Toronto concerts worth knowing about in October, 2013.

As we reach the staggered climaxes of our September colds — and those of us with blood ties to Eastern Europe's witches of yesteryear incant petty curses toward the TTC riders who gave them to us — October 2013 promises to be a month so strong and so zesty for Toronto concerts that our sinuses just may begin to let in the light. Whether you're tearing up fishnets for Nine Inch Nails and/or Cyndi Lauper, or perfecting the perfect updo for Janelle Monáe, your journey through the month's falling leaves will be soundtracked by some of the best musicians this world has to offer. Plus three nights of The Weeknd. Whatever. Here we go.

HOT TICKETS

DRAINOLITH | OCT 3 | HOLY OAK | $6
My favourite Canadian music rumour is as follows: the music in the background during the Rob Ford crack video is Montreal's Drainolith. I'm starting the rumour now that Ford will appear when Alex Moskos (Aids Wolf) creeps up to share gear and gloom at Holy Oak this week. Part raw noise, part oil dripping lo-fi Americana (Canadiana?), Moskos is a gift: a foaming, quivering puppy in a ribbon-tied box who won't bite upon your unwrapping him. Oh wait, did he bite you? Rabies is treatable now so don't sweat it. Psst, speaking of Aids Wolf, Seripop have an exhibit at YYZ until November 30th. Noise and hydrophobia: a good look for fall.

NINE INCH NAILS | OCT 4 | AIR CANADA CENTRE | $66 - $113
Damn, I used to love Nine Inch Nails — beneath his tussocks of dirty, jet black hair Trent Reznor seemed a prophet of darkness to my teenage mind, born out of the sewers of a deadened street from my tattered Kafka collection, holding writhing, squealing pigs aloft and saying amid the dripping mud and shit, "Behold! Suffering is eternal!" I'm glad I got over all that — wait, did I? Explosions In the Sky are opening in Toronto, not Polaris winners Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

CYRIL HAHN & RYAN HEMSWORTH | OCT 4 | THE HOXTON | $15
Halifax producer/DJ Ryan Hemsworth has done huge things making a huge name for himself (still not over that Lana Del Rey remix), and I'm hugely excited for his huge upcoming album Guilt Trips, which drops on October 22nd. No hyperbole or PR prompting necessary. This hype is natural. Vancouver's smooth Cyril Hahn will join him, making the 4th the best night to get sexy on the dance floor in October. Huge.

SAPPHIRE SLOWS | OCT 11 | DOUBLE DOUBLE LAND | $12
One wonderful thing about life in Toronto is that amid the huge stars rolling through town, tiny, more obscure gems of crystal magic are also passing through, like Japan's Sapphire Slows (Not Not Fun). Making music mainly with 80's Casio keys and Ableton, Kinuko Hiramatsu seems to have more command of the power music as a time and space concept flowing in her pinky finger than there is water in the Pacific. Fans of experimental dance and getting lost in one's bedroom shouldn't miss this. Toronto's HVYWTR + The Deeep are also on the bill.

X-AVANT FESTIVAL | OCT 11 - 20 | MUSIC GALLERY + VARIOUS | $10 - 100

The Music Gallery's X Avant New Music Festival is Toronto's premier festival of experimental and innovative music, and this year is going to be ridiculously cool. Toronto's own Not The Wind Not The Flag are playing October 17th (if you haven't seen them yet, you're not really a Torontonian, FYI). Also booked: Quartetski's release of a "post-rock-ish version of Igor Stravinsky's the Rite Of Spring"; New York "trance" musician Charlemagne Palestine (Oct 13) — his press release reads "expect numerous stuffed animals and a full snifter of cognac at his side", so, okay — and finally Polaris nominees Ottawa's A Tribe Called Red, collaborating with 19 year old Nunavutian throat singer Nelson Tagoona (Oct 19).

GLASSER | OCT 13 | DRAKE HOTEL | $15
Another delightful yet under hyped female electronic artist gets shoved into the corner at the Drake Underground! She will probably be on stage by like 10PM! Barely anyone will be there! I hope I'm wrong about that last one. Cameron Mesirow is a talented producer and remix artist, who can also send chills down the chills of grandmothers and bros everywhere with her careful, impassioned vocal melodies. Her new album Interiors drops on October 8th, so you can likely grab one at the show. Why does this have to be at the Drake? Go anyway, and go early.

COCOROSIE | OCT 15 | THE PHOENIX | $25
Controversial and intriguing, Cocorosie are two of the most delightful no-fuck givers in music. They do what they want how they want in their approach to art and sound — messing around with the male gaze while building angelic, smart experimental pop songs which really just give no fucks at all. The duo's 2013 LP Tales Of A Grass Widow shouldn't be slept on, and neither should this show. Though you could maybe take a little nap at the show and Cocorosie wouldn't mind.

