Alberta Cross feels like a good fit for Dave Matthews’ ATO Records. While the band (thankfully) doesn’t attempt to replicate Matthews’ own instrumental wankery, it does fit nicely with other high-register, guitar-heavy labelmates, such as My Morning Jacket and the Whigs. Twangy and squalling, the U.K. group’s best songs taste like delicious slivers of early-’70s Crazy Horse embedded in the eyeliner of a Brit-pop singer — which is to say, derivative but oddly fun. Saturday at the Larimer Lounge, with Hacienda. $12.
Timbaland’s “Shock Value II” features lots of familiar names, including Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger and Nelly Furtado. But none is closer (to some of us, anyway) than Denver pop-rockers the Fray. And while only the band’s Joe King appears on the comp track “Undertow” with Canadian singer Esthero, the entire Fray outfit is billed as stopping by Timbaland’s Tuesday show at the Gothic Theatre for a “guest appearance” (i.e. a quickie song or two instead of an actual set). You never know — maybe they’ll bust out their bizarre cover of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” The show also features Ali Pierre. $33-$36.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com
