BARING IT ALL
Son of cult country artist Bobby Bare, Junior has a more far-reaching muse that involves indie, garage, sludge and other iterations of rock, as well as a bit of rhythm and blues, South-of-the-Border feel and more. There's plenty of subversive country in Bare Jr.'s sound as well, but ultimately he takes a similar cross-genre approach to an artist like Alejandro Escovedo. The current album by Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminal Starvation League is called The Longest Meow, and it's a ragged gem that features contributions by My Morning Jacket, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead, Lambchop and other free-thinking musicians. The 11 songs were recorded by 11 musicians in 11 hours. This show, perfect for the New World patio, also features The Heathens and Will Quinlan's top-notch alt-country outfit, The Diviners.
Bobby Bare Jr. w/The Heathens/The Diviners, 8 p.m. Sun., Jan. 21, New World Brewery, $8, 21 and up. —Eric Snider
On His Own
After an autumn spent opening up for a couple of people named Sheryl Crow and John Mayer, Brett Dennen is taking a three-month headlining spin around North America to further support last year's Dualtone Records release, So Much More. While Dualtone is a Nashville label, don't expect a rootin'-tootin' night at the honky-tonk; Dennen tends to keep things low-key, mumbling and crooning his singer/songwriter fare. The guy even honors the political leanings of his predecessors. His recent one-off, non-album song "The Holidays Are Here (And We're Still at War)" is a sincere update of John Lennon's "Merry Xmas (War Is Over)" and while, yeah, it's kind of corny, dude's heart is in the right place.
Brett Dennen, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 18, The Orpheum, Ybor City, $6. —Cooper Levey-Baker
Speak, Pardner
Named for Sam Shepherd's 1971 rock opera, Cowboy Mouth is an influential Southern rock band with heavy pop-punk leanings and a find-the-silver-lining attitude. Formed in New Orleans in the early 1990s, the band — led by drummer/vocalist Fred LeBlanc — represents a true indie success story, garnering a hefty fanbase by way of word-of-mouth and the strength of their spirited live shows. Cowboy Mouth is currently co-headlining dates with Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, which performs nasty, old-school Crescent City funk that occasionally crosses the line into free-flowing, double-bass saturated rock 'n' roll.
Cowboy Mouth w/ Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 18, State Theatre, St. Pete. $20. —Leilani Polk
