Wheel Workers, Jealous Creatures, Second Lovers Fitzgerald's, March 2

Three of Houston's brightest up-and-coming bands join forces with one Wandering Bufalero -- aka local rootsman Dwight Taylor Lee's Houston-focused covers project -- for an excellent local bill. Saturday, Wheel Workers use the occasion to debut Past to Present, which melds the dreaminess of early-'90s Britpop and shoegaze with the electro-laced sincerity of prime '00s indie groups like Death Cab for Cutie, while venturing into rockier waters on "Fine Time" and "Compromise."

Also on the bill are Jealous Creatures, whose ballistic Bazooka is one of the better alt-pop albums to come out of here in some time, and Second Lovers, the folk-rock crew who reached extra bases their first time at bat on last year's Wishers, Dreamers and Liars. CHRIS GRAY

FIVE OTHER SHOWS YOU MIGHT CONSIDER

Mary J. Blige: Never dethroned as the queen of hip-hop soul. Get some. (Reliant Stadium, March 1)

Dale Watson: The unreconstructed Bakersfield throwback (via Austin's Broken Spoke) is always a honky-tonk sure thing. Blanco's, however, is not anymore. (Blanco's, March 1)

DJ Rick Mitchell: All Texas music all night from the former Chronicle critic and iFest director. Happy Texas Independence Day! (Leon's Lounge, March 1)

Coheed and Cambria, Between the Buried and Me, Russian Circles: Black-light alt-rock, serious neo-hardcore and freaky post-rock for your Friday-night fun. (Bayou Music Center, March 1)

Turisas, Firewind: Finnish and Greek folk-metal? Why not? (Warehouse Live, March 2)