Burning RosenbushAnother folky male singer/songwriter with a flair for orchestral arrangements, Ben Rosenbush proves he's anything but run-of-the-mill on his second album, "A Wild Hunger." The Duluth-bred part-time cellist boasts a nearly operatic voice that brings to mind Andrew Bird and Rufus Wainwright, and his songwriting style has all the drama to match. "This Fire" builds from a flicker to an inferno with help from his band the Brighton and additional guitarist Jacob Hanson (Halloween, Alaska), while the slower-burning gem "Running on My Knees" has a Jeff Buckley-wavering, haunting quality. Violinist Kip Jones, who has also worked with Rogue Valley, helps lay out an elegant layer of strings all over the 12-track collection. It should all sound pristine inside the Cedar Cultural Center, where Rosenbush and his crew have their release party Thursday with two other orchestral-folk openers, Rogue Valley and John Mark Nelson (7:30 p.m., $10-$12, all ages).
Random mixThe 11th and final installment of downtown St. Paul's free, all-ages live music series, Wabasha Days, takes place at 4 p.m. Friday with Retribution Gospel Choir, Exiles, Laarks and Fire in the Northern Firs. The show will be in Ecolab Plaza, 360 Wabasha St., across from the Amsterdam Bar & Hall. ... Fiery twang-rockers the Evening Rig return Friday to the Triple Rock to deliver their new album, "Nothin' to Hear Here." Drummer Rebecca Hanten is also due to deliver her first child, so this will be the band's last show for several months. ... Fresh from a strong showing at the Roots, Rock & Deep Blues Fest, bluesy stomp-rockers Poverty Hash take over the Tuesday-night residency at the Turf Club for the month of September (9 p.m., $5). ...
While his former Hüsker Dü bandmate Bob Mould is earning raves for his "Silver Age" album (out Tuesday), Grant Hart showed he's still in the game, too, by dropping two new songs via ReverbNation.com this past week. The tracks are from a full album, "The Argument," due soon. ... P.O.S. will host an Oct. 26 release party at First Avenue for his fourth album, "We Don't Even Live Here," out that week via Rhymesayers with guests including Justin "Bon Iver" Vernon and many of his Marijuana Deathsquads and Doomtree mates. ... With the touring behind last year's "Mockingbird Time" about to wrap up, the Jayhawks have no plans to make another record anytime soon. However, they did hit a studio recently to contribute to someone else's record: Dave Davies. The Kinks guitarist, sidelined by illness in recent years, recruited them long-distance to play on one song for a solo album due around the end of the year.
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
