WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4
Ana Lola Roman N.Y.C.-based avant-garde performer Roman weaves abstract lyrics into obtuse keyboards and percussion-caressed performance rock. It takes a while to warm up to her Lori Anderson-inspired adventurism, but Roman has the musical knack to keep it from becoming artsy-fartsy shtick. Whether performing in art galleries or saloons, Roman is generally intriguing. Lambhandler will open. Alley Cat (Samir Shukla)
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
Jambang Punk legend and guitarist Greg Ginn (Black Flag, founder of SST Records) unleashes his latest projects. Jambang is a pastiche of instrumental electronica and funk laced with a visual backdrop, but don't expect any guitar bombast. It's interesting at one moment and noodly dull the next. Ginn will also pull double duty with his other, more intriguing outfit, the duo Greg Ginn and the Taylor Texas Corrugators. TTC also play instrumental rock but with a twangy, jazzy swing and cracked rhythms. Wink Keziah is also on the bill. Milestone (Shukla)
Truckstop Preachers The Preachers boast enough countrified charm and respect for their elders (Hank Sr., Ernest Tubb, Buck Owens) that, were someone to pull a Resistol down over your eyes – and perhaps pour a couple-three Lone Stars down your gullet – you could conceivably believe you were at one of Willie Nelson's hell-bent-for-Spanish-leather Fourth of July Picnics. And fireworks they got: singer Nate Palmer, boasting the best Carolina country voice this side of the Two Dollar Pistols' John Howie, Jr., is worth the price of admission by his lonesome. US National Whitewater Center (Timothy C. Davis)
Jakob Dylan The son of Bob returns to the road for his first solo tour. He's supporting his new, non-Wallflowers album, Seeing Things, which hits streets on June 10. He's got a new touring band together, The Gold Mountain Rebels, and will be doing the TV stops on the tour as well – Letterman and Leno. His sound on this album is mostly acoustic, and there's no telling which direction it goes in considering he worked with Rick Rubin on it. Neighborhood Theatre (Jeff Hahne)
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
The Subdudes Rocking the Crescent City, and the globe, for the better part of two decades, The Subdudes' New Orleans R&B, jazz, funk and roots music is custom made for partying. Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist John Magnie, the quintet draws most of inspiration from their native town, further adding gospel and blues into the mix. Their most recent disc, Street Symphony, is playfully funky. Neighborhood Theatre (Shukla)
Jeremy Enigk Enigk, of course, is best known for being the former lead singer of Sunny Day Real Estate, a vaguely Christian band credited by many with helping to further the movement which would evolve and mutate in what's now known (often overtly vaguely) as emo. While his voice is still an acquired taste – high and bright enough to occasionally overshadow his surprisingly adept lyricism – one's palate eventually adjusts to the Aquanet overload of his Rob Halford-meets-Tom Keifer heart-throbbery. With Damien Jurado. Amos' Southend (Davis)
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
Rathkeltair Celtic rock ensemble Rathkeltair sound as if they just got off the boat from Ireland, yet the blokes are based in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. The American and Irish combo features bagpiper Neil Anderson and drummer Nick Watson, original members of 7 Nations, and guitarist Trevor Tanner, singer/guitarist/songwriter for The Bolshoi, a hugely influential U.K. band in the late '80s. Their new disc Big White Van is slated for release this month. With Bote. Tremont Music Hall (Shukla)
Samantha Crain The 21-year-old Choctaw Indian singer-songwriter aims to continue a long folk tradition – it should be no surprise that she's on the same label as The Avett Brothers, Concord-based Ramseur Records. Her EP, Confiscation, is due out in July and is being called a "musical novella." She's released plenty of music in the past and continues to tour with her backing band, The Midnight Shivers. Evening Muse (Hahne)
Cravin Melon Reunion Show Former Loafing music scribe Kevin Morgan once opined in these pages that "he, too craved melon," so that he could throw it at the group's collective, well, melons. I'm no big fan of the band's brand of light rock either, but then again, I'm pretty sure they didn't pick up their guitars to be Bobby Dylan Mach II, either. As with the Hooties and Edwin McCains of the world, it's melodic rock to chug brews, pat backs, and flirt with girls (or guys) too. While the music might come across to some – like Mr. Morgan – as annoyingly toothless, a lack of bicuspids doesn't necessarily stop some from enjoying the softer side of the musical pantry. With Rayen Belchere. Amos' Southend (Davis)
