DRIVIN' N' CRYIN'
A staple of American rock, unpretentious and rooted in the South since the mid-'80s, Drivin' N' Cryin' is nearing the three-decade mark as a band, but there's no evidence that its members are mired in sameness and rehashing tired material. A case in point is their latest recording project, a series of EPs that builds on their sound while expanding musical parameters. The first two EPs revisited garage and punk ethos wrapped around their roots rock. The third and most recent EP in the series, Songs from the Psychedelic Time Clock, is loaded with spacey jams and tripping guitars that transport listeners back to the acid-laden days of the recording's genre reference, without forgetting that it's the Atlanta combo that's cranking the amps. Frontman Kevn Kinney is an astute songwriter, ably bringing the house down while flailing an electric guitar or mellowing it down with an acoustic one. With Porcelain Mary and Darlings of the Underground. $15. July 26, 8 p.m. Chop Shop, 399 E. 35th St. 704-765-2467.