Is it just us, or has this week been a deceptively awesome one for shows around town?

Phosphorescent and Family Band at The Loft
Georgia's Matthew Houck has been recording and touring under the moniker Phosphorescent for over a decade at this point. Along the way, his creaking voice and lo-fi, alt-country stylings have gained him some critical kudos and a healthy fan base. Phosphorescent's 2005 effort, Aw Come Aw Wry, is probably the best place for the uninitiated to find out about the weird talents of Houck -- although, fair warning, once you get your feet wet, you'll find plenty of interesting material in this guy's entire catalogue. Kind of like a (much) less depressed Mark Linkous (rest in peace), Houck has a way about him that just sort of draws you into his warped and wonderful world. Opening tonight's show is Brooklyn's Family Band, not to be confused with our area's own Dallas Family Band, who opened for Houck at the Kessler Theater back in July.

Royal Bangs, Cocky Americans and Oil Boom at Club Dada
The folks behind Club Dada's booking need to be congratulated: Since reopening, the venue has consistently brought in talented acts, sometimes on (several) consecutive nights. The fun continues this evening with Knoxville's Royal Bangs. Flux Outside, the band's sophomore effort, came out in March, and it's already one of my favorite releases of the year.

A.Dd+ at Renfield's Corner
Speaking of nice bookings, the inventive hip-hop duo behind a disc we've already hailed as one of the best Dallas hip-hop releases of all time, plays Renfield's Corner in Uptown tonight in one of the many impressive -- and free -- shows that's been booked to this location of late.

Bill Frisell Quartet at Dan Silverleaf in Denton
Bill Frisell may just be the best guitar player still walking this earth. The guy takes risks like no other string bender, as his quartet takes rather standard jazz compositions and turns them on their head. There are very few guitarists in his league, and almost none with his compositional skill. The list of musicians that Frisell has worked with is too long for this post, but suffice to say it's an impressive directory, and one that makes the quick drive up I-35 to catch his set at Dan' tonight well worth the effort.

Pale Horse, NIAYH and The Gypsy Bravado at Andy's Bar & Grill in Denton
Hailing out of Portland, NIAYH are a brainy six-piece that sound like they belong in Denton. Featuring jazzy textures and odd time signatures, songs such as "Butter" and "Waves" mix in just enough funk and Latin R&B to compensate for vocalist Christopher Worth's sometimes over-the-top stylings.