Ready for Bedtime Rebecca Nurse deliver some sweet Stories BY BOB GULLA

Over the last year or so, Rebecca Nurse has been busy busy busy building something worthwhile. That "construction" project culminates in the band’s second album, Bedtime Stories. They’ll celebrate the long-awaited release of that disc at the Green Room this weekend, and you should think about heading down there. The band’s conviction is deep-seated and believable, and their live shows are something to behold. Fronted by vixen Tracy Garrity and supported by Shawn Garrity, drummer Angelo Franco, and bassist Brian Niedzwiadek, RN is a high-powered, high-energy cruise through a romper room of rock and roll. Mix a little punk, a little post-new wave (a la ’80s footnotes like Missing Persons, and the Waitresses) with a lotta lipstick-traced attitude and you’ll understand a wee bit about what to expect.

New tunes such as "Black Sheep" and "Santa Dear" (found on the Web site at press time) show that there’s been lots of maturing goin’ on since the band’s ’03 debut, Infamous Anus. The tracks show creative and songwriting growth, while adhering to the contours of the band’s live shows, which have lately turned into sweaty, new-wave, boogie-woogie dance parties. Shawn Garrity is a capable guitar player whose slashing, rhythmic style provides a svelte backdrop to Tracy’s hiccupping vocal lines, while Niedzwiadek and Franco stay arm in arm, adding dashes of funk with some decorative flourishes for good measure.

All told, it makes for a sweet little package, live and in the studio. But live you get an eyeful of the band, which can be enough to wake up these old bones at any hour of the night.

Rebecca Nurse will play the Green Room on Saturday, December 11, with special guests Jeri and the Jeepsters and Blues Bastard. The show starts at 9:30 p.m., is 18-plus, and the cover is $7. Check out music and images at www.rebeccanurse.com.

ACES OF CLUBS. Two new clubs have set their sights on putting a stamp on the local live music scene. Giza looks pretty impressive; it’s 7000 square feet and has a pseudo "Walk Like an Egyptian" motif, or maybe more like Steve Martin’s "King Tut." Anyway, it’s the first live music venue in the state to open in quite some time. Giza promises to feature some of the region’s best bands. The club is located at the junction of routes 6 and 10 on Hartford Avenue outside of Olneyville. You can’t miss it. If you’re interested in making a booking contact, check out www.gizari.com for more information.

Club DeNiro isn’t too far out of town, over the border in Taunton, Massachusetts. It’s an all-ages club with shows every Saturday night right now, with the potential of more live nights throughout the week. They’re on the lookout for great new bands, too. The Web site has all the specs for stage size, lighting, and PA: www.clubdeniro.com. You can also snuff out some booking information while there. This weekend, Purity’s Demise, Lucid Sky, and MBTA will be holding forth. Best of all, DeNiro will be hosting a battle of the bands beginning in the New Year. Again, check the Web site for details.

Lastly in clubland, Scott down at the Rocky Point Pub is actively soliciting acts to play their Thursday night live music showcase through the frigid winter months. So far they’ve done a great job attracting solid talent, and they look to keep that place heated up as the weather gets colder. Scott writes, "If your band has a good following in Rhode Island, we can work together to build a local scene at Rocky Point Pub." Say amen somebody!

Rock and Roll Camp for Girls. On Friday (the 10th) at AS220, the Rhode Island edition of a benefit for the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls goes down. You may already know that the camp is an amazing adventure for young girls, a non-profit destination in Portland, Oregon that has been helping ambitious adolescents to play instruments and write music in a camp-like setting for three years, with professional musicians as counselors. Talk about cool! The camp has sponsorships from major instrument manufacturers and bands such as Sleater-Kinney and the Beastie Boys. This year, the Camp initiated a benefit called "50 Shows in 50 States," where they’re encouraging as many states as possible to host a benefit on their behalf on a single day — today, December 10. The Rhody show was put together by Michelle Marchese, the folks at AS220, and the Hive Archive, a Providence feminist arts organization. There will also be a raffle. Everything starts around 8 p.m., with Mates of States, Tiny Hawks, Triple M Threat, and Maria Ventura performing — so far, that is. More entertainers were in the works at presstime. Info on the camp is at www.girlsrockcamp.com, and updates are at as220.org.

Wandering Eye. The Blackstone River Theatre (549 Broad Street, Cumberland) will present a special holiday concert with Harvey Reid and Joyce Andersen tonight (the 10th) at 8 p.m. Admission is $12. For reservations call 725-9272. Tickets are also available at the door. Reid has honed his craft over the last 30 years at countless clubs, festivals, and concert halls across the nation. In 1996, his Steel Drivin’ Man disc was voted by Acoustic Guitar Magazine as one of the 10 Essential Folk CDs of all time. I’ll bet he has a way with "Jingle Bells," too.

If you stumble over towards Jake’s on Saturday (the 11th), you might be surprised to run into a handful of Santas cuttin’ the rug. "Santa’s Soul Party," as it’s called is, you guessed it, a Wyld Card DJs Christmas gig. The spinners will be doing a full night of ’60s/’70s soul, funk, and R&B. There’s no cover, but donations to the Good Neighbor Fund are recommended. Santa suits, naughty elf get-ups, or other randy holiday regalia is heartily encouraged. The ho-hos start at 10.

Outside the Box and Headroom will join hands for a great all-ages evening at AS220 this Saturday. The show starts at 9:30 and the cover is $6.

On Saturday at Cats, Pete Rock presents Wretched Asylum, Medicine for Tim, Risk of Reality, and more for their annual "Very Pimpin’ X-Mas Bash." Ah, the Christmas spirit finds joy in wrecked rock and roll, too.

Over at the Green Room on Saturday, Melt, formerly known as Lunar Girl to you scenesters, will be taking the stage. Is there a new sound along with a new name? Find out.

And finally, props to the folks at RattleHead Records, who pulled off the 2004 Institute for Sonic Excellence this year despite a few alarming setbacks. Special congrats go to this year’s valedictorian: Right Side Down. Finishing in the salutatorian slot was Freudian Slip, and taking the bronze was Forgotten Faith. The winner received $500 and five hours of studio time at UFO Soundlabs, second place received five hours of studio time at UFO Soundlabs, and third received their own show at the DropZone on February 4. Kudos to everyone involved and the sponsors who coughed up all the sweet prizes.

E-mail me with music news at big.daddy1@cox.net.