It's a rare musician who can finesse a great pop hook into a psych-rock jam, but on ''Deseret,'' Cass McCombs does just that with help from a twinkling piano and Beach Boys-style harmonies. On Dropping the Writ, his third full-length CD, the singer-songwriter seems to source his lyrics from dreams, with hazy impressions of longing and wonder that linger. The real gem here: ''That's That,'' a superb '70s AOR-style track on which a mournful pedal-steel guitar, a driving bass line, and McCombs' reedy voice alchemize into something almost divine.

Caffe Classico presents a performance by George Wakim with Alma Gitana tonight, Friday, October 26th at 8:30pm

Caffe Classico
2144 Frankfort Avenue

$5.00 cover

The main event is the Affordable Art Show

This art show is both a one-day event and a month-long exhibit.
The one-day event will be on Oct. 27, 3-8PM in conjunction with a Fall Festival sponsored by Sojourn Church at the same location. The Festival will include art, free music, free food, and fun for kids including a petting zoo and the blow-up jumping things.

Artists include Lisa Austin, Sarah Cosper, Sarah Hall, Brendan Kennedy, Melvin C. Ledrick, Julie Leidner, Jason McCreary, Flora Naslund, Alex O’nan, Emily Parker, Brandon and Bethan Rogers, Eric Scholtens, James R. Southard, Stephanie Tanner, and Michael and Mickie Winters.

A Fall Festival happening in conjunction with the Affordable Art Show will feature music by Hog Operation, Rob Carpenter & Paul Moeller, Dangerbird, The Fervor

The 930 Art Center and Sojourn Community Church host a Fall Fesitval with free games, free food and free live music from 3-9pm. In addition, The 930 Art Gallery will host an opening reception for the 1st Annual Affordable Art Show (everything under $100). Fun for the whole family!

Afternoon Outdoor Set
Hog Operation 3:30pm
Rob Carpenter (The Muckrakers) & Paul Moeller (Digby) 5pm

Evening Indoor Set
Dangerbird 6:30pm
The Fervor 7:30pm

This Swedish band has been making the rounds (some friends recently saw them at the Austin City Limits festival and they played SXSW earlier in the year) here in the states. Their popularity is fueled mostly I think by their uber catch song Young Folks. That track is how I came to know them anyway. WFPK played the heck out of it all summer long and I sang and whistled along every damn time and bought the single from iTunes. That track was also featured in an episode of Grey's Anatomy if I'm not mistaken. You can see the odd video for the song at the band's website.

I confess that I only own the Young Folks single (My music buying budget has been strained this summer and fall people, cut me some slack) but I'm betting they put on a great show that is well worth the $15 ticket price.

Peter Bjorn and John with Besnard Lakes
Friday, Nov. 30, 9pm

Headliners Music Hall
Tickets: $15
On Sale Now and Available at: TicketWeb & ear X-tacy

My friend Jason gave me González's first album, Veneer, last year for Christmas and I'll confess I didn't warm to it right away. It took a little time but it's become a much beloved record that's still getting frequent plays this Fall. So I'm really excited he's coming to town in support of his new record In Our Nature.

I know we get cool artists and musicians coming to town all the time but sometimes that point really hits home. When it's an artist you're a fan of it's so cool to be able to see them in a small venue, at a good price in your town. < / end gushing about how great living in Louisville is>

The performance will be focused on music created by Ben for Learning to Bend and will feature the choreography of David Ingram (North Carolina Dance Theatre) and Delilah Smyth (formerly of Louisville Ballet). Dancing will be Erica De La O and Chris Wojtera of the Louisville Ballet. A photographic series by Louisville photographer Mickie Winters accompanies the music and will be on display. Ben will be performing with a musical ensemble that will include string quartet, harp, percussion, and spoken word with some extra surprises.

That sounds like a cool event.

An Evening Of Music and Dance with Ben Sollee
Celebrating the release of Learning To Bend
Choreography by David Ingram and Delilah Smyth
Photography by Mickie Winters
Friday November 16th and Saturday November 17th
21C Museum Hotel
8 pm
$10

Check out Ben's MySpace page for a few older audio clips to get a feel for his eclectic sound. I haven't heard anything from the new record yet but I'm looking forward to hearing it soon.

Quills Coffee & Books is a little oasis of comfort, warmth, really good coffee, and mostly excellent music selections. It is my favorite coffee shop for meetings or getting work done. The tables and chairs are comfortable, the flow of traffic and general noise level is low enough that you can think or have a conversation and the books and magazines all over the place offer inspiration or distraction, depending on what you need. The books are available for purchase or you can just read them while you're hanging out.

Wifi is free and reliable and they recently added an internet connected iMac for customer use. The vibe is laid back and relaxed. Lots of laptop users, lots of readers, mostly WFPK or indie rock and modern folk for the hipster set (Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Iron & Wine, The Royal Tenenbaums soundtrack) on the sound system. The staff is friendly. They won't fawn over you but they won't try to upsell you or make you feel uncomfortable about ordering girly coffee drinks (*cough* sugar free vanilla cappuccino *cough*).

Granola with milk or yogurt, pastries and bagels are available for breakfast. Vegetarian sandwiches served on focaccia bread are available for lunch and dinner. Bottled waters, juices and a few sodas are available as well. Sadly though no Coke Zero.

One teensy, tiny, piddly little complaint about Quills that doesn't really matter to me but it might to you so I'll mention it. My beloved is much more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker. She adores hanging out and reading/working at Quills but finds their tea selection lacking. They have a lovely Earl Grey but some of the others from their small selection of teas have been met with less than stellar reviews. Coffee and I are pair bonded so the tea selection doesn't really impact me but I've heard a rumor that there are other tea drinkers in Louisville besides my dearest so I thought it best to mention it.

Quills is situated smack dab on the dividing line between the Highlands and Germantown. This prime location makes it great central meeting place and a pick up your morning latte point for Highlands and Germantown commuters on their way downtown.

Quills Coffee & Books
1220 E Kentucky St
Louisville, KY

I'll be hitting my favorites in this series but I'm totally open to suggestions to places I should check out. I know the ones in the Highlands pretty much inside and out so if you know of great ones in other neighborhoods that may be under publicized please let me know.

The first in this series, coming today or tomorrow, is Quills Coffee and Books.

P.S. I'm writing this from a coffee shop. My love is not shallow or infrequent.

I was naive. I expected several people to show up at 8AM on the dot for the Wild Oats closing sale but I had no idea there would be a line stretching across the parking lot nearly all the way to World Market. I expected a few items to be hot sellers but man I was disappointed to get in the store at 8:05 and yet still be too late for any of my beloved Amy's pizzas. That's ok though because I did well in the energy bar, peanut butter, fake meatballs, baking goods and cheese departments.

These events always bring out the best and worst in people, and I noticed it about myself too. When I first got there I was all "wow this is great. Great deals, all these people. Fun! Of course you can force me into this rack of gluten free cookies so you can run to the yogurt section before that guy grabs the last carton of maple flavored goat milk yogurt." By the time I finally got checked out I was about to stab the next person who tried to squeeze a cart in between the sea of people in line. Walk around the line people not through it! Around! Good times, good times.

I heard the sale is going on until everything in the store is gone. At this point I doubt there is much good stuff left though. When I left almost all of the refrigerated milks (dairy and soy) were gone as was most of the cereal, power bars, canned goods, etc. There were still some things though so it might be a worth a stop if you're in the area. I really want to know what the last items left on the shelves are. Like what in Wild Oats is so unattractive that at even 50% it just sits on the shelf all day. If anyone is around later and sees what those poor, unloved items are please satisfy my curiosity and let me know.