MUSIC
Pop & Jazz
Previews by August Brown (A.B.) and Randy Lewis (R.L.). Justin Beiber The David Cassidy of today’s synth-besotted R&B, the teenage Beiber is smack in the middle of his target demographic. Yes, he’s so adorable you could spread him on a bagel, but he’s also funny as all dickens in his banter and has a real ear for hooks that might sneak up on the most heard-hearted pop curmudgeons. (A.B.) Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Today, 6 p.m. $35.50. (323) 962-7600.
Rickie Lee Jones This is a big year for the singer: It’s the 30th anniversary of the release of her self-titled debut album, which won her critical acclaim and the title of the Next Big Thing singer-songwriter. It’s also the year that her daughter, Charlotte Rose, turns 21, a milestone she celebrates in her new album’s opening track, “Wild Girl.” It’s a love letter to her offspring that also plays out like a reflection on her own youth. (R.L.) Vista Theatre, 4473 Sunset Blvd., Los Feliz. Tue., 8 p.m. $30. (323) 660-6639.
Brad Paisley In the decade since the country singer put out his debut album, he’s concocted a savvy musical amalgam of Roger Miller’s songwriting wit, Buck Owens’ hard-rocking twang and Chet Atkins’ guitar wizardry. But there’s powerful evidence of another influence at work in Paisley’s music: Mark Twain. Paisley’s eighth album, “American Saturday Night,” has the usual complement of straightforward love songs, ruminations on love lost and humorous come-ons. But what is likely to elevate Paisley’s standing as a musician are two key tracks: the title song and “Welcome to the Future,” both of which broach topics that also were favorites of Samuel Clemens. (R.L.) Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., L.A. Fri., 7:30 p.m. $15-$58. (213) 742-7300.
Vitalic Pascal Arbez’s techno project has been an institution on forward-thinking dance floors for nearly 15 years, but his latest album, “Flashmob,” might be the one that broadens his audience. It’s a gutsy affair bristling with overdriven synths but with a keen ear for the transcendent escapism of disco. (A.B.) Avalon Hollywood, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood. Fri., 10 p.m. $15. (323) 462-8900.
Tinariwen The band’s long, repetitive figures of brittle electric guitar wind around trance-inducing hand drums, and it’s positively narcotic. Tinariwen’s modalities have plenty of stateside admirers, and its recent record “Aman Iman” was among the best guitar albums of 2007. But time on the road has made stage stars of them -- they cut mean poses in sunglasses, twirl like dervishes in the breakdowns and harmonize like a distress call from across the dunes. (A.B.) Royce Hall, UCLA, 340 Royce Drive, L.A. Sat., 8 p.m. $24-$48. (310) 825-2101.
