Crib Notes

WILLIE “BIG EYES” SMITH The ex-Muddy Waters drummer now moves out front for vocals and harmonica. The result is raw, rugged Chicago blues played by a guy who learned his craft at the feet of one of the genre’s masters. $15. 9 p.m. Blind Willie’s. 404-873-2583. www.blindwilliesblues.com. — HH

ATLANTA GAY MEN’S CHORUS Known nationally among the GLBT choral community, AGMC offers up songs from the 1954 jukebox musical “White Christmas” amid a stocking full of Christmas classics and holiday favorites. Repeat show Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. $15-$45. 8 p.m. Cathedral of St. Philip. 404-320-1030. www.agmchorus.org. — MG

(Photo Credit:Williebigeyessmith.com)

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KRISTIAN BUSH, ELLIS PAUL, LISA CARVER Taking a moment off from the multiplatinum road, Bush of Sugarland (without Jennifer Nettles) performs with fellow songwriters Paul (”The Dragonfly Races”) and Lisa Carver (”Bullets”) in the Attic’s in-the-round format. $25. 8 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. – MG

ROSEBUDS, LOVE LANGUAGE, THE PREAKNESS The Rosebuds covered plenty of stylistic ground before settling into the shadowy darkwave synth – including peals of guitar chime – of their last two releases. Warmer and more luxurious, their latest release, Life Like, is evidential assurance. $10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CP

(Photo Credit: Nashville UMG)

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B.B. KING As living legends go, King’s still vital on stage, his new album is his finest in decades — it’s worth the inflated ticket price to see him somewhere other than Chastain. $65.50-$86.50. 7:30 p.m. The Tabernacle. 404-659-9022. www.livenation.com. — HH

GANG GANG DANCE, RAINBOW ARABIA, NOMEN NOVUM Gang Gang Dance stands tall at the forefront of New York’s indie avant-garde by crafting a jumbled mass of dance-art-punk-electro skronks. Likeminded acts Rainbow Arabia from Los Angeles, and local freak rock duo Nomen Novum open. $10-$12. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR

(Photo Credit: www.bbkingclubs.com)

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BAD FLIRT, THE BLACK, RAFTER Rafter Roberts is a San Diego strummer who writes quirky, noise-afflicted indie pop tunes for college kids. Local band the Blacks churn out lo-fi Weezer-esque rock songs. Bad Flirt from Montreal QC plays catchy indie rock that evokes a classic ’90s sound. $8-$10. 9 p.m. All Ages. The Drunken Unicorn. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. – CR

CARRIE RODRIGUEZ Folk, pop, bluegrass and country combine with Rodriguez’s lovely vocals and accomplished fiddle to yield surprisingly edgy music that skirts genre boundaries with lyrics that touch the heart, mind and soul. Romantica also appears. $15-18. 8 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. – HH

(Photo Credit: Richmond Lam)

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PAULA NELSON, SHANE BRIDGES Yeah, she’s Willie’s daughter, and her thing is very typical Texas country-blues. The girl can sing, but we’ve heard most of this before. If you dig the blues, be there. Macon’s Americana guy Shane Bridges opens. $6, 8PM. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. – James Kelly

GRAILS Portland, Ore.’s purveyors of avant-garde metal return in support of their darkest and dirtiest offering yet, Doomsdayer’s Holiday. The latest release details epic, instrumental riffage and atmospheres that find sludgy, metal drums intertwining with washes of Middle Eastern textures and a white-hot tussle between harmony and distortion. For their Fri. Nov. 14th show, electronic music pioneers the Silver Apples surf the sine waves, carving out deep, psychedelic grooves. Led by the mysterious Simeon Coxe III, Silver Apples craft songs that are as addictive today as they were when the group emerged from the New York art-rock scene circa 1967. Athens’ instrumental math rockers A.Armada open. $10. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn, 736 Ponce de Leon Place. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. — Chad Radford

(Photo Credit: Todd V. Wolfson)

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DIPLO, ABE VIGODA, BOY 8-BIT, TELEPATHE, PAPER ROUTE GANGSTAZ Internationally renowned Hollertronix party DJ and electro-funk icon Diplo heads up this traveling caravan of cutting-edge artists. Tropicalia-inflected underdogs of the L.A. post-punk scene Abe Vigoda, along with Mad Decent, Boy 8-Bit, Paper Route Gangstaz and NYC abstract electro duo Telepathe fill out the bill with a roster of divine sounds, fringe art punk and hip-hop that’s more concerned about pushing the arts than posturing. $12. 8:30 p.m. The Masquerade. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. — Chad Radford

