THURSDAY, JULY 20

Jolie Holland

Jason Evans (ENLARGE)
Sound Team
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HOLLAND DAZE: Holland's stunning 2004 album, "Escondida," landed on many year-end Top 10 lists. The stripped-down sound is a haunted twist on rootsy Americana piped in from some hallucinogenic dream world where Billie Holiday jams with the Carter Family as Nick Cave hovers nearby. The follow-up, "Springtime Can Kill You," isn't quite the stunner its predecessor was, but it's still a worthwhile way to spend a dark hour. With Sean Hayes. (No, not "Will & Grace's" Jack. This North Carolina native, like Holland, now hails from the Bay area.)

• THE 411: 7:30 p.m. $15; $12 advance. Eddie's Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com.

Sound Team

UNDER THE INFLUENCE: "Movie Monster" is this Austin, Texas, sextet's major label debut, and the title is a clue to some of the band's influences. Surely, it's no coincidence that the album is a transposition of the title of the 1969 debut by German experimentalists Can, "Monster Movie." You can certainly hear the Krautrock influences this band claims, but there's also something reminiscent of New Wave pop beneath the squonks and drones. It's weird, catchy and strangely hypnotic. With Cold War Kids, the Preakness.

• THE 411: 9:30 p.m. $8. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta. 404-522-3950, www.badearl.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 21

HOW TO SUCCEED THROUGH TOURING: Quirky pop combo from Massachusetts with an acoustic bent and a college-band sensibility. The band has built a large and loyal following through seemingly endless touring and a charismatic live presence. LaMontagne sounds like classic rock without aping anyone in particular. His rootsy, blues-tinged singer-songwriter Americana is a dark horse winner. His debut album "Trouble" has been a word-of-mouth success, supported by a heavy touring schedule. The follow-up, "Till the Sun Turns Black," is scheduled for release next month.

• THE 411: 8 p.m. $21.36-$51.60. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-249-6400, www.classicchastain.com.

Paul Thorn

SLOW AND STEADY: Thorn has been amassing a fine catalog of recordings since his 1997 A&M Records debut, "Hammer and Nail." His smart Southern-fried character studies, heart-tugging ballads and side-splitting odes to Viagra aren't the stuff of mainstream country radio, but they should be. His following seems to grow year by year, and perhaps one day he'll have the massive and adoring horde of fans he deserves.

• THE 411: 8:30 p.m. $17.50, $15 advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Little Five Points. 404-521-1786, www.variety-playhouse.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 22

FLUTES ROCK: The flute-wielding frontman from Jethro Tull brings his solo orchestral tour to Chastain. He'll do Tull classics, some of his solo work and even a few selections from the classical repertoire with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. For a preview of what Anderson does in these shows, check out the CD/DVD release "Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull."

• THE 411: 8:30 p.m. $21.36-$51.60. Chastain Park Amphitheatre, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-249-6400, www.classicchastain.com.

TUESDAY, JULY 25

OLD SCHOOL PUNK: No one channels the Clash quite like Rancid. The California quartet has always displayed its influences like a tattered badge of punk honor. And that's just fine because the spring-loaded tightness and ferocious energy are a joy to behold. With Murphy's Law, the Heart Attacks.

• THE 411: 7 p.m. $18 advance. The Masquerade, 695 North Ave. N.E., Midtown. 404-577-8178, www.masq.com.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

SOUTHWESTERN FLAVORS: Albuquerque, N.M., husband-and-wife duo Rennie and Brett Sparks recently released their seventh album of dark and desolate Americana. "Last Days of Wonder" is another fine example of the pair's antiqued marriage of backwoodsy desperation and urban dislocation. You've probably heard something Curt Kirkwood played on, even if you don't realize it. His Phoenix-based group, the Meat Puppets, was one of Kurt Cobain's favorite bands, and he joined Nirvana for three songs on "Unplugged in New York." All three of those songs were Kirkwood classics from the 1983 album "Meat Puppets II," often viewed as a seminal meeting of country and punk. Kirkwood's latest release is his first solo album, 2005's "Snow," a work of diamond-in-the-rough beauty. With Mike Geier.

• THE 411: 8 p.m. $10. The EARL, 488 Flat Shoals Ave., East Atlanta. 404-522-3950, www.badearl.com.