A LI'L BIT COUNTRY: Munich Records recording artists The Gourds officially hail from Austin, Texas, but their sound covers far more ground than even the wide vistas of the Lone Star State have to offer. The combined efforts of members Kevin Russell (vocals, mandolin, guitar), Jimmy Smith (vocals, bass, guitar), Claude Bernard (accordion, guitar, vocals) and Welshman Charlie Liewellin (drums and percussion), The Gourds play variations of the roots country theme, with twangy undertones that stretch from Appalachia across the Atlantic and back, reminiscent of the more rural side of Uncle Tupelo. Listen for "Caledonia" and " All The Labor"--not to mention the more eclectic and atmospheric "Pine Tar Ramparts." Their most recent release, dem's good beeble, is full of catchy melodies and classic harmonies. A beautiful example is "sweet Li'l"--grim wit, songwriting savvy that calls to mind Richard Thompson, and all the long sad tales you'd expect from any country album. Where some bands in the ever-wider alt.country panorama come off about as antique and authentic as those bright green oxidized copper trinkets you find in all of the tourist traps, The Gourds have an honest patina and formidable talent. You won't know whether to jig or two-step, but you won't want to miss The Gourds, appearing with The Weird Lovemakers, on Sunday, April 20, at the Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Call 622-8848 for more information. AND A LI'L BIT MORE COUNTRY: Grammy-nominated country artist Pam Tillis (yeah, she's Mel's daughter) was the Country Music Association's 1994 Female Vocalist of the Year. This Thursday, April 24, at the Stampede, you can hear her perform a selection of songs from her platinum and gold albums, plus some new material from her forthcoming greatest hits album, due out sometime in June. Call 744-2446 for more information. IN THE BLUES: If, like myself, you missed some of the real fun at the Pima County Fair last week (for example, the breeding sheep show or Sam The Mechanical Man), there's still great fun to be had and music to be heard. Shri, a nearly all-female blues and jazz ensemble, will be playing throughout the evening on Friday, as part of the Arizona Rhythm and Blues Review, with additional performances Saturday and early afternoon Sunday. Some other acts featured in Friday's Blues Review are Elvin Bishop, Tommy Tucker and George Howard and the Roadhouse Hounds. Between sets you can be privy to all the madcap fun and adventure of Ferrets In Action and the Pig Races. All events are, of course, taking place at the Pima County Fairgrounds. Call the hotline 792-3930 for more information. She's got that feeling. Debbie Davies, that is. The blues continue Sunday, April 20, at The Boondocks, 3306 N. First Ave., as Davies dons her Stratocaster to blast out her own sophisticated blend of Texas and Chicago blues. She's been making music since early childhood, but didn't take off with the blues until she was a college student in San Francisco, and she's been on her way ever since. Among her other accomplishments: two W.C. Handy nominations and three very successful albums on the Blind Pig label, the most recent of which, I Got That Feeling, was produced by Grammy-winner Jim Gaines. Call 690-0991 for more information. LAST NOTES: Perhaps you remember a while back when Soundbites mentioned the formation of a new indie label, Callner Music, by video and film director Marty Callner. In an effort to seek out new talent and explore new information technologies, Callner has come up with the Demo Derby, the first interactive music competition on the Internet. Submissions are placed online, and with the help of votes cast by net-surfers, 102 bands will be selected for a variety of prizes, none the least of which is a record deal with Callner for the winner. Submissions will be accepted until May 23, and should include a single-song cassette or CD and a promo kit with bio and photo. Don't forget your website address; they'll post a link for you! Send it all to: The Demo Derby, c/o Callner Music, 959 North Cole Ave., Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information, call (213) 239-0790, email info@demoderby.com or visit the website at www.demoderby.com. Mariachi madness: The 15th Annual Tucson International Mariachi Conference begins a week of events on Sunday, April 20, with "An Evening of Mariachi Music" at the Pima County Courthouse, downtown. After a week of special events, the big concert showcases follow on Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26. Proceeds benefit La Frontera Center, Inc., a community-based, non-profit mental health organization. More information will follow in next week's Soundbites, for details call La Frontera Center at 884-9920, ext. 243. Classical guitarist and composer Andrew York visits the Old Pueblo on a solo concert tour, appearing at 8 p.m. Monday, April 21, at the TCC Leo Rich Theatre, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets are $10, $6 for students, seniors and children under 12. The Arizona Guitar Center is presenting this performance and can be contacted at 795-0647 for more information. All ages are welcome on Sunday, April 20, at the Student Union Ballroom on the University of Arizona campus for the Vandals--that's right, the Vandals--with guests Sam the Butcher and Bueno. Tickets for the show are $7. For more information call 621-8173. Oh, and hey, just one more small reminder: Don't forget to pick up a wristband from Zia Records for the Tammies Club Crawl on Saturday night. Cheers. LAST-MINUTE LAST NOTE: It's jazz night at the Club Congress on Wednesday, April 23, with jazz great Jerry Granelli and his band, UFB--Kai Brücker, Andreas Walter and Christain Kögel. Playing as a quartet for the last two years, Granelli--whose past collaborations read like a who's who of jazz--and UFB are essentially a jazz outfit with rock instrumentation and post-modern inspiration. The Pete Swan Trio opens the show; tickets are $5 in advance, $7 the day of show. --Lisa Weeks

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