Now that you're finished pretending you care about football, it's time for the music version of Monday-morning quarterbacking: What are you going to do with your week? To the videotape....

We're going to do things a little bit differently this week, just in case you can't be arsed to read the whole post, and start things off with what we consider to be the show of the week, the absolute don't-miss if you're a rock fan: the great Mission of Burma (at left). Gothamist almost died of guitar-induced ecstasy last time we saw them. They've got a new album coming out, their second since their reformation. They're at Bowery Friday with instrumental math-rock band Battles. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. And bring earplugs.

And now back to your regularly scheduled chronological picks. Monday finds Low and His Name Is Alive at Bowery, a show we highlighted last week. Over at Cake Shop (who delightfully responded to our puzzlement about their website listings -- coming soon! Yay!) will be dreamy Mendoza Line side project Slow Dazzle, whose record Pitchfork called "art-country."

Tuesday, there are a couple of great shows. Punchy pop-rockers Nada Surf, whose most recent album was produced by Death Cab's Chris Walla, are at the Mercury Lounge. They are not as "popular" (sorry) as they should be. The Bowery has a great bill with orchestral indiepop band Matt Pond PA headlining. How often do you see a cello onstage at the Bowery? Also playing is California's Dios (Malos) (at right), who got tagged as a sunny Beach Boys–esque pop band but in reality are more complex than that. Fans of Grandaddy (RIP) and Earlimart might want to check them out.

Happy birthday to us! Gothamist is turning three years old, so help us celebrate with music, alcohol, and cake—yes, cake—at Movable Hype 6.0, featuring Burnside Project, Metal Hearts, and Slowlands at the Knitting Factory. Other good options, especially if you are one of those annoying Brooklyn snobs, are singer/songwriter Annie Hayden at Magnetic Field or the spacey, shoegazer rock of Psychic Ills at Union Pool.

Sigur Ros soar to the greatest heights of atmospheric pretension at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. We are guessing this show will be full of the kind of people who appreciate a good light show and maybe even a good cry at concerts.

If you don't believe us about the necessity of seeing Mission of Burma at Bowery on Friday, perhaps check out the excellently, inexplicably named Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin at the Knitting Factory Tap Bar (also at Southpaw on Saturday). Feist and Mates of State are at Webster Hall, too.

On Saturday, brooding country/folk artist Richard Buckner performs as a duo with GBV's longtime guitarist, Doug Gillard, at Northsix. Should be solid.

And that, quite literally, is all she wrote, kids. What will you be seeing?

Mission of Burma, "Wounded World"
Slow Dazzle, "Fleur De Lie"
Nada Surf, "Do It Again"
Matt Pond, "Closer"
Dios (Malos), "You Make Me Feel Uncomfortable"