The Sadies @ Cabaret Voltaire, 26 Oct

The irony of Luke Doucet’s (**) attempt to regale a roomful of Scots with a story about his song bombing in a hall full of chatty Russian ex-pats is not lost, and a swift change of tack becomes essential once I Wish I Was American enters Cabaret Voltaire like a fart into a car. Pick 'n' mixing from a bag of winsome acoustic ballads and country lullabies, he and wife Melissa McClelland otherwise provide a half hour of palatable, lighthearted Sunday night fare.

Coming highly recommended by Amber Webber - caterwauling vocalist with retro rockers Black Mountain - it's no surprise that The Sadies (***) are distinctly at odds with the neon zeitgeist. Decked sharply in suits for the full duration of their sweaty set, Dallas and Travis (AKA the Brothers Good) front an outfit that mostly deals in breakneck country as though channelled through the filter of Jon Spencer's mischief. The throb of an upright bass, an occasional Lee Hazlewood-esque baritone and a suitably foreboding cover of Arthur Lee's A House Is Not A Motel characterise many of their finer moments, but what sells me tonight is their ability to knock out five flawless surf rock ditties in as many minutes before the curfew brings the curtain down. [Dave Kerr]