Three stages, 22 bands, more than eight hours of live music--Saturday night's benefit for Cory Helms, recently diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, was more like a festival than a concert. Organizer Tania Rivas anticipates the event will end up raising between $4,000 and $5,000 for Helms' family, and it was one of the most expansive and enjoyable local bills in recent memory, with highlights including some great new songs from I Love Math and a countrified cover of Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison" from none other than the Theater Fire. Shame that two of the more rocking bands, The Tah-Dahs and Record Hop, were stuck opening the show at the crack of 6 p.m., but that's what happens when so many bands clamor to help out a good cause. No less than Erykah Badu pitched in, donating the long white dress she wore to the Grammys in 2001. Unfortunately, bidding started at $2,500--not exactly the right price for broke-ass musicians scrounging for rent and beer money. Still, an extravagant gesture. The dress will either be sold to the Hard Rock Cafe or auctioned on eBay.

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The Hourly Radio plays a showcase for some "well-known industry types" on Thursday at the Delancey in New York City. Set up by Kirtland Records, the showcase has the young band slotted right after Kill Rock Stars' The Robot Ate Me and before Austin's Single Frame. And for this opportunity, the boys from Hourly Radio would like to thank Urban Outfitters and Deep Blue Something.

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File this one under "More Reasons to Love Lance Yocom": Spune Productions announces "Le Femme Qui Rock" festival coming August 13 to Hailey's. Translated from French as "Women Who Rock," the show brings together eight bands touting talented female musicians. I've always found those all-female issues of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair to be patronizing, if not embarrassing, mostly because those publications seem far more interested in see-through tops than musical chops. But the bands on this bill don't need to strip to keep your attention: The lineup includes Record Hop, Faceless Werewolves, Landrest, Cordelane and Jack With One Eye. Spune is holding a poster design contest for the event. Submit a 300 dpi image no later than Monday, June 13. For more information, e-mail [email protected]. No see-through tops, please.

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Two Buzz-Oven shows this week: Friday, June 10, at Club Axis in Fort Worth and Sunday, June 12, at the Plano Centre. Bands on the upcoming compilation are Mermaid Purse, Upside and Minority, who surely must be the hardest-working band without a drivers license. A third show will be Saturday, June 18, at Hailey's in Denton. See www.buzz-oven.com for details.

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In with the New: A reminder that the deadline for submitting to the New Music Festival looms. All entries must be in by June 15. For those with a short-term memory, the NMF is the good local festival, the one that doesn't charge entry fees or make band members sell tickets, baked goods or $3 chocolate bars. The festival takes place September 29 through October 1. Go to www.newmusicfestival.com for more information.

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Out with the old: Now's as good a time as any to report that next week will be my last as Dallas Observer music editor. The trusty Sam Machkovech--talented, opinionated, prone to wearing purple pants--is taking over my position for what is sure to be an exciting (and controversial!) tenure. More next week.