ENGLISH BEAT I razzed (well, a wee bit) these Two-Tone heroes a while back for tilting toward nostalgia act. Then I saw ’em again and all was forgiven. Dave Wakeling, who’s morphed into a socialist SoCal surfer (“gnarly, comrade!”) and his “hired hands” were clearly keeping the spirit alive without diluting it even in toaster Rankin’ Roger’s absence. Which spirit? Well, along with the Specials and the Selecter, the Beat (their real name, btw) and other Two-Toners were key cogs in arguably the most interesting era in rock ’n’ roll, when white punk rockers and black reggae stars joined arms to fight racism and Margaret Thatcher (aka, the same thing). Great era, great music. $22. Neighborhood Theatre.

FRONTIER RUCKUS The Ramseur Records signee uses the plaintive sounds of bowed saw, melodica, fiddle and banjo to draw desolate wintry plains-portraits of loneliness and suburban decay (they’re from Michigan, and their 2010 full-length was called Deadmalls & Nightfalls; capiche?). But they also augment that with fanfaring trumpets and huge percussion for Matthew Milia’s summery warblings about first-blush love and familial redemption. So, somewhere between Springsteen’s Nebraska, the Palace Brothers’ Days in the Wake and Sufjan Stevens’ Michigan, Milia looks the present straight in the eye instead of pipe-dreaming about some never-never golden past and in the process creates something close to timeless. Early show. $10. The Evening Muse.

HAMILTON LOOMIS Unabashedly straightforward with his blues, R&B and funky rock, Loomis has a singular mission: to bridge the old with the new. The multi-instrumentalist excels on six strings with thick riffs, precise licks and crooning that eschews all pretensions. For those seeking good-time party music with a groove-laden rhythm section, accented by horns, the Texan and his posse deliver. A protégé of the legendary Bo Diddley, who took the youngster under his wing, Loomis prowls the gin joints with that “grab a drink and sway along” vibe. $12-$15. Double Door Inn.

CHRIS WEBBY This Connecticut-born MC turned heads last December when his EP, There Goes The Neighborhood, shot past Jay-Z, Kanye, Drake and Lil Wayne to sit atop the iTunes rap charts for a day. For his fans, it’s was “about time.” For others, it was “Who is this kid?” The 23-year-old is six mixtapes into his career and hits Charlotte on the tail end of his 40-city tour. Kids These Days are also on the bill. $15-$18. Tremont Music Hall.

BACKWOODS PAYBACK No reason to leave the boogie out of heavy music — and Backwoods Payback doesn’t. Yeah, this Pennsylvania band owes plenty to fistfights ’n’ whiskey gutter rock a la Clutch, but there’s also a heavy-lidded, bong-rattling, weed-smoking (let’s not kid ourselves here) Southern blues-swing. There’s enough riff-worship here to make Sabbath fans happy, but there’s also a passing similarity to a ZZ Top 7” played at 33 1/3 rpm instead of 45. With Order of the Owl and Musket King. $6-$9. The Milestone.

JUKEBOX THE GHOST Philadelphia’s Jukebox the Ghost has been touring nonstop since the band’s 2010 release, Everything Under the Sun. The schedule has been so rigorous, in fact, that vocalist Tommy Siegel underwent vocal surgery. With another album of sunny pop on the way this summer, they’re making their way around the country, turning their experiences on the road into what they call “more thoughtful and personal” new tunes. $8. Snug Harbor.

The New Familiars Even if I wasn’t hosting the monthly Off the Record event, I’d still be attending this event. After all, I created the series because it was something I wanted to see — onstage interviews combined with acoustic performances in a unique Unplugged-meets-Storytellers concert. This month’s show will feature Charlotte folk-rockers the New Familiars discussing their songs, lyrics and songwriting. $10. 8 p.m. The Evening Muse.

Jesus, what a mess. So, maybe two weeks ago, Joint Damage’s label got a cease-and-desist from the lawyer of some godawful Rhode Island rap-rock band also called Joint Damage (resist the curiosity to Google the latter act — trust me). Now, unless the Charlotte band settles on a new name, it’ll be compelled to play its own LP release without a name. Fortunately, there’s no band name listed on Strike Gently, meaning it can be released without alteration. The LP itself shows an aggressive band with remarkable range, with songs ranging from hardcore-influenced ragers to hyperactive, discordant garage-punk. With Double Negative and Chemical Peel. $7-$9. The Milestone.

SEQUOYAH PREP SCHOOL In Orson Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons, Uncle Jack Amberson recalls his youth: “Life and money both behave like loose quicksilver in a nest of cracks. When they’re gone, you can’t tell where, or what the devil you did with them.” Florence, S.C.’s Sequoyah Prep School might well reply, “We feel you!” In a voice equal parts adenoidal and angelic, Daulfin Osbourne sings about the little stuff — your hometown changing, losing touch with friends — over catchy, even jaunty, music colored by ’90’s indie-movie soundtracks. Think Counting Crows and Matchbox 20’s Americana-tinged sugar pop, with a touch of Tinderbox’s darker hues. Sure, it’s all a little callow, but this stuff matters to Sequoyah Prep School. They seem quite earnest as they try to catch life’s little moments before they slip through the cracks. $10-$12. Amos’ Southend.

MARTIN SEXTON Singer-songwriter Martin Sexton has been churning out soul-pop for more than two decades, spending a great deal of that time on the road. It’s no wonder, then, that he is best known for his live performances, replete with enthusiastic fans singing along to every word. Sexton’s Buckley-esque pipes and mellow, mid-tempo musings on relationships and finding happiness make him a great fit for fans of such adult contemporary radio titans as John Mayer. $20-$23. Visulite Theatre.