Heavy Dates

We've gone on at length concerning the seemingly endless glut of lousy singer/songwriters and their ability to a) seek us out to demand to be taken seriously, and b) continue to land gigs at coffeehouses with booking agents who must have tin ears. Like a middle linebacker at the top of his game, or the pesky bathroom cockroach, the lousy singer/songwriter is virtually unstoppable. Which is why this weekend is so pleasurable. There is lots of acoustic fare, almost all of it worth checking out. On Friday, Mike Duffy, the world's leading practitioner of Househusband Folk, splits the evening with Stanley Matis at the Above Club. Look for Roger Lavallee (who engineered Duff's upcoming disc) and more special guests to drop in to sing a tune. Over at the Java Hut, it's perennial Phoenix fave Dan Hart. He's a little less out in left field than Duffy, but not likely to be invited to perform at the Dirty Linen meat raffle fundraiser either. As always, Dan plays for the hat. The most baffling move of '99 has to be Jason James's decision to fire his rhythm section just as their debut disc was ready to go. Granted there are "artistic differences" and all that jazz, but we figure shit-canning the Houserockers has to be the equivalent of cutting off both your nuts. Sure enough, the Jason James Band are good, and James can wield the ax like nobody's business, it's just that we don't get the same buzz we used to. They play Green Acres in Ashland. Over at Gilrein's, it's the Blue Hornets, and the Tammany Club welcomes back Dude of Life. Saturday's big highlight is the CD-release party for Dennis Brennan. Rule number one is to go to the show. Rule number two is to buy yourself a copy of Rule No. 1 (Esca), his fab new album. Tell Dennis we sent you and get a blank stare thrown in at no extra cost. Meanwhile, all hands on deck at 9:30, rockers. The Lucky Dog has a great bill, starting early with Boston's way-cool Cheerleadr. Local punks the Free Radicals pull duty, and Luxx headline the night. Out at Point Breeze, it's none other than the real-live, should-be-in-the-Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Fame-but-he-won't-because-they're-a-bunchof-half-wits-and-corporate-butt-plugs legend Big Al Downing. He plays country stuff now, but, if you ask nice, he'll roll out "Georgia Slop," "Down on the Farm," and, maybe, "Let's Have a Party." Elsewhere, Chuck and Mud lead the sing-along at Cafe Fantastique, and the OutCats make the scene at the Above Club.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

At long last Fidel Castro has his revenge for the Bay of Pigs, as the Cuban-folk craze sweeps white, liberal, PBS-watching America off its feet. Following on the heels of Ibrahim Ferrer, fellow Buena Vista Social Club vet Eliades Ochoa brings his band, El Cuarteto Patria, to the Roxy Ballroom, (617) 931-2000, in Boston, on Thursday, February 24; and to Pearl Street, (800) 843-8425, in Northampton, on Friday, February 25.

Now that Mos Def is off doing the solo thing and hanging with Busta Rhymes, anyone think the other guy from Black Star, Talib Kweli, is getting lonely? Maybe just a little bit -- he joins J-Live and Boston's 7L & Esoteric at the Ocean Mist, (401) 782-3740, in Mantunuck, Rhode Island, on February 25. The other indie-hip-hop party this week is at Boston's Karma Club, (617) 421-9595, on February 21, when local vinyl-head-shop-turned-mini-label Biscuithead Records throws itself a fourth-anniversary party, featuring performances by DJ Craze, DJ Creative, Insight, and Biscuithead's own fine-tuned, foul-mouthed crew, Porn Theatre Ushers.

Ah, the remnants of Alternative Nation. Long may they rent large tour buses and trickle into musty theaters. Aging techno-crats Lords of Acid, enjoying something of a rebirth for some strange reason, are at the Roxy on Friday, February 18, and at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence, on February 20. Gawky avant-funk weirdoes Primus are at Lupo's on February 18, with Christian Korn wanna-bes P.O.D.; Lupo's also hosts the lone New England appearance this go-round by former Soundgarden soprano Chris Cornell, who's since taken to imitating the dude from Creed. Suzanne Vega finds friendly territory in Northampton -- where has-beens are accepted professionally, and nobody asks where you been -- at the Iron Horse, (413) 584-0610, on February 24.

No Use for a Name, a band who sound vaguely like NOFX, hit the Met Café, (401) 861-2142, in Providence, on February 28, joined by ska-core dudes the Mad Caddies, hardcore clones Frenzal Rhomb, and Consumed. Brooklyn avant-metal dudes Candiria, who can't decide if they want to be a Zorn-y Helmet or an artier, less goofily politicized Rage Against the Machine, are at the Asylum, (207) 772-8274, in Portland, Maine, on February 18, at the Met Café on February 19, and at Karma Club, in Boston, on February 20; all three shows are with Skarhead and Buried Alive. And one of the few bands besides Urge Overkill to pull off the indie-band-to-glam-rock transition with any flair, Cobra Verde, hit T.T. the Bear's Place, (617) 492-2327, in Cambridge, on Friday, February 18, and a joint called the Skinny, (207) 871-8983, in Portland, on February 19, appearing for both shows with Snares & Kites, a band who include Come's Chris Brokaw on guitar.

-- Carly Carioli