Cheer Up Charlie Daniels is off to see the ‘roo after playing a raucous set Monday night. Round two had its good, bad and ugly along with lots of extra people cluttered onstage for many of the sets and the usual desperate theatrics. It began with The Pink Spiders‘ infuriatingly infectious pop rock hooks. They shredded with a flashing sign behind them bearing their moniker and welcomed onstage tambourine-toting minions who danced through the crowd on the last song. The dreadlocks and wild arm flailing of Born Empty shattered that vibe and plunged us into a heavy, Incubus-like sonic stupor that would have been well-suited to Bonnaroo before Cheer Up Charlie Daniels piled onstage to deliver their musical variety show.

Keegan DeWitt managed to walk away as first runner-up, either because of some hooky songcraft or a shower of shiny, cheap confetti. Leroy Powell, the second runner-up, took the stage next, and hidden under a hat and dark shades, delivered enough heated blues riffs to cut through anybody’s drunken warm fuzzies. Here comes the bad – sadly, Brandon Jazz and His Armed Forces had to forfeit due to an untimely computer crash. Rotten luck, especially considering the time and effort he put into the show’s preparation.

As for the ugly, that could easily be the hideously awesome pants worn by The Captain Midnight Band during their strange and gritty funk rock. Finally, Big Surr‘s itty frontwoman closed with a big bang; though they were last, the band still had a loyal cluster of fans up front for four songs of revving, punkish indie rock. – Jessica Pace

A benefit show will be held at Mercy Lounge tomorrow night for dark dream-pop/rockers Nite Nite. The band has had some equipment stolen, and The Lonely H, Bad Cop, Diarrhea Planet, Majestico and Chrome Pony are set to play, with additional special guest performances. Bring a minimum of $5 to donate and help the band out in exchange for a great show. – Jessica Pace

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for the second installment of Road to Bonnaroo. Though the order has yet to be determined, the lineup includes:

The Captain Midnight Band

Keegan DeWitt

Leroy Powell

Cheer Up Charlie Daniels

Born Empty

Big Surr

Brandon Jazz and His Armed Forces

The Pink Spiders

So get your hipster hats on or whatever, and be at Mercy Lounge tonight at 9. The show is free and 21+. – Jessica Pace

The Non-Commissioned Officers are going to use their synthesizers, damn it. And they’ll use them to resurrect the spirit of British ’80s glam pop. Money Looking for Thieves, the band’s second album released March 11, sounds like the soundtrack for a Bowie-guided tour through the Labyrinth or a slick nightclub Talking Heads would have frequented. The drums are crisp and the feedback is transparent as the sextet emulates Peter Gabriel, The Smiths and occasionally The Police.

Thieves is a synthesized playground that shimmers and pops from the drizzly buzz and clean percussion of “Party for 40 Bucks” to the quivering noise of “Salt of Earth” with its vacant, western-influenced guitar pluck echoing over Eric Lehning’s solemn croon. At times the album seems a little pleased with itself, particularly with “Fair Verona” and “Take Me to Your Teacher” which have a Bowie-like vanity and grandeur, but that comes with the territory.

Standouts include the opener “The Message” in which Lehning gets wordy spouting hyped-up poetic rhymes, or “Rich Stuff,” the album’s poppiest number that would be right at home at an ’80s high school dance. It’s a guilty pleasure, but it’s well-executed and polished, which is true for the entire album. – Jessica Pace

There is something to be said about a band with a sound that has continued to change since they formed almost two years ago, which is why Nashville can look forward to lots of surprises tonight at Exit/In for the new album release of SpiderFriends. It’s been a while since we’ve seen SpiderFriends play, so we have no idea what they’re going to sound like now, but for what it’s worth, we totally enjoyed their last record–(which, by the way, was pressed on fancy electric pink semi-transparent vinyl, so we’ve got high hopes for the aesthetic aaannnddd musical appeal of this album). Also playing will be local artists Vinyl Thief, Sol Cat, and New Pleasure. The show starts at 9, 18+, $10 cover, which is a bit steep, but you receive the 14-TRACK ALBUM HOLY COW THAT’S A LOT OF SONGS, so just bite the bullet and cough up the cash!–Erin Manning

As many are already aware, Caitlin Rose’s Own Side Now was just released in the U.S. March 15 after it debuted across the pond, and good lord – you may need a drink after hearing this one. There’s not a trace of fluff in these 10 tracks, though emotion spills over like a shot on the bar as Rose compares horses to lovers and weighs whether it’s better to brave a train wreck love or spend the night alone.

Rose simultaneously looks down her nose at love and won’t say no to it throughout these songs, and the fact that they are lyrically untethered makes for some beautiful lines. “Love is just one more useless thing you don’t need but you don’t throw away” in “Spare Me” may seem jaded, but it sounds good on her. And it doesn’t hurt that the album oozes the influence of Patsy, Loretta – the whole gang – and maintains a sound so vintage it almost plays out in black and white.
 

