After about a year together and some heavy touring under their belts, Buffalo’s Knife Crazy is set to deliver their debut CD, Delicious Delicious Science (Bad Drone Records). Although Knife Crazy comes from a long line of bands such as Maceo Ruez, The Bloody Hollies and Mexican Cession, it would be unfair to dismiss them as a mere Buffalo supergroup. In fact, what they do is so unlike anything else that comparisons seem to be irrelevant, although the instrumental experimentation of early Yes does come to mind. Add to that a bizarre and surreal sense of humor, three part harmonies and vocal duties handled by all three members and you have a band unlike any of their contemporaries. The CD Release Show is at Mohawk Place on Friday (Sept.15), at 10:30pm with special guests Victory At Sea, Pattern Is Movement and Metal Hearts.

In what can only be termed a major security breach, one of Buffalo’s best kept secrets was recently leaked to SPIN Magazine—who then saw fit to include Lance Diamond & The 24K-Diamond Band in their “101 Best Nights Out This Month” list. We all know that a sure-fire good time awaits us at 10pm this and every Saturday night at the Elmwood Lounge, when “Buffalo’s #1 Entertainer” lights up the stage with his high-energy show. Blessed with a crushed velvet voice and a knack for sartorial splendor, it’s great to see the charismatic Mr. Diamond getting the national attention he so richly deserves—beyond the spotlight he often shares with his old Buffalo band, The Goo Goo Dolls.

Asobi Seksu (loosely translated from Japanese to mean "playful sex") is a very busy band these days. They haven't lost that playfulness though, which comes across in the dreamy, ice cream pop-electronica that's making a name for them. The NYC-based quartet recently released a second album, Citrus (Friendly Fire), to great response. With swirling melodies and spooky-sweet vocals provided by frontwoman Yuki (who has terrific range, both vocally and linguistically, as she switches from Japanese to English lyrics without missing a beat), the album is a textural delight. So is the live show, in as many or more ways. See them at Soundlab with Besnyo on Saturday (Sept. 16), 9pm.

The annual “Secrets of Allentown” tour will be held this Saturday (Sept. 16). The tour will include several houses such as the Birge Mansion on Symphony Circle, where the tour will begin, and the Wilcox mansion on Delaware Ave., where president Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated. Guests will guide themselves through the homes, viewing them for as long as they wish and in whatever order they choose. A trolley will be available for those who need it, stopping at selected homes. The houses will be open to view from 11am-5pm, and there will be a free wine tasting at the Birge from 12-4pm. Call the Allentown Association at 881-1024 for advance tickets.

Although often misconstrued as an eclectic metal band, Kayo Dot employs heavy rock in a wide open setting defined by the ambitions of modern experimental music. Employing seven multi-instrumentalists who supplement their electric guitars with drums, bells, trumpet, violin and clarinet, Kayo Dot evolves ebbs and flows between dark and light, creating a totally unique brand of atmospheric rock. Their debut album, Choirs of the Eye, was released on John Zorn’s Tzadik label, but the group’s beautiful brutality transcends any easy comparisons. Check them out Tuesday (Sept. 19), 9pm at Soundlab, with local support from Novelist.

As an artist who has been performing since the age of 17, Guitar Shorty still carries the passion and the licks to hook his audiences. Born in 1939 in CA but raised in the south, this bluesman belts out tough soulful lyrics with guitar riffs to match. Influences include B.B King, Earl Hooker and T-bone Walker, and he counted Jimmy Hendrix as a contemporary and friend. His crazy, on stage antics include somersaults and back flips, but all the while he holds onto his ax. With his new, top-selling album out, We The People (Alligator Records), Guitar Shorty is continuing to impress audiences across the country, causing new dates to be added to his tour—lucky for Buffalo blues fans. See him Wednesday (Sept. 20) at the Lafayette Tap Room, 9pm.