Singer-songwriter ROBIN HOLCOMB is one of those rare musicians who’s influenced in almost equal measure by the pop tradition and the avant-garde. As a result, Holcomb can make familiar musical styles sound strangely, agreeably fresh and exciting while also making unorthodox ideas seem thoroughly accessible. Though her first two records were singular rock-jazz song collections, Holcomb’s lastest LP, “Little Three” (1996), featured mostly instrumental solo piano studies modeled on traditional American hymn and folk song. The somber yet consistently beautiful and evocative music echoed earlier folk-art hybrids of American composers like Carl Ruggles, Charles Ives and Aaron Copland, although Holcomb’s introspective music could best be compared to Ives’ at his most spare and direct or Keith Jarrett’s at his most austere. Holcomb is reportedly using the same solo piano approach on her current tour, which comes to HotHouse on Wednesday. 31 E. Balbo St. 312-362-9707.
THE A LIST
Loudon Wainwright III, Wednesday at Martyrs: Santa Claus as conspiracy theory. Tonya Harding as a symbol of America’s competitive spirit. And cigarette smokers portrayed as the new street people. Loudon Wainwright III isn’t the only songwriter capable of such crazily on-target conceits, but he’s certainly one of the few that can frame them in consistently witty verses and compelling music that functions as more than mere comic backdrop. As if that isn’t enough, he’s also written some of the most beautiful ballads of the last quarter century. 3855 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-404-9494.
Rage Against The Machine, Friday at the Allstate Arena: Give Rage Against The Machine some credit. It was cool for rock bands to preach revolution and insurrection in the ’60s, but 1999 America is more complacent. Still, you wouldn’t know the country’s mood had changed from listening to RATM’s new LP, “The Battle of Los Angeles.” Though somewhat less catchy than previous efforts, the record is a no less passionate, inflammatory rap-metal broadside against capitalist culture that should sound poignantly ironic booming through the innards of the Allstate Arena. 6920 Mannheim Rd., Rosemont. 312-559-1212.
Andre Williams, Saturday at the Empty Bottle: It might seem odd that R&B legend Andre Williams should end up recording for Chicago’s “insurgent” C&W label Bloodshot Records, but it’s probably no weirder than some of the other places Williams has landed during his long, colorful career. Best known for crazed, ’50s cult classics like “Bacon Fat” and for raucously lascivious recent live sets, Williams uses his new LP, “Red Dirt,” to pay tribute to early influences like Hank Snow with a cracked collection of swamp-country covers and originals potently imbued with the singer’s off-kilter personality. 1035 N. Western Ave. 773-276-3600.
Time: Space Tour, Saturday at Karma: The brainchild of storied Detroit techno pioneer Derrick May, the Time:Space Tour brings together artists from May’s Transmat Records label who will perform as a group and individually. The result should be a compelling showcase of the dreamy, adventurous, electro-acoustic brand of techno that May has made famous. Scheduled performers include Time:Space (Neil Ollivierra, John Beltran, Tony Drake), Aril Brikha, Stacey Pullen. May will be deejay. 318 W. Grand Ave. 312-321-1331.
Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings, Friday and Saturday at Blue Chicago: The core of this sweet swingin’ ensemble will be familiar to local music fans from its days working as Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows. But a new name and a new lead vocalist shouldn’t scare anyone away, as the Kings’ great self-titled debut LP shimmies and sways with an equally irresistible brand of classic, brass-stoked Chicago R&B, swank urban blues and post-bop jazz. A guaranteed good time. 736 N. Clark St. 312-642-6261.
Other concerts
Queensryche, Friday at the Riviera Theatre: A band that washed in during heavy metal’s ’80s high tide, Queensryche was always more starfish than shark. Unlike most metal-heads, the band generally favored sci-fi imagery over Gothic horror, elegance over aggression and arena rock grandeur over apocalyptic spectacle. That focus is furthered on Queensryche’s new record, “Q2K,” which strings one long, glossy, ornate hard rock tune after another like so many ruffled dress shirts in a dandy’s closet. 4746 N. Racine Ave. 312-559-1212.
String Cheese Incident, Friday and Saturday at the Vic: You know the routine by now. Wacky band name. Kooky, genre-jumping songs and instrumental jams that skitter between pop, jazz, folk and country. Nutty neo-Deadhead fans dancing in arrhythmic, tie-dyed ecstasy in the aisles. It’s less a string cheese thing than gooey musical fruitcake for those who like their music laden with licks. 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. 312-559-1212.
Also: Koko Taylor, Friday at House of Blues; Gregg Allman, Wednesday at House of Blues.
