Buffalo gal Lady Rezult is a strong-willed woman, and on her aptly titled second album, Dedicated (Landmark Entertainment), both her innate class and street-sense come shining through. This hip-hop emcee is not only representing Buffalo (and all the ladies out there), she represents how far true lyrical talent and hard work can go. This Friday (July 21) join Lady Rezult at 10pm at the Elmwood Lounge when she throws a special “white party” to celebrate her CD release. And bust out the Clorox bleach beforehand, because all attendees are highly encouraged to wear white.

In the early 90s alternative rock music was at the peak of its popularity, and Cracker was right there with it. With the release of 1993’s Kerosene Hat (which included the song "Low"), Cracker landed at the forefront of the alternative movement. This success was no surprise, the band having sprung from the 80s essential alterna-pop outfit Camper Van Beethoven, also fronted by lead singer David Lowery. Before writing the songs for his latest release, Greenland (Cooking Vinyl), Lowery was apparently pondering whether he wanted to continue making music. He erased all doubts by writing this album, which he calls his most personal record to date. Accordingly, Greenland carries a serious undertone uncharacteristic of Lowery’s earlier albums (remember CVB’s “Take the Skinheads Bowling?”). Cracker plays the Icon on Friday (July 21), with support from Roger Clyne, 7pm.

Although today’s fringe folk contingent tends to embrace the scrappiness of acoustic instrumentation, psych-folk hero Nick Castro keeps things tight. Taking cues from the classic British folk-rock of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Castro’s shimmering acid-ragas, middle-eastern tinged ballads and renaissance folk glisten with lovely melodies, soothing drones, and lilting harmonies. To be sure, some critics harp on the LA-based troubadour for embracing familiar psych-folk formulas, but, similar to Espers' most recent album, the relaxed confidence with which he articulates and expands upon traditional motifs renders the wayward wanderings of some of his free-folk brethren somewhat unfocused by comparison. Nick Castro and the Young Elders, with support from Canadian indie-folk favorite Ken Reaume, hit Soundlab this Friday (July 21) at 9pm.

DJ Goldie has spent the last decade perfecting himself as a jack-of-all-trades while skillfully redefining hardcore Drum ‘n’ Bass music. Founder of the legendary Metalheadz label, Goldie has been a poster child for the breakbeat jungle movement for over a decade —both at home in the UK and internationally. Since the early 1990’s this gold grill-wearing B-boy has appeared in several films, been romantically linked with Bjork, gained critical acclaim for his “finger paint on the walls” graffiti art, and helped evolve the D-n-B genre from its “happy” mainstream ambience to a darker, more soulful underground sound. This Friday (July 21) Goldie brings his big bass talents to the OPM Lounge alongside Toronto’s Mr. Brown, with Basha and Bill Bacon, 10pm.

Niagara Falls alt-pop band Floozie rocks the Tonawanda Canalfest on Friday (July 21) for what’s being billed as a "Teen Street Dance." Influenced by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, and My Chemical Romance, among others, Floozie snaps up new fans easily —so these kids won’t stand a chance! The performance is on Webster St. in front of the Riviera Theatre, with special guests Not Even Close and Middleman (two other local faves). Floozie will also be handing out free CDs and signing autographs following the show, which starts at 6pm.

Whether he’s tearing up a skate park, fronting his punk band Revolution Mother or taking on 4 guys at one time (video footage of this fight made its way all over the internet), Mike Valley only has one speed: 110 MPH. A pioneer of skateboarding, Valley won the competed in the very first X games. He appears on Fuel TV with instructional segments about skateboarding, and has been a mainstay in the Tony Hawk video game series. Revolution Mother is the most recent project for Valley, and the first CD, Enjoy the Ride (Mike V., Inc.) will be available on August 8. The punk rock project also features guitarist Jason Hampton, bassist Ed Solis, and drummer Wal Rashidi, and is already being likened to AC/DC and punk legends Black Flag. This high-energy show comes to Xtreme Wheels on Tuesday (July 25), with a skate demo kick off at 5pm.

Born into a family of musicians and already in a band by the age of 12, Karl Blau is known as one of the most integral musicians in the K Records family. He has contributed his talent to a number of K artists, including Mirah, Wolf Colonel, The Microphones, Little Wings, and Laura Veirs, while also making up a third of the band D+. All the while Blau has mined a vast territory of music on his own, releasing self made cassettes and CDs before signing to K this past year. Coming off a bit like Beck without the irony, Blau fuses folk, metal, rap and indie rock into a one man show, with music that is refreshingly unpredictable and never bows to cliche. He has the ability to jump through a range of styles without losing sight of his songs' integrity. Blau returns to the Mohawk Place on Wednesday (July 26) at 8pm. Joining him that evening will be Your Heart Breaks, Tracy Morrow & The Magi Chippie, and Joey V.