Spring music preview: The city heats up

It's not quite warm enough for outdoor concerts, but the city will be heating things up in the next few months with shows from the following artists:

Mountain Goats
March 28-30, Bowery Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25.
John Darnielle's personal heartfelt ballads manage to have a universal quality despite the very specific story they're telling.

The Hold Steady
April 8, Terminal 5, 8 p.m., $25.
Though they now live in Brooklyn, Craig Finn and his affable band of Minnesotans retain their simple bar-rocking charm.

Ke$ha
April 13, Roseland, 8 p.m., $41.50.
We're annoyed by her advice to brush our teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniels, but she is a pop singer, not a dentist.

TV on the Radio (pictured above)
April 13, Radio City Music Hall, 8 p.m., $40.50.
Our favorite Brooklyn art-rockers are back with their long-awaited fourth album, "Nine Types of Light," which drops April 12.

Bret Michaels
April 16, St. George Theatre, 8 p.m., $29-$79.
Make sure to bring your bandana out to Staten Island to rock with the former Poison frontman.

Kid Cudi
April 20-22, Roseland Ballroom, 8 p.m., $49.50-$75.
A Kanye protégé, the Kid has been making waves that reach far beyond the hip-hop community.

Diddy-Dirty Money
April 22, Hammerstein Ballroom, 7 p.m., $47.50-$73.
Lately he's been busy with his acting and producing careers, but the man born "Sean Combs" is back on the mike with his new group.

Lady Gaga
April 23, Nassau Coliseum, 8 p.m., $49.50-$175.
If you missed her in February, LaGags is back in town to commune with her New York monsters.

Lupe Fiasco
April 24-25, Roseland, 8 p.m., $49.50-$75.
Lupe's latest album, "Lasers," met with mixed reviews, but that doesn't mean he still can't bring it live.

Yacht
April 27, Webster Hall,  7 p.m., $16.
This duo spans many genres for their art-rock project, but their primary aim is keeping every show exciting and fresh.

Bruno Mars & Janelle Monae: Hooligans in Wondaland
May 4, Roseland, 7:30 p.m., $35.50.
The two retro-soul crowd-pleasers team up for an evening of good, clean fun.

Donald Glover
May 10, Bowery Ballroom,  9 p.m., $20.
The comedian/actor appears as his hip-hop alter-ego Childish Gambino. Word is his rapping is no joke.

Sleigh Bells
May 12, Music Hall of Williamsburg, 9 p.m., $20.
Sleigh Bells delighted indie fans last summer with their lo-fi, high-energy debut.

Deftones, Dillinger Escape Plan
May 13-14, Best Buy Theater, 8 p.m., $30-$35.
Have a headbanging night with these two veteran metal bands.

The Fats Waller Dance Party
May 13-14, Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 9, 11 p.m,  $10.
Meshell Ndegeocello and Jason Moran pay tribute to the spirit of Fats Waller.

Elvis Costello & the Imposters
May 22-24, Beacon Theatre, 8 p.m., $49.50-$89.50.
At this series of shows, Costello will let the set list be determined by a game-show-style wheel that will feature hits, rarities and covers.

Arctic Monkeys
May 24, Summerstage, 6:30 p.m., $35.
This quartet hit it big in the States as part of the 2006 wave of Brit rock. But whereas others in their cohort have faded away, Arctic Monkeys have demonstrated fabulous
staying power.

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