Edith Frost, Manishevitz
The 400 Bar

It’s been a long time since Chicagoan Edith Frost graced the public with her skewed twang-laden folk-pop magnificence and although an official follow-up to 2001’s rapturously received Drag City release Wonder, Wonder has yet to be announced, this tour promises lots of new material. Those eager to sample some of Frost’s tunes can check out demos from all stages of her career on a special new free mp3 download album entitled Demos and downloadable at ComfortStand.com. The sparse recordings prove Frost has got the goods, whether she’s collaborating with her high-profile buddies (like current Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche or the Sea & Cake’s Archer Prewitt) or going it alone. Also on the bill are crazed audio pranksters and Jagjaguwar recording artists Manishevitz—who just can’t seem to get off the road, as their most recent Minnesota performance was just a few months ago. 9 p.m. $7 adv/ $10 door. 21+. 400 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-332-2903. Rob van Alstyne

Travis Morrison
Big V’s

Former Dismemberment Plan front man Travis Morrison’s solo debut, Travistan, has been met with both scathing criticism and high praise for its dramatic break from the sound of his old band. As an admitted D-Plan novice I’m probably approaching this record with a different set of ears from much of Morrison’s potential audience, but what I hear on Travistan is a set of quirky, politically agitated conceptual pop—not quite the full-on dance party the Dismemberment Plan often threw down, but still plenty to shimmy shimmy ya to. When you start your album with a one-minute Abraham-Lincoln-speaking-from-beyond-the-grave-ditty (sample lyrics: “I freed the slaves and saved the Union, and what thanks do I get? A tiny portrait of my bad side on a single cent”), clearly trying something new is the order of the day (particularly when that song turns out to be just the first in a four-part series of Lincoln-themed tracks, all entitled “Get Me Off This Coin”). Morrison’s pleasant boyish voice (a slightly less angelic-sounding Ben Gibbard type) is always on the mark, so even when the material occasionally missteps—as on the completely maudlin and overbearing PC stump speech “Born in ‘72”—the experience is bearable. At points on Travistan, Morrison attempts to address racial profiling and gender pay differences and turn the subjects into compelling song lyrics. Sound impossible? Yeah, it kind of is … Those listeners willing to forgive Morrison’s lyrical flair for the polemic and inexplicable crude humor fixation, however, will find plenty to groove to as Travistan (recorded with Death Cab for Cutie studio vet Christopher Walla behind the boards) keeps up a fun and slick groove throughout. With Ela, The Beauty Pill. 9 p.m. $5. 21+. 1567 University Ave., St. Paul. 651-645-8472. van Alstyne

Free Range Pickin’
Cedar Cultural Center

Free Range Pickin’ presents their annual Holiday Show this Thursday. Their CD release party sold out at Hey City Theater in May for obvious reasons—their music is addictive. You think, “I’ll just listen to a few songs,” and before you know it, it’s the only thing on your boom box. You’re listening to it over and over again, finding nuances and musical phrasing you hadn’t heard and didn’t appreciate the first time around. Free Range Pickin’ are one of the major reasons the new bluegrass revival will destroy the youth of America, but if you think your willpower is strong enough, then, perhaps, you can enjoy them and resist permanent addiction. Jack Norton and the Mullet River Boys open. Doors 7 p.m./show 7:30 p.m. $10 adv/$12 door. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave., Mpls. 612-338-2674. ED FELIEN

Kristin Mooney
The 400 Bar

Former St. Paul girl turned hip Los Angelino Kristin Mooney returns for a homecoming gig with a hot-shit band of supporting players that just happens to be made up predominantly of local music legends. Mooney’s handpicked lineup for this one-off gig features Noah Levy (the Honeydogs), John Munson (Semisonic) and Chan Poling (the Suburbs), along with former Son Volt pedal steel player and current Mooney husband Eric Heywood. Mooney’s knack for attracting talented musical collaborators extends beyond Minnesota, her recently released self-titled sophomore album was recorded in Arizona with Heywood and the members of Calexico. Tired of being limited in her songwriting due to lack of experience playing an instrument, Mooney taught herself guitar after heading out west in ’99. The result is a solid batch of original material with Mooney handling all the rhythm guitar duties herself. A gifted singer with an eye focused on the darker side of domestic life, “Deliver Us From Us” is but one of a half-dozen tracks here chronicling women looking for a way out. Mooney’s melancholic musings meld perfectly with the spacey desert aesthetic of her supporting players. The end result is futuristic West Coast country unafraid to fuse the traditional (mandolins, pedal steel guitar) with the unexpected (plenty of vibraphone and synthesizer). Should be a treat hearing how this set of Twin Cities musical studs work up the material. With the Flops. 9 p.m. $8 adv/ $10 door. 400 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-332-2903. van Alstyne

Anchorhead
The Triple Rock Social Club

The number of denim-loving, Jayhawks-worshipping would-be-alt-Country Next Big Things in the Twin Cities is never exactly on the wane, but in Anchorhead I’ve found yet another contender who knows their way around the artful combination of country stylings and pop hooks—and a band whose songwriting is simply too solid to be ignored. This show celebrates the self-release of their second album, Disaster. Proving that three songwriting heads and voices are better than one, Anchorhead spreads the wealth equally across three singer/songwriters, and although none of them are in danger of winning a Grammy for best male vocal anytime soon, all three have windpipes with the right combination of grit and earnestness to fit their down-home rugged tunes about breaking down and getting lit. The kind of music guaranteed to get you through a Friday night with your head bobbing and the PBR flowing. With Heads and Bodies, The Gleam, Off With Their Heads. 9 p.m. $5. 21+. 629 Cedar Ave. S., Mpls. 612-333-7399. Nathan Dean

