THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
JONAS BROTHERS w/THE VERONICAS/BIG ROB The Mouse House has cranked out another hit machine à la Miley Cyrus in the form of the sibling act Jonas Brothers. Unlike most boy bands, though, these guys went the guitar-pop route, formed organically (grew up in the same house and all) and Nick Jonas is the group's chief songwriter. The guys even came off as pretty cool in the recent Rolling Stone, where they were on the cover. (Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
REBEKAH PULLEY & THE RELUCTANT PROPHETS WMNF celebrates the release of Rebekah Pulley's fantastic new record, Back to Boogaloo. Bookended by the wistful send-offs "Not Your Girlfriend Anymore" and "Watching You Go," the disc features Pulley's finest singing, lyrics and most memorable melodies to date. Co-producer Steve Connelly is all over the record, coloring songs with his expert guitar, Dobro, pedal steel, Hammond B3 and even synth work. He's scheduled to join Pulley on stage Friday. Same goes for Acho Brother and Ronny Elliott, who duets with Pulley on the country soul number "Tumbleweed," another standout from Back to Booglaoo. The evening will also include Pulley performing with her other band, the all-female Velvet Underground tribute act Venus in Furs. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
YELLOWMAN Original Jamaican dancehall star — and sexist, and homophobe — Yellowman returns to the 'Burg for another round of toasting and rudeness. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
BAD SARA The recent Sarasota CL cover kids rock the Rover with a mix of hard-edged originals and cover tunes. Think AC/DC meets Gen Y. (The Irish Rover Pub, Sarasota) —Amanda Schurr
MADELINE ADAMS With her wistful vocals and quirky observations, Athens, Ga., singer/songwriter Adams exudes a hushed folk-pop beauty that should meld well with the coffeehouse set. (Four Winds Café at New College of Florida, Sarasota) —AS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
DAMON FOWLER GROUP Tampa's hottest bluesman just returned from Chicago where he and his two bandmates recorded 18 tracks with producer Scott Cable (Nappy Brown). The sessions will constitute Fowler's debut record for lauded blues imprint Blind Pig (Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy). Fowler performed some of his new, self-penned originals the other night at a Green Iguana Ybor City gig — and I was floored. The songs have a honky-tonk flair to 'em that works superbly with Fowler's rich slide guitar work. And his singing, which previously took a backseat to ax exploits, has come to the fore, sounding fuller and more assured than previously. If you haven't witnessed Fowler play in a while, it's time. The man is on his game. (Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa)
SWITCHFOOT w/BETWEEN THE TREES A few years back, Christian post-grunge/emo rockers Switchfoot really scored with the churchgoing and soccer mom set. But the California band has yet to duplicate the success of their 2004 smash single "Meant to Live" or the following year's equally blah "Stars." (State Theatre, St. Petersburg)
CAPTAIN KID w/FIRST CRUSH KID/CHAOS ARCADE/OH, CLEMENCY/CLAIBORNE Jacksonville's Captain Kid clearly has a handle on crafting power-pop of the Fountains of Wayne variety: intelligent, faintly skewed lyrics delivered in a slightly detached manner, subtle background vocals to sell the choruses and bouncy rhythms marked by punchy guitars, resulting in instantly appealing hooks. In other words, good stuff. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
THE TIM VERSION w/THE DUKES OF HILLSBOROUGH /REGULAR SIZE PEOPLE FIGHT Tampa's The Tim Version plays solidly rambunctious punk that recalls The Ramones if they had been raised in the Deep South, near a swamp. (New World Brewery, Ybor City)
THE HIGHLIFE SESSIONS/KING OF SPAIN/LOST HYMNS/JAGE NICHOLS Tampa's King of Spain (aka Matt Slate) crafts gorgeous, atmospheric music that channels Brians Eno and Wilson but sounds wholly unique and modern. Entropy, his 2008 debut on Bay area label New Granada, is one of the year's best local discs, a quietly stunning indie pop record that deserves national attention. Rounding out the bill are Tifton, Ga., acoustic outfit The Highlife Sessions, Bradenton's Lost Hymns and Jage Nichols. (Rasher Tierney's Backroom, Bradenton) —AS
YIP YIP w/SAINT SWEETHEART/REGGIE WILLIAMS/JOEY HOPKINS Orlando electro duo Jason Temple and Brian Esser, collectively known as Yip Yip, tweak out with their freakout, unleashing a synth arsenal in trippy, head-to-toe costumes that hide any glimpse of humanity. Expect a seizure — aural or visual. (Big E's Sweets and Gourmet, Sarasota) —AS
TWINKLE On the sensual title track of her new EMI/America release, New Orleans, Twink sings of star-crossed lovers, Dr. Pepper and Wednesday-night church potluck dinners. Sarasota's own soul-blues diva always puts on a stompin' live show, thanks to outstanding players and her signature hand-wavin' theatrics — not to mention pipes that don't quit. (Five O'Clock Club, Sarasota) —AS
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
THE HONORARY TITLE Brooklyn-based quintet operates in Dashboard Confessional mode, crafting catchy, dramatic diary entries built around acoustic guitar hooks. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
IVORYLINE w/THERE FOR TOMORROW/TAKE THE CROWN/IN AVIATE Texas quartet Ivoryline records for (mostly) Christian rock/metal imprint Tooth & Nail (Underoath, Copeland), offering alternative guitar rock marked by generic swells and overwrought vocals. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
SOAP 6 w/METEOREYES/THIS IS AN ADVENTURE/ANDREW AND ALIA/SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM The latest sudsy beat mix features Spontaneous Habit frontwoman Shannon Fortner's new band, Meteoreyes. Not surprisingly, the sounds are more dance party, less downtempo jam. (Pastimes Pub, Sarasota) —AS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
CHRIS ISAAK w/LISA LOEB The Roy Orbison-style crooner behind '90s makeout classic "Wicked Game" (and other notables, like "Somebody's Crying" and "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing") teams with Lisa Loeb, the horn-rimmed-glasses-wearing gal who topped the pop chart in 1994 with her pensive folkie tune "Stay (I Missed You.)" (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
TRIVIUM w/ALL THAT REMAINS Orlando's Trivium has been praised in headbanger circles for its merging of metalcore, thrash and prog, resulting in impressive record sales. (The quartet's 2006 disc, The Crusade, hit No. 25 on the Billboard 200.) More than just blasts of speed and fury, Trivium adds artful touches, be it a well-placed, precision guitar assault or a stop-on-the-dime time signature switch. Singer/guitarist Matt Heafy unleashes a manly howl that mostly steers clear of Cookie Monster growling. (Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg)
UNDERNEATH THE GUN w/DON THE READER Underneath the Gun is a "death metal"/"Christian" band that advertises, "God Is Love, Love is Real," on its website. Its music? A bludgeoning assault capped by death shrieks, or what I imagine being played 24/7 if there's a spot in hell with my name on it. (Orpheum, Ybor City)
