A. Tom Collins at the hi-dive

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It would've been too obvious for Aaron Collins, former frontman of the rock barbarians known as Machine Gun Blues, to do something similarly rambunctious with his new band, A. Tom Collins (due at the hi-dive on Tuesday, August 17). Fortunately, he opted to accentuate his actual musical talents with this latest project. Calling the music he makes with A. Tom Collins "old-timey" or "Americana" would miss the fact that he and his bandmates seem to be aiming for a more frayed ragtime sound informed by a lot of music out of New Orleans. It all sounds like it's coming from another time, except that Collins performs with an intensity and conviction that anchors the performances firmly in the present. Backed by horns and an upright bass, Collins's piano work isn't just a percussive accent to his vocals. Instead, its unexpected delicacy lends this band an equally surprising grace.