Scooter Brown Band Firehouse Saloon, January 4

Few bands on the Texas country circuit -- a scene largely made up of affable college dropouts -- can say that they have a true-blue U.S. Marine up front, but the Scooter Brown Band can. Lead singer-songwriter/Iraq war combat veteran Scott Brown chose music after the Corps, and now his Montgomery-bred band travels the countryside sharing honky-tonk stages with the likes of Rich O'Toole and Brandon Rhyder. In a couple of weeks, the four-piece will travel to Washington, D.C. to play the Black Tie & Boots Presidential Inauguration Ball for some hard-partyin' Texans in the nation's capital. CRAIG HLAVATY

American Fangs, etc. Fitzgerald's, January 4

Don't forget your earplugs. The Fangs have been rumbling about releasing an album this year, but will have to shout pretty loud to be heard above Bury the Crown, Sanctus Bellum, Dead Rabbits, Muhammidali, Carry the Storm, Dollyrockers, Hell City Kings, Burn the Boats, the Wrong Ones, and Ass. Memo to Ass: Please get in touch. We have to write about you. CHRIS GRAY

Obscured by Echoes, Sydnee Jane & the Jane-ettes, Say Girl Say Notsuoh, January 4

Screwtape moves to Friday 11, replaced by da funk. Memo from our friends at NotsuoH: "PARTY DOWN with RUMP SHAKIN STONE COLD JAMS." You've been warned. CHRIS GRAY

John Hiatt & the Combo January 5, House of Blues

Known for a distinctively gruff voice that masks his deft touch with a pen, John Hiatt is probably Indiana's third most famous native-born rocker after John Mellencamp and Axl Rose. He's got plenty of mailbox money from songs he wrote for folks like Bonnie Raitt ("Thing Called Love") and Bon Jovi ("Have a Little Faith In Me"), but has built up a respectable following for his own solo albums, which can be pricklier and more exposed than the artists who cover him. Hiatt's latest is 2012's Mystic Pinball (New West), which mingles cantakerous wisdom with feelings that can bruise as easily as any younger man's. CHRIS GRAY

El G Fox Hollow, January 5

If it's been long enough since New Year's Eve that you're at full partying strength, especially if you feel like dancing, hit up the already-sizzling Bombon at Fox Hollow. Just come early, because we understand it gets rather crowded. This Saturday, El G, the jefe behind Argentina's ZZK records, will be offering samples from his new Future Sounds of Buenos Aires compilation. Not even sure how else to describe it, except that Latin EDM sounds a lot less stuffy than Anglo EDM but can be just as spacey. (Very robo, too.) Get a tasty taste below. CHRIS GRAY

BowiElvis Night Fitzgerald's, January 5

"Cool poster of the week" award winner -- Southern Backtones, Craig Kinsey and Rocks Off 100 honoree Chase Hamblin salute the Kang and Ziggy. CHRIS GRAY

Escatones Rudyard's, January 5

Saturday, Galveston surf-junk-garage trio the Escatones releases a new seven-inch, "Out of Sight/"East Beach Stomp," a teaser for fans while the group continues readying a full-length studio album for later this year. This offering is especially interesting because the Escatones were joined in the studio by the Paul Leary of the Butthole Surfers, who contributed lead guitar to "Out of Sight." We'll have to see if Leary himself shows up at Rudz to sit in, but the Escatones will be joined by ubiquitous giggers Poor Pilate and the metallic cavemen of Linus Pauling Quartet. The Escatones offer a Cactus Music preview at 3 p.m. CRAIG HLAVATY