Face the Music: Bluegrass and beyond, poetic songwriters on the bill this week

By AIMSEL L. PONTI

I can already hear my editor groaning because I'm way over my word count, so I had best get right to it. There's always room, however, to wish the Yankees a painful defeat; yes, there's always room to do that. And to wish my Ma Weezie a very happy birthday.

Superb shows this week. Enjoy. 

Colorado's Yonder Mountain String Band pulls into town on Sunday night for a show at Port City Music Hall. It's a four-piece band with not only plenty of traditional bluegrass instruments but also plenty of sound that goes well beyond traditional bluegrass and into such places as rock. It's been a touring act for 11 years and has released five albums along the way. Give a listen at www.yondermountain.com and www.myspace.com/yondermountainstringband. "Fingerprint" is a superb place to start.

Yonder Mountain String Band. 8 p.m. Sunday. Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress St., Portland. Ages 21 and older. $20 and $25. Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com or at the Port City box office. 

From Eau Claire, Wis., comes Meridene, bringing songs from its new record, "Something Like Blood," to Slainte on Friday night. Venture to www.ambledown.com/mp3/meridene_gonebabygone.mp3 to download the smart and snappy pop-rock single "Gone Baby Gone." It's the group's first East Coast tour, but likely not its last. Learn more at www.meridene.net.

Meridene with Tricky Britches. 9 p.m. Friday. Slainte Wine Bar & Lounge, 24 Preble St., Portland. Ages 21 and older. No cover. 

For six years, Jill Andrews and musical partner Sam Quinn fronted Everybodyfields, an alt-country band that blended rock, folk, bluegrass, country and Americana. Three records were released, and a solid fan base was established. Last year, however, Andrews and Quinn disbanded Everybodyfields to pursue their respective solo careers, and Andrews brings hers to One Longfellow Square tonight.

She released her debut solo EP last fall, and I gave it a listen at www.jillandrews.com/music. "Sweetest in the Morning" held my attention in a similar manner that my beloved Kathleen Edwards does -- with bittersweet, vulnerable lyrics and a certain something to her voice that makes me want to drop everything and keep listening.

I also learned that Andrews has been a musician since kindergarten, when she wrote her first song about the letter "P." During a summer of camp counseling in Tennessee when she was 19, Andrews learned how to play the guitar and started writing songs in earnest.

"Always Be Sorry" is another reason I have (over the course of the past 15 minutes) become a huge Jill Andrews fan. Tom, save me a seat in the back for this show, please, I need to be there.

P.S.: Be sure to check out opener Rebecca Pronsky at www.myspace.com/rebeccapronsky.

Jill Andrews with Rebecca Pronsky. 8 tonight. One Longfellow Square, 131 State St., Portland. All ages. $10. www.onelongfellowsquare.com; 761-1757 

I know him as an actor and thought he was outstanding in "The Squid and the Whale," but truth be told, I had no idea that Jeff Daniels was also a musician -- and a prolific one at that. Daniels has been writing songs for his entire life, and many of them are bookmarks of important moments of his life. You can find some of his work on the two studio and two live records he's released.

While this is all quite interesting, I was actually already planning on sending you to The Landing at Pine Point on Friday night before I even knew Daniels was playing. I was sending you to see who I now realized is the opening act, Krista Detor.

Detor is a pianist and singer-songwriter from Indiana, and her fourth solo record, "Chocolate Paper Suites," was released in March. She's toured all over Europe and the U.K. in support of it. "Chocolate Paper Suites" is comprised of three-song suites of interconnected music influenced by Charles Darwin and poets Dylan Thomas and Federico Garcia Lorca, among other things.

You can hear Detor at several online locales, but for instant gratification, try www.myspace.com/kristadetor and listen to "So Goes the Night," which will grant you entry into her mysterious, enthralling world.

Jeff Daniels with Krista Detor. 8 p.m. Friday. The Landing at Pine Point, 353 Pine Point Road, Scarborough. Ages 21 and older. $20 to $30. 774-4527; www.the landingatpinepoint.com