PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC: In the male-dominated world of dance deejays, Colette stands among the small complement of women to have donned the headphones. Deejays of the feminine sort were once unfortunate novelty acts, but Colette has no shortage of credence to her name, including the chart-topping dominance of her most recent release, Hypnotized. Colette also enjoys minor celebrity status as the face of Motorola’s HelloMoto ad campaign, and as a former incumbent at LA’s leading Top 40 station, KIIS-FM. Still not impressed? Colette has also performed on the sunny stages of Coachella, and even made a televised appearance on E!’s Grammy coverage. For deejays, this is as about as commercially successful as it gets. Check her out at the Wildcat on Thursday, August 30, where she’ll be spinning material from her forthcoming release, Push. -Levi Michaels
ALL THAT JAZZ: It is often said that most current American musical styles can trace their origins back to jazz, and L.A.-based jazz singer Raya Yarbrough ‘s “AlternaJazz” Festival is an ongoing testament to that theory. Yarbrough founded the festival in 2003 to provide a platform for emerging musical styles that are rooted in jazz, but depart into territories as varied as pop, soul, R&B, and world music. This season, the quarterly festival’s installment is entitled “Women’s Voices” and-not surprisingly – showcases a few of the burgeoning females currently experimenting within the genre. Amongst those featured is flutist Rebecca Kleinmann , whose sultry Spanish-, Brazilian-, and Middle Eastern-inspired sound is garnering praise throughout the L.A. jazz scene. Kleinmann will share the stage alongside Yarbrough at the Mercury Lounge on August 28 at 9 p.m. Call 967-0907. -Joel Aurora
TAILOR-MADE: Alixandra Macmillan-Fiedel is a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and along with the Tailor Sea, she’s sure to create quite a splash this Friday, August 24. Fresh out of the studio with a new, 12-song album, Alixandra and the Tailor Sea craft beautiful, folksy numbers that play like Rilo Kiley with an amplified edge. Head on over to La Cumbre Junior High for the band’s CD release concert. Admission is $5 and all proceeds benefit La Cumbre Theatre and the junior high’s drama program. Never before has hanging out at school seemed so cool. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. -Aly Comingore
DRINK UP: Hot Buttered Rum isn’t just a tasty treat, it’s also the name of the up-and-coming bluegrass sensation that’s graced the stage with the likes of Spearhead, The String Cheese Incident, Ben Harper, and Phil Lesh. Their most recent album, Live in the Northeast, is a compilation of studio-quality live recordings made during their fall 2006 tour of the titular region. With tracks ranging from the bluesy riffs of “Queen Elizabeth” to the folksy lilt of “Summertime Gal” and the irreverent wit of “Metrosexual,” Hot Buttered Rum provides the perfect soundtrack for a sultry summer night. Check them out at SOhO on Thursday, August 23 at 10 p.m. Tickets cost $13, and the 11-piece funk ensemble Aphrodesia will open. -Mollie Vandor
BUILDING BRIDGES: Illinois-based hip-hop group The Bridge is responsible for “providing the rap game with a much-needed facelift.” And with songs like “Listen to the Verse,” which implores fans to pay close attention to the group’s lyrical stylings, it’s clear that The Bridge is about more than beats. Though their roots are in the Midwest, the group hopes to “reach new fans and meet people making music out West” through their upcoming shows with Snoop Dogg and T.I.-noble aspirations for three guys from Rockford, Illinois. The Bridge will perform at Rocks on Thursday, August 23. The show starts at 8 p.m.-MV