CICADA RHYTHM Acoustic jazz and roots music duo Cicada Rhythm had the perfect indie rom-com “cute meet.” Self-taught guitarist David Kirslis hopped off a freight train and needed a friend to pick him up. Classically trained upright bassist Andrea DeMarcus was a passenger in the car, and there she met her soot-begrimed future partner. It’s tempting to read too much in the melding of the train jumper and the Juilliard grad, with Kirslis bringing the stripped-down storytelling of an itinerant bluesman to the mix, complementing the experimental, jazzy swing of DeMarcus’ bowed bass. Regardless of how the influences of folk, jazz and blues intermingled, Cicada Rhythm craft an open-hearted, inventive blend of American musics in deceptively simple songs that are both haunting and playfully jaunty. The duo’s tight harmonies suggest Nashville duo The Civil Wars, if only The Civil Wars took anti-depressants. Rarely has a band’s name fit their music so well. Cicada Rhythm conjure up the Southern twilight when the buzz of insects washes in waves through the trees, and that eerie but comforting moment of stasis before the world transforms. $8. Aug. 17, 8 p.m. Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. 704-376-3737.

Leela James is performing at Tempo tonight, August 17. Here’s why you need to stop everything and buy that ticket right now. Leela sings old-school soul without sounding... old. Her new album, Loving You More... In the Spirit of Etta James, doesn’t just cover standards (and some rare cuts) by her hero — it completely reworks the arrangements, stripping them down to bare piano chords or, on the standout “Damn Your Eyes,” amping them up to “Erotic City”-level highs.

It’s a good move for Leela, who, like Etta, embellishes her effortless alto with a grittiness that soothes even as it packs a kick. James is one of the few modern R&B singers who can legitimately hold a tune next to legends like Aretha Franklin or Gladys Knight. Her four critically acclaimed albums showcase her soulful, bluesy, jazzy, even folk-tinged sound.

James has the kind of voice that makes you wanna pin up your hair, put on some pumps and break up with your man, just to make up with him again. And while Leela is flawless in concert, a small venue like Tempo is the perfect setting for her honey-whiskey growl. Backed by Tempo’s live house band, it should transform the spot into the jookjoint of dreams. Since it is Tempo, guys will want to check the website for their stringent and curiously specific dress code (no striped polos), so your night isn’t cut short before it begins. RIYL Angie Stone, Anthony Hamilton, newer Raphael Saadiq, Jill Scott and Jasmine Sullivan.

$15. Aug. 17, 9 p.m. Tempo, 4809 Wilkinson Blvd. 704-391-8909.

CEMENT STARS This Charlotte combo started as a bedroom-based, lo-fi recording duo enthralled with the buzzy electronics and dense textures of ’80s post-punk and New Wave. Brothers Shaun and Bryan Olson have since expanded to a five-piece, making room for driving drumbeats and synth player Enid Valu’s gauzy vocals. The chilly John Foxx—style synth drones that dominated the Olson’s debut EP remain, but they are joined by melodic New Order-like bass and dual, moody, Chameleons-like guitar. To their credit, Cement Stars expand on their compelling influences, adding prickly, cold atmospherics reminiscent of Portishead in the service of Bryan’s impressionistic lyrics. With textures thick enough to slice with a knife, the Cement Stars wisely use them as a spectral backdrop rather than a sludgy wall between band and listener. A shoegaze haze still permeates the pensive, off-kilter melodies, but the songs are anchored by Shaun’s precise and forceful percussion. It’s the source of Cement Stars’ uneasy appeal that they manage to remain grounded while their floating vocals merge like spirits in the night. With Modern Man, Little Bull Lee and Chemical Peel. $5. Aug. 17, 9 p.m. Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. 704-333-9799.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS It’s a bit of a drive, but with residency comes variety. Drive-By Truckers are checking in for a two-night stint at Asheville’s Orange Peel that’s sure to showcase the Southern rock/alt-country of the band’s nine studio albums, including recent releases The Big To-Do and Go-Go Boots. Though based out of Athens, Ga., singer, guitarist and master Southern storyteller Patterson Hood hasn’t forgotten any of his Muscle Shoals roots, working in bits of gritty soul wherever he can. The lineup has withstood plenty of speed bumps — the latest was the departure of long-time bassist Shonna Tucker — but the band soldiers on without hindrance (though probably without her songs). I’d say the new arrangement is only now starting to settle in, but the Truckers’ music has been settling in for quite a while now. $25-$30. Aug. 17, 9 p.m. Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville. (828) 225-5851.

THE LAST GOOD YEAR — The hard-rocking quartet’s got the songcraft and guitar chops down while telling mini-tales in every song. Spin the track “The Ballad of William and Maxine” for a taste. It’s a classic line-up of two guitars, bass, drums and vocalist that cranks out one rocker after another, colored with blues and Americana, but always with punch-in-the-gut dual guitars. The Indianapolis gents are essentially out to fire up gin joints and outdoor summertime gatherings. That’s about all there is to it. RIYL: Smithereens and the harder side of Drivin 'n’ Cryin. Also on the bill: Groove 8, Trinity Seed, and Old Rusty Mandolin. $7-$9. Aug. 12, 9 p.m. Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road. 704-398-0472.

DR. CIRKUSTIEN — Rocking a creepy carnival look pitched midway between Night of the Living Dead and a threadbare Moulin Rouge, Dr. Cirkustien stitches together fairground organ, reggae riddims and skronk in a monster mash-up in which the parts are greater than the whole. The best bits on Cirkustien’s Breaking the Seal EP highlight wheezy sideshow keyoards that drip atmosphere. “WTF” mixes Nick Cave/Birthday Party ranting with Italo-horror synths that do Dario Argento and Goblin proud, and “Dawn of the Ded” crossbreeds zombie ranking and skanking with Mr. Bungle free noise in a no man’s land between the Misfits and Madness. But the sleazy, cheesy fun is undercut by lyrics and vocals that shoot for Tom Waits “through a shot glass darkly” vision but land closer to Mark Lanegan’s bratty kid bro. Trying for edge, the guys opt for Zappa-style snark that includes way too many F-bombs, forgetting they’re most effective embracing their goofy gothic window dressing. Wanting to be red-meat maestro George Romero, they wind up as Ed Wood’s Plan 9 with a potty mouth. Free. Aug. 11, 9 p.m. Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave. 704-334-6209.

TRAVIS PORTER— If you like exhortations on what to do with your hind end delivered over drum machine beats in a lazy Atlanta drawl, then Travis Porter is for you. Formerly known as Hard Hitters, the threesome from Decatur, Ga., has been circulating among the rap scene in the 'A’ for several years, coming up through the strip-club circuit of Buckhead. And if that information alone isn’t enough to give you an idea of what you’re in for at a Travis Porter concert, consider this: YouTube’s No. 1 search result for “Travis Porter” is a track called “Make It Rain,” which begins with the line, “You wanna see some ass, I wanna see some cash.” You’d be hard pressed to find clever rhymes or challenging topics here, but if you’re in the market for tracks ready-made to grind to, TPs got you covered. With Future, Miguel, Ace Hood, Pleasure P., Chief Keef and Mykko Montana. $20-$30. Aug. 11, 7 p.m. Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd. 704-549-5555.