Hometown: Pittsburgh
Sounds like: "Buckcherry meets early Cheap Trick: gnarly guitars and sugar-sweet hooks!"
Fun Fact: "[Bassist] Harrison's two fingers were three-quarters ripped off during a street fight in West Virginia, and now he only has nine fingernails and an immobile thumb."
Playing: Friday, February 17, at the Jigsaw and Saturday, February 18, at Annabell's
Why you should see them: "We play old-school rock and roll, and nuthin' gets your asses shakin' and bodies quakin' like rock and roll. And we encourage you to wear platform shoes and skintight clothes." -- Gary Strutt, vocals, guitar
Band: Dead Letter Room (www.myspace.com/deadletterroom)
Hometown: Berea
Sounds like: "Me! The upcoming show will be a stripped-down set that I'll most likely be playing solo."
Fun fact: "I like to get drunk with Whitechapel!"
Playing: Friday, February 17, at the Phantasy
Why you should see him: "Catch me playing an intimate opening set that will include Decadent and Voluptuous Panic tunes along with newer material, not to mention some covers. Or just come out to drink up with Whitechapel, the Foam, and me!" -- David K., vocals, guitar
Band: Derek DePrator Band (www.myspace.com/derekdeprator)
Hometown: North Ridgeville
Sounds like: "Edgy, weird American folk-blues mixture that sounds like Songs: Ohia, Giant Sand, and Pere Ubu's stoner love child. Armed with a banjo, a dobro, and sometimes a rhythm section."
Fun fact: "Drummer Adam James plays most shows with no pants on."
Playing: Thursday nights at the Town Fryer
Why you should see them: "I'm way more a traditional folk singer than anything. I really draw on the '60s folk-revival tradition." -- Derek DePrator, vocals, dobro, dulcimer, guitars
Band: The Dreadful Yawns (www.myspace.com/thedreadfulyawns; www.dreadfulyawns.com)
Hometown: Lakewood
Sounds like: "Buffalo Springfield, if they had listened to Spiritualized."
Fun fact: "If you played six degrees of separation in the Cleveland music scene, you can connect the Dreadful Yawns to any band in one degree. And we were the last band Greg Shaw signed to the legendary Bomp! Records (BJM, Warlocks, Modern Lovers)."
Playing: Saturday, February 18, at the Happy Dog
Why you should see them: "It's a free show, so you can afford it. The Happy Dog just got a new sound system, so you can hear it. [Opening act] Big Buildings is Chicago's answer to the question, 'Where have all the good rock bands gone?'" -- Ben Gmetro, vocals, guitar, harmonica
