Saturday Picks & Sleepers

SATURDAY PICKS

All showcases subject to change

Ringo Deathstarr

8pm, Headhunters Austin's answer to My Bloody Mary Chain has taken to ending its sets with a squall of feedback, almost as a test of aural endurance. 2007's debut self-titled EP was a less abrasive collection of short, sweet tremolo-assisted pop. – Audra Schroeder

David Garza

8pm, Continental Club After a fury of digital EPs, last year's Dream Delay, a tightly sprawled but never self-indulgent effort, was this local pop savant's first full LP in almost five years. From busked hysteria on the UT campus to a pair of Atlantic LPs last decade, David Garza remains an iconoclastic pop savant along the lines of Britt Daniel, Will Sheff, and Prince. – Michael Bertin

Daniel Francis Doyle

8pm, Mohawk Austin's energetic one-man looping/drumming machine Daniel Francis Doyle manipulates crowd and stage while keeping rhythm, slamming pedals, and still singing on key – mostly – into his necessary headset. He's a force to be reckoned with, as heard on new LP We Bet Our Money on You. – Darcie Stevens

Jana Hunter

8:10pm, Beauty Bar Backyard The Texas-bred singer-songwriter had a truly haunting vision with 2005 acoustic debut Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom. Since then, she relocated to Baltimore, released the more uptempo There's No Home, and is recording new songs that are neither blank nor unstaring. – Audra Schroeder

Killer Mike

9:20pm, Austin Music Hall Killer Mike earned his stripes as an OutKast apprentice dropping fire on "The Whole World." Now four albums deep, the Atlanta-born big man is still feeding off the excitement generated from July's I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II, a mix-up of street-wise tales and political opinion. Fifth album 16 in the Kitchen comes this year. – Chase Hoffberger

The Love Me Nots

9:30pm, Smokin' Music With 2008's Jim Diamond-produced Detroit (Atomic a Go Go), the Love Me Nots stitched sinister Fuzz Tone guitars, mind-curdling Farfisa swirls, bad-girl vocals, and irresistible hooks into a garage rock confection that knocks your wind out. The Phoenix quartet's vitality didn't go unnoticed by Little Steven, who picked "Give Em What They Want" as one of the year's 20 coolest songs. – Greg Beets

Suzanna Choffel

10pm, Momo's That pitter-patter you hear is Austin native Suzanna Choffel's YouTube hit, "Raincloud," a heavenly burst of sophisticated pop-rock with a jazz soul. It's a neat trick for someone whose last CD came out in 2007. Style, lots of substance, and Zeitgeist sets her music apart from the rest. Ready for your close-up, Miss Choffel? – Margaret Moser

B.o.B

10:55pm, Austin Music Hall The comparisons to Andre 3000 don't stop at the Decatur, Ga., upbringing. B.o.B's eccentric style and willingness to weird have been likened to the OutKast do-it-all's funk since the rest of the country got familiar on last summer's Hi! My Name Is B.o.B mixtape. His debut, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, is set for release in June. – Chase Hoffberger

Andre Williams

11pm, Continental Club Forty years ago, Andre Williams sang for Motown and Chess and penned hits for Stevie Wonder, Ike & Tina Turner, and George Clinton. In the last decade, he's become the "Black Godfather," playing the role of croaking, badass MC in campy funk ensembles like the New Orleans Hellhounds, which released 2008's Can You Deal With It? – Daniel Mee

The Knux

11pm, Vice Displaced from their native New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, brothers Kintrell "Krispy Kream" and Alvin "Rah Al Millio" Lindsey found solace in L.A. with their fresh brand of live-band hip-hop. Their 2008 Interscope debut, Remind Me in Three Days ..., evokes mid-1990s OutKast, De la Soul, and Souls of Mischief. Totally classic, completely original. – Chase Hoffberger

The Pepper Pots

11pm, Opal Divine's Ska in pearls and high heels? 1960s swing with a reggae beat? This trio of bright voices from Spain, backed by an eightpiece band with a blow-your-hair-dry horn section, makes its cocktail of sound not too sweet, not too earthbound. Island music meets soul and girl-group bebop. – Belinda Acosta

Jimmy & the Webbs

11pm, Prague Legend. Or maybe the biggest legend you don't know that you know. "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," and "MacArthur Park" are all Jimmy Webb's hits. Even cooler, his gig is with the Webb Brothers, his sons and a Chicago-based indie pop outfit in their own right. – Michael Bertin

Golden Boys

12mid, Beauty Bar Backyard When Ross Johnson, former drummer for Memphis tango-billies Tav Falco's Panther Burns, calls your show one of the more "enjoyable toilet club gigs" he's witnessed in years, that's a compliment. He says as much in the liner notes to this local quintet's latest LP, Goodbye Country (Monofonus), another whiskey-assisted crawl through rock & roll. – Audra Schroeder

