Gig of the week

My Bloody Valentine tonight, Sun, Wed & Thur

Shoegazers and - hey, it's an open church - nu-gazers rejoice. For some time, MBV's lead sonic instigator, Kevin Shields, has kept a low profile, enhancing his perfectionist mystique even beyond the budget-busting, deadline-breaking tales attached to his band's 1991 album, Loveless. Work with Patti Smith and Primal Scream having exercised his passion for art-rock and engulfing noise, though, he's reformed the group that launched a thousand "sonic cathedral" quips amid deluges of distorted dream-pop. Pinch-yourself stuff, then, but as your eardrums will confirm the morning after, it's real. And take real earplugs for the finale... Apollo, Manchester, tonight & Sun; Barrowland, Glasgow, Wed & Thur

Five best pop gigs

White Denim Tue & Wed

The Austin power-trio come on like a dog fight between MC5 and Jon Spencer, marshalling deconstructed garage-blues and raw-power Stooges shapes into a scrappy tumult. Academy 2, Birmingham, Tue; Plug, Sheffield, Wed

The National Mon & Tue

From romantic paranoia to rueful self-recrimination in a double wallop of warm, velvety chamber-pop and tense, nervous post-punk: more of the good stuff from the Brooklyn-based mood-rockers. Academy, Birmingham, Mon; Metropolitan University, Leeds, Tue

Radiohead Sun

Emotional static, alien hymnals, zero-gravity future-soul and angsty cogitations: cutting loose Radiohead-style, as they unfurl the flying colours of In Rainbows. Yeah, but do you think they'll play "Creep" again? Lancashire Country Cricket Club, Manchester

Bjork Wed

Elemental urges, bonkers beats, lusty intimations and extravagant clobber: top arty entertainment from Iceland's avant-pop adventurer, whose Volta album is made for "celebrating all this flesh on our bones". Shouldn't it be called Va Va Volta? City Hall, Sheffield

Goldfrapp Mon & Tue

What becomes of the broken-hearted? They ditch the kinky-electro- glamour bangers and take up the dulcimer for surreal psych-folk in sepia hues. A new twist in Ali G's winding tale, played to perfection. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Mon; Sage, Gateshead, Tue

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