Class of 2007

Achille Lauro, which shares Kavita multi-instrumentalist Luke Mossman, invokes a similar heartening feeling, like frigid hands warmed by a steaming cup of cider. Lauro's output resembles the spacious, jazzy math rock of acts like the Mercury Program or Pele, only with expressive vocals and subtle gusts of brass, courtesy of guitarist/trumpeter/frontman Brian Joseph. Escape the arctic blast on Thursday, February 8, when Lauro's at the hi-dive. I'm also intrigued by Rachael Pollard. With a delicate and distinctive voice that splits the difference between Chan Marshall and Joanna Newsom, Pollard offers up plainspoken musings intimately marked by spartan acoustic arrangements, accentuated by the squeak of fingers brushing strings. You can listen to samples at myspace.com/rachaelpollard, then catch Pollard at Chielle this Friday, January 26.

Finally, and at the other end of the spectrum, there's Kingdom of Magic, a caustic freakout of a power trio helmed by Git Some's Luke Fairchild (ex-White Dynamite, Sparkles). Straddling the zip codes of tar-thick doom and hardcore, Kingdom -- which joins Across Tundrasat the hi-dive this Friday, January 26, and which still doesn't have a freaking MySpace page -- is the heavy band to be reckoned with right now. Oh, and Big Fucking Thunder. Three-piece, hillbilly zombie motif -- 'nuff said.

For frequent updates on other emerging acts, check out my Upbeats and Beatdowns entries at www.westword.com/blogs.

Upbeats and beatdowns: While on the web, stop by YouTube.com and catch the video for "Constance," a track from the forthcoming solo disc by J Medeiros (the Procussions) that deals eloquently with the propagation of kiddie porn. Rather than being heavy-handed and preachy -- as most MCs who tackle relevant social issues tend to be -- Medeiros delivers a poignant, illuminating narrative that takes a widescreen approach, focusing not just on the purveyors and the end-users, but also the hapless victims. If you're not moved, you may be in need of artificial resuscitation.