Alt Folk, Kurt Vile Highlight North Baltimore Concerts

Lately, April sunshine has stubbornly insisted on bursting through the rains of spring. And it's perfect weather for open windows in the morning and evening (so long as they're not thief, I mean, ground level) to let in the charged air after a storm. The Orioles are winning, and soon trees will be lush again.

With the days growing longer and the nights milder it seems almost criminal not to go out and see a show, especially when the show is a short walk or bike ride away. This Friday at the Wind Up Space are the Silent Whys, The Great Unknown and A Cat Called Cricket. All three bands can be classified as "modern folk," a term that implies just the type of variations all these bands have.

The Silent Whys are a twosome of Amanda Glasser and Austin Tally. Their self proclaimed goal is to keep their hands and feet busy at all times. To do this, they bring everything from an accordion (squeeze box?) to a banjo to a bass drum with them on stage, all the while singing simple yet poignantly beautiful melodies.

Also playing are The Great Unknown from Philly, a collective of musicians that remind me of a cross between The Band and The Grand Ole Opry. Decidedly country in twang, but still retaining a framework of alt folk rock, The Great Unknown will provide a totally different sound from the other two bands.

Headlining the show are A Cat Called Cricket, a local four-person band that incorporates cello into songs that can be melodic, pop-infused and mournful. Thanks to the band's melding of cello and rhythm guitar, A Cat Called Cricket is more indie sounding than the other two alt folk acts playing this Friday.

To save you from hating Mondays, Kurt Vile and the Violators (fresh from SXSW) will be playing at the Ottobar. The Philadelphia-based band has been compared to the likes of Tom Petty, Bob Seeger (ugh) and even Bruce Springsteen. Signed solo to Matador in 2009, Vile subsequently released a sophomore album called "Childish Prodigy." The new release further launched him and his sound, which is heavily influenced by classic rock, an assortment of pedals and lo fidelity.

Vile's latest album, "Smoke Ring From My Halo," is a bit of a departure from the murky and stripped down baseness of "Childish Prodigy," while "Halo" is obviously cleaner and slicker sounding. It seems like there has been a dearth of actually talented rock bands and front men since pop took over and flannel died, so I'm glad musicians like Kurt Vile exist.

Get out in the fresh air before you want to run for the relief of the air conditioned indoors of summer!

• Saturday at The Hexagon and The Wind Up Space; Free Second Saturday Gallery Event. Venue hop around Station North and check out all eleven places situated within four blocks of Charles Street. All free and a great way to not only check out all the venues in the area but get some culture too. For example the Wind Up Space is featuring the music photography of Josh Sisk. Did I mention it's free?