JANELLE MONAE | OCT 19 | KOOL HAUS | $25
One of the most amazing people in music right now will grace Toronto with her blinding, positive light (via black and white costumes) this month. Monáe is an amazing performer and a gem for contemporary pop music, along with her boisterous, swinging, grinning, dancing (and I do mean serious dancing) Wondaland Arch Orchestra. If I brought someone special to Janelle Monáe and they were ambivalent about her, I'd become ambivalent about them for the rest of my life. You know?

SHAD | OCT 19 | THE OPERA HOUSE | $18
When we left Kenyan born, London, Ontario raised rapper Shad out of our fall concerts picks, our readers were mortified. Meanwhile, I was just happy to know that Shad reads blogTO — just. Kidding. I'm just playing with you. After beating out Drake for a Juno in 2011, Shad will drop his new album, Flying Colours, just days before this gig. It looks like he's gearing up to take over the world, so you'd better go get on his good side.

DRAKE | OCT 24 | AIR CANADA CENTRE | SOLD OUT
What did you do on your birthday? I'm guessing you partied at the Air Canada Centre with a mass of friends, your entourage, and thousands of randoms screaming your name — well, now it's Drake's turn. Fresh from last week's release of his third studio album, gorgeous Nothing Was The Same, Drake's still pretty obsessed with being born in October, maybe because kids cared more about planning their Halloween costumes than honouring his b-day back in the day. This night will be his revenge.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY CONCERTS THIS MONTH

ACTION BRONSON | OCT 1 | DANFORTH MUSIC HALL | $44
KID CUDI | OCT 3 | AIR CANADA CENTRE | $40 - 70
THE MISFITS | OCT 4 | THE PHOENIX | $40
LORDE | OCT 6 | DANFORTH MUSIC HALL | $20
HORSE LORDS | OCT 6 | THE BOAT | $6
HAWKWIND | OCT 7 | MOD CLUB | $25
KETAMINES | OCT 7 | IZAKAYA SUSHI HOUSE | $5
GOLD PANDA | OCT 8 | LEE'S PALACE | $15
CRYSTAL STILTS | CT 8 | THE HORSESHOE TAVERN | $13
SURFER BLOOD | OCT 9 | LEE'S PALACE | $18
DEER TICK | OCT 10 | LEE'S PALACE | $22
FEAST IN THE EAST ft. PICASTRO | OCT 10 | GERRARD ART SPACE | $8
ISLANDS | OCT 10 | THE GARRISON | $13
GOBLIN | OCT 11 | THE OPERA HOUSE | $28 - $75
BASIA BULAT | OCT 11 - 12 | POLISH COMBATANTS HALL | $20
LEE RENALDO & THE DUST | OCT 11 | THE HORSESHOE | $16.50
GREG MACPHERSON | OCT 11 | MAGPIE | $7
BILLY TALENT | OCT 12 | SOUND ACADEMY | $45 - 70
WEAVES | OCT 12 | WHITE HOUSE STUDIOS | $5
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB | OCT 14 | MOD CLUB | $25
TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB | OCT 15 | DANFORTH MUSIC HALL | $35 - $52
FATHER JOHN MISTY | OCT 15 | QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE | $22 - 30
BONOBO | OCT 16 | SOUND ACADEMY | $22
FUCK BUTTONS | OCT 16 | WRONG BAR | $12
THE WEEKND | OCT 17, 19, 20 | MASSEY HALL | $45 - 75
FRIGHTENED RABBIT | OCT 17 | KOOL HAUS | $25
CANCER BATS | OCT 18 | LEE'S PALACE | $19
KONTRAVOID | OCT 19 | SILVER DOLLAR ROOM | $10
MINUS THE BEAR | OCT 20 | THE OPERA HOUSE | $25
HOODIE ALLEN | OCT 20 | SOUND ACADEMY | $30
SIMPLE MINDS | OCT 22 | MASSEY HALL | $50 - 90
PEACHES | OCT 23 | LEE'S PALACE | $10
CHILD ABUSE | OCT 23 | THE BOAT
WEEKEND | OCT 25 | THE GARRISON | $12
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES | OCT 26 | THE HORSESHOE TAVERN | $19
TORO Y MOI | OCT 27 | THE PHOENIX | $20
CYNDI LAUPER | OCT 27 | MASSEY HALL | $45 - 75
MELT BANANA | OCT 29 | LEE'S PALACE | $15
SHEEZER | OCT 31 | LEE'S PALACE | $13

Photo of A Tribe Called Red by John Zee.