Recommended music: Peter Murphy, St. Vincent, The Meat Puppets, The Gourds, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, Some Say Leland, Talib Kweli

Thursday, June 18, 2009

THURSDAY

Peter Murphy at Emo's. He's the Gothfather, the skeletal figure and creepy voice who launched a thousand dark moods. With Bauhaus, he all but invented Gothic rock — harsh, theatrical, spare. His solo material is more mainstream, the sound of pre-Nirvana 'modern rock.' Expect a lot of black velvet, no matter how hot it is outside. 9 p.m. $15. 603 Red River St. 477-3667. — Joe Gross

Also recommended: B Real (of Cypress Hill), Bizzy Bone at the Mohawk; Woven Bones at Beerland; Red Collar at Red 7.

FRIDAY

St. Vincent at the Mohawk. Her new album, 'Actor,' is one of the year's most divisive. Those who love its strange proggy complexities really love it (and that includes a lot of critics). Those who can't get down with it find her extremely precious music hard to take for more than a song or two. And everyone agrees she's a very, very good guitarist and very, very skinny. 8 p.m. $13. 912 Red River St. 482-8404. (She also plays a free in-store at 3 p.m. at Waterloo Records.) — J.G.

Also recommended: Screeching Weasel at Emo's; Dikes of Holland at Beerland; Lair of the Minotaur, at Red 7; Steve Earle at the Paramount Theater; Belligerent 86 at Room 710.

SATURDAY

The Meat Puppets at the Parish. The fact that this band is even still around is a minor miracle. Bassist Cris Kirkwood's heroin addiction nearly killed him a couple of times, including an altercation with a security guard that resulted in a gunshot wound and jail time for Kirkwood. But here they are, and the band's new album, 'Sewn Together,' has received mostly positive notices. Like I said, a miracle. With Retribution Gospel Choir and Service Industry. 8 p.m. $15. 214 E. Sixth St. 478-6372. — J.G.

Also recommended: Phobia, Unholy Grave at Emo's; Sunset Rubdown at the Mohawk; Coma in Algiers at Club 1808; DJ Mel at the Beauty Bar; Don Chani at Flamingo Cantina.

SUNDAY

The Gourds at Nutty Brown Cafe and Amphitheater. I'm sure it gets a little boring after a fashion, but as long as the Gourds remain one of the most sure-fire live acts Austin has ever produced, we will continue to tell you to go see them. $10, kids younger than 18 get in free. Show at 5 p.m. 12225 U.S. 290 W. 301-4648. — J.G.

Also recommended: Mosquito Bandito at Beerland; Gas Mask Attire at Room 710; Josh Hoge at Stubb's; Victoria Noll at the Hole in the Wall; James Hyland at Momo's.

MONDAY

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson at Cactus Cafe. Chambers is a country superhero in her native Australia, Nicholson is her multi-instrumentalist husband and the married singer-songwriters are playing a city that has always done right by them (well, at least her). The married duo cut a solid duet album, 'Rattlin' Bones,' that arrived in April; it sure doesn't sound like they had never written together. Two shows: 7 and 9:30 p.m. $35. 24th and Guadalupe streets. University of Texas campus. 475-6515. — J.G.

Also recommended: Jenny Lewis, Heartless Bastards at Stubb's; Gentleman Bears at the Beauty Bar; Rock 'n' Roll Karaoke at Beerland; Heart & Soul Sound System at Room 710.

TUESDAY

Some Say Leland at Cactus Cafe. These Austin-via-Nacogdoches musicians play a powerful experimental folk, dark and moody here, strange and lonely there. Their new album, 'Fifty Miles Into The Main,' comes in a limited first edition of 400 in handmade packaging, silkscreened covers and small, handmade lyric booklets. Get it when you see them. 8:30 p.m. $10. 24th and Guadalupe streets. UT campus. 475-6515. — J.G.

Also recommended: Odet, Strangers in the Attic, By a Long Shot, the Collin Rose Band at Beerland.

WEDNESDAY

Talib Kweli at Emo's. The less famous half of the hip-hop duo Black Star (his old partner is Mos Def), Kweli has produced album after solid album of smart, earnest hip-hop. He seems like a lifer, something the genre could use more of, though he's probably pretty tired of the 'conscious rapper' (read: smart, earnest, political) tag. With Strongarm Steady, Zeale and Traygod. $15 advance, $18 door. 603 Red River St. 477-3667. — J.G.

Also recommended: P.M. Stopschinski at Room 710; Smiling Knights, When Pandas Attack, Something Called Nothing at Trophy's.