MAGNETIC MORNING is a collaboration between Interpol drummer and recent Athens transplant Sam Fogarino and Swervedriver singer/guitarist Adam Franklin. Their debut full-length, A.M., balances spaced-out quietude with a roar of guitar resonance. At the heart of it all is a shared admiration for lush pop tones. In their hands, songs are alternately pushed to the brink of sensory overload before being reeled back in for a dose of psychedelic melancholy. Sleep Therapy and Creepy also perform. $10. 9 p.m. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Road. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR

(Photo Credit: Christy Bush)

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DUNCAN SHEIK, LAUREN PRITCHARD Sheik is one of the more interesting and talented of the contemporary college music crooners, showing more insight into human nature and a better sense of melody and structure than most of his peers. He had a few hits in the past, but seems content to float through town and play the bars these days. Broadway singer/actress Pritchard opens. $20. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. – JK

SONIC GENERATOR Homemade circuit boards, Norwegian memories, pop-icon Marilyn Monroe, and the final speech of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are among the inspirations for Sonic G’s performance of seven new works written in the last eight years by Paula Matthusen, Marco Buongiorno Nardell, Cody Wright, Tristan Perich, Anna Clyne, and Jacob Ter Veldhuis. Amid all of that, the group hangs onto its mission to demonstrate the connections between technology and music. Free. 8 p.m. Georgia Tech Alumni House. 404-385-7257. www.sonicgenerator.gatech.edu. – MG

(Photo Credit: Jeremy Cowart)

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JACKSON BROWNE West Coast singer/songwriters have faded from favor but Browne’s 35-year legacy has proven to be remarkably sturdy. He’s touring behind his first album of new music in six years, a set of songs that could have slotted into his 1972 debut. That’s no criticism, though, as his politically and personally driven material has always intertwined gracefully with Browne’s forever-young voice, effortlessly inviting melodies and addictive lyrics. He’ll play many of the hits that the graying boomers come to hear, but his new tunes are nearly as impressive, and his band is always top-shelf. $40-$75. 7:30 p.m. Tabernacle. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com. — HH

WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY Aptly described as “cabaret punk”, World/Inferno Friendship Society blur the line between classic ska and the cultured punk of bands such as Gogol Bordello and Flogging Molly. With a list of band members long enough to intimidate the Masquerade’s stage space, two things are for certain: it will be loud and it will be upbeat. $10. 7 p.m. Masquerade. www.masq.com — SI

(Photo Credit: Henry Diltz)

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BLUE MOUNTAIN Despite nearly a decade of hard touring and raw, rollicking shows, Mississippi alt-country trio Blue Mountain tossed in the greasy, sweat-soaked towel in 2001. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Cary Hudson made a stab at a solo career, but despite their quality his albums never connected, so it’s reformation time. Touring to support two new discs — one of original music and a rerecorded “hits” set — Mountain combines backwoods, slinky picking with amped-up energy. At its best, the threesome’s energetic, sizzling gigs left newcomers raving and existing fans wondering why they weren’t stars. Andy Friedman & the Other Failures and Amy Speace & the Tearjerks get the party started. $12. 7 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — HH

PIERCED ARROWS Rural Oregon outsiders Dead Moon called it quits in 2006. But after decades spent crafting rugged, outlaw garage rock as a lifestyle choice, retirement just wasn’t their style. In the downtime, the husband-and-wife team of Fred and Toody Cole recharged their batteries to return as PIERCED ARROWS. Their debut full-length, Straight to the Heart, is a dark, groove-driven nod to the power of loud and lo-fi rock ‘n’ roll. Gentleman Jesse and Coffin Bound open. $8-$10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com – CR

(Photo by Brad Hodge)

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ALL NIGHT DRUG PROWLING WOLVES, THE WEIGHT, MOCKING BIRDS Atlanta pub rock/punk bastion All Night Drug Prowling Wolves celebrate the release of their brand new, self-titled full-length debut on the Brooklyn-based indie outlet Colonel Records. Labelmates and Brooklyn-based Atlanta transplant Joseph Plunket’s band the Weight makes happy homecoming in support of its latest, greatest country rock album, Are Men. Mocking Birds are also on the bill. $10. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbaratlanta.com. — CR

ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND You can say what you want about the ABB these days, just don’t say anything bad around me. Gregg Allman is a survivor, and even though he is surrounded by mostly second- and third-generation members, he is still the central force of the band. They were Georgia’s greatest band ever, IMHO, and this incarnation is keeping it alive. Repeat show Saturday. $38.50-$93. 7:30 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater. 404-233-2227. www.livenation.com. — JK

(Photo Credit: Brandon Arnold)

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THE WALKMEN, THE LITTLE ONES The Walkmen are a pale comparison of the band that once was Jonathan Fire Eater. But with their latest offering, You & Me, the swaggering New York hipsters return to the unrestrained art-rock form of their last truly great album, 2004’s Bows and Arrows. Los Angelean twee pop five-piece the Little Ones open the show with a set of songs from their latest release, Morning Tide. $12. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chad Radford

TEJENDRA NARAYAN MAJUMDAR & ANUBRATA CHATTERJEE Admired for his remarkable agility and beautiful tone, Majumdar is a world-renowned master of the sarod, a fretless stringed instrument of northern India that is revered for its introspective depth, subtlety and expressive power. He is joined by Chatterjee, one of the great Hindustani tabla players of the Farukhabad Gharana tradition, whose playing is distinguished by a formidable virtuosity, tonal clarity and crisp, clear rhythms. $15. 8:30 p.m. Couch Music Building, Georgia Tech. 650-814-2408. www.paragchordia.com/concert. — MG

(photo credit: Jonny Leather)

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DANIEL RYUDO For 20 years, Ryudo (aka Daniel Ribble, a GSU alumnus), has lived in Kochi, Japan, performing on the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese end-blown bamboo flute. In this program he performs a type of music known as min’yo, a 20th-century name embracing the traditional uta (”songs”) of rural Japan, and which influenced popular enka. (”entertainment songs”) of today. He also performs honkyoku, meditative solo music from the Zen traditions of the Fuke-shu sect of wandering Buddhist monks. Free. 7:30 p.m. Kopleff Recital Hall. 404-413-5901. www.music.gsu.edu. — Mark Gresham

LANGHORNE SLIM Slim — born Sean Scolnick — got a helping hand from Jason Trachtenburg, who spotted him at a NYC open mic and invited the young singer/songwriter on tour with him. Scolnick emanates an impish recalls Ben Kweller. His self-titled full-length debut is highlighted by the rollicking, organ-driven Americana, “Rebel Side of Heaven,” which offers a hopeful alternative to hell, and bluesy, cabaret-tinged meditation on money and dreams with “Diamonds and Gold.” $10. 9:30 p.m. Georgia Theatre, Athens. 706-549-9918. www.georgiatheatre.com. — Chris Parker

(Photo Credit: Doug Seymour)

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Finally a band that critics would be hard-pressed to compare to Explosions in the Sky – an anomaly, wait, where?! About five miles from the Mexican border at the southern tip of Texas lies one of the Southeast’s fastest growing cities, McAllen, and one of the country’s more refreshing instrumental outputs. They Mean Us turns the violin, xylophone, and goofball song titles in to critical elements of a style that can, at times, be as discordant and angular as it can be gentle and caressing. And from what we hear, they put on quite a show.

Having just recovered from a minor lineup change, They Mean Us is beginning a scour of the bottom half of the country in support of the band’s recently released EP, Friendship Lottery. The album was mixed and mastered with help from Atlanta’s Mike Malpass; his assistance helped to flesh out the album’s defined percussion, moments of shoegazy atmospherics, and wonderfully scrappy rhythms.

They Mean Us will be playing Athens’s Caledonia Lounge on September 30th at 8 p.m. The band will be alongside the resident infallible Mouser and the Atlanta up-and-comers Ours to Alibi.

(Photo by Andy Pena)

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Ian Williams’s angular, stumble-step rhythm was an obsession at the very least.

For kids dazed in the backseat of a school bus coasting suburban back roads, nothing should be especially rude or discomforting. My headphones said differently however, Don Caballero told me separate. Williams was able to take bounds that had previously been unexplored, and completely chart the fuck out of them. Along with Damon Che’s impeccable talent behind the drumset and Pat Morris’s lanky basslines, 1998’s What Burns Never Returns was a cacophony of melting cadence and control. It substantiated the loosely-structured and un-orchestral in contemporary instrumental music. This was all of course before Williams quit the band. Impulsive and obtuse was the name of the game, in part because of Ian Williams’s foray in to what he now specializes in with the experimental supergroup Battles. What he left behind, however, would be nowhere near as inventive as the Don was in its prime.

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