I wrote blurbs for The Reader this week for a couple upcoming shows. One of the blurbs was for tonight's show at Sokol Underground headlined by The Standard with The Mariannes and The Close. In the words of Mariannes' frontman Matt Stamp: "Very few people around here are familiar with The Standard. They are really f***ing good. Equal parts jazz, art rock, folk songwriting, ambient experimentation. Wounded, introspective lyrics." Matt should know. He's their biggest fan. In fact, he's been hounding us for months to hype this show. It's our pleasure. The Close is a tight pop rock band from Atlanta "worth the price of admission just to see their bass player dance." Thank you, Mr. Stamp. It does sound like a fun show, especially for a mere $7. And a costume isn't required. Meanwhile, upstairs at Sokol Aud, The Jazzwholes is hosting their CD release show/costume party w/Sarah Benck and The Robbers. The Jazzwholes, who gig for free at The Goofy Foot every Sunday night, sound like the sort of combo that would play during commercial breaks of a late-night TV chat show. They promise an "exciting, diverse, large scale production." It better be for $15.

Saturday night is dominated by costume-related shananigans, the most interesting of which is The Lude Boys, a Social Distortion tribute band, and 138, a Misfits tribute band, at The Brothers. Something tells me a lot of the patrons' costumes will involve leather, and yes there will be a contest at some point in the evening. $5, 10 p.m.

I wrote this blurb about Sunday's Broken Spindles show at Duffy's w/The Golden Age: Broken Spindles is a project spearheaded by Joel Petersen, better known as the whirling-dervish bassist in Omaha No Wave band The Faint. Here, Petersen takes center stage on keyboards and vocals, and instead of the usual AV gear he'll be backed by a full band that includes Faint cohort Dapose, Garaldine Vo, and Javid Dabestani of Lincoln's Bright Calm Blue. They'll be performing songs from Inside/Absent, Petersen's latest long player on Saddle Creek Records that's part noodling-keyboard-spider-web-tinkling spook and part thump-thump-thump electronic pulse. You'll either dance or be very afraid. Lincoln band The Golden Age's downbeat folk-rock should provide a jarring contrast. $5, 9:30, no apparent costume requirement, though I'm sure there will be plenty to go around.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--