Crib Notes

The brothers Carney, Jennings (bass), Lain (drums) and Van (guitar) of the rural, Blue Ridge area of Virginia make an awful lot happen in the small spaces occupied by the songs on Pontiak’s second full-length, Maker (Thrill Jockey). There’s a substantial dose of psychedelic freak-out here, but aside from the album’s 13-minute title track opus, most of the songs don’t go on for much longer than three minutes. The stuttering “Laywayed,” the noisy bursts of “Heat Pleasure,” and the hyper-manic clusters of guitar and drums in “Headless Conference” come together like pop fodder fitted with deep, dark grooves and warrior crooning. As such, Maker can certainly be filed under “stoner rock.” But the short, concise nature of each song makes it a jam for ADD listeners and inward journeymen alike.

Pontiak is playing a free in-store at Criminal Records on Sat., June 13 at 5:30 p.m.

Pontiak – Laywayed from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

(Photo courtesy Thrill Jockey Records)

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The Black Kids show over at The Earl is sold out, but there are plenty of bands playing around town that are well worth your time and hard-earned dollars.

Pontiak, Pride Parade and Media Colors are playing over at The Drunken Unicorn. $8. 9 p.m.

The Suite Unraveling, Pirate Pussy, Untied States and Bangers are playing over at Eyedrum. The show stars at 9 p.m. and will most likely cost $5-$7 (that’s an educated guess at the cover charge. You may want to give Eyedrum a call to find out for sure. 404-522-0655).

Burden of Proof, Wighat, the Long Shadows and The Killer and the Martyr are playing at The East ATL Icehouse. $6. 8 p.m.

New Riders of the Purple Sage Graying Deadheads will be out in force tonight as the current lineup of these grizzled lonesome L.A. cowboys, and one-time Dead side project, play the ’70s songs that should tickle the audience’s fried brain cells. Only guitarist David Nelson and pedal-steel whiz Buddy Cage are aboard from the original band, but John Dawson’s best songs are a timeless set of stoner-hippie C&W nuggets. Wombat also appears. $15. 7 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — Hal Horowitz

Dandy Warhols These drug-addled psych rockers enjoyed a nice run during the ’90s, including “Bohemian Like You,” which naturally struck big with cap-askew college kids. It afforded them $$ for a nice studio/pad, which they made extensive use of on their last album, Odditorium. Their new self-released …Earth to the Dandy Warhols… is just what it advertises: a style-hopping voyage that disappears into the ether more than it strikes paydirt. Each album had nice moments buried within indulgent production excess, but still manages fine, hazy, half-lidded grooves. $22-$24. 9 p.m. Center Stage. 404-885-1365. www.centerstage-atlanta.com. — Chris Parker

Dekalb Symphony Orchestra William Ransom is the featured piano soloist in the DSO’s opening concert of the new season, performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s monumental “Piano Concerto No. 5,” his final piano concerto. Music director Fyodor Cherniavsky leads the program, which includes the “Symphony No. 104″ of Franz Joseph Haydn, his final symphony, plus the U.S. premier of “The Tinker’s Wedding,” a comic overture by the late 20th-century British composer Havergal Brian. $10-$22. 8 p.m. Marvin Cole Auditorium. Georgia Perimeter College Clarkston. 678-891-3565. www.dekalbsymphony.com. — Mark Gresham

(Photo courtesy of New Riders of the Purple Sage)

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