I love a good cover band any day but this wasn’t one.

Totally Inappropriate played two 45-minute sets for the Saturday night bar crowd that got better for those smart enough to keep drinking during the break. Songs like Hey Jealousy, I Don’t Wanna Be were ripped through with abandon – enthusiasm being the only thing this band had going for them.

The bass and drums were too loud, the singer’s voice was drowned out and still terrible (either he couldn’t sing or couldn’t hear himself but the bottom line was painful). Tom Petty got two nods, the Black Crowes and some Red Hot Chili Peppers found themselves on the set.

As a weird sidenote, the lead singer was kind of vulgar with his between song banter. Something about screwing “with your clothes on” and similar such nonsense. Totally inappropriate, indeed. And decidedly unpleasant to boot.

it\”s still surprising to hear beautiful noises come out of a person you\”ve only heard speak so far – but I wasn\”t surprised that Karen sings with the heartfelt passion that I always suspect is under her cool calm collected non-singing demeanor – I liked that the passion seemed more genuine than showmanship, as if her songs were about things she had actually experienced – her voice is rich and even, with a cool elegance that is soothing – interesting and smart lyrics and well-crafted songs – she plays with her voice at times and she used some sort of beat-recorder to add rhythm to one song – I especially liked that she\”s brave enough to pause and give the song room to breathe – and she managed to play guitar well with half-frozen fingers!

formerly in Flat Duo Jets – night and day, fantastic guitar player and great singer, gothic rockabilly?, this raucous acoustic set was accompanied only by his junkie sister on a weird box-drum that she tapped and thumped very well – made me think of Italian operas (dark emotion in his voice), David Lynch (had a song that quoted Blue Velvet), Searching for the Wrong Eyed Jesus (gothic country), Jonathan Richman (mixed trinkling melodies with odd singing)

sang in X, The Knitters, and The Original Sinners – I know her distinctive voice but walked out of her set at SXSW because it was so dull, I was able to figure out why at this show, the woman writes two-chord trite love songs with unimaginative lyrics and melodies, she frankly doesn\”t have a lot of talent or skill but there is still something about the tinge-of-crazy wail in her voice and her fierce wacky persona (even at 50+)

a fine boss-girl of a lead singer in her red dress with zig-zagging fringes and scattered arm tattoos – in addition to her solid version of low-toned female rockabilly vocalizing, she handled DJ responsibilities in between sets – the band was completed by an upright bass guitarist, drummer, and lead guitarist – some covers, old country, rockabilly, swing; and then a song where the vocalist left and the musicianship was turned up and it was very exciting psychosurf; and then our personal finale was a song that started like the Flipper song with “HA HA HA HA HO HO HO!” lyrics, was dedicated as “The Laughing Song” to the upright guitarist’s “partner,” and has been determined by the wonderous Google to be a The Residents song of the same name that is described as sounding like The Flipper song – it must be noted that the venue was satisfyingly swanky rock club and the environment on their ‘Swing Night’ was earnest, clean dance devotion with a crowd of youngsters, hipsters, oldsters alike

A new band formed from members of The Maybelles and Jenny and the Corn Ponies with a regular Monday evening gig at the Hole in the Wall for the foreseeable future. Despite newness and fluctuating membership, they have a sound – pop-bluegrass/country – and they have a shtick of sorts. There\”s Mama on the fiddle, Sister on the guitar, Daddy on the upright bass (Ani DiFranco looking female), and a sometimes lap steel guitarist whose baby-face serves well as the little brother figure. Sister\”s voice is pleasant but is at its best when being harmonized with by Mama\”s deeper voice. Daddy\”s my favorite, though, with her genuinely twanging voice, fierce stage energy, and her own songs that blend light lesbian politics with traditional bluegrass sounds.

Bluesy rocker band fronted by Celeste Griffin who adds a good deal of authentic vocal grit to an already stellar performance. The set was ethereal and graceful and wholly captivating to anyone in the bar tonight.

Although it was the first time in some ten years that both primary contributors to Concert Central were actually at a concert together, we only saw a couple of songs. But the band still managed to make their goodness clear. A rootsy indie sound and fronted by a very lovely young girl with a great voice. Originally from Alabama but now in Austin