Deep in the heart of Texas, wolves are stirring and a full moon is signaling the dawn of another Black Sabbath. This one goes by the name of The Sword and its metal is as meaty as a slab of Lone Star porterhouse. As for the self-described stoner pop of Torche, let's just say Queens of the Stone Age's royal court of riffage has a worthy successor.

--Andrew Parks

Thu., April 6, 9 p.m., $8, with ASG and Tarantula AD, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.

Arctic Monkeys? Bah! They may come first alphabetically, but otherwise the oddballs of Art Brut beat them hands down when it comes to—oh, let's see—energy, hooks, humor and charisma. And at last, there'll be bona fide Stateside proof, as their spectacular '05 debut Bang Bang Rock & Roll gets officially released here on May 23 by Downtown Records.

--Michael Pelusi

Fri., April 7, 8 p.m., $10, with The Robocop Kraus and Gil Mantera's Party Dream, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts., 866-468-7619, www.r5productions.com; Sat., April 8, 10 p.m., $5, with The Robocop Kraus, Lunt Basement, Haverford College, 370 W. Lancaster Ave., Haverford, www.students.haverford.edu/fucs.

It's raining outside, hard enough to sour any motivation to move. Might as well listen to Death in the Garden, Blood on the Flowers (Eenie Meenie), the new Irving LP your roommate left on the kitchen table. Phil Ek (The Shins, Modest Mouse) produced it, so it must be good. Oh shit. Can't. Stop. Twitching. Keyboards taking over. Hooks hitting hard. Must. Stop. Before. Someone. Catches you. Dancing. With. Yourself.

--Andrew Parks

Thu., April 6, 9 p.m., $6, with Okay Paddy, Walker Lundee and DJ Doug Wallen, M Room, 15 W. Girard Ave., 215-739-5577, www.themanhattanroom.com.

California does something to bluegrass: The songwriters are a bit more articulate, the music a touch more serene. Stuart has the perfect country baritone to drive his ballads right to your heart. Banjoist and full-time Backcountry member Janet Beazley is doing well on the bluegrass charts with a solo CD, 5 South (Backcountry Music). Eric Uglum sits in with mellow guitar on this tour and stalwart bassist Mason Tuttle completes the circle.

--Mary Armstrong

Fri., April 7, 8 p.m., $12, Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 420 Willa Rd., Newark, Del., 302-475-3454, www.brandywinefriends.org.

Ex-punks love to talk, but they usually come in only two flavors: big male baggage (oh, Henry) and squeaky conspiracy theories (got room for Jello?). What's missing from the neopolitan melange, of course, is the funny. Look no further than author/singer/comedian Lynnee Breedlove. The former frontperson of San Fran dyke-punk pioneers Tribe 8 has plenty to say about politics (sexual, civic, the intersection of same), but does it with dirty, lo-fi hip-hop and well-paced monologues. Breedlove knows: It's a show, not a lecture. Well, it's a little bit of a lecture, but it's funny.

--Patrick Rapa

Lynnee Breedlove's One Freak Show, Sat., April 8, $7, 9 p.m., with Kelly Beardsley, Kelli Dunham and Lotsix, Tritone, 1508 South St., 215-545-0475, www.plainparade.org.

Has Arab Strap seen the light? The Last Romance (Transdreamer) sounds positively cheery compared to this Glasgow band's more typically sparse tales of misery, paranoia and relationships gone wrong. While not exactly all la-la-love, this one does end on a high note about growing old together. Aw. For those who still wanna cry in their beers, it's supposed to rain all weekend long.

--Tami Fertig

Sun., April 9, 8 p.m., $12, with A Whisper in the Noise and Fall of Snow, The Khyber, 56 S. Second St., 215-238-5888, www.thekhyber.com.