The Handsome Family

12mid, Habana Calle 6 Brett Sparks possesses one of the most distinctive voices in music, a brooding baritone that plods through traditional folk songs, softened by wife Rennie's harmonies. The Family's upcoming eighth LP, Honey Moon, marks the Albuquerque, N.M., duo's 20th wedding anniversary and renews their Appalachian sound. – Doug Freeman

Silversun Pickups

12mid, Antone's Debut studio album Carnavas (Dangerbird) finally gets a companion this April with Swoon. The L.A. quartet wrapped up two years of touring in support of Carnavas at 2008's Austin City Limits Music Festival and promises the new album contains a balance of quiet, delicate, and "really fucking loud." – Melanie Haupt

Gravy Train

12mid, Radio Room Who needs meat when you're full of gravy? Oakland's Gravy Train pumps tabloid techno-punk that will make you puke neon rainbows, which isn't to say the foursome's softcore sex-and-candy floor show isn't fun before the crash. The troupe sifts through 2007's All the Sweet Stuff (Kill Rock Stars) like seasoned thrift-store veterans. – Greg Beets

Grupo Fantasma

12mid, Emo's Main Grupo Fantasma's been killing local clubs for years but busted outta Austin city limits in 2008. The funky Latin orchestra got Prince's purple seal of approval, entertained troops in Iraq, and earned a Grammy nomination for Sonidos Gold, a blend of psychedelic cumbia and vintage 1970s salsa, amplified by saxman Maceo Parker and Fania All-Star Larry Harlow. – Thomas Fawcett

GLC

12:30am, Barcelona Playing Memphis Bleek to Kanye West's Jay-Z, GLC's been with the College Dropout since day one. The Chicago rapper's first taste of the big time came as a thick-voiced guest verse on West's "Spaceship," and he signed with the superproducer's GOOD Music label in 2004. His debut, Love, Life & Loyalty, is expected later this year. – Chase Hoffberger

Monotonix

1am, Mohawk Patio Like a spry, bassless reincarnation of Blue Cheer, Monotonix strangles every last drop from the power of three. The Tel Aviv trio's shows are visceral communions between band and audience; last October's Mohawk gig literally spilled into the middle of Red River. They finally drop a full-length to follow up Drag City EP Body Language this fall. – Greg Beets

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SATURDAY SLEEPERS

All showcases subject to change

Coma in Algiers

7pm, Headhunters This local quintet of musical misfits likes it loud and lewd. 2007 debut This Is Your Justice screamed and stomped in the name of punk rock and in the vein of the Jesus Lizard on PCP. New LP Your Heart Your Body awaits. – Audra Schroeder

Jill Barber

8pm, Habana Calle 6 Maybe it's AMC's Mad Men that makes sweet songs sound so good in this anxious era, but even those without cable are drawn to Nova Scotia's Jill Barber, whose voice seduces like Patsy Cline on three dirty martinis and a pack of Luckies. Barber's Chances, released in November 2008 on Canada's Outside Music, pits early-1960s torch against Americana comfort. – Darcie Stevens

Ruby Jane

8pm, the Ranch At half past 14, fiddler Ruby Jane Smith boasts substantial credentials as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, having played with Lyle Lovett and Willie Nelson and toured with her musical mentor, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel. With one foot in Mississippi and one in Texas, her country bears a distinctive, unforgettable roots edge. – Margaret Moser

Golden Bear

8pm, the Music Gym Patio Austin's Golden Bear turns family values and nervous energy into some of the most triumphant and whimsical indie rock this side of the Polyphonic Spree. The quintet's new digital-only EP, Everest, featuring guest vocalist Pink Nasty, marks a welcomed return to the joyous, dual-guitar roar of the band's eponymous 2006 debut. – Austin Powell

The Whip

8:40pm, La Zona Rosa Manchester dance-pop quartet the Whip released debut X Marks Destination (produced by Arctic Monkey-master Jim Abbiss) last year to nearly instant acclaim, but prior to that, its calling card was the incessantly exciting Kitsuné single "Trash." – Marc Savlov

Drew Smith's Lonely Choir

9pm, Momo's Early life as an Army brat is an obvious influence on local Drew Smith, who's all over the musical map, from the pop of Harry Nilsson to the bombastic side of Springsteen. The singer-songwriter's 2008 debut, Drew Smith's Lonely Choir, drew raves for a breezy yet never pretentious sound. – Jim Caligiuri

Ezra Furman & the Harpoons

10pm, Submerged Last year's sophomore effort from Ezra Furman, Inside the Human Body (Minty Fresh), shrugs off the Dylan comparisons and jostles around indie pop with frantic, yelping intensity. Furman's nasal wail leads his Chicago quartet's unhinged sound with the youthful affection of the Modern Lovers and bitter wit of the Violent Femmes. – Doug Freeman

