Five acts you can still catch

Jason Mraz is the new kid, and whenever he's on the block he's got that damn rooster and red hat with him. He's also probably summer pop as good as it's been in years. His new album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, showcases Mraz?s rhythmic vocal ability. What's more, his songs are earnest enough to put some substance in front of guitar licks you?ve already heard before. But the best part is that he seems quirky and self-deprecating enough to know that he's not some pop confection. He's on tour this summer with other artists, notably Liz Phair, playing relatively small venues. Compared to the acts going down at your nearest Verizon wireless amphitheater, Mraz is a pleasant change definitely worth checking out.

E is coming to a town near you, and he wants to make friends. His band, The Eels, have been playing the eccentric songs of Mr. E, like "Novocaine for the Soul" and "Beautiful Freak," since 1996. You could think of them as a moodier, melodic Cake. But that isn?t quite right. E?s been through a lot, and sometimes his songs feel like a rolling marble rattling through a nervous breakdown. The happy ones are always edged with a rim of misfit depression; the sad ones have his trademark wistful beauty sewn in. Have a listen, take the Eels for what they are, and whatever that is, it's worth seeing.

Just when you think you've had your fill of melodic, punk-influenced bands, here comes Spitalfield, a band who uses driving guitars and pounding drum beats, along with a hardcore background to distinguish itself from its pop competitors. The energetic, visceral rock stops just short of the screaming intensity of Thursday. And while their songs may not be as catchy as those of labelmates Taking Back Sunday and Count the Stars, both on the Vans Warped Tour, Spitalfield plays an intense yet sweet-sounding blend of pop and punk rock that should not be missed when they come to a small club near you. (And, no, we don't know what their name means, either.)

Longwave has already generated a bit of a buzz thanks to their second album, The Strangest Things, released earlier this year. Now they're looking to make some more noise in your neighborhood that is. Live, they showcase their complex, layered instrumentation and lead singer Steve Schiltz's earnest, echoing vocals with the same precision and intensity featured on their album. These friends of the Strokes also perform with an enthusiasm and energy that?s lacking from the performances of some other New York bands. This is all more than enough to keep you from asking your fellow concert-goers to wake you when it's over.

There may be a lot of hype out there about the White Stripes, but as they would like it, it boils down to a simpler thing. Brother-sister pair Jack and Meg are just the loudest guitar and drum this side of a deceased 70?s rock band. Their gig is a throwback to everything pure and holy of rock-n-roll?and it's red and white, red and white, red and white?. For a colorblind person like me, their shows could be a bit disturbing, reeking of a psychedelic James Bond movie set gone terribly wrong. But unless you're visually impaired or have a crimson phobia, their touring thing works out quite well for you. I won't go as far as to compare these two to the Who or Zeppelin, but the same spirit is there. For all of us who missed out on that spirit, not being flower children and all, the White Stripes are coming, go make it up.