The Lemonheads with Meredith Sheldon and Lousy Robot
Feb. 4, 9p.m.
The Launchpad
$12
21
The Lemonheads have clung to their punk roots since their start in the mid 80s. However, because it’s been a kind of revolving door of members for all but one person in the band, their sound has morphed into a generic alternative rock.
Their tunes make a good soundtrack for a post-graduation road trip, with a hint of bittersweet nostalgia for better times. Meredith Sheldon and Lousy Robot join them on their “It’s a Shame About Ray” tour, the latter group picking up the pace with danceable beats and unconventional instruments and sounds.
Emilie Autumn
Feb. 7, 8p.m.
The Launchpad
$13
All ages
If the woeful, Victorian-era ladies had the opportunities women have today, they might sound like Emilie Autumn. Her history of bipolar disorder and a stint in a psychiatric facility inform the lyrics, reminiscent of newer emo music, but delivered without the whiny pitch that plagues that genre.
Having studied violin, her music, coined Victoriandustrial, is not the usual in sound or stage presence. Though she sings songs of a disturbed mind, there is no plea for a pity party. She is accompanied by The Bloody Crumpets.
Rebelution, with special guests Pep Love and The Green
Feb. 15, 8p.m.
Sunshine Theater
$15
13
“Is this the kind of sound that you want to hear? Is this the kind of vibe that you want to feel?” If you prefer a relaxed reggae beat over a hyped-up techno show, and if “Sublime” means more to you than a state of mind, perhaps Rebelution is what you want to hear.
Fans of the ska group Pepper will find Rebelution to be a more laid-back, mellow version of their favorite band. Pep Love, one of the members of the East Coast rap group Hieroglyphics, will mix up the mood with a hip-hop attitude and the obligatory weed references. Billed as the “Peace of Mind Tour,” this show is bound to be blissful.
Siyeric
Feb. 17, 7p.m.
The Outpost Performance Space
$15
All ages
The Burque-born Taylor brothers, Thomas and Joel, come together as Siyeric. The instrumentals alone are reminiscent of classic rock, and when the boys chime in with smooth vocals, it is not unlike the charm of a boy band. Nay, the two are not pop in any sense, but the songs are rather catchy.
Perhaps it is the jazz influence they allude to on their band website, siyeric.com, which gives their beats the kind of quality you can move with and be moved by. At any rate, it is a relief to hear that the solid sounds of the golden days of rock have not been forgotten by up-and-coming artists.
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Tumbledown
Feb. 20, 9p.m.
The Launchpad
$8
21
This band seems to have an identity crisis, flip-flopping between punk and country music. Its music is clearly inspired by the Southwest region, with songs like “Sunny in Dallas” and “Arrested in El Paso Blues.”
It reminds me of the old days when I lived on top of a bar in which blue-collar men and women were riled up by songs about drinking, fighting and riding in trucks down dirt roads. The music isn’t as stereotypical as all that — they do sing about more than babes, booze and brawls — but those are the dominant themes.
T-Pain
Feb. 25, 7 p.m.
Sunshine Theater
$30
All ages
Even those who loathe the low level to which hip-hoppers and rap artists have stooped have to admit they can still produce a catchy beat. How else do they get the ladies to get down to filthy, offensive lyrics?
For those unfamiliar with the name, T-Pain is responsible for numbers like “Buy U a Drank” and “Chopped N Skrewed.” His “Best Love Song” woos women with the “crunkest,” “loudest” and “best” love song they’ve ever heard in their lives. Think you can’t get down? Just try and listen without moving your body like a snake.
