Metric House of Blues, October 15

Along with future members of Stars and Broken Social Scene, Metric front woman Emily Haines went to an arts high school in Toronto, and started the group with guitarist James Shaw after returning from college in Montreal and Vancouver. Metric has found it difficult to stay in one place ever since, bouncing between several different cities while they honed their gleaming but wary latter-day New Wave. (Not surprisingly, the comely Haines became something of an indie pinup queen in the process.) This year, Metric released fifth album Synthetica, perhaps their poppiest and prickliest outing to date. CHRIS GRAY

Father John Misty House of Blues (Bronze Peacock Room), October 15

Former Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman returns to Houston for the second time this year with Father John Misty, which came forth with debut LP Fear Fun this past spring. Along with Har Mar Superstar, FJM sassed the night away back in May at Fitzgerald's, and to say this new project is a departure for the usually languid Tillman is a massive understatement. Fear Fun's poppy, psychotic nonsense is highly addictive, especially "Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings." Here's hoping the Father has some real longevity. CRAIG HLAVATY

Rufus Wainwright Bayou Music Center, October 15

Wainwright's seventh studio album, Out of the Game, comes complete with lush throwback production from Mark Ronson, evoking Lou Reed and David Bowie's more grandiose bedroom albums. It seems that in Ronson, Wainwright has finally found a suitable foil behind the boards able to surround his vintage pipes. The crooner remains an enigma, but new album Out of the Game (Decca) should make him more accessible for Rufus newbs. CRAIG HLAVATY