Both simplistic and bouncy numbers like the opener “Learnin to Ride” and those with a heavy heart like “Own Side Now” (“It’s not my right to always push you around/I’m on my own side now”) share a spot on the recording and are delivered in vocals that are sweet like honey, pierce like a dog’s bark and cut like a razor’s edge.

Singing about cigarettes and channeling Stevie Nicks come naturally to Rose as well as shown in “Shanghai Cigarettes” and a more countrified version of “That’s Alright,” the beautiful, folky gem from Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage. Those who aren’t interested in Nashville’s roots may not be interested in Own Side Now, which is a salute to more than a couple Country Music Hall of Famers. But Rose paints her own stories over the heritage – stories of a drink, a smoke, the possibility of love – arguably some of the best things in life. – Jessica Pace

So, in case you haven’t heard, hard-driving rock outfit Modoc recently released a new single, "Hard Times," and you can download it right here for free. Get it ‘fore it’s too late.

STREAMING NOW ON THEIR BANDCAMP PAAAGE. Check that out! Ya won’t be disappointed.–Erin Manning

Murfreesboro ain’t Nashville, but it has its moments as well as a few hidden gems. Gems like Grand Palace, the tiny record store/recording studio/silkscreen business/low-profile venue that’s been tucked discreetly away on Murfreesboro’s downtown square for just over five years. Sadly, this little music hideaway is splitting up. The printing shop may be headed to Nashville and the recording studio is moving to Chattanooga. The venue, however, is no more.

Not to say it didn’t go out with a bang last weekend with two final shows. Ascent of Everest, The Gold Room and Seafood Hotline played Friday night, while locals The Only Sons and Glossary (whose bass player, Bingham Barnes, co-owns Grand Palace Silkscreen) tore it up on Friday. The shows were fairly hush-hush, Barnes’ Facebook announcement being the extent of the advertising, but a sizeable crowd turned up nevertheless to bid the creaky upstairs venue farewell.

Both groups played extensive sets, starting with The Only Sons whose searing pedal steel filled the room along with Kent Goolsby’s country-soaked licks. Then Glossary finished things off with a colorful southern rock palette. Considering the bassist’s affiliation with Grand Palace and the two Boro-based acts’ growing prominence, it was the perfect way to shut down 128 ½ N. Church Street, and send pieces it off into the great beyond. – Jessica Pace

What else is there to say other than IT’S THE FREAKIN WEEKEND and all of our favorite garagey punk bands are playing from out of town and everybody’s pumped about it so you should just jump on the bandwagon/jump off the cliff with us into party paradise. Basically all you need to do is show up at Exit/In tonight, The End tomorrow (Saturday), and our favorite class-act Springwater Supper Club & Lounge on Sunday. If you wanna go to afterparties, just use your ears and your eyes and figure them out yourself 😉 Plus, this is a good chance to catch all of these bands playing before everybody heads to Austin and you don’t see anyone for the rest of the month because SXSW temporarily takes over Music Land. All the shows are $5. JACKPOT!–Erin Manning

How does a group celebrate being a band for two years? The Apache Relay does it to a packed crowd at the Exit/In while opening for the legendary Philly-based G. Love & Special Sauce. Not too shabby for such a young band that got their name from a movie about fat camp. This was an epic show for these Nashville rockers, and they jumped to the occasion to deliver a high-octane set that built from the very beginning to the should-have-been encore. Their songs are mature and their riffs are locked down tighter than most two year old bands. The only real downfall was that they didn’t play longer than they were allowed.

This band is more than a tight sound and solid songs; they were also a blast to watch. For their opening number I saw two drummers, one sitting, and one pouncing on pre-positioned toms placed around the stage. I must have seen each member pull out three different instruments during this show – no wonder this band sounds huge on stage. Turning around and taking a look at the venue showed people on the upper deck standing and hanging off the edge during guitar solos and breakdowns. With the fluidity of the set and a demeanor that stands above their peers, The Apache Relay is at the front of the pack in this race. This band is a pastiche of the best things about our favorite genres of music, and I know I am not the only one who is planning on grabbing their album on April 12th. They held their own in this great venue and had a huge following. Oh yeah, and G. Love rocked too. – Beau Welsh

Let tonight be your Friday night and make your way to 12th & Porter for the albumette release of dance/pop Nashville phenom B.ET.A.& The Neon Panthers. If you care to dance, and fancy the beatz of comparable artists such as Gwen Stefani, Fergie, and Lady Gaga herself, then this will be right up your alley. Listen to and download 5 of her songs for free on her Bandcamp page if you need more persuasion, and if that stiiiillllll isn’t enough, then let me sweeten the deal even more by mentioning that Lord T. & Eloise will also be playing their colonial wig-wearin’ aristo-krunk which all sounds ridiculous but is guaranteed to be something to dance to, interesting, and far from the Nashville norm. Doors at 8pm, 18+, $10 gets you in the show and a free B.ET.A. cd. Now THAT’S a bargain!–Erin Manning