Recommended

edited by Raoul Hernandez

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

Electric Lounge, Tuesday 5-Thursday 7

First Ed Hamell and now Lucinda Williams? Now these are "road shows." These are the locals you wish had never left, and with Lucinda plucking heart strings for three, middle-of-the-week early shows (8-10pm), it's like she never moved to Nashville. Man, it's just been too long, Lucinda. We miss your warm voice on these cold evenings. But we've got five -- count 'em, five -- shows to keep the home fires burning (she headlines next Friday and Saturday, too), so scoot up to the fire and warm your soul.

JOSHUA REDMAN

Paramount Theatre, Friday 1

When young Joshua Redman burst onto the scene a few years ago following his triumph in the Thelonius Monk Saxophone Competition, jazz critics lavished praise on him as the next sax titan. Since his UT performance just 13 months ago, Redman's career has skyrocketed in the throes of packed concert halls and clubs filled with vociferous fans. What's all the ruckus about? Well, Redman has been able to combine the charisma of pop performers with the unwavering integrity of the jazz masters as few before him have been able to do. Some jazz critics have pooh-poohed his startling success, but make no mistake about it, Redman can really blow. -- Jay Trachtenberg

RAY WYLIE HUBBARD

Cactus Cafe, Friday 1

"Up against the velvet, redneck mother!" Sure, Ray, just calm down. We like the Cactus. Play us those timeless songs that preserve Texas even as the moisture erodes it. Better than a James Michener book, or a Louis L'Amour novelette. Literature played to music. Only the best, and Hubbard's got a saddlepack full of 'em, and he'll share them with you just as Jimmy LaFave and the visiting Kevin Welch open with their own visions of outback Americana.

BARKMARKET, MOIST FIST, THIRTY OUGHT SIX

Emo's, Friday 1

The relentless New York noise of Barkmarket is a familiar and favorite paint peeler at Emo's. Gearing up for another release from Rick Rubin's playpen, this bashing quartet will hopefully preview some new material at Friday's gig, one that pairs them with Austin's Moist Fist, and Portland's horse-hoof to the head, Thirty Ought Six.

KINKY FRIEDMAN, SWEET MARY'S BLAZING BEAUX

La Zona Rosa, Saturday 2

Although the pairing of Kinky Friedman and Sweet Mary may strike some as pure nostalgia, these two veterans of Austin's redneck rock era are far from retro. Friedman -- the original Texas Jewboy -- has gone on to rack up other accomplishments: raconteur, songwriter, author, cigar aficionado. Sweet Mary (along with Lissa Hattersley) gave Greezy Wheels its innate grace during their Seventies heyday and brings her fiery fiddle into the Nineties with panache. -- Margaret Moser

WAYLON THIBODEAUX

Antone's, Sunday 3

Don't know much about Wayne Thibodeaux except he's crawled from the swamps of Louisiana to bring you Cajun and Zydeco stew. Let's see what the youngster has up his accordion.

MUSIC AT MAIN

UT Ballroom, Sunday 3

Five choral ensembles from UT's School of Music, together for the first time, and you be sure you'll hear every form of carol, Gregorian chant, and classical piece imaginable. Swooning.

MR. BUNGLE, MELT-BANANA

Liberty Lunch, Monday 4

Good music on a Monday night (besides Don Walser, of course). Well, maybe just music. Hell, I'm not even sure you can call the three-alarm circus noise that Mr. Bungle "plays" music (see the new one, Disco Volante). It is wild, though, and Faith No More's Mike Patton is still ringmaster. Tokyo's Melt-Banana, sounding like Yoko Ono being stabbed, opens.

DEVO HOOTNIGHT

Hole in the Wall, Wednesday 6

Somebody better do "Uncontrollable Urge," I told Stegall. "My guess is that damn near everybody will do "Uncontrollable Urge," was his reply. Good. What about "Girl U Want," "Jocko Homo," "Mongoloid"? Anything but "Whip It" (see "Dancing About Architecture"). Great. Three or four songs a piece by Wannabes, Hormones, Gomez ("how bought `Whip It' backwards?"), Altamont '69, Peglegasus, Spot, and others. Are they not men? No, they're all Devo.

ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT

Liberty Lunch, Wednesday 6

From DIY Emo's-core to Interscope to Liberty Lunch. So has Rocket From the Crypt's trajectory left its moonburn. With their new one, Scream Dracula Scream, turning heads of those changing the poopy punk diapers of the Green Days and Rancids, this San Diego hardcore, screaming-meemie punk band gives no quarter, and should scorch your soul. Their label-mates, Clawhammer, who burned Mudhoney pretty good a couple months back, should have no trouble keeping up with their own in-the-trenches garage blues.

GREY GHOST DAY

Continental Club, Thursday 7

It's his birthday, anyway. Ninety-two for the Austin piano maestro by our count (took a lot of fingers and toes to get there). Last year, it took a few minutes for those digits to warm up, but once they did, you had to pry the Ghost from the ivory. His is the early show, going 6-8pm, and followed by a bunch of young ruffians like Prescott Curlywolf, Showoffs, and Slobberbone playing into the night. Two different musical universes, same night, same club, same town. ALSO PLAYING

Friday: Austin Lounge Lizards, Antone's (early show)

Saturday: Billygoat, Flamingo Cantina; Jim Lauderdale, Sarah Brown Trio, Continental Club

Sunday: Dash Rip Rock, La Zona Rosa

Monday: Don Walser, Babes

Tuesday: TV TVs, Emo's

Wednesday: Rich Harney, Ritz Upstairs

Thursday: Songs of the Season, Huntington Art Gallery