Sound Advice

Get Out

Dayna Kurtz

With a husky voice and a mean slide guitar, Jersey girl Dayna Kurtz has been called "more Austin than Lucinda." She nabbed female songwriter of the year from the National Academy of Songwriters in '97 and put out a much-praised debut in 2002, yet remains a word-of-mouth favorite with numbers like the steamy, minor blues "Last Good Taste" and dreamy, waltz-like "Fred Astaire." Spread the word.--Nicole Pensiero

Thu., Jan. 8, 8:30 p.m., $8, with Paul Burch, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770.

The Nazz

Hello, it's Stewkey again (again). If you missed the band's International Pop Overthrow gig in November, here's another chance to see the modern approximation of the revered '60s British Invasion-inspired rock group. Stay tuned to see if there's any truth to those Fuse reunion rumors.--Patrick Rapa

Fri., Jan. 9, 9 p.m., $10, with The Capitol Years, The Electric Nubians and The A-Sides, The North Star, 27th and Poplar sts., 215-684-0808.

The Hokkaido Concern

Before you can have a train wreck, you have to have train tracks. That's why The Hokkaido Concern -- a thunderous, mostly instrumental quartet from Philly and Newark, Del. -- likes to start every song with catchy, recognizable progressions before everything starts getting clangy and chaotic. At least that's how it is on the tight-fisted Circuits Flooded EP. The guitarists move like heavy metal axemen, but they use their hellish riffs for good, not evil.--Patrick Rapa

Fri., Jan. 9, 10 p.m., $6, with Dr. Dog and Trouble Everyday, Mill Creek Tavern, 42nd St. and Chester Ave., 215-222-9194.

Victor Wooten

As one of Béla Fleck's Flecktones, Victor Wooten freed his electric bass from its traditional role as musical timekeeper, turning it into a frontline weapon of jazz, rock and funk. But there's a joyfulness in his "thunder-funk" playing, especially when with his band, which includes brothers Reggie and Josef. You'll hear smoldering riffs, witness finger-blistering solos and feel that groove-laden love.--Nicole Pensiero

Thu., Jan. 8, 9 p.m., $18.50-$20, The TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011.

Hair Ball

Those with Lip Service finery stashed in the back of their closets have a chance this Saturday to relive that glorious time when "anything that rocked" was sent an engraved invite to Headbanger's Ball. A strange time, to be sure, but not much more so than right now -- bands like The London Quireboys (who seem to have found a tribute band in the much-ballyhooed Jet) and psych-poppers Enuff Z'nuff would probably be heralded as saviors of rock if they were putting out their debuts today, and really, what's the distance between Giant and Avril, both of which "rocked" while straddling this side of adult contemporary playlists? The Hair Ball promises "dancing girls," "Mötley Cröe video clips" and DJs spinning Riki Rachtman's old faves.--Maura Johnston

Sat., Jan. 10, 8 p.m., $4, The Balcony, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.