Women have dominated the pop charts for more than a decade, and their primacy is evident even this November, which begins the end-of-the-year lull in major tours. Half of the month’s most intriguing shows feature female performers, and only two spotlight male voices.
Imperial Teen
The members of this power-pop quartet all have played with harder-rocking bands, and the vigor of their other projects echoes in “All Over You,” the 30-year-old band’s seventh album. The songs are jaunty and spry, their directness nicely complicated by the crosscut vocals of all four members (two women and two men, just like ABBA). Neither time nor geographical separation — the musicians live all over — has diminished Imperial Teen’s playful swagger and melodic invention. Nov. 6 at 9:30 p.m. at Comet Ping Pong, 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW. cometpingpong.com. $15 door; $19 online.
Kate Nash
It has been a long, empowering trip away from mainstream pop for this Londoner. Blithe hits such as 2010’s “Do-Wah-Doo” have yielded to the more confrontational style of Nash’s new album, “Cailín.” Songs such as the pro-abortion-rights “Spilt Milk” combine feminist themes, sometimes spoken rather than sung, with a musical exploration of the singer’s Irish roots. Riot-grrrl guitars mix with bodhrans and tin whistles in Nash’s bold style of folk-rock. Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. at the Hamilton Live, 600 14th St. NW. live.thehamiltondc.com. $31-$43.
Dawn Richard
The beats are electronic but the vocals organic when this New Orleans innovator performs her distinctive update of R&B. Of Haitian and Native American heritage, Richard is a champion of “Creole Culture,” the title of her latest album. Gospel-style vocals weave through exuberant new songs such as “Chuuuuurch,” but the tribute to Black traditions also features rapped vocals and techno cadences. Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. (doors) at Transmission, 1353 H St. NE. transmissiondc.com. The show is sold out, but there is a waiting list.
Slow Pulp
Guitarist Henry Stoehr took a larger songwriting role on “Melodie,” the Chicago indie-rock quartet’s third album. Yet the musical focus remains on Emily Massey’s voice, which is simultaneously earthy and ethereal. She makes the lyrics, even ones she didn’t write, sound intensely experienced. Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. (doors) at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. 930.com. $41.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
Although he’s a stalwart of traditional country music, Marty Stuart also has affection for 1960s folk- and country rock. He and his immodestly but aptly named band backed Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman on a 2018 tour marking the 50th anniversary of the Byrds’ “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.” So don’t be surprised if this crack quartet slips a Byrds or Rolling Stones tune between the Jimmie Rodgers and Buck Owens ones. Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. birchmere.com. $88-$102.
Joy Oladokun
The child of Nigerian immigrants, this Nashville-based singer-guitarist grounds her style in folk blues. But her sixth studio album, “Hope Is a Heavy Thing,” sets social commentary to a range of musical styles. Soul, roots rock and even 1960s girl-group pop are among the influences on this lushly produced effort. The effect is ebullient, even when Oladokun is performing such ominous titles as “Die Young” and “The End of the World.” Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. at the Howard Theatre, 620 T St. NW. thehowardtheatre.com. $39–$107.
Bedouine
For a Syrian-born Armenian American who spent part of her childhood in Saudi Arabia, home and family are complex themes. The L.A. pop folk singer-songwriter Bedouine (a.k.a. Azniv Korkejian) ponders them on her lovely recent album, “Neon Summer Skin.” While the melodies are gentle and delicate, the arrangements are intricate. Piano-based tunes are bolstered by orchestral instruments, and when Bedouine sings of being “On My Own,” her solitariness is soothed by her own multitracked voice. Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (doors) at the Atlantis, 2047 Ninth St. NW. theatlantis.com. $33.
Gnarls Barkley
Twenty years after their massive hit “Crazy,” the duo of singer CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse got back together just so they could say goodbye. “Atlanta,” the twosome’s first album in 18 years, is billed as a farewell. But new songs such as the sultry “Pictures” will linger long after this final tour. Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore, 8656 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. fillmoresilverspring.com. $64-$254.
Sirintip
The music of a Swedish Thai singer whose earlier compositions were based on climate data might seem inaccessible. But the New York-based jazz pop performer Sirintip’s new album, “White Lilies,” is immediate and empathetic. Inspired in part by her father’s death, elegant laments such as “Where Do Souls Go?” layer Sirintip’s (full name Sirintip Phasuk) crystalline voice over spare piano-and-percussion accompaniment. Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. at the Pocket, 1508 N. Capitol St. NW. 7drumcity.com/the-pocket.html. $19 advance; $25 door.
Loud Luxury
The core of this L.A.-based “future house” outfit is two guys from Canada, Andrew Fedyk and Joe De Pace. But the guest vocalists who humanize the production/remix duo’s machine-made bangers are often women. The voice of Emily Roberts, who sang the 2025 dance-floor hit “Love You for Life,” will surely resound as Fedyk and De Pace pump toward their set’s crescendo. Nov. 28 at 10 p.m. at Echostage, 2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE. echostage.com. $65-$83.
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