The Hood Internet, Rosanne Cash, Ahmad Jamal, Cross Canadian Ragweed & Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band 

• The Hood Internet

Friday 1.8
THE HOOD INTERNET
Say the term “mashup” and generally the first name that springs to mind is Girl Talk, but while the artist born Greg Gillis tangoed with the law over his right to remix others’ copyrighted material, The Hood Internet have operated free of legal battles since their inception a few years back. The world of digital sampling is nebulous territory, though popular wisdom dictates if the track isn’t sold for profit it’s probably safe for production. The Hood Internet streams their clever mashups online, and makes free downloads—or “mix tapes”—available to its ever-growing fan base. The Chicago duo has plans to release an album of original material in 2010, a move that could gain them more respect from folks who still don’t grasp the concept of transforming preexisting songs into a new format. It’s interesting to see people’s reactions to the craft. In any event, you can’t argue with the effect The Hood Internet has on the body once you’ve hit the dance floor. W Lounge, 358 S. West Temple, 9 p.m. Tickets: 24Tix.com

Saturday 1.9

Monday 1.11
AHMAD JAMAL
Ahmad Jamal is a stickler on semantics. The seasoned jazz pianist doesn’t dig the word jazz, preferring to label his sound as American Classical Music. And don’t make the mistake of referring to his group as a trio—large or small ensembles join him onstage and in the studio. If he sounds a bit uptight, relax. Check out footage of Jamal commanding his craft—whatever you call it, he looks damned cool tickling the ivories seemingly without effort. Of course, the master is a firm believer in education and practice, practice, practice. He just makes it look easy. Sheraton City Center, 150 W. 500 South, 7:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: JazzSLC.com

CROSS CANADIAN RAGWEED
Oklahoma natives/Texas residents Cross Canadian Ragweed aren’t exactly in league with pop-country bigwigs Rascal Flatts or Keith Urban, nor do they fit right in with bands whose Americana sound offers enough crossover appeal to snag gigs with rising indie artists. The quartet is definitely a rock band with Southern heart, singing about the pleasures of youth in revolt (“17”) and other more-or-less universally relatable topics. But because folks can’t pigeonhole the group, Cross Canadian Ragweed commands less attention than many of their contemporaries. Of course, the audiences who follow them are diehard. Perhaps you’ll join the converted tonight. The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m. Tickets: TheStateRoomSLC.com

Tuesday 1.12
REV. PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND
The “big” in Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band has more to do with the group’s massive personality than the number of musicians backing its down-home sound. As with acts like The White Stripes and Eagle Twin, the trio proves you don’t need an army to crank up the jams. Rev. Peyton and his fellow merry pranksters infuse a giant electrical spark into no-fuss punk-Americana that begs for illicit barroom antics. Their setup is simple— washboard, drum kit with a five-gallon bucket, finger-picked guitar—as is much of the lyrical content, but when the Rev bellows, “I want to thank ya’ll for the food that you made us/but it don’t hold a candle to mama’s fried potatoes,” he drives home his point without objection. Just like traditional Southern cuisine, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band serve up stick-to-your-ribs material that should get us through the rest of winter. The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m. Tickets: TheStateRoomSLC.com

Coming Up
Orion Independent Music Festival (Park City, Jan. 14-20); The Expendables (Star Bar, Jan. 14); 4-Year Anniversary Showcase (Velour, Jan. 15-16); Tash of Alkaholiks (Urban Lounge, Jan. 16); Umphrey McGee (The Depot, Jan. 20); Howie Day (The State Room, Jan. 21); Brendan Benson (Urban Lounge, Jan. 22); Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe (Park City, Jan. 22-29); Big Head Todd & The Monsters (The Depot, Jan. 23)

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