.357 String Band Assuming the .357 in the moniker is a nod to the firearm and not some extra-hefty guitar-string gauge, this self-styled “streetgrass” band from Milwaukee best pack the heat – and they do. Drawing on murder ballads, Outlaw Country and dark-hearted Gospel, the band’s drum-free, banjo-powered sounds are fermented in punk and rockabilly. Of course, they’re playing on the home-turf of America’s best-known punkgrass act, so comparisons with the Avetts are only natural, but in this case pretty misguided. These boys eschew the sweet for the sour, and pretty girls for naughty ones. Don’t expect to remain sober. With Bob Wayne, the Trouble Walkers and KpSoloMan5000. Snug Harbor
Motion City Soundtrack Scrappy punk-pop quintet’s signature is crisp guitar riffs and a happy-go-lucky vocalist. Their freshly-released disc, My Dinosaur Life, salutes the band’s beloved influences, including Sunny Day Real Estate and Superchunk, while evolving over the past several years into something pretty darn original. Also on the bill are Set Your Goals, This Providence and The Swellers. Tremont Music Hall (Samir Shukla)
Between the Buried and Me The torn-throat vocals are still pervasive in their grinding metal, but of late Between the Buried and Me have taken a liking to a more progressive, epic rock approach. The machine gun drums and guitars leave more space between the bombast where jazzy forays and long guitar solos meet prog rock’s eccentric mores. Their most recent recording, The Great Misdirect, has six rumbling tracks that showcase this directional change. The Fillmore (Shukla)
Perpetual Groove The band’s newly released CD, Heal, brews neo-psychedelia, progressive rock, R&B and jazz together producing a suggestive Coldplay quality. While holding onto their rock persona, which magnetized many of their fans, they have tweaked their sound in order to grow as musicians. Fun fact for all pro-environment supporters – Heal was produced with renewable energy compliments of their partnership with Tree Studios. In other words, the music is coming to you clean. Perpetual Groove started off the new year with a sold-out performance and once you hear them you’ll understand why. Neighborhood Theatre (Nicole Pietrantonio)
Sol Driven Train Charleston’s jam rockers play pop that’s custom-made for lazing on a beachfront bar, colorful beverage in hand, sun sinking into the horizon. Sol Driven Train’s cocktail of Southern rock, swamp boogie, and Americana tinged with horns, is presented in neatly written pop-rock numbers. With three albums under their belt, including a children’s record, the gents have released a new DVD, Live at the Windjammer, and are at work on a new studio record for release in spring. Double Door Inn
Jay Garrigan Garrigan (Poprocket, The Garrigan Brothers, Transmission Fields) has been a fixture on the Charlotte music scene for years. And not just a static, lamp post-like fixture, mind you – he’s had his hands in any number of good bands over the years, and takes more creative chances than most. This show will feature some new songs from his upcoming solo disc, and will be performed all semi-acoustic-like, with a possible assist from members of the band he’s assembling to flesh out the songs live. A good song, of course, can stand up to this stripped-down treatment, and Garrigan’s never given us any reason to doubt him in that department. With Amelia White. The Evening Muse
Tab Benoit I have a thing for the blues, and some theories, too. I think the blues, being a color, doesn’t see any others. I believe it’s not so much what’s being said as much as it is the depth of emotion in which it’s delivered. I believe it’s usually only white folk (critics, most often) that have a problem with the blues, or, moreover, with white people, like Mr. Benoit, playing the blues. “Authenticity!” they scream. Old black men playing old beat-up guitars – that’s the blues! Robert Johnson! Lightnin’ Hopkins! Whoever Fat Possum’s dredged up lately! My, but that Mississip’ Delta’s still fertile! I believe some folks know that the blues are what you make of them, and that just because a man’s whistling a jaunty tune, it doesn’t mean the underlying melody is one of harmony. I believe some folks sing the blues because if they don’t, the blues will sing them. I believe Mr. Benoit here’s worth your time. But then again, I’m just a white critic. THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELED. Double Door Inn
Moses Cherry & the Topless Gospel Choir Don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t a burlesque show of any kind. The Milkjug Records group plays a front porch blues with plenty of soul and heart behind it. Cherry does a fine job on guitar and vocals, backed by Zac McBee (Atilla’s Honey) on kickdrum and harmonica and Johnny Burns on bass. Worth stopping in and checking out the whole bill – with The Lesser Pauls, Reverend Deadeye’s No Man Gospel Band and Perry Fowler. Snug Harbor
