electric Zoo at Randall's Island, September 1 and 2, $135
Another month, another gigantic EDM fest that you'll probably get annoyed at. And sure, the dudes at the top of the marquee can be pop piffle at best, monstrosities at worst. We're talking David Guetta and the aural assault that is Tïesto. But if you're looking for a place to see some truly great DJing, you might just find yourself at Randall's island in spite of yourself. There's Diplo, dance music's Dilettante-In-Chief, as well as the French firebrand Boyz Noize, the minimal Canadian wunderkind Felix Cartal, and the original mashup dude Z-Trip. Heck, Skrillex is actually pretty great if you shut your brain off and let his cavernous bass drops envelop your soul. The price is steep, but we're guessing some of you have trust funds and are fairly cavalier with them. -DM
