One of hip-hop’s most celebrated and respected factions will ascend upon Athens on Saturday to help commemorate a weekend honoring one of the city’s most celebrated and respected teenagers. The Grammy-nominated Nappy Roots, considered one of the Dirty South’s important hip-hop groups, will play a key role in providing entertainment for Darius Goes West Day, which recognizes Athens resident Darius Weems, the subject of the acclaimed documentary “Darius Goes West: The Roll of His Life.” Creators of unforgettable songs like “Po Folks” and “Awnaw,” the five-piece ensemble will perform at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday at Farm 255 after the final screening of “Darius Goes West” at nearby Ciné. Read the full story…

After years of professional exertion had placed a tremendous strain on his personal life, singer-songwriter Glen Phillips (playing Friday at the Melting Point) has found a happy medium, with an emphasis on the “happy.” “My goals are fairly modest,” says the former singer for Toad the Wet Sprocket, who hit the charts in a big way in the mid-1990s with pop classics like “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean.” “I’ve been beating my head against a dying music industry for too long. I love music and I love doing shows, but the rest of it I don’t like. “What I want to do now is keep making music and spend more time with my family. I’ve figured out how to stop trying to ‘make it’ and to just take what happens and deal with it.” Read the full story…

There may be nothing new under the sun, but as a kid, Diplo wasn’t looking for that anyway. Growing up amongst strip malls and retirement communities, the Florida-raised DJ sought out history in stacks of records at swap meets. “I would go to the flea market because there was s–t there that would make me feel real,” says Diplo (aka Wes Pentz). That’s how I got into collecting records and collecting music.” Four years after working with M.I.A. on her critically acclaimed album, “Arular,” a collaboration that brought the Philadelphia-based jock wide recognition, the famously innovative DJ (performing Friday at the 40 Watt with Dark Meat) is busy producing fresh sounds from old materials. Read the full story…

Grab your Quidditch Goggles and a juice box. The Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo 2008 is coming to town! The Expo, billed as a “do-it-yourself traveling summer camp circus and crazy rock tour,” stops at the 40 Watt Wednesday with promises of:

1. giant monsters

2. inflatable monkeys

3. songs about wizards

4. Kool-Aid

5. rock ‘n’ roll aerobics

6. name tags

7. a sock puppet cover of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer”

The folks behind the Expo go so far as to stand behind this pledge: “This is a home-made summer tour where anything is possible and the power of rock and roll can, and will, change our lives.” Read the full story…

Jason Wilber (above) doesn’t have a problem playing second fiddle. In fact, he rather digs it. Wilber has released five solo CDs, but he’s probably best known as the longtime guitarist for distinguished singer/songwriter John Prine. Wilber will join David Jacques, Prine’s bass player, when folk singer Iris DeMent plays The Melting Point tonight. “You get to enjoy music in a totally different way,” he said of playing with other artists. “I find it a lot of fun.” Read the full story…

There can be no discussion about the pervasive impact and lore surrounding Southern California Rock without mentioning the contribution of country-rock icons Poco, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. As one of the bands formed from the ashes of Buffalo Springfield, Poco (playing tonight at the Melting Point) has enjoyed its share of hit records and standing-room-only concert performances, but has always seemed to fly under the radar of its better-known brethren. It would stand to reason that based on its success, longevity and influence, Poco should have an honored place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Read the full story…

If you plan to go to tonight’s performance by The Two Man Gentleman Band at the Melting Point, you need to be on your toes. You will be given a free kazoo. You will be instructed to perform. You may think anyone can master the hum-blow technique require for kazooing. You would be wrong. “There are bad kazooists, who are often drunk,” said Andy Bean, who makes up half of the Gentleman Band. Read the full story…

Although Mason Taylor has been the only constant performer for the Boston-based band a’tris throughout its five-year history, he’s been able to maintain musical continuity through his partnership with Michael Kreher, who serves as the band’s producer, co-writer and manager. Taylor and Kreher met when both were students at Berklee College of Music, and their shared interests led to the development of a set of songs recorded by Taylor and a variety of Berklee-student players. “What we’re doing now is a lot edgier than when we first started,” says Taylor, who will share the stage with bandmates Ben Azar (guitar), Nate Lueck (bass, guitar) and Travis Abel (drums) when a’tris makes its Athens debut tonight at Tasty World. Read the full story…

Jessica Martins, the lead singer of New York’s Via Audio (playing at Tasty World tonight), knows when to speak up. At one of indie rock band Spoon’s concerts, she spotted the band’s drummer, Jim Eno. After striking up a conversation, she mentioned her band and handed him a demo. Eno gave the CD a few listens on his own and then contacted the band, offering to produce their debut album. Released last September, “Say Something” has received critical acclaim from “Spin” and “Entertainment Weekly,” among others, and a glowing review from the influential music Web site, Pitchfork. Read the full story…

Listen to “Developing Active People” from Via Audio’s new album, “Say Something”:

Listen to “We Can Be Good” from Via Audio’s new album, “Say Something”:

The American-and-Kenyan band Extra Golden (playing next Wednesday at Caledonia) recently kicked off its second tour of the United States with a concert in New Jersey where it was expected the group would play for at least six hours. “The show is for a Kenyan civic association, and that’s the way they do things,” says guitarist-vocalist Alex Minoff during an interview a few days before Extra Golden’s sojourn began. “The last time we played in America, we had several dates with audiences that were all from Kenya. When that’s the case, we play an entirely different show - along with our songs we play a lot of covers of well-known Kenyan pop hits and gear everything toward our audience.” Read the full story…