Glasvegas {thanks, SONIA GRACE}

glasvegas Glasvegas
Glasvegas mixes a throwback sound channeling Elvis and ’50s girl groups and coyly melds it with feedback-drenched art-noise rock on its self-titled debut.

Discovered at the same Scottish club that brought Oasis to a label boss’ attention, Glasvegas tackles intense subjects, such as absent fathers (“Daddy’s Gone”) and a ripped-from-the-headlines kidnap and murder (“Flowers and Football Tops”), with empathy, sing-a-long choruses and more than a few expletives. Best is “It’s My Own Changing Heart That Makes Me Cry,” a self-bashing song of epic proportions. They perform tonight on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

Erin McCarley {thanks, Reid Rolls}

Erin McCarley Love, Save the Empty
With a buttery smooth, made-for-“Grey’s Anatomy” voice, Dallas-native Erin McCarley wistfully sings of the complicated side of adult relationships. “It’s Not That Easy” speaks to desperately loving somebody, but not having anything left to give.

Her debut, Love, Save the Empty, has enough jazzy vocal inflections and sophisticated instrumentation to balance out the overly frothy choruses. The minor-key piano mystery of “Sleep Walking” and the dreamy, “I Got to Figure It Out” shows off her dramatic songwriting chops late on the record.

Take a look for yourself Tuesday night when McCarley performs live on “Letterman.”

The Gourds {thanks, YEP-ROC}

The Gourds Haymaker!
If you ever happen to attend a show by Austin, Texas, Americana rockers The Gourds, you may notice more than a few in the crowd shouting out a request for Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice,” a novelty cover that’s followed them since they made it 12 years ago. Their high-energy shows and pop-culture obsessions make the Gourds the Barenaked Ladies of bluegrass.

On Haymaker!, the boys honky-tonk less, goof the same, but seem more grounded in alt-country, which makes sense since multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston played in Uncle Tupelo and early records with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

Plenty of mandolins, sing-a-long Cajun choruses, harmonicas and songs of unrequited love make this fun and frolicking record worth seeking out.

Listen to the New Music Sampler with Erik at 6 and 8 a.m. Tuesday on 89.7 WTMD, listener-supported radio from Towson University

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