Music Menu 

The Naked Truth 2nd Anniversary Party -- The Naked Truth Songwriter's Night, as you may have denoted from the heading, is celebrating its second anniversary this week. This show features touring artists Kyler England and Adrianne, as well as several local TNT alumni: Karl Ruch, Steve Simpson, Nan Sherry and Gene Hanners, Eva Gael, and Mataya, the driving force behind the whole event. Food and such will be available, as will beer, I'm wagering. Good to see people supporting a no-frills songwriting evening such as this on a consistent basis, though it'd be nice to expand the boundaries of the thing a bit to include some different styles and non-traditional artists. The Evening Muse (Davis)

FRIDAY 3.29

Charlie Robison / Bonepony -- Charlie is a country musician on the verge of slapping the grip of mainstream Nashville open. He's played alt-country for years and swooned the skeptics; now the suits in country city are paying attention, despite Robison's "What he say?" lyrical eye openers not usually tolerated in Nashville. Bonepony are an acoustic trio weaned on old time rock with the fervor of blues and hard strumming obviously built and brewed in the garage. They're another Nashville band shoving aside pre-packaged notions of that town with fervent roots styled music. Sounds like a dandy double bill to me. Amos' Southend (Shukla)

Hipshack -- Charlotte's own fab tenor sax/organ player Scott McCloud leads this crafty funk-jazz instrumental posse. The quartet (guitar, bass and drums round it out) has the toe-tapping and soulful guitar licks teasing the rhythm section while the sax lays on the sweet stuff. The result is a seasoned and studied jazz outfit really having fun. They're a genre away from contemporary jazz with the funk accenting a danceable beat while eclectic undertones scare away the blahs of repetition. Fat City (Shukla)

Les Dirt Clods / Goldenrods -- The Goldenrods and (five-sixths of the) Dirt Clods recently returned from the SXSW festival in Austin, TX, where they played a few shows and received a favorable response for their easy-rollin' (not to be confused with steady-rollin' -- see Bob Margolin, below) bar crawl balladry. Word around town has it that Rod/Clod Benji Hughes has been doing some relatively high-profile out of town work recently, including a big-name collaboration I don't think I'm at liberty to report. Go see what all the fuss is about, and stock up on a few PBRs prior to the show before the beer-friendly ClodRod collective gets the same idea. The Evening Muse (Davis)

Sckapegoat -- The ever-improving local punk/hardcore rockers Sckapegoat are set to release their second full length record Element of Design tonight at Tremont, and they request your presence at the big gala. I'd take them up on it if you like your music with a bit of a youthful, wink-and-a-nod rebellious edge -- one band member recently took to the stage with "Justincase must die" scrawled on his chest. The record was produced by local knob-twiddler Rob Tavaglione, who usually does a pretty bang-up job. If you're interested, some of the songs are up as MP3s at www.sckapegoat.com. With Ten Missing Days and Waiting for Wednesday. Tremont Music Hall (Davis)

SATURDAY 3.30

Angie Aparo -- Angie's got a new cover-heavy album out, titled Weapon of Mass Construction. Covers include a relatively agreeable version of Alice In Chains' "Man in the Box"(!), Elton John's "Rocketman," Oasis' "Champagne Supernova," John Winston (Ono) Lennon's "Imagine," Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down," and the Beasties' "Fight For Your Right (To Party)." It's kinda goofy, obviously, but the guy does have a good voice and rearranges most of the songs quite nicely, especially the Alice In Chains and Neil Young cuts. It seems to me, though, that the Stones' "Angie" would be a natural. Oh well. You can't always get what you want. Amos' Southend (Davis)

Bob Margolin -- The Steady Rollin' one has added a few new cogs to his band: Last I heard, Charlottean Tom "Mookie" Brill (who played with Margolin from '89-'92) replaced Tad Walters on upright and electric bass, harp, guitar and vocals, and Russ Wilson replaced Wes Johnson on drums and harmony vocals. After releasing Hold Me To It in 1999 with producer Mark Williams, the ex-Muddy Waters sideman decided to work on his new album at home; it features a mix of both acoustic and electric material. Double Door Inn (Davis)

Christine Kane -- Kane's a storyteller who creates a warm glow with a sound that takes a more somber approach to the guitar than happy folkie strumming. The result gives hints of the Indigo Girls, particularly the more active Amy Ray, with memorable lyrical prowess and playing that showcases a healthy knowledge of turning a song. This is the top recommendation over all other singer/songwriters playing this week. Jeffery Hyde Thompson will open. The Evening Muse (Shukla)

Gwar -- Granted, there's not a whole lot musically here to latch onto. The show's the thing, and if past arrests in Charlotte are any indication, the group puts on some good ones. Look for appearances by Osama bin Laden and others, as well as large phallic objects spewing stuff. With the excellent (uncostumed) Soilent Green, one of the better true metal acts going, and Disarray. Tremont Music Hall (Davis)

Vital Information -- Contemporary jazz with organ topped rock sentiments and stirring drumming are all the vital stats you need for this supergroup of sorts. There's Steve Smith on drums (Journey), Tom Koster on keys (Santana), Frank Gambale (Chick Corea's Elektric Band) and bassist Baron Brown (Jean Luc Ponty, Steps Ahead). Credit is due for avoiding cliches and the dreaded smooth jazz disease, as there's plenty of diverse, funky jamming, but somehow the warmth is occasionally missing. But who says jazz-fusion has to live up to its nuclear cousin version? They apply the collective experience well, opting for a loose, ball passing game rather than the classic improv-conversational jazz credo. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)

SUNDAY 3.31

The Business / One Man Army / Union 13 / Pistol Grip -- What else are you gonna do on Easter Sunday? The answer is clear: Take a plunge into the happy-go-lucky rawk of One Man Army, the Latino punk rock of Union 13 and the politically charged chanting of Pistol Grip. Headlining all of this are The Business, a brash bunch of veterans and one of the founders of Oi. Take the kiddies out for a Sunday punk picnic as the blokes offer plenty of punch for this all-ages gig. The show starts at 6pm. Tremont Music Hall (Shukla)

TUESDAY 4.2

The Love Cowboys -- They're on their "Dirty Dawg" tour, and the press release says to get ready to have your face stuffed down into the pillow and to be done "Dirty Dawg" style. Haw! How original! If you think such a statement might lead you to a rockabilly-flavored band with chops and muscle but also with creativity and songwriting prowess that would equal, say, the kind of person who would pen the above press release blurb, you win! Cool tattoos, however. Wonder how many people would go see them if they didn't have them? Double Door Inn (Davis)