Music Forecast: Little Green Cars, Magic City Hippies, Shannon and the Clams

Little Green Cars

It’s been three long years since Little Green Cars released its swell debut album, Absolute Zero. Time, it seems, has brought a certain solemnity to the Dublin band, and its follow-up, Ephemera, contains very little of the sunny positivity from its introduction. Lead singers Stevie Appleby and Faye O’Rourke shoulder the burden beautifully, and Ephemera‘s songs are as intense and affecting as ever — and a little sadder. Thursday at the Bottleneck, don’t forget to bring tissues. Minneapolis singer-songwriter John Mark Nelson opens.
Thursday, March 24

The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence

Magic City Hippies

If the weather isn’t warm enough yet for you, Magic City Hippies are up from Miami Saturday at the Granada with a different kind of heat. Frontman Robby Hunter fuses R&B, rap and smooth Latin rhythms for a sound that takes you out to a beach and has you dancing in the sand under the moonlight. The band’s debut EP, Hippie Castle, is a study in warm, sweaty grooves. If Magic City Hippies isn’t on your radar already, it should be.
Saturday, March 26

The Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence

Shannon and the Clams

On Gone by the Dawn, the latest album from Shannon and the Clams, the Oakland band makes it clear that it’s determined to keep rock and roll alive — one rollicking, doo-wop track after another. But don’t call Shannon and the Clams a throwback; there’s a lot more to this trio than mere nostalgia. Lead singer Shannon Shaw (whose deep and uncompromising voice recalls both Neko Case and Patti Smith) has taken the remnants of a failed long-term relationship and put together wrenching and satisfying songs. Local rockers the Conquerors and buzzing Seattle band Gazebos open.

Monday, March 28

Riot Room, 4048 Broadway