Previously known on the indie-rock circuit as the guitarist for Chicago's Aden, Kevin Barker has been showcasing his Fahey-esque obsession with old, weird Americana under the name Currituck County, whose singles have encompassed everything from playing along on ukulele with an old Hawaiian 78 to deft, haunting folk pop in the manner of Nick Drake. An album, Unpacking My Library, is just out on Teenbeat; Barker brings Currituck County to T.T. the Bear's Place (617-492-BEAR) in Cambridge on Monday with Teenbeat honcho/former Unrest frontman Mark Robinson; and to Flywheel (413-527-9800) in Easthampton on Tuesday.

Continuing in their quest to bridge the gap between boring, self-indulgent indie rock and boring, self-indulgent jazz, Karate have a new EP consisting of two 10-minute-plus tracks of boring, old-school, self-indulgent jazz-rock fusion. If we were to tell you frontman Geoff Farina is also releasing an entire album's worth of solo guitar mastur -- er, improvisations, you'd probably think we were kidding. In any case, Karate congratulate themselves on the release of Cancel/Sing (Southern) with gigs this Saturday at Bennington College (802-442-5401) in Vermont; and next Saturday, March 9, at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge.

Squirrel Nut Zipper James Mathus got bored with the hot-jazz revival, so he sank his claws into the blues on National Antiseptic (Mammoth). Despite the presence of genius garage-punk shitbag Jack Oblivian and two generations of Dickinsons -- Stones/Dylan sideman Jim and his kids, North Mississippi All-Stars Cody and Luther -- the result was, as the title suggests, still pretty sterile. Mathus's reward? The opening slot on a Buddy Guy tour, which arrives at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) in Providence on Saturday; at Toad's Place (203-624-8623) in New Haven on Sunday; at the Calvin Theater (423-584-0610) in Northampton on Monday; and at Flynn Theater (802-863-5966) in Burlington, Vermont, on Tuesday.

Epitaph's Tiger Army traffic in a brand of psychobilly descended almost exclusively from the Misfits' "American Nightmare"; singer Nick 13 does a decent Danzig impersonation, and when the rest of the band aren't too busy putting on their Social Distortion faces, they occasionally remember to throw in the odd slide lick or echobox moan. A tour that was to have included Lars Fredericksen & the Bastards had to be truncated -- Lars is having back surgery -- so you'll find Tiger Army headlining tonight (Thursday, February 28) at the Edge (207-621-6387) in Augusta, Maine, and at the Met Café (401-272-5876) in Providence on Friday.

By the time you read this, you'll know how many of Nelly Furtado's four Grammy nominations came up winners; maybe she'll show 'em off when she plays a sold-out Avalon (617-423-NEXT) in Boston on Friday and the State Theater (207-775-3331) in Portland on Saturday. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young bring out the rockers for a swing through the Hartford Civic Center (860-241-4229) tonight; they also play the FleetCenter (617-931-2000) in Boston on Saturday and Sunday.