If you’re not catching Ron Sexsmith at the Ironwood on Tuesday, March 31 — and you really should, tickets willing — consider Acid Mothers Temple, which plays at Broken City, the evening’s other surefire bet. Spiking soothing ambient with bouts of inspired, post-psychedelia, its sax-heavy “melting cosmic blues” is sure to get pupils dilated (if that’s your thing). An added bonus: Saucy Brooklyn garage troupe Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers join. That, or catch Stereos (who “must die,” according to Fast Forward Weekly’s Christine Leonard), who bring the new wave of boy-band to The Gateway.

The following evening — that’s Friday, April 1st — proves to be far more scatterbrained. Flat-brims, breakdowns, breakdowns and breakdowns collide when Emmure, Evergreen Terrace and Chiodos land at MacEwan Hall. Gritty, anthemic, Blue Jays-worshipping punk rockers The Flatliners hit up The New Black for a matinee followed by a soiree at the Distillery, all with Chuck Ragan-worshippers Living With Lions in tow. Finally, Sandman Viper Command land at Palomino with Montreal’s The Luyas, whose French-horn laced, shimmery dream pop will get serious 2011 Polaris nods. That’s no lie: Too Beautiful to Work is too effin’ beautiful — it might be my second favourite release of the year.

Saturday, April 2 offers little respite. Local musical madman Jay Crocker unveils new tracks from his stunning, newest Saved by Radio release, Sea Legs. Vancouver favourites Mother Mother bring their spacey synth-laden jam to MacEwan hall, where they’ll test out bangers from the recently released Eureka. Then, there’s the funk-splosion of Five Alarm Funk, which brings its zillion-piece party madness to the Den — read an interview with the genre-hopping, nation-spanning act at ffwdweekly.com.

The best bet, however, might be to head to the Marquee Room, where Dragonfli Empire’s DJ Cosm promises a relaxed evening of hip hop with Cam McCaskill, KazMega, Touch and Nato and Transit. That, and he’ll be unveiling his new record, Time and Space.

Finally, we’re into that time of year — things are happening during the week! The Rural Alberta Advantage return home to test out Departing on Tuesday, April 5; Winnipeg heartbreaker Del Barber lands at Marquee Room with swoon-worthy Halifax ginger charmer Jenn Grant on Wednesday, April 6; and finally, energetic Vancouver trio The Autumn Portrait land at the Marquee Room, inching closer to the end of its national tour. Take a deep breath.