THE HOOTEN HALLERS

At 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24

The Jinx, 127 W. Congress St.

These guys are something else. It's punishing barroom blues, delivered with hillbilly irreverence, Tom Waits-and-Jack vocals and incredible punk energy. John Randall plays distorted electric guitar, Andy Rehm is a standup-kit drummer.

That's pretty much where the comparisons to the White Stripes and the Dex Romweber Duo end. There's also country gospel, old-time country and a reasonable facsimile of good old Americana in the grooves of the Missouri duo's just-released Greetings From Welp City album, which comes from Big Muddy Records, home to the similarly revivalist Pokey LaFarge. "Their shows are fun, fascinating and a little bit scary," is how the Big Muddy PR machine has rubber-stamped the HH's. Y'think?

See reverbnation.com/thehootenhallers

KEEP THE BEAT FOR MARC CORDRAY

Starts at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25

Live Wire Music Hall, 307 W. River St.

$10 suggested donation

The second benefit for Hitman Blues Band drummer Marc Cordray, who desperately needs a new kidney, is an all-day affair. Cordray himself will be behind the skins for the set by Jan Spillane & the Wayfinders (Joe Nelson and Philip Palmer are also in the band).

That's Marc and his wife Dawn in the photograph.

Local merchants have donated a bunch of cool stuff as door prizes, and 100 percent of monies raised will go to transplants.org/donate/marccordray, which is where you can read all about Marc and this life-or-death struggle.

Here's the schedule: 2 p.m., Ray Tomasino; 3 p.m., Shane Nichols & Greg Baldwin; 4 p.m., Bill DeYoung (yep, that's me) and Wooden Nickel; 5 p.m., Lauren Lapointe & Brenda Morie; 6 p.m., Joe Nelson; 7 p.m., The Accomplices; 8 p.m., Jan Spillane & the Wayfinders; 9 p.m., Thomas Claxton & the Myth; 10 p.m., Hitman Blues Band; 11 p.m., Crazy Man Crazy; midnight, the Train Wrecks.

THE ATOM BLONDE

At 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25

Rock House, 1518 Butler Ave., Tybee Island

Like Liquid Ginger cranked up to 11, with attitude. This heavy guitar-rock quartet is based in Augusta, but founding brothers Ben and Bruce Dixon (guitar and drums, respectively) knew they'd found a good thing when they came across singer Ashley Taylor while everyone was attending Georgia Southern over in Statesboro. Bassist Justin Miller is the latest addition.

See reverbnation.com/theatomblonde