The Literary Greats

The Literary Greats have a slightly bombastic name, but their music has an understated charm. Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brandon Elam, bassist Darin Lee, guitarist/keyboardist Taylor Lee and drummer Chris Ginsbach coolly assimilate the essential elements of half a dozen styles and wrap them in a blanket of warm, catchy Americana. That’s a hard genre to pin down, but it’s the perfect tag for a band whose sound is based on amalgamation. Trembling vocals provide just the right amount of warbling flourish, and tight harmonies and strident voices triangulate somewhere between Jeff Tweedy cool-country reediness and power-pop charm. The antecedents are clear, but never overwhelming. Today’s show is a release party for the group’s self-titled CD. 9 p.m. The Continental Club, 3700 Main. For information, call 713-529-9899 or visit www.continentalclub.com. $10.
Thu., Dec. 13, 9 p.m., 2007