It’s fitting that the week of our annual Spring New Music issue happens to be the busiest week Calgary’s concert venues have seen in an age. It also means that there are a ton of shows to shoe-horn into this column, so we’ll cut to the chase.

The Exclaim 17th Anniversary Tour crashes the Warehouse this Thursday, April 23. Yes, it’s an odd anniversary to celebrate, but it’s as good an excuse as any to check out Toronto electro-thrash duo Thunderheist and Montreal synth-pop outfit Winter Gloves.

If you prefer your rock on the spastic side, The Palomino’s Thursday night has you covered. Vancouver garage rock two-piece Japandroids are headlining the night with their wall of post-adolescent angst. Calgary’s own Puberty are also on the bill, playing their second show ever, and Mount Analogue round things off with their “avant garbage,” a thoroughly skronky mix of noise, rhythm and energy.

Need more options on a Thursday night? There’s always Justin Rutledge and Melissa Mclelland at The Ironwood. Six Shooter records only puts out the best, and both these folks have done the label proud.

On Saturday, April 25, you can head right back to The Palomino, where Attack in Black and Shotgun Jimmie will be rocking away in the basement. Attack have come a long way from their early, punk-influenced sound, bringing in some far more interesting folk influences, while Jimmie, ex of Shotgun and Jaybird, draws heavily from early Pavement and other college-rock touchstones.

Sunday, if you can swallow the ticket price, there’s no contest. Canada’s elder statesman of sophisticated pop, Leonard Cohen, is sure to put on one hell of a show at the Jack Singer. See our review of his double-disc live album elsewhere in this issue.

Monday, Jefferson Airplane’s Jorma Kaukonen will be at Knox United Church. A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Kaukonen is widely considered one of the best acoustic guitarists around, so Knox seems like an ideal venue.

Rounding things off, Atmosphere and Brother Ali will be tearing up MacEwan Hall on Wednesday, April 29. You’re not going to find a better chance to get your indie hip hop rocks off any time soon.