BY LIANA KATZ

In print | Published January 22, 2009

If getting off campus more was one of your New Year’s resolutions, Philadelphia’s winter concert line-up will make it an easy one to fulfill (unlike going to the gym or becoming a functional adult). With everyone from rappers to aging classic rockers making their way through the city, this winter guarantees shows for all tastes. Here are some intermittent highlights for the upcoming months:

Nappy Roots, January 22 at North Star Bar
Kentucky natives Nappy Roots have released a platinum-selling album and have a calendar day named after them in their home state. However, since their recent departure from Atlantic Records, the quintet is deviating from the well-worn Southern rap path. With their latest album, “Humdinger,” Nappy Roots are leaning more towards slow rhymes backed by a combination of synthesized beats and clean guitar melodies. Fully enjoying their status as newly independent artists, Nappy Roots are looking to surprise and challenge their fans.

Dar Williams, January 24 at The Keswick Theater
Dar Williams has been an important fixture in the contemporary folk scene since she began performing with Joan Baez in the early ’90s. For almost two decades, Williams has been making poignant music that explores the depths of everything from troubled childhood memories to gender stereotypes. Williams consistently allows her sound to evolve by breaking artistic boundaries. In recent years she has fleshed out the richness of her vocals and collaborated with Ani Difranco on a cover of “Comfortably Numb” on her 2005 album “My Better Self.” Her most recent release, September’s “Promised Land,” includes a selection of her eloquent songwriting as well as covers from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Fountains of Wayne.

Andrew Bird, January 25 at The Theater of the Living Arts
Although he once trained to be a classical concert violinist, Andrew Bird could not keep his hands off a host of other instruments. Experimenting with glockenspiels, guitars, and his own vocal chords, Bird crafts multilayered tracks that are at once vibrantly lush and gently ironic. His live performances become a delicate balancing act as Bird, with a sparse backup band, plays multiple instruments at once. Bird will release his latest album, “Noble Beast,” five days before his Philadelphia show and is bound to showcase his new tracks alongside older favorites.

Lykke Li, January 30 at The First Unitarian Church
Although her real name (Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson) is a bit complicated, this Swedish-born indie poptart’s music is anything but. With her main stated influence being “Jane Birkin with no top on,” Li fuses sparse hand-clap beats with sweet vocals to create a sound that is both ethereal and provocative. Singing about personal heartbreak and hardship, Li often allows her emotional side to shine through during her shows with intermittent yelps and whispers. All Li asks in return is that her listeners enjoy themselves. “I just want people to have a good time,” she said in a recent interview.

The Black Keys, February 5 at The Electric Factory
After releasing four lo-fi, blues-fueled rock albums, the Black Keys decided to enlist the help of major producer Danger Mouse to create their latest record, “Attack & Release.” The result was the amplification and clarification of the band’s original music. With rough lyrics and meandering guitar riffs, listening to the Black Keys is akin to taking a hipster time warp back to the days of 45s and Led Zeppelin. In accordance with their classic sound, the Black Keys also have an affinity for earnest and elemental live performances.

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