WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30
Truth and Salvage Co. Relishing in classic Southern rock tempered with blues, harmonies and country-tinged guitars, the L.A.-based sextet play down-to-earth, no-frills music. When you have four songwriters in the band, it better be organic and additive free, and T&Sco manage that task with ease writing cohesive songs with veteran musicianship. The crew obviously knows each other’s strengths. Opening for the Black Crowes. The Fillmore (Samir Shukla)
Richard Buckner For the uninitiated, Buckner’s honeyed, bear-like yowl is hard to mistake – like Jay Farrar of Son Volt, it’s as much an instrument as the guitars and pedal steel. Like a truck, it might not have much high end, but the torque it creates is considerable. Sometimes Buckner’s lyricism tends toward the more abstract, and one wonders why he just doesn’t hit the feeling head on. Then you hear him sing, and you know. It’s like hunting deer with a bazooka. Good stuff. The Evening Muse (Timothy C. Davis)
THURSDAY, OCT. 1
Project: Homebrew We’re squeezing in all the shameless self-promotion that we can. This event celebrates the release of Volume III of Jeff Hahne’s Homebrew with performances by seven bands – Bums Lie, Actual Proof, Pradigy GT, Raised By Wolves, Scoot Pittman Trio, Evelynn Rose, Heywire – and a panel discussing the local music scene to kick it all off. Best thing about it – the event and the CD are all free! Neighborhood Theatre (Jeff Hahne)
Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ Singer/guitarist Kevn Kinney is one of the best Southern songwriters. The long-running front man for Georgia’s Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ pens American stories wrapped in bluesy rock, country ballads and straight on hard rock. The band’s new album, The Great American Bubblie Factory, packs both a wallop, check the bombastic opener “Detroit City,” with somber crooners, “Midwestern Blues.” The addition of horns enhances the recording. Amos’ Southend (Shukla)
Heypenny/Pico vs. Island Trees Nashville’s Heypenny doesn’t have a lot of what you’d call rough edges (Kings of Leon seem like Slayer compared to these fellers), but fans of mid-’60s Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, DEVO or Fountains of Wayne should eat this stuff up like cut-rate cotton candy. It’s tight, terse, staccato stuff, but there’s enough of a melancholic undertone here where you don’t have to worry about overdosing on all the sugar and showiness. Nashville-by-way-of-North Carolina rockers Pico vs. Island Trees are a jazzy indie-electronic act not too far removed from bigger-name rockers like Islands or Vampire Weekend, minus all the prep school trappings and overwrought world music memes – what’s more, they can rock the fuck out when the moods strikes them (usually once or twice a show). The Evening Muse (Davis)
FRIDAY, OCT. 2
Lamb Handler The Carolina quartet gelled a few years back when singer/guitarist Moe Lassiz & guitarist Jay Fernandez began branching outside of the band they were involved with. The gents have been touring working stiffs for the past months plugging the new album, Jingle Jangle, that’s loaded with its punk-etched rock, “End of Your Days,” and props to country, “Old Country Music Saved the Day,” It’s danceable rock that’s got plenty moxie. With Mego. Milestone (Shukla)
Colin Hay The former front man and guitarist for the ’80s Aussie rockers Men At Work can grab the crowd with an acoustic guitar and that unmistakable voice telling new tales and singing old faves. Hay has made L.A. his home for the past two decades and has obviously soaked in all things American, which is especially apparent on his new recording American Sunshine. The record is full of acoustic ballads sauntering about in the folk rock mode with shuffling jazz beats. With ES Guthrie. Neighborhood Theatre (Shukla)
SATURDAY, OCT. 3
Islands The brand-spanking-new Vapours sees head Island Nick Diamonds change his sound yet again, and, as is true of another newish band prone to stark stylistic shifts, Destroyer, it somehow succeeds admirably. Ought-six’s Return to the Sea, zephyr-like and zippy, gave way to ’08’s Arm’s Way, awash in strings and sentimentalism. Combine those two discs (both of which have their merits), and you get Vapours, a dancy-yet-devout collection of thoughtful, easy-on-the-ears ’80s electronica shot through with the pop sensibility of someone like Pulp: feet food for common people. With Happy Mondays, Psychedelic Furs. Amos Southend (Davis)
SUNDAY, OCT. 4
Allman Brothers Band/Widespread Panic In case you missed them on Saturday night, they’re playing again on this evening – that’s right, double headliners full of jamming and a bit of noodling for two nights in a row. Rumor has it that band members from each group will share the stage with the other group and showcase their wares in a variety of ways. Should make for one helluva long night. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Hahne)
TUESDAY, OCT. 6
Chrisette Michele It seems like everybody has a hard-on for Maxwell these days … him with the new CD and new tour after years away from the spotlight and all. Music fans, however, should also be excited about Chrisette Michele – the lady Maxwell’s got opening for him while he’s on the road. She’s got a funky second album, which features a more accessible sound than her first, in stores now, and her live act – showcasing her jazz-tinged vocal style – is killer to boot. Go early so you can catch her in action. Oh, and hip-hop vet Common is on the bill, too. Opening for Maxwell and Common. Time Warner Cable Arena (Carlton Hargro)
This article appears in Sep 29 – Oct 6, 2009.
