Sam Moore

Top of the Marc, Friday 2

Had Dave Prater not been killed in a car accident in 1988, Sam & Dave would've probably kept up their vocal sparring until reaching the same emeritus status that the Everly Brothers have achieved. Sadly that won't happen, but the soul duo's terrific Stax stomp lives on in that powerful tenor of Sam Moore, who'll do two separate shows at Top of the Marc; 9:30pm and 11:30pm.

TEISCO DEL REY, TAILGATORS

Continental Club, Saturday 3

Labelmates with simultaneous releases on Upstart, Teisco Del Rey and the Tailgators are both surfing the same wave. Only the 'gators' Don Leady surfs his with a greasy Texas hog (check It's a Hog's Groove) on the back of his board, while Teisco del Guitara has everyone from the barber of Seville to Link Wray and James Burton on the back of his board -- all lounging on a couch, too (see Music For Lovers). Also, both play in store at Waterloo (5pm) the day before.

TISH HINOJOSA

La Zona Rosa, Saturday 3

I've always said that Tish Hinojosa has the voice of bedtime stories incarnate. As if to prove my point, she's just released Cada Niño/Every Child, a collection of songs for children (in two languages no less) that tickle and soothe the child in us all. Like Flaco Jimenez last weekend, Hinojosa's playing at La Zona Rosa is a welcome return -- so much so that she'll do it twice, once at 3pm at a children's matinee, and then again at 9pm for the parents in some of us.

SHADES OF BLUE

Bates Recital Hall, Saturday 3

The words "continuum" and "music" go together like Texas and Texas Folklife Resources. In this live demonstration of Texas musical history, Austin's answer to the Smithsonian (TFR) has rounded up a quartet of Texas acts that completes one particular cycle of this states' indigenous roots music. From San Antonio there's the gospel calling of Atonement; Beaumont presents blues picker Barbara Lynn; the post-war blues of T.D. Bell and Blues Specialists represents East Austin; and the Poullard Family -- with Ed on violin and Danny on accordion -- cooks up a creole-spiced armadillo stew.

SPOON, FASTBALL

Hole in the Wall, Saturday 3

Two of Austin's great white hopes for '96 with their debuts due on major labels soon, Spoon and Fastball are also a great pairing at the Hole in the Wall, as their punk energy doesn't camouflage great songwriting.

MOTORHEAD, BELLADONNA

Back Room, Sunday 4

Ears are still ringing, and smiles are still plastered around here after AC/DC's thunderstrike on the Erwin Center last weekend. And before withdrawal could kick in, Motorhead's last-minute booking at the Back Room has staved off the shakes. Three-chord Mongoloid Lemmy Kilmister just notched off the half-century mark, but Motorhead plows on like the proverbial Panzer. Hot damn! Ex-Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna debuts his new band.

SOAK

Steamboat, Monday 5

Remember that Steamboat is home to Pushmonkey's hard-rock funk groove. Now, keeping that taut bass line in your frontal lobe, think Bush. That would be Soak -- a local five-piece, who're just getting rolling with their new CD, Omniphonic Globalnova, a heavy little sucker with lots of melodic groove. Also look for them at the White Rabbit, Wednesday 7, and on this bill, which finds the Scabs headlining.

JOHN RENBOURN & ISAC GUILLORY

Cactus Cafe, Tuesday 6

Steamboat isn't the only local club where guitars steal your soul. Try the Cactus and an evening with two highly revered British guitarists, who've mastered just about every genre of guitar playing; Celtic, ragtime, classical, folk, and blues.

HUM, MERCURY REV, STARFISH

Liberty Lunch, Wednesday 7

A good midweek triple bill, anchored by Champagne's Hum, who've been at it a few years now with that moody, spiritualized Chicago-underground sound -- a sound that just got the major-label treatment to good effect on You'd Prefer an Astronaut. Poughkeepsie's Mercury Rev will provide the right kind of mind-bending pop weirdness in the middle. Austin's Starfish blast off the evening in grand style.

INNOCENCE MISSION, 16 HORSEPOWER

Liberty Lunch, Thursday 8

Though the evening ostensibly belongs to the Meters' bayou groove, this early, non-smoking show (doors at 7:30pm) is the sleeper. 16 Horsepower has yet to be abducted by the hype-mongers, but they'll be bodysnatched as soon as folks get a load of this Denver trio's weave of spooky banjo, cobweb accordion, and shadowy slide guitar. Together with singer David Edwards' cave-dwelling vocals, you've got Gene Loves Jezebel if they were from Mississippi. It's spellbinding -- an adjective that still describes the mazzy starrings of Karen Petris and the headlining Innocence Mission. Meters start at 10pm or so. ALSO PLAYING

Friday: Tracy Chapman, Austin Music Hall, Jerry Jeff Walker, Broken Spoke, Dixie Chicks, La Zona Rosa; Horsies, Barbers, Flipnotics

Saturday: Bad Livers, Emo's; Brooks Williams, Waterloo Ice House 38th; Abra Moore, Waterloo 6th

Sunday: Los Pinkys, Jovita's

Monday: Don Walser, Babe's

Tuesday: Henry Rollins (spoken word), Liberty Lunch

Wednesday: Kerrville Kick-off, Cactus Cafe

Thursday: Jonathon Richman, Electric Lounge