Recommended Music: Heartless Bastards, Eyedea and Abilities, Black Joe Lewis, KVRX Cupcake Social, Big Blues Revue, A Place to Bury Strangers

THURSDAY

Heartless Bastards.Lead Bastard Erika Wennerstrom, late of Ohio, has become a true Austinite. Not only does she live here and is recording the band's next album with Mike McCarthy, but the band is managed by C3 Presents. Look for new material from this gutbucket junk-rock crew. With Dustin Welch. 10 p.m. $12. Continental Club. 1315 S. Congress Ave. 441-2444. — Joe Gross

FRIDAY

Eyedea and Abilities.Part of the same Minneapolis hip-hop scene that birthed fan-favorite Atmosphere, E&A looked like they were no more for awhile there, but they're back with a new album of complicated rhymes due later this year. With Prince Klassen. 9 p.m. $10. Beauty Bar. 617 E. Seventh St. 391-1943. — J.G.

FRIDAY

Black Joe Lewis. Lewis and his Honeybears blend gritty garage rock, dirty blues and horn-fed soul. Word has it they are about to sign with a label that can bring them to the masses. With Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. Doors at 8 p.m. $10 advance, $12 door. The Parish. 214 E. Sixth St. 478-6372. — J.G.

SATURDAY

KVRX Cupcake Social. With electro-pop from Lady Pterodactyl, jazzy hip-hop from Rae Davis and more. The first 100 guests get a free cupcake from Polkadots Cupcake Factory. 8 p.m. $5 cover goes to KVRX's Station Survival Fund. Carousel Lounge. 1110 E. 52nd St. 452-6790 ($5, 21 and older). — J.G.

SATURDAY

Big Blues Revue.All the big names: Pinetop Perkins, Willie 'Big Eye' Smith, Lou Ann Barton (left), Ronnie James and more. 8 p.m. $12 general, $30 V.I.P. Antone's. 213 W. Fifth St. 320-8424. — J.G.

SUNDAY

A Place to Bury Strangers. It's been a great year for folks who love shoegazer rock, the massively loud guitar thunder caked in distortion and feedback that was so popular in the early 1990s. This trio of New Yorkers is pure shoegaze revival, big Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine fans who believe transcendence comes with volume. Bring earplugs. With the Boxing Lesson and Ume. 10 p.m. $8. Emo's. 603 Red River St. 477-3667. — J.G.