Roadtrips

Ever since Hüsker Dü broke up, Bob Mould has been threatening to give up on the big-loud-rock setting altogether. Usually he'll do the solo-acoustic singer-songwriterly thing for a while, then come snarling back, then get sick of it and swear off bands again. This time, though, Mould insists it's your final opportunity to see him do the seminal punk-pop thing. His latest, The Last Dog and Pony Show (Ryko), ain't a bad swan song: a howling, revved-up guitar-pop disc with his best hooks since Sugar called it quits. The last rock tour stops September 23 at Pearl Street (413-584-0610) in Northampton and the 24th at Avalon (617-262-2424) in Boston. Varnaline open both shows.

And while Mould signs off, the future of indie rock is at hand. Since Sunny Day Real Estate broke up a few years back, there's been a solo orchestral-pop album by born-again singer Jeremy Enigk, the rhythm section's session work for the Foo Fighters, and most recently a reunion album that got pretty good reviews but struck these ears as a little light on the hooks. The Sunny Day tour gets within driving distance on the 25th at the Call (401-751-2255) in Providence; Boston isn't on the itinerary. Recently signed to Southern Records, Sweep the Leg Johnny are one of those Chicago post-rock things. A few things distinguish 'em, though -- they're not so fond of arithmetic that they won't hold a chord for half a minute when they have to, there's some pretty nasty distortion, and they've got some New York ways of playing saxophone. They're at the Call on the 21st, and at the Middle East (617-864-EAST) in Cambridge on the 23rd.

Out Worcester way it's metal madness, with "Locobazooka" turning Green Hill Park (617-423-6398) into mosh central on the 20th. Candlebox headline, which means it's gonna be one of those days, but then again the undercard includes Powerman 5000, Kid Rock, and Godsmack (New England metal's answer to That Thing You Do), so it's also gonna be one of those days. The line-up comprises 30 bands in all, including lotsa locals. And on the 23rd, Korn's "Family Values" tour brings Pimp Lispit -- er, Limp Bizkit -- plus Ice Cube, Rammstein, and Orgy to the Worcester Centrum (331-2211).

-- CC