CL Music Editor Leilani Polk has pointed us in the direction of three crucial music shows on both sides of the bay. Des Ark/Pygmy Lush/Young Livers is a threefer that offers some of the best under-the-radar sounds on both the national and local fronts. The performing moniker of Philly-based singer-songwriter Aimée Argote, Des Ark sings with a rich, gorgeously soulful style, vocals edged with a delicate huskiness and spiraling, high and sweet notes that dip low and tender. Set against raw alt-roots melodies, Des Ark's lyrics go from the confessional to the sometimes vulgar, touching on casual sex, heartache and suicide . On her current tour in support of her second LP, Don't Rock the Boat, Sink the Fucker, Des Ark is joined by Lovitt Records labelmates Pygmy Lush, a dark and earnest neo-folk outfit from Virginia. No slouches either, Young Livers is a No Idea/Gainesville band that gets the crowd moving with a hook-laden, visceral blend of percussive rock, metal and vintage punk (At Transitions Art Gallery @ Skatepark of Tampa, Tampa).

, the ska-rocksteady-reggae-dub-soul ensemble from New York, have been spreading their upbeat brass-fused move-inducing grooves around the U.S. since they formed in NYC nearly 20 years ago; their 12th LP, The Great Rocksteady Swindle, was released last year on Hellcat Records. The band's fifth official release in two years features all six members contributing to the songwriting. Highlights off the album include "A Long Way Off" and "The Same Everyday" by guitarist Jay Nugent. Vocalist Vic Ruggiero's slower, soulful dub numbers "Because" and "Don't Look Back" give you a nice break between. Opening the show are fun, young 'n' energetic ska band the Duppies (not "Dupplies" with an "l" as written on some of the fliers and other publicity floating around) and local jahs of reggae Tribal Style. (At the Crowbar, Ybor City).

, the Scottish-Aussie singer-songwriter and former Men at Work frontman returns to the Bay area for another intimate solo performance. Last year, his mostly acoustic set was sprinkled with funny anecdotes and included his band’s most famous hits (“Down Under,” “Who Can It Be Now?”) along with plenty of his own original solo material and the odd cover (like The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood”). (At the Largo Cultural Center, Largo).

Special thanks to Leilani Polk for her contributions to this report. For more of her Upcoming Concerts, click here.

Step to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet dancer Jacques D'amboise at a talk and book signing at Straz. Though the event is free, we recommend you buy a copy of D'amboise's spirited and inspiring biography, I Was a Dancer, which has received stellar reviews and is perfect for anyone interested in dance, theater or any art. The opportunity to meet the dance legend and get his autograph comes courtesy of Inkwood Books and Straz Center. 6 p.m. Patel Conservatory @ Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa. 813-229-7827.

For more dancer magic, visit the Tampa Museum of Art's Degas: Form, Movement, and the Antique. The exhibition is a major coup for the museum and the bay area's cultural scene as a whole. More to the point, it highlights some of the world's most famous statues of ballet dancers, by French artist Edgar Degas, who, unlike his contemporaries, was more fascinated by the concept of movement than lighting. TMA's exhibition of selected works by the famous impressionist showcases through a selection of bronze sculptures, paintings and drawings — and classic Greek and Roman statues that complement the exhibit — Degas’ exploration of form and movement in addition to his influences from the past. The museum is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. For more information, visit tampamuseum.org.