In August: Lollapalooza club show, National, MGMT, cool concerts under $50

Although summer may be the best time to catch a concert, those student loans may be holding you back from seeing the illusive Lady Gaga on her Monster Ball Tour. According to Ticketmaster standard admission to see the reigning queen of pop at Madison Square Garden costs a few nickels shy of $200. Tickets to see crooner Michael Bublé at Sprint Center in Missouri go for $103.85 and if classic rock is more your thing then expect to shell out $76.50 for a single ticket to see the legendary glam metal band KISS.

But don't fret, concerts from indie bands offer a reasonable alternative to the regular outrageous prices from Top 40 acts. Here's are a few high-quality bargain picks for under $50.

Robyn and Kelis - If you happen to be in Washington D.C. on Mon. Aug. 2, this is one act you'll have to see. Preforming at the 9:30 Club for only $25 you'll witness these two eclectic pop divas put on a spectacular show. Watch the video for Robyn's single "Dancing on My Own" on her MySpace off her newly released album, Body Talk Pt. 1, which has also received great reviews. You may remember Kelis from "Milkshake" fame from 2003 but her music has gone under a serious over hall on her 2010 record Flesh Tone. Listen to her singles "4th of July (Fireworks)" and "Acapella" on her MySpace.

The National - Another highly ranked record from this year, The National's High Violet is indie rock gold. You can see the band play at The Royal Oak Music Theatre for $25 on Tues. Aug. 3, in Royal Oak Michigan. You may need to breakout the Kleenex when you listen to their emotionally charged lyrics on their MySpace but songs like "Bloodbuzz Ohio" are totally worth shedding some tears.

Nelarusky - The Chicago-based club concert, officially affiliated with Lollapalooza, will feature festival participants the Constellations, plus Denver-based band Churchill, Fair Herald, and special guests. The concert proceeds benefit Special Olympics, and tickets start at $12. Nelarusky (formerly McFest) takes place Wed. Aug. 4 at the legendary Metro, just up the block from Wrigley Field.

The Arcade Fire - One of the biggest indie bands today, The Arcade Fire is getting ready to release their third highly anticipated album, The Suburbs. If you plan on seeing them, buy tickets as soon as you can -- most venues have already sold out but if you're lucky enough to be in Columbia, Md. the Canadian band will be playing at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Fri. Aug. 6 for the slightly high price of $48.50-$32. Listen to their new singles on the band's MySpace page.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Don't let the band's funny name fool you. Ariel Pink's latest album Before Today has been universally acclaimed for making the jump from lo-fi to hi-fi. Pitchfork.com says Before Today is a "groundbreaking record that condenses and amplifies Ariel Pink's most accessible tendencies." Catch the psychedelic-pop act for $12-14 on Fri. Aug. 6 at CASHBAR in San Diego, California and listen to one of the best singles of the year, "Round and Round" on their MySpace.

MGMT - On the heels of their dense, unpredictable album Congratulations, MGMT has turned into one of 2010's hottest club tickets.Playing wonderfully disposable pop, MGMT combines electroclash, disco rock, retro glam, and psych-folk into a creative sound that is taut, hooky, and highly danceable, in a hipster-dance-party kind of way. Catch them at Higher Ground in Burlington, Vt. on Thurs. Aug. 12 for $30 in advance, $35 the day of show.