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The Felice Brothers

8 p.m. Friday, February 29. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard

By Jaime Lees

Published on February 26, 2008 at 6:32pm

The Felice Brothers — which is actually three brothers and a non-relative named Christmas — embrace and transcend its Americana roots. On its self-titled debut (out this Tuesday on Team Love), the songs are mostly patterned on skippy, toe-tapping beats and are frequently punctuated with accordion and old-Western saloon-style piano prancing. Any of the quartet's songs might morph from throwback, "Scarborough Fair"-style folk to a rumbling, doom-filled jam at any moment. Though the lyrics are of the classic variety (booze, ladies, Jesus, heartbreak, lust), a few punchy one-liners stand out ("I put some whiskey into my whiskey" stands out.) Even the dangerously derivative Bob Dylan-style vocals don't come off as plagiarism, but as charming and warmly familiar. The Brothers' robust multi-member chorus sing-alongs during its live shows are also not to be missed. Drive-By Truckers — who recently released Brighter than Creation's Dark — headline.