Ha Ha Tonka

10pm, Red Eyed Fly Straight out of Springfield, Mo., Ha Ha Tonka's casual anthems owe as much to the Ozarks as sweaty college rock. The band's 2007 debut, Buckle in the Bible Belt (Bloodshot), garnered the quartet acclaim, and last year it toured with the like-minded Old 97's and Meat Puppets. Look for Ha Ha's second, Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South, in the late spring. – Jim Caligiuri

Dirty Epics

10pm, Soho Lounge Three men and one woman from Dublin whose debut, Straight in No Kissing (Universal), is a retro-revelation that recalls X-Ray Spex at their most aggressively horny. Pure pop-punk for wow people, and single "Way Too Pretty" is an instant come-on classic. – Marc Savlov

Rusted Shut

11pm, the Independent From its 1986 inception as a byproduct of Grindin' Teeth, Houston's Rusted Shut epitomized a symphony of industrial decay giving way to high-decibel repetition as mechanical assault on the senses. 1998's immolating Hot Sex EP finally saw the light of day last year, but a decade in the can did nothing to lessen its blast radius. – Greg Beets

The Pack A.D.

11pm, Habana Calle 6 British Columbia duo Becky Black (vocals, guitar) and Maya Miller (drums) spit out guitar-heavy Delta blues like they've got that feeling deep down inside, with Black's voice straight from Robert Johnson's grave. One spin of the duo's 2008 sophomore LP, Funeral Mixtape (Mint), burns like whiskey. – Darcie Stevens

Low Line Caller

11pm, the Music Gym Patio Hard to categorize adding a vocalist as "evolving," but the local quintet has moved away from its post-rock instrumental odyssey to a more neatly wrapped package (now with words!). Last year's Hi Def Soft Core is still dark in a behind-the-beat kind of way. – Michael Bertin

White Swan Black Swan

12mid, Victorian Room at the Driskill White Swan Black Swan is essentially New Zealand's version of She & Him. Sonya Waters (White Swan) scores amber-hued Americana pop that's offset by the melancholy of Arch Hill Records founder Ben Howe (Black Swan). Their latest collaboration, Double Mini Album, splits the song credits across two discs, but the group's most affective work combines the best of both realms. – Austin Powell

Solange & the Hadley Street Dreams

12mid, Buffalo Billiards Hard to step out of big sister's shadow when Jay-Z pronounces her "the hottest chick in the game." Solange Knowles veers left on Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, a Supremes-styled set powered by superproducers Q-Tip, Pharrell, Raphael Saadiq, and Mark Ronson. The result is quirkier than Beyoncé but the most polished pop you'll find at this Festival. – Thomas Fawcett

Blaqstarr

12mid, Friends Mid-Atlantic hip-hop is moving past its bass-heavy Baltimore club scene behind Spank Rock homecomings and Mad Decent Records, and Baltimore's Blaqstarr is right in the thick of things. The singer/rapper put together songs for last year's I'm Bangin' 2 with M.I.A. and Mad Decent's Diplo. He lights the fire with a controlled chaos. Sings, too. – Chase Hoffberger

White Shoes & the Couples Company

12mid, Submerged The re-creations of big band swing, disco, funk, and tropicalia delivered by this Indonesian sextet are joyous and jaw-droppingly accurate, save for the lyrics, which are sung in the group's native Bahasa. Their irresistible retroisms set all but the sourest hearts aflutter. – Daniel Mee

The Devil Makes Three

1am, Submerged Stepping out from behind the redwood curtain, this unplugged Davis, Calif., trio hews closely to the talking blues model per Steve Earle or early Tom Waits. With whiskey on their minds and forest on their breaths, they're tight as hell after seven years of touring, offering up harmonies from somewhere south of heaven. – Dan Oko

The Mother Truckers

1am, Continental Club Although they were named Best Roots Rock Band at 2007's Austin Music Awards, it was 2008 when the Mother Truckers really brought down the house. With their loud and sassy sophomore effort, Let's All Go to Bed (Funzalo), the Truckers set country pretensions aside and barely stopped for breath. – Jim Caligiuri

Six Finger Satellite

1am, the Independent Providence, R.I., has produced plenty of art-school dropouts that go on to form art rock bands, but Six Finger Satellite existed outside that scene. After a five-album 1990s stint on Sub Pop and an early 21st century hiatus, the Paranormalized electro-post-punks are set to release a new album on Providence label Load Records. – Audra Schroeder

Laundry Room Squelchers

1:30am, the Hideout Miami's noise posse returns to Austin with 30 minutes to rattle windows. The whole night is part of lead Squelcher/Miami noise vet Rat Bastard's International Noise Conference and features locals Doug Ferguson, Aurora Plastics Company, and Venison Whirled, plus other agitators such as Mugu Guymen, Gaybomb, and What's Yr Damage? Earplugs be damned. – Audra Schroeder