Dakota Dave Hull
Cedar Cultural Center

This Friday is the CD release party for Dakota Dave Hull’s latest, The Loyalty Waltz. It starts out slow. You’re impressed with the technique, but you think, “This is flashy, but it’s not going anywhere.” Then it hits you like a truck. “Liza,” the tenth cut, is an instant masterpiece. We have a lot of great songwriters and a lot of great guitar players in town, but the world is sadly short of masterpieces. “Liza” does it. Then, while you’re still weak in the knees, two songs later, you discover a second revelation in “Snaker’s Gone.” It is a lament obviously based on the changes of “Delia’s Gone” but played in the slow, ironic style of Snaker Dave Ray. You realize how much you miss him, and Dakota Dave Hull’s song proves that some part of Dave Ray is still alive. You cannot help but weep in recognition and relief. Eddie Jeff Cahill opens. 8 p.m. $12 adv/$15 door. Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave., Mpls. 612-338-2674. FELIEN

Bizarre Bazaar
Trikkx, St. Paul

Someone on your holiday shopping list been naughty this year? Of course they have, and they deserve to be spanked! Why not stuff her stocking with the Excytor—a paddle wrapped in supple leather and backed with soft, luscious rabbit fur? Or, for the animal-friendly submissive, there’s always a velvet corset harness or red satin blindfold. Check out these and other naughty bits at the fifth annual Bizarre Bazaar, sponsored by Minnesota Stocks, Debentures and Bonds (MSDB). Enjoy a veritable feast of fetish gear, leather goods, equipment and other kinky toys that you’re not likely to find in St. Nick’s bag of tricks. A professional photographer will be on hand to take fetish portraits and there’ll be tarot readings, a flogging demonstration and a Kinky Santa. Some of the vendors include The Smitten Kitten, Knights of Leather, Boundesign and Madam Giggles Whack Shack. Whether you’re cracking the whip or wearing the handcuffs, there’s sure to be something to tickle your fancy. Noon – 7 p.m. Free. Trikkx, 490 Robert St. N., St. Paul. MISTRESS EVE

Black Nativity
Penumbra Theatre

Penumbra Theatre Company’s contemporary classic “Black Nativity” has been revamped with artistic director Lou Bellamy and company member T. Mychael Rambo as the creative guiding lights. Bellamy directs, and Rambo stars in what’s now titled “Reflections of Black Nativity.” The score is by members of the musical group Moore by Four, along with the Grammy-award winning Sounds of Blackness, showcasing vocalist Yolande Bruce. Musical direction is by Keith McCutchen, who performed with Rambo on the well-received CDs The Gift: A Christmas with Love and Simply. Tickets $30 - $55 with discounts for students, seniors and groups. Previews Dec. 8 & 9; shows Dec. 10 – 26. Tue., Wed. & Thu. 7:30 p.m.; Wed. Dec. 15, 10 a.m.; Fri. 8 p.m.; Sat. 2 & 8 p.m.; Sun. 2 & 7:30 p.m. Dec. 24, 2 p.m. (kids free); Sun. Dec. 26, 2 p.m. Penumbra Theatre Company, 270 North Kent Street, St. Paul. 651-224-3180. DWIGHT HOBBES.

Two Gallants
Big V’s

The precociously talented pair of young San Franciscans that make up Two Gallants had a lot of strikes going against them prior to me actually hearing their music. A guitar and drums duo (strike one), that met at a posh all-boys academy (strike two), and was pretentious enough to name their group after a chapter in James Joyce’s “Dubliners” (strike three—yer outta here!). My preconceived prejudices were smashed to bits, however, the instant I heard the gruff and undeniably compelling voice of singer/guitarist Adam Stephenson wrap itself around the Irish-leaning traditional melodies of “Nothing to You” on the bands debut album, The Throes. Two Gallants are the real deal, young white boys throwing props to salt-of-the-earth musical forms (punky takes on the blues, rustic folk and country shuffles) and managing far more than simple artful imitation. There is a reason these boys have already become major players on the Bay Area music scene over the past year. Those looking for literate lyrics and brash youthful energy (an altogether too rare combination) will fall head over heels for Two Gallants Red Bull-ized take on traditional American musical forms. As if that weren’t glowing enough endorsement for this gig, two of the local bands I think should have been “Picked to Click” toppers, Duplomacy (Minneapolis’ answer to Grandaddy?) and Heavy Sleeper (best new local power-pop band in years) are also on the bill. 9 p.m. $5. 21+. 1567 University Ave., St. Paul. 651-645-8472. van Alstyne

Monte Moir Release Party/Meet & Greet
The Speak Easy

Meet Monte Moir, keyboardist for legendary Minneapolis based Funk/R&B outfit The Time, and songwriter/producer to Janet Jackson, Alexander O’Neal, Gladys Knight and Deja. Between songwriting, playing and producing, Monte’s been awarded seven gold records and one platinum album. This chic, early evening event will commence with a wine tasting via the Speak Easy’s exceptional cellar, and will be followed by a preview of selected songs from Moir’s eloquent, jazz-tinged debut, This Side of Paradise. Whether you’re a Time fan, fellow musician or emerging artist, take advantage of this absolutely unique opportunity to chat with one of Minnesota’s living legends. With visual artist Rick Smetana. 6 p.m. Free. 21+. 2817 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. 612-870-0339. Brooke Aldridge