Haiti Earthquake Benefit Concert Yet another benefit concert with plenty of great local acts that would be worth checking out even if it wasn’t for a great cause. Performers include Jeremy Current, E-S Guthrie, the Activity, The Natural History, Amy Scheide, Sarah Deshields, Chris Kincaid, Matrimony, Jessica Drake and Bright Young Things. Anne R. Belk Theater at UNCC
The Edwards Brothers Fellow CL scribe John Schacht, in the July 4, 2007, issue of this fine alt.weekly, gave us a fine history of Lou Ford, the local legends who are fronted by the brothers Edwards (if you read that story, and you should, you realize they probably wouldn’t like being called that. The “legends” part, I mean. And why not? Both songwriters have always mined a progressively populist vein – the one artist I never heard the band compared to, interestingly enough, was Woody Guthrie. The last Edwardian release, Lou Ford’s Poor Man’s Soul, didn’t shift all that many units, but it stands neck-and-neck with anything the band’s ever done. There’s regret, but there’s resolution, too. There’s self-loathing, but some self-laughing, too. Hell, just go see ‘em. Thus ends the longest parenthetical menu blurb ever.). With American Aquarium, The Brilliant Inventions, Rebecca Loebe. The Evening Muse
The Sammies Ever since exiting the humid musical wilds of Wadesboro, N.C., a few years back, The Sams have inspired purplish prose both locally and nationally, and for good reason: They’re serious about not taking themselves too seriously. The band’s excellent sophomore disc, Sandwich, is the sound of a band learning to dunk on a listener in the lane. It’s got that same straight-outta-Athens-circa-’81, country-peppered/garage jangle quality – and, indeed, some of it was recorded and mixed in Bulldog country – as the group’s debut, but doesn’t muffle the money shot. Or, if you will, speak with its mouth full. With The Unawares, The Spalding Grays. Visulite Theatre
Haiti Benefit There’s no word yet on who the bands are, but my guess would be that five local ones will join forces to help raise money to benefit the victims of the recent earthquake. It’s a good cause and, no doubt, will be some great music. Neighborhood Theatre (Jeff Hahne)
Monotonix This Israeli trio is a rabid dog cut loose amongst masochistic crowds. Take the deranged lead singer Ami Shalev, who howls and screams and incessantly jumps into and over the crowd, add a raw, bluesy punk guitarist and a furious drummer, and watch joint invariably end in mayhem. Lunacy ensues and loose objects fly, albeit wrought with raw musicality. Stand in the back, lest you harbor aforementioned masochistic tendencies. With Grids and Brain Flannel. Snug Harbor (Samir Shukla)
The Slackers It’s been almost two decades since their inception yet The Slackers continue to defy their moniker when it comes to ska and rocksteady. They’ve been evoking the early days of ska, circa early ’60s, from the get-go and continue to carry that torch, but of late their muse leans more rocksteady (the bridge between ska and the development of reggae) while not forgetting their punk roots. With Bums Lie. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)
Christabel and the Jons Downright custom-made for lazy Sunday drives, Christa DeCicco (vocals, guitar) leads this folksy, country and Western swing band that’s gently brushed with Bossa Nova. Christabel’s laid-back jazz chanteuse persona, backed by acoustic instrumentation including stand-up bass, violin, drumkit, and accordion imparts this Knoxville, Tenn., quartet with a quaint feel. Double Door Inn
Liturgy Take a deep breath and wait for a break in the guitar drone to exhale. Don’t try it while listening to Liturgy, lest you wanna pass out. This NYC quartet professes to play black metal, but their feedback laden, incessant bombast is more akin to Glenn Branca’s orchestral guitar noise combos. Ghostly screams accent the dizzying dual guitars that are cathartic at best and unnerving at worst. The dissonance may get repetitive, yet there’s compositional prowess at work here. With Renegade Bong Tyrants. Milestone (Samir Shukla)
Nick Oliveri Former Dwarves, Kyuss, and (most notably) Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri has a certain level of infamy in the destructo-rock pantheon. He’s known to play butt-ass naked on occasion. He writes two-minute bruisers that meld the sacred (classic pop structure, big riffs) with the profane (er, lots of profanity). He’s either the best or the worst thing that ever happened to QOTSA, depending on where you stand. For this tour, Oliveri’s on his own, and showing off his newish platter Death Acoustic, which is yet another left turn for a man who never quite fits into easy categorization. So yes, it’ll be acoustic. But he does wear a GG Allin shirt whilst doing it, so there’s that. With Lamb Handler. Tremont Music Hall (Timothy C. Davis)
