It all starts off simple enough. This Thursday, October 1, local music fans have a reasonably straightforward decision. Avant-rockers would do well to check out Vancouver’s math-influenced rock outfit Copilots, which will be headlining at The Marquee Room, with Jay Crocker’s improv-based No More Shapes kicking off the night.

Jazz fans, on the other hand, would be well served by a trip to Beat Niq for the Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench afterparty. Guy is one of the 10 “Maverick” films at this year’s Calgary International Film Festival, an ode to the power of music to communicate what words can’t. Director Damien Chazelle will be in attendance at Beat Niq for an open jam, so expect a suitably cinematic sound.

On Friday, October 2, though, shit gets crazy. If I had to pick one show, it’d be Finnish indie-poppers Rubik at The Palomino. Their second album, Dada Bandits, came out in Canada a couple of weeks ago and it’s an absolute delight. Catchy, creative and stuffed near bursting with interesting sonic textures, it seems like it might be tricky to pull off live, but if Rubik can do it, it’ll be well worth your time.

Leaving it there seems unfair, though, because Friday is stacked with noteworthy shows. Folkie Jason Bajada will be at The Gateway as part of a War Child benefit, playing tracks from this year’s rootsy (and well titled) Loveshit. Pop-rock singer-songwriter Jason Mraz will be at the Jubilee, but we won’t dwell on that since the show’s already sold out — though folks who didn’t get tickets and are craving some straightforward hooks might want to check out power-poppers The Perms and Wax Poets at the Liberty Lounge. And for those who think that all sounds a little wussy, there’s always Black Dahlia Murder with Children of Bodom and Skeletonwitch at MacEwan Hall. (Check out our review of Skeletonwitch’s new album on page 21).

All that talk of Friday doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the week’s shows, but it’d be a shame not to mention gypsy punks Gogol Bordello, making their triumphant return to Calgary with a new album in tow (again, review on page 21). With Apostle of Hustle also on the bill, the October 5 show will be all kinds of rad. As will singer-songwriter Dan Mangan’s set that same night.