Winda Benedetti

1. Mumbo Jumbo's new (and first) album is "Shiny Metal Objects." 2. The Mayfield Four's "Motion" EP was recorded at Outback Jack's.

Sister Hazel, Alana Davis Tuesday, Feb. 3, The Met Having listened to Sister Hazel's radio hits - "Happy" and "All for You" - as well as their latest CD - "Somewhere More Familiar" - I was prepared to brush this band off as yet another group taking advantage of the increasingly popular yet ever so indistinguishable roots-based rock thing. Sounding like a cross between Dave Matthews and Hootie and the Blowfish, these five guys from Gainesville, Fla., sure can play a catchy tune, but they certainly break no new musical ground. However, during Tuesday night's show at The Met, Sister Hazel took on an energy that neither the radio nor their CD capture.

Flourescein "High Contrast Comedown" (DGC Records) *** Four guys from Los Angeles explore the plastic world of Southern California to the tune of crunchy-yet-pleasing pop rock. Sounds like that new formula-for-success so many young bands seem to be trying out, doesn't it? Perhaps. But there's something here that sets this album - the first from the band on DGC Records - apart from the masses of so-called "power pop" flooding the market.

Swamp Mama Johnson plays the Fort Spokane Brewery tonight and Saturday.

1. Sister Hazel 2. Alana Davis

Hum "Downward is Heavenward" (RCA)*** Listening for the first time to Hum's fourth full-length album (second for RCA) requires a bit of patience. Swooping melodies careen through crushing riffs and shards of dissonance, landing the listener in the depths of some sonic neverland the ears can't ... quite ... plumb. But take time to soak in this Illinois quartet's work. At its core, this is soaring pop rock, layered thick with fuzzed guitar and competing harmonies.

Too Slim and the Taildraggers will be cranking out the blues at Schweitzer Mountain Resort's Taps bar on Sunday.

With a name like Snot, these guys have a sense of humor.

Slobberbone doesn't need complicated adjectives. Just call them good.

Man Ray plays with Salmon Davis at Outback Jack's tonight.

1. Goldfinger's unusual sound is probably best enjoyed if you're between the ages of 14 and 19. 2. The Stoics, who open the show.

Various Artists "Invocation" (Six Degrees/Island Records) *** The thing I hate about the vast majority of new age albums is that they seem so much world music watered down into white-washed contemporary adult listening. Dull and insincere. That's the difference with "Invocation." From the haunting string work of Erik Ian Walker and Cameron Ember to the chanting of the monks from Glenstal Abbey in Ireland, artists from around the world have created an album that is both reflective and evocative. Here, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan mingles his Sufi mystical singing with a Gregorian chant ensemble from Italy. The Bulgarian Women's Choir wrap their extraordinary voices around the soul while Canadian artists Danna and Clement create winding electronic soundscapes. "Invocation" touches places both aerial and spiritual. It moves slowly for the most part, but remains an intriguing journey.

Flourish is at Outback Jack's tonight.

Civilized Animal includes a drummer, a percussionist and three horn players.

If you listen very closely, you can hear the future sounds of rock 'n' roll. It's the squeaky-scratching of thousands of new CDs being shrink-wrapped. It's the drooling of record executive pondering dollar signs as they stand poised to engulf us with another year's spate of albums. It's the sucking sound of money siphoned from our wallets as we hand over our hard-earned cash for those records. It's a new year. And a new crush of CDs are rolling toward record stores even as the New Year's Eve champagne bottles are being tossed into the trash.

Spokane's Tianna Gregg gives a "Prize" performance on her new CD. Photo by Bob Rice

Come New Year's Eve there'll be hundreds of celebrations to pick from around the Inland Northwest. Dancing. Drinking. Live bands. Whatever your kick, there's something out there. The following is just a taste of your options, just a little something to whet your New Years appetite. For those who love to samba, it'll be a Brazilian New Year's Eve at Hobart's Jazz Lounge in the Cavanaugh's Fourth Avenue Hotel. The nine-piece Brazilian jazz group Desafinado will cap off an evening that includes a Latin dance competition, door prizes and champagne at midnight.

Motherload members' lives have changed, but their music hasn't. Catch them at Ichabod's North tonight.

Puff Daddy and the Family Sunday, Dec. 21, the Arena It was a study in contradictions set to a deep thumping beat. In the span of three-plus hours, the crowd gathered at the Arena for Sunday's hip-hop/rap extravaganza was urged to "make noise" for: Sex Drugs and God While Busta Rhymes rapped in lurid detail about the female anatomy (and I don't mean our hands), Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs lectured the men in the audience to "respect all the women." Lil' Kim spent most of her time on stage next-to-naked, and Rhymes mooned a crowd that was later extolled to remember, "No matter what, God is always by your side."

The elite of the hip hop/rap genre will perform at the Spokane Arena Sunday night. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs will headline the show, joined by "The Family," which includes Lil' Kim, 112, Mase, Lil' Cease and The L.O.X. Kid Capri starts off the night's performance followed by Usher and Grammynominated rapper Busta Rhymes.

Second Coming is at Outback Jack's tonight with its heavy rock grooves and industrial flourishes. Glass Chunk and Sugar Pig will open.

1. Riding the success of "No Way Out," Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs lands at the Arena for a hip hop/rap blockbuster on Sunday. Photo by Arista Records 2. (photo of Busta Rhymes)

Spokane Symphony and Chorale's Holiday Pops Saturday, Dec. 13, Opera House Dressed in their holiday best, throngs of Spokane Symphony fans turned out Saturday night to be escorted musically into the Christmas season. The symphony, along with the Spokane Symphony Chorale and the Spokane Area Children's Chorus, did not disappoint. From upbeat pop pieces such as "Winter Wonderland" to the haunting "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," the three groups delivered both high-spirited holiday cheer and solemn Christmas introspection.

The question is not how many times can one hear the song "Deck the Halls" during the Christmas season before one feels more like decking one of Santa's little helpers. The real question is, how many different ways can songs such as "Deck the Halls," "Silent Night," "Silver Bells" and "Joy to the World" possibly be performed and sold on CD before the wellspring of good cheer runs dry? It would appear record company execs everywhere are putting that very question - and our pocketbooks - to the test.