Oxford’s Fat Possum flaunts two of its finest in town this week: Memphis bluesman Robert “Wolfman” Belfour will play the venerable South Main restaurant the Arcade on Friday, June 18th. And Mississippi bluesman Paul “Wine” Jones, who released a couple of heralded records on Fat Possum in the ’90s, will be at Murphy’s Wednesday, June 23rd.
Alt-country and roots-rock fans will want to check out the down-south sound of Pat Green and The Lost Trailers at the New Daisy Theatre Thursday, June 17th. An inheritor of Texas troubadours such as Robert Earl Keen and Jerry Jeff Walker, Green built his reputation through constant touring on the alt-country bar circuit before crossing over to country mainstream. Atlanta’s Lost Trailers contribute to the recent marriage of country with classic and Southern rock on their 2004 debut, Welcome to the Woods, which might be called alt-country to tailgate to.
Best bet among locals this week might be the pairing of Cory Branan and Snowglobe’s Tim Raygun, who’ll play the Hi-Tone Café Saturday, June 19th.
—Chris Herrington
The nearly nekkid beat-punk trio The Demolition Doll Rods mine 1950s blues, rockabilly, and Phil Spector-style bad-girl rock-and-roll. On record, they are kindred to the Hellcats, who brought tough biker-chick attitude to the Memphis scene as the ’80s gave way to the ’90s. But live, the Doll Rods are more about leather, chains, crazy-looking pasties, bare skin, and glam. Following in the performance tradition of fellow Detroit rocker Iggy Pop, their shows are loud, nasty, and unpredictable. As suggested by “Married for the Weekend,” the Doll Rods’ anthem to nonstop carnality, sex is the cornerstone of the act. The music is almost secondary to the gimmick, which is too bad. There’s some really good stuff buried underneath all that attitude and all those decibels. The Doll Rods will be at the Hi-Tone Café on Thursday, June 17th, with Memphis punks The Dutch Masters and Tyler Keith & the Preacher’s Kids, who never fail to satisfy.
