The one word that best describes the version of indie rock offered by the Stews? Soulful. The Auburn, Ala., band’s guitar melodies are undeniable, and the drums are lively. And lead singer Preston Hall’s thrillingly raspy voice is invigorating — even, occasionally, shiver-inducing. From the Stews’ self-titled 2021 EP, the song “Make It Out” (the band’s most listened to on Spotify) is a great encapsulation of what makes the Stews so good. Throughout the song, Blake Dobbs’s rhythm guitar playing sounds almost wavy, like he’s submerged in water. It’s a rousing and introspective song about making it out of a difficult place. When Hall sings, “Oh, it’s hard to stand here when it could all burn down / You just got to know it’ll be just fine,” you can feel his gritty vowel sounds in your bones. On the Stews’ latest album, “What Was,” released in April 2022, the band is just as soulful and perhaps more reflective and moody than usual. In the breakup song “Notions,” softer percussion tiptoes around a subdued guitar. “Seems like breaking out won’t be too far in the end,” Hall sings, giving in to a relationship’s doom. July 15, doors open at 8 p.m. at 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. 930.com. $20.
Destroy Boys
Punk rock trio Destroy Boys opens its latest single, “Beg for the Torture,” with a provocative line: “Your red back with scratch marks, it’s my art.” Lead singer Alexia Roditis’s rage-filled delivery perfectly reflects the push and pull of an obsession you know is dangerous but can’t resist. Later in the song, Roditis sings, “Put me in a hole and then I made it my home,” pulling listeners deeper into lust’s spinning contradictions. Along with Roditis, guitarist Violet Mayugba and drummer Narsai Malik have released three albums of pure punk, starting with their more lo-fi 2017 debut, “Sorry, Mom.” On their latest album, “Open Mouth, Open Heart,” released in 2021, the band’s lyrics have sharpened, and, in true punk fashion, the musical risks are bigger. The explosive penultimate track “For What” is a standout. “The resistance has always been there / It grows, it dies / And it comes back again,” Roditis scream-sings the last line — a matter-of-fact statement that injustice can’t win forever. July 15, doors open at 7 p.m. at the Black Cat, 1811 14th St. NW. blackcatdc.com. $25.
Broccoli City
Even with two male headliners, this year’s Broccoli City Festival lineup is anchored by the female rappers who are making the biggest moves in hip-hop right now, and female artists pushing the music industry forward in general. Washington’s premiere music festival has a lineup that will excite most hip-hop and R&B fans. Lil Uzi Vert and Jazmine Sullivan are headlining a first day that also includes rap darlings Ice Spice and City Girls and singer Chloe. Sullivan’s Grammy award-winning 2021 “Heaux Tales” is the gold standard for the modern R&B album, while Ice Spice is undeniably rap’s It Girl and recently teamed up with Nicki Minaj on the “Barbie” movie soundtrack. Maryland’s own Brent Faiyaz is headlining a second day that also features fellow singers Mariah the Scientist and Coco Jones and rappers GloRilla and Lola Brooke. July 15 and 16, doors open at 2 p.m. at RFK Festival Grounds, 2500 Independence Ave. SE. bcfestival.com. Passes start at $149.
Killer Mike
It’s been more than two decades since rapper Killer Mike’s famous debut. The rapper — whose real name is Michael Render — first made his mark with a verse on fellow Atlanta-bred duo Outkast’s “Snappin’ & Trappin’.” Just a year later, his verse on the duo’s “The Whole World” helped elevate it into a Grammy Award-winning song. Killer Mike’s deep, affecting voice and riveting flows have solidified his place in hip-hop. He’s established himself solo and through a rap super duo, Run the Jewels, with fellow rapper and producer El-P. In tandem with the music, Render has become well known for his political activism. He’s campaigned for Bernie Sanders and rages against systemic racism in interviews and speeches and, of course, through his music. In recent years, his political associations have confused those subscribed to a leftist political ideology that Render seemed to share. Still, Render has never stopped saying his piece. His latest album, “Michael,” released in June, is his first solo project in over a decade and features a who’s who of Atlanta rap royalty. On “Motherless,” Render turns inward and wades through the grief of losing his mom and grandma. He’s blunt about the cruelty of death, but his descriptions of their love for each other provide moments of relief from the painful loss. “Is this a blessing or a curse?” Render asks, a question that applies to most of life’s certainties. July 18 at 8 p.m. at Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. thelincolndc.com. $35.
