Velvet Voices and Razor Strings

CHICAGO’S IMPERIAL
BLUES: When it comes to blues, it just don’t get any
dirtier than the brand they lay down in Chicago, the hometown of
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials. The short but larger-than-life
Lil’ Ed comes to town this weekend, Saturday, September 16, to play
for the Santa Barbara Blues Society in Warren Hall at the Earl
Warren Showgrounds. The show is part of his tour to promote the
excellent new recording Rattleshake, so prepare for the most
raucous, hard-partying blues show of the year. Doors open at 7:30
p.m., so see sbblues.org or call 897-0080 for more info.  — Matt
Kettmann

CITRUS PUNK: Owing more to their Orange County
roots than to the deadly defoliant of the same name, Agent Orange’s
discography spans more than two decades and extends far beyond the
heyday of the OC punk scene. The group achieved local renown after
their discovery by KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer in 1981, and punk
fans have celebrated their releases ever since. Granted, Agent
Orange’s albums drop at intervals of about five years each, but
those in-betweens have let the trio — currently Mike Palm, Scott
Miller, and James Levesque — mold their sound from strict surf punk
to something that incorporates various subgenres as freely as it
does the crash of heavy metal. Check them out Friday, September 15,
at Velvet Jones. Doors open at 9 p.m.  — Drew Mackie

DIRTY DUO: It’s a pairing that would beat even
the dream concert double-headliner of George Strait and Marvin Gaye
in terms of sheer humor. New Hampshire goofballs The Queers and
Australian punk mainstays the Hard-Ons will be in Santa Barbara for
a night of loud, fast music, though one should expect the show will
not yield nearly as much suggestive content as the names of the
bands themselves. The Queers — whose good-naturedly off-color
lyrics reveal that the band is not all that queer — have been
recording since 1982, though they only gained national recognition
with the 1993 release, Love Songs for the Retarded. Founding member
Joe King now leads a new lineup in the same style of upbeat,
old-fashioned punk. Not to be out-crassed, the Hard-Ons came onto
the scene with Smell My Finger. Their newest, Most People Are a
Waste of Time, dropped this last March, and gave new reason to pay
attention to the band’s mix of bouncy punk and toilet humor. One of
Australia’s more successful indie bands, the Hard-Ons aren’t
letting their recent 21st birthday deter them from their trademark
puerile style. Catch both bands September 19 at Velvet Jones. And
just try to resist making your own pun.  — DM

FEMME FATALE: It’s not easy carving out a name
for yourself in a sea of female singer/songwriters, but S.B.’s
Jennifer Terran has done just that. Her wispy, pained voice and
haunting piano have caught the ear of Rolling Stone and The Times
of London, and her recently released fifth album Full Moon in 3 was
produced by Grammy Award-winner Husky Hoskulds, the man behind
fellow females Norah Jones and Fiona Apple. This Sunday, September
17, Terran will play a farewell concert at SOhO with cello
accompaniment by Laura Mihalka before kicking off her European
tour. The show starts at 8 p.m. with an opening act by a solo
Mihalka.  — Sarah Hammill

ROCKS ROCKS: Rocks is at it again with four
nights of solid talent. Indie rockers Connection, Dominic Balli,
and Paul Wright usher in the weekend on Thursday night.
Velvet-throated Lisa Goe, country crooner Rikka Z, and Justin
Michael’s Change take the stage Friday, with Kyran Million — sweet
name, dude — Brittany Batastini, and S.B. favorite Matthew McAvene
on the mike Saturday. The weekend capper features James Peel, the
impressive swinging blues and jazz man Orlando Napier, and Cats and
Dogs on Sunday. -SH