Low is one of our Listen Up! bands.

The music scene in Washington gets better and better, with more bands coming through town and new venues opening. Musicians also are making more of their music available on the Internet by posting free and legal MP3s.

I’m taking advantage of these changes with Listen Up!, a weekly feature where I’ll post MP3s of bands playing locally in the next week that you should check out. Listen to an MP3 of a band, see if you like it, and maybe go see them live in concert. It’s as easy as that.

So listen away...

Cloud Cult is at the Black Cat Wednesday, April 11.

The Bird and the Bee. Sunday, April 8, 9:30 Club, 815 V Street, NW. (Note: This show is sold out, but the Bird and the Bee will be spinning afterward at DC9.) Poppy electro-acoustic tunes that walk a fine line between twee and electronica. Listen: “F***ing Boyfriend” (Warning: explicit lyrics, so you may want to listen to this one with headphones if you’re at work.)

Low. Tuesday, April 10, 9:30 Club, 815 V Street, NW. Graceful, patient, and slow-building harmonies that take a while to sink in but pay off in the end. Listen: “Breaker”

Cloud Cult. Wednesday, April 11, Black Cat, 1811 14th Street, NW. Lush, emotional tunes that put a hippie, spiritual twist on standard indie rock. Listen: “Take Your Medicine”

Kid Koala. Wednesday, April 11, Rock N Roll Hotel, 1353 H Street, NE. Instrumental hip-hop spun by one of the most talented DJs out there right now. Listen: “Skanky Panky”

Brad Mehldau. Thursday, April 12, Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street, NW. Known for his elegant and powerful jazz transformations of songs by acts like Radiohead and Elliott Smith, Mehldau plays jazz piano. Watch/Listen: Mehldau’s cover of Radiohead’s “Exit Music”

Junior Boys. Friday, April 13, Black Cat, 1811 14th Street, NW. Airy electronica with a sparse pop sensibility. Listen: “In the Morning”