Prolific rapper Lil Wayne will join Auto-Tune singer T-Pain and Gym Class Heros at the Saddledome on Thursday, January 22

It’s hard to pin down exactly what separates a good pop-rock band from a bad one, but if their MySpace samples are any indication, Calgary’s Our Hearts are Big fall into the former category. They borrow liberally from modern rock radio — a spacious U2 guitar hook here, a driving Killers backbeat there — but swap the bombast for good ol’ lighthearted fun. Definitely ones to keep an eye on — catch them at The Marquee Room on Thursday, January 22.

At the opposite end of the pop spectrum, the Saddledome will host Lil Wayne that same night. At the very least, you’ve gotta respect the guy’s work ethic — he’s released about 10 albums and mixtapes in the last four years, not to mention all the tracks he’s guested on, and his Tha Carter III made more than a few best-of 2008 lists. Also at the ’Dome that night: T-Pain (a.k.a. that Auto Tune guy) and Gym Class Heros.

Things get trickier on Friday, January 23. The International Festival of Animated Objects will be kicking off at the Palomino with sets by Edmonton marching-band-rockers The Wet Secrets, Calgary Dudes spin-off Dojo Workhorse and sorta-folk-rockers Ghostkeeper. The inclusion of giant puppets makes this one even more tempting. The Neckers will be at Broken City on the same night, flogging their tried-and-true brand of rambunctious rock — and given that frontman Bil Hetherington’s been spending more time with his subdued solo project, he’s probably more than ready to rock out. Then there’s power-poppers Gob at the Gateway, and West Coast dramatic duo Honey and the Money at the Liberty Lounge. Let’s just say there are options.

Of course, that’s not even mentioning Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, also on Friday. It wouldn’t really be fair to put those other shows up against a pairing of neo-classical titans, so we’ll move on.

After such a hectic start to the weekend, it’s nice to have a simple way to wrap it all up. Johnny Summers and Greg Baker have arranged for a night of New Orleans jazz with the Calgary Jazz Orchestra on Sunday, January 25 at River Park Church. Moving from zydeco to funk to Dixieland, it’ll be a great showcase for the variety of sounds that’ve come from one of jazz music’s most vibrant hubs.